Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, and Smoked Almonds

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed. 

This is a really unique salad! Packed with all sorts of good veggies, it's the sauce made of mint, lime juice, honey and chile-garlic sauce that makes this stand out. It's both refreshing and comforting at the same time. The almonds adds a bit of crunch which is nice for a dynamic texture.

Notice all the beautiful colors? It's very impressive because of both the color and the flavors. This was a great find from Vegetarian Times.

Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins, and Smoked Almonds Serves 6 1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage 1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced 1 cup finely diced pineapple 1/4 cup golden raisins 16 smoked almonds 1/4 cup choppped fresh mint 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 2 Tbsp. honey 1/4 tsp. chile-garlic sauce

Bring small pot of water to a boil. Add frozen edamame, and cook 10 minutes. Drain, and refresh under cold water. Transfer to large bowl; add cabbage, bell pepper, pineapple, raisins, almonds, mint, lime juice, honey, and chile-garlic sauce. Toss well, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional information provided in magazine:
Per 1-cup serving: 127 CAL; 5 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 22 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 33 MG SOD; 4 G FIBER; 15 G SUGARS.

Love is all around you... Enjoy!

- Rachel

Twitter: @RachelRubin
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Spicy Shirataki Noodles

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed.  

Have you heard of no-calorie noodles? I had just heard about them when I saw the feature "Oodles of Noodles" in the January/February 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine. The noodles featured are Shirataki noodles which do have a few calories per serving, but very minimal. Instead of regular flour, they are made with Asian yam flour. I have see tofu shirataki noodles at Whole Foods and other natural food stores.

This is a quick and easy stir-fry that ends up light and fresh. The noodles do taste like a light noodle! The consistency is pretty much the same, it's just a light bit on the chewy side. As you can imagine, the don't have much taste on their own to having the proper amount of sauce and seasoning is important.

Note: if you want to make these vegan, make sure the noodles you buy are marked as vegan. Some brands add calcium derived from shellfish.

Spicy Shirataki Noodles Serves 4 4 Tbsp. gluten-free, reduced-sodium tamari 2½ Tbsp. lime juice 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar 2 tsp. sriracha sauce 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil 2 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno chile 3 cloves garlic, minced (1Tbsp.) 1 onion, sliced (1 cup) 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced 2 8-oz. pkg. tofu shirataki fettuccini, prepared according to package directions ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Whisk together tamari, lime juice, brown sugar, and sriracha in bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Add jalapeno and garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add onion and bell peppers, and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add tamari mixture and shirataki, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, then toss with basil.

Nutritional information provided in magazine:
Per 1½-cup serving: 130 CAL; 5 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 19 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 770 MG SOD; 4 G FIBER; 8 G SUGARS.

Love is all around you... Enjoy!

- Rachel

Twitter: @RachelRubin
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Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed.   

I try to make as many recipes as beans as possible. They seem like a miracle food! Cheap, healthy, and filling. I order often from Rancho Gordo because I think their beans are high quality and I never know how long a pack of beans have been sitting around on a shelf at the store. It's not that they go bad or anything, but I find fresher beans more flavorful.

This recipe for Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili appealed to me not only for the use of beans, but also because I am a huge mushroom fan AND you get to use your slow cooker! You do end up with a really tasty dinner but it is nothing like traditional chili. The use of tomatillos and chipotle peppers gives it a really great flavor and I find those ingredients fun to play with.

The recipe for Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili is available on EatingWell.com.

Love is all around you... Enjoy!

- Rachel

Twitter: @RachelRubin

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Chard and Tofu Wontons in Sambal Soy Sauce

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed. 

Be prepared for some time in the kitchen to make these wontons. It doesn't take too long, but you do have to hand fold about 30 wontons which does take a bit of time. I just cranked up the music and sipped some wine while putting these together and it was kind of meditative. And yum did they taste good! Way better than frozen wontons you can buy at the store. But if you do use wontons from the store, this sambal soy sauce recipe is delicious so try and make that on your own.

I did have one issue though when I made the wontons ahead of time and froze them. They stuck together because I let them sit on top of each other in the freezer bag, so definitely free them on a parchment-lined baking sheet before transferring them to the freezer bag. Cooking them practically tore them apart when I cooked them in a big lump.

The recipe calls for "baked soy-seasoned tofu" which I could not find anywhere. I used a recipe for Basic Baked Tofu from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's "Appetite for Reduction"which is my favorite vegan cookbook. Cut pressed tofu into 8 equal pieces and marinade in ¾ cup vegetable broth, 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce, 1 tsp. dried thyme and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, spoon on some marinade and bake for another 10.

Chard and Tofu Wontons in Sambal Soy Sauce
Serves 10

Wontons
2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
1 medium carrott, finely chopped (½ cup)
4 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves
6 oz. baked soy-seasoned tofu, chopped
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
⅛ tsp. ground white pepper
1 12-oz. pkg. wonton wrappers
3 green onions, chopped, for garnish
¼ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

Sambal Soy Sauce
6 Tbs. Chinese malt vinegar or 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar plus 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
6 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sambal oelek
4 tsp. maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

To make Wontons: Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add chard, and cook 5 minutes, or until wilted. Transfer mixture to food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Add tofu, and pulse until combined. Transfer to bowl, and stir in soy sauce and white pepper.

Set 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Spoon 1 tsp. tofu mixture in center of wrapper. Brush wrapper edges with water, and fold wrapper into triangle around filling. Press edges to seal, and place on lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook 10 Wontons at a time in boiling water 90 seconds. Remove from pot with slotted spoon, and place in bowl.

To make Sambal Soy Sauce: whisk all ingredients together in small bowl. Top Wontons with Sambal Soy Sauce, and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Per serving (5 wontons plus 1½ Tbsp. sauce): 168 cal; 8 g prot; 3 g total fat (<1 g sat fat); 26 g carb; 3 mg chol; 736 mg sod; 2 g fiber; 3 g sugars

Love is all around you... Enjoy!

- Rachel

Twitter: @RachelRubin
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Linguine with Frenched Green Beans and Parsley "Pesto"

Photo by Rachel's Bite, Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 US licensed.

I just had to make this dish. While flipping through my old copy of On Top of Spaghetti I was struck by the photo of this dish using green beans with the pasta. And it called for a green bean slicer which I had never heard of so of course I ordered up that neat little gadget just so I could play. The beans turned out sliced nicely but it was kind of a pain to push them through one by one.

Never a big pesto fan, I've been won over this past year. A few different things I have made call for making your own pesto and I really like it! It's so simple to just blend up a bunch of herbs and you get some really great flavors.

And this recipe has a bunch of neat tricks! It made me feel really Italian by putting the pesto in the bowl BEFORE the pasta and then tossing it with a cup of the reserved pasta water to complete the sauce right there in the bowl. I also liked the instruction to pour drain the pasta over the beans to re-warm them.

Linguine with Frenched Green Beans and Parsley "Pesto" Serves 6 as a first course 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into thin slivers 2 cups gently packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 10 large fresh basil leaves 1 small garlic clove, trimmed and peeled 1/2 cup light-flavored extra virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Pinch or more of cayenne 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus more to pass at the table 8 ounces dried linquine

Cook the green beans in boiling salted water until tender. They should yield easily under the pressure of your teeth. Drain in a colander and set aside next to the sink to await to pasta.

While the parsley, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt, and cayenne in a blender until you have a chunky puree. Pour into a warmed, but not hot, serving bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano.

Generously salt the pasta water and drop in the linguine. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then pour the remaining water and pasta into the colander over the beans. This will warm the beans if they have cooled. Transfer the pasta and beans to the serving bowl and toss with the sauce and cheese. Add enough reserved cooking water, a tablespoon at a time, to loosen the pesto. There should be a small puddle of sauce on the bottom of the bowl. Serve right away with extra Pecorino Romano passed at the table.

P.S. Mer Soleil is a super yummy chardonnay that, in my opinion, always goes well with dinner preparations.

Presto Pasta Night #236 is being hosted by HoneyB of The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honey Bunch. See the full recap of all entries here.

Spiced Lentils with Mushrooms and Greens

I'm always on the lookout for a way to incorporate lentils into my diet as well as more greens. So this recipe for Spiced Lentils with Mushrooms and Greens from the February, 2011 issue of Food and Wine magazine is perfect, especially since I think nothing with mushrooms can ever be bad. And there is nothing I love better than when foods that seem somewhat boring on their own (i.e. dry lentils and Swiss chard) get tossed together with some spices and end up super tasty as a result! And this is exactly what I got with this one. In fact, it was so good I didn't eat it as a side-dish as suggested in the recipe, I ate it stand alone as a light meal.

Spiced Lentils with Mushrooms and Greens 4 side-dish servings 1/2 cup brown or green lentils 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced 1/4-inch thick Salt 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp turmeric 1/2 pound Swiss chard or other tender greens, large stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped 1 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a small saucepan, cover the lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the shiitake and season with salt. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stiffing, until the mushrooms are tender and starting to brown, 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the greens and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes.

Add the lentils and their cooking liquid to the mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup water if the lentils are too dry. Season with salt. Ladle the lentils into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve.

My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) was originally started by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook. This month's MLLA #33 is being hosted by Ammalus Kitchen

Miso Udon Stir-fry with Greens & Beans

Wow! This dish tastes about 10 times better than it looks. With a little Sriracha and salt on top, it's creamy and salty and spicy... perfect!

I bought a few kinds of different kinds of beans the other week just to have on hand. One of those was a bean I hadn't heard of before: azuki beans. So when I was flipping through my new cookbook, Appetite for Reduction, I flagged this recipe as the first one to make because of it's use of this fun new ingredient.

I couldn't find brown rice udon noodles as suggested in the recipe so I bought some brown rice spaghetti. But I had some regular pre-cooked udon packages in my refrigerator so when it came time to put this together I decided to use those.

I realize now that I forgot to add the sesame seeds. Oh well, I do bet they would have been great on this but it was really tasty all the same.

Miso Udon Stir-fry with Greens and Beans Serves 4 1 pound broccoli, stems sliced thinly, tops cut into florets 8 ounces brown rice udon noodles 1 teaspoon olive oil 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 bunch Swiss chard (about ½ pound), coarse stems removed, chopped roughly 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, plus extra for garnish 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 (16-ounce) can azuki beans, drained and rinsed 1/3 cup miso 1/2 cup hot water 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds Sriracha hot sauce, to serve

Prepare a pot of salted water for cooking the noodles.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. First saute the broccoli with a bit of nonstick cooking spray and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and flip once or twice. The broccoli should be browned in some spots. Add a splash of water at the end, then cover for another minute. The pan should be steaming. Remove broccoli from the pan and set aside.

At this point, the water should be boiling. Use a mug to remove ½ cup of water; you can use that to mix into your miso in a few steps. Then cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain when ready.

Now we'll put everything together. Preheat the large pan again, over medium heat. Saute the garlic in the oil for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the chard, green onion, and salt, and saute for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Add the beans and let heat through.

In the meantime, in a mug or measuring cup, mix together the miso and warm pasta water until relatively smooth.

Add the drained noodles to the pan, along with the miso mixture and broccoli. Saute for about 2 minutes, using a pasta spoon, making sure everythin is nice and coated. Taste for salt. To serve, to with sesame seeds and green onions and keep the Sriracha close at hand.

No Croutons Required March bogging event theme is "aduki beans or mung beans" and it is being hosted by Lisa's Kitchen. View the roundup here.

Hearty Irish Lager Stew

You probably don't think "vegetarian" when you think of Irish food, but this dish is not only vegetarian, it's vegan. This recipe for Hearty Irish Lager Stew from the March, 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine is made with no animal products at all so it's super healthy. That might not have you smackin' your lips, but this stew is very tasty and since it's made of mostly veggies, you can eat a huge amount and it won't go to your hips. And, it's made with beer! So that's kinda fun.

Make sure you cut your veggies on the small side. Ours were a bit large and with the cooking times listed in the recipe we found that the potatoes were still hard. We cooked it an extra 15-20 minutes and some of it was still al dente. It was good anyways; I don't mind chewing my vegetables. I'd rather that than have them be too mushy. And we munched on some Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites while we were waiting for the stew to finish so we had no complaints.

Hearty Irish Lager Stew Serves 8 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 8 oz. button or shittake mushrooms, halved 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.) 1 medium leek, white part only, diced (1 cup) 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (2 cups) 2 small parsnips, peeled and sliced (1½ cups) 1½ tsp. tomato paste 1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes 1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 sprigs fresh thyme, tied in bundle, plus 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided ½ lager beer 1½ Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca 1 cup shredded cabbage 1 Tbsp. white miso 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Heat ½ Tbsp. oil in large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned. Remove from pan. Add remaining ½ Tbsp. oil to pot. Add leek, and cook 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduct heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add lager, tapioca, and mushrooms. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened, stirring often. Remove thyme sprigs, stir in cabbage and miso, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes, or until cabbage softens. Stir in chopped thyme and parsley, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information as provided in magazine:
Per 1-cup serving: 118 CAL; 4 G PROT; 2 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 23 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 204 MG SOD; 5 G FIBER; 5 G SUGARS

Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites

We love these potatoes! Way better then french fries, roasted potatoes are much healthier. Found in the March, 2011 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine I made these tonight as a snack.

The recipe says you can drizzle the sauce over the potatoes, but I think that would have made them soggy. We liked dipping them and that way we could each control the amount of vinegar that absorbed into to potato.

Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites Serves 8 6 medium red or yello potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (3 cups) 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 cup malt vinegar 3 Tbsp. sugar Soak potatoes in large bowl of cold water 30 minutes. Drain, and pat dry. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with oil on baking sheet, and spread in single layer. Roast 45 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning 2 or 3 times. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Serve malt sauce on side for dipping, or drizzle over potatoes.

Nutritional Information as provided in magazine:
Per ½-cup serving: 89 CAL; 1 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT (<1 G SAT FAT); 14 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 3 MG SOD; <1 G FIBER; 5 G SUGARS

Japchae (with soba noodles)

"Got Kimchi?" was the headline a this article on Korean cooking in the September, 2010 issue of Women's Health magazine. And pictured on the first page was Japchae. Described as a word that means "mixture of vegetables", my mouth watered with all the yummy veggies and noodles piled together.

Always looking to cook new kinds of foods using new ingredients, I couldn't wait to give this one a try. I had to visit the Asian market to get the hot pepper paste and enoki mushrooms, but I was able to find all the other ingredients at my local grocery store. In fact, you don't really need the enoki mushrooms, but they are fun. I'm not sure they add much flavor, but they do make this dish look super fancy.

Go ahead and make this one evening and save leftovers for lunch the next day. The flavors combine more and it even tastes great cold!

I did a little research and discovered that this dish is usually made with cellophane noodles but I like that this version is made with soba noodles because they are healthy for you and one of my favorite noodles.

Japache Serves 4 2 Tbsp sesame seeds 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp hot pepper paste (kochujang) 1 Tbsp sesame oil ½ lb soba noodles 2 tsp vegetable oil ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 green onions, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 5 oz baby spinach 3 oz enoki mushrooms, ends trimmed

In a dry skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from skillet and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, hot pepper paste, and sesame oil; set aside. Prepare noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. Add yellow onion and carrot; cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic, green onion, red pepper, spinach, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt and pepper to taste; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in noodles and sauce; heat for 2 minutes. Serve topped with enoki mushrooms and toasted sesame seeds.

Nutritional information per serving as provided in magazine:
332 cal, 9 g fat (1g sat), 57 g carbs, 889 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 12 g protein

Poblano White Chili

I've never been attracted to the concept of "white" chili. I guess I'm much of a purist and prefer chili to be red and with beans and meat. However, the photo for Poblano White Chili in the October, 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine looked so good that I knew I had to try it. I was really drawn to the use of poblanos, corn and roasted pumpkin seeds as well.

We roasted the poblanos on the grill one night when we were grilling our last brats of the season. They kept for several days before we made this chili. I was also able to use fresh corn kernels and I think they made a big difference. I should have tried to roast my own pumpkin seeds, but I bought them already roasted and salted.

This chili goes together very quickly. And the goat cheese sauce that you pair with the chili makes it really special. The sauce has a nice tang.

Poblano White Chili Serves 8 3 cups cooked white beans or 2 15.5-oz. cans white beans, rinses and drained 1 recipe Rajas (see below) 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish 1 Tbs. lime juice 1/4 cup low-fat milk 3 oz. fresh goat cheese 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Bring beans, Rajas, broth, oregano, and cumin to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook 2 minutes more.

Warm milk in separate saucepan. Add goat cheese, and stir until smooth. Serve chili garnished with goat cheese sauce, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro.


Rajas
Makes 2 cups

6 poblano chiles (1 lb.)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano

Roast and peel poblanos. Slice into 1/4-inch strips; set aside.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook 5 to 9 minutes, or until onion is soft and golden brown. Add oregano and poblano strips, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional information as printed in magazine:
Per 1-cup serving: 219 Cal; 12 G Prot; 6 G Total Fat (2 G Sat Fat); 31 G Carb; 5 MG Chol; 250 MG Sod; 6 G Fiber; 4 G Sugars




See more legume recipes in the My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) roundup hosted for October by Divya at Dil Se.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Apple and Tarragon

I like the concept of using cauliflower in soup. It's a filling vegetable that can be blended for a creamy soup. But unfortunately this recipe for Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Apple and Tarragon found in the September, 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times did not work for me. However, some of you may like it. It ends up that I don't really like sweeter soups (from the apple) and I don't really like tarragon.

The process for making this soup was very simple. The instructions say to blend the ingredients and I did so with my immersion blender. And actually that did not work that well. I kept blending and blending and finally I poured it all into the blender and it was pureed in only a few minutes.

I have not given up on cauliflower as a soup yet though! I hope to find something with stronger spices next time.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Apple and Tarragon Serves 4 5 cups chopped cauliflower florets (1 lb.) 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice 1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable 1 small onion, diced (1 cup) 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for garnish 1 pinch ground tumeric

Bring cauliflower, apple juice, broth, onion, and coriander to a boil in saucepan over medium heat. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until tender.

Blend cauliflower mixture, tarragon, and tumeric in blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with tarragon.

Nutritional information provided with magazine article:
Per 1-cup serving: 100 CAL; 3 G PROT; <1 G TOTAL FAT (<1G SAT FAT); 22 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 89 MG SOD; 4 G FIBER; 14 G SUGARS

Beans Rancheros

What do I like to do with eggs? Top them on everything! I realized that when Caroline over at Serious Eats posed the question for this week's Weekend Cook and Tell: Egg-ventures.

Previously, I have topped them on asparagus (Roasted Asparagus and Eggs), baked feta (Poached Eggs with Baked Feta and Olives) and even pepper stew (Tomato-Pepper Stew with Poached Eggs and Harissa). So when I saw Mark Bittman's Beans Rancheros in his new book The Food Matters Cookbook, I knew I'd have to make it.

The presentation of this dish is really great! I love the way the cooked eggs are sitting on top of the beans. I found it relatively easy to divide into four and lift each section out onto a plate by itself (or tupperware for lunch leftovers). I was careful and none of the yolks broke (even when heating up the leftovers). But what is neat is that you just mush the egg up a bit and mix it around on the plate and then you can use it as a filling for tacos. I heated up some corn tortillas and put some of the beans rancheros in there and then topped with a bit of diced onion, shredded cheddar and salsa. Yum! And healthy too.

See other fun things to do with eggs as the Serious Eats Weekend Cook and Tell Roundup: Egg-ventures.

Beans Rancheros Makes 4 servings 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups cooked or canned pinto or black beans, drained 1 or 2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, with some of the adobo sauce 1 teaspoon cumin Salt and black pepper 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped 4 eggs 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish Lime wedges, for serving

Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square baking dish or oven proof skillet with oil. Add the beans, chipotles and adobo, cumin, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper and roughly mash the mixture with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the tomatoes and transfer the pan to the oven.

Bake until he mixture is hot, bubbly, and some of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. (The dish can be prepared ahead to this point and refrigerated for up to a day; bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

Make 4 indentations in the beans with the back of a spoon. Crack 1 egg into each hole, sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper, and return the pan to the oven. Bake until the yolks are still jiggly and the whites have turned opaque (or longer if you want the eggs cooked firm), 10 to 20 minutes. Garnish with the scallions and serve with lime wedges.

Quick-braised Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

A few months ago my girlfriends and I got together for a "cooking night" where we would all work together to make several healthy recipes which we could eat during the week. I selected Quick-braised Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese from the April, 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times.

The recipe note in the magazine suggests to serve it over whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. I ate it with barley, one of my favorites, but my friends were eating it just as it is. We all loved it and I find that I make this every few weeks. I find cutting broccoli a challenge but I've been making this so often that I'm starting to get the hang of it!

Quick-braised Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Serves 6 2 Tbs. pine nuts 1½ Tbs. vegetable oil 2 large heads broccoli (1 lb.), cut into small florets ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (2 oz.) 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to large bowl.

Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, and cook 2 minutes, or until florets are evenly coated with oil and beginning to soften and brown, stirring constantly. Carefully add 1/3 cup water; cover tightly with lid. Steam broccoli 4 minutes, or until water has evaporated and broccoli is tender.

Transfer broccoli to bowl with toasted pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle goat cheese over broccoli, and stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle vinegar over top, and serve warm.

Nutritional information as published in magazine:
Per 1-cup serving: 115 Cal; 5 G Prot; 8 G Total Fat (2 G Sat Fat); 7 G Carb; 4 MG Chol; 74 MG Sod; 3 G Fiber

Israeli Couscous with Saffron, Olives, and Spring Vegetables

I'm a huge fan of couscous, but this recipe for Israeli Couscous with Saffron, Olives, and Spring Vegetables from the April, 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine is one of the few times I have cooked with Israeli couscous. I know the recipe is titled "Spring Vegetables", but I had no problem finding these ingredients in early fall (I used frozen peas). For some reason, to me Israeli couscous seems more foreign than regular couscous - maybe because of I have made tons of recipes with regular couscous. But I fed this to two people who "don't like couscous" and they never wrinkled their noses once! They both really loved it. To them it tastes more like pasta and they like the texture of this larger couscous than regular.

The flavors of this dish are somewhat strong - the saffron and kalamata olives really come through. In fact it was a bit to saffron-y for me at first. But this was a really healthy and tasty dish that lasted well for leftover lunches and side dishes at dinner for the rest of the week.

Israeli Couscous with Saffron, Olives, and Spring Vegetables Serves 6 2 cups dry Israeli couscous 4 tsp. canola oil 2 bulbs fennel, slivered, grated, or finely chopped (1 cup) 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts finely chopped (1/2 cup) 6 cloves garlic, chopped (2 Tbs.) 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth 4 plum tomatoes, chopped (1 cup) 2 0.25-g. pkg. saffron threads 2 cups baby arugula leaves 1/2 cup chopped, pitted oil-cured or kalamata olives 3 Tbs. olive oil Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, leek, and garlic, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Stir in wine, and cook 1 minute to deglaze pan. Add peas, and let wine reduce 1 minute more, then add broth. Add couscous, tomatoes, and saffron; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in arugula, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spoon into bowls, then top with olives, olive oil, and basil.

Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita

I'm on a quest to make GOOD homemade pizza. I'm also on a quest to use up all the cherry tomatoes growing in my garden. So it was time to try the recipe for Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita from the April, 2010 issue of Bon Appetit magazine which I have been holding on to for a few months.

I was looking for refrigerated pizza dough at Whole Foods and couldn't find any. Finally one of the employees told me I could get pizza dough from the guys who make the pizza! How exiting is that? So I went over to the corner and had a choice between regular (which I still think is made with whole wheat flour) or multi-grain. I chose the multi-grain. It was only about $2.50 and I got about 22 ounces of dough. I was also advised that I could freeze it if I didn't use within 24 hours.

So home I went all excited with my fresh pizza dough and buffalo mozzarella. I went out back to pick tomatoes off the vine and clip off some basil. I confess that my buddy did most of the work... he wanted to try and flip/spin the pizza dough up in the air so I let him have at it. The dough was foreign for us to work with. We ended up making this recipe three times in one week while trying to perfect it and we learned that adding a bit of flour helped alot! And after watching a few videos about flipping pizza dough, my buddy is becoming quite talented at it.

I worked on the tomatoes. And the tomatoes were so tasty after we finished with all the seasoning, we were drinking the leftover juice!

In this recipe they advise to spread the cheese out all over the dough and then dollop the tomato mixture on top. This seems opposite of what we were used to - spreading tomato sauce on the dough and sprinkling with cheese. But it comes out really well so if you try this, I recommend following their instructions. Yum!

Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita Serves 4 1 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 12-ounce bag cherry tomatoes, stammed 1 garlic clove, pressed 1/2 teaspoon fenndl seeds, coarsely crushed in plastic bag 1/4 teaspoon diced crushed red pepper 1 4-ounce ball fresh mozzarella in water (ovoline), diced 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, diced 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves plus small leaves for garnish

Position rack in top of oven and preheat to 425° F. Unroll dough on heavy large baking sheet; pull to about 12x8-inch rectangle, pinching any tears to seal. Fold over edge of dough to make border.

Heat large skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add oil, then tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until tomatoes are charred and beginning to break down, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in garlic, fennel and crushed red pepper. Using back of fork, crush tomatoes in bowl, leaving large chunks intact. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Toss cheeses and chopped basil in medium bowl.

Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over dough, right up to border. Spoon on tomato mixture in dollops, leaving some cheese uncovered. Bake pizza until crust is crisp and brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Loosen pizza with metal spatula and slide onto board. Garnish with basil leaves.

Hawaiian-style Sweet-and-Sour Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers

It's worth making a batch of this whenever you can get your hands on some fresh pineapple. I wish I had know about it all summer! But I just got around to flipping through the May/June 2010 Vegetarian Times magazine recently and that is where I saw this recipe for Hawaiian-style Sweet-and-Sour Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers. Luckily I saw a big box of pineapple at my recent visit to Costco so I snagged it so I could try out this recipe.

Roasting these fruits and vegetables together with a touch of sesame oil is pure brilliance. The taste is so scrumptious that it's hard to explain. The magazine article recommended serving over rice, but I got a bit more creative. With my first batch I served it over broiled tilapia for dinner. Then I ate it with some leftover barley for a super healthy breakfast! I'd also serve it over pork chops and mixed in with leftover asparagus. So many good options.

Hawaiian-style Sweet-and-Sour Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers Serves 6 3 cups cubed fresh pineapple 1 medium red bell pepper, cubed (1½ cups) 1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges (1½ cups) 1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil 1 Tbs. vegetable oil 1 Tbs. dark or light brown sugar 1 Tbs. sweetened coconut flakes, optional 1 Tbs. lime juice

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange pineapple cubes, red bell pepper cubes and red onion wedges on ungreased rimmed baking sheet.Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and vegetable oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toss to coat.

Roast pineapple mixture on center oven rack 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sweetened coconut flakes, if using, then drizzle with lime juice. Remove to serving bowl and toss well to combine. Serve hot or at room temperature.



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Capellini with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives & Basil

Using up the cherry tomatoes I grow in my own backyard was one of the main reasons I decided to try this recipe for Capellini with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives & Basil I found in The Stinking Rose Restaurant Cookbook. So I used those instead of the "various colors" as described in the recipe and it was a lot of fun to cook with food grown in my yard.

The end result is a bold and flavorful pasta dish. It reminds me quite a bit of pasta puttanesca which I have made several times before. But instead of making a full tomato sauce, the loose tomatoes seemed to make the pasta a bit lighter. Roasting the garlic cloves independently, instead of the whole head, was a fun and new way to do it. We spread the leftovers on some toasted bread topped with salt. Yum! My buddy who ate with me the night I made this doesn't like kalamata olives so he wasn't a big fan. But I ended up with leftovers and this heated up well too.

A few months ago I was in San Francisco and while I didn't eat at The Stinking Rose, we did pass it a few times and it always smelled wonderful. I forgot I owned this cookbook and this is the first recipe I have made from it. Flipping through it, there are a lot of interesting recipes to try.

Capellini with Cherry Tomatoes, Olives & Basil Serves 4 Roasted Garlic 2 cups garlic cloves 1 cup olive oil Pasta 16 ounces fresh capellini pasta, or 12 ounces dried 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 to 10 cloves roasted garlic, from recipe 1 pint cherry tomatoes in various colors, halved ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 to 8 leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped

For the Roasted Garlic: In a heavy saucepan, combine the garlic and olive oil and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring once at 20 minutes, until the garlic begins to soften. Preheat the oven to 250° F. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cloves are golden brown and slightly wrinkled.

For the Pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the fresh pasta for 1 to 2 minutes, until al dente. If using dried pasta, cook according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain well.

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic, tomatoes, olives and red pepper flakes. Stir once or twice to heat the ingredients through, then add the pasta, tossing to coat completely. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Scoop the pasta into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the basil. Serve immediately.

Spinach-Zucchini Soup

I made a batch of the Spinach-Zucchini Soup so I could have something healthy to take for work lunches during the week. I didn't have that much hope for this recipe which I found in Vegetarian Times magazine because it seemed sort of plain from the recipe list. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the mint and lemon flavors. And I'm not a big fan of lemon so that was even nicer. The soup is actually filling and refreshing.

I used a can of butter beans instead of cannellini beans. I thought the butter beans were a bit to large for the soup and they kind of fell apart over time. But it all tasted good together.

Spinach-Zucchini Soup Serves 6 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil 1 large onion, diced (2 cups) 1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (2 cups) 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini, or 1 15-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained 4 cups baby spinach (4 oz.) 2 Tbs. lemon juice 2 tsp. grated lemon zest 4 tsp. finely chopped mint leaves

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add zucchini, and cook 8 minutes more, or until vegetables are well browned. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Stir in beans and spinach, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and mint. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans

Surprised at how fast this yummy, gooey, Italian gnocchi dinner came together! I did have a bit of a problem though... the recipe calls for "package shelf-stable gnocchi" and but I couldn't find any so I purchased a bag of frozen potato gnocchi from Whole Foods. I let it defrost before using because they were to go right into the skillet. Directions on package said to defrost and boil. So they ended up being pretty mushy. They didn't want to brown either. But I just cooked it all a bit longer and didn't care when the gnocchi all mushed together - the end taste is so satisfying and no one even noticed.

Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans Serves 6 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup water 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.