Squash and Beans

I'd like to thank Nicole for emailing me today's post. My life has been eaten up with photo shoots, back to school meetings, piano lessons and everything else that a wife/mother-of-4/teacher/chef/etc. has to do. 


Sorry for the absence!


If you've read my past posts (say that 10 times fast) or know me, you know I'm a sucker for black beans, burritos and all kinds of squash. This recipe incorporates all things wonderful. No, I haven't made them yet, but I know Nicole, and I know Nicole's cooking, and it's got to be good. I'm making them this week, and I can't wait.

Seriously, tonight's dinner of baked ham, with homemade augratin potatoes just doesn't seem as good when my mouth is watering for this...


Butternut Squash & Black Bean Burritos (serves 3-4)

3-4 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 1-lb. butternut squash, diced into 1” cubes
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 c fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 c diced yellow or red onion
2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t sugar
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 t minced garlic
1/4 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne pepper (optional)
Salsa, sour cream and other burrito fixings of your choice

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl toss together the squash, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, sugar and ground black pepper until the squash is evenly coated. Spread onto a foil lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until the squash is tender and lightly browned. Set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 2 minutes or until they begin to soften. Next, add the drained black beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently. Finally, add the roasted squash and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until everything is completely heated through.

To assemble your burritos, take a warm tortilla and fill with a generous amount of the black bean and squash filling. Add a nice handful of chopped spinach on top and roll together (the spinach will wilt slightly inside). Serve with salsa, avocado, cilantro or any burrito fixins that you like!

Black Bean and Corn Dip

Black Bean and Corn Dip
2 (15 oz) cans black beans rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 avocado, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Put the lime juice, oil, garlic, salt and cayenne in a small jar. Cover with lid an shake until well combined.

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, avacado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, hot pepper and cilantro. Pour the lime dressing over the salad. Stir well to coat.
Eat with tortilla chips.

Spring Rolls for Springtime

Thai Fried Rice adapted from Thai Table
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tomato, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce - mushroom
pinch ground pepper
1 teaspoons fish sauce
1 cup cooked rice (cook earlier and put in fridge to dry and cool)
3 Thai chili pepper (Optional)
1/3 cup pork or chicken
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lime
1 green onion Optional
2 cloves garlic, minced Optional
2 eggs
Other veggies, such as pea pods, bean sprouts (optional)

When the pan is extremely hot (smoking hot), pour in the oil and follow with meat. Stir quickly. It can get real smoky. If you see that there is juice coming out from your meat and pooling on the bottom and not evaporating, your pan is not hot enough. When the meat is cooked, set it aside or just put it on the side of the pan if you can. Add the egg and scramble the egg until the egg is all cooked. Put the egg aside or just push it aside and make some room on the bottom of the wok. Add the fish sauce and soy sauce and stir. Keep stirring and mixing the rice with ingredients. Add all vegetables. Stir for 1 or 2 more minutes. Sprinkle ground pepper.

Some people like to add a fried egg on top of the fried rice. If you do, add 2 teaspoons of oil, crack the egg and fry until the egg white is crispy. Put the egg on top of fried rice.

Serve hot with a 1/4 wedge of lime and whole green onion.



(I got this recipe online somewhere, long ago)

Spring Rolls
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
•2 green onions, sliced into matchstick pieces
•1 red chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you prefer very mild spring rolls)
•1/2 cup shredded or finely chopped cabbage
•4-6 shiitake mushrooms, cut into matchstick pieces
•1/2 cup medium to firm tofu, sliced into matchstick pieces (If non-vegetarian: add 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp)
•approx. 2 cups bean sprouts
•1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
•1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
•2 Tbsp. oil, plus more for deep-frying
•1 pkg. spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)

•STIR-FRY SAUCE:
•2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
•2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR vegetarian stir-fry sauce (I like Lee Kum Kee brand)
•2 Tbsp. lime juice
•1/4 tsp. sugar

•TO SERVE:
•Thai sweet chili sauce (available in most supermarkets, Asian section)

Preparation:
1.Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), shallots, and chilli. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir-frying Tip: Add a little water to the wok/pan when it gets too dry instead of more oil.
2.Add cabbage, mushrooms, and tofu (or shrimp). As you stir-fry, add the sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
3.Remove from heat and add bean sprouts, tossing to mix in.
4.Do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp. more fish or soy sauce if not salty enough.
5.To assemble rolls, place a spring roll wrapper on a clean working surface. Place one heaping Tbsp. of the filling on the wrapper (if using large wrappers, you will need more). Tips: Spread the filling lengthwise along the spring roll wrapper nearer the end closest to you. Also, try not to include too much of the liquid left in the bottom of your wok/pan (a slotted spoon works well for this - drier filling is better.
6.Now sprinkle some of the fresh coriander and basil over the filling.
7.Fold the left and right sides of wrapper over filling, then lift up the wide end nearest you and tuck overtop. Roll to the other end. Secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting the end, "pasting" it shut.
8.To fry spring rolls, place some oil (about 1 inch deep) in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. When bubbles rise, or when the oil begins to form snake-like lines across the bottom of the pan, the oil may be hot enough. To test it, dip one corner of a spring roll into the oil. If it beginsto sizzle and cook, the oil is ready. If not, wait another 30 seconds to one minute and try again.
9.Using tongs, place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry about 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown (see photo). Place on paper towels (or a clean dish towel) to drain while you finish frying the rest.
10.Serve spring rolls while still hot with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or your own dipping sauce (see recipe bellow). ENJOY!

TO MAKE YOUR OWN DIPPING SAUCE: Mix 1/3 cup plum sauce with 3 Tbsp. soy sauce. Add fresh cut red chili or dried crushed chili as desired.

Meatless Monday

While I'd never consider myself a vegetarian, I have no problem going days without eating meat.

Really, I don't. Much to the displeasure of my husband, I'm sure.

We've posted some great main dishes that don't require any meat, like Okonomiyaki and Sweet Potato Enchiladas.

There are thousands of vegetarian cookbooks out there, but I don't own a single one. Not. One. Which makes me a "non-expert" of all things vegetarian. However, I've been incorporating at least one meatless dinner every week. Just to mix things up, if you will.

I've mentioned we're fans of Japanese food at our house. Here's another meatless, Japanese recipe for you to try.

JAPANESE TEMPURA

1 cup flour
1/3 cup corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups cold club soda

Heat oil to 350° before you begin to mix the batter. In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Add cold club soda and stir with a fork. Batter will be runny and may have lumps, but don't over mix it. When oil is heated to 375° begin frying your batter dipped vegetables.

Use care in not adding too many vegetables to the oil at once, or crowding them, this will cool the oil and make the tempura greasy. Serve hot!

Soy Sauce with Fresh Ginger:
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. hot chile sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
1 green onion sliced
juice of 1/2 a lime

Charred Chili Relleno

This was a good vegetarian meal that my Mom sent me. We just got a new computer and haven't finished switching things over yet so sorry there are no personal pictures. I did find the one from Rachael Ray on Food Network. Mine looked a little different but you get an idea.

Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice

adapted from Rachael Ray Recipe by Karen

2 cups uncooked white rice

4 C stock, divided (I used Imagine No Chicken Broth)

1 bay leaf

4 large poblano peppers

6 ears corn on cob or 3 C frozen corn kernels

3 T oil, divided

1 red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped

1 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained well (I didn't see this and put the whole thing in)

1 1/2 t gr. cumin

1/2 t dried oregano

salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 C cilantro leaves

1/4 lb spinach leaves, deveined & coarsely chopped

4 gr. onions, coarsely chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat broiler on high or turn on BBQ grill. Heat about 3 1/2 C stock in saucepan with a bay leaf to boiling. Add rice, cover pot, reduce heat to low & simer 18 mins.

Place poblanos under broiler or on hot grill and char evenly all over - about 15 mins. When done, place in plastic bag on counter and allow to cool. Twist top. Grill the corn if using corn on cob or lay frozen corn out on clean towel to defrost and dry.

Heat 2 T oil in skillet over med. high. When oil is hot, add corn, onion, jalapenos and toss until vegetables char at the edges and onions are tender - 4-5 mins. Reduce heat to med. high & add garlic, tomatoes and season with cumin, oregano, salt & pepper. Cook another 2 mins and turn off. Place cilantro, spinach, gr. onions and 1/2 C stock and T of oil in food processor and process into coarse green paste. (Missed this instruction too. I didn't add the stock or oil. I pulsed in blender in about 3 batches.) Stir into rice pot in last 3-4 mins of cooking time. Sprinkle lime juice over corn mixture. Slip skins off peppers.

Split peppers open but not in half with small knife and clean out seeds and membrane. Place in shallow baking dish & stuff each with corn mix. Top with 1/4 C cheese and place under broiler to melt and char the cheese. Serve on bed of green rice. Yum!

Meatless Monday

Sweet Potato Enchilada...does it sound weird or good?  Think texture of a tamale, sweetness of a sweet potato, spicy like an enchilada.  Mmmmm. 

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

5 regular sweet potatoes

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin (optional)

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

12 (7 in.) corn tortillas

1 (19 oz.) can green enchilada sauce

8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1.  Wash and peel sweet potatoes.  Dice potatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil, over medium heat boil the sweet potatoes until tender.  Drain.

2. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl, mash with the cream cheese, green onions, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper until well mixed.

3. Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and fry the tortillas, one at a time, for about 30 seconds per side. Remove the tortillas with tongs, and drain on paper towels.

5. Place about 1/3 cup of sweet potato filling down the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place filled tortillas seam side down in the prepared baking pan.  Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. 

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the enchiladas are bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown.

Meatless Monday

I've mentioned Sparkpeople.com in my last posting.  I think I'm a little addicted.  It's got some amazing articles and blog postings on there.  Seriously.  Try this one for today's meatless Monday idea.

Tofu is a great way to cook meat-free.  I've used it in the past as a substitute for chicken and it worked great.  I've made tofu parmesan and teriyaki tofu, and the family had no idea it wasn't the regular chicken recipe. 

The Sparkpeople article gives a lot of ideas on how to integrate tofu into your diet without feeling like you're giving up meat or sacrificing taste (or texture).  It describes the difference between soft and firm tofu, and gives recipes for both types.

The article states you're either a tofu lover or hater...which are you?

TOFU PARMIGIANA

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

10 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

4 tsp. dried oregano, divided

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

2 (12 oz) package, firm tofu

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 tsp. dried basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, 4 tbsp. parmesan cheese, 2 tsp. oregano, salt and black pepper. 

2. Slice tofu into 1/4" slices and place in bowl of cold water.  Individually press tofu slices into crumb mixture, coating all sides. 

3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side.  Drizzle with more oil, turn and brown on other side.

4. Combine tomato sauce, garlic, basil and remaining oregano.  Place a thin layer of sauce in a 9x13-in. baking pan.  Spoon remaining sauce over tofu.  Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining 6 tbsp. parmesan cheese. 

5. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.  Makes 8 servings. 

TOFU THAI CURRY

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 (12 oz) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 tbsp. seasoned salt

1 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10 oz) can coconut milk

2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tofu cubes, season with seasoned salt and fry until golden on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.  Remove to paper towers and set aside.

Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender.  Stir in coconut milk, curry powder, salt, pepper and cilantro.  Return the tofu to the skillet and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.