BLAT and Chipotle-Ancho Lime Sweet Potatoes

to accompany our easy stand-by dinner, the BLAT (think BLT and add avocado), i made the most amazing sweet potatoes.  If i don't write it down, i will never forgive myself.  They are a little spicy and very tangy!

Ancho-Chipotle Lime Sweet Potatoes

1 dried chipotle pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 dried ancho chili, stemmed and seeded
2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 limes
~1/3 cup olive oil
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, and diced evenly
1 medium sweet onion

pre-heat oven to 375

in a dry skillet over medium high heat, toast the chili peppers, turning once until toasty and pliable, and the cumin seeds, until fragrant and beginning to brown.  grind in coffee mill with salt.

in a small bowl, combine 1/2 pepper powder, garlic, juice of one lime, and equal amount olive oil
spread sweet potatoes and onion on lined baking sheet or large baking dish.  mix dressing and toss with potatoes/onion.  If more is needed, mix more pepper powder, lime juice, and olive oil and repeat.

bake in oven, stirring every 10 minutes until edges are chewy-sweet (40-60 minutes depending on size of chunks).

serve over a bed of arugula is desired.

Meal Planning

As much as i enjoy cooking, it is easy for me to fall in a slump, get overwhelmed but what to make for dinner, and let the burden fall upon my hard-working husband.  which isn't fair.  after my successful big salad sunday night, i have been laying in bed thinking how to mix it up as not to tire from this super healthy dinner.  in addition, i have been surfing tastespotting.com and stumbled across many many delicious looking healthy recipes, not to mention muffins and maybe a dessert or two.  and then i get overwhelmed by the seas of possibility and fall into my slump again.

big salad ideas:
mexican lime:
     greens, lime/cumin/chipotle dressing, black beans, avocado, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, corn if in season
"hummus:"
     greens, lemon/tahini/garlic/cumin/cayenne dressing, chickpeas, parsley, roasted red pepper, carrots, olives, cucumber (for alex), almonds?
Spiced autumn:
     greens, orange/cinnamon/shallot dressing, roasted beets, roasted winter squash/sweet potato, parsley, mint? goat cheese, hazelnuts, beans?  inspired by orange beet salad
paprika:
     greens, lemon/paprika dressing, roasted winter squash, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas
harissa salad:
     greens, harissa dressing, roasted red peppers, mint, parsley, chickpeas
more to come!

Week of 1/23/12 Menu:
breakfast bread: zucchini pineapple
breakfast bar: Pumpkin Cranberry Chocolate Chip Granola Bars | Sweet Pea's Kitchen
soup I: curried-cauliflower-soup
soup II: tortilla soup
savory snack: sweet-potato-hummus-and-cumin-flatbread-chips
sweet snack: chocolate peanut butter clusters
smoothie I:
smoothie II:
Monday dinner: new yorker deli pizza
Tuesday dinner: red lentil and sweet potato curry with spicy cabbage and rice
wednesday dinner: big salad, chipotle lime
thursday dinner: curried-cauliflower-soup
friday dinner: crockpot-cheddar-beer-chicken-tacos
saturday dinner: roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-cranberries-and-barley
sunday dinner: tortilla soup

The "Big" Salad

After spending a few days with miss amanda rotella in New orleans, i have been thinking about my diet.  it's not bad, but it could be better.  She recommended i take a few weeks and cut a bunch of foods from my diet to help kick start my metabolism.  these foods to be omitted include lactose/dairy, soy, gluten, sugar, pretty much anything white and starchy.  I've been researching cleansing diets but havent had much luck finding the diet plan outlining her advice.

well i digress.  by researching all these healthy diets and cleanses, i have seen some commonalities.  these include greens, lots of greens.  especially bitter greens.  also includes fiber, and citrus.  lots of veggies.  so this inspired my dinner i made for alex and me sunday night, the Big Salad.  it was too delicious to be forgotten!

Big Salad, serves 2

Ingredients:
Juice of two lemons
6 garlic cloves
1 scallion
olive oil, divided
honey to taste
salt and pepper to taste
dash of cayenne
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
balsamic, divided
pint cherry tomatoes
half red onion
arugula
half roasted pepper, sliced
1 carrot, shaved, grated, or julienned
sunflower seeds

Directions:
in a small food processor combine first seven ingredients.  my lemons were quite sour so i needed a lot of honey to balance it out.  Soak beans in dressing while preparing rest of ingredients.
half cherry tomatoes.  toss with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.  slow roast on rack at about 300-350 degrees, depending on time.
dice red onion and saute on medium heat until beginning to brown.  add salt and splash of balsamic, lower heat and saute until beginning to caramelize.
divide arugula between two bowls.  top with tomatoes, beans/dressing, onions, carrots, roasted pepper, sunflower seeds.  Serve and enjoy!

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Peppers, and Spiced Cumin

I used Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen again to find this recipe (pg. 268). I discovered bulgur in a Peter Berley Recipe and love its chewy texture! It reminds me of quinoa, but seems to be more fail-proof and has a more consistent texture. Again I made the whole recipe to yield leftovers, which seems it will work much better than the pasta from earlier this week.

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Peppers, and Spiced Cumin Dressing

serves 4 as a main course

Fine-grain bulgur, sometimes labeled "good for tabbouleh," is essential to this recipe, because coarsely ground bulgur will not soften when soaked in boiling water. A late season tomato salad or Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes with Indian Flavors (page 212) complete this meal.

1 1/2 cups bulgur

3 cups boiling water

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

6 ounces drained jarred roasted red peppers, diced (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1 medium head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

4 pita breads, warmed and cut into wedges

1. Place the bulgur in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and set aside, stirring occasionally, until the bulgur has softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the bulgur, shaking the strainer and gently pressing out excess moisture. Return the bulgur to the bowl.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the lemon, honey, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is smooth.

3. Add the chickpeas, roasted peppers, and parsley to the bow with the drained bulgur and stir to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the bulgur mixture and toss to combine.

4. Line each individual plate with several lettuce leaves. Mound some bulgur salad over the lettuce and tuck some pita wedges into the salad at several laces around the plate. Serve.

We found this recipe to have plenty of spice! I would make extra dressing next time, maybe increase it by 50%. The ratio of beans and peppers to bulgur seemed satisfactory. Instead of serving atop cold lettuce, I would stir spinach in while the mixture is hot to wilt the spinach. A few substitutions I made was I used two peppers I roasted myself, 1 1/2 cups of beans I cooked myself, spinach instead of the Bibb lettuce, and I negated the pita. A tomato salad or the addition of oven dried tomatoes to the bulgur mixture would definitely complete this meal!

Penne with Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed-Parsley Pesto

I have neglected to update this blog and have left out many delicious recipes i have made over the passed months. now that alex is in flight training, my goal is to have an organized weekly meal planner and to record the final products in this blog, critique the outcome, and include any modifications i think are necessary.

The first meal i planned for this week came out of my cookbook, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop. I made "Penne with Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed-Parsley Pesto" (page 246). I was craving a pasta dish and this one looked simple, yet flavorful, and incorporated unconventional ingredients (the pumpkins seeds, which are one of Alex's favorites). I made the full recipe which is supposed to yield 4 servings so we could have leftovers later in the week.

Penne with Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed-Parsley Pesto

serves 4 as a main course

The nutty taste of green pumpkin seeds works well with the mild

parsley in this pesto sauce. Broccoli and pumpkin seeds marry

fall flavors.

1/2 cup hulled green pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 cups packed fresh parsley leaves

1 small garlic clove, peeled

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table

salt

1 pound penne

1 pound broccoli, stalks discarded and florets cut into bite-sized pieces

1. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the cooking of the pasta

2. Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds out on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in the oven, shaking the pan once or twice to turn the seeds, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Cool the pumpkin seeds.

3. Process the cooled pumpkin seeds, parsley, garlic, and pepper flakes in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the ingredients are finely ground. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube and process until thick and fairly smooth. Scrape the mixture into a bowl large enough to hold the cooked pasta. (the Pesto will be very thick.) Stir in the cheese and salt to taste. (Salt the pesto generously; it has to season a pound of pasta and the broccoli.)

4. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, add the broccoli, and continue to cook until the broccoli is crisp-tender, 1 1/2 minutes. Meanwhile, stir 1/2 cup of the cooking water into the pesto to achieve a saucier consistency. Drain the pasta and broccoli. Add the pasta and broccoli to the bowl with the pesto and toss, adding more water as necessary to moisten the pasta and help spread the pesto. Serve immediately, passing the grated cheese at the table.

I thought this dish was fairly flavorful for how simple it was to prep and make. I added more garlic and red pepper flakes to the pesto. I also think the pasta became slightly overcooked. Next time I would remove the pasta once it reaches al dente and then quick-boil the broccoli for 1 minute then combine together in a bowl. Also the amount of pesto was not sufficient for the full pound of pasta. I would also recommend making just enough for one meal. I found the pasta and broccoli became more mushy as it was reheated for lunch today. It also needs just one more component to balance the dish. something with acid or sweetness. I am not sure what, as I do not want to clash with the broccoli and pesto flavors. Also this component could add more color to the dish, as it was very green. Perhaps bruschetta topped with either tomatoes or peppers would compliment the pasta.

Boxty Party! - Roasted Succotash and Caprese Salad

Gruber and his roommate, Mark were making boxties and chicken wings last night. I wanted to bring some veggies to the table, so I made Caprese Salad, featured in a previous blog post, and Roasted Vegetable Succotash. I melded a few different recipes I found together to create the succotash I envisioned. Here is the recipe I came up with:

Roasted Vegetable Succotash

2 small/medium or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1 medium red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 thyme sprigs

1 oregano sprig

scant 1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 ears corn, kernels removed from cob

1 cup shelled edamame

3 tbsp basil

3 tbsp parsley

1 lemon, juiced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix sweet potato, onion, pepper, garlic, thyme, and oregano on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil until coated and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven for 45 minutes until sweet potato is tender; stir every 10 minutes.

Add corn and edamame to baking sheet and roast for another 5-10 minutes, until corn is roasted and sweet.

Remove from oven. Transfer ingredients to serving bowl. Mix in lemon juice, parsley, and basil. Taste and add seasoning if needed.

This smelled delicious while cooking! It tasted delicious too! The garlic added a lot of flavor to the sweet potato. I would consider added some red pepper flakes at the beginning of the roasting step, and adding spinach at the end and roast/stir until wilted. Alex thought it was fine how it was and said I would ruin it with those additions. I didn't think it was a big hit at the party, but when it came time to leave, the bowl was empty! Gruber was able to taste the caprese salad and loved it. I left the remainder for him and he enjoyed it for breakfast the next day.

Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange, Crock Pot Black Bean Soup, and Maple Cornbread Muffins

We needed to use up the Cornbread Muffins I made for a different Black bean soup, Vegetarian Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin. I followed both recipes for the most part. In the cornbread muffins, since we didn't make the maple butter, we put some maple syrup in the batter to add sweetness. Also, fresh corn is available at the market, so we added the kernels from an ear to the batter too. The recommended cooking time is not quite long enough. The edges browned and got crispier the second time I reheated in the oven. I would recommend making muffins ahead of time, then crisping up right before dinner. For the black bean chili, I substituted chipotle powder for the chili powder and added 1 tbsp cocoa powder with the other spices, for more of a deeper, mole flavor. I substituted 1 1/2 lbs diced plum tomatoes for the canned tomatoes. the soup didn't need the hot sauce because the chipotle powder added enough spice. This was super delicious, but only fed 3 of us perfectly, not exactly 4 servings plus leftovers! I did misread how many cans of black beans and only put the equivalent of 2 cans, not 3. This could potentially make up for the missing servings.

The second black bean recipe, Crock Pot Black Bean Soup with Chipotle was really easy and really good. Alex thought it was more of a chili, but i thought it was more of a traditional black bean soup. We followed the recipe exactly but halved it because we didn't have a 6-quart slow cooker. That must have been a typo, because there was plenty of room for more than double the half recipe we used. Next time I will make the entire recipe, as the two of us easily finished the half. I followed every direction except we used 1 whole chipotle and the juice of one lime. I also added 2 sprigs of oregano and a bay leaf to the mixture. After 7 hours it wasn't quite as thick as I expected, so we put it on a bit longer since we weren't overly hungry yet. We topped it with shredded white cheddar and sour cream. I forgot the cilantro and do not care for raw tomato. This was sooo easy and we will make the other half sometime this weekend! I will use veggie stock instead of water next time since i will have it on hand. A great easy recipe for when I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, just need to plan ahead. The beans were perfect too, easy way to cook beans from dried, and only need to plan ahead the morning of, not the night before! I will definitely try more bean recipes this way!