It's finally Friday, the end of another week. (Not to mention the last Friday in January.) Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Southern Macaroni and Cheese, Vegan Chili, and Spicy Pumpkin Burritos. Enjoy!
SLOW-COOKER SLOPPY JOES [VEGAN]
This recipe comes from OneGreenPlanet, and is Dairy Free and Vegan. Serves 7 – 8; Cook Time: 6 hours.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
3 cups textured vegetable protein
3 cups water
5 garlic cloves
1 cup Medjool dates, soaked and pitted
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tomato, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 medium white onion, diced
1 tablespoon black strap molasses
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons mustard
3 tablespoons hot sauce
Preparation
Add water, dates, garlic cloves, tomato, and tomato paste to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Next, add remaining ingredients to the blender except the textured vegetable protein and stir, or blend on low until fully incorporated.
Turn a crock pot on high. Add textured vegetable protein, blender mixture, and diced onion. Stir until protein is thoroughly coated with the blender sauce and onion. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.
VEGAN CHILI
This comes from J. Kenji López-Alt at The New York Times cooking newsletter. The recipe begins, "This chili starts with a few different whole dried chiles, toasted and blended together, then fried with vegan ground meat and other aromatics to form the complex backbone of this stew. Along with tomatoes and kidney beans, I like to add some soy sauce (for umami depth), cider vinegar (for acidity and brightness) and a shot of hard liquor. The volatile alcohol in the liquor helps pull aromas up and out of the chili and into your nose. If you want to opt for a vegetarian version, feel free to use unsalted butter in place of the vegan butter, and garnish with sour cream or Cheddar."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour
This was featured in "How to Cook With Plant-Based Meats", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020866-vegan-chili.
Ingredients
For the Chile Paste (see Note):
2 whole dried ancho, pasilla or mulato chiles, stems and seeds removed, torn into rough 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 ounce)
1 whole dried New Mexico red, California, costeño or choricero chile, stems and seeds removed, and torn into rough 1-inch pieces (about 1/8 ounce)
1 to 2 dried hot chiles, such as árbol or pequín, stems and seeds removed and torn into rough pieces (optional)
For the Chili:
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 pound vegan ground meat, such as Impossible or Beyond
1 medium onion, grated on large holes of a box grater (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, grated on Microplane (about 4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
2 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) can dark kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whiskey, vodka or brandy (optional)
Diced onions, chopped cilantro, chopped pickled jalapeños, sliced black olives, vegan sour cream, shredded vegan cheese, fresh tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Make the chile paste: Add all the dried chiles to a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and giving off an intense roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn down the heat if they begin to smoke. Add 1 cup water; it should immediately boil. Reduce heat so water barely simmers, and cook until chiles have softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and blend at high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until a completely smooth purée is formed, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare the chili: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until fat has mostly rendered and it is starting to sizzle rather than steam, about 10 minutes. (I don’t mind leaving the rendered fat in the chili. It homogenizes as the chili reduces, so the end result should not be greasy. However, you can drain the mixture at this point if you prefer less fat in the finished chili.)
Add the onion, garlic, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chipotles, cumin and reserved chile paste, and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste reduces to the point that it starts to sizzle and fry, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until homogenous, about 1 minute.
Add chopped canned tomatoes and scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Add kidney beans, soy sauce and 1 cup water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have developed and chili is thickened to desired consistency, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and liquor, if using. Adjust texture by adding water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with whatever garnishes you like.
Tip
You can omit the chile paste, and substitute 3 tablespoons chile powder instead. Add chile powder with chipotles and cumin in Step 3, and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and continue with Step 4.
SOUTHERN MACARONI AND CHEESE
This comes from Kiera Wright-Ruiz in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Kiera wrote, "There is macaroni and cheese, and then there is special occasion macaroni and cheese like this one. Unlike most recipes, which start with a roux, this one begins with a milk-and-egg base, which gives the dish an incredibly rich, silky taste. It’s adapted from Millie Peartree, the owner of Millie Peartree Fish Fry & Soul Food restaurant in the Bronx, who has been making this dish since she was a little girl. The recipe was passed down in her family for generations, but because of the generous amount of cheese used, the dish was only made for events like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Extra-sharp Cheddar adds tartness and a layer of Colby Jack creates a gooey, molten center. If you can’t find a Colby Jack blend, shredded mozzarella or a Mexican-style blend will work in its place."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time 45 minutes, plus cooling
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020515-southern-macaroni-and-cheese.
Ingredients
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
4 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar (about 16 ounces)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 cups shredded Colby Jack (about 8 ounces)
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions until a little under al dente, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk milk and eggs. Add cooked macaroni, 2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir until well combined.
Add half the macaroni mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups Colby Jack evenly on top. Spread the remaining macaroni mixture on top in an even layer. Cover with aluminum foil, transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Carefully remove and discard the aluminum foil. Top the macaroni mixture with the remaining 2 cups Cheddar and 1/2 cup Colby Jack. Broil on top rack until cheese is browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. (The broiled cheese can go from golden to burnt fairly quickly, so keep a close eye on it.)
Remove from oven and let cool until the macaroni and cheese is fully set, 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture may first appear jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools.) Serve warm.
SPICY PUMPKIN BURRITOS
This is from American Heart Association, and begins, “Try this hearty vegetarian burrito using seasonal Fall vegetables.”
Servings: 8; Serving Size: 1 burrito
To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/spicy-pumpkin-burritos
Ingredients
1 tsp. olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
15.5 oz. canned, no-salt-added black beans (drained, rinsed)
15 oz. canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 cup cooked brown rice, cooked without salt and margarine
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chile powder (made with ancho chiles preferred)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (crumbled)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 8-inch low-fat whole-grain tortillas, lowest sodium available
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup shredded lettuce, such as romaine, or spinach
1/2 cup chopped tomato
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the corn for 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the beans, pumpkin, rice, water, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through.
Warm the tortillas using the package directions.
Spoon the filling down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle the green onions over the filling. For each burrito, fold two sides of the tortilla toward the center. Starting from the unfolded side closest to you, roll the burrito toward the remaining unfolded side to enclose the filling. Transfer with the seam side down to plates. Top with the sour cream. Sprinkle with the lettuce and tomato.
ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP
This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”
POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Note: This recipe originally called for “3 cups fat-free chicken broth.” But since this is a vegetarian blog, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, cubed
2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
3 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.
CORN BREAD
I found this buried in a group of recipes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. While it looks like it's from Diabetic Gourmet, I couldn't locate a link for it on the site.
Yield: 12 servings
Source: "The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes"
Info: http://diabeticgourmet.com/book_archive/details/26.shtml
Ingredients
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 large eggs, slightly beaten, or 1/2 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons canola or corn oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch square pan with nonstick pan spray.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine the milk, eggs, and oil in a small bowl, add to the dry ingredients, and blend well.
Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out of the pan onto a rack. Cool slightly before cutting. Cut into 12 equal portions. Serve warm.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (2-1/4 inch square): Calories: 130, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 207 mg, Carbohydrate: 18 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 4 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat
Friday, January 29, 2021
Thursday, January 28, 2021
Chili
I can't remember a time when I didn't love chili. There's just something so satisfying about a good bowl of homemade chili.
For years, though, it seemed completely unheard of to have chili without meat as its base. But over the years, decent recipes for vegetarian chili have cropped up, simply because so many vegetarians love the stuff.
Here are six yummy vegetarian chili recipes to get you started (in case you haven't as yet), including Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili and Vegetarian Chili with Tortilla Crisps. Enjoy!
HEALTHY LENTIL CHILI
This is from the Food Network, and begins, "This hearty vegetarian chili is both nutritious and satisfying, thanks to the protein-packed navy beans and brown lentils. We added a generous dose of dried spices and other pantry staples to boost the flavor and make this dish accessible for any night of the week."
Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 6; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/healthy-lentil-chili-8707622.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Two 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce can navy beans or another small white bean (do not drain)
1 cup dried brown lentils
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Shredded reduced-fat Cheddar, plain yogurt, pickled jalapenos and crushed tortilla chips, for serving (all are optional)
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook until vegetables are just tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, oregano and cumin, then continue to cook until fragrant and brick-red in color, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, beans (and their liquid), lentils, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Bring to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover with a lid and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the chili has thickened slightly, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings as desired.
SUPER-EASY SLOW-COOKER THREE-BEAN CHILI
This comes from WW (Weight Watchers), and begins, "This chili recipe makes enough to serve ten people. Using almost entirely canned items, you can have a filling, flavorful warm dish. And don't let the total cook time scare you: The majority of that time is for the ingredients to boil down. For a huge chunk of that time, you just have to monitor it. If you don't have 10 people to enjoy this with, you can meal-prep it for the week, or use the leftovers to fill tacos or a burrito."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 3 hours; Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes; Serves: 10; Difficulty: Easy
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/super-easy-slow-cooker-three-bean-chili/5626a63b2084d63a3401c10f.
Ingredients
1 large uncooked onion, minced
Garlic clove, 1 medium clove, minced
30 oz Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
29 oz Canned diced tomatoes with chilies
15 oz Canned tomato sauce
Spiced seasoning mix, 1 1/4 oz, chili variety
Frozen corn kernels, 14 oz, thawed
Fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp, or to taste
Cilantro, 1/2 cup(s), fresh, chopped
Directions
Combine onion, garlic, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours (or low heat for 4-6 hours). Add frozen corn during last hour of cooking. Stir in lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Serving size: about 1 1/3 cups
TWO BEAN CHILI
Recipe Yield: Yield: Makes about 7 cups (7 servings)
Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
Book Title: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/two-bean-chili.
Ingredients
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons canola, corn, or olive oil
One 14-15 ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice
1 can or bottle beer (12 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or 1 tablespoon hot salsa or picante sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
One 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Directions
Saute the onions and garlic in oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, the beer, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and salt (if desired).
Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in the beans and green pepper; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes longer.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 173; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 238 mg; Protein: 9 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 2 Vegetable
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHIPOTLE CHILI
This comes from Brittany Williams at TODAY. She wrote, "Embracing a healthier lifestyle meant learning to love and embrace plants. When I was younger, I struggled with consuming vegetable-based meals, so I want my kids to love how fueling their bodies with plant food makes them feel. To do this, I like to sneak as many vegan dishes as I can into our meal rotation. Most of the time, no one even misses the meat! This delicious vegan chili is a regular winter favorite in our home.
"Technique tip: If you're using a homemade, salt-free stock, you'll need to add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons of additional sea salt. This chili is a great freezer meal: Just place all the ingredients, except for the stock and cilantro, in a gallon-size freezer bag and store in the freezer until you're ready to prepare it. Simply dump the bag of ingredients inside the pressure cooker, add the stock and cook according to the instructions below."
Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/butternut-squash-chipotle-chili-recipe-t170953.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium or homemade vegetable stock
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro in an electric pressure cooker and stir to combine.
Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the vent valve is in the sealing position. Using the display panel, select the manual/pressure cook function and high pressure, and use the +/− buttons until the display reads 10 minutes.
When the cooker beeps to let you know it's finished, switch the vent valve from the sealing to the venting position, administering a quick release. Use caution while the steam escapes — it's hot.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the fresh cilantro. Serve warm.
Note: Excerpted from "Instant Loss Eat Real, Lose Weight: How I Lost 125 Pounds—Includes 100+ Recipes." © 2019 by Brittany Williams. Photography © 2019 by Ghazalle Badiozamani. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
BLACK-EYED PEA CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Like any good chili, this black-eyed pea version is even tastier the second day.” Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (1 1/4 cups)
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
4 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
Instructions:
Place black-eyed peas in large bowl, add 2 qt. water, and soak 8 hours, or overnight at room temperature. Drain, and rinse well.
Set rice cooker setting to “sauté” (or similar), and preheat 2 to 3 minutes. Add coconut oil, and heat 1 minute more. Add onion, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes; then add bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes more, or until bell pepper and onion have softened. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili powder, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Adjust rice cooker setting to “slow cook” (or similar). Pour in black-eyed peas and broth. Cover, and cook 5 to 6 hours, or until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve topped with green onions.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308;Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 335 mg; Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 13 g
VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH TORTILLA CRISPS
This is from Anna Watson Carl on Delish. Anna wrote, “Those homemade tortilla chips, though…”
Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 corn tortillas
1/4 c. Country Crock Original
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. shredded Cheddar
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and brush all over with Country Crock Original. Bake until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through, about 6 minutes, then season with salt. Once cool, break each into pieces.
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons Country Crock Original in pot over medium-high heat, and cook onion and peppers until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook 2 minutes more, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and juices, crushing tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon.
Add beans to pot along with 2 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes, then stir in cilantro.
Ladle chili into 4 bowls and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with crispy tortillas.
For years, though, it seemed completely unheard of to have chili without meat as its base. But over the years, decent recipes for vegetarian chili have cropped up, simply because so many vegetarians love the stuff.
Here are six yummy vegetarian chili recipes to get you started (in case you haven't as yet), including Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili and Vegetarian Chili with Tortilla Crisps. Enjoy!
HEALTHY LENTIL CHILI
This is from the Food Network, and begins, "This hearty vegetarian chili is both nutritious and satisfying, thanks to the protein-packed navy beans and brown lentils. We added a generous dose of dried spices and other pantry staples to boost the flavor and make this dish accessible for any night of the week."
Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour; Servings: 6; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/healthy-lentil-chili-8707622.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Two 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 15-ounce can navy beans or another small white bean (do not drain)
1 cup dried brown lentils
1 dried bay leaf
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Shredded reduced-fat Cheddar, plain yogurt, pickled jalapenos and crushed tortilla chips, for serving (all are optional)
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook until vegetables are just tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, oregano and cumin, then continue to cook until fragrant and brick-red in color, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, beans (and their liquid), lentils, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of black pepper. Bring to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover with a lid and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the chili has thickened slightly, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings as desired.
SUPER-EASY SLOW-COOKER THREE-BEAN CHILI
This comes from WW (Weight Watchers), and begins, "This chili recipe makes enough to serve ten people. Using almost entirely canned items, you can have a filling, flavorful warm dish. And don't let the total cook time scare you: The majority of that time is for the ingredients to boil down. For a huge chunk of that time, you just have to monitor it. If you don't have 10 people to enjoy this with, you can meal-prep it for the week, or use the leftovers to fill tacos or a burrito."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 3 hours; Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes; Serves: 10; Difficulty: Easy
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/super-easy-slow-cooker-three-bean-chili/5626a63b2084d63a3401c10f.
Ingredients
1 large uncooked onion, minced
Garlic clove, 1 medium clove, minced
30 oz Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
29 oz Canned diced tomatoes with chilies
15 oz Canned tomato sauce
Spiced seasoning mix, 1 1/4 oz, chili variety
Frozen corn kernels, 14 oz, thawed
Fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp, or to taste
Cilantro, 1/2 cup(s), fresh, chopped
Directions
Combine onion, garlic, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours (or low heat for 4-6 hours). Add frozen corn during last hour of cooking. Stir in lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Serving size: about 1 1/3 cups
TWO BEAN CHILI
Recipe Yield: Yield: Makes about 7 cups (7 servings)
Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
Book Title: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
You can view this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/two-bean-chili.
Ingredients
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons canola, corn, or olive oil
One 14-15 ounce can stewed tomatoes with juice
1 can or bottle beer (12 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or 1 tablespoon hot salsa or picante sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
One 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
One 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Directions
Saute the onions and garlic in oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, the beer, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce, and salt (if desired).
Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in the beans and green pepper; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes longer.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 173; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 238 mg; Protein: 9 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 2 Vegetable
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHIPOTLE CHILI
This comes from Brittany Williams at TODAY. She wrote, "Embracing a healthier lifestyle meant learning to love and embrace plants. When I was younger, I struggled with consuming vegetable-based meals, so I want my kids to love how fueling their bodies with plant food makes them feel. To do this, I like to sneak as many vegan dishes as I can into our meal rotation. Most of the time, no one even misses the meat! This delicious vegan chili is a regular winter favorite in our home.
"Technique tip: If you're using a homemade, salt-free stock, you'll need to add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons of additional sea salt. This chili is a great freezer meal: Just place all the ingredients, except for the stock and cilantro, in a gallon-size freezer bag and store in the freezer until you're ready to prepare it. Simply dump the bag of ingredients inside the pressure cooker, add the stock and cook according to the instructions below."
Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/butternut-squash-chipotle-chili-recipe-t170953.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, diced
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium or homemade vegetable stock
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro in an electric pressure cooker and stir to combine.
Place the lid on the cooker and make sure the vent valve is in the sealing position. Using the display panel, select the manual/pressure cook function and high pressure, and use the +/− buttons until the display reads 10 minutes.
When the cooker beeps to let you know it's finished, switch the vent valve from the sealing to the venting position, administering a quick release. Use caution while the steam escapes — it's hot.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the fresh cilantro. Serve warm.
Note: Excerpted from "Instant Loss Eat Real, Lose Weight: How I Lost 125 Pounds—Includes 100+ Recipes." © 2019 by Brittany Williams. Photography © 2019 by Ghazalle Badiozamani. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
BLACK-EYED PEA CHILI
This comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Like any good chili, this black-eyed pea version is even tastier the second day.” Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. dried black-eyed peas (1 1/4 cups)
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
4 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
Instructions:
Place black-eyed peas in large bowl, add 2 qt. water, and soak 8 hours, or overnight at room temperature. Drain, and rinse well.
Set rice cooker setting to “sauté” (or similar), and preheat 2 to 3 minutes. Add coconut oil, and heat 1 minute more. Add onion, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes; then add bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes more, or until bell pepper and onion have softened. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili powder, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Adjust rice cooker setting to “slow cook” (or similar). Pour in black-eyed peas and broth. Cover, and cook 5 to 6 hours, or until beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve topped with green onions.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 308;Protein: 15 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 47 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 335 mg; Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 13 g
VEGETARIAN CHILI WITH TORTILLA CRISPS
This is from Anna Watson Carl on Delish. Anna wrote, “Those homemade tortilla chips, though…”
Total Time: 45 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
4 corn tortillas
1/4 c. Country Crock Original
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. shredded Cheddar
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and brush all over with Country Crock Original. Bake until golden and crispy, flipping halfway through, about 6 minutes, then season with salt. Once cool, break each into pieces.
Heat remaining 3 tablespoons Country Crock Original in pot over medium-high heat, and cook onion and peppers until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook 2 minutes more, stirring well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and juices, crushing tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon.
Add beans to pot along with 2 1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes, then stir in cilantro.
Ladle chili into 4 bowls and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with crispy tortillas.
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Soup
When it's chilly (or even down-right cold), soup can be the perfect comfort food.
Today's post deals with six soup recipes, including Creamy Irish Potato Soup and Red Lentil Soup with Lemon. Enjoy!
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
Ingredients
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Lightly sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the stock and carrots and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, and put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread and garnish with some fresh parsley and a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
CREAMY IRISH POTATO SOUP
This recipe comes from Campbell's Kitchen; to view this recipe online, click here. The recipe starts off, "This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and green onions. It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...even though it's ready in just 35 minutes." The recipe originally called for chicken broth, but I changed it to vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5 servings (1 1/4 cups each)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
4 medium green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 medium potato, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
Directions
Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they're tender.
Stir the broth, black pepper and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through.
PUMPKIN SOUP
Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.
Source: AICR
Recipe and image appear courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/pumpkin-soup-2.
Ingredients
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) (butternut squash may be substituted)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. light whipping cream (optional)
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Nutmeg (optional)
Directions
In large pot over medium-high heat add 3 cups broth, pumpkin, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer uncovered, about 30 minutes.
Puree mixture until smooth, in small batches, using blender or food processor. Return to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes. Add remaining broth as desired. (Optional, stir in cream.)
Pour into bowls. Garnish with parsley (or sprinkle of nutmeg) and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 71; Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 284 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g
ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP
This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”
POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Note: This recipe originally called for “3 cups fat-free chicken broth.” But since this is a vegetarian blog, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, cubed
2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
3 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.
CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP
This is from The Mayo Clinic Diet.
Serves 6; Serving size: 1 1/3 cup.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
32 ounces low-sodium vegetable broth
6 cups frozen broccoli, chopped
6 tablespoons plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
Instructions
Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium to high heat.
Add onion and cook for about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes and lemon pepper, cooking for an additional minute.
Add vegetable broth and broccoli. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
Remove soup from the heat. Puree in batches in a blender until smooth.
Top each serving with a tablespoon of yogurt.
Nutritional Information: Amount per serving: Calories: 90; Total fat: 3 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 135 mg; Total carbohydrate: 12 g; Dietary fiber: 6 g; Protein: 6 g
RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. It is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in “A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor and can be viewed online here.
Want to know more about making soup? Check out Samin Nosrat’s guide “How to Make Soup”.
Also, check out Melissa Clark’s guide, “Hot to Cook Beans.”
Note: The recipe originally called for either chicken or veggie broth. I've left it at simply veggie broth (for obvious reasons)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
Today's post deals with six soup recipes, including Creamy Irish Potato Soup and Red Lentil Soup with Lemon. Enjoy!
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
Ingredients
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Lightly sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the stock and carrots and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, and put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread and garnish with some fresh parsley and a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
CREAMY IRISH POTATO SOUP
This recipe comes from Campbell's Kitchen; to view this recipe online, click here. The recipe starts off, "This rich and creamy potato soup is subtly flavored with celery and green onions. It's the kind of soup you'll want to savor slowly...even though it's ready in just 35 minutes." The recipe originally called for chicken broth, but I changed it to vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.
Prep. time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes; Serves: 5 servings (1 1/4 cups each)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
4 medium green onion, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Vegetable Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 medium potato, sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
Directions
Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until they're tender.
Stir the broth, black pepper and potatoes in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Place half of the broth mixture and half of the milk in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture and remaining milk. Return to the saucepan and heat through.
PUMPKIN SOUP
Recipe Yield: Makes 8 servings.
Source: AICR
Recipe and image appear courtesy of American Institute for Cancer Research.
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/pumpkin-soup-2.
Ingredients
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh) (butternut squash may be substituted)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. light whipping cream (optional)
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Nutmeg (optional)
Directions
In large pot over medium-high heat add 3 cups broth, pumpkin, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer uncovered, about 30 minutes.
Puree mixture until smooth, in small batches, using blender or food processor. Return to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes. Add remaining broth as desired. (Optional, stir in cream.)
Pour into bowls. Garnish with parsley (or sprinkle of nutmeg) and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 71; Fat: 1 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 284 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 16 g
ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP
This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”
POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Note: This recipe originally called for “3 cups fat-free chicken broth.” But since this is a vegetarian blog, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, cubed
2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
3 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.
CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP
This is from The Mayo Clinic Diet.
Serves 6; Serving size: 1 1/3 cup.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
32 ounces low-sodium vegetable broth
6 cups frozen broccoli, chopped
6 tablespoons plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
Instructions
Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium to high heat.
Add onion and cook for about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes and lemon pepper, cooking for an additional minute.
Add vegetable broth and broccoli. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
Remove soup from the heat. Puree in batches in a blender until smooth.
Top each serving with a tablespoon of yogurt.
Nutritional Information: Amount per serving: Calories: 90; Total fat: 3 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 135 mg; Total carbohydrate: 12 g; Dietary fiber: 6 g; Protein: 6 g
RED LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. It is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in “A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor and can be viewed online here.
Want to know more about making soup? Check out Samin Nosrat’s guide “How to Make Soup”.
Also, check out Melissa Clark’s guide, “Hot to Cook Beans.”
Note: The recipe originally called for either chicken or veggie broth. I've left it at simply veggie broth (for obvious reasons)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Desserts - Double-Post Tuesday
Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with that all-time favorite (for when you have to have something snacky), desserts, and includes Summer Berry Buckle and Nutella® Ganache Brownies. Enjoy!
RHUBARB MACAROON TART
This comes from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, "Rhubarb makes any dessert a showstopper, but this tart has more than meets the eye. Under the fruit is a luscious vanilla custard nestled in a chewy macaroon shell. When shopping, look for rhubarb that is about 1/2- to 3/4-inch wide; any bigger and the stalks might start to fall apart in the poaching liquid before the center becomes tender, and any smaller and you’ll need to keep a close eye, since they’ll cook quickly. While the rhubarb topping is a show-stopper, freshly sliced fruit makes a great understudy if you can’t find robust pink stalks."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours, plus cooling.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020982-rhubarb-macaroon-tart>https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020982-rhubarb-macaroon-tart.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened, shredded coconut (about 5 cups)
Butter, for greasing
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Custard:
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/2 teaspoon rose water (optional)
For the Rhubarb:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 3/4 pounds medium rhubarb stalks, cut into 4-inch batons
Preparation
Prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally and keeping a close eye in the last 5 minutes to avoid burning. Let cool completely. Using butter, grease an 8 1/2-by-12-inch fluted rectangle or a 10-inch fluted round pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom with parchment and grease the parchment with butter.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut, egg whites, sugar and salt; press into the prepared tart pan. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the custard: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl or a large glass measuring cup, whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks. Add sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in milk mixture until smooth. Add the 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla bean and seeds and cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, 6 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Pour custard through sieve, using a spatula to scrape it through and discarding any solids. Stir rose water into custard, if using, then pour mixture into prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the custard and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
Prepare the rhubarb: In a medium pot, combine sugar, 2 cups water and the vanilla bean and seeds, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Stir in rhubarb, simmer for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
Gently remove the rhubarb from the cooled pot, letting the syrup drip back into the pot. Top the chilled tart with the rhubarb in a decorative pattern. Lift the tart out of the rim to serve.
SUMMER BERRY BUCKLE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, "Softer and more fruit-filled than a coffeecake, but with a higher percentage of buttery batter than a cobbler, buckles are harder to classify than they are to make. This one is tender, moist and filled with sweet summer berries. But feel free to substitute any other juicy fruit that you like: peaches, nectarines, figs, plums or pineapple. If your fruit is very sweet (figs, pineapple), reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons, while tart fruit (plums or tart blackberries) may need an extra tablespoon. Buckles are best eaten on the same day they are baked. But since they come together so quickly, you don’t have to plan ahead."
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour
This was featured in "The Buckle Makes Great Use of Summer Fruit", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017644-summer-berry-buckle.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar, more for sprinkling
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 1/2 cups summer berries (a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or use any one kind)
Cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Preparation
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest and vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg and baking powder, and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until just combined.
Gently fold berries into the batter, then spread batter in pan and sprinkle lightly with more granulated sugar. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until top is golden and cake is cooked through.
Allow cake to cool, then sprinkle with cinnamon, if using, and confectioners’ sugar.
WHOLE ROASTED PINEAPPLES
This was in an article titled "Vision Quest, Recipes for Eye Health" in the July 2020 issue of Taste for Life (page 15).
I had picked up a copy of Taste for Life at Rollin' Oats, a Florida health food store with two locations (Tampa and St. Petersburg). Since I live close to the St. Pete store, I try to go there as often as possible (though not often enough, as far as I'm concerned). If you're ever in the area, I highly suggest giving them a try.
This recipe has a prep time of 30 minutes and serves 6.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 pineapples, peeled
To Garnish
Toasted coconut flakes
Dairy-free ice cream
Fresh mint
Maple syrup
Lime zest
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add coconut sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl and mix together.
Place a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and add coconut oil. When hot, add whole peeled pineapples. Turn pineapples so they color on all sides. Sprinkle over sugar mixture while they are cooking.
When pineapples are golden, place them onto a baking sheet and then into over for 15 to 20 minutes.
Once pineapples are baked, carve them at the table. Serve with toasted coconut flakes, ice cream, fresh mint, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a little lime zest.
MINT-CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, “Get a double dose of mint! Cool mint chips flavor these brownies, and a mint-chocolate glaze generously highlights the top.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes; Servings: 16
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Brownies
1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
2/3 cup mint-flavored chocolate chips
Mint Frosting
1 cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting (from 16 oz container)
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
Betty Crocker™ green gel food color, if desired
Shiny Chocolate Glaze
1/3 cup mint-flavored chocolate chips
4 teaspoons butter
4 teaspoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon hot water
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Spread in pan.
Bake 28 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
In small bowl, stir all Frosting ingredients using spoon until well blended. Spread frosting over brownies.
In 1-quart saucepan, heat Glaze ingredients over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon hot water at a time, until mixture is thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over frosted brownies. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until glaze is firm. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
Expert Tips
Can't find mint chocolate chips? Use semisweet chocolate chips and add 1/8 teaspoon mint extract to the brownie batter.
What a refreshing combination! For another, try using raspberry-flavored chocolate chips for the mint ones and tint the mint frosting pink.
If you like nuts, pecans are delicious in this recipe. Stir in 2/3 cup when you add chocolate chips.
NUTELLA® GANACHE BROWNIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, “Next time you need a party dessert or just want to pamper someone special (you’re special, by the way), this is your recipe. Betty’s perfect brownies get topped with a glossy ganache and pretty sprinkle of toasted hazelnut for an impressive look that also hints at the secret ingredient: Nutella™! This delectable chocolate-hazelnut spread gets added to the ganache—a fudgy frosting made of chocolate and heavy cream—giving it extra chocolaty flavor, hint of nuttiness, and a lot of ooey-gooey texture. This simple ganache is made in the microwave, so it’s extra quick, and Betty’s brownies start with a mix, which means this spectacular dessert is actually super easy—only 15 minutes of hands-on time required!”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes; Servings: 16
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
1/2 cup Nutella® hazelnut spread with cocoa
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts), toasted, skinned
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.
Bake 28 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
In medium microwavable bowl, microwave hazelnut spread, chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on High 30 seconds. Stir; continue to microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth. Pour hazelnut mixture over baked brownie; spread over top. Sprinkle nuts over top. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until hazelnut mixture is set. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Removing hazelnut skins can be time-consuming, but we’ve got a method that makes it efficient. Toast nuts at 375°F 10 to 12 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Then, pour nuts into clean kitchen towel, and gather tightly into a bundle. Rub vigorously with towel to remove skins.
If you want to skip a step, look for skinned hazelnuts. Hint: They’re sometimes called filberts. To toast skinned hazelnuts, set oven to 350°F. Spread skinned hazelnuts on ungreased baking sheet. Bake uncovered 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Keep a close eye on toasting nuts, as they can quickly become too dark.
No matter what, don’t skip the toasting step. It adds depth of flavor and brings out the richness of the nuts while also giving them a pretty warm brown color.
Microwave ovens vary, so carefully watch ganache mixture during this step. We highly recommend following the directions to help avoid burning.
The trick to cleanly removing brownies from the pan is to line it with foil. To easily do so, flip your pan upside down. Wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan, leaving a little extra length on either side—this length will serve as “handles” later—then cut your piece. When you turn the pan over, you’ll have the perfect-sized and preshaped piece of foil. After baking, allow brownies to cool completely before lifting out of pan by foil “handles.”
To serve clean-cut pieces, cut with sharp knife, and clean blade after each cut.
MAPLE-APPLE PIE
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Experience a whole new apple pie taste! Just a touch of syrup adds the sweet familiar taste of maple for a flavorful new twist on a classic dessert.”
Ingredients
Double-Crust Pastry (See Below)
6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples, (5 medium)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
6 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
Directions
Heat oven to 425°F. Make Double Crust Pastry.
Mix apples and brown sugar. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate. Drizzle with butter and 3 tablespoons of the syrup. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired.
Bake 15 minutes. Make diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart through top crust. Pour remaining syrup over top. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake about 25 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cool.
Double-Crust Pastry
Ingredients
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Directions
Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half and shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened rounds of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
Roll one round on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
RHUBARB MACAROON TART
This comes from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Samantha wrote, "Rhubarb makes any dessert a showstopper, but this tart has more than meets the eye. Under the fruit is a luscious vanilla custard nestled in a chewy macaroon shell. When shopping, look for rhubarb that is about 1/2- to 3/4-inch wide; any bigger and the stalks might start to fall apart in the poaching liquid before the center becomes tender, and any smaller and you’ll need to keep a close eye, since they’ll cook quickly. While the rhubarb topping is a show-stopper, freshly sliced fruit makes a great understudy if you can’t find robust pink stalks."
Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours, plus cooling.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020982-rhubarb-macaroon-tart>https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020982-rhubarb-macaroon-tart.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened, shredded coconut (about 5 cups)
Butter, for greasing
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Custard:
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/2 teaspoon rose water (optional)
For the Rhubarb:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 3/4 pounds medium rhubarb stalks, cut into 4-inch batons
Preparation
Prepare the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally and keeping a close eye in the last 5 minutes to avoid burning. Let cool completely. Using butter, grease an 8 1/2-by-12-inch fluted rectangle or a 10-inch fluted round pan with a removable bottom. Line the bottom with parchment and grease the parchment with butter.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut, egg whites, sugar and salt; press into the prepared tart pan. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the custard: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl or a large glass measuring cup, whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks. Add sugar and cornstarch to a medium saucepan; gradually whisk in milk mixture until smooth. Add the 2 tablespoons butter and vanilla bean and seeds and cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, 6 to 7 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Pour custard through sieve, using a spatula to scrape it through and discarding any solids. Stir rose water into custard, if using, then pour mixture into prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the custard and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
Prepare the rhubarb: In a medium pot, combine sugar, 2 cups water and the vanilla bean and seeds, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Stir in rhubarb, simmer for 1 minute, and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
Gently remove the rhubarb from the cooled pot, letting the syrup drip back into the pot. Top the chilled tart with the rhubarb in a decorative pattern. Lift the tart out of the rim to serve.
SUMMER BERRY BUCKLE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, "Softer and more fruit-filled than a coffeecake, but with a higher percentage of buttery batter than a cobbler, buckles are harder to classify than they are to make. This one is tender, moist and filled with sweet summer berries. But feel free to substitute any other juicy fruit that you like: peaches, nectarines, figs, plums or pineapple. If your fruit is very sweet (figs, pineapple), reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons, while tart fruit (plums or tart blackberries) may need an extra tablespoon. Buckles are best eaten on the same day they are baked. But since they come together so quickly, you don’t have to plan ahead."
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour
This was featured in "The Buckle Makes Great Use of Summer Fruit", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017644-summer-berry-buckle.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar, more for sprinkling
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 1/2 cups summer berries (a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or use any one kind)
Cinnamon, for dusting (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Preparation
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add lemon zest and vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg and baking powder, and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix until just combined.
Gently fold berries into the batter, then spread batter in pan and sprinkle lightly with more granulated sugar. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until top is golden and cake is cooked through.
Allow cake to cool, then sprinkle with cinnamon, if using, and confectioners’ sugar.
WHOLE ROASTED PINEAPPLES
This was in an article titled "Vision Quest, Recipes for Eye Health" in the July 2020 issue of Taste for Life (page 15).
I had picked up a copy of Taste for Life at Rollin' Oats, a Florida health food store with two locations (Tampa and St. Petersburg). Since I live close to the St. Pete store, I try to go there as often as possible (though not often enough, as far as I'm concerned). If you're ever in the area, I highly suggest giving them a try.
This recipe has a prep time of 30 minutes and serves 6.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 pineapples, peeled
To Garnish
Toasted coconut flakes
Dairy-free ice cream
Fresh mint
Maple syrup
Lime zest
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add coconut sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl and mix together.
Place a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and add coconut oil. When hot, add whole peeled pineapples. Turn pineapples so they color on all sides. Sprinkle over sugar mixture while they are cooking.
When pineapples are golden, place them onto a baking sheet and then into over for 15 to 20 minutes.
Once pineapples are baked, carve them at the table. Serve with toasted coconut flakes, ice cream, fresh mint, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a little lime zest.
MINT-CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, “Get a double dose of mint! Cool mint chips flavor these brownies, and a mint-chocolate glaze generously highlights the top.”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes; Servings: 16
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Brownies
1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
2/3 cup mint-flavored chocolate chips
Mint Frosting
1 cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting (from 16 oz container)
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
Betty Crocker™ green gel food color, if desired
Shiny Chocolate Glaze
1/3 cup mint-flavored chocolate chips
4 teaspoons butter
4 teaspoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon hot water
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Spread in pan.
Bake 28 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
In small bowl, stir all Frosting ingredients using spoon until well blended. Spread frosting over brownies.
In 1-quart saucepan, heat Glaze ingredients over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon hot water at a time, until mixture is thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over frosted brownies. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until glaze is firm. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.
Expert Tips
Can't find mint chocolate chips? Use semisweet chocolate chips and add 1/8 teaspoon mint extract to the brownie batter.
What a refreshing combination! For another, try using raspberry-flavored chocolate chips for the mint ones and tint the mint frosting pink.
If you like nuts, pecans are delicious in this recipe. Stir in 2/3 cup when you add chocolate chips.
NUTELLA® GANACHE BROWNIES
This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, “Next time you need a party dessert or just want to pamper someone special (you’re special, by the way), this is your recipe. Betty’s perfect brownies get topped with a glossy ganache and pretty sprinkle of toasted hazelnut for an impressive look that also hints at the secret ingredient: Nutella™! This delectable chocolate-hazelnut spread gets added to the ganache—a fudgy frosting made of chocolate and heavy cream—giving it extra chocolaty flavor, hint of nuttiness, and a lot of ooey-gooey texture. This simple ganache is made in the microwave, so it’s extra quick, and Betty’s brownies start with a mix, which means this spectacular dessert is actually super easy—only 15 minutes of hands-on time required!”
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes; Servings: 16
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 box (16 oz) Betty Crocker™ Supreme original brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
1/2 cup Nutella® hazelnut spread with cocoa
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts), toasted, skinned
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread in pan.
Bake 28 to 31 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
In medium microwavable bowl, microwave hazelnut spread, chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on High 30 seconds. Stir; continue to microwave in 15-second increments, stirring after each, until smooth. Pour hazelnut mixture over baked brownie; spread over top. Sprinkle nuts over top. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until hazelnut mixture is set. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Expert Tips
Removing hazelnut skins can be time-consuming, but we’ve got a method that makes it efficient. Toast nuts at 375°F 10 to 12 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Then, pour nuts into clean kitchen towel, and gather tightly into a bundle. Rub vigorously with towel to remove skins.
If you want to skip a step, look for skinned hazelnuts. Hint: They’re sometimes called filberts. To toast skinned hazelnuts, set oven to 350°F. Spread skinned hazelnuts on ungreased baking sheet. Bake uncovered 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light brown. Keep a close eye on toasting nuts, as they can quickly become too dark.
No matter what, don’t skip the toasting step. It adds depth of flavor and brings out the richness of the nuts while also giving them a pretty warm brown color.
Microwave ovens vary, so carefully watch ganache mixture during this step. We highly recommend following the directions to help avoid burning.
The trick to cleanly removing brownies from the pan is to line it with foil. To easily do so, flip your pan upside down. Wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan, leaving a little extra length on either side—this length will serve as “handles” later—then cut your piece. When you turn the pan over, you’ll have the perfect-sized and preshaped piece of foil. After baking, allow brownies to cool completely before lifting out of pan by foil “handles.”
To serve clean-cut pieces, cut with sharp knife, and clean blade after each cut.
MAPLE-APPLE PIE
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Experience a whole new apple pie taste! Just a touch of syrup adds the sweet familiar taste of maple for a flavorful new twist on a classic dessert.”
Ingredients
Double-Crust Pastry (See Below)
6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples, (5 medium)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
6 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
Directions
Heat oven to 425°F. Make Double Crust Pastry.
Mix apples and brown sugar. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate. Drizzle with butter and 3 tablespoons of the syrup. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; trim overhanging edge 1 inch from rim of plate. Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute as desired.
Bake 15 minutes. Make diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart through top crust. Pour remaining syrup over top. Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake about 25 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cool.
Double-Crust Pastry
Ingredients
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
4 to 6 tablespoons cold water
Directions
Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Divide in half and shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened rounds of pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
Roll one round on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
Taco Tuesday
It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's yummy offerings include Crispy Baked Tacos with Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Moroccan Chickpea Tacos. Enjoy!
CHILI-LIME MUSHROOM TACOS
This comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Greg Fontenot (The Woodlands, Texas), "I used to make this dish with beef, but substituting with portobella mushrooms turned it into my family's vegetarian favorite. It's quick, nutritious, low fat and tasty."
Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes: 4 servings
View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-mushroom-tacos/.
Ingredients
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
8 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
Remove stems from mushrooms; if desired, remove gills using a spoon. Cut mushrooms into 1/2-in. slices.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms, red pepper and onion until mushrooms are tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, seasonings, lime zest and juice; cook and stir 1 minute. Serve in tortillas; top with cheese.
Health Tip: Making these tacos with lean ground beef adds almost 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. That’s a good reason for a meatless taco Tuesday!
It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Portobello Bulgogi Korean Tacos and Huevos Rancheros. Enjoy!
CRISPY BAKED TACOS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA
This is from Dana, the co-founder (with her husband, John) of the Minimalist Baker. Talk about a great looking site! And the recipes look absolutely wonderful. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), I’ll be checking out this site again…and again. (Thanks for putting up the site, Dana and John!)
This recipe “comes together in just 30 minutes” (always a plus when you’re hungry!). Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; for a Total Time of 30 minutes. Serves 3 - 4.
To view this on the Minimalist Baker site, go to http://minimalistbaker.com/crispy-baked-tacos/.
Ingredients
Tortillas
6 - 8 white or yellow corn tortillas
Avocado or grape seed oil
Sea salt
Beans
2 cups Mexican Pinto Beans (or 1 1/2 15-ounce cans pinto beans) (Note: Click link for the Mexican Pinto Beans on the Minimalist Baker, which also follows this recipe)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground chili powder
Pinch each sea salt + black pepper
Salsa*
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup diced tomato
optional: 3 Tbsp diced jalapeño
3 Tbsp diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice, plus more to taste
Pinch each salt and pepper
Toppings, optional
Ripe sliced avocado
Hot sauce
Lime juice
Fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and get out two baking sheets, as well as a few mini cupcake liners if you have them. As long as you have either cupcake liners or two baking sheets, you can make this method work!
Lightly brush tortillas on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. Then stack two baking sheets and lift one side. Tuck as many tortillas as will fit comfortably on the edge, then lower the top baking sheet and fold the tortilla over the top, so it forms a shell shape. In addition or alternatively, simply arrange tortillas on a baking sheet, fold over, and slide two mini cupcake liners inside the shell so it creates an opening. See photo for guidance!
Bake 10 - 20 minutes (will depend on brand and freshness) until light brown and crisp.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
While tortillas are baking, add pinto beans to a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, then lower heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season - I suggest ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
Lastly, prepare pineapple salsa by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and tossing to coat. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more salt for flavor balance, lime for acidity, or pineapple for sweetness. Set aside.
Once tacos are done baking and slightly cooled, filled generously with pinto beans, pineapple, and other toppings. I went with avocado, hot sauce, and cilantro.
The shells are best when fresh. I would only make as many as you want to enjoy immediately as they tend to lose their crispiness when stored.
Notes
*I also think this Blended Red Salsa would be delicious with these tacos!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 8 tacos without additional toppings (i.e. avocado).
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 taco (of 8) without additional toppings Calories: 130 Fat: 4.6 g Saturated fat: 0.7 g Carbohydrates: 20 g Sugar: 1.5 g Sodium: 203 g Fiber: 4.2 g Protein: 3.8 g
MEXICAN PINTO BEANS FROM SCRATCH (1 POT)
This is also from Dana of the Minimalist Baker. Prep Time: 6 hours 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes.
View this on the Minimalist Baker list at http://minimalistbaker.com/mexican-pinto-beans-scratch-1-pot/.
Ingredients
1 pound pinto beans*, soaked overnight in cool water (or for at least 6 hours)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 pinch each sea salt + black pepper, plus more to taste
1 quality vegetable bullion (or 1 cup vegetable broth)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce, plus more to taste
1/2 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies (I used Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder*
optional: 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Add pinto beans to a large pot and cover with cool water (at least a few inches above the beans as they will expand). Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight* uncovered at room temperature.
Once beans are soaked, drain and set aside.
Heat your large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, diced onion and garlic, and season with a healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper. Stir to coat and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent.
Next add drained beans and bouillon cube and cover with water about 2 inches over the top, as the beans will expand while cooking. If using vegetable broth in place of a bouillon cube, add vegetable broth first, and then water so you don't add too much liquid.
Add chipotle pepper and diced tomatoes, stir and bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until beans are tender.
Once the beans are tender and cooked through add remaining seasonings: adobo sauce, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon (optional). Stir to coat and cook on low for 10 more minutes to let the flavors meld.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, cumin for smokiness, chili for depth of flavor, cinnamon for warmth, or adobo sauce (and minced adobo peppers) for heat. You want them very well seasoned, so don't be shy!
Your beans are now ready to enjoy! These make a delicious addition to burrito bowls, burritos, tacos, nachos, taco salads, veggie burgers, and more. You could also add them to chili!
Store beans well covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Will keep in the freezer for 1 month (oftentimes longer).
Notes
*1 pound dried beans typically equals 2 cups dried or 4-5 cups cooked.
*The chili powder I used was from Whole Foods and contains a blend of chili peppers, cumin, garlic, oregano, coriander, cloves and allspice.
*6-8 hours is the optimal amount of time for soaking your beans. The longer you soak them, the more tender they will become, and the more likely they will split and separate during cooking. So if you can't get to them right away, simply drain, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
*Recipe method adapted from All Recipes and The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 half-cup serving of 10 total servings. The recipe yields roughly 5 cups cooked beans.
*I recently discovered that Trader Joe's beans are BPA-free, which is great news if you forget to prep ahead of time. In a pinch, buying cans that are BPA-free is still a good option.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories: 189 Fat: 2.5 g Carbohydrates: 31.6 g Sugar: 2 g Sodium: 367 mg Fiber: 8.4 g Protein: 10.6 g
LOADED CRISPY TOFU TACOS
This is from The Woks of Life, and can be viewed online at http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/07/loaded-crispy-tofu-tacos/.
Prep time: 30 mins; Cook time: 15 mins; Total time: 45 mins; Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
You'll need:
1 package firm tofu
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup oil
3 scallions
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup yogurt
warm corn tortillas
Other toppings:
shredded cheese
chopped tomato
chopped onion
sweet corn
avocado
lime wedges
Instructions
Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the Sriracha and honey, and gently toss the tofu in the mixture. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the tofu in this dry mixture until well-coated.
In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and allow the pieces to crisp up on all sides. While that's happening, whizz up the scallions, cilantro, and yogurt in a food processor or blender. Build your tacos with tortillas, your sauce, and whatever toppings you like.
STIR-FRY VEGETABLE TACOS
This one also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Spice up these tacos with sliced pickled ginger, crushed wasabi peas, and sriracha chile sauce, for garnish." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. peanut oil
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced (6 oz.)
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 Tbs. white miso
2 Tbs. orange juice
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 cups broccoli slaw
4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
2 Tbs. sliced green onions
Instructions:
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, sugar snap peas, edamame, and cayenne pepper; cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until vegetables start to turn golden, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl, and cool 10 minutes in refrigerator.
Meanwhile, whisk together miso, orange juice, and rice vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle over mushroom mixture. Stir in broccoli slaw. Fill tortillas with vegetable mixture, and garnish with green onions.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 272; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 35 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 386 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g
SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKPEA TACOS
This one, also from Vegetarian Times, begins, "For a switch from corn or flour tortillas, try these tacos wrapped in small, warmed whole pita rounds." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 6-oz. pkg. chicken-style vegetarian strips, such as Lightlife Smart Strips
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and lightly mashed with fork
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 Tbs. harissa
1/3 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 minutes, or until softened. Add chicken-style strips and fennel seeds, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, carrots, raisins, harissa, and 1/3 cup water. Cook 1 minute, or until sauce thickens slightly but carrots remain crisp. Stir in tomatoes, and immediately remove from heat. Fill tortillas with chickpea mixture, and serve warm.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 269; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 388 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g
CHILI-LIME MUSHROOM TACOS
This comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Greg Fontenot (The Woodlands, Texas), "I used to make this dish with beef, but substituting with portobella mushrooms turned it into my family's vegetarian favorite. It's quick, nutritious, low fat and tasty."
Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes: 4 servings
View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-mushroom-tacos/.
Ingredients
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 3/4 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
8 corn tortillas (6 inches), warmed
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions
Remove stems from mushrooms; if desired, remove gills using a spoon. Cut mushrooms into 1/2-in. slices.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms, red pepper and onion until mushrooms are tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic, seasonings, lime zest and juice; cook and stir 1 minute. Serve in tortillas; top with cheese.
Health Tip: Making these tacos with lean ground beef adds almost 4 grams of saturated fat per serving. That’s a good reason for a meatless taco Tuesday!
It's time for another Taco Tuesday. Today's offerings include Portobello Bulgogi Korean Tacos and Huevos Rancheros. Enjoy!
CRISPY BAKED TACOS WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA
This is from Dana, the co-founder (with her husband, John) of the Minimalist Baker. Talk about a great looking site! And the recipes look absolutely wonderful. Needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), I’ll be checking out this site again…and again. (Thanks for putting up the site, Dana and John!)
This recipe “comes together in just 30 minutes” (always a plus when you’re hungry!). Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; for a Total Time of 30 minutes. Serves 3 - 4.
To view this on the Minimalist Baker site, go to http://minimalistbaker.com/crispy-baked-tacos/.
Ingredients
Tortillas
6 - 8 white or yellow corn tortillas
Avocado or grape seed oil
Sea salt
Beans
2 cups Mexican Pinto Beans (or 1 1/2 15-ounce cans pinto beans) (Note: Click link for the Mexican Pinto Beans on the Minimalist Baker, which also follows this recipe)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground chili powder
Pinch each sea salt + black pepper
Salsa*
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup diced tomato
optional: 3 Tbsp diced jalapeño
3 Tbsp diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice, plus more to taste
Pinch each salt and pepper
Toppings, optional
Ripe sliced avocado
Hot sauce
Lime juice
Fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and get out two baking sheets, as well as a few mini cupcake liners if you have them. As long as you have either cupcake liners or two baking sheets, you can make this method work!
Lightly brush tortillas on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. Then stack two baking sheets and lift one side. Tuck as many tortillas as will fit comfortably on the edge, then lower the top baking sheet and fold the tortilla over the top, so it forms a shell shape. In addition or alternatively, simply arrange tortillas on a baking sheet, fold over, and slide two mini cupcake liners inside the shell so it creates an opening. See photo for guidance!
Bake 10 - 20 minutes (will depend on brand and freshness) until light brown and crisp.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
While tortillas are baking, add pinto beans to a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat, then lower heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season - I suggest ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
Lastly, prepare pineapple salsa by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and tossing to coat. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more salt for flavor balance, lime for acidity, or pineapple for sweetness. Set aside.
Once tacos are done baking and slightly cooled, filled generously with pinto beans, pineapple, and other toppings. I went with avocado, hot sauce, and cilantro.
The shells are best when fresh. I would only make as many as you want to enjoy immediately as they tend to lose their crispiness when stored.
Notes
*I also think this Blended Red Salsa would be delicious with these tacos!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 8 tacos without additional toppings (i.e. avocado).
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1 taco (of 8) without additional toppings Calories: 130 Fat: 4.6 g Saturated fat: 0.7 g Carbohydrates: 20 g Sugar: 1.5 g Sodium: 203 g Fiber: 4.2 g Protein: 3.8 g
MEXICAN PINTO BEANS FROM SCRATCH (1 POT)
This is also from Dana of the Minimalist Baker. Prep Time: 6 hours 15 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes.
View this on the Minimalist Baker list at http://minimalistbaker.com/mexican-pinto-beans-scratch-1-pot/.
Ingredients
1 pound pinto beans*, soaked overnight in cool water (or for at least 6 hours)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 pinch each sea salt + black pepper, plus more to taste
1 quality vegetable bullion (or 1 cup vegetable broth)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tsp adobo sauce, plus more to taste
1/2 cup diced tomatoes and green chilies (I used Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder*
optional: 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Add pinto beans to a large pot and cover with cool water (at least a few inches above the beans as they will expand). Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight* uncovered at room temperature.
Once beans are soaked, drain and set aside.
Heat your large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, diced onion and garlic, and season with a healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper. Stir to coat and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent.
Next add drained beans and bouillon cube and cover with water about 2 inches over the top, as the beans will expand while cooking. If using vegetable broth in place of a bouillon cube, add vegetable broth first, and then water so you don't add too much liquid.
Add chipotle pepper and diced tomatoes, stir and bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until beans are tender.
Once the beans are tender and cooked through add remaining seasonings: adobo sauce, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon (optional). Stir to coat and cook on low for 10 more minutes to let the flavors meld.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, cumin for smokiness, chili for depth of flavor, cinnamon for warmth, or adobo sauce (and minced adobo peppers) for heat. You want them very well seasoned, so don't be shy!
Your beans are now ready to enjoy! These make a delicious addition to burrito bowls, burritos, tacos, nachos, taco salads, veggie burgers, and more. You could also add them to chili!
Store beans well covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Will keep in the freezer for 1 month (oftentimes longer).
Notes
*1 pound dried beans typically equals 2 cups dried or 4-5 cups cooked.
*The chili powder I used was from Whole Foods and contains a blend of chili peppers, cumin, garlic, oregano, coriander, cloves and allspice.
*6-8 hours is the optimal amount of time for soaking your beans. The longer you soak them, the more tender they will become, and the more likely they will split and separate during cooking. So if you can't get to them right away, simply drain, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
*Recipe method adapted from All Recipes and The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 half-cup serving of 10 total servings. The recipe yields roughly 5 cups cooked beans.
*I recently discovered that Trader Joe's beans are BPA-free, which is great news if you forget to prep ahead of time. In a pinch, buying cans that are BPA-free is still a good option.
Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories: 189 Fat: 2.5 g Carbohydrates: 31.6 g Sugar: 2 g Sodium: 367 mg Fiber: 8.4 g Protein: 10.6 g
LOADED CRISPY TOFU TACOS
This is from The Woks of Life, and can be viewed online at http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/07/loaded-crispy-tofu-tacos/.
Prep time: 30 mins; Cook time: 15 mins; Total time: 45 mins; Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
You'll need:
1 package firm tofu
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup oil
3 scallions
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup yogurt
warm corn tortillas
Other toppings:
shredded cheese
chopped tomato
chopped onion
sweet corn
avocado
lime wedges
Instructions
Cut the tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the Sriracha and honey, and gently toss the tofu in the mixture. In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the tofu in this dry mixture until well-coated.
In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the tofu and allow the pieces to crisp up on all sides. While that's happening, whizz up the scallions, cilantro, and yogurt in a food processor or blender. Build your tacos with tortillas, your sauce, and whatever toppings you like.
STIR-FRY VEGETABLE TACOS
This one also comes from Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Spice up these tacos with sliced pickled ginger, crushed wasabi peas, and sriracha chile sauce, for garnish." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. peanut oil
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced (6 oz.)
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 Tbs. white miso
2 Tbs. orange juice
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 cups broccoli slaw
4 6-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
2 Tbs. sliced green onions
Instructions:
Heat oil in nonstick skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, sugar snap peas, edamame, and cayenne pepper; cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until vegetables start to turn golden, stirring occasionally. Transfer to bowl, and cool 10 minutes in refrigerator.
Meanwhile, whisk together miso, orange juice, and rice vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle over mushroom mixture. Stir in broccoli slaw. Fill tortillas with vegetable mixture, and garnish with green onions.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 272; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 35 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 386 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g
SPICY MOROCCAN CHICKPEA TACOS
This one, also from Vegetarian Times, begins, "For a switch from corn or flour tortillas, try these tacos wrapped in small, warmed whole pita rounds." Yield: Serves 4.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 6-oz. pkg. chicken-style vegetarian strips, such as Lightlife Smart Strips
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and lightly mashed with fork
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 Tbs. harissa
1/3 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 minutes, or until softened. Add chicken-style strips and fennel seeds, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, carrots, raisins, harissa, and 1/3 cup water. Cook 1 minute, or until sauce thickens slightly but carrots remain crisp. Stir in tomatoes, and immediately remove from heat. Fill tortillas with chickpea mixture, and serve warm.
Nutrition Information: Calories: 269; Protein: 12 g; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 388 mg; Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 10 g
Monday, January 25, 2021
Monday Recipes
It's Monday, time to start off the new week. And to start off today's post, here's a little something from the Mamas and Papas (so you don't forget what day it is).
Now that you have a potential earworm for the rest of the day, here's today's six yummy vegetarian recipes to get your week started just right, including Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili and The Crunchiest Summer Fruit Crumble. Enjoy!
RED CURRY LENTILS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH
This comes from Lidey Heuck at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Lidey wrote, "In this vegetarian main inspired by Indian dal, lentils are cooked with an aromatic blend of Thai spices — fresh ginger, turmeric, red curry paste and chile — then simmered in coconut milk until fall-apart tender. Browning the sweet potatoes before cooking them with the lentils brings out their sweetness, balancing the heat from the chile and curry paste, while baby spinach tossed in just before serving adds fresh flavor. Serve over steamed white or brown rice, or with toasted flatbread on the side."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020766-red-curry-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes-and-spinach.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
1 red chile, such as Fresno or serrano, halved, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 (4- to 5-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 lime, juiced
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for serving (optional)
Preparation
In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the browned sweet potatoes to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and set the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, chile and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the lentils, stock, salt and browned sweet potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the lentils are creamy and falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
Divide among shallow bowls and top with cilantro and coconut flakes, if using.
CHEESE AND RICE STUFFED PEPPERS
Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings
Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
Book Title: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/cheese-and-rice-stuffed-peppers.
Ingredients
4 medium green bell peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Slice off the tops of the peppers. Wash the peppers and remove the cores and seeds. Stand the pepper cups upright in a saucepan containing 1/2 cup boiling water. Cover tightly and allow steam 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
In a large bowl, mix together the rice, cheese parsley, salt, and ground pepper. Divide the mixture and stuff each pepper.
Stand the peppers in a loaf pan or cupcake tins. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese melts.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 222; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 455 mg; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Protein: 12 g; Carbohydrates: 31 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 2 Vegetable, 1 Lean Meat
ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP
This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”
POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Note: This recipe originally called for “3 cups fat-free chicken broth.” But since this is a vegetarian blog, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, cubed
2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
3 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.
CARAMEL APPLE PIZZA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “Friends and family will go nuts for this simple-to-fix spicy fruit dessert.”
Ingredients
Caramel Syrup (See Below)
2 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 cup chopped nuts, toasted
Directions
Heat oven to 400ºF. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil or cooking parchment paper. Make Caramel Syrup.
Toss apples and lemon juice in medium bowl. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed until blended.
Roll each sheet of pastry into 10-inch square on foil-lined cookie sheet. Cut each sheet into 10-inch circle. Place scraps in center and roll into pastry.
Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over each pastry circle. Arrange apple slices on cream cheese. Sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle about 1/4 cup syrup over each circle.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Pour remaining syrup over hot pizzas. Serve hot.
Caramel Syrup
Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 teaspoon rum extract or Vanilla
Directions
Heat brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boiling in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened; remove from heat. Cool about 30 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and rum extract.
Time Saver
Use 1 cup caramel ice-cream topping instead of making the Caramel Syrup and don't peel the apples.
THE CRUNCHIEST SUMMER FRUIT CRUMBLE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, "The secret to this fruit crumble is to bake the sweet, cinnamon-scented topping separately, to dry it out. Then when you pile those crumbs over a mound of juicy summer fruit, they won’t absorb as much liquid, and stay crisp and cookielike. You can make the crumbs a day ahead. But the crumble is best baked on the day you serve it, preferably while still a little warm and brimming with syrupy fruit. Make sure to taste your fruit before adding the sugar. Sweeter fruit like strawberries, cherries and blueberries need less sugar than tart plums and nectarines. A spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream makes this even better."
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 3/4 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in "This Is the Secret to the Crunchiest Fruit Crumble", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021225-the-crunchiest-summer-fruit-crumble.
Ingredients
For the Topping:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, ginger or allspice, or use lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
For the Filling:
2 to 5 tablespoon light brown sugar (or granulated sugar), depending on the sweetness of the fruit
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen), or cubed peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, or pitted sweet cherries (or a combination)
Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugars, salt and spices. Stir in butter. Using your hands, squish mixture until coarse crumbs form. Some should be about 1/2-inch in size, some smaller.
Spread topping in one layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. (You don’t have to grease it first.) Bake until crumbs are solid when you gently poke them, and are fragrant, about 15 minutes. They won’t change appearance very much. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. (Crumbs can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)
Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Add fruit and gently toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Pour filling into an ungreased 2-quart gratin dish or 10-inch cake pan, mounding the fruit in the center.
Spoon crumbs over filling and place the crumble dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices. (You can use the same baking sheet you cooked the crumbs on.) Bake until filling bubbles energetically around the edges, about 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like. Crumble can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or warmed up briefly in a 350-degree oven.
SUPER-EASY SLOW-COOKER THREE-BEAN CHILI
This comes from WW (Weight Watchers), and begins, "This chili recipe makes enough to serve ten people. Using almost entirely canned items, you can have a filling, flavorful warm dish. And don't let the total cook time scare you: The majority of that time is for the ingredients to boil down. For a huge chunk of that time, you just have to monitor it. If you don't have 10 people to enjoy this with, you can meal-prep it for the week, or use the leftovers to fill tacos or a burrito."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 3 hours; Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes; Serves: 10; Difficulty: Easy
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/super-easy-slow-cooker-three-bean-chili/5626a63b2084d63a3401c10f.
Ingredients
1 large uncooked onion, minced
Garlic clove, 1 medium clove, minced
30 oz Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
29 oz Canned diced tomatoes with chilies
15 oz Canned tomato sauce
Spiced seasoning mix, 1 1/4 oz, chili variety
Frozen corn kernels, 14 oz, thawed
Fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp, or to taste
Cilantro, 1/2 cup(s), fresh, chopped
Directions
Combine onion, garlic, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours (or low heat for 4-6 hours). Add frozen corn during last hour of cooking. Stir in lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Serving size: about 1 1/3 cups
Now that you have a potential earworm for the rest of the day, here's today's six yummy vegetarian recipes to get your week started just right, including Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Three-Bean Chili and The Crunchiest Summer Fruit Crumble. Enjoy!
RED CURRY LENTILS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH
This comes from Lidey Heuck at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Lidey wrote, "In this vegetarian main inspired by Indian dal, lentils are cooked with an aromatic blend of Thai spices — fresh ginger, turmeric, red curry paste and chile — then simmered in coconut milk until fall-apart tender. Browning the sweet potatoes before cooking them with the lentils brings out their sweetness, balancing the heat from the chile and curry paste, while baby spinach tossed in just before serving adds fresh flavor. Serve over steamed white or brown rice, or with toasted flatbread on the side."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020766-red-curry-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes-and-spinach.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)
1 red chile, such as Fresno or serrano, halved, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 (4- to 5-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 lime, juiced
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for serving (optional)
Preparation
In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the browned sweet potatoes to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and set the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, chile and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the lentils, stock, salt and browned sweet potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the lentils are creamy and falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
Divide among shallow bowls and top with cilantro and coconut flakes, if using.
CHEESE AND RICE STUFFED PEPPERS
Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings
Source: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
Book Title: The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/cheese-and-rice-stuffed-peppers.
Ingredients
4 medium green bell peppers
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Slice off the tops of the peppers. Wash the peppers and remove the cores and seeds. Stand the pepper cups upright in a saucepan containing 1/2 cup boiling water. Cover tightly and allow steam 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
In a large bowl, mix together the rice, cheese parsley, salt, and ground pepper. Divide the mixture and stuff each pepper.
Stand the peppers in a loaf pan or cupcake tins. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese melts.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 222; Fat: 4 g; Sodium: 455 mg; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Protein: 12 g; Carbohydrates: 31 g
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch, 2 Vegetable, 1 Lean Meat
ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLE SOUP
This comes from an old Weight Watchers emailing list, and begins, “This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.”
POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 25 min; Cooking Time: 30 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy
Note: This recipe originally called for “3 cups fat-free chicken broth.” But since this is a vegetarian blog, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Ingredients
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, cubed
2 servings cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
3 cups fat-free vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes
You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.
CARAMEL APPLE PIZZA
This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. It begins, “Friends and family will go nuts for this simple-to-fix spicy fruit dessert.”
Ingredients
Caramel Syrup (See Below)
2 medium cooking apples, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 cup chopped nuts, toasted
Directions
Heat oven to 400ºF. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil or cooking parchment paper. Make Caramel Syrup.
Toss apples and lemon juice in medium bowl. Stir in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Beat cream cheese in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed until blended.
Roll each sheet of pastry into 10-inch square on foil-lined cookie sheet. Cut each sheet into 10-inch circle. Place scraps in center and roll into pastry.
Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over each pastry circle. Arrange apple slices on cream cheese. Sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle about 1/4 cup syrup over each circle.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Pour remaining syrup over hot pizzas. Serve hot.
Caramel Syrup
Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 teaspoon rum extract or Vanilla
Directions
Heat brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boiling in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened; remove from heat. Cool about 30 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and rum extract.
Time Saver
Use 1 cup caramel ice-cream topping instead of making the Caramel Syrup and don't peel the apples.
THE CRUNCHIEST SUMMER FRUIT CRUMBLE
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, "The secret to this fruit crumble is to bake the sweet, cinnamon-scented topping separately, to dry it out. Then when you pile those crumbs over a mound of juicy summer fruit, they won’t absorb as much liquid, and stay crisp and cookielike. You can make the crumbs a day ahead. But the crumble is best baked on the day you serve it, preferably while still a little warm and brimming with syrupy fruit. Make sure to taste your fruit before adding the sugar. Sweeter fruit like strawberries, cherries and blueberries need less sugar than tart plums and nectarines. A spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream makes this even better."
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 3/4 hours, plus cooling
This was featured in "This Is the Secret to the Crunchiest Fruit Crumble", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021225-the-crunchiest-summer-fruit-crumble.
Ingredients
For the Topping:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, ginger or allspice, or use lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
For the Filling:
2 to 5 tablespoon light brown sugar (or granulated sugar), depending on the sweetness of the fruit
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 cups mixed berries (fresh or frozen), or cubed peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, or pitted sweet cherries (or a combination)
Ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, sugars, salt and spices. Stir in butter. Using your hands, squish mixture until coarse crumbs form. Some should be about 1/2-inch in size, some smaller.
Spread topping in one layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. (You don’t have to grease it first.) Bake until crumbs are solid when you gently poke them, and are fragrant, about 15 minutes. They won’t change appearance very much. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. (Crumbs can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)
Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until well combined. Add fruit and gently toss to coat with the sugar mixture. Pour filling into an ungreased 2-quart gratin dish or 10-inch cake pan, mounding the fruit in the center.
Spoon crumbs over filling and place the crumble dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices. (You can use the same baking sheet you cooked the crumbs on.) Bake until filling bubbles energetically around the edges, about 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like. Crumble can be made up to 8 hours ahead and kept at room temperature, or warmed up briefly in a 350-degree oven.
SUPER-EASY SLOW-COOKER THREE-BEAN CHILI
This comes from WW (Weight Watchers), and begins, "This chili recipe makes enough to serve ten people. Using almost entirely canned items, you can have a filling, flavorful warm dish. And don't let the total cook time scare you: The majority of that time is for the ingredients to boil down. For a huge chunk of that time, you just have to monitor it. If you don't have 10 people to enjoy this with, you can meal-prep it for the week, or use the leftovers to fill tacos or a burrito."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 3 hours; Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes; Serves: 10; Difficulty: Easy
To view this yumminess online, go to https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/recipe/super-easy-slow-cooker-three-bean-chili/5626a63b2084d63a3401c10f.
Ingredients
1 large uncooked onion, minced
Garlic clove, 1 medium clove, minced
30 oz Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz Canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
29 oz Canned diced tomatoes with chilies
15 oz Canned tomato sauce
Spiced seasoning mix, 1 1/4 oz, chili variety
Frozen corn kernels, 14 oz, thawed
Fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp, or to taste
Cilantro, 1/2 cup(s), fresh, chopped
Directions
Combine onion, garlic, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours (or low heat for 4-6 hours). Add frozen corn during last hour of cooking. Stir in lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Serving size: about 1 1/3 cups
Friday, January 22, 2021
Friday Recipes
It's finally Friday, time to celebrate another end of the week.
Of course, we still need to eat, too, so to that end, here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Vegetarian Mexican Inspired Stuffed Peppers and Penne With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Also, if you picked up (or received) any panettone over the holiday season, and still have some left over, you might want to try the Panettone Bread Pudding from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. It's the last recipe in today's post, and definitely worth trying. Hey, everyone could use a yummy dessert during these trying times, right? Enjoy!
THREE SISTERS SOUP
This is from American Heart Association, and begins, “Simple Cooking with Heart brings you this interesting vegetable and bean soup called Three Sisters Soup.
“This is actually a Native American recipe and the three 'sisters' refer to corn, beans and squash!”
Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/three-sisters-soup
Ingredients
6 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
16 oz. canned, low-sodium yellow corn or hominy, drained, rinsed
16 oz. canned, low-sodium kidney beans (drained, rinsed)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 rib celery (chopped)
15 oz. canned, cooked pumpkin (Tip: Be careful, don’t get pumpkin pie filling!)
5 fresh sage leaves
OR
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Directions
Bring chicken stock to a slow boil.
Add corn/hominy, beans, onion and celery.Boil for 10 minutes.
Add sage leaves, curry and pumpkin and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
VEGETARIAN MEXICAN INSPIRED STUFFED PEPPERS
This yumminess comes from Donnam at allrecipes. She wrote, "I created this so it's not too spicy, but is packed with flavor. My kids loved it! For variety, add corn or other vegetables or switch to other chopped tomato varieties (chiles, jalapenos, etc.). Follow the boiling method prior to baking if you don't want a crispy bell pepper. If you have small peppers, use more of them for this recipe. They taste great with a dollop of sour cream on top."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Servings: 4
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231514/vegetarian-mexican-inspired-stuffed-peppers/.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon salt
4 large green bell peppers - tops, seeds, and membranes removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups cooked rice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can chili-style diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend (such as Sargento® Authentic Mexican)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil; cook green bell peppers in the boiling water until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the hot oil until softened and transparent, 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix rice, black beans, tomatoes, and cooked onion in a large bowl. Add chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir until evenly mixed. Fold 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend into rice mixture. Spoon rice mixture into each bell pepper; arrange peppers in 9x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle peppers with remaining Mexican cheese blend.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Cook's Note:
I like to use Sargento(R) Authentic Mexican shredded cheese, which takes it over the top!
VEGAN CHILI
This comes from J. Kenji López-Alt at The New York Times cooking newsletter. The recipe begins, "This chili starts with a few different whole dried chiles, toasted and blended together, then fried with vegan ground meat and other aromatics to form the complex backbone of this stew. Along with tomatoes and kidney beans, I like to add some soy sauce (for umami depth), cider vinegar (for acidity and brightness) and a shot of hard liquor. The volatile alcohol in the liquor helps pull aromas up and out of the chili and into your nose. If you want to opt for a vegetarian version, feel free to use unsalted butter in place of the vegan butter, and garnish with sour cream or Cheddar."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour
This was featured in "How to Cook With Plant-Based Meats", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020866-vegan-chili.
Ingredients
For the Chile Paste (see Note):
2 whole dried ancho, pasilla or mulato chiles, stems and seeds removed, torn into rough 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 ounce)
1 whole dried New Mexico red, California, costeño or choricero chile, stems and seeds removed, and torn into rough 1-inch pieces (about 1/8 ounce)
1 to 2 dried hot chiles, such as árbol or pequín, stems and seeds removed and torn into rough pieces (optional)
For the Chili:
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 pound vegan ground meat, such as Impossible or Beyond
1 medium onion, grated on large holes of a box grater (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, grated on Microplane (about 4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
2 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) can dark kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whiskey, vodka or brandy (optional)
Diced onions, chopped cilantro, chopped pickled jalapeños, sliced black olives, vegan sour cream, shredded vegan cheese, fresh tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Make the chile paste: Add all the dried chiles to a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and giving off an intense roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn down the heat if they begin to smoke. Add 1 cup water; it should immediately boil. Reduce heat so water barely simmers, and cook until chiles have softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and blend at high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until a completely smooth purée is formed, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare the chili: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until fat has mostly rendered and it is starting to sizzle rather than steam, about 10 minutes. (I don’t mind leaving the rendered fat in the chili. It homogenizes as the chili reduces, so the end result should not be greasy. However, you can drain the mixture at this point if you prefer less fat in the finished chili.)
Add the onion, garlic, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chipotles, cumin and reserved chile paste, and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste reduces to the point that it starts to sizzle and fry, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until homogenous, about 1 minute.
Add chopped canned tomatoes and scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Add kidney beans, soy sauce and 1 cup water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have developed and chili is thickened to desired consistency, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and liquor, if using. Adjust texture by adding water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with whatever garnishes you like.
Tip
You can omit the chile paste, and substitute 3 tablespoons chile powder instead. Add chile powder with chipotles and cumin in Step 3, and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and continue with Step 4.
PENNE WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES
This is from Amanda Hesser at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, "This exquisitely simple recipe came to The Times in a 2001 article about Paola di Mauro, an Italian winemaker in Marina, a small town southeast of Rome. She was one of a band of cooks who helped distinguish 'cucina castlinga,' roughly translated as 'housewives' cooking.' From her humble kitchen, Ms. di Mauro mentored some of the best Italian chefs and restaurateurs in the United States, including Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Piero Selvaggio and Tony May. Her recipe is easy and calls for just five ingredients – cherry tomatoes, olive oil, pecorino romano and penne pasta – but get your hands on the best ingredients you can afford. Ms. di Mauro intended this to serve four as a first course, but if you're making this for dinner, double the recipe."
Yield: 2 to 4 servings; Time: 35 minutes
This was featured in "A Roman Muse For America's Great Chefs," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1778-penne-with-roasted-cherry-tomatoes.
Note: When you get a minute or two, click on the article link above and read the article. I found the article to be interesting reading, and I'm sure you will, too. In fact, if you want to do that now, go for it. I'll wait…(tap, tap, tap)
Ingredients
1 pound small cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for tossing
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano, more for serving
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 pound penne
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line bottom of casserole dish with cherry tomatoes in a single layer, halved side up. Pour oil on top, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until tomatoes have wilted, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with enough sea salt so that water tastes mildly of salt. When tomatoes are just about done, add penne to water and cook until al dente (it should be pliable, but still firm in center). Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain pasta and add to casserole. Fold tomatoes and pasta together, adding another 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it is dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Serve, passing more grated cheese at the table.
SPICY PUMPKIN BURRITOS
This is from American Heart Association, and begins, “Try this hearty vegetarian burrito using seasonal Fall vegetables.”
Servings: 8; Serving Size: 1 burrito
To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/spicy-pumpkin-burritos
Ingredients
1 tsp. olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
15.5 oz. canned, no-salt-added black beans (drained, rinsed)
15 oz. canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 cup cooked brown rice, cooked without salt and margarine
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chile powder (made with ancho chiles preferred)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (crumbled)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 8-inch low-fat whole-grain tortillas, lowest sodium available
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup shredded lettuce, such as romaine, or spinach
1/2 cup chopped tomato
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the corn for 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the beans, pumpkin, rice, water, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through.
Warm the tortillas using the package directions.
Spoon the filling down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle the green onions over the filling. For each burrito, fold two sides of the tortilla toward the center. Starting from the unfolded side closest to you, roll the burrito toward the remaining unfolded side to enclose the filling. Transfer with the seam side down to plates. Top with the sour cream. Sprinkle with the lettuce and tomato.
PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, “If you’ve bought a loaf of truly fantastic panettone, made in the Italian tradition from a natural starter, the kind that’s airy and melting, we hope you don’t have any leftovers. But if you find yourself with an excess of mass-produced panettone, or simply very old panettone that’s past its prime, here’s how to transform it into something special. Cut it into thick slices, as the pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt does with brioche, when she makes her bread pudding at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Toast them. Now layer the bread in a wide dish, and pour over a whisked custard of milk and eggs. It will look like too much liquid, but as it bakes, the panettone will soak it all up, becoming moist and tender and impossibly rich. It’s close enough to a casserole of French toast to make it ideal for a special holiday breakfast, but sweet enough to step in as dessert on a cold night. Vanilla would be a classic way to flavor the custard, but panettone tends to be quite sweet and perfumed already, so taste the bread first before adding extras.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour baking
This was featured in “Panettone Has Become an Obsession for American Bakers,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 to 8 slices panettone
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep baking dish that will fit all the bread slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, about 9 by 5 inches. Place the sliced panettone on a sheet pan and lightly toast it in the oven so that it’s still flexible, but dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Arrange toast in the baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer over the panettone, allowing the excess mixture to fill up the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bread has soaked up all the custard and puffed up, and the custard is no longer runny. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving, then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust all over with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Of course, we still need to eat, too, so to that end, here are six yummy vegetarian recipes to help you through the weekend, including Vegetarian Mexican Inspired Stuffed Peppers and Penne With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Also, if you picked up (or received) any panettone over the holiday season, and still have some left over, you might want to try the Panettone Bread Pudding from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. It's the last recipe in today's post, and definitely worth trying. Hey, everyone could use a yummy dessert during these trying times, right? Enjoy!
THREE SISTERS SOUP
This is from American Heart Association, and begins, “Simple Cooking with Heart brings you this interesting vegetable and bean soup called Three Sisters Soup.
“This is actually a Native American recipe and the three 'sisters' refer to corn, beans and squash!”
Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/three-sisters-soup
Ingredients
6 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
16 oz. canned, low-sodium yellow corn or hominy, drained, rinsed
16 oz. canned, low-sodium kidney beans (drained, rinsed)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 rib celery (chopped)
15 oz. canned, cooked pumpkin (Tip: Be careful, don’t get pumpkin pie filling!)
5 fresh sage leaves
OR
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Directions
Bring chicken stock to a slow boil.
Add corn/hominy, beans, onion and celery.Boil for 10 minutes.
Add sage leaves, curry and pumpkin and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
VEGETARIAN MEXICAN INSPIRED STUFFED PEPPERS
This yumminess comes from Donnam at allrecipes. She wrote, "I created this so it's not too spicy, but is packed with flavor. My kids loved it! For variety, add corn or other vegetables or switch to other chopped tomato varieties (chiles, jalapenos, etc.). Follow the boiling method prior to baking if you don't want a crispy bell pepper. If you have small peppers, use more of them for this recipe. They taste great with a dollop of sour cream on top."
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Servings: 4
To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231514/vegetarian-mexican-inspired-stuffed-peppers/.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon salt
4 large green bell peppers - tops, seeds, and membranes removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups cooked rice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can chili-style diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican cheese blend (such as Sargento® Authentic Mexican)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil; cook green bell peppers in the boiling water until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion in the hot oil until softened and transparent, 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix rice, black beans, tomatoes, and cooked onion in a large bowl. Add chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir until evenly mixed. Fold 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend into rice mixture. Spoon rice mixture into each bell pepper; arrange peppers in 9x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle peppers with remaining Mexican cheese blend.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Cook's Note:
I like to use Sargento(R) Authentic Mexican shredded cheese, which takes it over the top!
VEGAN CHILI
This comes from J. Kenji López-Alt at The New York Times cooking newsletter. The recipe begins, "This chili starts with a few different whole dried chiles, toasted and blended together, then fried with vegan ground meat and other aromatics to form the complex backbone of this stew. Along with tomatoes and kidney beans, I like to add some soy sauce (for umami depth), cider vinegar (for acidity and brightness) and a shot of hard liquor. The volatile alcohol in the liquor helps pull aromas up and out of the chili and into your nose. If you want to opt for a vegetarian version, feel free to use unsalted butter in place of the vegan butter, and garnish with sour cream or Cheddar."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour
This was featured in "How to Cook With Plant-Based Meats", and can be found online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020866-vegan-chili.
Ingredients
For the Chile Paste (see Note):
2 whole dried ancho, pasilla or mulato chiles, stems and seeds removed, torn into rough 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 ounce)
1 whole dried New Mexico red, California, costeño or choricero chile, stems and seeds removed, and torn into rough 1-inch pieces (about 1/8 ounce)
1 to 2 dried hot chiles, such as árbol or pequín, stems and seeds removed and torn into rough pieces (optional)
For the Chili:
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 pound vegan ground meat, such as Impossible or Beyond
1 medium onion, grated on large holes of a box grater (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, grated on Microplane (about 4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
2 chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (16-ounce) can dark kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whiskey, vodka or brandy (optional)
Diced onions, chopped cilantro, chopped pickled jalapeños, sliced black olives, vegan sour cream, shredded vegan cheese, fresh tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Make the chile paste: Add all the dried chiles to a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and giving off an intense roasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn down the heat if they begin to smoke. Add 1 cup water; it should immediately boil. Reduce heat so water barely simmers, and cook until chiles have softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chiles and liquid to a blender and blend at high speed, scraping down sides as necessary, until a completely smooth purée is formed, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Prepare the chili: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the vegan ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until fat has mostly rendered and it is starting to sizzle rather than steam, about 10 minutes. (I don’t mind leaving the rendered fat in the chili. It homogenizes as the chili reduces, so the end result should not be greasy. However, you can drain the mixture at this point if you prefer less fat in the finished chili.)
Add the onion, garlic, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chipotles, cumin and reserved chile paste, and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste reduces to the point that it starts to sizzle and fry, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until homogenous, about 1 minute.
Add chopped canned tomatoes and scrape up any brown bits that have stuck to the pan. Add kidney beans, soy sauce and 1 cup water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors have developed and chili is thickened to desired consistency, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and liquor, if using. Adjust texture by adding water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with whatever garnishes you like.
Tip
You can omit the chile paste, and substitute 3 tablespoons chile powder instead. Add chile powder with chipotles and cumin in Step 3, and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then add the tomato paste and continue with Step 4.
PENNE WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES
This is from Amanda Hesser at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Amanda wrote, "This exquisitely simple recipe came to The Times in a 2001 article about Paola di Mauro, an Italian winemaker in Marina, a small town southeast of Rome. She was one of a band of cooks who helped distinguish 'cucina castlinga,' roughly translated as 'housewives' cooking.' From her humble kitchen, Ms. di Mauro mentored some of the best Italian chefs and restaurateurs in the United States, including Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Piero Selvaggio and Tony May. Her recipe is easy and calls for just five ingredients – cherry tomatoes, olive oil, pecorino romano and penne pasta – but get your hands on the best ingredients you can afford. Ms. di Mauro intended this to serve four as a first course, but if you're making this for dinner, double the recipe."
Yield: 2 to 4 servings; Time: 35 minutes
This was featured in "A Roman Muse For America's Great Chefs," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1778-penne-with-roasted-cherry-tomatoes.
Note: When you get a minute or two, click on the article link above and read the article. I found the article to be interesting reading, and I'm sure you will, too. In fact, if you want to do that now, go for it. I'll wait…(tap, tap, tap)
Ingredients
1 pound small cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for tossing
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano, more for serving
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 pound penne
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line bottom of casserole dish with cherry tomatoes in a single layer, halved side up. Pour oil on top, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until tomatoes have wilted, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with enough sea salt so that water tastes mildly of salt. When tomatoes are just about done, add penne to water and cook until al dente (it should be pliable, but still firm in center). Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain pasta and add to casserole. Fold tomatoes and pasta together, adding another 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it is dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Serve, passing more grated cheese at the table.
SPICY PUMPKIN BURRITOS
This is from American Heart Association, and begins, “Try this hearty vegetarian burrito using seasonal Fall vegetables.”
Servings: 8; Serving Size: 1 burrito
To view this online, go to https://recipes.heart.org/en/recipes/spicy-pumpkin-burritos
Ingredients
1 tsp. olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
15.5 oz. canned, no-salt-added black beans (drained, rinsed)
15 oz. canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 cup cooked brown rice, cooked without salt and margarine
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chile powder (made with ancho chiles preferred)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano (crumbled)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 8-inch low-fat whole-grain tortillas, lowest sodium available
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup shredded lettuce, such as romaine, or spinach
1/2 cup chopped tomato
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the corn for 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the beans, pumpkin, rice, water, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through.
Warm the tortillas using the package directions.
Spoon the filling down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle the green onions over the filling. For each burrito, fold two sides of the tortilla toward the center. Starting from the unfolded side closest to you, roll the burrito toward the remaining unfolded side to enclose the filling. Transfer with the seam side down to plates. Top with the sour cream. Sprinkle with the lettuce and tomato.
PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING
This is from Tejal Rao in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Tejal wrote, “If you’ve bought a loaf of truly fantastic panettone, made in the Italian tradition from a natural starter, the kind that’s airy and melting, we hope you don’t have any leftovers. But if you find yourself with an excess of mass-produced panettone, or simply very old panettone that’s past its prime, here’s how to transform it into something special. Cut it into thick slices, as the pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt does with brioche, when she makes her bread pudding at Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Toast them. Now layer the bread in a wide dish, and pour over a whisked custard of milk and eggs. It will look like too much liquid, but as it bakes, the panettone will soak it all up, becoming moist and tender and impossibly rich. It’s close enough to a casserole of French toast to make it ideal for a special holiday breakfast, but sweet enough to step in as dessert on a cold night. Vanilla would be a classic way to flavor the custard, but panettone tends to be quite sweet and perfumed already, so taste the bread first before adding extras.”
Yield: 8 servings; Time: 10 minutes plus 1 hour baking
This was featured in “Panettone Has Become an Obsession for American Bakers,” and can be viewed here.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 to 8 slices panettone
6 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups whole milk
Confectioners' sugar, to garnish
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a deep baking dish that will fit all the bread slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly, about 9 by 5 inches. Place the sliced panettone on a sheet pan and lightly toast it in the oven so that it’s still flexible, but dry to the touch, about 10 minutes. Arrange toast in the baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt, then add the milk and whisk until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer over the panettone, allowing the excess mixture to fill up the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bread has soaked up all the custard and puffed up, and the custard is no longer runny. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before serving, then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust all over with confectioners' sugar and serve.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)