Feel Good, Columbus

Moving on up...

2012-01-13T21:06:00.002-05:00

Once again, I've kind of gotten away from this blog. I didn't love that I tied the blog/blog title to Columbus, because it's kind of irrelevant where you live. When I set it up originally, I intended to use it to post deals and events in Columbus. But then I joined the "On the Cheap" network and started Columbus on the Cheap. So I really didn't need a second locally-based blog, and have struggled finding a theme for this one. I mostly started posting recipes with little personal voice, and it just wasn't any fun. So I started a new blog - That's What We Did. It's more personal, less structured, and I feel like I can post about whatever I want. I'll leave this one live so the recipes are still here, but probably won't do a lot of posting on it. SO - I'd love it if the few followers that I do have would follow me over to That's What We Do and subscribe to my posts there!

Gluten-Free Wonder Buns

2011-10-06T23:23:00.000-04:00

Since I've been gluten-free, I've missed having a burger or a sandwich on a bun. Some purchased GF bread products are satisfactory, but nothing more than that - and they crumble. I don't eat a lot of bread products, so I'd have to freeze what I didn't eat and hope it wouldn't be gross when thawed.

WONDER BUNS TO THE RESCUE!

These buns are made individually in the microwave. Seriously. They take less than 5 minutes to mix up and "cook" in 90 seconds. Just use whatever bowl you have that is approximate bun diameter - I've used a small pyrex bowl and an ice cream sized bowl to make (the straighter the sides, the better). I haven't determined how long these will keep, but I have one in the fridge and one in the freezer as testers. So far I've only had one the same day I made it. I took it to a party and plan to take these to restaurants when I want a burger too!

Wonder Buns
adapted from Kitchen Therapy

1 large egg (if you need dairy free, use your normal egg replacer)
1/2 teaspoon molasses
2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour*
1 tablespoon almond meal (or make your own with almonds in a grinder)
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cocoa powder (mostly for color, so it's optional)
a pinch of salt
sesame seeds, to make it look more appealing

In a small bowl, beat the egg and molasses with a fork, for about a minute.
In another small bowl, add the flour, almond meal, ground flax seed, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder - stir well to break up any lumps. Add the eggs to the dry ingredients, stir until smooth.
Spray a glass bowl or cup with non-stick spray (or rub a little oil inside) and sprinkle sesame seeds on the bottom and sides. Pour the batter into the cup. Top with more sesame seeds. Microwave for 90 seconds. Remove from bowl after a minute or two and set upside down on a plate or napkin to allow the bottom to "dry" a little (it's still a little steamy and would probably get soggy if left in the bowl). ENJOY!

*the Kitchen Therapy recipe suggests sorghum flour and the comments from others indicate that most any flour would work - you could even make them with non-GF flour if not all family members needed gluten free.

Black-Jack Chicken Quesadillas

2011-08-20T21:54:00.001-04:00

This is a great appetizer or a quick dinner with a spicy/sweet flavor combination.

Black-Jack Chicken Quesadillas

1/3 cup blackberry preserves
1 chipotle from canned chipotles in adobo, pressed in a garlic press or chopped (with seeds removed)
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (or Trader Joe's sells frozen cubes of cilantro- use 3-4)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into small chunks or shredded
1/2 cup diced onions
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 (6 inch) flour or corn tortillas

In a medium saucepan, whisk together blackberry preserves, chipotle in adobo, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, garlic and black pepper. Turn heat to medium and heat just until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Add chicken to saucepan and toss to coat chicken in berry mixture. Toss onions and cheese together.
If using flour tortillas, spoon 2 tablespoons cheese/onion mixture evenly down center of each tortilla. Spoon chicken and berry mixture over cheese, dividing equally among tortillas. Fold tortillas over to make quesadillas.
If using corn tortillas, spread berry chicken mixture on one corn tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons cheese/onion mixture, leaving room at the edges for the mixture to spread. Top with another corn tortilla and carefully transfer to pan (sometimes it's easier to build the quesadilla in the pan).
Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium and cook quesadillas for 3-4 minutes each time or until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown. Cut each tortilla with a pizza cutter into triangles.

Zesty Seared Salmon

2011-08-19T22:53:00.001-04:00

I like to try to incorporate a seafood dish 2-3 times a month and I usually buy frozen salmon at Trader Joes. This recipe is super simple and could be served alongside almost any side - especially a creamy risotto. Don't overcook or it will be dry and gross. It will keep cooking a little after you remove it from the pan, so you may want to pull it a little early.

Zesty Salmon

1 Tsp. chili powder
1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/4 Tsp. black pepper
2 salmon fillets
canola oil
sesame oil

Wash and dry the salmon fillets. In a small bowl mix chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture on both sides of salmon fillets.
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet. When the oil is very hot, almost smoking; add the salmon. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until fish releases easily from the pan. Don't move around until it releases easily or it will stick to the pan and fall apart. Flip the fish and cook it an additional 2-3 minutes more until barely cooked through. You may need to reduce the cooking time if the fillets are thinner.

Caramelized Onion Pizza with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

2011-08-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

We love grilling pizzas and it is much easier than it seems. Use your preferred pizza dough - we usually use a roll of refrigerated dough or a Trader Joe's dough ball. If making gluten-free pizza, Bob's Red Mill dough mix is really good, though delicate to work with (be patient). If you MUST have meat on your pizza, feel free to add some cooked, shredded chicken. Since this isn't a "saucy" pizza, you may find it more like a flatbread. Either way, it's good.

Grilled Caramelized Onion with Blue Cheese

Pizza dough; use your favorite
2 T. olive oil
2-3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. dried thyme
cornmeal for sprinkling pizza peel or baking sheet
3-4 ounces blue cheese (research gluten-free brands if you are avoiding gluten)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Oil grill grates and heat to medium. Heat oil in a medium skillet at medium high heat. Add onions, sugar, salt and cook for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until deeply brown- about 15 minutes. Stir in vinegar, cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, stir in thyme and pepper and cool the onions. Set all the topping near the grill, as you will add your topping once one side of the pizza is cooked.

While onions are cooking, prepare dough according to directions if using a mix. Sprinkle flour or cornmeal on counter, pizza peel, or baking sheet and roll dough into 2 smaller pizzas, as they are easier to handle than one large pizza. Don't roll too thin or it will be too hard to transport onto the grill. If not already on a peel or baking sheet, transfer dough to one and put pizzas directly on the grill and close the lid. Once the dough is golden brown on that side, carefully flip pizzas and turn heat to low. Working quickly, spoon onion mixture onto the cooked side of the dough, dot the cheese over onions and top with walnuts, if using. Close lid again to allow the cheese to begin to melt. Watch the crust carefully as it will brown quickly. Remove pizzas and let cool a couple of minutes before cutting and serving.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-08-14T12:58:00.000-04:00

These cookies are very simple and very quick to make, but they are still delicious.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I prefer using reusable silpat sheet liners) Cream the peanut butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in the baking powder and add the egg. Mix until it is all well combined.

Using your hands, roll the dough into small balls (size is your choice, but the smaller cookies stay together better). Roll the balls in some extra white sugar and place on the baking sheet - the cookies will spread, but not too much.

Bake for about 10 minutes. When the cookies are done, they will still be soft, but shouldn't look or feel doughy. You will know the cookies are done when they feel coherent, but still a little soft. Take the tray out of the oven and let the cookies rest for at least five minutes. Carefully transfer them to a cooling rack for 10 minutes or more.

If you want to add something extra, gently press a hershey kiss in the top of each cookie as soon as you pull them out of the oven.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

2011-08-12T15:52:00.001-04:00

I'm well overdue at posting this - like a year. But I wanted to get it posted since it's zucchini season and everyone has zucchini. Your mom has zucchini.

This is by far, my favorite zucchini bread recipe (or really, any homemade bread). I'm not even sure how it turns out so well since no yeast is used, but it's delicious and moist. This is not gluten-free and it was baked in the oven, but like I said, I didn't actually make it this month (or this year even). I do like to shred and freeze zucchini so I can make stuff with it in the winter (and you can guarantee that I always have b-berries in the freezer). When you thaw frozen, shredded zucchini, you have to kind of squeeze it dry because it gets really watery upon thaw.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread
I got the recipe from this blog, but like my picture way better
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini (about 3 small zucchinis)
2 eggs
1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries - I probably used much more than 1 cup

Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with baking spray and lightly dust with flour, tapping out any excess flour. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In another large bowl combine the grated zucchini, eggs, yogurt, vanilla and sugar.
Gently toss the blueberries with 2 teaspoons of the flour mixture. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges and turn it out onto a cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.

I have a blueberry problem - this was just one trip

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

2011-08-11T16:11:00.000-04:00

I love baked beans - a lot. I don't like many canned baked beans, but I used to love these: yes, baked beans with chicken. I used to eat half a can and call it dinner. Kind of gross, huh? I'm not sure that they even still make these because I haven't seen them on the shelf in years (trust me, I've looked).

The next time I fell in love (instead of just "like" with baked beans, it was at the Fiery Foods Festival at the North Market this spring. A vendor was selling his BBQ sauce on baked beans and it was intriguing enough to try - Apple Cinnamon Baked Beans? Why not? Ole Ray definitely got this right. He even told us how to make them - buy Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans, drain the sauce off them (don't rinse, just drain) and add as much of Ole Ray's Apple Cinnamon BBQ Sauce as you like. They sell this at the North Market and other various places for $5/bottle, so it isn't for everyday use.

I wanted to try my hand at making homemade baked beans and I found this recipe on A Year of Slow Cooking, but I made some adaptations. The beans in the linked recipe got a little too dry, so I'd suggest increasing the "sauce" ingredients below and/or adding some bottle bbq sauce at the end (which takes away from the homemade idea, I suppose). But anyway, I loved these and they were so easy and made plenty. I don't know what "we" did with the bacon after cooking - I suppose throw it out? Or you could probably cut it in pieces and stir it in, though I'm not sure how cooked it got and I like my bacon crispy. Lo turned these off when he got home with work and I never asked him what he did with the bacon (he likes bacon a lot, so consumption is likely). These were pretty sweet, so if you don't love very sweet beans, cut down on the brown sugar a little. Actually, if you're totally unsure of how the sauce will turn out, you're better off pre-mixing all of the sauce ingredients (br. sugar, molasses, ketchup, hot sauce, salt, mustard, and pepper) and adding ingredients to taste. Not everyone is going to like the same sauce, so what worked for me may be hated by you. Since we used the original recipe, we had to add some bottled BBQ after cooking - just whatever we had in the fridge at that time. Wow, that was an incredibly long introduction to a very easy recipe - enjoy!

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

serves 8-10
adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking (which is an awesome blog)

3 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cans kidney, 1 can pinto, like I did)
2 medium onions, chopped finely, or 2 T dried minced onion
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup ketchup
squirt of sriracha or hot sauce, as much as you prefer or some red pepper flakes, optional
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried mustard - I was out so I used a squirt of dijon
1/2 tsp black pepper
A couple of slices of bacon or chicken sausages (I used bacon, but am excited to use chicken sausages next time since I loved the baked beans with chicken)
Drain and rinse beans, and add them to a medium size crockpot (or whatever they will fit in). Add onion and brown sugar. Pour in the molasses, ketchup, and hot sauce, if using. Add spices and stir to combine. Lay slices of uncooked bacon on top of the beans, or slice chicken sausage and lay it over the top. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or high for about 4.
*If using bottled bbq sauce, check for gluten if you're GF.

Cheese & Spinach Stuffed Portobellos

2011-08-10T21:21:00.000-04:00

I made this in May, so it doesn't count towards my no-oven August challenge. We have finally figured out that we love portobellos!

Cheese & Spinach-Stuffed Portobellos

Adapted from EatingWell: March/April 2009

4 large portobello mushroom caps

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup chopped or torn fresh spinach

1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joes)

3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle with salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash ricotta, spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan, seasoning and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a small bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.

When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm. Mound a generous 1/3 cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.

Gluten-Free Raw Samoas

2011-08-10T21:14:00.001-04:00

Gluten-Free Raw Samoas

1 cup dates (I use Sunsweet)

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/8 tsp. pure vanilla extract

less than 1/4 tsp salt

3 T. chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients in your food processor, chopper, or blender. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times or scrape the dough out of the blades to completely mix. If too sticky, add more coconut. Roll into balls and flatten slightly. Drizzle with extra melted chocolate, if desired.

Cider Vinegar Chicken

2011-08-07T20:38:00.001-04:00

This was a nice, simple dinner that I made a couple of months ago. The picture is hard to see - the chicken is at 4 o'clock. I served it with sweet potatoes, chickpea salad, and green beans with red onions.

Cider Vinegar Chicken

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided

4 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

salt & pepper

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 t. dried thyme

3 T. honey

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

2 c. chicken stock or broth

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T. of the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides, 3 minutes per side. If it starts to stick, carefully add a tablespoon or two of water. Remove and reserve the meat, covered with foil. Add the other T. of the oil, the onions, thyme, honey and garlic. Season the onions with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently for 7 to 8 minutes. You want the onions to get really brown and caramelized. Again, if the skillet is drying out, add a little more oil or some water while cooking the onions. Once onions are caramelized, add 1/2 cup of the cider vinegar and the stock. Turn up heat to high and bring the liquids up to a simmer. Once at a simmer, return the chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken in the sauce for about 10 minutes, flipping the chicken over halfway through the cooking time. Serve over mashed potatoes or quinoa.

Swiss Chard and Chickpeas

2011-08-05T20:37:00.006-04:00

Swiss Chard and Chickpeas

Servings: 2 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

Swiss chard

1/4 cup green garlic (Sub 1/4 c green onions and 1 clove of garlic)

1/2 cup garbanzo beans drained and rinsed

1 teaspoons thyme, crushed with your fingers

1/4 cup feta

1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa, optional - I precook this and freeze

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add in the green garlic (or green onions and garlic). Stir in garbanzo beans and let cook until they begin to brown slightly (4-5 minutes.) From there stir in swiss chard, thyme, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Let chard cook saute until it cooks down. Remove from heat and toss with brown rice and feta.

Gluten-Free Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-08-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

Someone in an GF online group asked for a appetizer recipe and I can't believe I've never posted this since I've made it probably 10 times. It's not a GF recipe, but by purchasing the appropriate brands of ingredients, it's easily converted to GF.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 8 oz brick of cream cheese - I used the 1/3 less fat version
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing - I used reduced fat Kraft
1/3 to 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 cups preferred shredded cheese, divided (cheddar, monterey jack, whatever)
2 cups cooked, cubed (or shredded) chicken breast (can even used canned if in a pinch)
Bleu cheese, if desired (check for gluten- some brands ARE gf)

I almost always make this in a small crockpot and to be honest, I don't really measure anything. I just dump everything in together (except some reserved cheese) and turn on the crock. After things start to get melty, I stir it up to mix everything. Grab a chip or a clean spoon and taste it - you may want to add more buffalo sauce or dressing. Once it's all melted and mix and you're ready to serve, top it off with the extra cheese. If you're adding bleu cheese, you can either stir it in when mixing, or add it to the top before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips and celery and/or carrots. Even people who don't think they really like bleu cheese like this.

Spinach Cheese Balls

2011-08-05T13:38:00.000-04:00

I made these gluten-free for a 4th of July party this year and they were good - even though I overbaked them slightly. I did mix them up a couple of days ahead and froze until the day of the party. I served these with pizza sauce. As always, if you are making my recipes gluten-free, make sure you purchase the appropriate ingredients!

Spinach Cheese Balls1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain

1 cup Bisquick® mix (gluten free, if desired)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 egg
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup GF pizza or pasta sauce for dipping, if desired

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients, except pasta sauce. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheet.2 Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve with pasta sauce.
Do-Ahead:
Cover and freeze unbaked balls up to 1 month. Heat oven to 350ºF. Place frozen balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brown.

Mashed Cheddar Chili Zucchini

2011-08-03T21:10:00.002-04:00

This was a tasty side dish and a great way to use up extra zucchini. The picture is ugly, but it's tasty and easy

Mashed Cheddar Chili Zucchini

1/2 tablespoon canola oil or cooking spray

2-3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles, drained

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion; stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in chiles and salt; cook until heated through, 1 minute more.

Mash until chunky. Stir in cheese and serve immediately.

Gluten-Free Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

2011-08-02T20:55:00.004-04:00

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Adapted from EatingWell: November/December 2010

6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Ingredients

8 ounces rice pasta - I used spirals from Trader Joe's

2 slices bacon, chopped (I cut mine with clean scissors)

1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (or pre-cooked and diced)

1 medium green bell pepper, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Gluten Free All-Purpose)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Handful of raw spinach

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

2. Add bacon pieces to dutch oven or large pan and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to release grease. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, bell pepper, garlic, Cajun seasoning and pepper. Cook stirring, until the onion and bell pepper are beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. (If using pre-cooked chicken, add after veggies have softened)

3. Add flour and stir to coat. Add tomatoes and their juice; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is bubbling and thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in raw spinach until it wilts. Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream.

4. Stir the pasta into the sauce and serve.

August 2011 Kitchen Challenge

2011-08-01T20:51:00.001-04:00

I’m going to challenge myself. My goal is to not turn on the oven during the month of August. We live on the 2^nd floor and our place heats up SO quickly and cools down SO slowly. And it’s been balls hot for weeks. I don’t think I used the oven in July more than 4-5 times, so I don’t suspect this will be that hard of a challenge, but it’s a challenge nonetheless. I’m also making an effort to go gluten-free for a bit, due to some stomach troubles…

Some meals that I have planned for the month, though I know other things will come up and I’ll probably only make half of these! They are either already grill, crockpot, or skillet meals, or I will convert them to such.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta and Zucchini Cheddar Chili Mash

Chipotle-Spiced Steak with Roasted Potatoes & Onions with Lemon Pepper Green Beans
Hot Pepper Garlic Chicken, Lentils with Burnt Onions, and Southwestern Corn and Cranberry Salad
Shrimp Ceviche and Brown Rice and Cranberry Pilaf
Tuna and White Bean Salad
Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Beer Lime Grilled Chicken with Spicy Chipotle Grilled Vegetables
Southwestern Burger with Boston Baked Beans
Brown Bag Burritos
Grain Mustard Spiked Cabbage with Hot and Sweet Sausage and Seasoned Corn with Bacon Recipe
Salmon with Caramelized Cherries with Gluten-free Summer Quinoa Salad and Plank Grilled Potatoes
Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken
Greek Egg-Lemon Soup (Avgolemono Soup)
Asian Chicken Salad with Thai Spiced Grilled Potato Wedges with Peanut Butter-Chipotle Dipping Sauce
Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Southwestern Crock Pot Sweet Potato and Corn Medley
Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Dressing and Honey Baked Lentils
Garlicky Lemon Chicken With Broccolini and Creamy Crock Pot Risotto
Grilled Pizza
Spicy Beef Stew
Peanut Satay & Chilli Chicken with Green Beans and Monterey Beans
Tex-Mex Mac & Cheese
Buffalo Shrimp and Spicy Cheesy Rice
Lime Chicken Soft Tacos and Cilantro Rice
Chili Mac
Chicken Breast with Scallions and Mushrooms and Island Veggies
Thai Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers and Warm Potato Salad Dijonnaise

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Teriyaki and Cilantro

2011-05-06T21:35:00.001-04:00

This was a super-simple recipe that I made in March. It was tasty - nothing that blew my mind, but I'd make it again.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Teriyaki and Cilantro

6 T (about 1/3 cup) teriyaki sauce (San-J Teriyaki sauce is gluten-free)
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-in. chunks
6 T (about 1/3 cup) fresh cilantro
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Coat a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and then coat that with cooking spray. Whisk teriyaki sauce and cilantro together in a bowl. Add sweet potatoes and stir. Put mixture on baking sheet and cook 35-40 minutes, stirring every few min.

Spiced Lentil Tacos

2011-05-05T06:38:00.002-04:00

I thought it would be appropriate to post a taco recipe for Cinco de Mayo. Lentils are an incredibly adaptive legume that can be added to any dish and take on any flavor. If the thought of totally meatless tacos disturbs you, add a cup or so of cooked lean ground beef or turkey. It'll be just enough meat for you to feel like it's a "real" taco or to trick your family.

Spiced Lentil Tacos
adapted from Self Magazine
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 package (2.25 oz) taco seasoning (ortega is gluten-free) or make your own
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (gluten-free)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream or greek yogurt
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (use half for less heat)
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
8 hard or soft taco shells (use corn for gluten-free)
lettuce
tomato or salsa
sliced peppers, optionals
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat (2 percent) cheddar

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic and salt until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and red pepper flakes. Cook until spices are fragrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes – stir in taco seasoning mix. Mix sour cream, chile and adobo sauce in a bowl. Uncover lentils and cook until mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Mash with a rubber spatula. Spoon 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with 2 heaping tsp sour cream mixture, lettuce, tomato or salsa, peppers, and cheese.

Blueberry-Beef Burgers and Spiced Grilled Sweet Potatoes

2011-05-03T22:09:00.002-04:00

Tonight was burger night - I've got lots of lean, local, grass-fed beef in my freezer from my meat lady, so I try to plan a meal with ground beef once a week or every other week. I also always have blueberries in the freezer, lovingly frozen from last summer for fear that I would run out of blueberries, which may cause the world to end. SO - I thought this recipe looked great AND healthy. We also threw in some Thai seasoning because we like a little spice - add whatever you'd like. The burgers were really good, very moist, with no hint of blueberry flavor (if you were worried about that). I assume the blueberries are to just add moisture and healthy filler. We ate these with a little BBQ sauce and arugula on sandwich thins - we didn't even use cheese, which is quite unusual for us!

Along with the burgers, we made Spiced Grilled Sweet Potatoes, thanks to a surplus of sweet potatoes in my recent market bags. Lo doesn't really like the flavor of sweet potatoes, but if I make them spicy, he'll eat them without complaint. These were great on the grill. He grilled these first and then the burgers, since the burgers take much less time. They had just enough spice to make them savory (and less sweet potato-ey). The grill gave them a nice caramelized outside.

Blueberry-Beef Burgers

Adapted from EatingWell

2 1/2 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces (used 3 sandwich thins)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries

1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (ran out, so used 1/2 steak sauce, 1/2 soy sauce)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

16 ounces 90%-lean ground beef

1.Place bread in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. (No need to wash the processor.)

2.Add blueberries, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, salt and pepper to the food processor; process until pureed. Scrape into the bowl with the breadcrumbs. Add ground beef and mix well with a potato masher. Divide the mixture into four to five equal portions; form into 1/2-inch-thick patties, about 4 inches in diameter.

3.Meanwhile, preheat broiler or heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high. If using the broiler, coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. If using a grill, oil the grill rack by rubbing it with an oil-soaked paper towel. Cook patties until browned and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. A thermometer inserted in the center should register 160°F, if you need numbers to be sure its done. Serve immediately, with toppings of choice - we used BBQ sauce and arugula.

Spiced Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds), scrubbed well

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Cover potatoes with cold salted water in a large pot, then bring to a boil. Simmer until slightly resistant when pierced with a sharp small knife, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain well. When cool, slice potatoes lengthwise. The skins may slip off as you cut them - feel free to remove them if you want.

Mix together salt, spices and apple cider vinegar; add oil in a slow stream. Brush this mixture on sweet potatoes.

Grill potatoes on a lightly oiled grill rack over medium heat, until grill marks appear and potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm. I dipped mine in a little BBQ since I already had it on the table for the burgers.

Easter Dinner: Hawaiian Burgers, Grilled Carrots, and Braised Fingerlings

2011-04-24T21:17:00.001-04:00

We didn't visit either of our families for Easter this year. Sunday holidays are tough because unless we take Monday off, the traffic is so bad coming back to Columbus that it almost makes the drive a little miserable - especially from NE Ohio. So we have declared Easter "our holiday" for which we stay home and do whatever we want. We went to Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace for brunch and had tasty egg scrambles - his with coney sauce and hot dogs, mine with brisket and spicy corn salsa. They also came with crispy brown potato cubes and tortilla chips. He had a Great Lakes brew and then one in which he ordered by asking the server "does the one tap have a mustache on it?" When she said yes, he said "I'll take whatever that is". I have a Orange Whip, which tasted exactly like a creamsicle - it had Orange Pop, Whipped Cream Vodka, and Cream. Awesome.

After napping and watching some tv, we took my bike over to a parking lot to make sure I can still ride (it's been about 20 years since I've ridden a bike)! I didn't wreck, but still see lots of wrecks in my future, just like in my past. When we got back, we made Easter Dinner: Hawaiian Burgers, Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto, and Braised Fingerlings in Smoked Paprika Sauce.

Hawaiian Teriyaki Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

1 pound ground sirloin

1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 cup Bread Crumbs or Crushed Tortilla Chips (use chips for gluten-free)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon chipotle spice rub (use your favorite)

1 1/2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard

3 tablespoons Spicy Hawaiian Marinade (from World Market) or Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (or choice of sauce)

vegetable oil, for brushing the grill rack

4 hamburger buns or sandwich thins (or nothing if gluten-free)

6 fresh pineapple rings, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Combine the sirloin, onion, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, pepper, spice rub, mustard, and sauce in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and form patties, slightly larger than bun size.

When grill is ready, brush grill rack with oil. Place patties on rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done (165‘F), about 7 minutes on each side. Grill pineapple rings after turning burgers, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. During the last few minutes of cooking, place buns, cut side down, on outer edges of rack to toast lightly.

To assemble burgers, on each roll bottom, place a burger and a grilled pineapple ring. Brush bun tops with sauce, sprinkle with ½ tbsp of cilantro and serve.

Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Pepper and Paprika
Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

olive oil spray
½ cup minced red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons corn starch

½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Wash the potatoes and cut potatoes in half, except smaller or thin potatoes, which can be left whole.

Spray a pan lightly with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the red onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, spices, and potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in the vegetable broth, add salt to taste, and cover. Cook on low for about 25 – 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the broth has cooked down to about half. Remove the potatoes to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Stir corn starch into the cold water until smooth and add to the sauce. Stir and continue cooking until thickened to desired level. Add the oregano and pour over the potatoes to coat with sauce.

Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto(makes 4 servings)

1 bunch carrots with greens attached
1 large clove garlic
about 1/2 cup and 1-2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)

1/4 cup parmesean cheese or parm-romano blend

Favorite spices – I used a chipotle blend, to taste

Snip the carrots from the greens leaving about 1/2-1 inch of the stem on the root. Set carrots aside. Remove any long stems and wilted leaves from the leafy greens. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil the greens for about 1 minute. Drain for 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the garlic clove and the greens, and transfer to a food processor as well as salt, pepper, the 1/2 cup of olive oil and pine nuts and cheese. Pulse for a few seconds, stopping to scrape down mixture with a spatula as needed, until well blended. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and other spices, as desired.

Cut carrots lengthwise so that they’re about equal in size and thickness. Drizzle with olive oil just to coat and season with salt and pepper. Grill carrots on a grill heated to medium-high (or cook on cast-ron pan on stovetop). Let cook for 1-2 minutes, or until charred marks form on the underside, and flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until each side is slightly charred and remove from heat. Serve with the pesto.

Mexican Stuffed Portobellos

2011-04-15T20:49:00.002-04:00

In line with my goal of trying to enjoy mushrooms more, I ordered Portobello mushrooms from Grean B.E.A.N. Delivery. I’ve had Portobellos prepared before at restaurants and liked them just fine, but I've never made them. In that produce delivery, I also got zucchini, red onion, cilantro, and green pepper. I found a similar recipe that had more of an Italian-flare, but I knew Lo would prefer a Mexican-style, since he was more wary of mushrooms than I. I also had cooked black beans in the fridge, along with quinoa and cooked ground beef in the freezer that I pulled out and defrosted. Sorry - the picture kind of sucks and isn't that appetizing, but I promise it tastes good!

This recipe is completely customizable – use whatever veggies that you want, change up the grains or beans (or leave them out), and change up the meat (or leave it out). The ingredients look like a lot, but it didn’t take long at all (with Lo chopping and me getting everything together and cooking). All of the chopping could be done ahead of time, and obviously it’s always nice to have the meat and grains cooked. I like cooking extra grains and meat and storing them in the freezer to pull out for quick meals.

Also - note that I had a lot of this mixture leave over that didn’t fit on the mushrooms, but we’ll just use that in another way – or just eat it separately.

Mexican Stuffed Portobellos

3-4 large Portobello mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
1/2-1 cup of cooked ground beef or shredded chicken (omit for vegetarian)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa or rice
1/2 cup black beans
Fajita or Taco Seasoning Mix, to taste (ortega is gluten-free)
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 Spanish or red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 medium tomato, chopped (or some salsa)
Handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs or crushed tortilla chips (I used blue corn tortilla chips for gluten-free)
1/2 cup cheese of your choice – I used muenster because that’s what we had
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Extra salsa for topping if you’d like

1.Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside. Clean mushroom tops with a paper towel to remove any dirt. Scrape out the gills with a spoon (I don’t know if that is the proper way to do it, but I didn’t know what to do). Set aside.

3.Heat oil in a medium skillet. Chop mushroom stems and add to skillet with zucchini, pepper, onion, garlic and vinegar. Sauté for about 5 to 7 minutes, until onion and zucchini start to soften. Add tomato or salsa, quinoa or rice, black bean, meat (if using), and seasoning mix. If mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in cilantro, bread crumbs, and cheese. (If you prefer a drier mixture, simply add more bread crumbs.) Season with salt and black pepper and more taco seasoning or red pepper, if desired.

4.Fill mushroom tops with vegetable mixture and bake for 15 minutes or until mushrooms look tender and cheese is slightly melted. Top with salsa to eat, if desired.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Spinach and Pepper

2011-04-14T08:57:00.005-04:00

I'm on a quest to like mushrooms, and I think I'm part-way there. I don't know that I'll ever love them raw, but cooked with some sort of sauce, I'm becoming a fan. This would be excellent served over quinoa, rice, cooked rye berries, or your grain of choice. I honestly can't remember how I served it, but I think it may have been over shredded pork, just because we had leftover. It was quite tasty - and would be excellent with chicken, of course. Even my husband ate it, and he's less fond of mushrooms than I.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Spinach and Pepper

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, slivered
1 bag of baby spinach, washed and dried
1 cup broth (beef, chicken, or veggie)
2 T cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet, add the mushrooms, and cook over high heat until they’ve browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and plenty of pepper and dump mushrooms in a bowl.

Return the pan to the heat and add the garlic. Add the spinach and broth, sprinkle with salt, and cook until tender and half of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan and toss with the spinach. Mix cornstarch and water together and pour into pan. Stir and cook until sauce is at your desired thickness - if it gets too thick, stir in some more broth or water. Taste for salt and check to be sure everything is good and peppery. Serves 2 to 4

Nutella Cupcakes

2011-04-12T22:56:00.002-04:00

I have so many other recipes waiting to post, but I couldn't hold off on this one anymore because I just ate one and they are SO good. I adapted this from a recipe that I found on the internet (but can't find again). The original recipe just had some nutella swirled on top, but the little nugget of Nutella in the middle of my cupcakes is AMAZING. I was waiting for an occasion to make these so that I/we wouldn't "have" to eat them all, and luckily, friends had a cookout over the weekend. Seriously, they are made from a cake mix, so don't make excuses why you can't make these.

Nutella Cupcakes

Devil’s Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
½ cup oil
¼ cup milk
½ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream (could sub plain greek yogurt if that's what you have)
24 teaspoons Nutella (1 per cupcake)
Nutella Buttercream:
¾ cup Nutella
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ -2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffins tins. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk, water and vanilla. Sift in cake mix and stir in sour cream. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full and then place a teaspoon of Nutella on top of each one. Put another spoonful of batter on top to full the liner 3/4 full (so the Nutella is in the middle).

Bake for 14-18 minutes or until the sides spring back. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place directly into airtight containers so seal in moisture.

Buttercream: Beat the Nutella and butter until combined. Add vanilla, then alternate between adding powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. Taste the buttercream until you reach your desired sweetness/thickness. If you are good at piping frosting on cupcakes, you may want to refrigerate this for a bit before piping. I suck at it (mostly I don't have a big enough frosting tip), so I just spread it on. Also, if you like thick frosting, you'll want to double the frosting recipe - I didn't put mine on very thick and still had to leave 4 or so unfrosted.

Swiss Chard and Carrot Gratin

2011-04-04T17:10:00.003-04:00

I have a gratin problem. Ever since we had the cabbage and cheddar gratin, we want it all of the time. I know we'll get sick of it if I keep making it, plus I get all of this other amazing produce from Greener Grocer Market Bag and Grean B.E.A.N. Delivery, that I hate to buy any other produce at the grocery. In my last Market Bag, I got swiss chard. Other than it being a member of the "greens" family, I essentially knew nothing about it. I started looking for recipes and came upon some simple saute preparations...and then...a gratin recipe! I didn't like the sound of the sauce recipe for the gratin (olive oil bechamel), so I decided to stick a recipe that we love (cabbage and cheddar gratin, of course), with a few changes. As always with my recipes, use whatever cheese you want and whatever spices you want.

Swiss Chard and Carrot Gratin

1 cup sharp white cheddar, divided
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 large carrot, shredded. (I use a veggie peeler to "shred" carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup broth, chicken or vegetable
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal (used GF)
Couple of shakes of dried parsley, dill, thyme, and red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (I used whole grain)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Prepare the swiss chard first; you'll use the stems and greens. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the chard. Wash the stems thoroughly, trim away the ends and slice crosswise about 1/2 inch thick. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chard stalks. Turn the heat down to medium, and boil gently for five to seven minutes until the stalks are just cooked through. Remove from the pot with a skimmer or a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels or in a strainer. While the stems are boiling, wash the greens in two changes of water, and tear or cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Fill a bowl with ice water. After removing the stems from the pot, bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the greens. Blanch for one to two minutes until tender, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Set aside 1/4 cup of the cheese. Toss remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, along with the chard greens and stems, and transfer to a lightly greased 8 inch baking dish or 2 qt. gratin dish. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, top with reserved cheese and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Yield: Serves four as a side dish.