Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

This week I started a new job so I've been overwhelmed with meeting new people, training for this new position, and altering my daily schedule.  I'm really excited about this change in my life, but when I came home from work after a long day of learning a brand-new area of law, I was pretty exhausted!  Luckily before I started this new job, I came up with an idea for a quick and yummy dinner that I was excited to test out.  After day one on the new job, I came home eager to see if my idea actually worked!

I love finding new ways to enjoy my favorite cuisine: Mexican food.  And when a recipe also includes some healthy components and is easy to put together, it's a jackpot.  These little burger patties are chock full of healthy ingredients.  Quinoa is a delicious source of protein and fiber, and I absolutely love to make quinoa into patties and burgers because it develops an amazing, nutty flavor when fried.  So this recipe was perfect for throwing together on a day when I was mentally and physically beat.  Everything goes right into the food processor, making it super simple to whip up.  And the ingredients are extremely healthy, so I felt good about eating more than my fair share of these tasty burgers.  I paired mine with some heart-healthy avocado and fresh salsa.  These Mexican black bean and quinoa burgers were an absolute delight.  I'm sure you and your family will agree!

Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Burgers
serves 2

Ingredients
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup regular bread crumbs
1 1/2 tbls chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced fine
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
4 scallions, diced
1 cup cilantro
Juice from half of a lime
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt & pepper
2 tbls olive oil

Directions

Put the diced carrots into a food processor and pulse until the carrot is finely chopped.  Add the scallion, black beans, quinoa, bread crumbs, chili powder, cumin, garlic, cilantro, and salt and pepper.  Pulse until combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Once the mixture is seasoned to your liking, add the beaten egg and pulse until combined. 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Form the mixture into 4 patties.  Cook each patty until heated through, about 5-6 minutes per side. 

Serve with avocado slices and fresh salsa. 

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Ricotta and Scallion Gnocchi

There are certainly perks to being single and not having a roommate.  One such perk is that nobody is around to judge you when you want to eat chips or popcorn for dinner, or when you eat pasta with butter and garlic salt for three days straight.  When things in my life get really busy, something has to give, and occasionally it's cooking.  These past few weeks I've been moving nonstop, working on a fundraiser, meeting up with friends, getting ready to start a new job, and preparing for the marathon this Saturday.  With all of that going on, my kitchen time has fallen by the wayside and I've enjoyed many atypical meals!  I also had a stellar brunch at Tilia and another one at Wild Acre Eatery, and had the pleasure of a few lunches at the food trucks in St. Paul.  So I haven't been a complete lost cause!

But things are settling down and I was feeling unbalanced.  I stole a friend's cookbook while babysitting her kids and realized I needed to get back into the kitchen and start eating deliciously again.  A recipe for gnocchi made with ricotta cheese and scallions sparked my interest and I figured it would be a great preparation meal for Saturday's marathon! The pasta turned out wonderfully.  The scallions added a little bit of spring freshness to what can sometimes be a dense dish and the ricotta made the pasta light and creamy.  Paired with a simple tomato sauce, you'll have a perfect springtime pasta dish. 

Ricotta & Scallion Gnocchi
from Simply Organic by Jesse Cool
serves 4

Ingredients
16 ounces full-fat ricotta cheese

7 scallions, minced

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups - 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Place the ricotta in a colander and allow it to drain over a bowl for 15-30 minutes.  Discard the liquid.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

In the meantime, combine the ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, green onions, and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.  Gradually add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, and combine the ingredients with your hands until the dough holds together in a ball and is no longer insanely sticky. 

Remove a teaspoon-sized piece of the dough and roll it into a ball on a floured surface.  Drop the ball into the boiling water.  If the dough falls apart in the water, add more flour to the dough by tablespoons until it forms into a ball.  Repeat the test until the ball holds together and floats to the surface. 

Divide the dough in about 6 equal parts.  Roll out each section on a floured surface into a rope about one inch in diameter.  Cut the dough into one-inch pieces and lightly press each piece with a fork.  At this point, you can toss the gnocchi in flour and freeze for later. 

If you plan to cook the gnocchi immediately, salt the boiling water generously, and gently drop the gnocchi in the boiling water in batches.  Stir gently to prevent them from sticking.  About 5-10 seconds after the gnocchi rise to the top, remove them with a slotted spoon and place into a serving dish.  Repeat as needed. 

You may serve these gnocchi with a simple tomato sauce or even with olive oil or butter.   

Sundried Tomatoes, Ramps, and White Beans

Have you ever tried ramps?  If not, then you definitely should get on that.  I had read about ramps in some of my cookbooks, but was never curious enough to try them out.  But ever since joining the group of Minnesota Food Bloggers and following some very talented cooks on Twitter, I've really learned a lot about delicious ingredients.  My Twitter feed has exploded lately with talks of ramps, and this season I decided that it was time to try them out.  Ramps are wild leeks and that are harvested in the early spring, and are one of the first greens to pop up from the ground in April.  Their season is also quite short, and they will be disappearing just as quickly as they came, at the beginning of May.  So it makes sense that everyone is talking about these greens, because the time to talk about ramps is fleeting.



(source)



But is the talk worth it?  Absolutely.  As soon as I cut into one of these delicate greens, I knew I was going to fall in love.  The flavor of a ramp is reminiscent of both onion and garlic in their most subtle forms.  Think about a garlic chive, but then add a wild, earthy note.  That's what you'll get from ramps.  I'm legitimately upset that I have been missing out on these greens all of these years, and even more so that I finally came around so late in the ramp season.  I plan to stock up some ramps and have a wild, ramp cooking spree until the season is over.  If you were to try one or two ramp recipes this season, be sure to try this one.  The mellow flavor and texture of the beans allows the ramp-ness of the dish to really come through.  And the ramps pair nicely with the sundried tomatoes.  But don't be shy....you can certainly add more ramps to this dish! 

Sundried Tomatoes, Ramps, and White Beans
adapted from Clean Start by Terry Walters
serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup boiling water
4-5 sundried tomatoes
4 ramps, washed, roots removed, bulb and greens sliced thin
1-2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp mirin
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 large slices of thick country bread, toasted

Directions
In a small bowl, soak the sundried tomatoes in the hot water for about 15 minutes or until they are soft.  Remove the tomatoes but reserve the soaking liquid.  Chop the tomatoes and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sundried tomatoes and saute for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the ramps and mirin, and continue to saute for another minute.  Add the tomato liquid by tablespoon as needed to prevent sticking.  Pour the beans into the skillet and add another 2 tablespoons of the tomato liquid.  Continue cooking until the beans are heated through and there is no liquid left in the pan.

Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Remove from heat.  Serve over a piece of toasted bread.

Chettinad Tofu

About two years ago, a couple of my friends and I started an informal cooking club, which we aptly named "Calorie Club".  The three of us would get together once a week to try out new recipes, drink wine, and talk about food.  Each week we'd alternate hosting responsibilities -- and if you were the hostess that week, you picked the menu!  Some weeks had themes, whether it was all appetizers, desserts, Julia Child cooking; other weeks were opportunities to have help cooking something we'd always wanted to try.  We made everything from fish cooked in cream, to homemade refried beans, to steak pinwheels, to blue cheese stuffed tortellini, to grilled pizzas, to chocolate desserts.  (I was a meat-eater during part of this!)  With three of us working in the kitchen, we were able to tackle a variety of dishes in a single meeting and build off of our collective kitchen strengths.  We created some amazing dishes, and along the way we encountered a few failures.  But after we finished eating, we would discuss the dishes and journal our experiences.  Every week, we learned something new.  And the Calorie Club met faithfully, once a week, until one of our founding members moved to out-state Minnesota. 

But this last weekend she was back in town, and the Calorie Club was revived for another meeting.  This time, our hostess and menu planner decided on an Indian theme.  And the two of them graciously offered to substitute tofu for the chicken in the main dish.  Love these ladies!!  The three dishes we made at Calorie Club this weekend had my mouth on fire (in a good way), and the kitchen was warm with lovely aromatics and sizzling sounds.  We all made mistakes as we went (I forgot to add a collection of spices at the right time!), but the finished meal was divine.  Acorn squash, green beans, and this chettinad recipe, made with tofu instead of chicken.  Served with basmati rice and some garlic naan, and I was in heaven.  Thanks for the great Calorie Club reunion, guys!

Chettinad Tofu
adapted from Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alamelu Vairavan
serves 4

Ingredients
1 package extra firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbls neutral-flavored oil
2-4 very small cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns (about 6)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup diced onion (or about one small onion)
1/4 cup chopped tomato
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 heaping tbls fresh minced ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper and cumin combo (1/2 black pepper 1/2 cumin)
1 cup tomato sauce

Directions
Drain your tofu and press it between towels to squeeze out the excess liquid.  You can also place it between two plates and put something heavy on top.  Once the tofu is drained, cut it into small cubes.  Then in a bowl or on a large plate, dust the tofu cubes in the flour, shaking off any excess flour. 

In a large non-stick skillet with a cover, heat the neutral-flavored oil over medium heat.  Once hot, add the tofu in a single layer and fry.  Turn the tofu cubes as needed to fry all sides.  Do this in batches if needed.  Once the tofu has fried, set aside. 

Add more oil to the pan if needed, then reheat if necessary.  Once the oil is hot, add the cinnamon sticks, crushed bay leaf, and peppercorns.  Cover the pan and heat until you hear the peppercorns pop.  Then add the fennel and cumin seeds.  Saute until the cumin seeds are browned. 
Add the onion, chopped tomato, garlic and ginger to the pan and saute for until the garlic is fragrant.  Then add your turmeric and curry powder.  Stir and continue cooking until the onions are tender.

Add the cayenne pepper, salt, and the black-pepper-cumin combination.  Stir well and let heat for a few minutes. 

Pour the tomato sauce into the skillet and stir.  Simmer for about 4-5 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Finally, add the fried tofu back into the pan and allow the mixture to simmer for another 5 minutes so the tofu can soak up the flavors.  Find the cinnamon sticks and remove (or warn your guests).  Remove from heat and serve with basmati rice or naan.

Veggie Friendly Shepherd's Pie

I'm always looking for ways to turn some of my favorite meat dishes into vegetarian-friendly fare. Sometimes tofu is a good substitute for protein in a recipe, other times a few containers of mushrooms add a meaty consistency and complex flavor.  It all depends!  I do enjoy experimenting with recipes, but it can be frustrating when something doesn't turn out.  Mostly because that means I'm going to be hungry!  When I was asked by CBS Minnesota to come up with some vegetarian recipes for St. Patrick's Day, I jumped at the chance.  I wanted to come up with a shepherd's pie that was flavorful and meaty....a recipe where you wouldn't miss the ground beef.  I did some homework, checked out other recipes, and came up with this delicious dish.  I gave some leftovers to my parents, and even my dad, the big meat-eater in the family, loved the mushroom substitution!  That's when I knew it was a good one!  Enjoy this hearty meal any time of the year, especially now that we're experiencing chilly, rainy spring weather.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
adapted from Food Network
serves two
Ingredients
2 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled and in large dice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean, and sliced
1/4 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup mushroom stock
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions
In a large pot, place the diced potatoes and cover with water. Salt the water liberally and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and return to the cooking pot. Add a tablespoon of butter and the milk and mash until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside (or do this during the remaining cooking).

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of butter until melted. Add in the mushrooms and cook until browned, stirring infrequently. About 5 minutes. Once browned, remove from pan and season with salt and pepper.

Return the pan to medium heat and add another tablespoon of butter. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, cooking until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and herbs, cooking again until softened, another 5 minutes.

Whisk together the mushroom stock, red wine, and tomato paste. Add the mixture to the vegetables in the pan to deglaze, using a spoon to scrape up the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer and allow to cook until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms back into the pan and cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Taste for seasonings.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a small baking dish, pour the vegetable mixture. Dot the top of the veggies with the mashed potatoes, using a spoon (or your hands!) to smooth the potatoes over the top of the dish, sealing the edges as best you can. Then pinch the mashed potato topping in spots to create texture, which will help the potatoes get browned and crisp. Bake for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are a bit browned.

Turkish Spinach & Tomatoes

While I own a sizeable library of cookbooks, I often turn to internet sources for cooking inspiration.  I follow a few blogs that regularly post delightful recipes and I love to read the Dining & Wine section of the New York Times.  It's a one-stop foodie paradise, with great recipes, food stories, etiquette tips, and links to other food news.  I was reading some of the articles the other day and found a plethora of spinach-themed recipes.  With spring in the air, I thought it was the perfect time to try out as many of these spinach recipes as I could.  And after a quick trip to the co-op, I had three large bundles of crunchy, fresh spinach.  If you can, I'd always opt for the fresh stuff instead of the containers of baby spinach.  It's so much more crisp and flavorful!

source

The first recipe of my spinach fest is a Turkish spinach & tomato dish with rice.  The rice makes this dish hearty and the combination of spices adds a warmth that is so soothing.  I had a few bites without the goat cheese, and it's great either way!  I just liked the added creaminess and bite that the goat cheese added.  Plus, I'll jump at any excuse to use my CSA chevre! 

Turkish Spinach & Tomatoes
adapted from New York Times
serves 2 as a main dish

Ingredients
1 pound fresh spinach, washed
2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes in their juice
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
Juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt
2 tbls fresh goat cheese

Directions

Lightly wilt the spinach by placing it in a steamer basket over 1-inch of boiling water.  Wilt the spinach in batches if needed.  Set aside in a colander over a bowl to drain.  (You can do this step in advance.)

In a large, lidded skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Then add the can of diced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes have broken down a bit, about 5 minutes. 

Add the vegetable stock, spinach, rice, lemon juice, sugar, paprika, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to taste.  Reduce heat to low and cover, allowing the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then uncover and continue to cook as needed until the mixture has reduced and thickened like a stew.  Mine came together almost immediately.  

Taste and adjust seasonings.  Stir in about 2 tablespoons of goat cheese.  Serve with a piece of crusty bread.

Pasta with Roasted Green Beans and Balsamic Butter Sauce

If I've learned anything during my four+ years of marathon training, it's that motivation may not always come to you the morning of a long run.  Once or twice a training season, I'll wake up in the morning with no desire to lace up my shoes and go for a three-and-a-half hour run!  It could be the weather, my attitude, my level of exhaustion...all I know is that I was slated to run 20 miles this morning and as soon as I woke up I knew it so wasn't going to happen!  The dreary, cloudy weather makes me want to brew another cup of coffee and cuddle with the kitties on my sofa instead.  Knowing that physical and mental breaks are an important part of any successful training (as long as they are kept in check!), I'm postponing my long run to next week.  Plenty of time before the Fargo Marathon!  But because I made a killer pasta dish last night and I don't want to waste the carbs, I will run later today.  For like an hour :) 

maybe later....

So now that I've written out my long excuse for not running 20 miles this morning, I'll get to the good stuff: this pasta dish with balsamic butter sauce.  I found the original recipe on Pinterest and it's been sitting on my food board for a few weeks now.  I went looking for a new pasta recipe and decided this would be a good one to boost my carbs on a Friday night.  I was a little worried that the balsamic vinegar would be overwhelming, but the smaller quantity rounded out with sugar and butter created this smooth, silky sauce that was mild and flavorful.  Plus, the whole dish came together with very little effort and in very little time!  I used green beans because they looked a little more snappy at the co-op that afternoon.  I also had to use some chevre in this recipe because I received my first container of homemade goat cheese from my CSA farm yesterday. 

Wow.  This chevre is divine.  In addition to using some to round out this pasta dish, I had a few small spoonfuls...you know...just to test it out!  I can't wait to get more of this amazing chevre from Little Flower Farm.  (You can also sign up for a chevre share with them!)  The chevre gave this pasta dish the extra bit of creamy, tastiness that it needed to round everything out and make me eat an entire second helping.  A very tasty pasta recipe to add into your dinner rotation -- Enjoy!

Pasta with Roasted Green Beans and Balsamic Butter Sauce
adapted from Food & Wine
serves 4

Ingredients
3/4 pound of fresh green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of tube pasta
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 stick of butter (1/4 pound), cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons goat cheese
Salt & pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Toss the green beans in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 12 minutes. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add a small handful of salt and then the pound of pasta.  Cook until al dente according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta and put into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to simmer.  Continue to simmer until the vinegar has reduced to about 3 tablespoons.  Stir in the brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ground pepper. 

Combine the green beans, pasta, balsamic vinegar, and butter.  Top with the Parmesan cheese.  Taste and adjust salt & pepper as needed.  Serve and top each serving with a tablespoon of goat cheese.  Stir in the goat cheese and enjoy!

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Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake

Every so often, I am completely thrown by how easy it can be to make an amazing dish.  If you know just a few basic cooking points, it's a snap to build off of things you've eaten in restaurants or read about online and create something of your very own.  That's what happened to me this weekend.  Using a simple recipe for a roux from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I whipped up a creamy sauce and added some grated cheese that I just happened to have in my refrigerator.  It needed a little something else, so I opened a can of crushed tomatoes from my pantry and added it by 1/3-cups until I was satisfied with the taste.  I had read a recipe earlier this week about a baked pasta dish from Giada DeLaurentiis, and thought that the added texture of baked, crunchy noodles would be a nice change from my traditional pasta-sauce dinner combination.  Throwing all of those ideas together resulted in this creamy, cheesy, and very easy pasta bake!  And the whole dish began with reading a few recipes online and deciding to make a béchamel sauce.  It can really be that easy!

Tomato Cream Pasta Bake
serves 4

Ingredients
2 tbls unsalted butter
3 tbls flour
2 cups milk
1/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus another handful for topping
2/3 cup canned crushed tomato
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound short pasta noodles (I used fusilli noodles)
1/4 cup chopped basil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

In a small pan, heat the milk until it just starts to boil.  Remove from heat. 

In a larger pan, cook the pasta according to the package directions, but cook it just shy of completely cooked.  The pasta will continue cooking in the oven.  While the water is boiling/pasta is cooking, start to cook the sauce. 

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk to combine and cook the flour.  Once the flour and butter has combined into a paste (a roux), remove the pan from heat and add the milk.  Whisk continuously until the rue has dissolved into the milk, then put the sauce pan back under medium heat and whisk occasionally until the sauce just starts to boil.  (Now you've made a béchamel sauce - fancy!)  Add the cheeses, crushed tomatoes, and garlic powder, to the sauce.  Whisk to combine.  Taste and add salt & pepper as needed. 

Add the cooked pasta to the tomato cheese sauce.  Pour the pasta into a shallow 9x9-inch baking dish and top with a handful of Parmesan cheese.  Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top has some crunch and is browned.  Top with the chopped basil.  Serve and enjoy!

Curried Wild Rice & Lentils

I love cooking with friends.  I have a great group of friends who share my passion for food and I love it when we can all get together to cook up a storm, enjoy a bottle of wine, and catch up.  A couple of years back, three of us would get together once a week and cook a brand new meal.  We would alternate hosting and menu selection and we rated all of the food in a journal.  The "Calorie Club" as we called it has been put on a bit of a hiatus as one of the founding members, Sarah, has since moved to Grand Rapids.  But whenever Leigh, Sarah, and I get together, we make sure to plan a Calorie Club meeting. 

We also love sharing new recipes and ideas with one another, and today's post is exactly that!  Sarah was in town from Grand Rapids recently, and she passed along some beautiful wild rice and a recipe for curried lentils and wild rice.  I've never had much success with wild rice, but this rice cooked up perfectly.  And it was a lighter-colored rice, so it looked gorgeous when paired with the brown lentils and curry powder.  So simple and so tasty!  The dinner came together in a snap and I enjoyed two generous helpings before I finally cut myself off.  But do be sure to garnish with the sauteed onions -- made such a difference.  Thank you Sarah for sharing this recipe and for letting me post it here!

Curried Wild Rice & Lentils
graciously shared by Sarah M.
serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 cup raw wild rice
1/2 cup lentils
2 tbls butter
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
3 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tablespoons curry powder

Directions
Rinse the rice and lentils.  In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions and saute for about 3-4 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.  Remove half of the onions and reserve for garnish. 

Add your lentils and rice to the pan and saute, stirring continuously for about 3 minutes.  Add the boiling water, salt, pepper, and curry powder.  Bring back up to a boil, then reduce heat and cover, simmering over very low heat for 30-35 minutes or until the rice and lentils are cooked.  Don't lift the cover or stir while cooking. 

Serve hot and garnish with your reserved sauteed onion. 

Lentil Fritters with Cucumber Sauce

Often times I'll decide to make something from a magazine or a cookbook but months later, I'm wondering why I have these ingredients in my cupboard.  It usually happens with new oils or vinegars and then I have to page through all of my food sources to find what it is I meant to cook.  I try really hard to menu plan, but I'm easily swayed by my food moods and all plans fly out the window.  After taking inventory of my cupboards and finding two cans of lentils, I decided that it was time to make the lentil fritters I read about months ago.  I made a few changes to the original Food Network recipe and instead of serving the fritters in pita pockets with a cabbage slaw, I paired them with a delightfully flavorful and simple cucumber yogurt sauce.  This was an easy and satisfying dish, perfect for lunch or dinner.  Or both in the same day! 

Lentil Fritters with Cucumber Sauce

adapted from Food Network Magazine

serves 4

Ingredients

for fritters

2 15-ounce cans cooked lentils

1/2 tsp cumin

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

olive oil for cooking

for sauce

1 8-ounce container (personal size) plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/2-1 cup chopped cilantro

juice from half of a lemon

1/4 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a food processor, combine one can of lentils, the garlic clove, and cumin.  Place the mixture in a bowl and add the other can of lentils, bread crumbs, cilantro, and salt & pepper.  Stir to combine. 

In a large skillet, drizzle some olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Form small patties with the lentil mixture.  When the oil has heated, place 4-5 lentil fritters into the pan and cook until a deep brown.  Flip and cook the other sides.  Continue until you've made as many fritters as you like (think 4 small fritters per person per serving).

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the yogurt sauce.  Taste to adjust seasonings.  Serve the lentil fritters with the cucumber yogurt sauce on the side. 

Sweet & Sour Vegetables

It seems like winter has finally caught up with us Minnesotans.  By late January, we're usually accustomed to bundling up, wearing arctic-approved boots and mittens, and having our eyelashes freeze during the brief walk from car to work.  But we've been spoiled this year, lured into a false sense of prolonged mild weather.  Then BAM!  Sub-zero temperatures and blistering windchills snap everyone back into reality.  I know it's truly winter when my car is reluctant to start in the mornings. 

Brrrr...that's chilly.  When it's this cold, I like to eat heavier, saucier, meatier (mushrooms!) dishes that will stick to my bones and keep me and my kitchen warm.  But after a few days of indulgence, I begin to crave healthier versions of these decadent meals.  I turned to a favorite cookbook of mine for some inspiration: Global Vegetarian Cooking. 

The cover doesn't lie -- this book is filled with recipes that are both quick and easy.  And as I learned this week, the recipes also lead to excellent food.  It features appetizers, salads, soups, main courses, and desserts from around the world.  I bought my copy at Ten Thousand Villages in St. Paul.  A sound investment on my part.

I decided to cook up some sweet-and-sour vegetables.  I wanted the fresh, healthy snap of veggies, but the soothing comfort of sweet-and-sour sauce.  I used the recipe in the cookbook as a jumping off point, and added a multitude of fresh, colorful vegetables that I found at Whole Foods.  The carrots added a crunch, the cucumbers added a surprising sweetness, and the kale wilted perfectly to round off the dish with some vitamin-packed greenery.  Look at all of those beautiful colors!  You can add any combination of fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand to create this dish.

I was also excited to break out my wok for the first time.  Turns out, cooking in a wok is pretty great!  A wok allows you greater cooking surface at higher temperature, perfect for stir frying vegetables before drenching them in a sweet-and-sour sauce.  Speaking of which, the sauce was delightfully easy to prepare and had a perfect balance of sweet and sour.  I added a touch more soy sauce than the recipe called for originally, mostly because I have a love for all things salty.  All of this served over a serving of hearty brown rice and you have a great cure for these new, winter blues.

Sweet and Sour Vegetables

adapted from Global Vegetarian Cooking

serves 2

Ingredients

for the rice

1 cup long-grain brown rice

2 cups of vegetable stock

for the stir-fry

1 small white onion, sliced thin

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup of English cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced (it's about 1/3 of a medium-sized cucumber)

Large handful of cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and sliced

1 cup kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup frozen green beans

1/3 cup diced pineapple

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

*optional: 1 cup of a protein of choice

for the sweet-and-sour sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
3 tablespoons tomato sauce

Directions 

In a small pan or rice cooker, cook the rice in the stock according to the package directions.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sweet-and-sour sauce.  Use a fork or small whisk to incorporate everything.  Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large sauce pan or wok.  Once hot, add the sliced onions and stir-fry until the onions are soft.  Add the minced garlic and saute for another minute.  Then begin to add the vegetables.  Start with the veggies that will take longer to cook, such as carrots or bell peppers.  Once those have begun to soften, add your remaining vegetables and pineapple.  Stir fry for a minute, then add the red pepper flakes.  Continue to cook until the vegetables are softened. 

Pour the sweet-and-sour sauce over the vegetables and saute until the sauce has completely coated the vegetables. 

Spoon a serving of rice onto your plate and top with the saucy veggies.  Breathe in the delicious aroma.  Then dig in. 

Fig & Shallot Pizza

Saturday night I stayed home and enjoyed some popcorn, wine, and my Glee DVDs.  But then I pulled up my blog and decided to change some things.  Then I decided to add a Pinterest button.  Then I decided to join Twitter.  So needless to say, my blog has some revamped social media options now, and I'd love for you to take advantage (see sidebar right).  I'm always looking for ideas, suggestions, or comments from you guys.  I enjoy cooking mostly because I love sharing my cooking with others.  And in this scenario, the "others" is you.  So lets all chat food! 

I was thumbing through some cookbooks in between social media blasts and found a recipe for a shallot fig spread.  It looked like an amazing flavor combination, and I wondered how it would taste as a pizza.  Turns out, it tastes pretty damn good.  I contemplated using a heavy-flavored cheese, but in the end I think my instincts were right.  Creamy ricotta cheese adds fresh flavor but allows the sweet and tangy fig/shallot combination steal the show.  Topped off with some salt and pepper and you have an easy but flavorful pizza.

Fig & Shallot Pizza

serves 2

Ingredients

1 ball of pre-made pizza dough (you can get pizza dough at your local pizzeria or at Whole Foods)

Extra virgin olive oil

2 large shallots, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, pasted*

3 large figs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Heat about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat.  Add the shallots and saute, keeping the heat low to carmelize the shallots slowly, about 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add the pasted garlic and heat through about 1-2 minutes.  Then add the figs and saute briefly, just to soften them. 

In the meatime, cut the pizza dough in half, and set one piece aside.  Roll or stretch the remaining half into a 10-inch circle, trying to keep the dough in an even thickness.  (I failed.)  Place on a baking sheet or a pizza stone and brush with about a tablespoon of olive oil. 

When the fig mixture is done cooking, spoon the mixture on top of the pizza dough, leaving a bit on the edge for a crust.  Then dot the top of the pizza with small spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, and smooth out.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edge of the pizza is browned.  Optional: put the pizza into the broiler for 1-2 minutes to get a deeper color on some pieces of the shallot and fig.  Cut into pieces and enjoy.

*Pasting garlic is great for recipes when you want the flavor of garlic in the dish but you don't want someone to bite into a rogue piece of garlic.  In order to make your garlic paste, you can use a mortal and pestle to mash the garlic.  Or you can finely mince the garlic, then add a generous pinch of salt to the mound of garlic.  Using the side of your knife, scrape the garlic into the salt to turn it into a paste. 

Cookie Swap Update and Easy Garlic Tomato Pasta

Last week I left for the Key West wedding of one of my best friends, Amie.  It was five amazing days filled with sunshine, the ocean breeze, tropical drinks, flip flops, and wedding bliss.  Amie and her now-husband Joe have the kind of romantic-comedy love that nobody thinks is truly possible in real life.  But it is!  And I was so happy to be a part of this wonderful destination wedding! 

Returning to a Minnesota winter was made a little bit easier by the fact that I had magically gotten a bit of a tan while in Florida (if you know me but at all, you know that I don't tan -- I burn).  And I had my mail on hold while I was gone, so I was also looking forward to the three dozen cookies that awaited me when I got home from work on Monday. 

But before opening up the packages of cookies, I felt compelled to make myself a home cooked dinner after five straight days of eating out.  Plus, being a vegetarian that doesn't eat fish is extraordinarily difficult in an island setting, and I actually didn't eat much on the trip!  So I whipped together a super easy and SUPER delicious garlic tomato pasta using some more of the canned tomatoes that the wonderful people at Red Gold Tomatoes sent to me! 

Ingredients

1 pound of fresh pasta

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used Wild Tree's spaghetti sauce seasoning, but any Italian mix of dried herbs would work just as well)

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, add a handful of salt and drop in the pasta.  Cook according to the package directions. 

While you wait for the water to boil, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the chopped garlic.  Saute for about a minute, then add the tomatoes and seasoning.  Stir occasionally, and let the tomato mixture cook for about 5 minutes or until your pasta is done. 

Using tongs, add the pasta right from the pasta water to the tomato mixture.  Stir everything together, and heat over medium heat for another minute or two.  Taste for seasonings and serve. 

COOKIE SWAP UPDATE!!!

Once I was finished eating my yummy pasta dish, I started eyeing those cookies again!  I lucked out and received a variety of cookies that I loved for very different reasons.  First up: Ginger Spice Cookies from Lisa of Tequila Cupcakes. 

I love ginger cookies, but I am not a huge fan of ginger snaps.  I love soft, chewy cookies, and these ones from Lisa really hit the spot!  If you are looking for a tasty ginger cookie recipe, check out her blog!  I next opened up an adorable little box of Coconut Macaroons with Bittersweet Chocolate from Sara of The Little Bite. 

I adore coconut cookies and these tasty morsels were perfection.  The recipe seems foolproof -- you should really check it out!  And my last cookie package was a big bag of Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti from Anita at Confessions of a Foodie. 

I loved the subtlety of the chocolate flavor and the bright green bits of pistachio dotted along the biscotti cookies.  I so wanted to enjoy these cookies with a cup of tea, but I was too impatient to wait for the water to boil!  Yum yum yum. 

Overall, it was so much fun to send out my bon bon cookies to food lovers around the country, and it was equally as fun to receive people's handmade cookies!  Interested in participating next year?  Check out this link and sign up to receive updates!

Bolognese Fake Out

The other night I was flipping through my mountains of cookbooks, searching for inspiration, when I saw a recipe from Barefoot Contessa for a "weeknight bolognese" dinner.  In fact, I had been trying to get a good angle on some new uses for canned tomatoes (more on this later!), so this recipe just called out to me.  I love cooking with canned tomatoes because they are so flavorful and easy to cook with.  And as an avid runner, I am always in the market for a new pasta dish!  This recipe is one step up from an earlier tomato sauce post, but it's just as simple and delicious.

Originally, I had intended to just omit the beef that the recipe called for, because it seemed easy enough.  But when I opened my freezer, I saw some "crumbles" that I had purchased a few months ago from Quorn.  According to my friend, and confirmed by the website, the principle ingredient of Quorn isn't soy, it's actually a form of fungi that is high in protein and low in fat.  Sounds odd, but I threw in some of those crumbles to my cooked sauce and I had a thicker, richer, and healthier sauce.  Triple bonus!  Of course, you can omit the Quorn completely and you'll have a delicious pasta sauce, or you can cook it with beef according to the original recipe.  But I happened to love my bolognese fake out, and I think you will too! 

Pasta Bolognese Fake Out (Vegetarian Bolognese)
adapted from Barefoot Contessa
serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 tbls olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbls dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like more heat)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 cup Quorn frozen "beef" crumbles
1 box of short pasta (small shells or orecchiette work well)
1/4 cup cream
Dash of nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil.  Allow the oil to heat up a bit, then add in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Saute until the garlic is fragrant, then add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock.  Season with salt and pepper.  Allow the sauce to come up to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water up to a boil.  Salt the water liberally, then cook the pasta according to the packaged directions.

Add the Quorn to the sauce and stir to heat up the crumbles.  After a few minutes, stir in the cream and nutmeg, and taste for seasonings.  Add more salt and pepper if needed. 

When your pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to the pan of sauce.  Stir to coat. 

Serve up the pasta, and top each plate with some grated Parmesan cheese and basil if you have any on hand.  Enjoy this classic pasta fake out!

Sweet & Sour Tofu

Tofu can be a bit of a mystery for some people, myself included.  But I started eating tofu in stir fry and other noodle dishes even before I went all veggie.  Tofu really sucks up the flavor of whatever you are serving, and if you fry it up, the crispy outsides may even be a welcome change of pace from a traditional meat dish.  I don't cook with tofu all that often, only because I haven't taken the time to really figure out great ways to serve it.  But this recipe gets gold stars on many accounts: it's easy to make, the ingreidents are probably already in your kitchen, and it is delicious.  I make mine extra saucy and serve it up over a bed of rice, or in this case, quinoa.  If you try it, I really think it could change your mind about the benefits of tofu!  Yum.

 Sweet & Sour Tofu

serves 2 portions

adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen

Ingredients

1 block of firm tofu

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1/2 cup of soy sauce

1/2 cup of honey or brown sugar

1/2 cup white wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon grated garlic

extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Remove the tofu from the packaging and cut it into 1-inch slices.  Place paper towels underneath and on top of the sliced tofu and press down to extract the liquid.  Repeat if necessary until the tofu is quite dry.  Then slice the tofu into 1-inch cubes.  Toss the cubes in a plastic bag filled with the flour until evenly coated.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, white wine vinegar, ginger and garlic.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, coat the bottom of the pan with a drizzle of olive oil.  Once warm, place the tofu in the pan in an even layer.  (Do this in batches if you have a small skillet.)  When that side is golden brown, flip the tofu around to brown all of the sides.  When the tofu is browned, add the sauce to the pan, shaking the pan to completely coat the tofu.  Keep the pan on the heat until the tofu is coated and the sauce has reduced and thickened.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

Crock Pot Enchiladas

For someone who loves to cook as much as I do, I can be surprisingly lazy in the kitchen.  I like to cut down on steps, cut down on utensils, and cut down on time as much as possible because at the end of the day, I wants to eat the food!  Some recipes require time and love in order to turn out right (like my completely from-scratch pumpkin pie, made with a real pumpkin), and I'll take those steps so long as I can balance out my cooking life with a few super simple recipes.  Like these crock pot enchiladas!

Who knew that you could make some pretty tasty enchiladas in a crock pot?  I certainly didn't.  And while they aren't your traditional enchiladas with the delicious and creamy sauce, these faux-enchiladas certainly hit the spot!  The mixture inside is spicy and the tortillas soak up a lot of the salsa juice and become really soft and chewy.  But the outside edges of the enchiladas get super crispy, so you end up with a great balance of textures.  If you're looking for a super simple and quick dinner that doesn't skimp on good flavor, look no further!

Crock Pot Enchiladas

adapted from thekitchn.com

makes about 8 enchiladas

Ingredients

2 jars of your favorite salsa (I like using a combo of hot and mild salsa from Salsa Lisa)

1 package of traditional tortillas, at least 8

1 1/2 cups of your favorite shredded cheese

1 15-oz can black beans, drained

1 cup frozen corn

3 scallions, chopped fine

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Set up your crock pot and pour in about a cup of salsa, spreading it around to make an even layer.  In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, scallions, spices, and half of the shredded cheese.  Put about a third of a cup of the mixture into a tortilla and roll it up tight.  Place the tortilla seam side down into the salsa-coated crock pot. 

Repeat until you have about three or four squeezed into the crock pot in a single layer.  Pour another cup of salsa over those enchiladas and top with 1/2 cup of cheese.  Then repeat the enchilada-making process to create another layer in the crock pot.  When you get to the last layer, top with salsa but not with cheese.  Heat the crock pot on high for 2-4 hours.

When the enchiladas are done cooking, serve with a sprinkling of cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some chopped cilantro. 

Potato & Green Onion Pizza

Last year I tried a pizza that changed my life.  It was a seasonal offering at Pizza Nea in Northeast Minneapolis, and it had potatoes, asparagus, and green onions on top of a olive-oil based sauce.  I was a woman in love.  In love with a pizza.  And I was not afraid to say it.  Tonight, a year later, I thought I'd see if I could replicate this pizza and add my own tasty twist.

I started with a pizza dough recipe from a blog that is no longer (which is sad because it was awesome!).  I made it the night before, and I let it rise a second time while I prepped the veggies.  The dough turned into a chewy, tasty crust.  I made mine a little thicker just because that's my preference, but you can shape it however you like!  For toppings, I opted for a swipe of olive oil, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced fingerling potatoes, green onions, and goat cheese.  Topped all that yumminess with salt, pepper, and freshly cut basil.  The tomatoes were the perfect replacement for pizza sauce and the green onions were amazing -- crispy with a light onion flavor.  It was a wonderful combination of flavors and textures.  Happiness!!! 

Pizza Dough
makes enough for two medium-sized pizzas

Ingredients
1 yeast package
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbls olive oil
pinch sugar

Directions

Mix the yeast package in the cup of warm water.  Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until the yeast proofs.  It should be a little bubbly.  If not, your yeast package might be expired and you should try again!

To the yeast mixture, add the salt, olive oil, and sugar and mix together.  Add in the flour, starting with 2 1/2 cups, kneading it with your hands.  If it's still tacky, add in more flour.  Knead for about five minutes until it's a smooth dough.  Put the dough in a well-oiled bowl and put it in a warm place to rise.  Let the dough double in size, which should take about 30 minutes.

Separate the dough into two pieces and pat into two balls.  Cover with a damp towel and let rise again.  Or if you are making this ahead of time, put the two dough balls in the fridge.  The next day, take one out and put it in a bowl covered with a damp towel to rise. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Stretch or roll into a circle to your desired thickness.  Add toppings, bake for 15-16 minutes.  I baked mine on a stone, but you could use any regular pan. 

Potato & Green Onion Pizza

Ingredients
4 green onions, chopped into one-inch pieces at an angle
1 cup (or two handfuls) of cherry tomatoes, halved
4-5 fingerling potatoes, sliced lengthwise very thin
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Salt & pepper
1 tbls freshly torn basil

Directions

On the uncooked dough, sprinkle the goat cheese in an even layer.  Then add the potatoes in an even layer.  Sprinkle the tomatoes and green onions on top, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Brush the top with olive oil. 

Bake at 450 degrees for about 16 minutes.  Cut into slices and enjoy! 

Be creative with your pizza toppings!  I've made a pizza topped with goat cheese and roasted veggies (summer squash, tomatoes, red onion, and mushrooms), and my friend Leigh had the inspired idea of a pizza topped with goat cheese, figs, and sausage.  You could also go totally classic with pizza sauce and a bunch of cheese.  But it will be delicious because you made it yourself!

Southwestern Scramble with Cilantro Pesto

Pesto has always been a question mark for me and I really have no idea why.  In theory, I should have always loved pesto.  I love all of the ingredients separately, so what's not to love about smashing them all together?  But for some reason, I only recently started enjoying pesto.  Weird, but I'm glad I finally jumped on that bandwagon!  Pesto is amazing and surprisingly versatile.  In the Clean Start cookbook (my current fave) there's a recipe for cilantro pesto.  What?!  I've seen people make parsley pesto, which totally grosses me out, but cilantro pesto is another story.  I LOVE CILANTRO.  I wish I could wear it as a perfume and that all future suitors would show up at my door with a bouquet of cilantro.  I know that it's a controversial herb, but as soon as you tell me that you don't like cilantro, I will become immediately suspicious of you and your motives. 

So obviously I had to make this pesto immediately.  But what would I use it for?  You could use it as a dip or a spread on a wrap or sandwich.  Or you could eat it plain with a spoon (no judgment here).  Tonight I thought I'd add it to a southwestern-style scramble that I'll make for dinner for a post-run protein boost.  This scramble is delicious by itself, but the cilantro pesto really perked up the flavors and added another dimension that was a-maz-ing.  This collaboration of recipes would be a great breakfast or dinner, and the pesto would be good for everything!

Cilantro Pesto (recipe from Clean Start Cookbook)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups packed cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup roasted dry peanuts
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Juice of one lime
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Directions
Chop the cloves of garlic in a food processor.  Scrap down the sides of the bowl and add cilantro, peanuts, ginger, lime, and pinch of salt.  Turn on the processor and drizzle olive oil into the mixture slowly until it comes together to a loose consistency.  Taste and season accordingly. 

Southwestern Scramble

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/3 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup black beans
slice of avocado, chopped
salt & pepper
Cilantro pesto

Directions
Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat.  Crack three eggs into the pan and scramble with a fork.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Once the eggs have started to set, add in the black beans and tomatoes.  Stir the eggs carefully until they are almost at the consistency you like, then add in the avocado.  Heat briefly, then remove from the pan.  Plate up your eggs and then add a spoonful of the cilantro pesto.  (If your pesto has been in the fridge, add it in to the pan with your black beans and tomatoes.)  Mix it together, eat and enjoy.  Delish.