CHEESY MEXICAN SKILLET CASSEROLE
This comes from The Baker Chick. While her emailing list one one that I've been on for a relatively short time, I still recommend signing up. This casserole recipe serves 6. Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 cups of cooked rice (any variety, quinoa would be great too)
1 medium or large onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
1 lb. of ground beef (or turkey)
1- 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup of sour cream or full fat greek yogurt
1 cup of grated cheese, (I used cheddar)
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (optional)
lime wedges & tortilla chips for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sauté the onion and pepper until soft. Add the beef and break apart with a spoon, stirring until browned and cooked through. Add the taco seasoning and stir well to combine.
Add the beans, rice, and tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Stir in the sour cream and top with the grated cheese and jalapeños. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Serve with a squeeze of lime and some tortilla chips on the side.
INDIAN CUCUMBER SALAD
Serves: 4
Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/274.shtml
Ingredients
3 medium-size cucumbers
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
Directions
Peel cucumbers, cut in half, discard seeds and slice thinly. Mix remaining ingredients together , add cucumbers and stir together.
Nutritional Information Per Serving : Calories: 37; Protein: 3 g; Sodium: 46 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
THREE-BEAN SOUP
This is one of my favorite quick meals that I usually only fix on weekends, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 15.5-oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.
Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.
Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.
Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars
MEATLESS-BALL SUBS
1 package Meatless Balls (see note)
1 26 oz. Jar spaghetti sauce
4 hoagie rolls
cheese slices
Place spaghetti sauce and meatless balls into a good-sized saucepan. Stir, and cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Open hoagie rolls, add cheese, cover with meatless balls and sauce.
Makes 4 meatless ball subs.
Note: I use Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs, though really, you can use any brand you like. I had used another brand for a number of years, but unfortunately, I can no longer find that particular brand anywhere now. Whatever brand you buy is fine, as well as the jarred spaghetti sauce.
ITALIAN TOMATO & BREAD SOUP
This comes from another of my favorite emailing lists. (Yes, I do subscribe to a few. I've left some for a variety of reasons; others, like those in today's blog, I've found and stuck with because I like/love them.) This one is from Seattle's Macrina Bakery. I know I've said this before on this blog, but if I'm ever fortunate enough to take a touring-the-U.S. road trip, this is one of the places in Seattle that I'll have to stop in and check out the bakery.
Ingredients
8 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup pure olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 1/2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh oregano
4 cups (about 6 oz) day-old white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock
Extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
Coarse sea salt, for garnish
Preparation
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place a handful of ice cubes in a medium bowl and fill it halfway with cold water; this will be an ice bath to “shock,” or stop, the cooking of the tomatoes after they are blanched.
Cut a 1-inch X at the base of each tomato, then remove the top core. Gently drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and bring the water back up to a boil. Cook until the skin at the X in the base of the tomatoes peels away easily. This might take only a few seconds or possibly up to a few minutes, depending on the tomatoes’ ripeness (the riper they are, the more quickly their skins will loosen). With a slotted spoon, lift the tomatoes out and place them into the cold-water bath. Cool for 10 minutes.
Remove the skins from the tomatoes and discard. Halve the tomatoes and discard the seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and put in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Pour the pure olive oil into a medium soup pot over low heat. When the oil is warm, add the crushed garlic. Cook gently for 1 minute (avoid burning the garlic), then add the basil and oregano and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the bread cubes and toss so they absorb the oil and herbs. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, tossing regularly to lightly brown the bread cubes. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to medium, releasing their juices. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and bring the soup back to a simmer, cooking for about 20 minutes to slightly reduce the stock and develop flavor. This is a typical rustic soup, so there is no need to puree, but do use a potato masher or slotted spoon to break up any large chunks. Ladle your bread soup into a shallow soup bowl and top it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.
CALZONES
Years ago, when we first got cable, I was channel-surfing and stumbled across a cooking show, called Breaking Bread with Father Dominic on (if I remember correctly) the Food Network. Unfortunately, the show has since left the air, at least where I live, although the episodes can still be found here. Check out his website, The Bread Monk, at http://www.breadmonk.com/. This recipe yields 3 calzones.
Dough:
1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour blended with 1 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
no-stick cooking spray
Filling:
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 ounces sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
3 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese pizza sauce, optional
Combine warm water & sugar with yeast in medium-sized mixing bowl. Allow yeast to soften for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and knead until smooth. Add oil & salt and gradually blend in remaining flour to make firm dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board & knead until smooth & satiny.
Spray large bowl with no-stick cooking spray. Put dough in bowl, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap, then a damp towel. Allow to rise in warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour, until dough is almost doubled.
Spray large baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.
Knead down dough & divide into 3 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 9-inch circle. Place 1/3 mozzarella cheese, 1/3 Parmesan cheese, & 1/3 prosciutto on each circle of dough. Top with chives & garlic. Moisten edges & fold over to enclose filling, pressing edges firmly together.
Place on baking sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap, & allow to rise in warm, draft-free place until dough feels light, about 35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375-degree oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until calzone is browned. Remove from oven and brush with oil. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve warm with pizza sauce, if desired.
