Here is another submission by the lovely Bridget! This recipe is also from vegetariantimes.com. Sounds like the perfect dish for the first outdoor meal of the season!
Thanks, Bridget!
1 cup cooked black beans (canned is fine)
1/2 cup salsa
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
21/2 tsp cumin, divided
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 tsp black pepper
cayenne pepper, to taste
4 6-inch corn tortillas
olive oil cooking spray
12 baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper strips
1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 small green onions, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese, optional
Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp cumin to a simmer in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, and mash with fork to crush beans for creamier filling, if desired.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Wrap corn in paper towels, and squeeze out excess liquid. Add corn to skillet in single layer, and sprinkle with remaining 11/2 tsp cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy, stirring frequently.
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350˚F. Toast tortillas in toaster oven 1 minute to soften. Alternately, bake tortillas on taco baking rack in oven 7 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. (Note from Pam: I like to heat tortillas on a flat iron skillet on both sides until puffed.) Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup corn, 3 spinach leaves, red pepper strips, cilantro, and green onions. Top each taco with 1 tbls cheese, if using. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 tacos.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
LEMON PARSLEY CARROTS
This is a yummy carrot dish with an interesting combination of flavors. My husband loved these...
1 lb carrots, sliced 1/4" thick (or baby carrots, left whole)
1 cup water
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbls parsley, coarsely chopped
Bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Add carrots, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook 6-8 minutes, or till crisp-tender. Use slotted spoon to transfer carrots to bowl. Reserve cooking water in pan. Return water to boil, and cook 6-8 minutes more, until water is reduced by about half. Add broth, cream cheese, and lemon zest. Stir gently. Simmer on low heat 2-3 minutes, or til cream cheese is melted and sauce well-blended, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley. Add carrots; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Per serving:
Cal: 81
Total Fat: 3.6g
Chol: 12mg
Sodium: 225mg
Carbs: 10.5g
Fiber: 3.3g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 2.6g
1 lb carrots, sliced 1/4" thick (or baby carrots, left whole)
1 cup water
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbls parsley, coarsely chopped
Bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Add carrots, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook 6-8 minutes, or till crisp-tender. Use slotted spoon to transfer carrots to bowl. Reserve cooking water in pan. Return water to boil, and cook 6-8 minutes more, until water is reduced by about half. Add broth, cream cheese, and lemon zest. Stir gently. Simmer on low heat 2-3 minutes, or til cream cheese is melted and sauce well-blended, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley. Add carrots; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Per serving:
Cal: 81
Total Fat: 3.6g
Chol: 12mg
Sodium: 225mg
Carbs: 10.5g
Fiber: 3.3g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 2.6g
Friday, March 11, 2011
GRILLED VEGETABLE WRAP
Here is another recipe given to me by Bridget. It is from Vegetarian Times. (http://www.vegetariantimes.com/) Sounds yummy!
When you roast the veggies for this recipe, you will be making extra that can be added to salads, pasta, or rice dishes throughout the coming week. If you do not want extras, simply prepare using fewer veggies.
12 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1 small red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips (1 cup)
1 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (1 cup)
1 tbls olive oil
1/2 cup white beans
1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp red chili sauce, such as sriracha*
2 8-inch whole grain tortillas
6 small whole basil leaves
8 thin slices red onion
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Preheat grill or broiler. Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, squash, and oil on large baking sheet or flat grill basket. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Grill or broil vegetables 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning once.
Mash together beans, garlic, and chili sauce in small bowl until smooth.
Spread half of bean mixture over each tortilla. Top each with 3 basil leaves, 1/2 cup roasted veggies, 4 onion slices, and 1/2 cup arugula. Fold bottom third of tortillas over veggies, and roll up tightly, tucking in sides as you go. Cut wraps in half on diagonal. Serve immediately, or wrap each half in foil or wax paper, and chill until ready to eat.
*Any chili sauce will do.
Makes 2 wraps
Per wrap:
Cals: 228
Protein: 11g
Total fat: 3g
Carbs: 51g
Chol: 0mg
Sodium: 419mg
Fiber: 8g
Sugars: 3g
When you roast the veggies for this recipe, you will be making extra that can be added to salads, pasta, or rice dishes throughout the coming week. If you do not want extras, simply prepare using fewer veggies.
12 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1 small red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips (1 cup)
1 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (1 cup)
1 tbls olive oil
1/2 cup white beans
1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp red chili sauce, such as sriracha*
2 8-inch whole grain tortillas
6 small whole basil leaves
8 thin slices red onion
1 cup baby arugula leaves
Preheat grill or broiler. Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, squash, and oil on large baking sheet or flat grill basket. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Grill or broil vegetables 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning once.
Mash together beans, garlic, and chili sauce in small bowl until smooth.
Spread half of bean mixture over each tortilla. Top each with 3 basil leaves, 1/2 cup roasted veggies, 4 onion slices, and 1/2 cup arugula. Fold bottom third of tortillas over veggies, and roll up tightly, tucking in sides as you go. Cut wraps in half on diagonal. Serve immediately, or wrap each half in foil or wax paper, and chill until ready to eat.
*Any chili sauce will do.
Makes 2 wraps
Per wrap:
Cals: 228
Protein: 11g
Total fat: 3g
Carbs: 51g
Chol: 0mg
Sodium: 419mg
Fiber: 8g
Sugars: 3g
Sunday, March 6, 2011
LEMON PEPPER SHRIMP
Ever been to P.F. Chang's China Bistro Restaurant? If not, treat yourself sometime--great food! In the meantime, here's a recipe based on their Lemon Pepper Shrimp, which is fabulous.
The green onions & bean sprouts make for a crunchy complement to the tender shrimp and the spicy-sweet sauce. Serve over hot brown rice, if desired.
My family loved this dish--give it a try--I think you will, too! And by the way, I think it would be delicious with chicken, too.
This recipe looks long and complicated, but it's really not. As with most Asian dishes, it helps to chop and measure everything in advance, as the cooking process moves along quickly.
Sauce:
1 tsp sesame oil (or oil of your choice)
2 tbls minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger*
2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste for heat)
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Mix water into cornstarch. Saute garlic and ginger in oil for 15-30 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic. Add cornstarch mix and all remaining sauce ingredients, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Sauce may be made ahead of time; keep covered until ready to use.
*Note on mincing ginger root: A really easy way to keep ginger root handy is to freeze it in a ziploc bag. When needed, simply grate it, still frozen, on a microplane zester. No need to peel; just grate the amount needed, then replace ginger root, tightly wrapped, in freezer until next use.
About 5 to 10 minutes before ready to serve, cook the shrimp & veggies at the same time.
Shrimp:
1 lb medium or large raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined*
2-3 tbls cornstarch
2 tbls olive oil
4 thin lemon slices,quartered
Rinse and drain shrimp; shrimp should be damp but not wet. Place shrimp in shallow bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch over shrimp & toss well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to better absorb cornstarch. Meanwhile, heat oil in wok or skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot & shimmers but does not smoke. Add shrimp to skillet, shaking off excess cornstarch. Discard any remaining cornstarch. Stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes, until shrimp begins to brown. Add lemon slices, and cook 1 minute more. Add sauce to pan. Toss gently to coat shrimp with sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. (If sauce thickens too much, remove shrimp, and thin with a bit of water.)
*HyVee now sells 1 lb. bags of frozen shrimp that are raw but already peeled and de-veined. It's a huge time-saver, and the price is quite reasonable--around $6 or $7 when I bought it. Simply thaw & cook!
Veggies:
1 tsp olive oil
6 green onions
11/2 cups bean sprouts*
salt & pepper, to taste
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cut just the bottom white parts off the green onions. Leave about the next 4 inches intact. Chop the remaining green tips into 1 inch strips. In addition to these small green onion pieces, you should have 6 strips of green onions that each have about 3 stems sprouting from the base. Rinse, drain, and pat bean sprouts dry. When oil is hot, add green onions and bean sprouts to skillet. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until green onions begin to soften.
*If you've never used bean sprouts before, I found them sold in a bag, located by the bagged coleslaw, etc.
Final Assembly:
Arrange green onion/bean sprout mixture on serving plate. Pour shrimp and sauce over veggies. Serve over brown rice, if desired.
The green onions & bean sprouts make for a crunchy complement to the tender shrimp and the spicy-sweet sauce. Serve over hot brown rice, if desired.
My family loved this dish--give it a try--I think you will, too! And by the way, I think it would be delicious with chicken, too.
This recipe looks long and complicated, but it's really not. As with most Asian dishes, it helps to chop and measure everything in advance, as the cooking process moves along quickly.
Sauce:
1 tsp sesame oil (or oil of your choice)
2 tbls minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced ginger*
2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less to taste for heat)
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Mix water into cornstarch. Saute garlic and ginger in oil for 15-30 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic. Add cornstarch mix and all remaining sauce ingredients, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Sauce may be made ahead of time; keep covered until ready to use.
*Note on mincing ginger root: A really easy way to keep ginger root handy is to freeze it in a ziploc bag. When needed, simply grate it, still frozen, on a microplane zester. No need to peel; just grate the amount needed, then replace ginger root, tightly wrapped, in freezer until next use.
About 5 to 10 minutes before ready to serve, cook the shrimp & veggies at the same time.
Shrimp:
1 lb medium or large raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined*
2-3 tbls cornstarch
2 tbls olive oil
4 thin lemon slices,quartered
Rinse and drain shrimp; shrimp should be damp but not wet. Place shrimp in shallow bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch over shrimp & toss well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to better absorb cornstarch. Meanwhile, heat oil in wok or skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot & shimmers but does not smoke. Add shrimp to skillet, shaking off excess cornstarch. Discard any remaining cornstarch. Stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes, until shrimp begins to brown. Add lemon slices, and cook 1 minute more. Add sauce to pan. Toss gently to coat shrimp with sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. (If sauce thickens too much, remove shrimp, and thin with a bit of water.)
*HyVee now sells 1 lb. bags of frozen shrimp that are raw but already peeled and de-veined. It's a huge time-saver, and the price is quite reasonable--around $6 or $7 when I bought it. Simply thaw & cook!
Veggies:
1 tsp olive oil
6 green onions
11/2 cups bean sprouts*
salt & pepper, to taste
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cut just the bottom white parts off the green onions. Leave about the next 4 inches intact. Chop the remaining green tips into 1 inch strips. In addition to these small green onion pieces, you should have 6 strips of green onions that each have about 3 stems sprouting from the base. Rinse, drain, and pat bean sprouts dry. When oil is hot, add green onions and bean sprouts to skillet. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until green onions begin to soften.
*If you've never used bean sprouts before, I found them sold in a bag, located by the bagged coleslaw, etc.
Final Assembly:
Arrange green onion/bean sprout mixture on serving plate. Pour shrimp and sauce over veggies. Serve over brown rice, if desired.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
ARTICHOKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
This recipe was submitted by Bridget, and she highly recommends it. It is from the cookbook: Vegetarian Times: Low Fat & Fast. http://www.vegetariantimes.com/product/53
I haven't made this yet, but I plan to. It sounds really good & easy to make. Thanks, Bridget!
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 141/2-oz can diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts in water,
drained & chopped
1 cup water
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 tbls sliced green olives (optional)
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
11/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a 3-quart saucepan, cook onion and garlic in water over medium-high heat. Stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta of your choice.
Makes 5 cups; 10 servings
Per 1/2 cup serving (not including pasta):
Cal: 52
Protein: 2g
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 12g
Chol: 0g
Sodium: 338mg
Fiber: 3g
I haven't made this yet, but I plan to. It sounds really good & easy to make. Thanks, Bridget!
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 141/2-oz can diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts in water,
drained & chopped
1 cup water
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 tbls sliced green olives (optional)
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
11/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a 3-quart saucepan, cook onion and garlic in water over medium-high heat. Stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta of your choice.
Makes 5 cups; 10 servings
Per 1/2 cup serving (not including pasta):
Cal: 52
Protein: 2g
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 12g
Chol: 0g
Sodium: 338mg
Fiber: 3g
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