Incredible Curried Lentils (vegan!)

If you're obsessed with Indian food like I am, you'll love this! I found it on epicurious and it was easy and fantastic! I added about 5 small potatoes, chopped, to the soup with the carrots but in the future I'll add them after the lentils. They turned out a little soft for my taste and the lentils need plenty of time to soften. Maybe 10 minutes into the simmering time? I also ended up adding about twice as much curry powder because I just had a generic brand that wasn't too spicy, and a couple dashes of cumin. It tasted pretty authentic! Especially with some naan bread and yogurt sauce we picked up at our local Indian restaurant. Yum!!

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
• 2 tablespoons (or more) curry powder
• 1 cup French green lentils
• 4 1/4 cups (or more) water, divided
• 1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

• Ingredient info: French green lentils are small, dark green, and speckled with black; they can be found at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores
  
  

  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lentils and 4 cups water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

  Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining garlic in processor.

  Add chickpea puree to lentil soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired. Add water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency.

  Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions and serve with lemon wedges.

  
  Even better the second day!
  
  

Mustard Chicken with Creamy Polenta

I cannot tell you the last time I had chicken with a side of starch. It used to be our staple and I haven't bought chicken for almost a year so I figured it was time to use the breasts that were in our deep freeze :) This recipe was soooo good! The chicken had such great flavor and the polenta was to die for! I had no idea just adding mascarpone and corn kernels would make such a difference! Luke and I were fighting over who got to eat it for lunch.

Chicken:

6 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, pressed
6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones
Olive oil

Polenta:
5 cups water
1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 3 large ears)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Special equipment: Small metal turkey-lacing pins

Ingredient info:
Polenta is sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Italian markets. If unavailable, substitute an equal amount of regular yellow cornmeal and cook about half as long. Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that's available at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

For chicken:
Whisk onions, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic in medium bowl to blend. Using fingertips and leaving 1 side still attached, loosen skin on each chicken thigh. Lift skin flap on each and fold back. Spoon half of mustard seasoning atop thighs, dividing equally; spread to cover meat. Fold skin flap over to enclose seasoning and secure skin with metal pin. Sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Turn thighs, skin side up, and spread remaining mustard seasoning over skin. Transfer to small baking sheet. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Preheat oven to 250°F. Brush grill rack generously with olive oil grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning chicken occasionally and moving to cooler spot on grill if browning too quickly, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer grilled chicken to another baking sheet; keep warm in oven while preparing polenta.

For polenta:
Bring 5 cups water to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in polenta, then 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt and sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until polenta is tender, thick, and creamy, whisking often and adjusting heat to maintain gentle simmer, 25 to 30 minutes. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring constantly, until corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in mascarpone cheese. Season polenta to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon polenta onto each of 6 plates. Top with grilled chicken and serve.

Pasta with Corn Pesto

This dish was fantastic!! A creamy satisfying pasta without (most of) the guilt! You could up the health factor by substituting asparagus or another crunchy veggie for the bacon. And could probably even skip the parmesan altogether. Either way it was great!
P.S. Don't skip the basil. It rounded out the flavor perfectly. And I used canned corn cause I'm lazy :)

4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.

Rockin' Fish Tacos

Another Cuisinenie delight!
**Google "tempura batter" for easy recipes. I just used regular white flour to dredge the fish.

PART 1: Fish

Ingredients:
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces of Dover or Tilapia
• 16 (8-inch) corn or flour tortillas
• Canola oil
• 4 ounces tempura flour
• 8 ounces prepared tempura batter made with cold water
• 6 ounces panko bread crumbs

Directions:
In medium bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper; mix thoroughly. Add the fish and toss to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
Warm tortillas on grill or pan. Cover with a towel to keep warm.
In a medium Dutch oven, heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F.

• Remove fish from marinade, shake off excess, dredge in tempura flour, and dunk in cold tempura mixed batter. Roll in panko bread crumbs, pressing panko onto fish. One by one add fish to oil, making sure to keep the fish pieces separated. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.


PART 2: Sauce

• Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
• 1 chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and pepper
Directions:
…
Preheat grill or use side burners of the grill. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture in the blender and add the hot sauce, oregano, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Toppings:
-Crisp shredded lettuce
-Dollop of cold sour cream

Shrimp and Garbanzo Coconut Curry

We had two home runs for dinner this week, both from cuisinenie.blogspot, Nie Nie's food blog, and both submitted by readers. This one was just outstanding! We served it with regular brown rice but I like the turmeric idea she mentions at the end. Or saffron rice!

**I only used olive oil to saute, no butter, and I only used about a teaspoon curry paste. I don't know what kind she was referring to in the recipe but the kind I buy is in a teeny tiny jar and a little goes a long way, fyi.

• 2 lbs of shrimp, cleaned, shelled and deveined
• 1 large onion
• 1 fresh green chile
• thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
• small bunch of cilantro
• can of garbanzo beans
• Olive Oil
• 2 T of butter
• 2/3 cup of korma or mild curry paste (I like the Patak's brand)
• can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 3 T. unsweetened shredded coconut
• fresh pepper and kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups of plain or Greek style yogurt
• 1 lemon

1. Get your shrimp ready (devein, unshell, clean, etc.), slice your onions, mince your chili, peel & mince the ginger, chop up the cilantro and drain your garbanzo beans.
2. Add your olive oil and 2 T of butter to a skillet and put on high head. Add in your chile, ginger, onions and cilantro. Be careful not to burn it but cook it until golden. Which takes about 7 minutes
3. Add in the curry paste, coconut milk, half of the almonds, the garbanzo beans, coconut, water.
4. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Keep on eye on it to make sure it is not drying out, you can add a bit more water if you need too.
5. Then throw in the shrimp, shrimp doesn't take too long to cook so after 5-7 minutes it should be done. When your shrimp is cooked, add in the salt & pepper
6. Serve with some yogurt, sliced almonds and squeeze a bit of lemon over the top.

I like to serve this with turmeric brown rice, all you do is add some tumeric into your water when the cooking the rice and voila! Beautiful yellow turmeric rice.

Grilled Veggie Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

So, out of all the (part-time) vegetarians in the world, I probably like vegetables the least of them all. If it's not broccoli or zucchini, I probably won't eat it. Ok, in all honesty I'm better than I used to be but they're still not my favorite. Not to mention the fact that most vegetarian recipes never seem hearty enough for me. Lo and behold, this recipe. It was SO satisfying, so full of flavor, I just could NOT get enough. That's right, I went back for seconds. And it's just veggies!! And an amazing dressing. If you're not a huge fan of blue cheese (unlike me who eats it by the handful) don't shy away from this dressing. It's by no means overpowering, just a flavorful and tangy vinaigrette. I'm so amazed at how good this was!! Looking forward to leftovers for lunch :)

I didn't have fennel and also left out beets due to preference. Used fresh spinach instead of mixed greens and broiled veggies instead of grilling cause it was 110 degrees outside :)
**Also, I grilled the potatoes separately and my kids ate those with ketchup cause they're not so into veggies. Weird, right??

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (such as Maytag; about 2 ounces)
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 bell peppers (preferably in assorted colors), seeded, quartered lengthwise
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut through core into 8 wedges
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
10 baby beets (about 11/2 inches in diameter), trimmed, scrubbed, halved crosswise
1 large red onion, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens

Whisk vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 5 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Stir in cheese. Season dressing with salt and generous amount of pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat); brush grill with oil. Place all vegetables except beets, onion, and baby greens in large bowl; drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons oil and toss to coat. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Place beets in same bowl; toss to coat with any remaining oil in bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper. Brush onion slices with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until slightly charred and tender, about 12 minutes for beets, potatoes, and fennel, turning occasionally, and about 4 minutes per side for zucchini, peppers, onion slices, and mushrooms.

Mound greens in center of 4 plates. Arrange onions and vegetables atop greens. Drizzle dressing over and serve.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Anchovies and Croutons

Don't let the anchovies freak you out. This dish was divine! I ate it hot for dinner, cold for lunch, later for a midnight snack...I'd make it again in a heartbeat! We fed it to the missionaries and they even went back for seconds!
Courtesy Bon Appetit

1 large head cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
8 tbs olive oil, divided
1 pound medium-size shell pasta
1 1/2 cups crusty artisan-style bread (cut into 1/3" cubes)
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/3" cubes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
7 anchovy filets, chopped finely
1/2 cup parsley
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
(I used part parmigiano-reggiano and part mozzarella for the cheeses)

Preheat oven to 425. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 tbs olive oil and salt/pepper to coat. Spread out on baking sheet and roast until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 min. Cool and chill if desired.

Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/3 cups pasta cooking liquid (I always forget and dump the water :).

Heat 2 tbs. oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and saute until crispy and golden. Transfer to bowl to cool, reserve pot.

In same pot, add 2 tbs. oil and heat over med-high heat. Add zucchini and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add cauliflower and anchovies, saute until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add drained pasta, reserved cooking liquid, remaining 3 tbs oil, 1/3 cup parsley, 1/3 cup parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese, toss to coat. Season to taste again with S & P. Serve with croutons, remaining parsley and cheese on top.

Tortilla Soup

Remember...I'm not a food photographer :)

This was a fantastic soup that was made almost completely out of pantry staples. You could add chicken but it was great without. We served it sprinkled with broken up tortilla chips and a little cheese. I also served chips dipped into refried beans with melted cheese on top...yummy!

Saute onions, a little garlic and chopped bell pepper in olive oil. I used one roasted red pepper from a jar (cause i had them) and a couple sweet mini peppers. Cook for a few minutes until peppers begin to soften, add some green chiles (i used about half a small can), chopped tomatoes (I used a ton of cherry tomatoes from our garden. They are SO sweet! You could also use about 2 cans chopped tomatoes). I also threw in about 1/4 cup salsa verde (the recipe called for a couple chopped tomatillos). Saute for a few minutes longer. Add one can each of corn and black beans, and about 4 cups chicken or veggie broth and heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, whatever! Serve sprinkled with broken tortilla chips and a little cheese. Enjoy!

Rustic Pizza

Ok, so this picture may not look all that great, I'm not a food photographer :) But this was fantastic.
When I made this pizza, it took no time at all, but I was using leftover veggies and pre-mixed and risen bread dough. So, plan accordingly.

Crust:
Make my super-favorite of all time bread recipe:
3 Cups lukewarm water (too cold is better than too hot)
1.5 Tbs. salt
1.5 Tbs. yeast
5.5 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
(I plan on trying this recipe with a larger whole wheat to white ratio but I haven't yet so I can't promise it'll work)

Mix all together, don't knead, just place in warm spot with a lid on it and let rise 2 hours. Then refrigerate until ready to use.
At baking time, preheat oven to 500 degrees with baking stone or cookie sheet in oven. Pull off about a pound of dough and roll out on flour-dusted countertop until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
Sprinkle topping on and slide onto sheet in oven, bake for about 8-10 mintues but watch closely as toppings can burn easily at this heat.

Toppings:
I LOVE caramelized onions. I could eat them every day. To make them, slice an onion thinly (red onions work best but any will do) and throw in a frying pan with olive oil. Sautee for quite a while (10-15 mintues?) until onions are translucent, flimsy and start to smell sweet. They taste sweet too :) After that, I often throw in some sliced zucchini or other veggies until soft and brown. Then I spread all these over the dough, added sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar) and sprinkled just a little bit of mozzarella on top (do NOT go overboard with the cheese, it masks the delicate gourmet flavors...this isn't Chucke Cheese people!!)

Voila! Delicious and an easy way to get rid of leftover veggies. I ate this thing cold all week :)

Rajma Masala (Spiced Kidney Beans)

I got a great book from the library called "Quick Vegetarian Curries" and what I've tried so far has been really good! And they're not kidding when they say quick, especially if you use canned beans or other ingredients. Coriander, turmeric and other Indian spices may not be a staple for every household but I highly recommend keeping them around. You can make some amazingly authentic tasting curries with them that are healthy, fast and extremely satisfying.

1 onion, chopped
1 inch cube root ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoons oil
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tbs. tomato puree (i just used ketchup)
1 lb. canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed ( I used half kidney and half black beans)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water
3-4 green chilies (I used canned whole chilies)
1/2 tsp. Garam Masala (I used curry powder cause i didn't have any)
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro leaves

Puree onion, ginger and garlic in food processor. In a saucepan heat oil over medium and when hot, add pureed ingredients. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, addd cumin, coriander and cook for another 2 minutes. Add turmeric, chili powder and tomato paste and cook for another minute or two.
Add beans and salt, increase heat to medium and cook for one more minute.
Add water and chilies, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle with garam masala and stir in cilantro. Remove from heat and serve with rice, if desired.

Black Bean and Zucchini Chilaquiles

This is a vegetarian recipe I got off my favorite recipe website (epicurious) that was just phenomenal! And super fast to make. I highly recommend :)

1 1/2 tablespoons light or extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper, diced (I threw two peppers in cause I had them)
One 28-ounce can crushed or puréed tomatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
One 16- to 20-ounce can black beans or 2 1/2 cups cooked black beans (from about 1 cup dried)
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (I used a yellow zucchini)
1 small fresh hot chile pepper, seeded and minced, or one 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies (I ommitted this cause my kids freak out over anythiung spicy)
12 6-inch corn tortillas, torn or cut into several pieces
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese or Cheddar-style nondairy cheese (I used minimal cheese, a small handful for each sprinkling and it was still great!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch baking pan or 2-quart round casserole.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the bell pepper and continue to sauté until it has softened and the onions are golden. Stir in the tomatoes, seasonings, beans, zucchini, and chile pepper. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently for 5 minutes.

3. Layer as follows in the prepared pan. Half the tortillas, half the tomato black bean mixture, and half the cheese. Repeat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into squares or wedges to serve.

Awesome Vegetarian Chili

I am very picky about my chili, just so you know. It has to be chunky, include a wide variety of ingredients, have a little kick and it has to taste just right. My sister-in-law Hillary brought this to the family dinner the other night and it was fantastic!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles
3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles.

Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet Pork Burritos/Salad

So, I know that Cafe Rio is like the best place ever, yadda yadda. Frankly the only thing I like there is the salad. I found this recipe that's supposed to recreate it and we tried it last week. It was way better than Cafe Rio and Luke and I were in love. We put the meat (with some of its sauce), rice, and lettuce in a tortilla and poured the dressing and cheese over it. Sooooo good!
(We didn't use the beans but they look good, huh?)

SWEET PORK
4 pounds pork
2-3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1/4 c. brown sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp fresh garlic
2 tsp. cumin
1 can Coke (optional)
1 can sliced green chilies
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Combine everything in crock pot on high for about 6 hours (you can do it on low overnight or all day) or until it shreds easily. Remove pork from crock pot and shred.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE (I would suggest doubling the rice to match the rest of the recipe)
1 1/4 c. uncooked rice
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
juice of 1-2 limes
2 1/4 c. chicken broth
3/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cumin
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter until melted. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

BLACK BEANS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. Can also add a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder.

CILANTRO RANCH (can also double if you have a lot of meat)
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. sour cream
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced (or use a 16 oz. jar of green salsa)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 jalapeno (remove the seeds for mild flavor) and/or cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Puree all ingredients together in the blender.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

Penne and cream sauce...there ain't nothin' better. Or easier, for that matter!

1 lb. penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. shrimp, deveined and peeled
4 cloves minced garlic
salt
pepper
1 (15 oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I used a couple tablespoons of dried, instead)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine (or cooking wine)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water, 8- 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink. Remove shrimp from pan, set aside.

Add tomatoes, 1/4 cup of each basil and parsley and red pepper flakes to pan, cook for 2 mintues. Add wine and simmer another few minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for 7-8 minutes.

Add half of the parmesan, shrimp, pasta and remaining basil and parsley. Toss together, season with salt and pepper and add remaining cheese before serving.

Rosemary Dijon Chicken

Another baby meal, courtesy of Mia.

Ingredients:
Chicken Thighs (I use boneless, Skinless from costco but breasts will work too)
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-3 tbsp honey mustard
1 tbsp dijon mustard
about 1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp tarragon vinegar
garlic salt to sprinkle on
salt and pepper

place chicken in baking dish or pan and preheat oven to 350
mix in bowl both mustards, wine, vinegar, and a dash of pepper and garlic salt (maybe 1/2 tsp of garlic salt and another 1/2 tsp of pepper?)
whisk together.
then take rosemary and take all the little leaves off. Throw the stems away and mince all the sprigs very finely. Add them to mixture and whisk together.
Pour over chicken.
Shake more salt and pepper on top of chicken, and then sprinkle garlic salt on top of chicken too.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour and a half. Two hours is even better.

This makes a ton of gravy/sauce which we ate over some yummy mashed potatoes. Awesome!

Super Enchiladas

I LOVE it when people bring me meals after a baby...and not just because i don't have to cook. I love trying other people's favorite recipes and then adding them to my collection. Here's one from Julie, a friend in my mom's group. It was so good!

Buy a rotisserie chicken and pull all the chicken off of it. Put all the chicken in a big bowl, then add 1 drained can of black beans, 1 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 cup of salsa (she uses 1/2 salsa verde and 1/2 505 organic salsa from Sprouts). Mix.
Drizzle salsa verde at the bottom of the baking pan, then put chicken mixture in whole wheat Tortillas, sprinkle Cheddar cheese in them and then roll up and place in pan. Top them with more salsa and cheddar.
Bake at 375 for 35 min. It makes a ton.

She brought it over with a Mexican green salad (with peppers and avocado, tomatoes, etc). and salsa + sour cream dressing plus some Mexican-style rice. It was SUPERB!

Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

My sister made this fabulous pasta tonight and it was great. But then again, can you really ever go wrong with a cream sauce?? We used shell pasta instead of penne because we had it and cooking white wine instead of vodka and it tasted wonderful. Enjoy!

Courtesy Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vodka
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.
Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Stir in fresh parsley and serve!

Rustic Bean Stew with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

This is the first main dish recipe I tried from The Improvistional Cook book. I absolutely LOVED it. Served with crusty toasted french bread, a spinach salad and homemade canned peaches, our table was the picture of health and perfection! Definitely a new fave.

You can use canned beans for this, but I think making them from scratch adds a little something, i mean other than hours of cookin time :) If you're like me and never remember to soak them overnight before cooking, here's a cheat: rinse beans, cover with cool water in saucepan, bring to a boil and then lower heat, simmer for 10 minutes. Then turn off heat and cover, let soak for an hour. Rinse several times and cover with water again, simmer for 1 1/2 to 3 hours (add onion and bay leaf during this part).

4 oz. thick-sliced bacon
1 pound yellow onions, sliced or diced
salt
4 cups cooked, drained darkish beans (such as red beans, Roman, black-eyed peas, etc.)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 c. low sodium cicken broth
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
freshly ground pepper

Cook bacon until crisp, remove bacon from pan, pour off all but about 1 tbs. fat.

Caramelize onions by cooking in bacon fat unil wilted and have released juices, about 5 minutes.
add about 1/2 tsp. salt and saute until onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Add beans to pan along with crumbled bacon, bay leaves, broth, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a smmer, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has reduced considerably and it looks like a stew, about 20 mintes. Adjust seasonsing, pepper generously. I mashed up about half of the beans at the end to make it more like a stew.
Enjoy gourmet eating!

Fettuccine with Zucchini, Eggplant and Feta

(you can substitute veggies and different pastas, depending on your taste)
3 zucchini, chopped
1 eggplant chopped
1-2 red bell peppers
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. white vinegar
basil
mint
3 minced cloves garlic
8 oz. fetuccine or pasta of choice
2 oz. feta cheese
green onions to garnish
The recipe says to grill the veggies whole and then chop them, but i just sauteed them already chopped on the stove. Cook fettuccine and drain...add veggies and seasoning, toss together with cheese. Super easy and really good! We used brown pasta and it was really filling. The feta adds a bit of a zing that i just loved.
courtesy of Vegetarian Times magazine

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Cheddar cheese soup... with hidden cauliflower. Freezes great. If you don't want to hide the cauliflower, reserve some florets, saute til tender, and stir in just before serving.
4 cups water or stock
2 cups potato, chopped
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (6 oz)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 cup milk
Combine water/stock, potatoes, cauliflower, onion, carrot, and garlic in large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool 20 minutes. Puree. Return to pan and stir in remaining ingredients until cheese melts.

I used a crock pot for the veggies, on low for 6 hours. Then added the seasoning and cheese and just mashed up with a potato masher. Really good!

courtesy of Recipezaar