Black Forbidden Rice with Peaches and Snap Peas

Let's pretend this picture doesn't really look like this. Oh well. It was a fun and colorful dish. Calvin ate it enthusiastically...so enthusiastically that despite sweeping I was still finding little rice grains all over (which just so happen to look exactly like little bugs when they are on the floor.) Appetizing picture and appetizing description, right?

Ingredients
Rice
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups forbidden rice
1 (1.5 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. oil (I used grapeseed)
2 1/2 cups snap peas, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 peaches, pitted and sliced

Dressing
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Directions
1. To make the rice, bring water, rice, ginger, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and place in a large serving bowl. Add peas and peaches.

2. For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, oil, honey and soy sauce in a medium bowl, until smooth. Pour dressing over rice mixture and toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature.


adapted slighlty from Giada

Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

The best part of blogging for my own keeping of recipes is not feeling like I have to post. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy sharing recipes...but the sole reason this blog exists is to have a reference while I plan meals and to help me have a little extra motivation to try new recipes. Cooking for a three year old and myself doesn't always encourage creativity, but, I am proud that our dinners do not consist of frozen chicken nuggets or canned O's swimming in mystery sauce. Do we have breakfast for dinner often? Yep. Does a quesadilla qualify as the entree almost once a week? Yep. But we do our best and find some recipes worth repeating between nights of omelets or waffles (not of the frozen variety).

Ingredients

For the Spaghetti Squash
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2 red bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion,chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup packed fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani 0%)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

2. While the squash is baking, make the creamy roasted red pepper sauce. Roast red peppers over gas flame, under the broiler, or on the grill. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until peppers are completely black. Place peppers in a paper bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor, but be careful. Make sure the sauce is not super hot so you don't get burnt. Puree until smooth, with some texture remaining.
4. When the squash is done baking, let it cool for a few minutes-until you can touch it. Scrape the squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl or on individual plates. Top spaghetti squash with the creamy roasted red pepper sauce and serve warm.


From Two Peas and Their Pod

Broccoli Cheese Soup

 We've finally reached 80 degree weather here...and it's nearly November. Not sure I'll really ever get used to the 'seasons' here. However, we will get a little taste of fall/winter next week as we head to Denver. When I visit my mom it is usually a balance of her cooking our favorites and me introducing a few new recipes. If the weather is chilly (which I'm sure it will be), this is a likely contender. Lots of veggies and lots of cheese are always a great pairing.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter
1 chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot * See note below
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. sea salt (this seemed like a lot, I just eye-balled it)
1/2 Tbps. freshly ground black pepper (again, to taste)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2  baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup whole milk
3 cups chopped broccoli (about bite size)
2 cups chopped cauliflower (finely chopped)
1-2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated (I omitted and just did a total of 2 cups cheddar)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, red pepper, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Add  broth and potatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with water, add to soup along with the broccoli and cauliflower.  Simmer until broccoli is tender, another 10-15 minutes.  Add milk and cook until heated through.  If the soup is a bit too thick, add water or broth slowly until desired consistency is reached and bring back to a simmer. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

*note- Instead of taking so much time finely dicing, I buzzed the soup with an immersion blender after the potatoes were tender and before I added the flour mixture, broccoli, and cauliflower. This helped to thicken the soup as well.

from My Green Diet

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

I'm not sure that I'll really get used to how hot it is here. Last summer was hot, no doubt, but something about this summer is just killing me. It could be the extra weight I'm sporting...also known as a baby... but part of it is probably that it got super hot much earlier than usual. We rarely turn on our oven and often even the grill is unappealing. This light salad was the perfect compliment to fresh cherries and a rotisserie chicken-something we'd probably eat a lot more of if I had the stomach to get the meat off the bones. Thanks goodness for Nick. (And that is not just a pregnancy thing, we'll see if I ever conquer that fear. He is more afraid I'll turn vegetarian.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)

1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used Roma)

2 avocados diced

2 cups spinach

1 bunch cilantro, about 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup onion

2 small cloves garlic

For the dressing

1 lemon, zested
juice of 2 lemons

2 tsp. dijon mustard

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. cumin

dash of salt and pepper

Directions
 

1. Prepare quinoa by soaking a pot in the veggie broth for about 15 minutes. Over medium high heat, bring the quinoa to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa for about 20-25 minutes just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and prepare the rest of the salad.

2. In a food processor, add spinach and cilantro. Process the greens until they are finely diced.

3. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next, take onion and garlic and finely dice those (easy to do in the food processor), and add to the greens mixture. Add chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. When quinoa is cooled, add it to the chickpea mixture.

4. Prepare the dressing by whisking ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.

from The Diva Dish : Adapted from: Ohsheglows

Heather's Smoked Gouda, Pecan, and Cherry Salad with Green Onion Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

I can still remember when my friend Heather brought this to a pot-luck and how tasty it was. Luckily, Jessie had it on her blog so we enjoyed this a few weekends ago with our chicken burgers. I'd almost forgotten how much I love smoked Gouda, almost.

Ingredients

spring mix + spinach
pecans, whole or chopped
dried sweetened cherries (could sub. dried cranberries)
red onion, thinly sliced
smoked Gouda, grated


Green Onion Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

1 whole green onion, ends removed
2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/6 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil ( I used grapeseed oil)
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, puree onion with sugar, mustard, salt, and red wine vinegar. With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil. Add the poppy seeds and pulse to combine.

2. Toss spring mix and spinach and top with pecans, cherries, onion, and cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

Makes about 3/4 cup of vinaigrette.

(Recipe courtesy of Heather Sedwick, from A Hint of Honey)

Couscous-Stuffed Peppers with Fresh Basil Sauce

 With red bell peppers 3/$1.00, we've been eating lot and lots of them. We made these on Sunday and they were awesome. It was a combination of sort of unexpected flavors, but we were pleasantly surprised. For Siena, I just gave her some of the filling and she ate it like a champ. Plus, it was a great excuse to use some of our basil that is taking over the garden!

Ingredients

Filling 

 

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

2 tsp cumin   

3/4 cup whole wheat couscous  

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained  

1/4 cup dried currants or cranberries 

1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves  

1/3-1/2 cup (approx. 4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling  

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

4 bell peppers ( I used red)hot water, as needed (I used chicken broth)

Sauce  

1 packed cup fresh basil leaves  

1/4-1/3 cup (about 4 ounces) creme fraiche ( I used sour cream)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

1-2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped  
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus a little zest! (about 1/2 a lemon)
1/4 teaspoon sugar  
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra, as needed  
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra, as needed

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. 

2. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water or broth, cover with foil, and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 45-55 minutes, removing foil last 15 min or so .

3. While peppers are baking, in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender, combine the basil, sour cream, olive oil, water, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Remove the peppers from the oven and arrange on serving plates. Spoon the sauce around the peppers and serve. 

Serves 4 
*Right now, it was meatless, to make it truly vegetarian swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth

adapted slightly from Giada

"Spicy" Chicken & Black Bean Pasta

We've been enjoying this recipe for a while, but only this past time did Siena gobble it all up! I'm not sure if it is just taste buds maturing a bit, but every time she eats a meal completely unmodified I want to jump for joy. Really, I could go on and on about how happy this makes me- in fact, I'm sure I will as I post other recipes of food she willingly (and knowingly) eats.

 This makes a lot! I halved the original recipe and we still ate it for 2-3 days. The original is a little spicier (hence the name), but I'm wimpy so this ratio of spices seemed to work out pretty well.

1/2 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked al dente  (spaghetti & fettuccine work great)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (1 is plenty for our family)*
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1-2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2-4  oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 small Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil  over medium heat. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Saute until chicken is cooked through, but not browned. Remove chicken and set aside.

2 .Return skillet to heat. Add jalapenos, green onions, and red bell pepper; saute 3-4 minutes. Stir in black beans; heat about 3 minutes. Add feta and chicken, and heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes. Toss pasta gently with sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.

*I think this could easily be adapted to be vegetarian-just add spices when you saute jalapenos, onions, and pepper. I'd also consider increasing the black beans.

adapted from Lauren Loves Food

White Bean Tomatillo Tacos

This dish was inspired from a need to use a lot of tomatillos and tomatoes.  The Hatch family loves bean burros from a restaurant in Phoenix called Don Jose. There are many Hatch traditions I've come to love... unfortunately Don Jose's isn't exactly my favorite tradition. (I was relieved to find out one of my brothers-in-law isn't a huge fan either!) I do appreciate that it is a family-run place, but not quite my first choice for eating out. When going to Don Jose's most family members order a 'bean burro'- refried beans with cheese in a tortilla. I won't claim this recipe to be close to the beloved Don Jose bean burro, but it got a stamp of approval from Nick and is I'm sure significantly healthier.

Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

1 jalapeno

1 1/2 bunches of cilantro, no stems

12-15 fresh tomatillos, about 1 1/2 to 2 inch size, husked and cleaned

juice of 1 lime plus zest

1-2 tsp. of sugar, or other sweetener
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 of large onion

salt to taste

Directions

Boil the jalapeno in water. Cut off stem and add to blender with all other ingredients (I split it in half first and removed the seeds because I'm wimpy.)  Blend until almost smooth. Chill. 

Tacos

Ingredients

2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
cumin, to taste
oregano, to taste
coriander, to taste
tortillas
shredded cheese
cucumbers, diced
tomatoes, diced
fresh spinach, roughly chopped
tomatillo salsa

1. In a medium saucepan, add rinsed beans with a bit of water- about 1/4 of the saucepan. Turn heat to medium-high and add cumin, oregano, coriander.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally til beans have thickened and have a texture almost like refried beans.


2. Cook or warm tortillas. Add beans, sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Garnish with cucumbers, tomatoes, and spinach. Add tomatillo salsa and enjoy!

adapted from the Enlightened Homemaker

Creamy Spinach & Avocado Pasta

 I can't tell if it's just my pregnant state that makes my love affair with meals even better, or if I'm just on a lucky streak with new recipes lately. Usually there are a few duds between every successful recipe, but I've genuinely loved the past few recipes we've tried. I'd been wanting to try this recipe from Giada (which is essentially the same thing swapping arugula for spinach) but, saw this recipe recently and decided to try it first since we always have an abundance of spinach in our fridge. Truthfully, I was a little nervous because I do not especially like the taste of cooked spinach. I try to sneak in it meals here and there, but I very much prefer it raw. I told Nick that this would either be awesome or disgusting, luckily it was the former. Nick said his only complaint was, "That {I} didn't put more on {his} plate." Siena devoured hers and wanted seconds, even when I told her it was a spinach and avocado sauce. Since we each ate a hefty serving of spinach and I was too lazy, this pasta plus fresh pineapple was dinner. Needless to say, we did not have any left overs. We used basil from our garden and since we have spinach starting to grow as well, hopefully in a few more weeks we can try it again with our own bounty. {P.S. We just got lots of organic whole wheat spaghetti from Costco- it ends up being about $1.00/lb which is a pretty great price since normal Barilla is $1.00-$1.40 around here-the whole wheat varieties significantly more.} I've been waiting to go to the store and get another small Greek yogurt so we can enjoy this again! (It just so happens that the amount of yogurt I used in the Chicken burgers + this recipe = exactly one yogurt cup.)

Creamy Spinach & Avocado Pasta

Ingredients

6-8 ounces of pasta
2 Tbsp. butter (next time I'll try 1 Tbsp.)
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of salt, more to taste
3-4 big handfuls of spinach (about 8-10 oz)
fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks
1/2 cup grated fresh Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, reserving some of the pasta water.

2. While pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach to the saucepan (Yes, the pan will be full. Just stuff it all in.) Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the mixture cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted. *Add some of the basil at this time, and save a bit for garnish at the end.

3. Add the yogurt, avocado, and 2-3 Tablespoons of reserved pasta water to the spinach mixture. Stir it a bit, then buzz it up with an immersion blender. (If you don't have one, transfer to a food processor or a blender. Blend well, and return sauce to the pot.) Stir in the cheese, and add more pasta water if it seems too thick.

4. If your pasta is still hot, simply toss the pasta and sauce together in a large serving bowl. If it's not, then combine the pasta and sauce in one of the pots (preferably the larger one) and cook over medium low until everything is hot. Add salt and pepper, to taste and serve with the remaining basil as well as a sprinkle of grated cheese.

from Perry's Plate

Spring Salad with Versatile Vinaigrette

   We had a similar version of this at our Easter dinner and I just had to get the dressing recipe from Nick's cousin (in-law). It's a great base and really versatile, which is a good thing since as the weather warms my cravings turn to all things fruit and salad (and maybe some ice cream in there as well...). I've used this dressing all week and switched out some ingredients in the salad. I would put sesame sticks in every salad if it were up to me (and I hadn't run out already). If you haven't tried them, you really must. I scooped a small bag in bulk at Sprouts and was sad I didn't get more-you can get a decent sized bag at Trader Joe's, I just need to do some price comparing first or just continue to get small scoops so I don't eat them all at once.


Spring Salad

greens of choice, I had romaine and spring mix on hand
avocado, diced
strawberries, sliced
cucumbers, diced
red onion, diced
little sprinkling of feta
sesame sticks



Versatile Vinaigrette

1/2 cup. oil (I used grape seed oil)

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar

1/2 t. salt

2 Tbsp. all-fruit raspberry jam

Mix all together until well blended.

Other suggestions: peach jam, switching it up with different flavored vinegars (the Easter salad was make with a pomegranate vinegar)

Pesto alla Genovese with Gnocchi, Mozzarella, and Tomatoes

Ready for a super vague recipe? Don't worry, it's also super easy and incredibly adaptable. We have been on a pesto kick lately. We love pasta and eat it quite frequently, but we hadn't done pesto in a long time. Pesto can be pretty easy to make, but it is also quite affordable to buy a pre-made sauce. I'm sure Trader Joe's has something fantastic, but we opt for the bottle from Costco which is only like $8 and will last you a while (unless you stay on a pesto kick, like we have). Even my 1/4-Italian husband who is very picky about his Italian food approves of this brand. While you can definitely pair any traditional pasta with pesto- this one has a little something extra to it and looks so fancy with gnocchi. We used cherry tomatoes from our little garden, so naturally, it seemed extra delicious. The tomatoes get so sweet when they're hit with a little heat- " è buono," for sure.

Ingredients

gnocchi
pesto
tomatoes of choice- cherry or grape (halved), or Roma (in bite-sized pieces)
mozzarella, cubed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large sauce pan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi until they float- remove with slotted spoon.

2. While gnocchi is cooking, prep 8 x 8 (or any sized) dish by rubbing a bit of pesto  on the bottom and on the sides. Add tomatoes and mozzarella cubes. As gnocchi are done, add them to the prepared dish. Add spoonfuls of pesto and gently toss the gnocchi with the tomato and cheese, until all have a light covering of pesto.

3. Place dish in the oven and cook only until the mozzarella begins to brown and the tomatoes are juicy.

{Confession: I actually broiled this dish the first go around- but then found out apparently you're not supposed to broil Pyrex. Luckily, nothing happened (and maybe it's okay b/c it was broiling for such a short time period). So, if you have a dish that can withstand broiling, that is faster-but watch it carefully.}

Stacked Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

I was a little hesitant to try this, but having seen this recipe (or very similar) over and over I figured there must be something good about it! It was a great meatless dinner, even Nick approved and was pleasantly surprised. Honestly, we made this so long ago I can't remember if I changed much from the original recipe- I'm pretty sure I used a little less red sauce and only 1/2 a jalapeno since I didn't want too much spice for a 2-year-old.

Ingredients

1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red enchilada sauce
9-10 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine roasted vegetables, black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt and pepper.

3. Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas, to completely cover the bottom of the pan. You might have to cut the tortillas to make them fit. Top with 1/3 of the vegetable/bean mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan.

4. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

from twopeasandtheirpod

Thai Salad with Creamy Cilantro Peanut Dressing

Friends don't let friends eat crappy food. I'm so lucky to have some dear friends who appreciate recipes that don't involve cream-of-anything or massive amounts of heavy cream. I'll admit, there was a time when I thought it tasted good (okay, I still think some of those things taste good), but when I indulge I'd much rather it were on a baked good-like the cheesecake posted below. This recipe that my friend Courtney found is so fresh and delicious. We enjoyed it for dinner and I ate it for lunch as long as it would last- even when I was out of bell peppers and bean sprouts and only down to greens, carrots, and a bit of dressing. I can't wait to make it again and again.


Ingredients

Salad
1/4 lbs whole wheat angel hair pasta
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
2 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded carrot
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shelled edamame beans (find in the frozen foods section)
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup chopped raw peanuts

Creamy Cilantro Peanut Dressing
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup all-natural smooth peanut butter
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2-3/4 cup canola oil
juice of 1 lime + lime zest
3 Tbsp. tamari, or soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. honey
1 teaspoon or small piece of dried chipotle pepper (a small piece of canned chipotle in adobe may be substituted) * I didn't have this on hand, but want to try it next time, I did a dash of chili powder
1 ½ cups fresh cilantro leaves (about 1/2 bunch)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
green onion, to taste



Directions
1.Cook the whole wheat angel hair pasta until al dente. Combine the pasta, cabbage, lettuce, carrot, red pepper, and edamame in a large bowl. Toss with Creamy Cilantro Peanut Dressing.

2. To prepare dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend well. Make sure that it is smooth and creamy. Store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Makes 1 ¼ cups.
3. To serve, on a large platter or individual dishes, plate the salad and top with bean sprouts, cilantro leaves, and peanuts. Serves 4-6.

Note: Since I knew Siena wouldn't eat salad for dinner, I make a little extra angel hair pasta and then just topped it with some of the dressing. It was a great alternative that didn't requite any extra work to  make it part of a toddler-friendly dinner.

slightly adapted from My Green Diet  via Posh Ganache

Lentil Burgers with Smoked Gouda

from Simply Healthy Family

The sound of this dish might not exactly make you drool like a double cheeseburger from Five Guys, but it give the arteries a nice break from all the summer cookouts. These are also a great meal for dining on a budget. We paired it with a this salad.


Ingredients

2/3 cup dry lentils
1 1/2 c water

1 onion, finely chopped
1/2-3/4 cup grated carrots
3 slices bread, crumbled in food processor
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. leaf oregano, crumbled
3 Tbsp. butter, ghee, or coconut oil
smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar, sliced
optional: roll or bun

Directions

1. Wash lentils; add water and bring to boil. Lower heat & simmer 15 minutes covered. Add onion & carrots. Cook 15 minutes longer. Drain, reserving liquid, & cool.

2. Stir crumbs, eggs, & seasonings into lentil mixture. Add some of the reserved liquid, if needed, to hold the burger together better.

3. Melt butter in skillet. Drop lentil mixture by rounded one-third cupfuls into hot butter. Flatten & cook until brown on one side. Flip, top with slice of cheese, and continue cooking until brown on the other side. Place on cookie sheet & keep warm in low oven until all patties are cooked.

makes approx. 6 burgers

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

adapted from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian favorites

This was a treat to make. We had home-grown tomatoes, zucchini, mint, and basil to enjoy. The red bell peppers were on sale for $0.49 each, so the meal was planned before I knew it. We ate this with a Caprese salad on the side to make it a meat-less meal, but I do think these would pair nicely with a grilled little something on the side. Next time, I will try incorporating a stronger cheese within the bell pepper to give it a little more punch.

Ingredients

1 (28 oz) can whole Italian tomatoes- I used 3 large fresh tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
optional: stronger cheese like Gorgonzola or Feta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
dash of Italian seasoning
dash of oregano
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth {can use vegetable broth to make it truly vegetarian}
1 1/2 cups orzo
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)
1/4 cup fresh basil, for garnish

Directions

1. Pour tomatoes and their juices into a large blow and break them into pieces. Add zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

2. Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes.  The orzo will only be partially cooked. Drain the orzo through a sieve, reserving the chicken broth and add the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables. Stir to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

3. Slice the tops off the peppers and removed all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thing slice fro the base to help peppers stand up, if needed. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Place the peppers in the backing dish with the warm chicken broth. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 min. Remove the foil, sprinkle each peppers with cheese, and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the stuffed peppers to serving plates. Garnish with basil, if desired.

Cheese Tortellini with Pepper and Almond Sauce

adapted from Quick Food

{re-post} This is a great meal that can be almost entirely made ahead of time. I made the 'pesto' earlier in the day, then when it was time to cook the pasta all I had to do was add the pesto. I bet the pesto would freeze well, too.

Ingredients

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
2/3 cup sliced almonds
8 scallions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb. cheese tortellini
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese


Directions

1. Cute the peppers into large pieces, removing the seeds and membrane. Place, skin-side up, under a preheated broiler until the skin blackens and blisters. Cool in a plastic bag, then peel away the skin.

2. Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast 1-2 minutes in oven, until lightly toasted.

3. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente. Meanwhile, roughly chop the white part of the scallions and slice the green tops, setting the green tops aside for garnish. Put the peppers, almonds, garlic, and white part of scallions in a food processor or blender and pulse until chopped.

4. When pasta is finished, drain and return to saucepan. Toss the pepper mixture through the pasta, then add olive oil and Pecorino. Season to taste. Serve garnished with green scallions.

Serves 4.

Asian Noodle Salad

adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman

The 'final product' picture was taken in extreme haste, but hopefully the bottom picture is enough encouragement to try this. Only changes I made were personal preferences- this dish serves a ton, and I thought it tasted better the 2nd day (only adding dressing just prior to serving). This is a fantastic way to get tons of veggies in at once.

Ingredients

Salad:

1 package whole wheat Linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled

1/2 head sliced Napa cabbage

1/2 head sliced purple cabbage

5-8 oz. baby spinach

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

chopped cilantro (up to 1 bunch, to taste)
3 whole scallions, sliced

optional: cucumbers, peeled and sliced
                mung bean sprouts
                almonds or cashews, lightly toasted

Dressing:
1 whole lime, juiced
1 tsp. lime zest
8 Tbsp. olive oil
8 Tbsp. soy sauce
2-3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
3-5 Tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, chopped
additional chopped cilantro {dressing will keep up to 3 days w/o cilantro added}

Directions
1. Prepare pasta. Chop veggies til your hands hurt. Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

from Allison

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 large sweet onion, sliced & diced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
about 1/2 jar alfredo sauce (Trader Joe's)
penne, or your favorite pasta
freshly grated parmesan, to taste





Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Place the squash and onion in a 9x13 baking dish and toss with the rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour--until the squash is tender and the onions are caramelized.

2. Near the end of the veggie's baking time, prepare the pasta. Toss the pasta with the squash and onions, alfredo, and parmesan to taste, and enjoy!

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons

adapted from Bon Appetite 

I've heard how much people love butternut squash soup and I've even tried some before and didn't love it. Maybe my tastebuds are maturing, or maybe I just needed these croutons to entice me to try this soup- but we really, really loved it. The pairing of the croutons is vital to this little concoction- they are so delicious. One afternoon we paired the leftover soup with a Gruyère grilled cheese sandwich and it was equally tasty. This dish goes wonderfully with a side or salad which includes pears... maybe since I love pears dipped in Gruyère fondue...

Ingredients


Soup
1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian)
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (or 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1/4 tsp. dried herbs de provence
1/4 tsp. dried sage ( I used 1/2 tsp. fresh)
1/4 cup cream

Croutons 
butter
baguette bread sliced 1/4 in thick
grated Gruyère cheese
thyme & sage to sprinkle (fresh or dried)

Directions

1. Wash squash, cut in half, and remove seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put a garlic clove in each hole. Place cut-side down on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Meanwhile, melt butter in large pot. Add diced onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. When squash is done, scoop out and add to onions. Add broth and herbs.

2. Working in 2 batches or so, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.) 

  

For croutons:
Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Pesto Calabrese

Hatch original recipe

After being gone for 5 weeks- home a week- gone another week- having a little gal who was teething and sick and waking up a million times a night plus not taking good naps--- it has taken a bit of time to get back into the swing of cooking. I honestly forgot that you can buy marinara sauce in a jar and cook some noodles and that can be dinner- but I'm glad we remembered that and I am going to keep some on the shelf. However, if you find yourself with time or energy or a desire to make something a bit nicer than jarred sauce and pasta- here is a recipe that is one of our very favorites. Nick came up with this recipe on his mission- and he says it is one he is most proud of since it isn't a very common dish and he figured it out with one of his companions. I will happily admit that anytime I make this dish it isn't quite as good, so I try to sucker him into making it whenever possible.

Ingredients

1 box Barilla pasta ( we opt for penne)
1 medium yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. dried or fresh basil
salt, to taste
chili pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
1-2 cups of grated cheese ( 1 cup mozzerella, 1/2 cup pecorino romano or parmeggiano, etc)
*bit of Gorgonzola for depth- 1/2 oz, a few large crumbles...
grilled chicken (optional)
diced tomatoes (optional)


Directions

1. Bring salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10-11 mintues.

2. Meanwhile, dice onion and bell peppers. In a small frying pan over medium heat add oil, salt and basil and saute onion and peppers, until soft. Place in food processor or blender, and blend thoroughly.

3. Transfer blended mixture to small sauce pan, over low-medium heat, add cheese and melt until incorporated-about 5-10 minutes. (I usually just keep it warmed until the pasta is ready) Add chili pepper/red pepper flakes to taste. Mix with pasta cooked al dente, add in diced tomatoes and grilled chicken before serving.

Serves 6-8.

*We tried the Gorgonzola this last time and it was perfect! The taste wasn't strong by any means, but it really added a little extra something. I highly recommend it with this addition.