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1 lb red, yellow, and/or orange bell pepper
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic; minced
1/3 cup basil, fresh; finely chopped
Preheat broiler. Cut seeds and stems out of peppers and lay skin-side up on a baking sheet. Broil until skin is browned and bubbling - don't be scared - it'll look a little burned. Toss peppers into a paper bag and fold over several times to seal and let sit for at least 15 minutes. The skins should now peel easily from the peppers.
Combine all ingredients except basil in blender and process until smooth. Stir in basil.
Yield: 1 1/2 c
Contributor: Cooking Light
Preparation Time: 00:30
In the tradition of my mom, who turned me onto eggplant parm and who I still think makes the best ever, I don't really have a recipe for this, though this is the basic idea:
Peel and slice some eggplant - how thick you slice depends on preference - if you like meaty chunks of eggplant, go big; if you want to disguise the eggplant so the kids will eat it, go thin.
Dip the eggplant in some lightly beaten eggs or egg whites then dredge in a mixture of dry breadcrumbs, grated parmesan and any other seasoning you like: maybe garlic powder, oregano or basil.
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and layer eggplant with your favorite tomato sauce; top with tomato sauce and cheese - most people like mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for a while, probably no less than 30 minutes, especially with thick slices of eggplant. Unwrap and bake until the cheese is lightly browned.
I was trying to think of a way to use my surplus of veggies when I ran across this. Go light on the ground red pepper if you don't like to cry a little when you eat.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/3 cups water
2 1/3 cups dried lentils
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
(I had parsnips and celery in the fridge so I chopped them up and sauteed them with the onion. You could also throw in some chopped braising greens, kale or collards in the last 10 minutes of cooking for an even healthier meal.)
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion; sauté for 3 minutes or until tender. Add the turmeric and the next 6 ingredients (turmeric through garlic); sauté for 1 minute. Add water and next 4 ingredients (water through diced tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour.
(The following directions are among the last-minute preparations that I always forget to do -- it was perfectly fine without being pureed but if you prefer:) Reserve 2 cups lentil mixture. Place half of remaining mixture in blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with other half of remaining mixture. Stir in reserved 2 cups lentil mixture.
Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 11 1-cup servings
Southern Cornbread
1 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Sugar
1 cup milk, skim
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 egg; lightly beaten (when you beat eggs before adding to other ingredients, it incorporates more fully)
Preheat oven to 425.
Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and add to well in dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.
Pour into 8 inch square dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes or until done. Cool 5 minutes in pan on wire rack.
Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 9 servings
Preparation Time: 00:30
Rob will tell you that there aren't many recipes I make multiple times but this is one of my fall-back meals - doesn't take terribly long to prepare and we always love it.
Cajun Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli
2 tablespoon mayonnaise - I like low-fat Miracle Whip - it's all chemicals anyway so might as well get the light version...
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic; minced
3 6-oz cans pink salmon, skinless boneless (I actually use the big can of wild salmon and crush the bones - adds tons of calcium and I never taste it)
1/4 cup green onion, chopped (when I don't have those, I chop onion or shallot or just leave it out)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning blend (you can buy it or make your own blend of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and a little salt)
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon canola oil
To prepare aioli, combine first three ingredients and set aside.
To prepare cakes, combine salmon through mustard. Form into 8 equal patties and dredge in remaining breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in large skillet and cook patties 3 minuter per side or until lightly browned. Serve with aioli.
Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 00:20
Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges
6 medium sweet potato; about 2 1/4 lb
2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat to 500.
Peel potatoes and cut each into fry-sized wedges. Place in a bowl and spray with cooking spray (I use a pump sprayer with my own oil in it). Combine remaining ingredients and toss with potatoes. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil (I thought that stuff was a crock when I first saw it but it's invaluable for these fries).
Bake 7 minutes per side or until tender and beginning to brown.
Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 8 servings
Preparation Time: 00:25
This one takes a little longer to make but is totally worth it. To reheat, microwave until hot then toast to crip the crust.
4 cup Butternut squash - about 1 pound; peeled, seeds removed, and coarsely shredded (you need a really great veggie peeler to work with butternut squash - and plenty of elbow greese to cut it in half.)
1/2 cup bulgur; uncooked (I usually find this is the baking aisle as a cereal with soy)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup onion; chopped
3/4 cup feta; crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan cheese; grated
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves; chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 sheets of phyllo dough (buy in the freezer section and either thaw in the fridge overnight or let sit on the counter for 2 hours. Keep phyllo covered with a damp cloth as you work - it dries out easily.)
Combine squash, bulgur and salt; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat to 350.
Heat oil in skillet and saute onions 3 minutes. Add onion and feta through pepper to squash.
Place on phyllo sheet in 10-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray (I use a pump sprayer with canola or olive oil) or brush with melted butter. Lightly spray (or brush) and top with another sheet - continue for a total of 4 sheets. Top with squash and 4 more phyllo sheets. Fold in phyllo edges for a rim and spray lightly.
Bake 40 minutes or until golden.
Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 8 servings
Last night, some of the crazy women of NAWBO put together what proved to be the world's longest Mary Kay makeover. By 11pm, we had gorgeous new looks and I had promised to start posting what I've eaten for the day, including recipes where applicable, in order to give everyone some ideas on how to shake up their eating habits in a healthful way.
Fridays are always big days for eating out for me, mostly because my husband and I have a big breakfast with my dad every Friday at New York Deli. We think it's the best breakfast spot in town, mostly because of their huge selection of omelets. Today, I had the mushroom swiss made with egg whites and whole wheat toast on the side. (On a recent afternoon visit there with one of the make-over ladies from last night, I had a piece of pecan pie to which our Friday morning waitress, Sandy, quipped that it was going to take a lot of egg whites to balance that one out. It's all about the 80/20 rule!)
I had a lunch date at Panera which is always a good choice because most of their soups are pretty light and filling, especially with a whole grain baguette on the side. Today's soup was my favorite: black bean.
For dinner, I finally whipped out the ole pots and pans for my end-of-week scramble to use up as many of last week's market veggies as possible before getting more. Today's challenge: eggplant, bell peppers and potatoes. I was craving mashed potatoes and made them with garlic, light sour cream (there is a brand at Earth Fare that's light without any weird ingredients - tastes great too!) I stumbled across this recipe on Food Down Under to use everything else.
2 bell peppers
3 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (I always use extra though)
4 ounces feta cheese (you can get light feta at the store or goat feta from Goat Lady Dairy at the market)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (yes, freshly ground does make a difference)
1 teaspoon dry oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon dry basil or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
1 slice whole grain bread
Preheat your broiler. Remove the seeds and stems from peppers and place peppers skin side up on a baking sheet. Broil until mostly blackened then seal in a zip-top bag. Set aside for 15 or so minutes.
Reduce the oven to 350.
Meanwhile, coat a skillet with cooking spray (I use oil in a refillable pump bottle) and preheat the pan. Add as many eggplant rounds as possible and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Layer browned sliced in a 9X12 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
Once all the eggplant is cooked, throw the onion and garlic into the hot pan and saute until lightly browned and smelling great, about a minute. Spread those on top of the eggplant.
By now, your bell peppers should be well steamed and the charred skins should slip right off. You can encourage them with your nail if needs be. Chop and sprinkle on top of onion. Top that with the feta, pepper, oregano and basil. Chop the slice of bread in a food processor or by hand into rough breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!
1 1/2 pounds red and yellow tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tablespoon salt, divided
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sour cream (I use low-fat Organic Farms - no weird ingredients)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 tableshoppn cornmeal
1/2 cup basil, shredded, divided
1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese (we used Goat Lady Dairy Providence instead)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 20 minutes; blot dry with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place corn, juice, and sour cream in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add corn mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Knead gently 3 or 4 times.
Slightly overlap 2 (16-inch) sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Place dough on plastic wrap; press into a 6-inch circle. Cover with 2 additional (16-inch) sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 14-inch circle; place on a large baking sheet in freezer 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle paper with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Remove 2 sheets of plastic wrap from dough. Place dough, plastic wrap side up, on baking sheet. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap.
Combine 1/4 cup basil, cheese, and oregano. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange cheese mixture on dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Using a sifter or sieve, sift 1 tablespoon flour mixture over cheese mixture. Arrange half of tomatoes over cheese mixture. Sift remaining flour mixture over tomatoes; top with remaining tomatoes. Fold edges of dough toward center; press to seal (dough will only partially cover tomatoes). Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until crust is brown; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup basil and pepper.
6 servings
Contributor: Cooking LightMy sister got this recipe from our step-grandmother and would serve it to dates - I sent it to Cooking Light magazine and they turned it from something you wouldn't want to eat once a year into a regular menu item.
1 large eggplant, 1/4 inch lengthwise slices
1 1/3 cup cottage cheese
3/4 cup cream cheese; softened
2/3 cup ricotta cheese, part skim
1/4 cup parmesan cheese; grated
2 tablespoon chives; minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 egg whites
1 egg
4 clove garlic; minced
26 oz tomato basil pasta sauce; divided
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese; shredded
Preheat to 350.
Heat skillet or grill coated with cooking spray (I use a refillable pump of canola oil). Cook eggplant until softened, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
Combine cottage, ricotta and cream cheese until well blended. Stir in parmesan through garlic.
Spread 1/2c pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with eggplant slices to cover. Layer 1/2 cheese mixture and 1/3
remaining pasta sauce. Repeat layers, ending with eggplant. Top with remaining pasta sauce.
Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake 20 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 8 sevings
Preparation Time: 1:00
Last Saturday, Pat and Brian Bush (the farmers we have our CSA with) offered up as many sauce tomatoes as Rob and I could hold which ended up being about 8 pounds. I was going to make my favorite spicy marinara but the idea of buying tomato paste to add to an otherwise all-local/organic sauce just seemed somehow wrong. So at 11:30 this morning, I started with the 8 pounds of tomatoes, two bell peppers, two onions, two carrots and four cloves of garlic and now I have five half-cup jars of tomato paste with the most wonderful, crisp flavor.
This is my third consecutive canning experience where I didn't set my stove on fire (first two canning attempts included fire but also a couple of lovely jellies) - I'm starting to think I might be on to something. As a little treat for myself, I picked up Mes Confitures, The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber. Yellow Peach Jam with Lavender Honey is a strong contender for my first try out of her book. Oddly, her processing instructions are minimal - in fact, the only direction she gives is to turn the jars upside down after filling and allow to cool. Out of curiosity, I tried it with a jar of hot, fresh cucumber relish last week and sure enough the jar sealed, but I don't know enough about canning to know if it sealed in a way that prevents bacterial growth. For the time being, I'll stick with my water bath canner.
I'd love to hear your canning tips and recipes! Post them as comments or email me at HeyYou@SarahBethJones.com.
Meanwhile, from Canning & Preserving for Dummies:
Tomato Paste
8 pounds tomatoes, stems and cores removed (don't worry about the skin or seeds)
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 small onions, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Puree all ingredients in small batches in a food processor. Pour puree into a mesh strainer laid over a large pot, pressing to remove the liquid. Discard remaining pulp. (I didn't see much carrot juice so added a spoonful of pulp to the pot.) Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, allowing to boil uncovered for 4 to 5 hours, until the liquid is visibly thickened and reduced to a fourth or fifth its original volume, stirring occassionally.
Partially cover; reduce heat as the liquid thickens, stirring frequently. Your paste is thick enough when a spoonful stay mounded on the spoon.
While this is cooking, prepare your jars and two-piece caps (click here for the basics on water canning)
Ladle hot puree into prepared jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Process 30 minutes from the point of boiling.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not so much of a great recipe innovator as a good recipe follower, so when I make up something that turns out well (even if it is a Frankenstein’s monster of cobbled together existing recipes) I feel like doing a victory booty shake.
This recipe started as a Cajun Quiche with sausage and hot sauce and that kind of thing. While I do like the Gimmie Lean soy sausage (despite its unnerving gooey-ness), I was looking for a recipe that would use the squash my garden has been popping out like inflammatory statements from Anne Coulter’s face opening as well as some of the bounty from my overflowing CSA bag.
What’s so great about this recipe is that the veggies (and cheese) are completely interchangeable – sauté about 3 cups of any veggie and follow the rest of the recipe as is.
Enjoy!
2 cup long-grain brown rice; cooked, cooled
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 egg
1/2 cup cheddar cheese; shredded, divided
1/2 cup onion; chopped
3 clove garlic; minced
1/2 cup mushroom; sliced
1/2 cup red bell peppers; chopped
1 cup yellow squash; sliced
1 tomato; sliced
1/4 cup basil (fresh); chiffonade
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 cup plain yogurt, fat free
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Preheat to 375.
Combine rice through egg, pressing into a 9 - inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle bottom evenly with 1/4 cup cheddar. Bake 5 minutes.
Heat skillet coated with cooking spray. Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms, peppers and squash and sauté until tender-crisp.
Arrange sliced tomato in bottom of rice crust; top with basil then sautéed veggies. Whisk together remaining eggs, whites, yogurt and salt and pour over veggies. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar.
Bake for 30 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Contributor: modified from Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 1:00
This year, Rob and I are participating in Handance Farm's
CSA, that is, Consumer Supported Agriculture. In January, we paid
Handance a lump sum for a portion of whatever is in season for 20 weeks.
It's good for them because it gives them a big cash inflow during their
off-season and good for us because it evens out to very inexpensive organic
veggies which are often heritage varieties. And it's a nice challenge for
me since I never know what produce I'll get that week - it's a culinary
adventure!
These first four weeks, we've gotten kale, turnips, green onions, broccoli and
lots of salad greens. Last night I was determined to use some salad
greens but wasn't in the mood for the average toss-salad. Then one of my
favorite sandwiches came to me, served at the Acropolis (416 North Eugene St,
downtown Greensboro - across from the Grasshoppers Stadium) which is basically
a Greek Salad on grilled pita with a layer of tzatziki (cucumber yogurt)
sauce. Of course, I had almost none of the required ingredients in the
house but after combining available ingredients with a Moosewood yogurt tahini
dressing and a Cooking Light bean dip, I came up with something I thought was
equally good. Enjoy!
My New Favorite Summer Sandwich
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 clove garlic; minced, divided
3 tablespoon lemon juice, divided
2 tablespoon tahini, divided
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh
1/2 teaspoon Salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 can cannellini beans; drained, rinsed
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt, fat free
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3 cups salad greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup spicy sweet banana peppers, chopped
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
whatever else you like in a salad
4 whole pita breads (I get mine from Masoud and Ana Awartani at the Greensboro
Farmers' Curb Market)
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
For Cooking Light bean dip:
Heat oil in small skillet. Sauté 4 cloves garlic for 1 minute or until
lightly browned. Scrape garlic into food processor along with 2 tablespoons
lemon juice, 1 tablespoon tahini, water, rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and
pepper and cannellini beans. Process until smooth. Set aside.
For Moosewood tahini sauce:
Combine yogurt, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon each tahini and lemon juice, and
1/4 teaspoon each cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine lettuce and remaining veggies/salad ingredients. Toast, grill or
otherwise heat pita breads. Spread a quarter of the bean dip on each of the
pitas; top with a quarter of the salad mixture. Drizzle each with 1/4 of
the tahini dressing and sprinkle with walnuts.
How you choose to tackle this monster sandwich is up to you - fold, lift whole,
cut with a knife and fork - whatever you do, have plenty of napkins available
and enjoy!
2 cup strawberries; halved
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients; cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with lemon
yogurt and garnish with mint leaves.
Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings
2 1/2 cups water, milk, stock or any combo that pleases you
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
a clove or three of minced garlic
2/3 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
Bring liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and gradually whisk in cornmeal (otherwise you'll have a baseball-sized lump of cornmeal floating in foggy water - it was a pizza night...) Cook 2 minutes or until thick, whisking constantly. The end.
Or you can zap it:
Mix all the ingredients together in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir, recover, and microwave until 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently until it's thick.
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
8 oz uncooked lean ground turkey
8 oz canned tomato sauce or salsa (we like peach)
8 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Toast chili powder and cumin in a medium skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add oil to skillet and heat; add onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce or salsa and beans; cook 5 minutes more or until heated through.
Layer with polenta and cheese in an 8-inch square baking dish and bake at 350 until heated through.
Makes 4 servings in about 40 minutes.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cup sweet onion; chopped
4 clove garlic; chopped
1/2 cup red bell peppers; chopped
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper; chopped
3 cups chopped plum tomato or one 28 oz can diced tomato, undrained
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup kalamata olives; chopped
Heat oil in large skillet. Saute onion, garlic and peppers until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes through crushed pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thick, 20 - 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in olives and serve over polenta. Top with freshly grated parmesan.
Makes about 8 servings in about 45 minutes.
Last
Saturday, I spent the morning at the Greensboro Farmers’ Curb market
handing out samples of Baked Pumpkin with Apples and talking about my
favorite topic: food! My thanks to all of you who stopped to chat
awhile, Ed Paisley who gave me a couple of bears of honey (seriously,
stop by and see this guy – he brings a plexiglas-fronted case of bees
every week – freaky!) and, of course, Donna Myers of EpiCourier.com who put me up to arranged the space for me. For those of you who missed it or whose email addresses I couldn’t decipher, the recipe:
Baked Pumpkin with Apples
5 - 6 lb sugar pumpkin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 - 4 baking apples; peeled, sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar or honey
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon flour
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cut the top off pumpkin and scrape out the insides, jack-o-lantern style. Rub the cavity with butter.
Combine the apples and remaining ingredients and stuff into
pumpkin. Replace lid onto pumpkin and place on baking sheet on
lower oven rack. Bake about 1 ½ hours, until pumpkin and apples
are softened. Be careful not to over-bake or it will collapse.
Serve hot, scraping out part of the pumkin's flesh with every scoop. Serve over ice cream, oatmeal or pancakes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Takes about 2 hours to make, though only 20 minutes or so of actual work.
This recipe is from Prevention's Low Fat, Low Cost Freezer cookbook. It's no longer in print, but you can usually find a copy on Amazon.com.
6 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sherry
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion; chopped
4-6 cloves garlic; minced
1/2 cup carrot; sliced
1/4 cup Salsa (I like Newman's Own Peach)
3 cup black beans (canned or slow-cooked)
14 oz canned diced tomato; undrained
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Preheat to 425. Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake for an hour.
(You can microwave them but the flesh won't be quite as creamy.)
Bring sherry and oil to a boil in large skillet. Add onions and garlic and
cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add carrots and salsa and cook, stirring,
5 - 7 minutes or until tender.
Add beans and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook,
stirring frequently, 20 minutes or until thick.
Split potatoes and mash pulp. Top with chili and serve with sour cream and/or
cheese.
Yield: 6 servings
Preparation Time: 1:15
370 calories
2.4 g fat
16g fiber
91 mg calcium
5 Weight Watcher points
(nutritional info includes the sweet potato and chili only - not any toppings)
Cajun Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli
4 servings
2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic; minced
3 6-oz skinless, boneless, wild pink salmon
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning blend
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon canola oil
To prepare aioli, combine first three ingredients and set aside.
To prepare cakes, combine salmon through mustard. Spead the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs on a plate. Form salmon mixture into 8 equal patties and dredge in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in large skillet and cook patties 3 minuter per side or until lightly browned. Serve with aioli.
***My husband and I like to eat these with spicy sweet potato wedges: Preheat oven 500. Cut peeled sweet potatoes into wedges, about 8 per potato. Spray with canola oil (or Pam), sprinkle with a little sugar, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt and toss to coat. Spread wedges on nonstick foil or parchment paper and bake until tender, about 15 minutes, flipping wedges once.
Hummus
2 clove garlic; peeled (3 if you're a big garlic fan like me!)
15 oz chickpeas; drained, rinsed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seed paste, available in the "ethinic" food isle at most grocery stores)
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon kalamata olive brine (the juice in the jar)
With food processor running, drop garlic and chickpeas through the shoot and process until minced. Scrape sides and
add garlic and tahini. Pulse to combine.
Again with processor running, add remaining ingredients.
Scrape sides and process as needed until smooth.
Chill at least one hour to let flavors combine. Serve with toasted pita wedges, pan-fried zucchini, fresh veggies or on a sandwich with fresh or grilled veggies.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups