black bean and corn stew March 26, 2007

i love black beans – always looking for a new recipe that involves them! garnish with cheese, chopped scallions, some tortilla chips or a heated flour tortilla.

Black Bean and Corn Stew
4 tsp olive oil
1 med onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies
2 cans black beans, drained, rinsed
2 cans diced tomatoes
salt
1 package (10 oz) frozen corn

1. Heat oil over med heat. Add onion; cook until softened. Add garlic and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 min more.
2. Add chilies, beans, tomatoes (with their juice) to the pan. Add 2 c water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, until it thickens slightly, about 20 min.
3. Puree 2 cups of stew in a blender or processor. Return puree to the pan, and add the frozen corn; simmer until heated through, about 5 min.

3-ingredient fettuccine alfredo January 23, 2007

3-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo
2 sticks butter
½ pound grated parmesan cheese
1 lb fettuccine

with a mixer, beat 2 sticks butter and ½ lb cheese until creamy. Cook pasta in large pot, until al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve ½ cup cooing water, then drain pasta. Return fettuccine to pot. Toss pasta with a bit of salt, cheese mixture and ¼ cup of the pasta water. Add more water, as needed and serve with extra cheese.

recipe origin: Everyday Food

wilted spinach and tomatoes January 18, 2007

i could eat this every single day! 

Wilted Spinach and Tomatoes 

1 bag baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved if desired
olive oil
minced garlic

In a large skillet, heat up a bit of olive oil. Add spinach and garlic and stir as it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir until all is wilted (about 3-5 minutes more). Mix in a dash of balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

empanadas January 10, 2007

this is a vegetarian recipe. but when i made this last night, my husband commented “this would be great with beef.” so there you go. i thought they tasted great. 

Empanadas

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package refrigerated pizza dough (about 1 pound)
 Flour for the work surface
1 16-ounce can refried beans
1 1-pint container fresh salsa
1 8-ounce package shredded Cheddar
 Sour cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F. Spread 1 teaspoon of the oil on a baking sheet. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Roll each into an 8-inch round on a lightly floured surface. On half of each round, spread some of the beans, then top with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the salsa and 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over the other half of each round, covering the filling, and press the curved edge with your thumb to seal. Lightly brush the tops of the empanadas with the remaining oil, then transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or more salsa, if desired.

you could also use a premade pizza crust if you can’t find pizza dough – makes for a flakier crust.

recipe origin: Real Simple Magazine

roasted asparagus October 7, 2006

sigh. i love fall. i get to cook warm comfort food and use my oven again. i made these once and my husband said, “you must never cook asparagus any other way.” yup – they’re that good.

Roasted Asparagus

asparagus (i prefer the thin kind) washed with ends snapped
olive oil
freshly ground pepper & kosher salt
shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment and sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and season generously with salt and pepper.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until soft (but not soggy). If you’d like, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and throw back into the oven for another minute or two to melt the cheese. So yummy.

the cheese addition comes from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook. i usually do half with cheese and half without, but according to my husband, it is awesome with

veggie lasagna September 13, 2006

i recently served this at an italian-food rehearsal dinner and it got a great response. everyone loved it and i got several requests for the recipe.

Vegetable Lasagna
serves 8
This makes one 9×13 pan or two 8×8 pans. Lasagna can be frozen for about 2 months – just deforst overnight in fridge and add about 15 minutes to the cooking time.

4 cups (32 ounces) ricotta cheese (whole milk tastes best, naturally)
2 large eggs
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
6 cups tomato sauce (get good sauce. It really makes a difference!)
1 pound ‘italian’ cheese, shredded (4 cups of whatever you like best)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, eggs, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add spinach and stir well to combine.
2. Spread a small bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13 glass baking dish or dishes. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the remaining sauce; sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with cheese.  If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Before baking, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.  Let cool slightly before serving

whenever i make this i have a ton of leftover cheese & sauce. use it to make stuffed shells or, if you have extra noodles, make a personal lasagna (one noodle wide in a bread pan).

recipe origin: Everyday Food Magazine

three bean salad July 26, 2006

i love this. i saw it in a magazine and made it, but found some of the measurements to be waay off. they had way too many fresh herbs. yuck. but i adapted it and now its a fav.  easily the best bean salad recipe i’ve come across.

Three-Bean Salad
makes 4 to 8 servings

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can other bean (black, cannellini), drained and rinsed
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (flat-leaf best, but Italian okay)
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Serve at room temperature.

recipe origin: adapted from recipe in Real Simple

fresh tomato pasta July 20, 2006

this is a huge hit with the kiddies, who absolutely adore everything pasta and love those “baby tomatoes”

fresh tomato pasta

serves 4

angel hair pasta (i recommend this.)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 teaspoon dried oregano, parsley, Italian seasoning (whatever you like best)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the angel hair according to package directions until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, spice you picked, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until the tomato juices run, about 3 or 4 minutes.

3. Add the drained angel hair, basil and 1/4 cup Parmesan to the skillet and toss to combine.  Serve with more cheese, if desired.

**This is GREAT recipe to use up leftover chicken!! Just chop and throw it in with the tomatoes and it will heat right up!

recipe origin: adapted from recipe in Everyday Food Magazine.

veggie frittata July 17, 2006

breakfast for dinner is one of my kids favorites. this is perfect for me and husband to share while they gobble down pancakes. great for a brunch or special breakfast too. healthy, thrifty and yummy.

Veggie Frittata

serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
chopped veggies of your choice, a good pan full when raw
(our favs include spinach, peppers, scallions, mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini – whatever you can dig up in your fridge*)
salt and pepper
8 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Heat the olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add veggies and a dash of salt; cover and cook until the veggies are very soft, about 10-15 minutes, depending on what you’re using.

2. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and about 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pour this over the veggies and stir for two minutes; cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Sprinkle the cheese over the frittata and bake in the over for about 15 minutes, until the egg is set.

if you’ve never tried one, a frittata should look kind-of like this:

**This is another great way to use leftovers. I often make this after we’ve had a party and I have a lot of extra veggie dippers laying around! brocolli and carrots don’t work too well since they take longer to soften than other veggies.