Recipe of the Week: Quinoa Stuffing with Kale and Pomegranate

Although I try not to pay much attention to celebrity docs (not Dr. Oz, not Dr. Phil and especially not Dr. Laura....perhaps Dr. Ruth....sometimes Dr. Drew....), I found this enticing recipe from Dr. Oz in the November issue of Natural Health. I decided to give it a try for the upcoming thanksgiving dinner (and made it ahead of time to leave room for a plan B, just in case). Turns out it was totally tasty! And healthy to boot!

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

6 cloves garlic, finely sliced, divided

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste (I used black pepper)

1 1/2 cups pecans

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (I used 1/3 of this amount in dried Sage and Thyme forms)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (strip the leaves from the stems)

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add half of the garlic and cook until soft but not yet golden. Raise to high heat, add the stock and kale and mix. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking, stir until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and white pepper. Set aside to cool.

Add cooled kale and pecans to a food processor; pulse until pecans are chopped and kale is shredded but mixture is still chunky.

In a separate saucepan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat; add the onion and remaining garlic; saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sage and thyme; continue cooking until onion is caramelized, approximately 3 to 4 more minutes. Stir in the pecan-kale mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the cooked quinoa and stir to combine. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of oil and melted butter. Season with salt and white pepper.

Add the egg and wine and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Garnish with pomegranate seeds before serving.

The sage, thyme, onions and garlic give the dish a traditional stuffing flavor. The quinoa, kale and pomegranate make it super-duper healthy. I give this recipe two thumbs up for fine holiday eating!

Recipe of the Week: Penne with Beets, Beet Greens, Goat Cheese and Walnut

I have been so excited to use my fresh produce from the farmer's market. I started off the week by using a recipe from the association that coordinates my local farmer's market. It is a great pasta dish that uses my new favorite thing in the world, goat cheese, and something I've never really known what to do with, beet greens.

Just a forewarning, this makes A LOT of pasta. Be prepared to feed an army or have leftovers for days, maybe even weeks.

Penne with Beets, Beet Greens, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

2 bunches beets, with greens, trimmed and scrubbed - Save the beet greens (side note: I didn't actually get my beets at the farmer's market, I know....but they didn't have the beets with the greens still attached, so I had to go to my local supermarket.)

8 oz whole wheat penne

1/4 extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup heavy cream

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tbsp chopped tarragon (I couldn't find this so I used basil instead)

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

4 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)

3/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake beets wrapped in foil for about 45 minutes. In the meantime, wash the beet greens and cut into 1/2 inch wide strips, set aside. When the beets are done, cool them under cold water and peel skin off. Trim ends and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.

In a skillet, heat oil. Add garlic, basil, and pepper flakes, cook about 1-2 minutes. Add beets and greens, until the greens are wilted.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pan. Stir in goat cheese and creme and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Serve immediately.

By the way, I've been fine with eating beets from a can. It just seemed like too much work to cook them in the oven. But, it was so worth it. They smelled so good! No more canned beets for me.

Should you eat a sizable portion of this beety meal, just be prepared for a health freak-out the next day. Just a warning. You're probably not hemorrhaging. But, who am I to say? I'm no doctor.

And here's my kitty. She does not eat beets. She's cute, isn't she? Sweet? Well....

Recipe of the Week: Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa de Mancha Manteles

I'm very excited, I recently bought The Tassajara Recipe Book. Tassajara is the name of a Zen Mountain Center in Northern California. All of the recipes are vegetarian and pretty healthy as well. Everything is really great for the soul.

Of course, I had to try the new cookbook out right away! So I decided to make dinner for my beau last weekend. Here is what I made for the tasty meal.

Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa de Mancha Manteles

The Salsa

8 New Mexico chilies - I could not find these so I didn't use them

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup almonds

2 Tbsp sesame seeds - the recipe calls for both these and the almonds to be roasted, but I did not roast them

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Small clove of Garlic, minced

1 oz Dark Chocolate (that's right, don't be afraid)

a pinch or two of Cinnamon

1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

Salt

Tomato Paste (optional) - I used this because there wouldn't have been much of a salsa without the chilies

Grind the almonds and sesame seeds.

Heat oil, add garlic and cook briefly. Add raisins and the blended almonds and sesame seeds. Add chocolate, cinnamon and sugar. Season to taste with vinegar and salt.

Add tomato paste and some water.

Cheese Enchiladas

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

Olive Oil

8 oz Jack Cheese, grated

1/2 cup pitted Olives (optional) - I did not use these

2 oz canned Green Chilies, minced

Corn Tortillas

Garnish:

Sour Cream

Cilantro

Saute the onion in olive oil, set aside to cool. Add the cheese and chilies.

Line a 9" x 13" pan with 1/2 cup of the salsa from above. Heat tortillas to make them pliable. Dip both sides in some of the sauce on a plate. Add the cheese mixture to the tortilla and roll. Place in the baking dish. Do this until the pan is full. (The recipes calls for 12 tortillas, but I only fit 6).

Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. I sprinkled some cheese on top before baking it.

Garnish with Sour Cream and Cilantro.

I also made the Excellent Apple Salad and Green Beans with Sesame Paste and Garlic. Perhaps I'll post those recipes another time. Or you could just go and buy the book yourself.

Recipe of the Week: The quest for the perfect burrito

Burritos are great! I'm always trying to create the perfect burrito. Really, perfect depends on what I am feeling at that particular time. It's very hard to beat the Seven Layers of Heaven Burrito, which has thus far stood the test of time. So, here's another attempt at burrito deliciousness. Actually, this was more like a burrito bowl, because the whole grain tortilla wraps, while healthy, are crap when it comes to staying in one piece. But, the photos are pre-eating and it appears that the burrito is in-tact, which it would be if I had used regular tortilla shells.

1 Chicken Italian Sausage (with pieces of peppers already in it, totally tasty!)

Refried Black Beans

Green Chilies (from the can)

1/2 Small Zucchini, sliced

1 Small Bunch of Broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 Avocado, Sliced

Handful of Shredded Cheese of your choice, I used a Cheddar-Jack combo

A few slices of an Onion

1 Tortilla Shell

Optional: Sour Cream

Slice sausage and saute in a skillet. Simultaneously blanch broccoli and zucchini.

While these things are cooking, heat up a serving of refried black beans and mix in green chilies.


Warm tortilla and spread bean mixture on it. Add the ingredients in the following order:

Sausage

Zucchini & Broccoli

Onions

Avocado

And voila! There's your burrito.

Also, here are some random pics that make me happy.

Pretty flowers to brighten up the apartment.

My ladies breaking it down. They've got such great moves that they coudn't be caught on camera!

Recipe of the Week: Lentil and Rice Casserole

I got to use my crock pot again! And this was a simple but tasty dish. I found the recipe online, of course. Where else do you find recipes? Again, I took it to a potluck at my zen center. I forgot to add the cheese, but it was still pretty good. The first time I made it I remembered the cheese and it was better.

Lentil and Rice Casserole

3 tsp powdered chicken bouillon (I used vegetable stock for a vegetarian version)

2-1/2 cups very hot water

3/4 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1 cup white or brown rice

1 small to medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp dried sweet basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp minced garlic

Two handfuls or so of shredded cheddar cheese.

Combine everything but the cheese in a crock pot and cook on low for 3.5 hours. Add cheese and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Recipe of the Week: Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

I love peanut butter! I am declaring this first and foremost. I also very much enjoy a good Asian dish with a (non-spicy) peanut sauce. It's so tasty and filling! So, of course I decided, after having a delicious dish with a peanut sauce at a Tibetan restaurant, to try to make the sauce at home. Here's what I did.

Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
Combine several tbsps of peanut butter, a couple tbsps of peanut oil and a dash or two of soy sauce in a pot. Cook on medium heat until it becomes a sauce-like consistency.

I cooked some broccoli, and edamame. Then mixed in some raw carrots, red cabbage and bean sprouts. Add any vegetables you wish.

Mix the sauce into the veggies. I topped the dish with Gomashio, as I do.

This dish was seriously filling. The food in the bowl (about 1 cup) pictured above was all I could eat. If I could have, I would have kept eating. I didn't even eat any rice with it. But I was so full after the one bowl. Hooray!

Recipe of the Week: Vegetable Curry and Red Cabbage with Apples

I am not a fan of spicy food, but an aromatic curry that is not too hot makes my mouth water. I recently made a Curry Lentil Soup in my crock pot, but it was nothing to write home about. I decided that I needed to learn how to make a good curry, so I googled curry recipes and tried to create one of my own out of what I found. I must say I was quite impressed with the results. Unfortunately I did not use exact measurements, so these are an estimate.

Vegetable Curry

1 Can Coconut Milk

1/2 Red Onion, Sliced

3-4 tbsp Curry Powder

2 tbsp Cumin

1 tbsp fresh Ginger, grated

2 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed

Cooked Vegetables:

Peas

Zucchini, sliced

Broccoli, chopped

Brown Rice or Angel Hair Pasta, cooked

Heat oil in a saucepan, add red onion. Cook until onions are soft. Add ginger and garlic and cook on high for 30 seconds. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Add Curry and Cumin. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Toss in vegetables and put over rice or pasta.

The curry was slightly on the spicy side, but nothing I could not handle. So, if you like spicy, add more curry powder.

I decided to cook some red cabbage as well and found this recipe.

Red Cabbage with Apple

1 medium head Red Cabbage, washed and shredded

1 large Tart Apple, peeled, cored and sliced

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Bay Leaf

Salt & Pepper

1/4 cup Dry Wine

2 Tbsp Vinegar

1 tsp Sugar

Melt butter in a large deep skillet. Add cabbage and apples, mix well.

Add bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.

Add wine, vinegar and sugar. Mix well, cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I seasoned the cabbage with some Gomashio to finish it off.

Recipe of the Week: Couscous and Sausage

I've been on a Couscous kick lately. I'm not sure why, but I've just had the desire to eat it. One Friday evening I decided to buy a box of garlic flavored couscous on the way home from work. I needed a dish for my zen center potluck the next day and decided to take my leftovers, minus the Italian Sausage I made with it. Here is what I came up with.

Couscous with Sausage

1 box Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous (or similar)

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped

1/2 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 Egg

Italian Sausage (1 per serving)

Cook the couscous according to package directions (usually only takes 5 minutes or so)

Scramble the egg and add to couscous.

In a separate pan, cook the sausage and saute the peppers and onion. Mix the peppers and onions into the couscous. Cut the sausage into small pieces and lay on top.

The Italian Sausage and peppers add a spiciness that offsets the flavor of the couscous. I found it to be very tasty. The peppers also add a little color to the dish This can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the sausage.

Recipe of the Week: "Borrowed" from NY Times Stir Fry

Admittedly I have not been cooking much lately with the job starting and all. In the meantime, here is a recipe I found in the NY Times that looks pretty good. It's very healthy too. It looks like they're focusing on tofu for the entire week, so there are links to related recipes. Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Pasta Carbonara

Whenever I get bacon, I feel a need to eat it immediately. Because I am only one person, I have to make sure not to let the open package go bad. That would be tragic! Of course, there are breakfast foods and BLTs to eat, but I thought it would be interesting to try something new. Hence, here is my attempt at Pasta Carbonara. I found this recipe by doing a simple google search.

Pasta Carbonara
1/4 lb. bacon
1 stick (1/4 lb.) butter
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
1 lb. pasta - I used whole wheat angel hair pasta, my go to pasta
2 eggs, whipped
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan

Cut bacon into little pieces and cook in butter.

In a saucepan heat milk, and add the bacon and butter, add the vinegar, which will turn the milk to cheese.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce cooks smooth. I added frozen peas to the sauce.

Cook the pasta. Drain and return to pan. Immediately throw in the eggs, the bacon sauce and cheese. Toss and serve.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta Carbonara contains many of my favorite foods in one dish! Bacon, pasta, eggs... It did feel a little weird to put eggs in the pasta, but I got over it. It was pretty good. Not great, but decent. It was a little dry. I'm willing to try another recipe for Pasta Carbonara in the future.

Sorry, no picture. :(

Recipe of the week: Crock Pot Curry Lentil Soup

I recently tried out a new recipe in my crock pot. One more step to becoming a crock pot culinary master!

Curry Lentil Soup

4 cups hot water

1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

3 medium carrots, thinly sliced

1 large onion , chopped

1 celery ribs, chopped

1 cup dry lentils

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

4 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Stir and cook for 8 hours. Removes bay leaves before eating.

The curry is not very strong in this dish. But, it provides a nice contrast with the tomatoes. I recommend adding the salt. It's a bit bland without it.

Recipe of the week: Gluten Free Tex Mex Mosaic Salad

Last weekend we had a gluten free potluck at our zen center. We did this because we had a visiting zen priest who has Celiac Disease, a disorder in which a toxic reaction is caused by eating foods containing gluten. Potlucks allow the members of this zen community to share food and community with each other for an afternoon. Making accommodations for our visitor was a welcome to our community.

Gluten is found in a lot of food. It is a wheat/rye/barley protein used in pastas and breads. Typical food for potlucks tend to include pasta, bread and desserts containing gluten. So, in my search for a gluten free dish for the potluck I came across this blog. And I found this tasty little dish.

Tex Mex Mosaic Salad
1 (14.5 oz.) can of black beans, drained
1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or most of a 14.5 oz can)
1-1/2 cups steamed edamame
2 cups corn kernels

Dressing:
2 Tbsp. minced cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix beans, corn and tomatoes in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over the mixture.

Sorry, I do not have a picture. There's one on the blog link I've attached to the dish name. That's pretty much what it looked like for me too.

Recipe of the week: Not for sissies eggs

I love breakfast! Eggs are one of my top 5 foods in the world. So here is one of my favorite breakfast dishes that is a real treat in the morning (or afternoon or dinner for that matter).

Not for sissies eggs

Heat up store bought french fries in the oven as directed.

Prepare 2-3 sausage (or soy sausage if you prefer) links as directed. Chop into small pieces.

Add the cooked fries and sausage, chopped onions, and ripped up pieces of half a bagel into a bowl with 2 beaten eggs. Pour into a heated skillet and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese. Cook as you normally would scrambled eggs.

Add ground pepper, if desired.

Depending on my apetite in the morning, as well as what I have planned in the afternoon, I may have a small glass o' smoothie with it. Here is my favorite concoction (not too orginal, but tasty).

1 small container fat free vanilla yogurt

1/2 banana, sliced

2-3 strawberries, sliced (sometimes I use a few berries from a frozen berry mix instead)

1/4 cup orange juice

Blend and enjoy!

Recipe of the Week: Crockpot Chili and Quinoa Salad

I got a new crock pot! Hooray! Because sometimes I don't want to just cook, I want to slow cook. Well I already broke the newbie in. Last week I made lunch for a friend and found a good recipe for crock pot chili from a crock pot recipes website.

I was going to use ground turkey instead of beef but I grossly miscalculated how late my grocery store was open and had to end up using turkey kielbasa. I liked it with the kielbasa but I think it would be better with ground turkey.

1/2 lb dry pinto or kidney beans
2 can tomatoes (14.5oz ea)
2 lb chuck; browned,
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
4 1/2 cup water or 2 16-oz cans
2 medium onions; coarsely chopped,
1 green pepper; chopped
2 garlic cloves; crushed
1 salt to taste

The wonderful thing about crock pots - you just put everything in it and stir, then turn cook it over a long period and voila! This chili requires 10-12 hours on low, which is what I did overnight so it would be ready for lunch. Or you can cook it for 5-6 hours on high.

I also made a quinoa salad to go with the chili (I got to have quinoa).
1 cup unprepared quinoa
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 bag of lettuce or spinach
A few green onions, chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
Optional: cooked Edamame (I left them out for this particular lunch there was already beans in the chili)

Cook the quinoa as directed. When cooked, put on top of a layer of lettuce. Add tomato, green onion, avocado and edamame. Eat and enjoy!

I got this idea from a friend who said that whenever he needs some energy he eats quinoa with edamame. I had leftover tomatoes and green onions from another meal, so decided to add these as well.




Happy eating!

Recipe of the week: 7 Layers of Heaven Burrito

Watch out Taco Bell! I've got a 7 layer burrito that will put yours to shame. I decided to treat myself to a lovely valentines dinner and came up with this wonderful treat. I've learned recently that less is generally more when it comes to cooking. But, I decided to throw this rule out the window and added all the good stuff I could think of. Here is my 7 layer burrito, broken down layer by layer.

Layer 1 - Refried black beans mixed with taco seasoning.

Layer 2 - 2 strips of bacon.

Layer 3 - Pieces of crunchy romaine lettuce.

Layer 4 - Matchstick carrots. I've been adding these babies to lots of sandwiches and wraps lately. They add a little crunch.

Layer 5 - Sliced avocado. I don't feel I need to qualify this layer.

Layer 6 - Now stay with me for a minute here. This really is a good addition. I saute slices of zucchini in olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Layer 7 - Sour cream.

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

The Moosewood Cookbook has provided me with some delightful new recipes. All of the recipes in the cookbook are vegetarian and also quite healthy. Last weekend I decided to break it out to make a dinner for a few friends one evening. The recipe I chose for this little get-together was the Zucchini-Crusted Pizza. The recipe stuck out to me because a) I like pizza and b) I loooooooove zucchini. Here is the recipe.

Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Cups Grated Zucchini - I put small chunks of zucchini in a food processor

2 Eggs, Beaten

1/4 Cup Flour + Flour for the pan

1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan

Optional: Pinches of Basil, Marjoram, or Rosemary

Plus the toppings of your choice. I included:

1 Large Ripe Tomato, Sliced

Extra Mozzarella, Shredded

1/2 of each Green and Red Peppers, Sliced

Handful of Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Sliced

Grated Parmesan, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 and oil a pie pan and coat it with flour.

Mix together the zucchini, eggs, flour, mozzarella, parmesan, herbs and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl.

Spread the mixture onto the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway through, brush with the another tbsp of olive oil.

Cool for 10 minutes, loosen with a spatula from the pan, so that it won't break later.

Top the crust with the tomatoes, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and cheeses. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted.

The zucchini crust wasn't intensely flavorful. It honestly was hard to distinguish from a doughy crust. But it was much healthier and the whole dish was divine.

Recipe of the week: Winter Soup and Polenta

Monday night I hosted a crafting circle, which meant preparing a main dish for the hungry crafters. I decided that soup would be a good bet, given the time of year and the convenience of soup for large groups. My friend Alisa was there to help me prepare ahead of time. The soup came out great and we had a lovely time. Here are the recipes:

Winter Soup
I got this recipe from my roommate's vegetarian cookbook. I doubled the ingredients for a larger group of people. I added more tomato paste than called for, so my soup was a bit more tart than it was supposed to come out. But I still enjoyed it.

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Leeks, thinly sliced
2 Zucchini, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
2 - 14 oz Cans Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 3/4 cup Vegetable Stock
14 oz Can Garbanzo Beans
8 oz Spinach, Finely Shredded

Saute the leeks and zucchini in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable stock and garbanzo beans. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat, simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the spinach and boil for 2 minutes.

Polenta
I bought a tube of plain polenta from the grocery store. I cut it into 1/2" thick slices and flavored them with a mixture of cumin, garlic powder, ground pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Then I fried the slices in some olive oil.

My friend Barbara also brought some appetizers that were really good! Luckily I got the recipe from her.
Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped
Kalamata Olives, Chopped
Garlic, Minced
Basil
Olive Oil
Mozzarella Cheese
Baguette

Mix the vegetables, garlic, basil and olive oil.

Layer the mixture on thin slices of the baguette (toasted if you prefer). Add slices of mozzarella and put under the broiler to melt.

Recipes of the week: Budget Gourmet

As you can see by my menu for the week, I am trying to adhere to a tight budget by using many affordable items repeatedly throughout the week. The resulting meals are simple but offer something a little different than the common budget foods. As a side note, I remember when I was an undergrad I used to eat half of a can of spaghetti oh's and a grilled cheese sandwich every day. Good for the budget, not so much for the soul.

Here are some of the meals I've crafted this week (and a few from previous weeks that fit in with the theme).

Grilled Pb & J

I've been eating a LOT of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lately. And why not? We know that PB is healthy and that the ingredients are affordable. But, as much as I really enjoy a good PB & J, it's easy to get sick of eating them repeatedly. So, here's a little tweak to the traditional favorite. My inspiration came from a newly opened, local cafe that serves fried PB &J sandwiches. I thought, I could do that.

2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread

Peanut Butter

Jelly of your choice (I use a strawberry rhubarb from my hometown of Dexter, Michigan. I stock up on it a few times a year)

Butter

Make this as you would make a grilled cheese sandwich. Spread butter on the outside of both pieces of bread. On the inside of the slices spread the PB & J. Grill over medium heat until side of bread is brown, flip and repeat on other side.

Now, you may be hesitant to try this, but I assure you it is wonderful! Not so much healthy, but wonderful.

Bean and Cheese Quesadillas and Pomegranate Guacamole

I made these last weekend for some friends as an alternative to ordering in. They were simple to make and tasty. Much like for PB & J sandwiches, the ingredients for quesadillas can be stretched out and used for multiple things. For instance, I could make a bean and cheese burrito (as I am planning to later this week).

1 Flour Tortilla

Refried Black Beans

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Butter

I've previously used chicken sauteed in taco seasoning as well

Cut one large tortilla in half and butter one side of each half. Spread refried black beans on half of each half tortilla. Lay butter side down in a warm skillet, sprinkle cheese over the beans and fold over the tortilla. Brown each side in the skillet over medium heat.



I cut each one in half again to make small slices of the quesadilla.

As for the guacamole...

1 Ripe Avocado

1/2 Clove Garlic

Pomegranate Seeds

Smash up the avocado and mix in minced or chopped garlic. Add pomegranate seeds to your liking.

The seeds offer little pockets of fruity goodness against the contrast of the heavy, yet delicious avocado.

Pasta with Sauteed Beets and Onions

This is pretty self explanatory. It's so easy and it provides a different take on the usual pasta. I heart beets and they add a nice flavor to the dish.

1 Small Can Beets, Sliced in to small pieces

1/2 Small Onion, Chopped

Olive Oil

Whole Wheat Pasta, Cooked

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Saute the beets and onion in olive oil. Throw over pasta and flavor with parmesan cheese.

Quinoa Casserole

I made this dish one day while trying to make use of food I had at home. It's rather tasty and super healthy (well, except for maybe the cheese).

1 Cup Unprepared Quinoa

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 Cup Frozen Peas

1/2 Small Onion, Chopped

1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs

Cumin, Celery Salt, Garlic Powder

Milk

Butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the quinoa as directed. While still warm, stir in about a tablespoon of butter, a little bit of milk, as much cheese as your heart desires (but save a little for the topping), the onion and peas.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish (I use a small bread size dish).

Melt a tablespoon of butter and mix in the breadcrumbs and the cumin, celery salt and garlic powder to taste. Stir in some cheese and spread the mixture over the top of the quinoa mix in the dish.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the topping has become crisp and the cheese on top is melted.

Now you have 4 new recipes for budget friendly meals. When you see these come up on my weekly menu (and they will!) you will know what they are. Being broke doesn't have to mean eating ramen noodles or half a can of spaghetti oh's and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Recipe of the week: Maki Sushi

Last week I had an excellent tutorial on how to make Maki Sushi from my friend Yoko. The instructions were really great and she showed me how to make it without any seafood or even sea vegetable. (I'm a picky eater and do not eat anything from the sea, including sea vegetables. There is one exception, canned tuna. I don't know why so don't ask me.) So, I decided to make sushi for my roommate Kate and take it to her for lunch today. It was great and she seemed to really enjoy it!

Making Maki Sushi is not really that complicated, once you know how to do it. It just takes a little bit of time. There are really three major things to do for sushi; cook the rice, prepare the fillings and roll and cut the sushi. From start to finish it took me about 2 hours to make today.


Making the Rice

Ingredients needed: Sushi Rice, Sushi Vinegar and Water

It's easy to find Sushi Rice at most grocery stores. Prepare rice as directed on the package. If you cannot find Sushi Vinegar you can just combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Once the rice is cooked you mix the Sushi Vinegar into the rice. Rapidly mix for a few minutes. This gives the sushi a little bit of sweetness.

Total time to make rice: About 1 hour

Preparing the Fillings

Ingredients needed: Avocado, Cucumber, Eggs, Carrots, Shitaki Mushrooms, Soy Sauce, Water - And whatever else your heart desires.

Cut into thin slices the Avocado, Cucumber, Carrots and Mushrooms. Put the Avocado and Cucumber aside.

Blanche the Carrots in water and then remove, set aside. Cook mushrooms in carrot water until soft (My friend Yoko added some kind of wine-vinegar at this stage. I did not but it still worked out anyway). Remove the mushrooms and soak in soy sauce for a few minutes.

In a skillet, cook 3 eggs omelet style. Cut the omelet into thin strips and put on a plate with all other fillings.


Total time to make the fillings: 20-30 minutes (can be done while rice is cooking)


Rolling and Cutting the Sushi
Items needed: Bamboo Sushi Roller, Wax Paper or Syran Wrap, Sesame Seeds, Nori Sheets and a good sharp knife

Lay out Sushi Roller flat on a cutting board.

For Nori-less rolls: Lay piece of wax paper/syran wrap on top of roller. Cover half of the width of the roller with rice. Make a thin line down the middle (but be careful not to go all the way through the rice. Add thin slices of a few of the fillings (ie. Avocado, Carrot and Cucumber). Use the roller to fold over the edge of the paper and create a roll. Make sure that the fillings don't squeeze or fall out in the process. Press on the sides of the roller to make the roll firm. Remove the roller and paper/wrap. Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds. Cut the roll into inch long pieces and stand up on a dish.







For rolls with Nori: Lay a sheet of the Nori on the roller. Cover half of the Nori with rice. Make a thin line in the middle as described above. Add the fillings and use the roller to fold over. Make sure that the Nori completely covers the roll and press the roller to make the roll firm. This will also seal the Nori. Cut away any excess Nori. Cut the roll into inch long pieces and stand up on a dish.


Total time to make about 5 rolls: 30 minutes.

Note: It's a good idea to keep a towel near you while rolling the sushi. The rice is very sticky and some of the fillings will dirty up your hands as well.




I made the rolls with Nori for my roomie and and the ones without for both of us. I took some soy sauce for dipping. In addition, I made some Edamame, by simply boiling some frozen pods in lightly salted water.

Kate takes the classy route using chopsticks to eat her sushi.

I decide to use my hands instead.

Recipe of the week: Mexican Lasagna

You have to love Moms! They always know how to give you that TLC. During my trip home for the holidays, mine gave a gift that only a mother could. A wonderful dish, combining the best of two worlds. I believe this was originally a recipe of my sisters. My mother made many small 1-2 serving dishes of Mexican Lasagna. Seriously, she made around 5 single serving dishes for me to bring back to New York. I put them in a little cooler and then in the freezer when I got home. They lasted for the next week, providing lots of meals.

Mexican Lasagna

2 lbs ground beef or turkey (can be left out for a vegetarian option)

2 packages taco seasoning

1 can of refried beans

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

6 cooked lasagna noodles

2 cups Mexican mix of shredded cheeses

Brown the meat and add the taco seasoning.

Drain the tomatoes, add to the meat.

In a 9 x13 pan (or multiple tiny pans for single servings) layer from the bottom up half of the meat, 3 noodles, half of the beans, 1 cup cheese, 3 noodles, rest of the beans, rest of the meat, 1 cup cheese.

Bake at 350 covered for 40 minutes and then uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

So there you have it. It's a simple dish, but tasty. And also light on the wallet (especially when made by mom).