Recipe - Red Bean & Potato Stew

Recipe: Red Bean and Potato Stew

1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 can of red beans, drained
1 small can of corn, drained
3 potatoes, half-inch cubes
1/4 cup peas
3 chopped carrots
1 tsp mince garlic
1 28 oz can of Pastene Kitchen Ready Ground Peeled Tomatoes
refill can with water
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1 mashed and broken up veg boullion cub dissolved in a little hot water
salt & pepper to season
1 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil on med high, add carrots and peas. Stir and heat up a minute. Add garlic, season and stir. Heat another minute. Add tomato, water, boullion, thyme and parsley. Cover and bring to rolling boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat. Add dill weed and cayenne pepper. Stir. Cover and let cool for a few minutes then serve.

Option to add more hot sauce.

Recipe - Hummus Caserole (for real!)

There was a container of hummus that was dated Feb 28, so I decided to use it up tonight. But how? Well, I had stuffing mix, cream of mushroom and some complementary veggies, so...

Recipe: Hummus Caserole

1 tub of red pepper hummus
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup well-chopped carrots
1 can of fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 8 0z. package of whole wheat stuffing
1/4 cup of broth

optional: sprinkle parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika over top

Heat oven to 450. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread in 9x9 in glass dish. Bake 45 minutes. Remove and serve. It's a bit radical, but it's delicious.

Recipe: Semi-Homemade Tuna Melt Caserole

Recipe: Semi-Homemade Tuna Melt Caserole

1 box of Annie's Whole Wheat Shells & White Cheddar mac n cheese
1 can of tuna, drained and flaked
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mild cheddar cheese
1/4 cup peas
1/2 small onion, very finely chopped
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tbs butter
3 oz of sour cream (fat free or low fat preferred)
1/2 cup pasta water
salt & pepper

Set oven to 425 degrees. Cook pasta 6-8 minutes, until just al dente. Drain with bowl underneath (to catch the starchy water) and set aside. In the same large sauce pan, heat butter over med high heat. Add peas, onion and tuna. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and cook about 2 minutes. Reduce to medium heat. Add cheese packet, shredded cheese, sour cream, pasta, 1/4 cup pasta water and parsley. Stir well and simmer a few minutes. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on how browned you want the melted cheese to get. I like that part. It reminds me the most of the tuna melt. But, you decide. Remove and serve.

Recipe - Baked Lentils & Rotini

Recipe: Baked Lentils and Rotini

Lentils:
1/2 cup dry lentils
1 tsp onion flake
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
3/4 cup water or broth

Pasta:
1/2 box whole wheat rotini, cooked al dente

Sauce:
1/2 tbs butter
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
1 5.3 oz container of Fage yogurt (Greek yogurt)
1/4 c. water or broth
1/4 c. of sour cream
salt & pepper

In a small saucepan mix all ingredients for the lentils. Bring to a boil then simmer 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cook pasta to al dente (about 10 min). Drain and set aside. In the large sauce pan, heat butter and olive oil on medium high heat. Add peas and carrots. Stir and heat about 2 minutes. Add garlic, stir and heat for 2 minutes. Add lentils, yogurt, curry, dill weed, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir well. Cover and simmer on med low heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the lentils and carrots are tender. Add yogurt & water. Stir and remove from heat. Cover with aluminum foil (especially over plastic handles) and bake 30 minutes. Remove from over. Add sour cream and cayenne pepper. Stir and serve.

Recipe: Puttanesca Sauce

"I like your puttan...esca sauce," said Rene-the-roommate. Making a dirty joke to the dirty origins of this tasty sauce. She came home just as it was coming off the stove.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
10 grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbs chopped Spanish olives
2 tbs chopped marinated roasted red peppers
1/4 feta cheese
1/2 can of chopped tomatoes -or- 1 cup of jarred marinara sauce
1/4 c. red wine
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (if you are a wussy, you can use less)
1/2 tsp dried onion
salt and pepper
AND
half a box of that good for you pasta

Start your pasta water first then...

Heat the butter and evoo to med high. Add tomatoes, olives, red pepper and garlic. Sautee a few minutes, until the skin start to come off the tomatoes.

Right about now your pasta water's probably at the rolling boil so add the pasta to it...

Next, add the canned chopped tomatoes/ jarred tomato sauce, the cheese and all the spices. Stir well, until well mixed. Turn heat up a little more, add the wine and stir well. Let it cook off for about a minute, then turn down to low, cover and simmer as pasta cooks. Stir occasionally.

Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to saute pan. Stir and mix well. Cover again and let sit for one minute so the flavor hang out with each other and get to know each other well. Remove and serve.

Recipe: Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Vinaigrette

Recipe: Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Vinaigrette

1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbs evoo
1 tbs water
1 heaping tsp Spinach and Herb seasoning from Tastefully Simple
sprinkle garlic powder
salt & pepper

Whisk together for tasty dressing.

Recipe: Mushroom & Spinach Scallops with Pasta

Recipe: Mushroom & Spinach Scallops with Pasta

1/2 box cooked pasta
1 pound scallops
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1 c. spinach, chopped
1 small onion chopped
1/2 c. water
2-6 garlic gloves (to taste)
1/2 half lemon

extra lemon slices for garnish
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

extra cheese for garnish
1 tsp basil
1 tbs butter
1 tbs evoo
1/2 cup bread crumbs

salt & pepper

Cook pasta while preparing meal. Drain and set aside.

In large frying pan, heat evoo and butter over med high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until clear. Add basil, mushrooms and spinach and stir a little. Add a few tbs water and stir some more. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in small sauce pan, parboil the scallops. Remove from heat. Scoop out scallops from water and add to bread crumbs, to coat the scallops. Add scallops to frying pan. Add lemon juice, parmesan and a little more water. Cook all ingredients together until it starts to smell good and cook well together, if you know what I mean. Add pasta, toss, let sit over low heat covered for 2 minutes, stir again, season again and serve.

It's good. BTW, this recipe was created by me & Johnny togeth'. We are good at cookin'.

Recipe: Sweet Carrots

Recipe: Sweet Carrots

3 peeled and coin cut carrots
1 tsp butter
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Boil carrots to desired tenderness. Strain but keep the water. Reurn to pot, add butter, parsley, 1 tsp of carrot-water and cinnamon. Stir and serve.

Recipe: Corn Chowder

Recipe: Corn Chowder

1 can of cream of celery soup
1 package frozen corn
1 pint of whole milk
1 cup veggie broth
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp butter
1 tbs evoo
sprinkle of garlic powder
salt and pepper

Turn oven onto 450. Spread about 1/2 cup of corn kernels on a cookie sheet or a frying pan. Roast until about a quarter of the kernels brown. Set aside. In a large stock pot, sautee chopped onion over med high heat until some begin to brown, add roasted corn, garlic, salt and pepper and stir, let cook together for a minute. Add rest of corn, broth, and cream of celery. Stir well, cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for a few minutes until you can smell that the ingredients are mixing well together. Reduce heat to medium low and let sit for a minute to cool down. Then, slowly add milk, stirring constantly as you pour milk in. If you want a thicker chowder, use less milk. Thinner, use more. Add the parsley. Cover and simmer for 15. Stir and uncover then simmer about 10 more minutes.

Recipe: Egg Scramble - Gorgonzola & Green Onion

Recipe: Gorgonzola & Green Onion Egg Scramble

I like egg scrambles more than omelettes because all the ingredients get more perfectly spread out through the dish.

3 medium eggs
4 stalks of green onion
1-2 tbs gorgonzola cheese
1 tsp water

Beat three medium eggs then add four stalks of chopped green onion and 1-2 tbs of crumbled gorgonzola and water then whisk together. Over medium high heat in evoo and 1 tsp of butter, pour egg mixture and continue to heat, stir and scramble in pan until no longer liquid.

It's good.

Recipe: Fig Vinaigrette

I've been making dressings with a tinge heavier taste than your standard vinaigrette, which is nice for winter. Here's another one:

1 tbs evoo
2 tbs fig vinegar
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dill weed
sprinkle of garlic pwder
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk in the bottom of the salad bowl until well blended, then add salad ingredients and toss well.

Recipe: White Salad

Salad (mostly white or off-white colored ingredients, except lettuce):

2 heads Boston Lettuce, washed, drained and torn
1 cuke, peeled, halved and sliced
1 Anjou pear, quartered and slices
1 c. garlic seasoned almond slices
1/2 chick peas
optional white onion slices

Dressing:

1 tbs raspberry infused vinegar
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dill weed
dash cinnamon
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and whisk together. When well blended, add salad ingredients and toss until everything is goodly mixed and whatnot.

Serve and enjoy. Tasty, healthy, fresh and different.

Recipe: White Bean and Spinach Soup

White Bean and Spinach Soup

1 tbs evoo
1 tsp minced garlic
1 sml onion, chopped
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
1/2 package of spinach, chopped
1/2 c. white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can white beans
1/2 tsp basil leaf
1/2 tsp dill weed
1 bouillon cube
1 qt of water
salt & pepper to taste

In large pot, heat evoo at med high heat. Add garlic and onion, stir occasionally. When onion begins to get clear, add mushrooms. Stir. Let mushrooms wilt a little. Add chopped spinach, stir well. Pour wine, sprinkling back and forth, over sauteed veggies. Stir well. Let spinach wilt and alcohol cook off, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato, beans, bouillon and water. Stir well. Bring to rolling boil. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

It's really really good. One of my favorite recipes.

Recipe: Lemon Pepper Tuna Casserole with brown rice

Lemon Pepper Tuna Casserole with brown rice

1 c. uncooked brown rice (yields 3 cooked cups)
2 1/2 c. water
1 bouillon cube

1 tbs evoo
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c. chopped mushroom
1 c. chopped spinach

1/2 c. of lemon pepper marinade (any brand)

1 can of tuna, drained
1-2 tbs "bacon" bits
1 tsp dill weed

half packet of whole wheat Ritz crackers
sprinkle of garlic powder
sprinkle of parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In medium sauce pan, add water, rice and bouillon cube. Bring to a rolling boil, stir, then simmer on low heat for 40 minutes or until broth is evaporated.

Heat frying pan at med high heat, add evoo when oil begins smoking, add garlic & mushroom, salt and pepper. Saute until mushroom limp. Add chopped spinach, let spinach wilt a little then add 3 tbs of marinade. Stir. When spinach is fairly wilted, remove from heat.

In large mixing bowl, add tuna. Mash with fork to break apart. Add bacon bits and rest of marinade. Stir ingredients well. Add sauteed veggies and brown rice, mix well. Spread mixtured into 9x9 glass baking dish.

Crumb crackers. Add to small bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Spread cracker crust over top of dish.

Bake in over for 20-30 min until top is brown.

Recipe: Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy

I made this for Thanksgiving, since I don't eat turkey but I need some gravy on my potatoes and stuffing (non bird stuffing, of course) and green bean caserole, etc.

Mushroom Vegetarian Gravy

1/2 cup finely chopped baby portabella mushrooms
1 minced garlic clove
1 veggie boullion cube, mushed up
1/2 tbs butter (vegetable oil if you're vegan)
1 tbs evoo
2 tbs flour
2 c. water (preferably the drained water from the carrots or squash that you boiled as part of the meal prep, for added flavor)
1/2 tsp gravy master
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Add butter and evoo to sauce pan. Heat pan to med high heat. As butter begins to melt and get hot, add garlic and mushrooms. Stir. After oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms are well incorporated, add mushed up boullion cube. Stir often until mushrooms begin to tender. Sprinkle flour over mixture, slowly, constantly stirring. Add 3/4 cup of water and spices & gravy master. Stir well. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once gravy begins to bubble, reduce heat. When settled, check for consistency.

If too thick - increase heat, add more water (eyeball it), bring to a boil then simmer over low heat. Note that gravy will thicken upon standing.

If too thin - in a small jar with lid, mix 1 tbs flour, 1/4 c boiling water. Slowly pour in starchy water into gravy mixture, mixing well. Bring to boil then simmer over low heat.

Serve while hot for best taste and consistency.

Note: The trick with a good vegetarian gravy is that you have to find a way to simulate the "pan drippings" start of a standard gravy. This comes from a mix of hearty flavors - in this case portabello mushrooms, vegetable boullion cube and garlic - and some sort of fat - in this case, part butter, part evoo. This gravy recipe isn't "smooth" like a standard gravy because its base consists of chopped mushrooms. However, if chopped finely, and once thoroughly cooked, the "lumps" aren't too bad and the gravy adds great flavor to your dinner. It's also a little less fatty.

Substitutions/ variations: If you're not a fan of mushroom, other hearty flavored veggies will also work, like shallots, onion, carrot (though this is far more mild), or just plain garlic. You can also add red or white wine to the beginning veggie sauteeing stage. Wait until the alcholo has burned off before adding the flour, water, etc.

And this is the end to the gravy lessons learned over 17 years of vegetarian holiday feasting.

Recipe: Pear & Boston Lettuce Salad

I just made this up off the top of my head! It's delicious.

1 head of Boston lettuce, washed and drained (but don't worry about too much draining because a little bit of water will be good to help with the dressing), and chopped
1 plum tomato, sliced and quartered
1 half Anjou pear, sliced and halved
2 tbs crumbled bleu cheese
2 tbs evoo
2 tbs fig infused vinegar
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp parsley
spinkle of garlic powder (to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

To start, mix the vinegar, evoo, dill weed, parsley, pepper, salt and garlic powder and whisk at the bottom of the bowl. Then add the tomato, pears, chopped lettuce and bleu cheese then toss and serve.

Recipe: Skillet Veggie Pot Pie

I ripped this off from the 30 Minute Test Kitchen PBS show, which I half watch/half nap during after work on Saturdays.

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Bisquick Biscuit mix

1 crown of broccolli - finely chopped (1/2 for biscuits, 1/2 for pot pie mix)

1 can of cream of whatev (I used asparagus this time)
1/2 package of the heat and mash frozen potatoes

1/2 c each of various veggies of choice -or-
1 small package of frozen veg medley -or-
BOTH; I sliced baby carrots, chopped some fresh mushrooms and some broccoli

1 and 1/2 cs. veggie stock or water
1 tbs evoo
1/4 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL: cubed garlic and onion tofu (WARNING: this looks mad bogus in the mix, but tastes good and adds protein, which is a good thing)

These thorough step by step instructions explain how to save time while preparing the meal:

1. Heat oven to 400, as instructed on back of biscuit package. Add the biscuit mix to a large bowl. Keep the bowl to the side as you prepare the rest of the meal.
2. Chop carrots
3. In a microwave safe bowl, add a tbs of water, the chopped carrots to the bottom of the bowl, and half the package of frozen potatoes. (DO NOT MIX TOGETHER) Microwave 3 minutes.
4. Finely chop broccolli into tiny pieces. Put half in the biscuit bowl, the other half to go in the pot pie mix
5. Chop mushroom and tofu
6. Thaw the frozen veggies by running some warm water into the package. Let sit for a bit.
7. Add evoo to large pot, heat med high. When the oil begins smoking, add mushrooms, tofu, broccolli, thyme, salt and pepper
8. Add microwaved potatoes to a large bowl. Add carrots to sauteeing mushrooms and tofu
9. Continue sautee until veggies are tender
10. While veggies & tofu sautee, open can of cream of asparagus. Add 1 heaping tbs into biscuit mix. Add the rest of the soup mix to the potatoes.
11. Mix soup, potatoes and 1/2 cup of stock or water in one bowl. Consistency will be somewhat thick (perfect for pot pie gravy!)
12. Add frozen veggies and potato/soup mix to pot of sauteeing veggies. Stir all ingredients well. Bring to a boil then simmer about 20 minutes (time it takes to make and bake biscuits, essentially). Stir occasionally. If consistency looks too thick, add more stock/water.
13. Add 1/2 cup stock or water to biscuit mix. Stir until mixture is wet. Make into eight (not the suggested six) biscuits and set on lightly greased cookie sheet.
14. When biscuits are cooked (package says "8-11 minutes" but I like them a little brown, so I left them in for 15 minutes), stir the veggie mix one more time and remove from heat.
15. Serve the veggie mix in a bowl and place the biscuit on top - that's the "pie" part of the skillet pot pie

THE END - enjoy

Recipe: Vegetarian Casserole

Now, I know how skeptical you all can be about tofu. I understand that skepticism. But I really mean it when I say that this is a delicious recipe.

1 container of garlic onion flavored tofu, well chopped
1 crown of broccoli, well chopped
1 container of mushroom, well chopped
1/2 package of stuffing mix
1 can of cream of broccoli
1/4 cup of veggie broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp thyme
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of black pepper

Mix all ingredients very well in a large bowl. Spread into glass casserole dish. Bake in oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until top is crispy brown. Let cool, serve and enjoy. You can barely taste the tofu. I swear.

Recipe: Curry Tuna Salad

This is one of those "infusion" recipes, of American standards plus Asian influence, to make a Curry Tuna Salad:

1 can of tuna
1 tsp evoo
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
dash ginger, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper (to taste for all those)
1 stalk of celery, finely finely chopped
1 half slice of onion, finely finely chopped

Mix all ingredient well in bowl. Serve on roll, bread, crackers or in salad.

It's good because it has all the hints of the standard American recipe (celery, mayo) but is far less fat because it uses vinegar and olive oil and just a teeny bit of mayo. It's super flavorful and, more importantly, healthier than the standard version.

Bon Apetit!

Recipe: Healthy-ish Tuna Noodle Casserole

I made tuna noodle casserole but in a healthy way. Both the roomie & I agree: it's yummy and not lacking anything by being healthier instead high fat. Feel free to add things you like to eat--different veggies, chicken instead of tuna, etc., -- this is just a general guideline (I'm in a cooking mood lately):

Ingredients:
1 pkg of egg noodles or whole wheat wide noodles
1 8 oz container of Fage Greek yogurt
12 oz drained container of tuna
2 tsp of evoo
2 tsp dill weed
1 veg bullion, dissolved in 1/4 cup of boiling water (take from the cooking noodles)
1 cup of frozen peas
a sprinkle of garlic powder, salt & pepper

Topping:
4 Ritz crackers
6 healthy-type, whole wheat crackers
sprinkle of parsley, paprika, garlic, salt & pepper

Preheat over to 375 degrees
Cook noodles as directed to just al dente (because they're going in the oven)
While they're cooking, scoop out about a quarter cup of the boiling water and dissolve a vegetable bullion in it. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add tuna, yogurt, evoo, dill, garlic, salt, pepper and--once the bullion is fully or almost fully dissolved--broth. Mix well. Set aside.
Crumb the crackers and spices. If you don't have a food processor or a blender, wrap the crackers up in some paper towels, then wrap that up in a cloth napkin/dish rag. Set on the counter and whack the shit out of it with a masher and/or serving spoon, venting out all of the anger you have towards that rat bastard who dun you wrong. You may want to do this even if you have a blender/ food processor, simply because it is fun. Empty the contents into a small bowl so you can easily sprinkle over the top of the caserole dish later.
Once the egg noodles are al dente, drain well and add to mixing bowl. Mix well then put in glass baking dish or lightly greased nonstick baking pan.
Evenly sprinkle crumb mix over the top of caserole.
Place in over for 45 min (if you like a crunchy, brown top) or 30 min, depending on your preference.

Remove and let cool a little.

Pairs well with: milk, Miller High Life, other down-home type drinks