Black Beans and Quinoa

After coming home from Thanksgiving I felt like I needed to fast for a while. I had definitely consumed my calorie quota for about 6 weeks. But, my family didn't feel the same way. They still wanted to eat. The nerve! I figured if I couldn't fast then I would make something healthy. A year or two ago I found this recipe on Allrecipes and I thought it was so good. I think the best thing about it is that it is pretty basic so it lends itself well to lots of different modifications. This time I made it exactly according to the recipe. To serve I put it over raw, shredded cabbage with avocado and cilantro on top. I have also served it with salsa and queso fresco on top, or with pico and shredded cheese on top. The possibilities are endless.

Quinoa and Black Beans

from allrecipes.com

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Chicken and Dumplings

So many cold-weather dishes, so little time to make them. I love chicken and dumplings, but it just doesn't seem right to make when it is warm outside. So, this is one of those recipes that I get to make during one of our 14 days of cold weather. I think I may have to start making this once a week so I get my fill before it gets hot again. I used this recipe from Food Network, but I made some changes.

Chicken and Dumplings

adapted from Rachel Ray's

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)

1 T olive oil

2 T unsalted butter

2 stalks of celery, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1 onion, diced

1 dried bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

2 T flour

1 quart chicken broth

1 c. frozen peas

(dumpling recipe to follow)

Earlier in the day I like to cook my chicken at 375° for about 4o minutes. I cut it up and set it aside to use whenever I make my chicken and dumplings.

In a large pan (I used a 5 qt. saute pan so that I would have lots of room for the dumplings) melt the butter along with the olive oil over medium heat . Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and cook for a couple of more minutes. Add the broth and simmer until the dumplings are ready to put in the pan.
To make the dumplings: Mix together 1 cup of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of dried dill. Add in 1/2 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Drop the dumplings into the pan by the heaping tablespoonful.

Place the lid on the pan and let the dumplings steam for 10 minutes. Don't peek while they are cooking! Once the dumplings are done, add the peas. Then, voila! A bowl of hot, delicious goodness. And, in true Rachel Ray fashion, this was ready in 30 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

Jen

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna

I made another casserole tonight. This time, instead of being Mexican inspired, it was Italian inspired. And, no, I didn't take pictures. Taking care of a sick kid with bronchitis makes me forgetful. But, that is beside the point. I just thought I should mention that it is good and that you should make it. Enjoy!

To get this recipe go here. (I did make three minor changes to the recipe. I added 2 chopped zucchini to the tomato/vegetable sauce, I only used about 2 cups of mozzarella instead of 4, and I used about a cup pf parmesan instead of 1/2 c.)

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I don't make a ton of casseroles. I'm not really sure why because I really like them. In fact, I like everything about them. I like that the whole meal is contained in one pan, which means that clean up is a breeze. I like that they are usually pretty easy to assemble. And, best of all, something about them always tastes delicious. When I feel like a good casserole, this is usually the one that I make. Because a big, steaming pan of enchiladas always sounds good.

Enchilada Casserole

3 chicken breast halves
1 brick (for lack of a better word) cream cheese, softened
8-9 roasted green chiles, chopped
1 bottle Herdez salsa verde
3/4 lb. spinach, sauteed and chopped
corn tortillas
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
shredded Chihuahua cheese (or Mozzarella)

Boil the chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Put the chicken in a bowl with the cream cheese and green chiles and mix well until creamy. To assemble the casserole: pour a thin layer of the salsa verde into the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Next, tear a few corn tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan. Then, spread half of the creamy chicken mixture on top of the tortillas. Put half of the spinach on top of the chicken and put a bit more of the salsa verde on top of the spinach. Top that with some shredded cheese. Repeat that again making another layer. To finish the casserole, end with a layer of torn tortillas, completely covered with the salsa verde and a lot of cheese. Bake covered at 350° for 45 minutes and uncovered for the last 15 minutes. Let the casserole cool for about 10-15 minutes so it doesn't fall apart when you cut it. Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Beef Stew

I think in my previous life I must have lived in a cold climate. All year long I wait until it is "soup weather." Unfortunately, that's about 15 days out of the year in Austin. That means that we end up eating soups and stews long before it is cold enough. That's okay though, I just put the air down to 65&deg and put on a sweatshirt. There's nothing wrong with pretending, right?

A few days ago it just so happened that I had everything on hand to make beef stew and I had been craving it for a week or two. I love when the stars align for me like that. I just hate going to the store. For the beef stew recipe go here.


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Crab Stuffed Dover Sole

Doesn't this sound so fancy? I think anything stuffed with crab sounds absolutely exquisite. Not only does this sound fancy, it sounds downright extravagant. But, never fear, this was as easy as 1-2-3.

I knew when I went to the store the other day that I wanted to have fish that night, I just wasn't sure what kind I wanted to make. The Dover sole was both fresh (not previously frozen) and wild caught (not farm raised), so I knew that would do just fine. Only problem was that I had never made that kind of fish before. Not to worry, the fish dude at Central Market was full of good ideas. He told me his favorite way to make Dover sole was to put some of their pre-made crab cakes in the middle of the fillet and wrap it up and bake it. Sold! That sounded delicious and totally easy. And it was. (Absolutely to die for, that is.)

Crab Stuffed Dover Sole

6 Dover sole fillets
1 pre-made crab cake (I imagine that lump crab meat would also be good)
seasoned or plain breadcrumbs
melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Place fish fillets out on a flat surface and season the top with salt and pepper. Place a small amount (between 1 and 2 T) of the crab cake in the center of the fillet. Wrap the fish around the crab and cover the roll in breadcrumbs. Place the fish seam side down on a baking sheet and repeat. Drizzle all of the fish rolls with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes. Next, put the fish under the broiler for a minute or two just so the fish gets a bit more browned. That's it!

I guess that is more like easy as 1-2-3-4-5...


Bon Appetit!
Jen

Chicken Pesto Panini

Mmmm... These were delicious! What's not to like about pesto, fresh mozzarella, and ciabatta bread? It is a winning combination. I love to make grilled panini because they are they are so easy to throw together for a quick weeknight meal. And you can stuff them with whatever you happen to have on hand. So, not only are they a breeze to make, but you also get to clean out your fridge. It's a win-win situation, really.

I had a red pepper that needed to be used so I roasted it for the sandwiches. You can roast red peppers in the oven if you'd like, but I am lazy and opt to roast mine on top of the stove. Then I don't have to worry about dirtying a baking sheet. (I really don't care for dishes, so the fewer the better.) And, fresh roasted red peppers are much tastier than the jarred variety. Trust me. So, just place the red pepper directly over the flame. Like so:
Once the pepper is totally black and charred, remove from the flame and place it in a paper bag. Roll the up tightly so that it is sealed. Leave it alone for about an hour. Don't open the bag. The steam from pepper will make the skin just slip right off. When the pepper has cooled off, take it out of the bag and remove the skin. Set your roasted red pepper aside until you are ready to use it.

Next, get the chicken ready. You want it to be thin so you can really smoosh the sandwich and have it be relatively compact. So, pound the chicken, season it with salt and pepper on both sides, and cook it in olive oil on top of the stove. Set it aside until you are ready to make your panini.

To assemble: I recommend ciabatta bread (cut in half horizontally, of course) with pesto generously slathered on each side. Top that with fresh mozzarella, the chicken, roasted red pepper slices, and more fresh mozzarella. Close the sandwich and grill. If you have a panini press then, by all means, use that. But, if you are like me, this is your panini maker. It's not as sad as it looks, I promise. It actually works really well.

And that's it. Pretty simple, very fast, and just plain heavenly.


Bon Appetit!
Jen