Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

So an update from my Friday Favorites from last week... The NASCAR race was a ton of fun! It ended up being an exciting race, and it is always nice to catch up with friends you haven't seen in a while.

The hubbs and I have been on a soup kick lately. It's in full drive now that the weather is really starting to cool down, but truthfully the soup kick started long before that. In fact, I think the vast majority of recipes I have ready to post are either soup or some form of dessert. 

What really caught my eye about this soup was the inclusion of peanuts. I have seen peanuts and peanut butter in stir-fry type dishes, but never in a soup. I was intrigued to say the least. So how was the result? Delicious. Other than those for the garnish, the peanuts are pureed, and together with the sweet potato, they add some thickness and creaminess to the soup. In addition, with veggie prep, the soup can be ready in just over 30 minutes. Pair it with some crusty bread for a warming, quick, awesome meal. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup
From Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Ingredients: 
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups diced onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
6 cups vegetable/low-sodium chicken broth
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 can (13 oz) light coconut milk
3/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
3 Tbsp. lime juice
chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts, Sriracha for garnish

Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add celery, broth, sweet potato, and salt. Cover, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through and very soft, about 15 minutes.

If using a stand blender, let the soup cool slightly. Blend about half the soup in two batches and return to the pot. If using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup in the pot, leaving some pieces of vegetables. Puree the coconut milk and peanuts until smooth in a blender or in a bowl with the immersion blender. Add the coconut mixture and lime juice to the soup. Cook for a few minutes on low-medium heat to warm through. Do not boil. Serve garnished with cilantro, chopped peanuts, and Sriracha. 

Summer Grilled Vegetable Pizza

Around here while the hubby was cooking, it largely equalled more pizza. It was not necessary a bad thing. As I hopefully have proved with our list of recipes, homemade pizza can be pretty good. Recently, we've been repeating some of the old favorites, but this is a new one the hubbs ran across to throw into the mix.

The original recipe is from Cooking Light. We've made it a couple times already, with a few variations on the original. As written, the recipe calls for marinara sauce for the crust. The first time we used actual spaghetti sauce, but we found it to be too liquidy as the crust in the center of the pizza never cooked through. Our favorite thus far, pre-made brushetta topping from Trader Joe's. It is chunky enough to avoid the problems we encountered with the marinara, and man that stuff is good! 

As far as the cheese goes, we've made it both with fresh mozzarella and bagged pre-shredded mozzarella. My favorite is probably the fresh, but either works well :) Enjoy

(Printable Recipe)

Grilled Vegetable Pizza
Adapted from Cooking Light June 2012 

Ingredients:
1 lb. pizza dough (homemade or from store)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 (4oz) zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 (4oz) yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices 
1 small onion, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce (or try a pre-made Brushetta)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut and/or torn into small pieces

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Also, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the stone pizza pan in the oven while it is preheating if you are using one.

Thread the onion pieces onto a skewer so that the skewer pierces each ring. Brush both sides of all the vegetables with olive oil. Grill vegetables for 3 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender and grill marks appear. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop into medium-sized pieces.

Roll out the pizza dough onto a pizza peel or a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Spread sauce over the crust. Top with vegetables and pieces of mozzarella cheese. Remove the pizza pan from the oven and transfer the pizza (either via peel or on top of the parchment paper) onto the stone. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the crust begins to brown on the edges. Cut into slices and enjoy.

Cajun Bulgur Salad

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!

SRC: Watermelon Cucumber Salad

One of the things I love about having a garden is how exciting it is when your plants do well. Our cucumber plants are kicking out cukes like it is their job (guess it kind of is?). This is great because not only do I know EXACTLY where my food came from, but homegrown food always tastes so much better than produce from the store. These cucumbers actually have flavor!

I tell you that to tell you this - the recipe I chose from my Secret Recipe Club blogger this month, Cooking Rookie from Cook Book Trial and Error, could not have come at a better time! Her watermelon cucumber salad is a unique combination of flavors, one that I am certain I never would have come up with on my own. In addition, the recipe is very customizable. Want more watermelon and less cucumber? Go for it. Want to add some mint. Try it. One thing to note is that this salad can get a little watery if you let it set for awhile. We just drained off the liquid after storing it for awhile. Nonetheless, you may want to wait to mix it up until just before serving.

Any way you do it, I would recommend this as a great, refreshing way to enjoy that summertime produce! 

(Printable Recipe) 

Watermelon Cucumber Salad
From Cook Book Trial and Error

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed watermelon (1/2-inch cubes)
1 large cucumber, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/2 tsp salt (more or less depending on salt level of your feta)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil

Combine the above ingredients just before serving. Enjoy!

Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps

I have a confession to make. The hubs and I have developed quite the hummus addiction. All kinds really, but our hummus of choice is currently the white bean and basil hummus from Trader Joe's. Seriously. Between the 2 of us, the container will not last 2 days in this house. I want to try to make a copy-cat version at home as we are going there several times a week to get it. Will share if we are successful with the recipe!

These wraps fulfill 2 requirements for us right now - 1) they contain hummus, 2) they are super quick. This is really more of a method than a recipe as you could use any veggies or any hummus that you desire. The recipe is written for onions, red bell peppers, and eggplant, but you could certainly swap in any veggies you would like to grill (like zucchini rather than eggplant). One tip I have for grilling onions - slice them thick (1/2-inch) and thread them onto a skewer. When the onion cooks, it shrinks, and this prevents the rings from falling all over the grill. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2012

Ingredients:
4 (1/2-inch) slices red onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch slices (other veggies if desired)
Non-stick spray
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (8oz) container of your favorite hummus
4 flatbreads or large whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Heat a large grill pan or an outdoor grill over medium heat. Thread the onion slices the long way (through all the rings) onto 2-3 skewers to make it easier to grill. Spray vegetable pieces with nonstick spray. Add to preheated grill, turning at 2-3 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly and roughly chop. Combine vegetables, olive oil, parsley, and salt. Toss to combine.

Spread hummus over each wrap leaving a 1/2-inch boarder around the edges. Divide vegetables and Feta cheese amongst the wraps. Tuck in the ends and roll up the wraps. Enjoy whole or cut in half.

SRC: Summer Vegetable Torta

Just in case you don't remember, there might be a special holiday coming up this Sunday. One that you might not want to forget. Sunday is Mother's Day. I am not a mother myself (unless you count 4-leggged children), so I'd like to say a big thanks to both of our mothers!

My blog assignment this month for the Secret Recipe Club was Carolyn from All Day I Dream About Food. Carolyn's site is a great reference for some delicious but healthy eats and many of her recipes are low-carbohydrate, gluten-free, or both. I have visited Carolyn's site prior to this assignment, and it actually did not take me too long to pick out a recipe because I have had this egg bake saved to make for almost a year. Guess this group was the push I needed to (finally) make it! Does anyone else have the experience where they wait forever to make a recipe and then after they finally do, wonder why they waited so long! That was exactly what happened here. We loved this meal!

While it is not labor intensive, this torta does take awhile to make as it needs to bake for approximately 90 minutes. I adapted it a little bit to our tastes, and by swapping in some lower-fat dairy products. It turned out well, so they seem to have worked okay. My advice would be to pop this torta in the oven when you've got something else to do around the house. Your house will smell amazing and it will be done before you know it! Better yet, get up a little early on Sunday and surprise Mom with this for breakfast/brunch. It would certainly be a great way to say, "I love you!" 

(Printable Recipe)

Summer Vegetable Torta
Adapted from All Day I Dream About Food

Ingredients: 
Non-stick spray
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (could swap some summer squash in too)
1 (12oz) jar roasted red peppers (or 2 fresh peppers), cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 pkg (8oz) 1/3-less fat cream cheese, cubed
6 large eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
8oz. Swiss cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray and saute zucchini and onions (and fresh peppers if using) until softened, about 10 minutes (my peppers are in this picture - that was an oops).

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and milk together with a whisk. Add the basil, garlic salt, pepper, and cubed cream cheese. Mix. The cream cheese will not completely incorporate. It will soften after you add the hot vegetables. Use a slotted spoon to drain off any extra fluid from the vegetable mixture and add to the eggs. Add roasted red peppers if necessary. Mix. Add shredded cheese. Mix well. 

Pour into the prepared springform pan and bake for about 80-90 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the mixture no longer jiggles when you gently shake the pan. It make take more or less time in your oven (mine was in for 90 minutes and may have been just a little too long). Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the egg bake, and gently remove the outer rim of the pan. Slice and serve.

Tijuana Torta

May 1^st. May Day. My husband and I were asking around here, and no one in Arizona knows what a May Day Basket is. They are basically a container (usually cups) filled with popcorn and other goodies that you leave for friends on their doorstep. The aspect of running away so that you do not get kissed was a real threat as a child!  Please tell me we weren’t the only ones to grow up with this tradition?

With it being May 1^st, the other thing that must mean is Mexican food. I know you’ve heard the commercials already. They’re definitely on the TV and radio around here… tacos, margarita specials. Yes, Cinco de Mayo is quickly approaching! As if I actually needed a reason to crave Mexican food :)

If you don’t feel like fighting the crowds at your local Mexican joint, it is certainly possible to conquer a Cinco de Mayo themed meal at home. Start the meal with this guacamole. In the next couple days, I’ll provide a couple meal options and finish up with an easy but impressive dessert. Throw in some chips, salsa, and a little tequila, and you’ll have quite the fiesta.

The term torta has many meanings, but in Mexico torta is often a sandwich. This is my quick “Mexican” meal and just goes to show that it is possible to have a delicious meal when  you are short on time. It also goes to show that you can make a Mexican-themed meal vegetarian without relying totally on cheese. The original recipe for these is from Eating Well. When we made these, I  made them exactly as written, however in the future, I would swap lettuce for the cabbage. I typically like small doses of cabbage in my  tacos for the crunch, but on the top of these sandwiches, it was just too much. When I made these, I used a loaf of homemade French bread that I had made (simply because it needed to be used), however I am sure these would be great with purchased bread as well. We made them open-faced, but you can always add the top piece of bread if you'd prefer. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Tijuana Torta 

Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

1 (15oz) can black beans 

3 Tbsp. prepared salsa 

1 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapenos

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 ripe avocado

2 Tbsp. minced onions

1 Tbsp. lime juice

salt, to taste

1 whole grain (8-10-inch long) baguette 

1/2 cup shredded jack cheese 

1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce

Preheat the oven to broil (low if possible). Mash beans, salsa, jalapeno, and cumin in a small bowl. Mash avocado, onion, and lime juice in another small bowl. Add salt to taste.

Slice baguette in half the long way so that you have a top and bottom piece of bread. Cut in half to make 4 equal sized pieces. Hollow out some of the bread from the middle of each piece, set aside for another purpose. Divide the bean paste and avocado mixture between the pieces. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Divide the lettuce between the sandwiches and enjoy!

Chipotle Bean Burritos

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.

Spicy and Sweet Sqash Bowls

As a child, I hated squash. Admittedly, I was a rather picky child (sorry mom!), but squash was pretty far down on the list of things I'd rather go hungry without than eat. There was one year where our neighbors gave us several of them from their garden. Mom roasted them with brown sugar and cinnamon (sounds good now, right?). Despite the sugar, there was no way either my brother or I were going anywhere near them...

As an adult, I was a little skeptical to give squash a second try. In reality, I have probably only embraced it in the last year or so, and I have found that I really enjoy it. Especially roasted with brown sugar and cinnamon. This recipe from Lindsay at Pinch of Yum takes uses that sweet side and mixes it up with some curry, pecans, and spices.

My biggest advice about the recipe would be not to skip the hummus. It absolutely makes the dish. I used purchased hummus rather than the white bean hummus indicated in the recipe for a shortcut, however I am sure either would be great. Different. A little spicy. Healthy. I know squash is starting to go out of season, but this one will not disappoint. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Spicy Sweet Squash Bowl
Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
salt
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly torn
1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
hummus

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the squash with olive oil, white sugar, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon curry, and salt to taste. Roast until fork tender, about 25-35 minutes depending on how large you cut the squash cubes.

Meanwhile, place quinoa in a medium saucepan with the broth (or water if you want), 2 teaspoons curry, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until the liquid is completely absorbed. Let sit for a few minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Mix with spinach and pecan pieces.

Divide the quinoa mixture between bowls. Top with the roasted squash and finally with a dollop of hummus. Mix together and enjoy!

Loaded Black Bean Veggie Burgers (Vegan)

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.

Ziti with Ricotta and Vegetables

I have been slacking on the meatless, seafoodless recipes for you all this last week. To make up for it, I'll have one every day up through Thursday to give you several options for this week. Promise :)

We'll start off the week with a short and sweet pasta meal. More pasta, I know, but hear me out. This one is much simpler than the previous lasagna recipe I posted! This recipe comes from my mother-in-law back from my bridal shower. Not sure what took me so long to make it knowing that pasta + balsamic vinegar + ricotta cheese + veggies = a winner in this house?!?

On a side note, can I just say that I am so glad that asparagus is coming back in season! I never had asparagus until I was an adult, and it ranks up there with my favorite vegetables (since it actually qualifies as a vegetable --- no seeds!) 

(Printable Recipe)

Ziti with Ricotta and Vegetables
From Londa 

Ingredients:
8 oz. dried whole wheat penne (or any shape) pasta
2-1/2 cups broccoli florets
1-1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large ripe tomatoes, juiced and chopped
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. dried, crushed basil
1 tsp. dried crushed thyme
4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add the broccoli and asparagus in the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain.

Place a fine-meshed strainer over a large bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze over the strainer to release the juice and seeds. Press down on the seeds in the strainer to get all the liquid you can. Chop and reserve the tomato flesh. Discard the seeds.

Add ricotta cheese, spices, vinegar, and oil to the tomato juice in the bowl and mix until well combined. Stir in the tomatoes. Add pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Vegetable Soft Tacos with Chipotle Sour Cream

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.

Best Vegetable Lasagna

Meatless recipe #3. This is going to be a quick one because I am deep in the throes of the reviewing the new CHEST guidelines tonight. I'm on the docket to give a presentation over them next Tuesday, and it is quite the document to digest :)

Don't let my brief nature tonight detract from this recipe. In Cook's Illustrated style, this recipe has quite the list of instructions (kind of like my guidelines!). This is the recipe I had in mind when I mentioned that not all my meatless recipes would be quick. Nonetheless, each and every step is worth it. CI's steps are always worth it. 

I can state that this is one of the best behaving vegetable lasagnas that I have tried. Vegetables cooked perfectly. No extra liquid. With the cream and the cheese, it's not the healthiest vegetable lasagna I've seen, but how many people really look to lasagna when they're trying to cook healthier. At least this one has some veggies :)

'Best.' It is quite the title. This is not my word, but theirs. Give it a shot and see if you agree. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Best Vegetable Lasagna
Cook's Illustrated Sept.-Oct. 2011

Ingredients:
No-Cook Tomato Sauce:
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

No-Cook Cream Sauce:
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Vegetable Filling:
1-1/2 lbs. eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 7 cups)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 lb. zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
1 lb. yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups)
5 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme
12 oz. baby spinach (12 cups)
12 no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles
1/2 cup minced pitted kalamata olives
12 oz. low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

For the tomato sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

For the cream sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

For the filling, adjust the oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Place a double-layer of coffee filters or paper towels on a plate and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in an even layer over the plate. Microwave, uncovered, until dry to the touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that the eggplant cooks evenly. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and squash. 

Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half eggplant mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of the skillet; add half of garlic mixture to clearing, and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining garlic mixture.

Return skillet to medium-high heat, add remaining teaspoon of oil and heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel-lined plate and drain 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture.

To assemble, spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish. Layer 4 noodles on top of the sauce. Spread half the vegetable mixture over noodles, followed by half of the olives, half of cream sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetables, remaining olives, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Place remaining 4 noodles on top layer of cheese. Spread remaining 1 cup tomato sauce over noodles and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Lightly spray large sheet of aluminum foil with vegetable oil spray and cover lasagna. Bake until bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 25 minutes. Cut into pieces, sprinkle with basil, and serve.

Southwestern Quinoa Casserole

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.

Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap

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.

Vegetable Gumbo

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.

Ribollita (Italian Bread Soup)

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.