The thing about longer, warmer summer day is that they make me crave lighter, fresher foods. When I am hot, the last thing I want is a heavy, greasy meal that is going to weight me down. In line with this, one of our favorite types of meals in the summer is what I call a "grain salad." The formula is pretty simple: cooked whole grain + chopped veggies +/- beans/chicken + /- herbs + vinaigrette dressing. The combinations are endless, and they also make for great "clean out the refrigerator meals."
This grain salad is one that I ran across last summer on A Couple Cooks. We've made it several times in the past year, enough that I feel justified in sharing it. You may notice in the
pictures that our beans were much lighter than a traditional kidney
bean. Like I mentioned before, one of the great thing about this type of
meal is the adaptability! This recipe is a little different from some of the others in that it does call for a special spice - Cajun spice blend. Buy it. Even if you don't have another recipe using it. I promise it will go to good use. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Cajun Bulgur Salad
From A Couple Cooks
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups uncooked bulgur wheat
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears of corn (or 1/2 cup thawed frozen corn)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half if larger
1/2 cup red onion, chopped (about 1/2 medium-sized onion)
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano, minced
4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
~1 Tbsp. Cajun spice blend (depends on brand of spice and heat level desired)
fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt (if needed, may be salt in the spice blend)
Heat 1-1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan to a boil. Add bulgur to the saucepan, cover, and remove from heat. Let the pan sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes. The bulgur will absorb the water as it sits. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the bulgur with a fork.
Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette by whisking together the vinegar, olive oil, oregano, 1/2 Tbsp. Cajun spice blend, salt and pepper. Set aside. Prepare vegetables and rinse and drain the beans if using canned beans. When the grain has finished cooking, add the bulgur and vegetables to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and mix well. Add remaining Cajun seasoning, salt, and/or pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Last but not least. The final meatless, seafoodless recipe. Hope you have been able to find some meatless recipes in the last couple weeks whether it is for meatless Fridays or just the occasional meatless meal.
I ran across this recipe on Annie's Eats, but it is originally a Cooking Light recipe. It seems pretty simple and definitely is quick. Beans mixed in a skillet with some seasonings and wrapped up in a tortilla with your standard round up of sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc. I definitely learned one thing in making this recipe. A mixture of mashed up beans does not make for very pretty photos!
Can't go wrong with simple, quick, and delicious. As this is the last meatless meal, I'll be back tomorrow with a decadent dessert :) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Chipotle Bean Burritos
Adapted from Cooking Light (Seen on Annie's Eats)
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. minced chipotle in adobo sauce
1 tsp. cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/3 cup chicken broth (or water)
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 (15oz) can pinto beans
6 Tbsp. fresh salsa
6 whole wheat tortillas
shredded Mexican blend cheese
diced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
chopped green onions
Low-fat sour cream
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and spices through the salt. Stir constantly and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add the beans and broth to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the the heat and allow to cook for about 10 minutes or until the beans are softened. Remove the skillet from the heat. Roughly mash the beans leaving some pieces whole. Add the salsa and mix well.
Spoon about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top with desired toppings. Fold the ends of the tortilla in and roll-up lengthwise. May cut in half if desired. Serve immediately.
In talking to our families, we got wind that they are suppose to have a high in the 80's today in Nebraska. In March! Enjoy your day guys. You'll be in our ballpark today :)
Warm temperatures make me think of summer, and what is the quintessential summer meal? Burgers! To keep with my meatless, seafoodless theme, you may have guessed that these are veggie burgers. Neither of us are vegetarians, however I do occasionally like a veggie burger over a traditional beef burger. Nothing wrong with either one, just really depends on what kind of mood I am in.
One of my pet-peeves about homemade veggie burgers is that mushy middle. If you have tried to make bean veggie patties at home, you probably know what I mean. I've tried a couple recipes in the past that weren't even close to making the blog, and there was an incident once involving soggy veggie burgers and the grill. Don't want to talk about that one. While it has been awhile since she posted it, I only recently ran across this recipe from Angie of Oh She Glows. The recipe is actually vegan, using ground flaxseed + water as a replacement for eggs. Angie claims that this is "their perfect veggie burger." As I said in my lasagna post, I hesitate to call anything "the best," but these burgers are dang good. We both took them for lunch every day until they were gone, and I can tell you that I missed them the first day I didn't have one. Definitely a do again, and that is saying something in the world of a food blogger :)
(Printable Recipe)
Loaded Black Bean Veggie Burgers
From Oh She Glows (Originally inspired by Whitewater Cooks)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-1/2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed + 1/2 cup warm water
1 cup oats, processed into flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup black beans (I used canned beans and measured 1 cup)
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
black pepper to taste
Add almonds and sunflower seeds to a small skillet. Toast over medium heat until slightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.
In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Mix the flaxseed and water together in a small bowl. Let set for 10 minutes.
Mash the beans with a for until no large pieces remain. Place the beans and the remaining ingredients up through the spices and salt (including your nuts) in a large bowl and mix well. Add the seasonings, including salt, and taste. Adjust if necessary. I had to add a little bit more water to my dough at this point to get it to come together (maybe 1-2 Tbsp). Add just a little at a time until the dough will hold its shape when pressed together.
Wet hands and firmly press dough together into patties. Burgers can be pan-fried in a small amount of olive oil on the stove for 4-5 minutes per side, baked at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes (flip at about 15 minutes), or grilled. If grilling, Angie recommends pre-baking the burgers for about 15 minutes. Serve on buns with desired toppings.
As I am sure is the case in the homes of many food bloggers, we have something new and different at some meal almost every day. This ends up being both good and bad. I definitely don't get the "we're having this for supper again?" comment, but in the process, I have realized that I do not really have any "go to" recipes. Want a recipe for chicken noodle soup? I probably have 10. Chocolate chip cookies? Even worse. Chicken recipes. Don't even go there.
While it seems that it would make supper really easy, what happens is I get information overload. It has been shown that when presented with too many options, humans take longer to make one and are more dissatisfied with their choice, and I absolutely fall into that group. One thing I do to make meal choices easier is to pick out a certain category. If I can decided that I want to make chicken lasagna or vegetarian tacos, I may narrow my choices of recipes down to only a couple. Much more manageable!
One of the themes that shows up again and again on our menus week after week is some type of Mexican. Whether it be tacos, enchiladas, burritos, or even just Mexican-flavored dips, we love it all. These tacos, from Eat, Live, Run happen to be a vegetarian version that fall right into my current theme of meatless, seafood-less meals. The recipe for these tacos happens to be from Jenna's mom who adapted it from an Oprah recipe, and from my attempts at her meals, all that I can say is that I would love to be invited to dinner!
These are different from other vegetarian tacos that I've seen in that the pre-cooked beans are roasted in the oven to give them just a bit of a crunch in the tacos. Genius. Combine that with a roasted-pepper corn mixture and crunch from some green cabbage, and you have one heck of a taco. We ended up leaving out the radishes as I did not have any in the house when we made these, but I am sure they would up the crunch factor as well. Seeing these pictures is making me want these again. Soon. Guess I've solved the supper predicament for one night next week :) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Vegetable Soft Tacos with Chipotle Sour Cream
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run (originally from Oprah)
Ingredients:
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
2 limes, juiced
2 tsp. cumin
1-1/2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 red bell peppers, sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained or cook your own
1/2 medium green cabbage, sliced thin
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
1 avocado, diced
3 radishes, sliced thin (I left out)
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2 canned chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and diced
2 tsp. adobo sauce
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
whole wheat tortillas
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil if desired.
Toss together corn, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, bell peppers, and onion and spread on half of the baking sheet. In a separate bowl, toss together the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and black beans. Spread on the other half the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are getting crispy and the vegetables are cooked through.
Meanwhile, combine the cabbage, cilantro, vinegar, sugar, diced avocado, a pinch of salt, and radishes if using. Set aside to let marinate in the vinegar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the sour cream, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce.
Fill tortillas with the vegetable-bean mixture. Top with the cabbage mixture and a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese.
In continuing the theme of meatless recipes, I thought I'd start with one of the Mexican-themed recipes I'd promised. This may not be true for everyone, but I've always found Mexican dishes one of the easiest types of Cuisines to make vegetarian. With all the beans, veggies, and cheese, it is easy not to miss the meat!
This dish mixes all those above things with none other than quinoa. No meat certainly does not have to mean no protein! I have definitely caught the quinoa "bug." What is not to love about those little curly cues it sprouts after it's cooked?
The idea from this recipe comes from Not Rachel Ray. She used the filling both for southwestern stuffed pepper and in casserole form. We just made the casserole variety, but I am sure stuffed-peppers would be delicious (I also seem to have a "thing" for different types of stuffed peppers). I made a few changes to Rachel's original recipe mainly leaving out the chicken, upping the amount of beans (hate having random half cans of stuff in the refrigerator), and adding a chopped bell pepper to the mix. We just planted several of these ingredients in our garden last weekend. Can't wait until we could make this with the goodies from our garden!
You'll find a lot of different ways to cook quinoa. I've tried quite a few different ways, but the method that has worked well for me is a ratio of 2:1 liquid to grain. Any more liquid, and I find the quinoa ends up too wet even after cooking. You can use all water, a mixture of water and broth, or even all broth if you'd like. If I have it, I like using half broth, half water. I haven't tried this, but I
think you could prepare most of this dish the night before (minus adding the bread
crumbs). Add the bread crumbs and bake the next day. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Southwestern Quinoa Casserole
Adapted from Not Rachel Ray
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn or corn cut from 2 cobs
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
1-2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (make your own)
1-1/2 cups reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 whole wheat Panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the quinoa and shake strainer to drain off any extra liquid. Place in a medium saucepan. Add broth and/or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 13-15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Let sit and remain covered for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.
Combine the cooked quinoa, bell pepper, onion, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, taco seasoning, and 1 cup of cheese. Pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Combine remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and Panko bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the dish. Bake 45-50 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.
Is there anyone else that cannot believe that it's already Lent?!? This year is just flying!
When we lived in Omaha, one of the things we were able to experience was a true fish fry. During Lent, several of the Catholic churches put on these huge fish fries every Friday evening. With adult beverages available for purchase, fried foods of all types, and lines that are several hours long, these fish fries turn out to be quite the gathering. The only bad part is you go home smelling of fried fish. We are not Catholic and I don't even eat fish, but I will admit that I have trudged through the snow to stand in line for one of these!
In reviewing the recipes that I have saved up to post, I realized that many of these are meatless. Perfect. I'll do a Lenten meatless dinner series. Some of these recipes will be quick and easy, others will take a bit more time, but all will be meat and seafood free. If there are others out there that despise eating things that swim as much as I do, hopefully I can save you from subsisting on fried hush-puppies and sides of macaroni and cheese as I did at these fish fries!
Disclaimer: Many of these are tex-mex or southwestern in flavor (but not all!), so if you also are adverse to Mexican foods, I may not be of much help :)
First up, creamy avocado and white bean wraps. This recipe comes from Eating Well, and I will admit that it made my menu due to the ease of the recipe. If you can chop up some cabbage and mash some beans, you can make these wraps. In the past, I have had mixed feelings about using cabbage in tacos and Mexican dishes, but in these wraps, it works. For one, it holds up much better than lettuce would in delivering the flavor from the chipotle peppers, but most importantly, it gives these wraps some crunch!
Would this recipe wow in a 5-star restaurant? Probably not. Will it provide a good, quick, and healthy meal for your family? Absolutely. Note, it only makes 4 wraps, so if you have a bigger family, you may need to double the recipe. For us, dinner plus lunch. By the next day, the avocado mixture had turned a little brown, but nothing that greatly affected the taste. Overall, I can tell you that we were actually really impressed with this recipe despite its simplicity. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipes)
Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wraps
From Eating Well July/Aug 2009
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. finely chopped and seeded chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (keep the extras!)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 (15oz) can white beans
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. red onion, minced
4, 8- or 10-inch whole wheat tortillas (we like La Tortilla Factory's tortillas)
Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chiles, and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, cilantro, and carrot. Set aside. If possible, let marinate for 20-30 minutes. If not, it can be used right away.
Mash beans and avocado in a separate medium bowl. Add shredded cheese and onion; mix well.
To make the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean mixture down the center of a tortilla. Top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage mixture. Fold in the ends of the tortilla and roll-up burrito style. Repeat to make remaining wraps. Can cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.
With tomorrow being Fat Tuesday, the calendar is telling me that it's Mardi Gras! I cannot believe that we are already approaching Lent. Where has the year gone? I have been to New Orleans a couple times - one while in high school and then again this past December for a pharmacy conference. It's quite the city, and for me at least, I think visiting during Mardi Gras is definitely on my Bucket List.
My trouble with much of the Cajun food is that I don't do seafood. It is just not my cup of tea. I can do spice, so I've always thought it was unfortunate that they couldn't just leave the shrimp, catfish, etc. out! Several weeks ago, one of my co-resdients ran across this recipe from the Food Network and brought it in for me. As a vegetarian gumbo mixed with greens and black-eyed peas, it certainly fits the bill of being seafood-free.
After reading the reviews, I subbed a can of black-eyed peas for the frozen peas as many indicated that it took too long for the frozen peas to cook through. I also added a bit of a Cajun seasoning mix to kick up the spice factor. Our verdict - my husband beat me out in taking the leftovers for lunch. Guess it was a hit?!? Enjoy and Happy Mardi Gras!
(Printable Recipes)
Vegetable Gumbo
Adapted from The Food Network Magazine
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. smoked paprika (preferably hot)
Cajun seasoning, to taste
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 lb. kale (or Swiss chard), stemmed and chopped
1 (14oz) can black-eyed peas
prepared brown rice for serving
Prepare rice according to package directions. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, 3 tablespoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in the vegetable broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then cover and bring to a boil. Add the greens and black-eyed peas to the pot. Add Cajun seasoning to taste. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the rice.
Amongst the ways this little blog has changed our lives, one of the biggest is our willingness to try both new dishes and new ingredients, especially new vegetables. Prior to blogging, I can honestly tell you that my vegetable repertoire consisted of whichever common varieties were available in the frozen bags at the grocery store. I had certainly had the standard corn, peas, carrots, green beans and broccoli, but had never ventured out into the world of other veggies. Even asparagus was relatively new to me when I started blogging.
All of that brings me to this soup. While the vegetables in here do not get too exotic, I can certainly say there was a time when cooking with kale, fresh cabbage, and broccoli rabe would have been way outside my comfort zone! As you would expect, the bread in here soaks up much of the extra liquid leaving you with a soups that packs a hearty punch while managing to stay pretty light.
I have to admit that the health factor was one of my primary reasons for choosing to make this recipe. Lots of vegetables in a hearty dish. What I didn't expect was how much we would really enjoy this. I knew it would be good, but not this good. My husband has been talking about it all week and basically ate all the leftovers himself. If you're looking for a way to warm up or maybe lighten up after a heavy Valentine's Day meal, I would highly recommend this soup. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipes)
Ribollita (Italian Bread Soup)
Found on MyRecipes.com, Recipe from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
3 cups, crusty whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
cooking spray
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup celery, chopped
6 cups water, divided
1 pkg. (6 cups) kale, stemmed, leaves chopped
6 cups chopped cabbage
4 cups broccoli rabe (can substitute regular broccoli)
2 cups Yukon gold or red potato, peeled, cubed into 1-inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 (14.5oz) can chopped tomatoes with fluid
2 (15oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 cup shaved or grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place 3 cups bread on a baking sheet and lightly coat with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; cool.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add 5 cups of water and next 6 ingredients (through tomatoes). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until greens are wilted, stirring occasionally. It will seem like the greens will never wilt. Stir it occasionally. They will cook, just slowly. Mash 1 can of beans. Add mashed beans and remaining 1 cup of water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until potato and carrot are tender.
Stir in bread, remaining can of beans, salt, thyme, oregano, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Ladle about 1-1/2 cups of soup into bowls. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Ever have those random ingredients hanging around your kitchen. I seemed to end up with several types of random ingredients after all the different meals we made over the holidays - a half box of cornflakes here, half block of fontina cheese there, frozen roasted veggies, and a random (and HUGE) extra sweet potato.
Thankfully, I discovered a use for my rogue sweet potato while perusing Pinterest one day. Enter these taco packets by Natalie from Perry's Plate. Cubed sweet potatoes and some of your typical taco toppings are loaded up and baked right in a foil packet. They earn bonus points right away there - almost no clean up!
As for how they turned out, I'll just say my husband beat me out for taking the leftovers for lunch :) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos
From Perry's Plate
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey
2-3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/2 cup (4oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14oz) black, pinto, or kidney beans
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
2 Tbsp. butter
salt
1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, torn
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for garnish
6, 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil
Brown the ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.
To assemble the packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup of sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (1 teaspoon) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some torn spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of taco meat and a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.
Last but not least, I'm adding white chicken chili into the mix. This is one of those recipes where I'm sure everyone has their own little variation, but no matter how you make it, it always turns out awesome! This recipe is my mom's, and it has made an appearance more than once on Christmas Eve.
I feel like I say this a lot, but I really, really like this soup. We made a double batch of it last Friday for the savory part of a cookie exchange party, so my husband and I have been enjoying the leftovers all week. It literally is one of those things that I could eat everyday and not become tired of it. The recipe for this soup does call for a 1/2 cup of heavy cream. I have successfully swapped lower fat products including half and half and whole milk. If you are looking to try this, keep in mind that these items will "thin out" the soup a little bit more than the cream and may clump easier if they get too hot in the soup. If you are making it in the crockpot, be sure not to add any of the dairy products until about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the soup or they may curdle. A bonus with the crockpot is that your house will smell so good when you come home!
This is definitely a recipe that will allow for some tailoring, so if something sounds like it would go well in here, try it! I know I'll be enjoying my last bowl tomorrow. Merry Christmas everyone!
(Printable Recipe)
White Chicken Chili
From Mom
Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
1 Tbsp. oil (only if cooking in stockpot)
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 cans (14.5 oz each) white beans (navy beans), rinsed and drained
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cans (4oz) chopped green chiles
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1-1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
If cooking in a stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic powder and saute until the onion is translucent. Add beans, broth, chiles, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and heavy cream.
Crockpot directions: Add all ingredients except the sour cream and heavy cream to the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Add the sour cream and heavy cream about 30 minutes before serving to allow the soup to re-warm after the addition.
Growing up we had quite a few Christmas traditions. Starting the day after Thanksgiving, we'd get up early to grab donuts before heading to the Christmas tree farm to pick out/cut down our tree. We also had a paper nativity scene that doubled as an Advent calendar. My brother and I would alternate days of putting up each character, often squabbling over who would get to put the star up over the manger on Christmas Eve.
One of the other traditions that I still continue - soup on Christmas Eve. The kind has changed over the years (there was a time when I would have a can of Campbell's chicken and stars because the rest of the family was having oyster stew...), but the idea of soup has stayed constant. We've done stews, chili, homemade chicken noodle, and even played with the idea of bread bowls, but it's always homemade and always great! Plus, it is low stress as you can put it in a crockpot and forget about it. Bonus that it leaves room for Christmas cookies :)
As I don't have too many Christmas cookie recipes to share with you this year, I thought I would let you in on our little tradition and offer up a few soup recipes leading up to Christmas Eve.
The first soup is a classic - minestrone. I have made this recipe a couple of times, and I really enjoy it as it is everything a minestrone soup should be: great flavor and loaded with vegetables. The recipe calls for red wine. If you are worried about including alcohol, it could certainly be replaced with some additional broth, however if you can, I would strongly suggest you include it. I love the flavor red wine adds to soups. One thing to note is that the pasta will continue to soak up the liquid (even when fully cooked), so cook it al dente and only add it a few minutes before serving. This is especially important if you are making the soup in a crockpot! For the leftovers in this case, I have just been adding a little bit more broth as needed when I heat it up.
Feel free to join in if you want. It's a fun tradition to start! Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Jamie's Minestrone
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups chicken broth (can use vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
2 cups water
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
1 can (14.5oz) low-sodium kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed into 1-inch pieces
2 cups baby spinach
3 small zucchinis, quartered and sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup small whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente
shredded Parmesan cheese for serving
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken broth, water, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. If using, add red wine. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach, zucchini, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.
Cook pasta separately until al dente according to package directions. Drain and add to soup. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Crockpot directions: Follow the first step through cooking the onions. Add the sauteed onions and garlic to the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients except the pasta, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Cook the pasta until al dente as directed above and add to the crockpot with the spinach just before serving. The heat will wilt the spinach. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve with Parmesan cheese.
It actually cooled down here towards the end of the week last week. We are back up into the 80's and 90's for the rest of the week now, but for a couple of days last week, we had highs in the 70's. While I have been trying to get in the fall mood with decorations and these pumpkin muffins, the cooler weather did me in. Despite the increase in temperatures again, I've been looking at soup recipes for the last few days.
It's Secret Recipe Club time again, and I was excited to find quite a few soup recipes on my assigned blog: Itzy's Kitchen. Itzy's Kitchen is crafted by Erica. Erica's blog is new to me, but the focus of her recipes is right in line with how we try to eat most of the time. Healthy with a few treats thrown in. With my aforementioned focus on soup, I picked Erica's Black Bean Soup for my recipe this month.
I made the recipe exactly, with the small exception of using reduced sodium beans because one of the cans of beans is not rinsed. The soup turned out great. Mashing up one can of the beans keeps it on the thicker side, and the hot sauce gives it just a little kick. I served this with these pumpkin cheddar muffins, and it made a great meal! I know my husband really enjoyed it because he snatched the leftovers for lunch the next day before I even had a chance. There are only a couple things I wish I could change. One, I wish I could change is the color of my bowls to make a better picture (red, brown, and orangey soups are hard to photograph in red bowls). Two, I think having some sour cream or cheddar cheese on hand would make for great garnishes. Thanks Erica for a great recipe. I know it's one we'll make again and again!
(Printable Recipe)
Black Bean Soup
Adapted from Itzy's Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 (15 oz) cans reduced-sodium black beans
1-1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. hot sauce
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup frozen corn
sour cream and/or cheddar cheese as garnish (optional)
Drain and rinse one can of black beans. Mash with a fork and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, red pepper, and onion and cook for 4-5 minutes (until fragrant). Add the remaining (undrained) can of black beans, the mashed beans that you have set aside, and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.
There have been some big changes to the Secret Recipe Club this month. In the 5 months of it's existence, the blog group has grown enough that we are now divided into 3 segments - one managed by Amanda of Amanda's Cooking, one by Tina of Mom's Crazy Cooking, and one by Angela of Big Bear's Wife. The group is really fun. Who doesn't love getting to check out a new blog, new recipes, and having some air time for their own blog :) Not only that, but Amanda has rolled out a great blog page for the group featuring recipes from each of the members. Sweet!
My blog assignment for this month was A Bountiful Kitchen. One of the things that I loved about her blog was the surplus of Mexican-themed recipes on her blog. We love Mexican and Southwest flavors here, so I had a really hard time choosing amongst her recipes. I kid you not, I have no less than 3 more enchilada recipes and a salsa recipe bookmarked to make at a future date. Of course, Mexican foods aren't all you'll find... I have frosted sugar cookie bars and a great lasagna bookmarked too :)
In the end, I choose these empanadas because they are something different from what we normally make. While they were new to me, I found the recipe quite easy. It is basically cooking the meat filling and folding it into purchased puff pastry (I suppose you could make your own, but I'm not quite that confident). I followed her recipe almost to a 'T' except that I added about a teaspoon of adobe sauce and a de-seeded chipotle pepper to the sour cream mixture to give it a little bit more kick.
So how were they? Pretty awesome! I wouldn't change a thing. We ate them for dinner, but I am sure they'd make a great addition to an appetizer spread for a party too. We also made the fresh, but I am thinking they would freeze pretty well to make a quick meal. Maybe freeze them just after assembly, but before baking? Then you could probably bake them right out of the freezer, just adding a couple of minutes. Either way, be sure to stop by A Bountiful Kitchen. I know I'll be making more recipes from there!
(Printable Recipe)
Beef Empanadas with Black Bean Dipping Sauce
From A Bountiful Kitchen (Originally adapted from Bon Appetit)
Ingredients:
Empanadas:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (17.3 oz) pkg. frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
2 large egg yolks, beaten for glaze
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 can (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded
1 tsp. adobo sauce
1 Roma tomato, seeded, chopped, divided
1 large green onion, sliced, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, chopped onion, and garlic; cook, stirring often and breaking into pieces with a wooden spoon until beef is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cumin, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring often, to let flavors meld, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Let filling cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (optional - I have baking stones, so I skipped this step). Cut each pastry sheet into 4 equal squares for a total of 8 squares. Lightly brush the edges of each square with the yolk glaze. Spoon filling into the center of each, dividing equally. Fold edges over, forming triangles. Dip the tines of a fork into flour and crimp the edges of each triangle to seal. Divide triangles between baking sheets. Brush the tops with glaze. (Assembled empanadas can be prepared up to 6 hours prior. Cover and chill.) Bake until tops are puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, puree the beans, sour cream, pepper, and adobo sauce in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in half the tomato and half the green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining tomato and green onion over the top. Serve with the baked empanadas.
Can I get a woo hoo! I finally got my Authorization to Test (ATT) today to take my board exams! I've been trying to study, but it's a little hard to concentrate without a test date looming. I have two of them now - one next week and one the week after. So, if my posting is a little less frequent, please forgive. My nose will now be to the grindstone. These should be the last tests I'll have to take in my professional life, and I promise that I will be back after the 9th in full force.
Outside of all that hoopla, it's Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start to summer! Hope you all have some fabulous plans with friends and family (much better than my dates with my books). Please remember to think of our troops during our celebrations this weekend, as part of the holiday is to honor their service to this country.
While this hummus may not quite be patriotic, it is "redish," and I thought it would make a great last minute dish if you are still looking for something to take to that Monday barbecue. Hummus is always a great appetizer, and roasted red pepper has to be my favorite variation that I've tried. It also can make out to be healthier side because the chickpeas give it quite a bit of fiber and vegetables make great dippers (not that pita chips don't). It doesn't melt and transports well, so there really isn't any excuse not to bring this along. I know I will dig in if you do :) Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
From The Best Light Recipe
Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. tahini
3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, and patted dry with a paper towel
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (1/4 tsp.)
pinch cayenne pepper
Process the chickpeas, water, lemon juice, tahini, roasted red peppers, 2 teaspoons of the oil, salt, garlic, and cayenne together in a food processor until very smooth, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. The hummus covered, can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature. To serve, make a well in the center of the hummus, and drizzle the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the well (can skip this step). Serve with pita chips, crackers, or desired vegetables for dipping.
I am linking this to Mangia Mondays.
Can anyone else believe that it is already May? While we aren't going to be able to go back to Nebraska for the ceremony, I graduate on Saturday. The culmination of 21 consecutive years of school. Wow! Besides graduations, May always brings thoughts of swim suits, flip flops, backyard parties. It's almost summer, and what better way to start the party a little early than indulging in a little bit of mexican food to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
We love Mexican food around here and typically do not need a reason to cook up some great southwestern meals. With a reason like Cinco de Mayo quickly approaching, I can guarantee that we'll find a way to work some spicy flavors into our diet :) While this recipe is technically Cuban-based rather than from Mexico, the flavors profile is quite similar. Beans, peppers, onions, garlic, cumin. Sound familiar? If you have never cooked your own black beans, please, please do it for this recipe. The beans make this dish. In fact, plan a couple recipes that week using black beans and cook a whole bunch at one time. They were also great in our black bean stuffed peppers. Cooking the beans does require some planning ahead, but do it. I promise you will not be disappointed!
While the end result is worth it, the process of making the dish takes a fair amount of work (as seems to be typical of Cook's Illustrated recipes). Unfortunately, I don't own a dish that can transfer from the stove-top to the oven. When it came to that step, I poured the mixture into an oven-safe baking dish, and it seemed to work just fine. Because of the long process, we ate this as a main dish rather than as a side, and it was definitely hardy enough to subsist on its own. My husband had never had beans and rice in this manner and was a little skeptical when it appeared on our menu. After dinner, he was bargaining with me to assure that he could have the leftovers for his lunch. I guess it was a hit? Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Cuban Black Beans and Rice
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated March and April 2011
Ingredients:
table salt
1 cup dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 large green bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 large onion, halved at equator and peeled, root end left intact
1 heat garlic, 5 medium cloves removed and pressed through a garlic press, remaining head halved at equator with skin left intact
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces diced pancetta, in 1/4-inch cubes (recipe calls for 6 ounces diced lean salt pork; I couldn't find it)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 medium scallions, sliced thin
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
Dissolve 1-1/2 tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in a large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
In a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, stir together drained beans, broth, water, 1 pepper half, 1 onion half (with root end), halved garlic head, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, cover, and reduce to low. Cook until beans are just soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Using tongs, remove and discard pepper, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Drain beans in colander set over large bowl, reserving 2-1/2 cups bean cooking liquid (if you don't have enough add water to reach 2-1/2 cups). Do not wash out Dutch oven.
Adjust oven rack to medium position and preheat to 350 degrees. Place rice in a large fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, about 1-1/2 minutes. Sake strainer vigorously to remove all excess water; set rice aside. Cut remaining peppers and onion into 2-inch pieces and process in food processor until broken into rough 1/4-inch pieces, about eight 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary; set vegetables aside.
In now empty Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil and pancetta over medium-low heat; cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and rendered, 15 to 20 minutes. Add chopped peppers and onion, oregano, and cumin. Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat, about 30 seconds.
Stir in beans, reserved bean cooking liquid, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Pour into an oven-safe dish if necessary, and cover and transfer to oven. Bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let rest, uncovered, 5 minutes. Serve, passing scallion and lime wedges separately.
When I was looking through my pictures hanging out in my "to blog" folder yesterday, I realized that I have a lot more main dishes than baked goods in my queue. This surprised me a little because I typically consider myself more of a baker than a cook, but maybe I'm growing into cooking a little bit more. My husband surprised me yesterday by telling me that he thinks I'm a better cook than I give myself credit for, and I suppose he is right in a sense. I mean, we need to eat, but I suppose that we don't necessarily NEED the cookies, bars, and popcorn creations that I end up making =) I am a lot more comfortable cooking than I used to be, and our dinner plans for the past month since I've been back have been pretty solid.
Speaking of good dinners, these stuffed peppers definitely fit that bill. In fact, I think my husband has told me that these were awesome no less than 15 times since we've had them. It should be no surprise that the recipe originates from the editors of Cook's Illustrated in their book, The Best Light Recipe. I have not had a CI recipe fail me yet, but the one complaint I do have is that they seem to disregard where recipes land with respect to total fat, calories, sodium, etc. in a recipe. This book combines the CI taste and recipe testing with a healthy focus. Unfortunately, since it was a library find, I had to return it this week when someone else put in a request for it, but I am already looking forward to checking it out again!
Yellow Bell Peppers
