Sinful. Delectable. Mouth watering. Veggie Pizza. Yes, I said it, Pizza.

Pizza can probably be one of the most delicious foods ever created.  When I am away from home I crave the gooey cheesy greasy-ness that is pizza.  I remember the first time I had pizza at Acropolis on Marshall Street and I ordered one slice in order to be disappointed by the scrawny midget sized slice.  I immediately asked where the rest of the slice was.  The server said “Lemme guess, you’re from NYC.”  I replied “Yea, I am. So let me get another slice.”  Although the dough, crust, sauce and cheese are pretty good at Acropolis, nothing compares to my NYC slice. Or so I thought.

Today my family and I took a random trip to Pizza Palace in Connecticut.  The dreadful two-hour ride was worth it once we arrived to this true palace of pizza.  We ordered the Vegetarian pie.  It was spectacular.  It was unlike any pizza I ever tasted.

There were mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, onions and green bell peppers all perfectly scattered on oozing hot mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.  The crust was crispy and delectable.  I loved the crunch of it.  Although sometimes it was a little annoying to bite into.  I am not a big fan of small shrimpy looking slices but I enjoyed being able to eat 3 of these veggie delights.

The pizza wasn’t even the best part.  The most phenomenal part of this two-hour trip was their house dessert.  It was the perfect combo of a graham cracker walnut crust, thick whipped cream, chocolate pudding and chocolate syrup.  Layered delicately and presented elegantly, my mouth couldn’t stop watering from the moment the waitress placed the plate in front of me.  It was immediately devoured within minutes.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced vegetarian dinner where you get your veggies and a sweet tooth satisfied, Pizza Palace is the way to go.

I’ll keep you updated on my foodie adventures through out my summer.

But for now

Peace, love and NO BEEF!

Guramrit

Hello world! Today I actually put time aside to cook. As you already know I adore pasta and enjoy finding different ways of making it.

Sometimes the typical pasta and pasta sauce combination gets a little boring and redundant.  I wanted to give extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes and basil (as a replacement for regular pasta sauce) with three cheese tortellini (instead of spaghetti).  Next time you want something light but flavorful try this recipe.

What you need:

Tortellini Pasta (3 cheese or spinach & ricotta- whatever you prefer and  make as much pasta as you want)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Parmesan Cheese

Vine Ripe Tomato, diced

Basil, julienned

Salt

Pepper

How you make it:

1. Boil 4 quarts of water. Add salt to boiled water and as much pasta as you would like. Let the pasta cook until al dente.  Once fully cooked, drain and set aside but put back in the pan.

2. Toss the pasta with the olive oil, tomatoes and basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add as much parmesan as you would like and serve.

Now that was easy! Talk about an easy dinner on a busy night.

Next time you need something delectable to feast on try some cheesey peasy pasta.

That’s all folks!

Peace, love & no beef,

GK

Hello world! My apologies for being MIA. School has gotten the best of me but of course I refuse to forget my passion, this blog.

For those of you who enjoy mexican food but are looking for a vegetarian alternative, here is something you should try.  I make homemade guacamole, buy salsa, taco shells, canned beans and pre shredded cheese and dinner/lunch is ready within a matter of moments.  I hope you’ll give my recipe a try next time for dinner.

Here it goes:

Guacamole Gigi’s Way (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 medium/large avocado, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 lime

1 large shalot, diced

1 vine ripe tomato, cubed

1 clove of garlic, diced finely

1 jalapeno, chopped (keep seeds if you prefer it spicy)

Salt & Pepper to taste

How you do it:

1. Take the avocado and slice around the peel and twist to open revealing the pit.  Remove the pit and discard.  You will now have two halves of avocado.  While still in the peel, cut into little cubes with your knife (gently) then scoop out into a bowl. Mash slightly leaving the avocado a little chunky.

2. Add the diced tomato, garlic, shalot and jalapeno.  Stir until mixed.

3. Add the juice of one lime. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. For better flavor let the ingredients absorb all the flavors in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Then enjoy with some chips or tacos!

Taco’s Gigi’s Way

Ingredients:

1 box of hard/soft tacos

1 can of refried organic vegetarian black/pinto beans

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 bag of pre shredded cheese

1 or 2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced

1 or 2 cups of shredded lettuce

1 jar of your favorite salsa

How you do it:

1. In an oven heated to 350 degrees, place the tacos on a cookie sheet and let them warm up for at least 10 minutes.

2. In a saucepan, add the canned beans.  On medium-low heat, stir until the beans soften a little.  Slowly add the taco seasoning (add as much as you like but be warned it can be a little salty).  Stir until fully incorporated.  Turn the heat off and let the beans sit.

3. Remove tacos from oven.  Place tomatoes, cheese and lettuce in little bowls, making it easy for people to grab and add their own ingredients.

4. Voila! Create your own taco with an assortment of ingredients.

5. Top tacos with salsa and homemade guac! Enjoy!

Unfortunately I do not have any pictures for you but the next time I feel inclined to create some delicious guac I will enlighten you all with pictures.

Don’t forget!

Peace, love & No BEEF

GK

Hello World!

Today was my first time ever making homemade pizza. Well, as Sandra Lee would say “semi homemade.” I was surprised at how good it tasted. It was not too heavy and melted in my mouth with the cheese complimenting the perfect crust. Yum! My tummy could not have been more happy. The best part about this meal was not spending any money ordering takeout and it was super fast. The one thing that bothers me about cooking is waiting and waiting for it to be ready and by the time it is done cooking you are too tired to eat. This time I was still semi-conscious to eat it! Here is my recipe:

Gigi Pizza (some of these ingredients can be used again for more pizza but you can add or take away whatever you like based on your tastes)

1 pound of pre-made pizza dough

1 carton of pizza sauce

1 packet of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cloves of garlic, minced finely

1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 vine ripe tomato, sliced thinly

1 pinch of dried rosemary

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grab as much pizza dough as you would like. I grabbed a small amount and let it sit at room temperature. Once at room temperature, dust a cutting board with a little flour and roll the dough from the middle outward until you reach the desired thickness. Pat the dough into the baking pan/baking sheet. Push your fingertips into the dough to create tiny little pockets so that the flavors can absorb into the crust.

3. Rub olive oil onto the dough gently. Take the minced garlic and massage it slightly into the crust so that it almost becomes embedded into the dough. Sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper on top. Put in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors are incorporated.

4. Remove from oven and add as much tomato sauce as desired. Sprinkle a good amount of cheese. Take tomatoes and place all around the pizza. Cover with more cheese. Put in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted to your liking.

5. Kick back relax and eat.

Voila!

I hope you try this recipe the next time you are on a budget or snowed in (I am currently stuck in my apartment) or just hungry for a quick snack.

More later!

Peace, love & No Beef

GK

I am abnormally exhausted and  I know the world probably is too but I had to write down my recipe for what I had for dinner tonight.

Being the pasta fanatic that I am, I decided to try a different type, Agnolotti. The first thing that stood out to me was the weird name, not that any other pasta has a normal name anyway. I tried the Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) Agnolotti.  Agnolotti looks like it is a wannabe Ravioli but it tasted completed differently. It melted in my mouth like butter. It was perfect. I was sad when I was done eating it.

Well here is what I whipped together in a matter of 15 minutes!

Compliments of Buitoni

Ingredients:

1 box of refrigerated Buitoni brand Quattro Formaggi (they have other flavors like wild mushroom)

1 1/2 cup of marinara sauce

Compliments of the Light Life

2 one inch disks of Vegetarian Gimme Lean Sausage(Light Life brand tastes the best)

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Pepper

Pinch of Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How to do it:

1. Boil 4 cups of water in a decent sized pot. Once water is boiling, place Agnolotti in boiling water. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Since the Agnolotti is pre-cooked it only takes a few minutes. Be careful not to let it over cook. Once cooked strain and set aside.

2. In a saucepan heat the tablespoon of olive oil under medium-low heat. As the oil heats chop the disks of veggie ground sausage into little bite size pieces. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add to olive oil and sautee until brown. Once browned add in marinara sauce and cook until sauce is warm.

3. After the sauce is warm, pour over Agnolotti and enjoy.

Being a college student and trying to find time to eat is no easy task. I hope this helps!

There will be much more to come!

Peace, love and no beef

GK