A Must

This simple pasta dish is possibly one of the best things we've made recently. We were looking for something easy and fresh, and that's exactly what this dish is. Every component, from the zucchini and tomatoes to the mint and almonds, combine to create pasta perfection.


Pasta with Zucchini and Toasted Almonds (Cooking Light, June 2009)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbs. minced shallots
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme [we just used dried]
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
5 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 (9-oz.) package refrigerated linguine
1 1/2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
3 cups chopped zucchini (about 1 lbs.)
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth [or vegetable broth]
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, divided
1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz.) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
3 Tbs. sliced almonds, toasted

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 2 tsp. oil, tossing to coat.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add garlic to pan; saute 30 seconds. Add zucchini; saute 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Stir in pasta and 1 1/2 Tbs. mint; toss well. Remove from heat; stir in tomato mixture in each of 4 bowls; top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. mint. Sprinkle each serving with 4 tsp. cheese and 2 tsp. almonds.

Summer Grillin'

Nothing says summer like burgers, corn, and tomatoes. We found a succulent burger recipe in this month's Food and Wine and decided it was a must-make. This green chile bacon burger with goat cheese was easy to turn vegetarian by simply switching out the beef burger for a pre-made veggie burger. I omitted the bacon all together, but you could certainly use veggie bacon if you wish. The grilled corn with Mango-Habanero butter and simple tomato salad were perfect accomaniments. The tomato salad consisted of sliced tomatoes topped with salt, pepper, and a touch of chili oil. Simply perfect!


Green-Chile Bacon Burgers with Goat Cheese (Food and Wine, July 2009)

8 thick-cut slices of bacon (about 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup mango chutney, preferably Major Grey brand
1 poblano chile
vegetable oil, for brushing
4 hamburger buns, split
1 large tomato, cut into 4 thick slices
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef chuck
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. fresh goat cheese, cut into 4 slices
watercress sprigs or lettuce, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the paper and brush both sides liberally with the chutney, leaving any chunks in the jar. Bake the bacon for about 30 minutes, turning once, until caramelized. Transfer the glazed bacon to a rack and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Rub the chile with oil and grill until charred all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes. Peel the poblano and coarsely chop it.
3. Brush the cut sides of the buns with oil and grill until toasted, about 30 seconds. Brush the tomato slices with oil and grill just until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Place the grilled tomato slices on the bottom half of the buns.
4. Form the beef into four 1-inch-thick patties and brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper and grill over high heat, turning once, until nearly medium-rare, about 6 minutes. Top with the goat cheese and chopped poblano, close the grill and cook until the cheese is completely melted and the burgers are medium-rare, about 1 minute. Set the burgers on the buns, top with glazed bacon and watercres spigs and serve right away.


Grilled Corn with Mango-Habanero Butter (Food and Wine, July 2009)

1 mango, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup mango nectar [I just used apple juice]
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 habanero chile, seeded [we decided next time we would use a whole one]
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbs. packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 ears of corn

1. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped mango with the mango nectar, honey, and habanero chile. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the mango is very soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mango puree into a small bowl and let cool, about 30 minutes.
2. Wipe out the food processor. Add the cooled mango puree along with the butter, cilantro leaves and salt and puree utnil smooth. Scrape the mango butter into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Pull the corn husks down to the base of the stalks, leaving the husks attached [or not]. Discard the corn silk. Using butcher string, tie back the husks. Fill a large bowl with cold, salted water and submerge the corn for 10 minutes.
4. Drain the corn but don't pat dry. Grill the corn over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer the corn to plates, spread with mango-habanero butter and serve.

A New Look at Comfort Food

If you want to put some effort into a comfort meal, this one is it! Although nothing is too hard in the menu, it does take some time. But these empanadas stuffed with butternut squash are absolutely delectable. We paired it with a simple black bean soup to complete the meal. We made the full batch of empanadas that the recipe suggests and just froze half pre-made, but unbaked, so that we could pop them out of the freezer and into the oven for an inpromptu party. Delicious!

Tiny Curried Empanadas (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

1 large potato (about 2/3 lbs.)
1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

Dough
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
5 Tbs. cold water
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 Tbs. water

2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground coriander seeds
1/4 cup currants [we couldn't find currants so we used raisins]
2 Tbs. pine nuts
1 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Spicy Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream [low or non-fat is fine]
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Peel the potato, then cut it in half. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. To do this, cut 1/2 inch off the base of the squash, stand it upright (the base cut should make it stable), then carefully, with a strong chef's knife, cut from the top down. Bake the squash and the split potato for 45 minutes or until both are tender.
2. Make the dough while the vegetables are baking: In a large bowl combine the butter, flour, and salt. With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into fine bits, smaller than peas. Beat the egg with the water, and add this mixture to the butter and flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, adding a bit more water if the dough looks too dry. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead the dough for a minute to smooth it. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes (unless your kitchen is over 70 degrees, in which case you should refrigerate the dough).
3. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ginger, curry powder, and coriander, and cook, stirring often, for another 3 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat.
Spoon our the seeds of the butternut squash, and discard them. Then scoop our the flesh. Add half the flesh to the skillet, and save the other half for another use [I used the rest in the leftovers of the orzo dish.]
Cut the baked potatointo 1/4-inch cubes, and add them to the skillet as well. Stir well with a wooden spoon, mashing the squash so it is fully integrated in the filling. Add the currants, pine nuts, salt, and pepper.
4. Roll the dough quite thin on the floured surface. With a large glass or biscuit cutter (3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter), cut as many rounds as possible. Spoon about 1 tsp. filling onto the middle of each round. Fold the rounds in half, and press the semicircle closed. Form a loose ball from the scraps of dough, then roll this out thin. Continue making empanadas until all the dough is used.
Place the empanadas on a baking sheet, and brush them with the egg yolk-water mixture (don't let too much of this drip onto the baking sheet, because it will burn). Press with a fork along the sealed edge, making a ridged design and further sealing the empanadas. Bake the empanadas at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown at the edges.
5. To make the Spicy Sour Cream, put the sour cream into a bowl, and mix in the cayenne and chili powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve this dip with the hot empandas.


Black Bean Soup (Cooking Light, April 2005)

This soup is actually very easy and made even easier with an immersion blender. Adam likes his soups to have some texture, so an immersion blender works perfectly for us to ensure that we get the desired consistancy.

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
3 Tbs. chopped carrot
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
3 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
sliced green onions, optional
sour cream for topping, optional

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, minced onion, bell pepper, and carrot. Cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and next 4 ingredients, saute 3 minutes. Add broth, water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly.
2. Place half of soup in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. Garnish with sliced green onions and sour cream, if desired.

Veggie Orzo

Adam found this recipe and was adamant that we make it this week. It's a fantastic weeknight meal, because it doesn't take a long time to put together and it's full of veggies. As suggested by the cookbook, I served this orzo dish with some crusty bread and a dipping sauce of olive oil. I have to say that this isn't the most flavorful dish I've ever made, but every once in a while I got a bite bursting with goodness.


Orzo with Olives, Broccoli, and Basil (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups small broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushroom caps
10 oz. orzo
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
20 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped coarsely
1 cup basil leaves, lightly packed
1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt, or more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat, and add the shallots. Saute them for a few minutes, until they soften. Add the garlic, broccoli, and shiitakes. Cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Then add 2/3 cup water, and let the vegetables simmer for about 3 minutes or until the broccoli softens slightly and most of the water is evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo, and boil the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it is just tender. Drain it, and keep it hot.
3. Add the tomato, olives, basil, thyme, and remaining olive oil to the bowl of broccoli. Add the orzo, and combine well. Stir in the lemon juice, and add the salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture onto plates, and serve.

I Love Muffins

In addition to the super ripe cantaloupe that we needed to use, we also had bananas. Luckily, right next to the cantaloupe chicken salad recipe, there was a recipe for banana muffins. I altered the recipe only by adding a few chopped strawberries into the mix, because those also needed to be eaten. They are some of the most moist muffins I have ever eaten. They aren't going to fully satisfy an intense sugar craving, but they do start a morning off right.

Banana Nut Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel (Cooking Light, May 2007)

Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 1/4 oz.)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (about 2 1/2 oz.)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk [or skim]
3 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Streusel
6 Tbs. regular oats
5 Tbs. all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 oz.)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. butter, softened
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine banana and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Add to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened; fold in walnuts. Place 12 muffin cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups.
3. To prepare streusel, combine oats and remaining 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Blend with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle streusel over batter. Bake at 375 for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

New Fangled Salad

We had a very ripe cantaloupe that needed to be used, and quick! I came across a recipe for a chicken salad that also used cantaloupe, so I thought this would be a perfect light meal. To make a veggie-friendly version, I simply omitted the chicken and replaced it with cubed extra-firm tofu. It worked perfectly! Pair with a crisp white wine to complete the meal.


Cantaloupe-Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Creamy Tarragon Dressing (Cooking Light, May 2007)


1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubes cooked chicken breast (about 1 lbs.)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch cubes cantaloupe
1/3 cup chopped celery
4 cups mixed salad greens
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced cucumber
6 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Add chicken, cantaloupe, and celery; stir gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
2. Divide salad greens and cucumber slices evenly among pita halves. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken salad into each pita half. Serve immediately.