Sesame Noodles

Sesame Noodles

slightly adapted from Rachael Ray

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup tahini 

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

2/3 cup just-boiling water

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

1 inch ginger, grated

1/2-1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce or Sriracha sauce, according to desired heat

To serve: seedless cucumber, carrot slices, chopped bell peppers, chopped green onion, chopped dry roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro leaves. Can add any cooked meat as desired.

Directions:

Bring 6 quarts water to boil, salt water, and cook noodles to package directions. Drain and cold shock the noodles, then dress lightly with peanut oil. In a large bowl, combine sesame paste and peanut butter and thin mixture with hot water using a whisk, then stir in soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, ginger, and hot sauce, if using. Toss the noodles with sauce to coat evenly, then top with garnishes and serve.

Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad

I loved this delicious salad!  It has fresh, yummy flavors, is simple to put together, is very versatile (leave out cheese for vegan), stores great and can be used as a side dish or main dish.  You can add chunks of grilled or roasted chicken to boost the protein and make it perfect for a main dish.  This is a keeper!

Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad

serves 6-8

from Eating Bird Food

• Salad:
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups water (or veggie broth)
• ½ pound broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 sweet potato, chopped into ¼ – ½ inch chunks
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas
• 1 bunch laccinto kale, roughly chopped
• olive oil, as needed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• 3 Tablespoons feta cheese
• Dressing: (can 1 1/2 x or double recipe to add later if dry)
• juice from one lemon
• 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground pepper, to taste
• crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Rinse and drain quinoa if needed. Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, cover and let it cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat after 15 minutes and place quinoa in a large bowl to cool.
3. Drain and rinse your canned chickpeas. Place the chickpeas on a paper towel or hand towel to dry.
4. Toss broccoli and sweet potato chunks with enough olive oil to coat and season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast veggies at 425ºF for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add your kale and chickpeas to the roasting pan. Add a bit more oil, salt and pepper, if needed and toss. Roast for another 15 minutes. Stirring the veggies around at least once during the roasting process.
5. Once your veggies are nice and roasted, remove from the oven and combine them with the quinoa.
6. Chop parsley, crumble feta and add to the quinoa and vegetable mixture.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar and maple syrup. Gently stir in oil, and add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Toss dressing over quinoa/vegetable mixture. Taste and season with more salt and pepper before serving, if needed.
8. Store any leftovers in the fridge for 4-5 days. As the salad sits it tends to soak up the dressing and become dry. If needed, add an extra splash of lemon to brighten it back up before serving.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce over Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rice

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce over Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Rice
slightly adapted from Cookie and Kate
Serves 6

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce:

1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T honey or maple syrup
1 t grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 t red pepper flakes
3 T water

Roasted Vegetables:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1 inch long, 1/2 in wide chunks
1 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, deseeded, and sliced into bite-sized strips
3 T olive oil
1/2 t cumin powder
Sea salt, to taste

Rice and Garnishes:

3 c jasmine brown rice
3-4 green onion, sliced into thin rounds
Cilantro, chopped
Peanuts, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potato with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, cumin and salt.  Arrange them in a single layer and set aside.
2.  On a separate, smaller baking sheet, toss bell pepper with about 2 t of olive oil and salt.  Toss until lightly coated and arrange in a single layer.
3.  Roast sweet potatoes on middle rack for about 35 minutes, tossing halfway, and roast the peppers on the top rock for about 20 minutes, tossing halfway.  The vegetables will e tender and caramelized on the edges when they are ready.
4.  Prepare sauce by whisking together all sauce ingredients.  If sauce is too thick or too spicy, whisk in a little more water. 
5.  Cook the rice and prepare the garnishes.
6.  Serve in bowls, dividing rice and roasted vegetables equally.  Drizzle each bowl generously with sauce and top with green onions, cilantro and peanuts. 

White Bean Soup

White Bean Soup
from Jen McMullin

2 (15 oz) cans small white beans
1/4 c butter or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 large carrots, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
5 c vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 (15 oz) can plum (Roma) tomatoes with their juice (can use crushed or diced tomatoes)
1 t dried summer savory
1 t dried thyme
1 t sugar
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
2 T finely chopped fresh parley, optional for garnish

In a large sauce pan, heat butter/oil over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, carrot and celery.  Saute 3-5 minutes.  Drain beans, add them along with stock, tomatoes, savory, thyme, sugar and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then cover and simmer until beans are very tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.  Discard bay leaf.  Puree about half of the soup, then return it to the pan with the rest.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish each bowl with parsley. 

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Bean Chili

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Bean Chili
from The Best Make-Ahead Recipe by Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen
serves 6-8

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
2 T vegetable oil
3 medium onions, minced
8 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 8 teaspoons)
1/4 c chili powder
2 T ground cumin
Salt
4 (15.5 oz) cans pinto, black, and/or dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-3 T minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce, according to desired spiciness
4 t sugar
2 c frozen corn, thawed
1/2 c minced fresh cilantro leaves
Ground black pepper

1.  Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until slightly chunky, about 5 pulses; set aside.  Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking.  Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 t salt and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the processed tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits.
2.  Transfer the onion and tomato mixture to the slow cooker insert and stir in the beans, chipotles, and sugar until evenly combined.  Cover and cook on low until the chili is flavorful, 7-8 hours (or on high for 4-5 hours).
3.  Stir in the corn and cilantro, cover and continue to cook until the corn is heated through, about 5 minutes longer.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

**For a delicious, non-vegetarian addition,  add 1 lb browned ground beef near the end of the cooking time when adding the corn and cilantro.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Yield 9 servings

1 large cauliflower head, broken into florets
2 celery ribs
2 large carrots
1 large green pepper
1 small sweet red pepper
1 medium red onion
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups half and half cream

Place cauliflower in a 4 quart slow cooker. Chop the celery, carrots, peppers, and onion; add to slow cooker. Stir in the broth. Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the vegetables are tender. In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to slow cooker; stir in cheese and cream. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Tomato and Artichoke Soup

Tomato and Artichoke Soup

4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
15 oz. can artichokes (not marinated) or 1/2 bag frozen Trader Jo's artichokes
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth (not chicken bullion)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large sauce pan heat butter and sauté onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and thyme, sauté for 1 minute. Add artichokes, tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Heavenly Pumpkin Soup with Whole Wheat Croutons

Heavenly Pumpkin Soup with Whole Wheat Croutons

3 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Spread on slices of bread and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until crunchy and bubbly. Cool and cut into 8 triangles. Sauté onion in butter until softened. Add 1 can of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, puree soup until smooth in a blender (or with an immersion blender). Return the mixture to the saucepan. Add remaining broth, pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and top with croutons.

Crock Pot (or Stovetop) Minestrone Soup

This soup was delicious!  It has been unusually cold and rainy here the past couple of days and some warm soup sounded good.  I'm trying to find more vegetarian recipes and this one really hit the spot.  It has terrific flavor and is loaded with veggies.  I liked the suggestion to add the pasta to the soup bowl separately and not add it into the soup so it wouldn't soak up all the broth.  Also, I like how you blend the beans with the broth for a smoother, thicker consistency.  For the meat eaters in our family, I served some turkey meatballs on the side that could be added to the soup as well.  Good, good, good!

Crock Pot (or Stovetop) Minestrone Soup
from Skinnytaste

Energy Bites

These are super simple and super delish.  They are the perfect quick and healthy snack.  My kids gobble them right up and don't seem to mind that they are good for them.  Yay!

Energy Bites

1 c. old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 c. peanut (or other nut) butter without sugar
1/3 c. honey (preferably raw)
1 c. raw coconut flakes
1/2 c. ground flax
1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 t. vanilla

Mix all until well incorporated and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Then roll into 1-inch size balls.  If it seems too dry, add more peanut butter and/or honey.  Store in an airtight container for up to one week. 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

These were so good!  I know it's hard to believe that given the title.....and I think my mother-in-law thought I was a bit crazy when I told her I was making these for dinner but they were better than I expected.  Also better than my kids expected (which is really an endorsement!) because 3 out of 4 ate them without dying :).  Try them, you'll like them.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

Yield: 8-10 burritos 

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small (about 3-4 cups)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 red pepper, diced small
• 1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drain
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (depending on your taste)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 6-8 burrito-size tortillas (whole wheat, white or other favorite variety)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, red pepper and red onion with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dump the coated veggies onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy at the end of cooking time.
2. Let the vegetable mixture cool. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and toss with the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Taste the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the burritos or use immediately.
3. Place 3-4 tortillas on a microwave-safe plat and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until the tortillas are pliable. Place 1/4 cup or so of the vegetable mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with a sprinkle with shredded cheese, a little of each kind.. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have all the burritos you need (the filling can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days).
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through and the top of the tortilla is golden brown. Adjust the baking time as needed depending on if the filling has been refrigerated or not. For a softer tortilla, wrap each burrito in tin foil and heat through. Serve immediately.

Roasted Carrot and Pistachio Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day in a search for some really good soup recipes for a church women's dinner.  I had high hopes because it sounded so unique and yummy....and it was!!  I was really happy with how this turned out and I will definitely be using it for the dinner along with a couple of others.  It is really full of flavor and is so creamy it seems like it might be bad for you but it is really healthy!  Another bonus:  my super picky 11-year old cleaned a whole bowl....of an orange-colored soup!  It's a miracle and a testament to how yummy this soup is :). Roasted Carrot and Pistachio Soup

adapted from the Colorado Cache Cookbook

Serves: 6 – 8

Ingredients

• 12-14 carrots (about 1¾ pounds), peeled and chopped into 1-2” pieces
• 2 medium-sized yellow onions, cut into 1” pieces
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted (I used salted) pistachios*
• 2 quarts low sodium chicken (or vegetable) stock
• 1/4 cup fresh marjoram (may substitute 2 tsp dried)
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme (may substitute 2 tsp dried)

Instructions

1. Toss carrots, onions and garlic in the olive oil.  Salt and pepper vegetables and spread on baking sheet. Roast at 475°F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown, but not burnt.
2. Add the pistachios, 2 quarts stock and roasted vegetables to a large 6-8 quart pot.  If using dried herbs in place of fresh, add those now. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables have become more tender and pistachios have softened a bit. If using fresh herbs, add these in at the last minute of simmering.
3. Using an immersion or standard blender, puree soup until smooth, adding more stock at this point if the soup looks too thick. Keep in mind it will be very hot, so be careful when pureeing. If using a standard blender, start on a slow speed, then increase, and do not overload the blender.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

* If you want to try the original version, you can substitute pine nuts for pistachios.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

from epicurious.com

• 2 cups quinoa
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
• 1/2-1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
• 1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

For dressing

• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quinoa-and-Black-Bean-Salad-12245#ixzz1G8dYBsHH

Asparagus and Gruyere Tart

(Recipe from Martha Stewart.com)

1 sheet defrosted Puff Pastry
2 cups (about 5 1/2 oz) shredded Gruyère cheese (Fontina works too)
1 1/2 lbs medium to thick asparagus spears
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
flour, for work surface
parchment paper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  On a floured parchment paper, roll out the puff pastry to about 16×10 inches.  Trim any uneven edges and move the whole thing, parchment and all to a cookie sheet.  With a sharp knife lightly score the dough about an inch from the edge all the way around (don’t cut through it, just leave an impression of a line).  Use a fork and pierce the dough inside the marking at 1/2 inch intervals.  Bake 15 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven.  Its going to be a little puffy but don’t worry it will deflate itself over the next couple minutes.
2.  Cut about 1 1/2 inches off the bottoms of the asparagus spears making sure they will fit inside the tart shell.  Sprinkle the cooked pastry with cheese and arrange the asparagus in a single layer on top.  Brush with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese is completely melted, the asparagus is tender when pierced and the pastry is a rich golden brown.  Remove and serve immediately.