Black Bean Lasagna

9 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs dried minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup water
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and dried
1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 egg whites
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1) Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, water, cilantro, beans, tomatoes and tomato paste in oil, breaking up tomatoes; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2) Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, except the monterey jack cheese.
3) Heat oven to 350F. Layer 1/3 each of the noodles, bean mixture, ricotta mixture and monterey jack cheese in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Repeat layers twice.
4) Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

Review: This was a super yummy dish. We misread the instructions and mixed the ricotta cheese mixture with the tomato and bean mixture. Therefore, I typed the instructions out more clearly in my blog! It still came out fine, maybe just a thinner sauce than it should have been. This definitely made a lot of food and we had a lot of leftovers!

I made this again on 11/28/2010.  I made the layers correctly this time.  I also substituted cheddar for the monterey, as we recently bought the 20 cup bag of shredded cheddar from Costco.  That's more cheese than I originally thought it was!!  So, yes this was just as delicious as the first time.  Yum. 

Artichoke & Tomato Pasta

1 box fusilli or rotini pasta
1 jar (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and liquid reserved
2 Tbs dried minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
dash of ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1) Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
2) While pasta is cooking, heat artichoke liquid to boiling in 3-qt saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic for one minute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
3) Stir in artichoke hearts. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients.

Review: Oops, I accidentally used tomato paste. Therefore, the sauce was much thicker than it should have been. However, it was still really yummy and easy to make. I'll definitely try this again, but with tomato sauce!

White Bean, Greens & Tomato Gratin

1 large bunch of Swiss chard (about 1 3/4 lbs)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 14.5oz cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbs olive oil
1/8 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 inch pan. Remove tough stems from greens and rinse well. Stack greens and cut into thin strips.
2) In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add greens and cook until tender, tossing often, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, thyme and salt and mix well. Spoon into prepared gratin dish, spreading evenly.
3) Topping: In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, olive oil and salt. Sprinkle evenly over top of greens mixture. Bake until hot, about 40 minutes.

Review: Mmmm, yummy. I often forget how much I love bread crumbs. It justs adds an extra savory flavor. This was a great "winter" dish, since it was hearty. We loved it, but we should have doubled the recipe. This only made 3 servings, and I had already doubled the amount of beans it originally called for.

Garden Couscous & Black Bean Salad

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped green olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon to taste
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1) Pour couscous in medium heat-proof bowl. Bring 2 cups water to a boil and pour over couscous. Cover and let stand 15 minutes, then fluff with fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
2) Transfer couscous to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature, or cover, refrigerate and serve chilled.

Review: Somehow, I forgot to put tomatoes on the grocery list. So, that was omitted from this recipe. I definitely think it would have made the dish better, but this was super yummy. The green olives gave this dish a slightly unexpected flavor that I loved. It was also better refrigerated.

Swiss Chard & Caramelized Onion Lasagna

12 oz no boil lasagna noodles
4 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bunches (about 3 lbs) red Swiss chard, stemmed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 cups milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbs grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1) In large skillet, heat 1 Tbs oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, 30 seconds. Add chard and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard to medium bowl and stir in ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Wipe out skillet, heat remaining 3 Tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until onions begin to brown all over, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Cook, stirring, until deep amber in color, about 20 minutes more. Remove from heat and splash with vinegar. Set aside.
3) In medium saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups milk over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, put flour in small bowl and whisk in remaining 1/2 cup milk until smooth; whisk into hot milk mixture and whisk constantly until sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Stir in Parmesan or Asiago cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4) Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Coat bottom of prepared dish with 1/2 cup of sauce. Line bottom with a single layer of noodles. Spread half the chard over the noodles. Add another layer of noodles, arrange caramelized onions on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread another 1/2 cup sauce over all. Add another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining chard mixture. Finish with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
5) Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil or coat with nonstick cooking spray and use it to tightly cover dish. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Review: I should have read the instructions before agreeing to make this. It was sooooo much work! I seriously had three pots of food cooking at once! And my whole house reeked of onions. The end product was really yummy, but this is not something I'd make on a regular basis because it took so much work. But, I learned a great trick. I always have cheese stuck to the foil when baking and I have no idea why I never previously thought of spraying it with oil! I'm so going to keep that tip in my memory bank!!!

Rice Casserole With Pine Nuts

2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large carrots, chopped
6 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp light brown sugar
3 tsp paprika
2 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice
28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup toasted pine nuts

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 3-qt baking dish.
2) In large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, garlic, bay leaves, dill, thyme and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, paprika and rice, and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 2 cups water. Bring mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3) Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Cover, and bake until rice is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves, sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve warm.

Review: Ok, I used instant rice and baked for half an hour. And, the original recipe was half of these amounts, but only made two servings. This was SUCH a savory dish, which is hard to come by with vegetarian dishes. It almost tasted like chicken was in it! I totally loved this and will definitely be making it again!

I made this again on 1/4/2009 and used bulgur:

Black Bean Chili With Winter Squash

1 winter squash (acorn or butternut)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs dried minced onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 (16 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
28 oz can diced tomatoes
4 oz can chopped mild green chilies
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt to taste

1) Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, peel the squash and dice in 1/2 inch chunks. Place in a microwave safe container, covered with plastic wrap with holes poked in it, and microwave for 7 minutes, or until tender.
2) Meanwhile, in a large pot, add all other ingredients (except squash and salt) and mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently 15 minutes. Stir in squash and season to taste with salt. Serve warm.

Review: I normally hate chili, but thought I'd give this a try. It was hearty enough to fill me, without being just beans and tomatoes! I loved it. I've become a big fan of squashes and used butternut in this recipe. It's difficult to peel, but was ultimately worth it. I'll make it again and boast that I have my own special chili recipe!