Vegetarian Delights: A Confessions of a Foodie Offspring

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Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Double-Post Tuesday

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know the routine. Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday (because not everyone loves tacos - as strange as that might seem to some of us!). Today's double post includes Triple Tomato Pasta with Spinach and White Beans and Ginger Tea. Enjoy!

BANANA MUFFINS WITH TART LEMON ICING

This was on an old Weight Watcher's emailing list. Unfortunately, I no longer have a link to it, as WW has changed enough over the years. The points value is from when the email came out.

The recipe begins, “If the mouth-puckering lemon icing isn’t enough flavor for you, try adding 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the flour mixture.”

POINTS® Value: 3; Servings: 18; Preparation Time: 15 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 large egg(s)

2 tsp vanilla extract, divided

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup fat-free skim milk

4 large banana(s), ripe, mashed

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest, strips, or more to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 18 muffin holes with paper liners.

Place sugar and 5 tablespoons of butter in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; beat until thoroughly mixed.

In another large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; beat well with mixer. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; beat until batter is combined and then fold in mashed bananas.

Spoon batter into muffin liners about 3/4 full. Bake until muffins start to brown and a tester inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in pan for about 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.

Meanwhile, to make icing, combine powdered sugar, remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, zest, and remaining teaspoon of vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Ice cooled muffins; cover and refrigerate any uneaten muffins. Yields 1 muffin per serving.

GINGER TEA

This comes from Vegetarian Times (posted on MAY 9, 2017), and begins, “Ginger is Mother Nature’s protective cloak, shielding us from sickness on winter days. This tea is very spicy—if it tastes too strong, dilute it with more hot water and honey. Traditional advice is not to drink more than 2 cups of ginger tea a day unless you are using it as a treatment for a bad chest cold.”

2 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 thin slices fresh ginger, pounded with mortar or rolling pin

1 Tbs. honey

Preparation

Put ginger and 3 cups water in small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes.

Strain out ginger slices and discard or reserve for another use. Stir in honey, and serve hot. Tea can be reheated, if necessary.

QUESADILLAS

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings (2 wedges)

Source: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking

Book Title: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/quesadillas

Ingredients

1 cup shredded Mexican Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or brick cheese

1 green onion, minced

1-3 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies (to taste)

4 8-inch flour tortillas

Chunky salsa, for topping or dip

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss together the cheese, green onion, and chilies; set aside.

Spray a medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat.

When hot, add 1 tortilla and sprinkle it with one-fourth of the cheese mixture.

When the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute, fold the tortilla in half.

Continue cooking until lightly browned and crisp on both sides, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a cutting board.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Cut into 4 wedges with a knife or pizza cutter and serve immediately with the salsa.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 134; Fat: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 211 mg; Cholesterol: 12 mg; Protein: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g; Sugars: 1 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat

CINNAMON BAKED DOUGHNUTS

This is from Ina Garten of the Food Network show, Barefoot Contessa.

Level: Easy; Total: 35 min; Active: 15 min; Yield: 12 doughnuts

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Baking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.

For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch saute pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.

NO-BOIL STUFFED SHELLS

This comes from the Food Network, and begins, “No more wrangling slippery shells. This recipe lets you skip the step of boiling your pasta before stuffing it with cheese. Just fill the shells straight out of the box (it's much easier!) and let the sauce turn them plump and tender in the oven.”

Level: Easy; Total: 1 hr 30 min; Active: 20 min; Yield: 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg

1 pound ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

One 8-ounce bag part-skim shredded mozzarella (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

One 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
One 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the garlic, egg, ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Fold to combine. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4-inch hole in the corner.

Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the ricotta mixture into the shells and arrange them opening-side up in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce and 1 1/2 cups water.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil, top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and bake until almost all the liquid has evaporated and the cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes. Top with the remaining parsley before serving.

TRIPLE TOMATO PASTA WITH SPINACH AND WHITE BEANS

This comes from Molly Cleary, MS, RD, CDN, CNSC on VeryWellFit. Molly wrote, “Tomatoes get their red color from lycopene, an antioxidant that may help to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cooking tomatoes actually helps to increase lycopene content, therefore potentially boosting its disease-fighting power.

“In addition to lycopene, this recipe also provides great nutritional benefits from the cannellini beans. These beans are full of fiber, at 6 grams per half cup serving. They are also one of the highest potassium beans out there, a micronutrient and electrolyte that can help lower blood pressure.”

Total Time: 30 minutes; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta

1 can low sodium cannellini beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package baby spinach

2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1/4 cup sliced/slivered almonds

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon minced)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine pesto ingredients (slivered almonds through crushed red pepper) in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth; some small chunks are okay. You may need to a litter water to thin, but do not add more than a few tablespoons since the sauce is meant to be thick.

Drain and rinse cannellini beans.

Add olive oil to a pan and heat to medium high. Add baby spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.

Combine the pasta, beans, spinach, and tomatoes into one large pot. Add the pesto and mix well.

Divide into 4 bowls and serve.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

If you cannot find sun-dried tomatoes in oil, then you can substitute 3/4 cup bagged sun-dried tomatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil. It works best if tomatoes are soaked in the oil for at least an hour.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Leftover pesto tastes delicious as a sandwich spread. It also freezes well.

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