Saturday, March 29, 2008

Chilaquiles Casserole

1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 19oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 19oz can mild red or green enchilada sauce
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.
3) Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the baking dish. Top with about half the vegetable mixture, about half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.
4) Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

Review: Not as spicy as I imagined it would be. It could probably use jalapenos or green chilies. I used red enchilada sauce, as it’s my favorite. I also think more cheese would be preferable. As many suggestions as I’m making, I’d like to clarify that the dish does not suck. It was yummy, I just think it could be improved.

I made this again on 5/20/2011 and added a small can of fire roasted green chiles and doubled the enchilada sauce.  It was definitely an improvement and how I will continue to make it.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Savory Mushroom "Popover Pie"

16 oz fresh sliced cremini mushrooms
1 thinly sliced or cubed yellow squash
1/4 cup diced onion
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup skim milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese

1) Preheat oven to 425F.
2) Coat large skillet with nonstick spray, and heat over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms, squash and onion, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in black beans, basil, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cook. Cover, and remove from heat.
3) Spray 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Add butter, and heat in oven until butter has melted. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, milk and eggs.
4) Pour mixture into pie plate, and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until crust is puffed and brown. Spoon mushroom mixture into crust, and top with cheese. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Review: This dish was awesome! I used white mushrooms instead of cremini and garlic instead of garlic powder, due to not having those ingredients. And, I’ve never seen shredded provolone, but slices of it worked extremely well. This dish was also surprisingly easy to make, despite seeming complicated. I do have lots of dirty dishes, though.


Sunday, March 23, 2008

Pasta With Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage

2 Tbs olive oil
1 2/3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
8oz uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp dried sage
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a roasting pan with the olive oil. Place the squash and onion in the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes, or until squash is tender.
2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3) Transfer the cooked squash, onion and the cooked pasta to a large skillet. Gradually pour in the cream. Season with sage. Continue cooking until heated through. Mix in garlic. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with balsamic vinegar to serve.

Review: Mike loved this dish and had seconds. It didn’t wow me, but it did have a tang, mixed with creamy, taste that I liked.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Swiss Chard & Potato Toss

3/4 lb fingerling or small new potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves torn into small pieces
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1) Put potatoes in large saucepan with salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2) Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chard and potatoes. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chard is wilted. Add vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Review: I once again used a can of diced new potatoes. So much cheaper, and since they’re already cooked, my cooking time is cut in half! This was a super yummy dish, but it only made 2 servings.

Made again on 3/29/2011, using a fingerling mix from Costco, which included purple potatoes:

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Spinach & Mushroom Bake

16oz bag of spinach
1 cup water
8oz sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick mix
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs
2 Tbs olive oil
salt
pepper

1) Heat oven to 400F. Lightly spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2) Heat spinach in large pot with water, over medium heat, until wilted. Remove from heat and drain excess water. Line bottom of baking dish with spinach.
3) Saute mushrooms over medium heat with olive oil and salt and pepper until browned. Remove from heat and place mushrooms over spinach in baking dish.
4) Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over spinach and mushrooms.
5) In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour over vegetables and cheese.
6) Bake uncovered about 35 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Review: I stole this recipe from my friend Teresa. She served it last Sunday and I couldn’t wait to make it at home! It’s absolutely amazing! My only complaint is it only makes two servings!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Golden Spirals With Chickpeas & Yellow Bell Pepper

8oz whole wheat rotini (or other spiral-shaped pasta)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp plus 2 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 zucchini, cut into half circles
1/2 cup vegetable stock or hot pasta water
1 15.5oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary, or other herb
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup sunflower seeds for garnish
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish

1) Cook rotini and turmeric in large pot of lightly salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, according to package directions. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, if using. Toss pasta with 1 tsp oil, and set aside.
2) Heat remaining 2 Tbs oil in same pot over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add bell pepper, zucchini and 1/4 cup of stock of stock, and cook, covered, until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in chickpeas, rosemary, remaining 1/4 cup stock, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.
3) Add reserved pasta, and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with sunflower seeds and feta.

Review: I wasn’t too sure about making this dish, worrying there were too many flavors to mix together. It’s actually amazing, with the flavors really complementing each other. And, the best part? I had enough servings for Mike and I tonight for dinner, with two bowls of leftovers. Yay!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Green Beans & New Potatoes With Mint Pesto

2 Tbs chopped walnuts
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbs chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 lb new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 lb green beans, or 1/2 lb green beans and 1/2 lb wax beans, trimmed

1) Toast walnuts in small skillet 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat, or until nuts are fragrant, shaking pan frequently. Cool.
2) Puree walnuts, mint, parsley, oil, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt in food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl once or twice. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto to keep from turning brown, and let stand at room temperature for 1/2 hour, or up to 3 hours.
3) Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook 8 minutes. Add beans, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender. Drain.
4) Transfer vegetables to large bowl, and toss with pesto. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Review: Super yummy! I wasn't so sure what I was going to end up with. I read the directions wrong and used a whole cup of parsley. I also used a can of diced new potatoes, instead of small red potatoes like the recipe pictured. I'd recommend using red potatoes. The canned potatoes were too soft. I really liked this, although the pesto was a bit of a pain in the butt. I'd definitely recommend it, though.