Black Bean Corn Quesadillas

When I was younger, my favorite after school snack was a flour tortilla and juice (my, I loved my carbs back then, too!).  At some point, I realized that there was a concoction called a "quesadilla" which involved yummy melted cheese folded in between said tortilla, and I was set.  In my opinion, cheese tastes so much better when melted, and added to the yummy that is a warm tortilla, I had my perfect snack.  Now of course, I try to avoid such heavy things as snacks (seriously, where was the fresh fruit in my youth?).  But lately I've been loving the black bean, corn and bell pepper combination and I thought that putting that all together in quesadilla form wouldn't be a bad idea.  I searched the internet for some ideas and found this recipe from allrecipes that I used as a base for proportions, but changed it quite a bit using my own ideas and one of the comments regarding oven baking and still getting crispy/gooey results.  I originally intended to add chicken, but honestly, just ran out of room on the tortilla and found I didn't miss it at all.  This is a great way to enjoy quesadillas as a main meal.  The beans are so creamy that you don't need to add nearly as much cheese, and the spices, plus the crunchy sweetness of the bell pepper and corn add up to a perfect combination of flavors and textures.  This is actually going on the meal plan again in the next week!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas (inspired by allrecipes)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 of small onion, finely chopped
1/2 of  1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
4 soft taco size (8 inch) flour tortillas
2/3 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  In a skillet or saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until soft.  Add peppers and cook until onions start to carmelize.  Add beans, corn and spices and heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes.  On a pizza stone or cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray, lay out two tortillas.  Top with warm veggie mixture and 1/3 cup cheese each, then top with the remaining tortillas.  Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray.  Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops reach desired golden brown color.  Enjoy with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.  Makes 2 quesadillas.

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

There is no doubt that the picky eating that I stuck with in my youth was inherited from my daddy. My brother, sister and I learned "eeewww" from the best, and we're all slowly recovering from that in our adulthood. I was recently talking to my dad about my vegetable delivery service and how it made me realize how much I really love eggplant. I got a classic crinkly nose from my daddy, and even as I tried to explain that if it is cooked properly, eggplant is delicious, he kept arguing that he just KNOWS he doesn't like it, no matter how it is cooked (along with all squash, all of which, he says, is too squishy). Really, I'm happy with more eggplant for me! I've learned some tricks, including buying eggplant on the smaller side and slicing/salting/sitting for a little bit (and rinsing) before using in a recipe. All of this keeps the texture just firm enough and the flavor slightly sweet. I found this recipe on Cooking This and That and thought it would be the perfect way to use the small eggplants I received in my vegetable delivery basket (one of my last ones before I chose to cancel for the winter). As I'm reading the recipe to see what I changed, I realize that I changed quite a lot! I made these into stacks, but didn't create a lasagna style filling the way the original recipe called for. This is baked, not fried, but still had lots of flavor. After baking, I just stacked up the eggplant disks with a spoonful of (heated) pasta sauce and one leaf of fresh basil. The top slice received a generous amount of mozzarella before I covered the pan to simmer and melt everything together. My husband, who likes eggplant okay, but isn't a huge fan, thought this was a great Eggplant Parmesan. I will definitely make this again next summer when eggplant is in season again.



Eggplant Parmesan Stacks (adapted from Bite This via Cooking This and That )
2 lbs of eggplant (two small) sliced into 1/2 inch disks
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs (I used standard Italian Seasoned)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Spray
1 24 oz jar pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Place slices of eggplant into a colander. Sprinkle salt on both sides and allow to sit about 15 minutes. Rinse to remove salt and any "goop" that develops, then dry each slice well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set up dipping trays: one tray with the lightly beaten egg, one with the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese mixed together. Dip each eggplant slice in egg and then bread crumbs, flipping to cover both sides. Place each slice on a cookie cooling rack on top of a foil lined cookie sheet (this set up allows for really crispy oven fried goodness, I highly recommend it!). Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and crispy, rotating once. Meanwhile, gently heat pasta sauce in a large skillet. Dip both sides of eggplant in the sauce, then top with a basil leaf before stacking with the next sauce dipped eggplant slice. Continue until 3-4 slices high, then top with about a 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Repeat with other eggplant slices until you have 4 stacks. Cover and simmer until mozzarella is just melted. Serve with pasta and remaining sauce.

Broiled Barbeque Tofu

This was definitely the winner of my vegetarian week (although the sushi takeout was pretty yummy, too!). I'm always amazed when I enjoy tofu dishes, because it is definitely one of those things that this picky eater would have sworn was gross before I became more daring with food. Honestly, tofu is nothing to be afraid of, since it has no real flavor of its own. It is more a texture thing, and this dish did a great job at adding delicious flavor and crispy texture all at once. I picked up a chipotle barbeque sauce because I knew I wanted more spicy flavor than sweet for this. I then checked out a couple recipes/techniques and found this one on allrecipes. I liked the idea of crisping the tofu in a pan first before coating in barbeque sauce and carmelizing in the broiler. I decided to coat in panko bread crumbs that had been run through the food processor briefly because I love the crispiness that panko gives. And instead of frying the tofu, I just crisped it up in a pan lightly coated with cooking spray. I also used a whole egg instead of egg whites because I just didn't want to deal with the egg whites. These changes resulted in a deliciously crispy and carmelized product. I absolutely could have eaten the entire block of tofu by myself, but I held off (and the leftovers, while not as crispy, were still pretty tasty). I will definitely make this one again for the husband to enjoy with me.

Broiled Barbeque Tofu

1 block extra firm tofu, drained

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, run through the food processor

1 egg

1 cup barbeque sauce

cooking spray

Slice tofu into 8 slices. Press between two cutting boards lined with paper towels, weighing down the top board with a couple canned items or other heavy things. Preheat oven to 375. Place tofu slices into a pan and cook, unseasoned for 10-15 minutes to dry further. Allow to cool while you get the egg and bread crumbs into shallow dishes for coating. Turn broiler on to preheat. When tofu is cool enough to handle, dip into egg and then bread crumbs, shaking to remove excess. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add coated tofu pieces and cook, stirring once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Dip each tofu piece into barbeque sauce and place on a broiler pan. Broil until sauce starts to carmelize - this will depend on your barbeque sauce, it took mine about 4 minutes. Keep an eye on this, don't let it burn! Remove and enjoy. Makes 2 servings of 4 slices each.

Black Bean Burrito Bowls

I have just finished a week of vegetarian eating. This week, my husband was away at Specialized bike camp (a week long dealer event where Specialized Bicycles debuts new products, fun times for my husband). While he was away, I decided that this was going to be the week to try out new vegetarian entrees. I have wanted to do a week of vegetarian for a while now, and since I'm going to the midwest for vacation next week, I thought the detox before I left for what is sure to be some unhealthier eating would be in order. I also thought this would be a good way to stay motivated to cook at home without eating anything too unhealthy (I've been known to indulge in rib-eye steaks and hamburger helper while the husband is away, and that just isn't good for my tummy!). This meal was actually one of the ones I cooked while the husband was still in town, so I knew it would have to be substantial and over the top good for him to be satisfied. This was really yummy, we both enjoyed the peppery flavor, but both agreed it needed a little more spice. Next time, I'll probably add some spices to the rice as it cooks as well as switching out some of the milder peppers for jalapenos. This makes a LOT of pepper mix, so you can probably double the rice and make 8 entrees with the same number of peppers.

Black Bean Burrito Bowls (my own recipe)

1 Cup brown rice

2.5 cups vegetable broth

2 Fresno chiles

2 Anaheim chiles

1 Poblano pepper

1 Red bell pepper

1 small onion

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can black beans - drained and rinsed

Cook brown rice in rice cooker with broth (Or cook on the stovetop, but I'm awful at cooking brown rice on the stovetop!). Meanwhile, chop anaheims, poblano, bell pepper and onion into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Dice fresno chiles finely. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion and peppers until very soft and starting to char - about 10 minutes. Heat black beans in a small saucepan until heated through. To prepare bowls, serve about a 1/2 cup cooked rice, top with a large spoonful of pepper mixture, top with black beans, then top with cheese. Serve with tortillas or chips. Makes about 4 servings with leftover chiles, or double rice & cheese for 8 servings.

Fava Bean Risotto

I received Fava Beans in my Plow to Porch box and thought that it might be nice to try and incorporate them into a risotto of some sort. I have never eaten fava beans before, so I thought combining them with a starch like risotto would be a good way to ease in. I wish that I had just tried them on their own, or had tried them in a different recipe. They were so much fun to cook, but this recipe that I found on allrecipes just didn't bring enough fava bean color or flavor to the party. I think the author might have errored when they called for 1/2 lb of unshelled favas and maybe meant 1/2 lb of favas removed from the first shell, but not the second skin? Either way, this was my first time making risotto, and I think I have the technique down. It is a ridiculously starchy dish, so I need to perhaps make it next time when we have company instead of just the two of us. It is easy to overload on risotto, even when you aren't very fond of the recipe as was the case here (look at the portion size I served up, sheesh!). I have to say, I really loved the process of the double shelling of the favas, and they are so beautiful after they have been shelled the second time! I look forward to cooking them as a standard side dish next spring, since they have such a short season that they are available.

Green Risotto with Fava Beans (from Allrecipes)
1/2 pound fresh, unshelled fava beans (probably means shelled but not "second skinned")
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, shell the favas and discard the pods. Boil the favas for 4 minutes, strain and then immediately plunge into ice water. Let cool for 2 minutes then pierce the favas and squeeze them out of their skins. Separate 3/4 of the favas and puree in a food processor.
In a separate large saucepan bring the broth to a simmer, and keep it hot. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1.5 tablespoons of the butter and add the onions. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes; do not brown the onions. Add the rice and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium, and stir constantly. When the wine has been absorbed, add a little of the hot stock. Once the stock is absorbed, add a little more; repeat this process, stirring constantly, until the rice is cooked through.
To the cooked rice add the pureed favas, the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter, the rest of the favas and the cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter and cheese melt and the puree is incorporated evenly. Season with salt.

Roasted Beet & Tomato Salad

Although I love, love, love my weekly fruit & vegetable deliveries from Plow to Porch, I have to admit, sometimes I am frightened. The husband and I grew up in pretty traditional households where vegetables were usually corn, green beans, peas and maybe an iceberg lettuce "salad." I was lucky enough to live in central California, so I also got some yummy asparagus and artichokes from time to time. Not very adventurous. So when I first saw beets on the delivery list, I was scared. The first appearance of beets happened to coincide with a visit to my dad & stepmom up in SLO. They hadn't seen me in a while and I had lost a ton of weight in that time, so they were curious to hear about this fruit & vegetable delivery service that was encouraging me to try new things and focus more on fruits & veggies (since that was pretty much how I lost all the weight!). As I was telling them all about it, I mentioned that I was really nervous about the beets in the next week. I kid you not, both dad and stepmom, like 6 year olds, preceded to "eeewww" and "you are kidding, throw them out" in ridiculous ways. No freakin' wonder I have fears of certain vegetables! I'm pretty sure I ended up throwing away that first batch of beets out of not having a clue what to do with them, but soon enough, I was roasting them up in foil packets with a little bit of olive oil, adding them to salads. I actually really like them, and after the first time I made them, the husband admitted that they had them all the time when he was growing up (so weird to me, he is such a traditional midwesterner, I had no idea they ate beets!). Eventually, my husband admitted that he wouldn't mind having a salad that was entirely beet focused. I researched on the internet and found that the most common ingredient in a beet salad is (well, other than beets) goat cheese. Well... we're not fans (I know, take away my foodie license or whatever). I also saw that many like the flavor of balsamic vinegar and beets. That gave me the idea for this salad. Very simple roasted beets, chilled, with chopped ripe heirloom tomatoes and a light dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This was so delicious, and it might sound strange, but we get soooo many tomatoes with Plow to Porch in the summer that I'm really excited for another way to use them up. The husband doesn't love balsamic vinegar like I do (what, doesn't everyone want to drink it?), but he really liked this as well, even though I "poured a bunch of that weird brown stuff on there." By all means, go ahead and add goat cheese if you want. I might add some feta next time for some creamy texture. But don't fear the beets!

Balsamic Roasted Beets and Tomato Salad (my own creation)

4-5 small beets, tops and bottoms trimmed off (I used golden here, but all sorts of beets would work, I think)

1 large heirloom tomato

olive oil (about 3 Tbs)

Balsamic Vinegar (about 1-2 Tbs)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place trimmed, unskinned beets in foil packet. Drizzle with olive oil before folding the packet closed (I leave a little bit of air inside the packet to circulate). Place in heated oven for about 45 minutes or until beets are soft and skins come off easily. Allow to cool completely before removing skins. Chop into wedges or bitesize pieces. Refridgerate about 1 hour until chilled. Chop tomato into bitesize pieces. Mix tomato & beets in small bowl. Toss with approx even amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or to your own tastes. Tomatoes and beets should absorb most of the dressing and there shouldn't be much pooling inside the bowl. Top with salt & pepper to taste and serve. Makes two servings.

Linguine with Vegetable Sauce

I made this dish shortly after having oral surgery. I won't go into details since this is a food blog, but I was not eating up to my normal standards during my recovery. However, at this same time, I happened to notice a Macy's ad for a ridiculously low priced food processor. This is the one kitchen tool I had always done without, because while I think it is super cool, I can't justify the cost, since I can technically do all the things it can do (it just takes forever by hand!). At the sale price from Macy's, plus a gift card, plus my Macy's card discount, I really couldn't pass this deal up! The day I purchased it, I was watching the Cooking Channel and Mark Bittman happened to be using a food processor to cook this Lavender Pasta. Well, I didn't have any lavender leaves lying around, but I loved the idea of bulking up the pasta with a sauce made from veggies - all of which I could prep using my new toy! I definitely altered this a bunch, but I really loved this pasta. So much flavor and super easy, and that was just what this "Mac & Cheese and Mashed Potatoes" surgery recovering girl needed!

Linguine with Vegetable Sauce (my own creation, inspired by Mark Bittman)
8 oz linguine pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2 shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium carrots
1 medium zucchini
1 medium red bell pepper, core & seeds removed
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream

Cook pasta according to directions. Heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Chop onion, shallots and garlic in food processor. Add to oil and cook until lightly golden. Meanwhile, shred zucchini, carrots and bell pepper in food processor. Add to pan with onion mixture and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Deglaze with white wine. Allow wine to cook off, about 1 minute. Add cream and stir until smooth. Toss sauce with pasta. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Makes about 4 servings.

Tofu Parmesan Florentine

I knew I wasn't going to use an entire block of tofu on the Peanut Tofu recipe, so I figured I'd want another great tofu recipe to try with the remainder before it went bad. I looked no further than Mary Ellen's blog. Mary Ellen has some great tofu recipes because she really experiments with it when her husband is out of town (since he doesn't like it). I know that I make some of my favorite experimental recipes when my husband is out of town, as it really gets the juices flowing to know that if you fail, you can always eat cereal or ramen for dinner and not disappoint the husband! Anyway, Mary Ellen's Tofu Parmesan recipe looked fantastic. I made a couple of changes (I added some Parmigiano cheese and removed the dreaded mushrooms), but I loved this recipe. The husband declared it a "definitely make again" which is really saying something for a new tofu recipe. The key was that since Mary Ellen didn't list specific amounts on the spices for the breading, I went a little heavy on the cayenne (which I used instead of pepper flakes). Wow, the flavor of that spice, combined with all the other intense flavors, made me forget that I was eating "boring" tofu. The tofu turns an amazing golden color with the light pan fry because the square shape has more consistent contact with the pan than most other proteins would. After I pressed the tofu dry, I cooked the spinach first and used it as a bed for the tofu, sauce & cheese, which I then placed in the oven just until the cheese melted. This is not exactly healthy fare, but it is a healthier way of enjoying the flavors of chicken parmesan that I love so much without the deep fried chicken.

Tofu Parmesan Florentine (adapted slightly and halved from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations)

1/2 block extra firm tofu
1/4 c bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano mixed with the following spices:
Spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cayenne
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c marinara
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 c shredded cheese; I used mozzarella

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Slice tofu into 1/2 inch slices. Press between two cutting boards with paper towels to remove most of the liquid. Heat olive oil over medium heat in non-stick pan. Saute spinach until just starting to wilt. Place in 11x7 baking pan, set aside. Dip tofu in egg, then in bread crumbs and add to hot pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Place on top of spinach in baking pan. Top each slice with marinara sauce and cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted & bubbly. Serve over hot whole wheat pasta. Serves two.

Peanut Tofu

I have a lot of friends who celebrate Lent, and although I am not technically Catholic, I did go to a Catholic elementary school, and my mom was raised Catholic. I have given something up for Lent for the last several years, but I have yet to give up meat on Fridays. I realized at the end of Lent this year that it might be because my vegetarian repotoire is lacking a bit. I decided to try a couple new vegetarian recipes so that I can attempt meatless Fridays sometime soon. I started with Peanut Tofu because I realized while eating Peanut Chicken recently that the flavorful sauce would be great for tofu, which doesn't have much flavor on it's own. This was the best tofu recipe I have had, and I would highly recommend this for someone interested in experimenting with tofu, but is afraid of bland or weird textured food. I followed my standard tofu practices for this recipe - sliced into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch slices, then press between cutting boards with lots of paper towels to dry. Then, sautee in a completely dry non-stick pan until very light golden and dry. Allow to cool before dicing into squares.

Peanut Tofu

1/2 package extra firm tofu, dried and diced into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch cubes

1 medium red bell pepper, diced into 3/4 inch pieces

4 Tbs Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 cup Picante Sauce (I use Pace Medium, and I double the sauce)

2 Tbs creamy peanut butter (I use reduced fat)

2 tsp canola oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Marinade tofu in soy, garlic & ginger 20-30 minutes. Heat oils in stir fry pan over medium high heat. Add bell pepper and stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove, reserving as much oil as possible. Add tofu and stir fry until most of the marinating liquid has cooked off and become carmelized. Remove. In separate bowl (important!), combine picante and peanut butter and stir until mostly combined. Cold sauce will have a stringy consistency, sauce will blend as it cooks. Add sauce to hot stir fry pan. Cook & stir until thick and bubbly. Return peppers and tofu to the sauce. Stir well and cook until heated through. Serve over hot rice. Makes 3 servings when sauce is doubled.

Stuffed Strawberries

I just finished "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. In it, she describes how she and her family ate entirely locally (from their own or neighbors farms) for one year. It inspired me to go a little more frequently to our (very local) Farmer's Market. It is literally a walk in the park away, so I don't know why we don't go more often. One of my latest finds, in addition to my absolute favorite local strawberries, was a soft German style cream cheese called Quark. I always think of ad formats, not food, when I hear this word. It comes in lots of varieties, but the kind sold at our market is a lightly lemon flavored and slightly sweet cheese and it is fantastic with strawberries. I stuffed our local strawberries with this cheese and rolled them in graham cracker crumbs to create this lovely dish. Served with a little Hershey's syrup, these were a delicious and light dessert. The cheese only has about as much fat as yogurt, believe it or not! I don't know how regularly available this cheese is elsewhere, but if you have access to it, I urge you to try this application!

Baked Ravioli

I stopped by Whole Foods tonight, thinking I would pickup something easy for dinner, since the husband was out on a night mountain bike ride. I had heard good things about Whole Foods jarred pasta sauce, and I had some mozzarella at home, so I decided a baked ravioli would be pretty good. I picked up some sauce and Whole Foods whole wheat spinach & cheese ravioli and headed home to find some basic instructions on how long to bake this. I'm kind of in shock at how easy this recipe was to make. I just threw in the layers and baked for a 1/2 hour, the amount of work was so minimal. I think next time, I'll make sure I have enough shredded mozzarella. I was pretty lazy and when I ran out of the preshredded mozzarella, I just layed slices on top for the last 5 minutes of baking time instead of grating it. I think this meal could be a lot better with minimal work (adding onions, garlic and turkey sausage would be great), but as it was, it was pretty darn good for the work to taste ratio.

Baked Ravioli (loosely based on allrecipes)

1 package frozen raviolis

1 jar pasta sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 Tbs grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dried oregano
Layer 1/3 pasta sauce, 1/2 ravioli, 1/3 pasta sauce, spices, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, 1/2 ravioli, 1/4 mozzarella cheese & parmigiano (in that order, bottom to top) in a 13x9 baking dish. Bake, covered with foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for 5 minutes more until just starting to brown. Makes 6 servings.

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

My fabulous stepmom taught me a lot of my cooking skills, and also helped me to develop many of my standard "loves" when it comes to food. One of my favorite vegetables is cauliflower and I never would have learned to love it if it wasn't for her teaching me how to make a basic cheese sauce to go over the top of it. When I was a kid, I would eat a good cheese sauce by the spoonful, with a little cauliflower to accent the flavor of the sauce! Unfortunately, cauliflower nears the top of my husband's list of most disliked foods, so I don't get to enjoy it unless he's not around. I thought I would just roast some while he was on his work trip and eat it with something simple, but then I got the idea for a baked macaroni & cheese with roasted cauliflower added in. What a concept! It was like my favorite cheese sauce & cauliflower mixture from my childhood, but with pasta added in! I think if I get the chance to make this again, I'll add some spices in to make it a little more suitable for my adult palate, but I encourage those with kids to do creative things like this to introduce kids to vegetables that are a little plain normally.

Cauliflower Macaroni & Cheese (by me!)

1 Tbs butter or margarine

1 Tbs Flour

1 cup nonfat milk

1 cup (or more) shredded cheddar cheese

Fresh cracked pepper

1.5 cups cauliflower florets

1 cup elbow macaroni

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

cooking spray

Spray cauliflower lightly with cooking spray or olive oil and roast in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, but leave a little bit undercooked. Meanwhile, make cheese sauce by melting butter in a saucepan, adding flour and cooking for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Allow to come to a slow boil. After the sauce is lightly boiling & thick, add shredded cheddar cheese to taste. Add fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add roasted cauliflower to sauce, mix well to combine. Add to cooked macaroni and stir, then pour into an 8" x 8" casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and panko. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove and spray with cooking spray, then return to oven for another 5-10 minutes or until top is golden brown. Makes 4 side dish servings or 2 large main dish servings.

Black Bean, Corn & Pineapple Enchiladas

Mmm, Enchiladas. They are one of my favorite Mexican dishes, but whenever I have had them cooked at home, they lose some of their gooey goodness. They are either too dry, not cheesy enough, or they get crunchy in weird spots. I decided to try this recipe from a blog on the nest because I liked that it didn't include any meat, so it removed that from the equation of things that could go wrong. I also love pretty much anything with pineapple in it. Note: the lack of meat does NOT in any way imply healthiness with this recipe! We liked the flavors of this recipe, but again, the texture wasn't quite right. The tortillas got a little too soft (which is the first time I've ever seen that happen with homemade enchiladas, normally they are too hard). My husband thinks that maybe I should have used different tortillas, but I think it was because I didn't squeeze enough of the juice out of the pineapple before adding to the mix. Either way, I am pretty excited that for my first attempt at homemade enchiladas, these resembled the enchilada flavor you get at restaurants, and with tweaking, I think I could perfect homemade enchiladas on my next attempt (I think I'll try regular chicken next).

I stuck to the linked recipe pretty closely, but I used about 2 cups low fat mexican cheese blend instead of the 3.5 cups of regular. Also, the 1 can of Enchilada sauce can be a small can. I didn't use much out of the huge can I bought.

Nutrition info for two enchiladas - my version (with low fat cheese): Calories: 627.1, Fat: 17.9g (8.1 Sat, .2 Poly, 0 Mono), Carbs: 93g, Fiber: 10.9g

No Mushroom Veggie Lasagna

I've always wanted to try making Vegetable Lasagna, but have had trouble because nearly every recipe I have found includes lots of mushrooms. I don't have too many foods that I dislike, but mushrooms are pretty high up the list. So this weekend, I decided to just wing it and create my own recipe. The confidence that I'm getting from trying so many new recipes with this blog is really what made this recipe come together. I loosely based the recipe off a Cooking Light recipe, but I pretty much just used it for proportions and cook time and the rest was up to me! I used all the vegetables we like the most and also used whole wheat lasagna noodles and low fat mozzerella, so this ended up being a very hearty and healthy meal. I did slightly overcook it because I was on the phone with my mother in law, who I haven't spoken to in a while and lost track of time a bit. The pictures came out a little dark looking because of that, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing!

Vegetarian Lasagna

1 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

3/4 cup diced zucchini

2 cloves garlic

3/4 cup chopped broccoli

1 bottle jarred tomato pasta sauce (we love Ragu)

15 oz low fat or fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked & cooled according to directions

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil over medium high heat in large saute pan. Saute veggies, starting with onion, then zucchini, then peppers, then garlic, then broccoli, allowing about 1-2 minutes in between each before adding in the next veggie. Veggies should be just getting some color to them when done. In medium bowl, mix ricotta with dried herbs (or substitute fresh). Add about 1/2 cup pasta sauce to 9" x 12" baking pan and spread evenly. Add remaining sauce to veggies and mix to combine. Lay 3 cooked lasagna noodles over the sauce in the baking pan. Top noodles with about 1/2 the ricotta mixture and smooth as evenly as possible. Top with 1/3 (about a cup) of veggie mixture and spread to even out. Top with 3 more noodles and repeat layers, ending with pasta topped with last 1/3 of veggie mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and cover with foil. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil for last 15-20 minutes. Makes 6 very filling servings.

Nutrition Info: Calories: 382.3, Fat: 11.7g (4.5 Sat, 1.5 Poly, 3.9 Mono), Fiber: 7.8g, Carbs: 51.8g

Oh My God I Made Tofu!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have conquered my fears. Tofu has always been the scariest food out there for me. Even as a foodie, the first time I have ever tried tofu was only a few weeks ago at a Thai restaurant, and even then, I wasn't so sure about it (I only had a bite). So talk about risk when today, after 9 days of houseguests, looking for something simple for just the hubby and me, I decided to run to the store and grab something for dinner and decided I would try to cook tofu in honor of the Catholic part of my "mutt" religious upbringing. Folks, this is the 1st time I have ever eaten an entire meal of tofu, and this was really good. I had some tips from some nest posts I had seen, plus I did as much internet research as I could to get the best texture (I fear weird textures). The results are below and even my husband, who does not fear tofu and so has tried many dishes enjoyed this dish. Aside from the process of getting the tofu really dry, the recipe itself is simple and quick.
Teriyaki Tofu (My recipe, which is more technique than recipe)

1/2 of a 12 oz tub of Extra Firm Tofu, sliced very thin (1/4 inch) and then into diagonal triangles

4 Tbs Teriyaki Sauce (we used a Spicy & Sweet style)

1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies (we used California Style, pick your favorite mix)

1 1/4 cups hot cooked rice

Place tofu triangles between 2 cutting boards layered with towels (lots of paper towels or a couple dish cloths). If you are using lighter cutting boards, add a couple of cans to the top of the boards to weigh everything down into a good press (but not too heavy). Allow to press for about 20 minutes. Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat (no oil or cooking spray). Add tofu and cook until as dry as possible (press down periodically with a spatula to remove as much water as possible). Tofu will be golden (not browned) when done. Allow to cool and then add to a bag with Teriyaki Sauce to marinate for about 30 minutes. Steam veggies until cooked but still firm. Stir fry tofu triangles over medium high heat (no oil) until sauce begins to carmelize on the tofu, about 5-7 minutes. Add remaining marinade (or more from the bottle if desired) and bring to a boil. Add steamed veggies and mix well. Serve over hot rice. Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Info for Rice & Tofu mixture: Calories: 335.8, Fat: 7.7g (1.2 Sat, 4.2 Poly, 1.6 Mono), Carbs: 49.2g, Fiber: 3.3g

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

I am sorry to admit it, but I have issues with baked potatoes. I went through a 4 year period of not eating them at all because of a bad science experiment in Jr. High that involved potatoes and I just couldn't bear to eat them after that. I got over it soon after leaving my parents home when I realized that they are a really cheap side dish. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to master the baked potato. My husband likes russets and I like white rose potatoes. I can't cook either one to the right consistency to appease both of us (I like a creamy baked potato, he likes a flaky baked potato). I tried this recipe this weekend because I was grilling some steaks and wanted to serve potatoes, but didn't want our potato differences to get in the way of a great meal. I made this up based on our preference for some garlic flavor without being overwhelming, and we don't really like rosemary, although most people would probably use that instead of oregano.

Roasted Garlic Baby Potatoes
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced in 1/2

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine oil and garlic in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add potatoes and shake until all pieces are lightly coated in the oil/garlic mixture. Pour onto a shallow baking dish or sheet pan. Season with oregano, salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until just golden. Makes 4 side dish servings.

Nutrition info: Calories: 137.4, Fat: 3.5g (.5 sat, .3 poly, 2.5 mono), Carbs: 24.9g, Fiber: 1.7g

Valentine's Day 2009

For about 2 years of our relationship, my husband and I have done the whole "going out somewhere special" for Valentine's day. The remaining 10 Valentine's Days have been me cooking for him, usually something comparable to what we would order if we were going out. Tonight, I made the same Sauteed Halibut as I did last year because it was just so good. I also made whole wheat couscous with sauteed vegetables, which was new to my husband, and I made it with all red veggies in honor of the holiday. Finally, I found some adorable baby artichokes to serve as my veggie. My parents used to get these for my family in bags when they went up to the Monterey bay area, and we would eat them almost daily. They are so easy to eat in comparison to regular artichokes, and I have been raised to love artichokes since I was very young. Even better, my husband doesn't like the heart part, so I get to eat extra hearts! He is my perfect match! On a separate note, my husband had a seriously horrible day on Valentine's Day (busy at work and a completely broken down car) and almost missed dinner entirely, so it was really neat for him to come home to a relaxing candle-lit dinner and a bottle of wine. That is how we do Valentine's day, it is enjoyable time together with no pressure on either of us to come up with the perfect gift, reservation, etc.

Recipe for Sauteed Halibut is here.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Carmelized Veggies

1 cup Whole Wheat Couscous

1 cup Chicken Stock (or Broth) - Sub Veggie Stock for Vegetarian Meal

3 Large Shallots, sliced into very thin rings

1 Bell Pepper, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 Tbs Chopped fresh Basil or Parsley

2 tsp. Olive Oil

Bring Stock to a boil with Basil mixed in. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat. Add Shallots. Cook until carmelized (when they start to get really golden brown). Add Bell Peppers, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add Tomatoes, cook & stir for 1 minute. If Stock is at a full boil, add Couscous and veggies. Stir, cover and remove from heat. Allow couscous to steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve immediately.Makes 6 1 cup servings.

Nutrition Info for 1 serving: Calories: 161.8, Fat: 2.6g (.3 Sat, .2 Poly, 1.3 Mono), Carbs: 28.6g, Fiber: 4.2g

Irresistible Guacamole

Everybody loves guacamole on Super Bowl Sunday, and I am no different. I even got the best batch of avocados ever for free from the family I mentor for, who has a tree in their backyard. Sure beats the overpriced, overpinched and usually unripe avocados I’m usually stuck with! I had one small problem: We are a biking family first, and then a football family. Today was the first bike race of the year, and a great day for it. So I decided to take a huge batch of guacamole to the day of races and offer it up to the racers and their families. I was a little worried that these extreme athletes would pass up my high fat treat, but I talked it up big, and once they took a bite, they couldn’t resist more. It was a great batch, using almost 5 avocados, and we really didn’t have much left to bring back by the time we were actually watching the Super bowl (we made it in time for the end of the first quarter). The recipe used is the winning recipe from a “Guac-Off” party held by the aid & government workers in New Orleans during the months immediately after Katrina (they worked their butts off during the day, but it was pretty boring at night). My best friend hosted that party and kindly shared the recipe with me and I have been using it ever since.

Irresistible Guacamole
4 Ripe Avocados (don’t mash them up yet!)
¼ large onion, very finely diced
1 large Serrano chile, minced very fine (careful with this, it will burn you)
½ tsp Kosher salt
2 Tbs Cilantro (optional)
Juice of 1 Lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
Slice Avocados in half, remove pit and scoop insides into a large bowl in large pieces. Squeeze lime juice over avocado and place one pit into bowl to avoid browning. Place onion, Serrano, Cilantro and salt in Mortar & Pestle and grind until juicy and mostly one consistency (When this is mixed into the guac, no one should be able to tell what pieces are what). This could probably be done in a food processor, but Mortar & Pestle really brings out the flavors. Here’s what mine looked like:

Add smushed mixture to avocados. Add minced garlic and mix very well WITH YOUR KNIFE, not a fork or spoon. There should be recognizable pieces of avocado in the mixture. It seemed to provide lots of good energy for the bike racers (my guys are Team Platinum, in white):

Nutrition info for 1/8 of mixture: Calories: 149.9, Fat: 13.4g (1.8 Sat, 1.6 Poly, 8.5 Mono), Carbs: 8.9g Fiber: 6.1g

Breakfast for Dinner - Oatmeal Pancakes

My husband loves breakfast. He could eat really big breakfasts at any time of the day. Unfortunately for him, my appetite and sleep patterns don't often allow for me to make him big breakfasts in the morning. Fortunately for him, I enjoy breakfast for dinner! It reminds me of when my Daddy was in charge of making dinner and would make us breakfast for dinner and would plate it so that our eggs, bacon and toast looked like a clown. These pancakes are especially good for breakfast for dinner because they are very filling, but quite good for you. I got to take advantage of the fresh fruit that I found at the farm stand (It costs a lot of money to live in Santa Barbara, but darn it, we have great fruit stands!). Yes, these are fresh berries in January:

The recipe is an award winning heart-healthy recipe from my sister-in-law. She got an article in her local paper written about her for coming up with this recipe, and we really love it! I haven't tried these with banana, but the rest of the mix-ins are great. I would recommend using the strawberries as a topping rather than a mix in, however, as my strawberries usually start to burn before the pancake is done cooking.

Oatmeal Pancakes

1 Cup Quick Oats

1 Cup Lowfat Buttermilk

1 Egg or 3 Egg Whites

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix Oats & Buttermilk in a small bowl, cover & refrigerate overnight.Mix egg & vanilla in a bowl, add oats mixture. Add Remaining ingredients. Add more buttermilk if too thick. Prepare as normal pancakes on a hot griddle.

Optional mix ins or toppers:Fresh Blueberries (1/2 cup)Sliced Strawberries (1/2 cup)Sliced Banana (1 banana)Semi-Sweet chocolate mini chips (1/2 cup)

Nutrition info for 3 pancakes with no toppings or mix-ins: Calories: 142, Fat: 2.7 (.7 Sat, .8 Poly, .8 Mono), Carbs: 22.6, Fiber: 3.2

Billy Beans

This is a historic recipe in my family, which came to us via my step-brother-in-law's college roommate, Billy (that is probably the longest source for a recipe ever). My family has made it vegetarian, but it tastes great with browned ground beef or turkey added in as well, for those of you meatatarians out there. A traditional "Guest Dinner" in my childhood was Billy Beans, rice and grilled tri-tip (a specialty out here in Central CA), but just the beans and rice are a very filling meal. It is ridiculously simple and cheap to prepare.

Billy Beans

2 16 oz jars of your favorite salsa (we use Ortega, one mild, one medium)

2 15 oz cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

(this ratio makes about 6 servings, but can be adjusted as needed)

Put the above ingredients into a crockpot and mix well. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with hot rice and top with cheddar cheese, if desired. Also good served over a baked potato.

Nutrition Info for Billy Beans: Calories: 195, Fat: .4g (.1 Sat, .3 Poly, 0 Mono), Carbs: 36.1 g, Fiber: 10.1 g