Black Bean and Spinach Pizza

Yummmm.

This is another favorite of ours.  I have always made it with frozen spinach, but this time the idea to make it with fresh spinach popped into my head.  It is definitely good with frozen spinach, but I hate thawing out the spinach and then trying to strain all of the water out of it.  It seems to be the most time consuming part of making this dish.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Black Bean and Spinach Pizza

(Recipe makes one pizza)

Ingredients:
1 pre-baked pizza crust (like Dijorno)
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed, drained and mashed (with fork or with potato masher)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed-dry)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup monteray jack cheese (or mozzarella)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese


Directions:
Place the crust on an un-greased pan.  Combine the beans, onion, chili powder, cumin and garlic; spread over the crust.  On top of bean combination, spread a layer of salsa, a layer of spinach and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.  Top with cheese.  Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Lentil and Kale Soup

Can you tell that I have been loving Kale lately? Almost every other meal that I have made includes Kale.

Chris is a professional scrambled-egg maker and he has been using fried Kale in his eggs every morning. So if you're looking for a healthier option for breakfast, you could always add some Kale to your eggs!

Anyways, this is a SUPER-BUDGET-FRIENDLY and delicious recipe! The website that it is from calculated it to be $0.91 per serving! Now thats a deal!  It's worth a try just because it is so cheap!

Lentil & Kale Soup 

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons ghee, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 cup of lentils
1 cup of brown rice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
One bunch of kale, washed and stems cut out (fold in half, and cut the stem right out). Cut into bite sized pieces.
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste

Directions:
The night before, soak the lentils and rice in plenty of water at room temperature. Drain and rinse.  In a large pot, heat the oil/ghee until hot. Add the onion and cook for about five minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.  Add 8 cups of water, the lentils and rice, and the thyme and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the rice and lentils are tender and cooked all the way. Add the kale, vinegar and salt to taste. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the kale is cooked to your preference. I like mine to be soft, but not too mushy.  Serve and enjoy!  

Recipe credit: 

My wonderful sister-in-law, Amanda, gave me this recipe, so thank you!  

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/11/the-healthy-1-menu-peasant-lentil-kale-soup.html

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas

I tried a new recipe this week, and it was great! I have been loving things with coconut milk, so this was a fun dish to make.

I served this over mashed sweet potatoes as was recommended on the website, but I would recommend it over rice. This dish is delicious and rich, and with the already delicious and rick sweet potatoes, it was a little too much flavor. Next time, I will make it with rice.

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas 

serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 dash of red pepper flakes
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 pound spinach (1 large bag)
14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 oz. cream cheese
1 small onion

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture. Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through. Stir in cream cheese until it melts. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.



Recipe Credit:

http://mycommunaltable.com/budget-meals/braised-coconut-spinach-and-chickpeas-over-sweet-potato/

Butternut Squash Pasta

This recipe has been a fall-back recipe for several years now.  It is relatively easy to make, except for peeling and chopping the squash, but it is worth the effort in the end.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Pasta:

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, gutted, and chopped into bite-sized cubes (preparing the squash is the hardest part of this meal)
1 carton grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
2 cups asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I substitute with frozen green beans when asparagus is not in season)
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 box penne pasta, prepared per directions on box


Directions:
Prepare all ingredients as directed.  In large frying pan, heat olive oil with medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and let saute for 2 minutes.  Add squash, asparagus, tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Cover and saute for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until squash is tender and can be easily speared with fork.  Server over prepared penne pasta.

Recipe Credit:
I'm not sure where this recipe came from, I have been making it for so long that I don't remember!  

Garbanzo Beans and Greens

Another great meal tonight!  I made this recipe and served it over homemade mashed potatoes.  I didn't love the way that the garbanzo beans tasted with the mashed potatoes, but other than that... this meal was great!

The Kale tasted really good after being cooked in the vegetable broth, and the hint of crushed red pepper added just the right amount of spice.

Recipe for Garbanzo Beans and Greens

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped fresh kale
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
4 lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:
1. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to olive oil in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in vegetable broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with 2 tablespoons yogurt and lemon wedges, if desired.

Recipe Credit: 

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/garbanzo-beans-greens-50400000109639/

Avocado and Tomato Salad

I love avocados.

I eat them plain, I eat them in guacamole, or I eat them like this:

Avocado and Tomato Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Small Avocados, peeled, pit removed and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 carton of grape tomatoes, cut in halves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients listed above and stir until covered with oil and salt and pepper is mixed in.



I make this as a side-dish sometimes... but once it is made, it rarely lasts until dinner is actually ready to eat.  It's GONE.  (Especially when your husband loves avocados as much as you do)

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

I bought a whole bunch of bok choy the other day so that I could juice it.  It has been in the refrigerator for a while now, and I just can't bring myself to juice it!  I think that I don't want to juice it because I want to make something new and awesome with it! 

I spent a month in China while on the World Race and we ate a lot of bok choy.  We would go to this one little restaurant on the side of the street that had tarps for walls and they made us bok choy soup.  It was quite spicy, but after a month it was one of my favorite places to eat.  Thinking about bok choy reminds me about that month.   

I looked around for a recipe that uses bok choy and this is one that looked good to me, Chris and I made it tonight, and we both really liked it.  It has a very nice ginger flavor.  Plus, there was very little preparation work and it was a pretty quick meal to make.

Recipe for Stir-Fried Bok Choy Over Rice

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
8 cups chopped fresh bok choy (I used 2 heads/bunches)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
4 servings of instant rice prepared according to package directions


Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Serve over prepared rice.


Recipe Credit:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/stir-fried-bok-choy-with-ginger-and-garlic-recipe/index.html

Vegetable Lasagna I

I have two awesome vegetable lasagna recipes that are AMAZING!

This one is fun to make because you essentially make your own pasta sauce and then use it in the lasagna.  It has a lot of fresh vegetables in it and is great in late summer when all of these things are fresh and on sale or home-grown.

My friend Angie found this recipe in a magazine at work and told me I should try making it.  It turned out great, so thanks Angie!

Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

(serves 4-6 people, makes one 8x8in pan of lasagna)

Sauce Ingredients:
5 tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 Cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional - I don't typically include mushrooms)
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 small yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can (12oz.) tomato paste
1 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Other Lasagna Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup ricotta (or cottage) cheese
6 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Sauce Directions:
In a large saucepan, saute the tomatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, carrot, onion and garlic in oil until crisp-tender.  Stir in the tomato paste, broth, brown sugar, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Lasagna Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  In a bowl, combine egg and ricotta cheese.  Spread 1 cup of sauce mixture in a greased 8x8in baking dish.  Layer with two noodles, trimming to fit and using remaining noodle ends to  make a third row of lasagna noodles in the pan.  On top of noodles, spread half of the ricotta mixture and then top with approximately 1-1/2 cups of sauce mixture.  Layer two more noodles over the sauce and repeat layering with ricotta, sauce and noodles until the pan is full.  Be sure to cover noodles with sauce before baking.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Credit: From article titled, "Men Who Run the Range," in "Taste of Home" magazine, August/September 2003 edition.  

Gourmet Frozen Pizza

Yes, I know that frozen pizza in and of itself is not healthy, but hear me out on this one.

Chris and I were pressed for time and we needed something to eat for dinner.  We had decided on a very gourmet meal consisting of eggs/toast with peanut butter and jelly on the side... but then we opened up the freezer and saw a very frozen, cheesy pizza.

I had already started sautéing some kale to put in my eggs, so when we decided to eat the pizza instead, I thought wow, we should put the kale on the pizza!

This started a rampage.  Before I knew it, Chris was chopping onion, garlic, and tomatoes to put on the pizza as well.  We topped the frozen cheese pizza with the sautéed veggies and cooked it, and wha-la, a very delicious, gourmet frozen pizza... and probably about as healthy as a frozen pizza can get.

Gourmet Frozen Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Frozen Cheese Pizza

1 large handful chopped kale

1 large handful spinach

1/2 carton of grape tomatoes cut in half

1 clove garlic, diced

1/2 large onion, diced

1 tomato, sliced

1 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to the temperature indicated on the pizza box.  In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add kale, spinach, grape tomatoes, garlic, and onion.  Sautée until all veggies are soft.  Remove pizza from box/wrapper and distribute the vegetable mixture evenly over the top of the pizza.  Cook pizza in oven per the directions on the pizza box, or until it looks done.

The Beginning

I want to create a food blog.

I have been cooking for several years now, so why when I go to plan our meals for the week am I always starving for ideas of what we could have?  I scour my recipe box, cooking blogs, and magazines every week looking for something to make.  Since I put so much work into looking for recipes, I want to create a food blog to keep track of the things that I cook and to record our reviews of the meal so that I have ideas for next time.

My food style:

Vegetarian, well actually a Pescatarian who doesn't really eat too much fish and would like to someday stop eating fish.  I enjoy whole foods and altogether healthy things.  I want to reduce the amount of dairy that I consume, so will probably use some Vegan recipes.  I currently eat WAY too many sweets and desserts because those are the most fun to make, so I will have to find recipes for baking things that are healthier (and just generally consume fewer sweets/desserts).

I am excited to take on this new venture of creating a food blog.  I have followed many food blogs and enjoy the recipes that I get from them.  I am excited to have a record of the things that I have made so that I can recall easily if we enjoyed the dish, how long it took to prepare and how much work was involved with the preparation.  I want to share the recipes that I find my family and friends in hopes that they will enjoy the food too!