black bean arepa

grilled corn tortilla-bread stuffed with caraotas (black beans), pepper, and onion, from an arepa bar in Caracas

spaghetti with eggplant and lentils

sauted eggplant, onion, garlic, and pepper with lentil, tomato, and adobo sauce

Pesto and Green Veggie Pizza

From Cafe Viva on New York's Upper West Side.

Apricot and Walnut Cookies

chayote with carrot and onion

adapted from this recipe, with carrot, a little brown sugar, cilantro, and sweet pepper added

mexican rice with stewed vegetables

aka arroz con verduras
for the rice, I sauted an onion and aji dulce (mild peppers), then mixed in the rice, then added water, tomato sauce, and salt and simmered until done
for the veggies, I sauted an onion, aji dulce, potato, carrot, and zucchini in adobo and garlic sauces, then added scallions
very easy and tasty!

loquat

(níspero in spanish)
yes, it's a fruit, and a tasty one at that.

cachapas with guacamole

A savory cachapas option, with guacamole and cilantro. Cachapas are usually served with salty toppings, so the guacamole went well!

cachapas with mango and guayabita

Venezuelan cachapas (corn pancakes) with fresh mango slices and guayabita powder (allspice, as far as I can tell). I bought the cachapas pre-made from a supermarket here in Caracas, but there are several recipes for them online.

persian rhubarb stew

adapted from the recipe on this page

mock duck

stuffed with mushrooms and cilantro, from New Green Bo, in New York

Collard Greens and Cornbread

Some down-home cookin' for the 4th of July

cauliflower with curry butter and toasted cashews

from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
In a medium pan heat 3 tbsp margarine or vegetable oil with 1 1/2 tsp curry powder, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp chives, a few tbsps chopped cilantro. Add steamed cauliflower and toasted cashews and toss.

mushrooms with thyme and cinnamon

mushroom antipasta adapted from the cookbook Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style by Viana La Place

Recipe:
1 lb medium mushrooms
5 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 sprigs or 1 tbsp thyme
3 tbsp chopped parsley or 2 tbsp dried parsley
1 stick cinnamon broken in half or 1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice

1) Saute the olive oil, garlic, thyme, parsley, and cinnamon over low heat for 3 minutes.
2) Add the mushrooms, raise the heat to medium, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3) Lower the heat, and add the salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir the mushrooms, cover the pan, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender but firm.
4) Transfer the mushrooms to a dish and let cool. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature.