Don't know what a 'blondie' is? Check this out!

Like any reasonably sane person, I love brownies. However, I think I love "blondies" even more.

What's a blondie, you ask? Well, think of making a brownies--except substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar, and vanilla for the chocolate/cocoa.

The brown sugar-vanilla combo produce a chewy bar cookie that's beyond description, really. Just believe me when I say you won't be able to eat just one (and if you're like me, you'll have a hard time keeping yourself from eating the whole damn pan in one or two sittings).

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 minature peanut butter cups (white chocolate peanut butter cups are even better!)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking dish.

Put the sugar in a large bowl. Melt butter in the microwave in a glass measuring cup. Stir melted butter into the sugar until smooth, cool to room temperature.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Beat the eggs and vanilla into the sugar mixture. Add flour mixture a bit at a time and mix until a smooth thick batter forms.

Spoon the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Press miniature peanut butter cups into the batter (place four cups, evenly spaced, along each side as a guide).

Bake until blondies are light brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

A spicy, stick-to-your-ribs meal you can get on the table in a jiffy!

Here's another meal inspired by that Food Network standby, Rachael Ray. Her version featured chicken and all sorts of time-consuming toppings (a homemade olive-onion salsa and "guacamole cream"). I decided to change things up a bit to make things even easier. Take that Miss 30 Minute Meals!

Latin Sausage and Rice Pot

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white-skinned onion, chopped
2 cups white rice
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon Sazon seasoning blend
1 cup tomato sauce
4 links, vegetarian sausage (I use Tofurky brand Kielbasa), sliced into ½-inch pieces
** another possibility: cubed and fried tofu
1 cup Spanish olives with pimentos, drained and chopped
Sour cream (I use Tofutti brand Guacamole Sour Supreme)

Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with the oil and then place over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened (3-5 minutes). Stir in the rice and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, poultry seasoning, Sazon seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to a quick boil, 2 or 3 minutes. When the liquid boils, reduce heat to low and cook 18-20 minutes, until rice is tender.

When rice is ready, take the pot off the heat and stir in the sausage/kielbasa/tofu. Cover and let sit for a few minutes.

Serve topped with chopped olives and sour cream.

Fettuccine Alfredo's wicked stepsister

This recipe comes from a cookbook (Vegan With a Vengence) that I bought my sister-in-law last Christmas. David had paged through it before it was all wrapped up, and this was one of the recipes that jumped out at him. It's become a staple in our home ever since (it's one of David's specialties) and it never fails to impress guests.

Just don't go in expecting that old stand-by, Fettuccine Alfredo. Although this dish is creamy, it isn't cloying or overtly cheesey like its namesake. I think you'll love this dish quite on its own, especially since it's far better for your waistline!

Fettuccine Alfreda

1 pound pasta of choice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup pine nuts (almonds are a great substitute)
2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
Meat of choice (David likes to toast a few Morningstar Farms chicken patties and then slice them into strips)

Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with the olive oil, then bring up to meat heat. Add onion and cook for about three minutes. Season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper (note: you'll still need the salt and pepper mentioned above for later on in the recipe). Add the garlic and saute for two minutes more.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a small frying pan (no oil or grease needed) and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Add the broccoli florets during the last two or three minutes to cook through.

In a blender, combine all ingredients except for the pasta, broccoli and meat, and blend until fairly smooth.

When the pasta and broccoli are done, drain and return to the pot they were cooked in. Pour sauce into pot and stir to combine. Serve topped with the sliced chicken patties (or whatever meat you decide to use).

Pasta salad with pep

My husband and I love to cook. Heck, we just love to eat, period, but we especially love cooking for each other at home. David may not be as adventurous as I am (I try out new recipes all the time, while he tends to stick to his 'tried and true' recipes), but he brings plenty of great dishes to the table. This is one of my favorites. It's so easy it's sick (you know, in a good way), and the salty creaminess of it all grabs me from the first bite.

David’s Peppy Pasta Salad

1 pound penne pasta (or other short, tubular pasta), cooked according to directions
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 cup carrots, sliced into medallions
1 package vegetarian pepperoni
4 or 5 green onions, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water for a few seconds.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

When pasta, veggies and sauce are ready, stir together in a large bowl. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until needed.

A sandwich that's good any time of day

That damn Rachel Ray. I want to dislike her, I really do--what with her huge grin, even bigger voice and completely over-the-top personality (not to mention her overused catch phrases). But, try as I might, I can't hate her. It seems like her heart's in the right place and, more importantly, she makes some great-looking, quick-cooking meals on her Food Network show, "30 Minute Meals."

Speaking of which, this recipe was inspired by something I saw her make a few weeks ago. She called her version a "breakfast sammie," which I thought was cute, so I'll call mine "Bryan's veggie breakfast sammie," since it's fully vegetarian (and can easily be made vegan, if that's your thing).

I have a hard time calling this a recipe, to tell you the truth, since the only thing you actually make is the scrambled tofu. Call it what you like--regardless, you can rest assured they're easy and cheap to make, and fantastic to eat.

Bryan's Veggie Breakfast Sammie

1 block herb tofu, crumbled into largish pieces
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
8 ounces of white mushrooms, sliced
1-2 teaspoons turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

4 English muffins, split and toasted
4 vegetarian burger or sausage patties, cooked according to directions
4 slices of American cheese
Mayonnaise (if desired)

Heat a large skillet, coated with olive oil, over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, pepper and mushrooms and cook until softened. Add crumbled tofu, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir until spices have been incorporated (mixture should be a light yellow). Taste and season with more salt and/or pepper if needed.

In the meantime, cook the veggie burgers/sausage patties according to directions and toast muffins. When everything is hot and ready to go, stack them as you wish. I like to go in this order: muffin, mayo, burger, tofu mixture, cheese, muffin top.

A side of potatoes would be a nice accompaniment, but it's not needed if you're planning to eat two of these (or more) by yourself.