Bulgur With Leeks & Swiss Chard

2 Tbs olive oil
2 medium-size leeks, white and tender green parts chopped
1 lb Swiss chard, stems cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves torn into large pieces
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup bulgur

1) Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and chard stems, and cook 4 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. Add mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and chard leaves. Cover, and cook 5 minutes, or until leaves are wilted, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
2) Stir in broth and bulgur. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender. Remove pan from heat, and serve.

Review: Mike's been loving bulgur, due to it's low glycemic index. I think it's alright, but often requires lots of chewing. I'm a lazy eater. If it requires too much chewing, I can't be bothered. However, I love Swiss chard. The chard and leeks combined made for a tasty dish that I really liked. And, you can't go wrong with mushrooms. :)

Lake Cuomo Pasta

3 cups radiatore pasta
3 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs basil, chopped
6 small zucchini, sliced in rounds (2 lbs)
3 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
9 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups porcini or shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1) Preheat oven to 450F. Generously spray inside of 5 1/2-6 qt Dutch oven with cooking spray.
2) Spread pasta in even layer in bottom of pot. Add enough water to tomato liquid to make 1 cup. Stir liquid into pasta with olive oil. Toss tomatoes with basil in separate bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread over pasta. Top with half of zucchini rounds.
3) Combine ricotta, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt in small bowl. Spread over zucchini. Layer mushrooms and remaining zucchini over ricotta mixture. Cover pot, and bake 53 minutes, or about 3 minutes after aroma wafts from oven.

Review: I didn't read the instructions until I'd already begun preparing this dish. And, I don't own a Dutch oven. :( Typically, I just use a casserole dish, covered with foil to substitute. However, this is ALOT of food. So, I tossed everything into the crock pot. It took 2 1/2 hours to cook on high. I ended up heading to Taco John's, since it wasn't done until after 9pm. This was really yummy and I'll make it again, when I either have plenty of time for it to cook, or when I finally get a Dutch oven.

Curried Chickpeas & Sweet Potatoes

5 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp dried ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large red bell peppers, diced
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs curry powder
2 (15oz) cans chickpeas
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1) In large saucepan fitted with steamer basket, bring 2 inches water to a boil over high heat. Add sweet potatoes, cover and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm until needed.
2) In large, heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, red peppers, 1/2 tsp salt and curry powder. Stir, cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chickpeas (with liquid) and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
3) Add vinegar and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Stir in sweet potatoes. Over low heat, gently stir mixture about 2 minutes to allow sweet potatoes to release some of their starch. Be careful not to break them up completely. Add cilantro and stir to blend. Serve hot.

Review: I love sweet potatoes and am always looking for new recipes using them. I was wary of these ingredients, as they seemed to be an odd mix. However, this was super yummy and I really liked it. I was so relieved. :)

Taco Bean Salad

Dressing Ingredients:
1/3 cup tomato juice
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Salad Ingredients:
2 to 3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped
2 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1 can pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheeses
1/3 cup pitted black olives, chopped

1) Dressing: In small bowl or glass jar with tight fitting lid, combine all ingredients and season with freshly ground pepper. Whisk or shake to blend.
2) In large bowl, combine tomatoes, scallions, bell pepper, lettuce, beans, cheese and olives. Add dressing, toss well to coat and serve right away.

Review: This was yummy and a great twist to the traditional salad. My only complaint was that it was a bit too tangy because of the tomato juice.

Taco Tortellini Salad

1 (9oz) pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (15.5oz) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 medium tomato, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sliced ripe black olives
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips, if desired

1) Cook tortellini to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; rinse with cold water.
2) Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine kidney beans, tomato, bell pepper and olives. In small bowl, combine salsa and cumin; mix well.
3) Add cooked tortellini to salad mixture. Just before serving, pour salsa mixture over salad; stir gently to coat. Sprinkle with tortilla chips.

Review: This was super yummy. It was also so easy to make, that Mike made dinner. That was the best part.

Primavera Pasta With Breadcrumb Topping

1 box fusilli or rotini pasta
3 Tbs olive oil
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
2 Tbs dried minced onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 medium-sized zucchini, trimmed and julienned
2 large red bell peppers, julienned
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese

1) Cook pasta according to package directions.
2) Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to boil; add green beans and parboil 3 minutes. Transfer beans to colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.
3) Heat 2 Tbs oil in very large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, onion, garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook, covered, 3 minutes. Add zucchini, peppers, basil and oregano, and cook, uncovered, 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just al dente; do not overcook. Season with salt to taste.
4) Warm remaining 1 Tbs oil in second skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.
5) Add drained pasta to vegetables and toss to blend; sprinkle with breadcrumbs, cheese and olive oil, and serve.

Review: This was yummy. I didn't toast the breadcrumbs, instead I just dumped them in at the end. Ha, it made a big gummy mess. I think it would be better if I'd followed the directions, and will next time.

Spring Vegetable Pasta

1 box angel hair pasta
8 oz baby Yukon gold potatoes
16 baby carrots, cut into thirds
1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 oz sugar snap peas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 small radishes, trimmed and halved lengthwise
3 Tbs olive oil
4 scallions, trimmed and diced
10 oz frozen fava beans, or baby lima beans, thawed
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp tarragon

1) Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
2) Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine potatoes and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut potatoes into quarters.
3) Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook 2 minutes; add asparagus and snap peas and cook 2 minutes; add radishes and cook 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
4) In deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in scallions, beans, cooked potatoes and blanched vegetables. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for several minutes. Serve warm.

Review: This was super yummy. I was a little worried, since I just tried a recipe that had the asparagus, snap pea and radish combo and I didn't quite like it. This was really yummy, though. We used whole wheat pasta, which gave the dish a slightly sweet taste that went well with the tarragon. I also had leftovers that I tossed Parmesan cheese on. Mmm, even better!