Vegetable Pad Thai

May 13, 2010

Another low stress, easy-to-prepare meal that is flavorful and wonderful!

Serves 4 (I double this recipe for my family of 5 and get some leftovers)

Ingredients:

8 ounces dried, wide, and flat rice noodles (I just use medium egg noodles)

2 Tbsp dark-brown sugar (I use sucanat)

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp vegetable oil

(I also add 1 tsp. of sesame seeds to the oil and toast them)

3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced (or green onions)

1 garlic clove, minced (I always triple the garlic)

2 large eggs (optional), lightly beaten (I love to use eggs for more protein and flavor)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts (I used chopped cashews, yum!)

1. Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Drain. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. (Lightly toast 1 tsp of sesame seeds.) Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add eggs (if using) and cook, scraping skillet with a spatula until eggs are cooked.

3. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture to skillet; cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are warmed and coated with sauce, about 1 or 2 minutes. Serve with lime wedges, topped with cilantro and peanuts (cashews).

From Everyday Food magazine.

Portobello Curry with Green Rice

April 22, 2010

Mmmm!! This dish is not complicated and is very flavorful and delicious! The cashews are the perfect finishing touch. This will now be in our list of staple meals.

Photo and recipe from BGH.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice (I used jasmine)
  
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used the whole can, of course!)
  
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 4 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I always double the garlic --love it)
  
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 lb. portobello mushrooms, cut in 1/2-inch slices (I diced it to hide it from my kids and they couldn't tell, hee hee)
  
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tsp. Madras (spicy) curry powder or curry powder
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (I used roma and diced it in bigger chunks)
  
• 2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped cashews or peanuts

Directions

1. In medium saucepan combine rice, 2 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, in blender or food processor combine 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, the cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the ginger, 1 garlic clove, and the lime juice. Cover; blend or process until nearly smooth. Stir into rice. Cover; keep warm.

3. In 12-inch skillet cook mushrooms in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes; turn occasionally. Add green onions, curry powder, red pepper, and remaining ginger and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and remaining coconut milk. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. To serve, divide rice among plates. Top with mushroom mixture and sprinkle with nuts. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories 438,
• Total Fat (g) 24,
• Saturated Fat (g) 14,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g) 6,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 3,
• Cholesterol (mg) 0,
• Sodium (mg) 465,
• Carbohydrate (g) 51,
• Total Sugar (g) 6,
• Fiber (g) 6,
• Protein (g) 9,
• Vitamin A (DV%) 0,
• Vitamin C (DV%) 36,
• Calcium (DV%) 6,
• Iron (DV%) 18,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Easy and Delicious Black Bean Chili

February 18, 2010

An awesome recipe from my friend Mary, with her personal notes. I make this very often because we all love it. I make it vegetarian style and substitute 1 can of black beans with 1 can of red beans, just for the color and variety.

Photo courtesy of myrecipes.com. We eat this up too fast for me to photograph it!

Ingredients:
OPTIONAL:1 package kielbasa sausage (I use Chappell Hill Jalapeno), cut into 1/4" thick coins
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
Bell peppers on hand, chopped (I usually use one red, one green, and one poblano--or whatever is lying around. Poblano gives a nice, mild heat.)
3 cans of black beans, drained
2-3 cups broth (I use chicken, but you could easily use vegetable or even water, just add salt)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
chili powder to taste (I use about 2.5 tablespoons)
~1 handful of sugar
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. ground cumin
oregano to taste
OPTIONAL: sour cream for dollopin'
OPTIONAL: corn bread muffins for accompanying

Directions:
Brown kielbasa and reserve. Add grease from kielbasa to heavy stock pot or dutch oven to form soup base. (Or if not using sausage, add about 1-2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil). Turn heat to medium/high and saute garlic, onion, and peppers until they begin to tenderize. Add beans, broth, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin and stir in. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using sausage, return it to pot after simmering. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until chili thickens (I usually do this about 20 or so more minutes, or until I am ready to eat.) Adjust salt and pepper, as desired. If not veganizing, a dollop of sour cream on top is a delightful addition. Highly recommend serving with cornbread muffins (I like Jiffy cornbread mix, not least because it is SO fast and simple).

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1-1/2 qt. chicken broth
• 1-3/4 cup Dannon® Plain Yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

• 1. In a soup pot heat oil. Add onions and cumin and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 20-25 minutes.
• 2. Puree soup with 1-1/2 cups Dannon® Plain Yogurt and parsley or cilantro. Serve each portion of soup with a dollop of remaining yogurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Yields: 12 Servings (8 oz. per serving)

Photo courtesy of Dannon.com.

it's Recipe thuRsday: The Perfect Italian Minestrone Soup

January 13, 2010

This makes so much that I have to either half the recipe or do half in my large crock pot and half in my biggest pot. If you have a gigantic pot, then you could probably fit a whole recipe in it. This recipe is delicious and can feed many people!

The Perfect Italian Minestrone Soup

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 chopped onion
3 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1 can garbanzo beans, partly drained
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. chicken base
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. minced parsley
2 tsp. oregano
3 tsp. basil
10 c. water
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 16-oz. cans kidney beans, with liquid
2 cans cannelloni bean, rinsed and drained
1 16-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 c. medium or small shell pasta
1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste
fresh grated Parmesan cheese to top

Cook sausage until brown and crumbly, approximately 10 minutes. Discard fat. Set aside meat.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomato paste, carrots and celery. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add water, canned tomatoes, kidney beans, drained and rinsed cannelloni beans, garbanzo beans and spices. Stir in cooked sausage. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 40 minutes. Ladle 5 cups of soup in a blender. Puree until smooth, and set aside.

Add pasta and spinach to soup. Cook in medium heat, stirring once in a while, for about 20 minutes until pasta is tender. Mix in puree soup portion.

Serve into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Variations: swiss chard, zucchini, green beans, barley, squash