Stuffed Peppers

Another recipe from my sister, discovered deep in the Facebook Messenger archives while looking for the chickpea one. It's titled: Super Delicious (and I hate cooked peppers) Stuffed Peppers. But I hate cooked peppers too, so I haven't tried it.

4 bell peppers
2 cups cooked (1 cup dry) quinoa or rice
1/2 cup grated or crumbled cheese - feta, mozzarella, parmesan...
1 tomato
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp marjoram, oregano, and/or basil
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450F.
If starting with uncooked quinoa/rice, start cooking as directed. For more flavor, use broth instead of water or add a bullion cube while cooking.
Grease a small square casserole pan with olive oil.
Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers but keep the rest of it whole (like cutting the top off of a jack-o-lantern). Sprinkle inside with salt and black pepper. Place standing up in the pan.
Chop tomato well. Combine with cheese, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. When quinoa/rice is done cooking, add to tomato and mix well.
Pack mixture into peppers with a spoon (it may not all fit).
Bake for 30 minutes.

She adds:
You can also stuff zuccinis with couscous! Or tomatoes with rice and chedder! Little things in big things plus cheese and garlic! Yay!

One-Pot Chickpeas and Rice

My sister sent me this recipe years ago, and I finally made it last night. It is easy and delicious, so of course my toddler won't touch it.

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes, or 6oz fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 cups white basmati or jasmine rice
1 Tbsp yellow curry powder
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
lots of black pepper
1 1/4 cup water

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan (with a lid!) over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add curry powder and cook a few minutes more.
Add water, tomatoes with juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Add drained chickpeas and rice. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Taste test. If the rice is not done, add another 1/4 cup of water and re-cover to simmer 5 more minutes.

Lentil Loaf

My sister was disappointed by all the "flaxseed and almond flour BS" in the lentil loaf recipes she found on Pinterest, so we went back to Mom's recipe cards to get the "old-fashioned hippie" version.

1 c dry lentils (2 c cooked)
1  13-ounce can evaporated milk
1/4 c oil
2 eggs
2 c oatmeal or extremely dry bread crumbs (we prefer oatmeal)
1/2 to 1 c chopped walnuts
1 minced onion
1 c minced celery
1 c grated carrot
1 tsp sage
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare dry lentils by cooking them in 2 cups water over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Combine cooked lentils with all ingredients and stir together thoroughly.
Divide into two loaf pans or 24 muffin cups.
Bake 1 hour. Serve hot with ketchup or BBQ sauce. Also makes good leftovers or cold sandwich filling.

Broccoli-Chicken Braid, round 2

I decided to get creative tonight and make a Broccoli-Chicken Braid into single serving pastries. I used:

1 tube of Pillsbury "Big & Buttery" crescent rolls
1 cup chopped broccoli
2 Morningstar chikn patties
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayo
less than one egg white
maybe a tablespoon of slivered almonds
I didn't have any dill or red peppers, but I don't like those much anyway so I was fine with that.

First I separated the crescent rolls and laid them on a cookie sheet. I mixed everything up and divided it into more-or-less even dollops at the big end of each crescent roll. I folded up the corners, brushed with egg whites, and sprinkled with almonds. They baked for 20 minutes at 375.

Success!

Next time, I would do it with more broccoli, less chikn, less mayo, and a shorter cooking time - maybe 15-18 minutes. The extra-large crescent rolls definitely helped.

Zucchini Crab Cakes

I have two versions of this, one is Bettie's and one is my mom's. Both are basically zucchini shaped into a platform for transporting Old Bay to your mouth. Here are the ingredient lists exactly as written.

Grandma's ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 T mayo
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
flour
vegetable oil

Mom's ingredients:
2 1/2 cups zucchini (grated, salted & squeezed)
1 egg
2 T melted butter
1 1/8 c dry bread crumbs
1/4 c minced onion
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
flour
vegetable oil

Combine everything except flour and oil. Form into 6 patties. Coat with flour and fry in oil.
Formed patties can be frozen before cooking.

Falafel

These are tasty! From Laurel's Kitchen.

1 medium potato, cooked & mashed
1 medium-large onion, finely chopped
1 large bunch parsley or coriander
2 T oil
4 c (2 cans) ground chick peas
1/4 c sesame seed meal
1 T yogurt
1/8 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne
1 t paprika
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350F. Sauté onions in oil until soft. Stir in parsley/coriander and cook briefly. Add to ground chick peas. Mix well with potato, sesame seed meal, yogurt, spices, and lemon juice. Form into balls or patties using 2T each. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes on each side.

Makes 30. 65 cal & <2 g fat each.

Taco Bake

1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded lettuce
1 1/2 c chopped tomatoes
1 3/4 all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rise or dry yeast
1 T sugar
2 t finely chopped onion
3/4 t salt
1/3 c warm water (120-130F)
2 T oil
1/2 c crushed corn chips
 Mexican Beans (replaces 1 lb taco-seasoned ground beef)

Preheat oven to 375F. In medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, onion, and salt. Mix well. Add warm water and oil. Mix by hand until almost smooth. Stir in corn chips and enough remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Spread in well-greased 10-inch pie dish, forming a ridge around the edge. Cover, let rise in a warm place 10 minutes for quick-rise yeast or 20 minutes for active dry yeast. Spread beans over dough. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until edges of dough are crisp and light golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Vegan Sloppy Joes

1/2 lb firm tofu
1 T oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1/4 t garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t salt
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t basil
1 c tomato sauce
2 or 3 English muffins


Mash tofu to crumbly, drain if needed. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes. Add tofu, salt, and herbs and stir for a few minutes until most of the moisture from the tofu has evaporated. Add tomato sauce, mix and simmer on medium low until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Split and toast English muffins, cover each slice with Sloppy Joe. Optional: top with mozzarella or parmesan and broil to toast cheese.

Fettucine

2 pkg fresh fettucine (1 plain, 1 green) OR 1 lb dry mixed fettucine
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 pints light cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
salt & pepper

Cook pasta as directed. Melt butter in a pan. Slowly add cream. Stir and heat to hot but not boiling. Add cheese, salt & pepper to taste. Stir until hot & thick. If it curdles, add more butter. Toss with fettucine and serve.

Tofu Stir Fry

This one is more of a guide than a proper recipe, so it's kind of vague on things like... ingredients. And times... And temperatures... It's what I wrote down when I realized I didn't actually know how to make a proper stir fry (as opposed to a pile of undercooked vegetables covered with squishy crumbled tofu bits, which I have totally mastered) and asked my dad. Really the only other detail I can add is that you should use extra firm, non-silken tofu, like Nasoya, as it will hold up better.

Quick Pizza Dough

This makes dough for one 9" pizza. It tends to be kind of sticky, so have some extra flour for your hands.

img via: Simply Recipes

1 package (2 1/4 t) yeast
1 cup warm water
1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 T oil
2 1/2 c flour
sauce, cheese, pizza toppings

Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and warm water. Then add the sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Beat 20 strokes, then set aside to raise for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a baking sheet or pizza stone and stretch into shape. Add your toppings and bake for 20 minutes.

Tofu Baked Ziti

This casserole basically substitutes tofu for ricotta cheese for way fewer calories, and you'd never notice if you didn't know what was in it.

12 oz uncooked ziti
28 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10.5 oz firm silken tofu
1 egg white
10 oz frozen spinach block
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Boil water and cook ziti according to package. Puree together all other ingredients except ziti, sauce, and mozzarella. Mix the cooked ziti into the tofu/spinach mess. Divide the mixture into 3 parts. Pour 1/4 of the sauce (about a cup) into a casserole dish, then 1/3 of the ziti/tofu/spinach. Continue layering, ending with the rest of the sauce. Top with mozzarella. Bake covered for 45 minutes.

Potato & Mushroom Casserole

I don't know where this came from, probably the back of a soup can. Apparently I didn't feel it necessary to note how long you bake it for, I don't know what's up with that, but it's at least a half hour.

img via: tales of thyme & place

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c grated cheddar cheese
6-10 potatoes
black pepper
paprika

Wash potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Combine condensed soup, cheese, and pepper. Arrange potato slices in a sprayed casserole dish - we usually end up with three long rows of overlapping slices. Top potatoes with soup and cheese mix. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350F "until cheese melts & potatoes are softened."

Edit 5/15/12: I found my mom's recipe card. This recipe is from my aunt Helen, and it bakes covered for 45 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes.

Mexican Beans

My mom created this recipe. It's awesome with rice or Cornbread, and we use it as the base for tacos and taco salad. For some reason, the version that I have written down is for a massive batch, and calls for a gigantic can of beans, the one as big as your head. Scale away.

img via: off the (meat) hook

6lb 12oz canned kidney beans (3-pound coffee size)
1 t garlic powder
1 1/2 t oregano
3 t cumin

Combine over medium heat. Stir/mash occasionally to prevent sticking. It can stay over low heat for a while and will continue to thicken.

Louisiana Style Red Beans & Rice

From Skinny Vegetarian Entrees.

3 c canned red beans (save canning liquid)
3 c cooked rice
1/3 c minced red onion
3 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 c minced scallion (greens and whites)
1/4 c minced celery leaves
1/4 t dry sage
1/4 t dry thyme
1/4 t cayenne powder

Melt butter in saucepan. Saute garlic 1 minute on low heat.
Add red onion, celery leaves, and round 1/3 cup scallions. Saute 4 minutes on medium heat.
Add sage, thyme, and cayenne. Add beans and 3/4 canning liquid. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring often.
Serve beans over rice, garnish with remaining scallions.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

I think this one is from the Fiddlehead? Delicious, in any case.

img via: Rebecca Crump @ ezrapoundcake

1 T vegetable oil
1/2lb sliced mushrooms
1/2 c chopped onion
2 T flour
1 T curry powder
14.5 oz can vegetable broth
1 c water
16 oz canned pumpkin
1 T honey
1/8 t nutmeg
1/4 t pepper
1 c skim evaporated milk

Heat oil in heavy saucepan. Saute mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add flour and curry powder, stir constantly for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.
Stirring constantly, add vegetable broth and water. Add pumpkin, honey, nutmeg and pepper.
Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add evaporated milk and heat thoroughly. Do not allow to boil.
Serves 7.

Cream of Carrot Soup

This actually came from Samantha's Cookbook, which I got in second grade or so, and used to make an entire four-course Victorian meal for my family, complete with hand-decorated menus and place cards. A quick look at the American Girl website shows that cookbooks are no longer a part of the "empowering girls through history" plan, but there are now a whopping twelve historical dolls available, only $95 each with the first book and basic outfit. Good greif.





Anyway, the soup. It's very good and just a little spicy. Or a lot spicy, if you're like me, and switch the salt and cayenne pepper measurements every dang time you make it.

 img via: i'm hungry on a budget

1 lb carrots
2 c vegetable broth
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 t salt
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 c half & half

Peel carrots and cut into 1/2 inch slices. In a saucepan, bring carrots and broth to a boil. Then cook 20 minutes on medium-low heat, until the carrots are soft. Drain and SAVE the broth. Mash carrots.
In a large pot, melt butter, add flour and cook 1 minute on low heat. Add carrots, salt, and cayenne pepper. Slowly add broth and cook 10 minutes on medium-high heat.
Stirring constantly, add half & half. Bring soup back to hot, but do not allow to boil.
Serve with crackers.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I'm not sure where this came from, Mom may have created it. My notes are, "excellent! - will probably work with most any vegetable so long as it's steamed before you add it to the soup."

4 T butter
5 T flour
3 c liquid dairy, heated (I guess this means, milk or cream or half&half, whatever you have)
1 c vegetable broth, heated
1/4 c vegetable broth, cold
1 onion, minced well
1 bay leaf
2-3 c chopped broccoli, steamed
1 heaping T cornstarch

Heat butter, fry onions until clear.
Add flour and stir.
Add hot milk and broth slowly, stirring after each addition.
Add bay leaf, stirring constantly.
To thicken, mix cold broth and cornstarch, then add to soup.
Add broccoli.
Simmer on very low heat "for a while".

Chana Pindi and Garam Masala

My dad decided to learn to cook Indian food a while back. It works because there are a lot of vegetarian recipes from some regions, and this is one of our favorites. It comes from the Bombay Palace Cookbook.

1 packet chana masala spice or 2 rounded T garam masala
1 t garam masala
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t tumeric
1/4 t cayenne
2c drained chickpeas
1 piece fresh ginger, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can tomatoes, drained
1/2 c water
1/4 c butter, melted
2 T chopped cilantro

Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, spices, and water in a skillet or wok. Save for later: butter, cilantro, half of the chana masala, and the tablespoon of garam masala.
Cover skillet and simmer 5-7 minutes to allow most of the water to evaporate.
Transfer chickpeas to serving dish. Pour melted butter over.
Sprinkle with cilantro, garam masala, and remaining chana masala.

McCormick sells a garam masala, but it's much sweeter than this blend. Bulk spices are shockingly cheap at my local Indian supermarkets, so check 'em out.
To make your own garam masala, grind together: 8 oz tumeric, 8 oz coriander, 8 oz cumin, 6 oz powdered sugar, 4 oz black peppercorns, 1 oz cardamom, 2 oz fennel seed, 2 oz mace, 1 oz whole cloves, 1 oz mustard seed, 1 oz poppy seed, 1 oz garlic powder, 1 oz fenugreek seed, and 1/2 oz cinnamon.
Store in an airtight container.

Black Bean and Rice Burritos

From Vegetarian Times.

1c brown rice (dry)
12 6-inch flour tortillas
16 oz. can black beans
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 c chopped onion
1-2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
chopped scallions
salsa

Cook the rice as directed, usually: 1 cup rice to 2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat 35 minutes.
Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven at 200F, or microwave as directed.
Combine the black beans (with canning liquid), garlic, tomato, onion, chili powder, and cumin in a saucepan. Simmer until tomatoes are soft, usually 5-15 minutes.*
Spoon rice and beans into each tortilla. Garnish with scallions and salsa.

Per burrito: 185 calories, 0 cholesterol, 3g fat, 35g carbs, 6g protein.

*The even simpler cheater version of this is to just combine a can of drained black beans with a can of half-drained tomatoes and chilis (I usually get either Rotel or Hunt's), add some cumin and chili powder, and cook on medium heat until it's hot throughout and starts to simmer.