M... Meatless. Wednesday?

They wYep, I know it is Wednesday, but I am bringing you a "meatless Monday" recipe.  It is damn good too.  I was not sure that the husband would buy into these Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, but he did!  They were really really yummy.  If I made these again I would make a bunch and bring them for lunch to work.  They could be easily popped in the microwave and still be quite tasty!  Thank you Pennies on a Platter for this delicious meatfree recipe.

3 medium sweet potatoes 1 (15 oz) can corn, or 1.5 cups frozen corn, rinsed and patted dry Salt, to taste 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano (optional) 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/2 yellow onion, diced 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 1 ounce cream cheese (light or regular) 1/4 cup sour cream (light or regular), plus more for serving 1 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed 6 Tablespoons shredded Mexican cheese (or other preferred flavor)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow to set until cool enough to handle. While the sweet potatoes are cooling, saute the corn in a dry heavy skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle with salt, cumin, chili powder and Mexican oregano. Cook until the corn is roasted and browned (about 7 to 10 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl; set aside. Wipe the skillet clean and heat the Tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and cook until just tender. Transfer to the bowl with the corn. Add the black beans and cilantro to the onion and corn. Gently stir to evenly mix. When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half, lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh, into a large mixing bowl, leaving the skins intact. (Try leaving a thin layer of potato to help the skin hold together.) Add the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle pepper(s) and salt to the mixing bowl with the sweet potatoes. Mash with a potato masher or blender to desired texture. Gently stir in the roasted corn, onions, black beans and cilantro mix. Preheat the broiler. Fill each potato skin with the mashed potato mixture*, topping each with 1 Tablespoon of cheese. Broil for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and hot. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream. *Note: Any leftover filling can be saved and used later to whip up a few delicious quesadillas.

Give this recipe a try... you won't regret it! :)  Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

It's baaaacccckkkk!  I have gotten my butt back in gear and am back into menu planning and eating meatless at least one day each week.  Today I am sharing a flavorful pasta dish for you that is very flavor, comforting and meatless! :)  Where did I find it?  Budget Savvy Diva... by way of  Pinterest,  course!  


Ingredients:

• 14 oz of Orecchiette Pasta ( or short pasta)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup of Chopped Onion
• 3 Cloves of Garlic ( Minced)
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• 4 oz of Cream Cheese ( Room Temperature)
• 3/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice + Zest
• 10 Oz of Spinach ( Make sure to squeeze excess moisture, after it has been thawed of course)
• 13.5 Can of Artichoke Hearts rinsed and chopped
• 1 Cup of Mozzarella
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Teaspoon of Pepper

What to do:

1. Preheat Oven To 425
2. Cook pasta according to the box. Keep 1/4 Cup of the Pasta Water before you drain the cooked pasta.
3. Heat oil in pan and cook onions for 8 – 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
4. In a large bowl – Mix Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Parmesan, Lemon (juice and zest), onions, and garlic. Add Pasta and mix.
5. Stir in spinach, artichokes, 1/4 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta, salt, pepper, and 1/2 Cup of Mozzarella
6. Place mixture into greased 2.5 – 3 qt casserole dish and place the rest of mozzarella cheese on top
7. Place in the oven till golden brown on top – about 10 – 15 minutes.

Mmmmm....meatless!  Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday! Yes, it is Tuesday!

So, yesterday was a holiday .... so no post.  But, I thought I would share what would have been my Meatless Monday post!  I have actually gotten into making homemade pizza once a week. The husband who is generally not a pizza guy has actually enjoyed this.  Homemade pizza always tastes a bit healthier than its takeout counterpart! I love it because it is quick, easy and creative! :)

We made a yummy Sweet Potato, Spinach and Red Onion Pizza.  The recipe from Two Peas and their Pod, called for Kale which would have been awesome, but the husband said the grocery store was all out (hmmm....).

I buy fresh dough (at Trader Joes).  Who has time to make dough?  Here you go:

ingredients:

Your favorite pizza dough
1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced, about 1/4 inch thick
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper, for seasoning potato slices and onion
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped kale (we substituted baby spinach)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon, freshly chopped rosemary

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato slices and red onion slices in a bow and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender. Make sure you turn them once during the 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the pizza dough.

2. Turn the oven to 500 degrees F or as high as your oven will go. If you have a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the oven to get hot. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough, using a rolling pin. Roll it out to about 3/8 of an inch. Place the pizza dough on a pizza peel or pan that has been generously coated with corn meal. Lightly brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In a small bowl, toss the kale with balsamic vinegar. Top the pizza dough with mozzarella cheese, sweet potato slices, kale, red onion slices, and fresh rosemary.

3. Place the pizza in the oven-directly on the pizza stone, if using one, or on the oven rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until pizza crust is golden and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing. Slice and serve warm.

It felt light by hearty and was incredibly flavorful!  Happy Meatless Tuesday.  :)  Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

Okay... sorry for only one post last week.  It was a doozey! :)  I have a yummy meatless Monday recipe for you today.  It involved me pulling out my crockpot.  I would rarely think to use my crockpot for a vegetarian meal, but recently a friend was saying she made a delish curry, so it got me thinking!

I made vegetarian curry.  It was hearty and flavorful!  I got it off one of my favorite blogs called A Year of Slow Cooking.  I have a slight love affair with my crockpot... although I am not as die hard as the woman who writes that blog.

I served the curry over rice.  Next time I will pick up some pita bread or Naan too!  The husband enjoyed the meal... I think I am converting him! :)

Here it goes:

Ingredients
2 cans drained and rinsed garbanzo beans (chick peas)

--1 diced red pepper

--1/2 cup chopped onion (this is my addition, I think curry should have onion!)

--4 tiny potatoes, or 1 regular-sized

--1/2 cup diced carrots

--1/2 cup diced celery

--3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

--2 T (yes, tablespoons!) curry

--1/2 t ground coriander

--1/4 t red (cayenne) pepper--not pictured

--1 lg can tomatoes (and juice)

--2 cups vegetable broth

--3/4 cup plain yogurt

--1 cup frozen peas (to add later)

The Directions.

--add drain and rinsed garbanzo beans to your crockpot

--cover with diced vegetables (if you have other stuff in the house that you want to use, go for it. I don't think the actual kind of vegetables matters)

--add spices

--dump in tomatoes, yogurt and broth

--stir to mix flavors

cook on low for 8-10 hours, or longer.

20 minutes before serving, stir in the frozen peas. Turn to high.

Serve over hot basmati rice and use brown rice tortillas or corn tortillas to scoop up.

Great meal... it make a lot so I will be eating it for lunch for days.  Go crockpot and go meatless!  Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

Okay, sorry for last week.  I was in San Francisco for work and blogging just seemed not to fit into my itinerary! :)  Well, exciting news today.... I have a meatless Monday recipe for you.  It is a chili recipe- that even the husband raved about.

It is very hearty and has some kick, I will say it was incredibly flavorful and did not feel like meat was "missing".  It has some unique stuff in it including sweet potatoes and coco powder!    I found this recipe on the blog Cookie and Kate, but it was originally a Real Simple recipe.  

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on how spicy you like your chili)
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ground sea salt and black pepper
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, including the liquid
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can vegetable broth
• sour cream, for serving

What to do:

In a 4 to 6 quart Dutch oven or stockpot, sautée the chopped vegetables in one to two tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. You’ll need to stir the ingredients every few minutes so they can cook evenly. Once the onions start turning translucent, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add all of the spices and canned ingredients, and stir. Cover for about two hours, stirring occasionally. By the time your chili is done, the sweet potatoes should be nice and soft and the liquid should have reduced a bit, producing the hearty chili consistency that we all know and love.

I served this with some cheese quesadillas I whipped up quickly.  They were great for dipping into the chili.  I would definitely make this recipe again- hearty, flavorful and healthy (minus the sour cream).  Meatless... oh how I missed you!

Until net time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

Sorry there was no post on Friday.  I was in Seattle last week for work and could not keep up with blogging.  But, today I bring good news.  It's back!  Meatless Monday is back!  We went meatless on Saturday night... cracked open a bottle of wine and cooked risotto.  This is basically "date night" when you have a baby.  We love risotto.  It is actually pretty easy to cook, but you do have to "tend" to it.  We tried a new recipe this time incorporating three of my favorite things- butternut squash, spinach and pine nuts!  Yum!!!


I found this recipe online, but it was orginally published in Cooks Illustrated.


Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded (medium, about 2 pounds) (I cheated and bought the pre-cut squash)
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth (I used Chicken Broth because I had it and I like the flavor)
• 1 cup water
• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 small onions, chopped very fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 1/2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, minced  (I did not find these, but imagine it would add yummy flavor)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg, grated
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in small, dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes

• Directions:

  1. 1
     Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add about 3 1/2 cups squash in even layer and cook without stirring until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender and browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer squash to bowl and set aside.
  2. 2
     Return skillet to medium heat; add reserved squash fibers (I did not have these) and seeds and any leftover diced squash. Cook, stirring frequently to break up fibers, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large saucepan and add vegetable broth and water; cover saucepan and bring mixture to simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain bare simmer.
  3. 3
     While broth mixture is simmering, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to now-empty skillet and swirl to coat. Add 4 ounces baby spinach and cook, covered, over medium heat, until leaves begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until fully wilted, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  4. 4
     Melt 3 tablespoons butter (or margarine) in now-empty skillet over medium heat; when foaming subsides, add onions, garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes.
  5. 5
     Meanwhile, strain hot broth through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to saucepan and discard solids in strainer; cover saucepan and set over low heat to keep broth hot.
  6. 6
     When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth and half of reserved squash to rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and bottom of pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
  7. 7
     Stir in about 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 2 or 3 more times, until rice is al dente. Turn off the heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter/margarine, Parmesan, sage, and nutmeg; drain excess liquid from spinach and gently fold in spinach and remaining cooked squash. If desired, add up to 1/4 cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto. Top individual servings of risotto with toasted pine nuts; serve immediately.
     
     
     The husband and I both loved this dish.  It was very flavor and filling and with vegetables! :)   Until next time...xoxo