Revising recipes for healthier options.

In my quest to eat less meat in any given week, I've been spending my time wallowing over all my old, go-to  recipes hoping I can revise them without losing the flavor and texture of the original meat-loving counterpart.

Lately, my favorite cooking method is braising. I absolutely love the idea of slowly cooking things in liquid like stocks, cooking wines and well-seasoned water. The outcome makes any home cook feel like a rock star.

Braising mushrooms, onion and garlic in red wine.

One dish I particularly enjoy is Baked Ziti. My original version starts with searing a nice, Angus beef with oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a hot dutch oven. Next, I open a nice, dry red wine - take a huge gulp from it - and proceed to pour it over the beef until completely covered; I bring it to a boil before covering it and cooking on medium. I leave it this way for 2-3 hours until the beef is as tender as can be. This is incredibly flavorful beef, but I thought I could revise the recipe for not only a more heart-healthier version but an Eco-friendly one as well.

The Baked Ziti before it hits the oven.

It's no secret that mushrooms provide a similar texture as beef when cooking vegetarian meals so I opted to replace the beef with miniature portobello and crimini mushrooms. I sliced them up and sauteed them with garlic before adding the red wine. Once cooked down - 2 hours minimum, I added one onion, sliced; a large can of unsalted whole, peeled tomatoes I pureed in the food processor and cooked another 45 minutes. While the mushroom sauce continues to cook, I boiled my water for the whole wheat penne pasta and cooked until al la dente or firm - but not too soft. I combined the pasta and braised mushrooms and sprinkled the top with mozzarella and a sharp white cheddar and baked at 350 for 25 minutes.

The outcome was as delicious as its meatier version and a full-prove method of taste and flavor is if I can convert my husband to a meatless dish and he was sold on this new Baked Ziti recipe!

A Wednesday Gathering.

It's a summer past time for my little family in Seattle: the Wallingford Farmer's Market every Wednesday. It starts in May and doesn't let up until the latter part of September and it's the best farmer's market we go to because it's small, quaint and, what seems to me, the most authentic gathering place for folks young and old. Life doesn't get any better than this and in a time when there's so much depression and recession, this helps remind me of the simple joys.
 

Nestled in a grassy field and surrounded by trees, this farmer's market is easy to move through because of its size and space between rows of white-topped tents. The market provokes all the senses: folk music bellowing from the trees, kids shrieking with laughter from the big, adjacent park and folks milling around each vendor picking up the harvest-of-the-week. The smell of vegetable quesadillas grilling on a stove and the grass-fed burgers smoking on the grill fills the air. It's an American past time. It's our past time and nothing brings together friends on a regular basis than a good afternoon at the market. 
Each Wednesday is a day to look forward to, not only because it's a chance to pick up some good produce, but because of the friends we meet up with. We chat, laugh, occasionally sneak in a beer and watch the kids run around the park. We wait in line for a quesadilla or a burger - worth every $8.00 spent - and gather up a peach or two to eat on the spot. We take our time watching the cooking demonstrations and hover over the dreamy, homemade Whidbey Island Ice Cream Company's hand dipped ice cream bars in a list of flavors like lavender, chocolate fudge, cardamom (my personal favorite) and Mukilteo Espresso.

But, beyond the food available, the market is a fun place to bring out-of-town guests or a great meet-up spot for the kids and their friends. There's great space for games like the old school Trac Ball, Frisbee or, if in the daring mood, trying your hand on a balance rope. This day never lets us down and before you realize it, you've created this thing called community using the simplest of jesters; food, friends and long summer days.

This Wednesday, September 26, is the last day for the year. If you're that way - at 50th and Meridian - between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., join us to bid our farewell to the sweetest of markets and the laziest of summer Wednesdays.