Zesty Cous Cous with Black Beans and Carrots

Zesty Cous Cous with Black Beans and Carrots

About 60 cents/serving when ORGANIC.  Salad additional.
Serves 3-4
Vegetarian and Vegan as written.
For a Gluten-free option, replace cous cous with quinoa or rice.

1-1/4 cup vegetable broth (increase to 2 cups for gluten-free)
1 cup whole grain cous cous (replace with rice or quinoa for gluten-free)
15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed (or 6 oz. dried, soaked overnight, and boiled 1 hour)
1 cup carrots, finely diced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large saucepan, combine the seasonings and broth.  Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.  Stir in the cous cous, followed by the beans and carrots.  Let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes.  Serve with a salad that has lots of crisp greens.

Gluten-free Instructions:
Pre-cook the rice or quinoa with vegetable broth.  When cooked, combine with all other ingredients.  Serve with crisp salad.

Source: Recipes for Healthy Bliss: Using NatureFoods and Lifestyle Choices to Rejuvinate Your Body and Life, by Susan Smith Jones, Ph.D.

Spinach Pie

As my friend Lisa recently put it, "Sandi", she said,"You need to start writing your food blog again.  You are really letting that slide".  She's right.  I'll admit it.  So I'm back.  Thank you for the kick in the butt, Lisa!

Spinach Pie

Vegetarian, as written.  Filling is vegan and gluten-free, but be careful about the crust you choose as it may not be.  About 75 cents/serving. (6 servings)

10-ounce box frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)

1 & 1/2 cups onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons oil

3 cups crumbled tofu (if silken) or finely diced (if firm)

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (adjust to taste)

Salt and pepper

1 pre-made pie crust (frozen OK)

Pre-heat overn to 350 degrees. 

Cook spinach according to package directions (drain well).  Saute onion and add garlic in a large pot over medium heatfor 3 minutes.  Ad spinach, tofu, lemon juice, and seasoning.  Continue cooking fo 5 minutes.

Pour mixture into pie crust. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until crust is brown.

Source: Meatless Meals for Working People: Quick and Easy Vegetarian Recipes by Debra Wasserman & Charles Stahler, 1998.

Chickpea Curry with Fresh Dill Leaves served with Marathi Yellow Fried Rice

Whew!  That's a long title. 

This dish consited of two parts.  One: the curry itself and Two: the flavorful rice it is served over.

I made the rice first.  Let me tell you, this was hands down the most deliscious rice I have ever eaten in my entire life!  I am serious.  I didn;t want to waste my time making the curry, but since I figured we needed the protien from the chick peas I went ahead and finished cooking.

The curry is good, a strong dill flavor that I liked, but the original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cayanne.  This was too much!  It is not that the cayanne made the dish to hot, rather the heat from the cayanne did not mesh well with the dill.  In my version below I am halving the cayanne, but I think you could omit it completely if you like.

Chickpea Curry with Fresh Dill Leaves

Serves 4 in 20 minutes

$1.50 per serving: Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-free

• 
  
  2 tablespoons canola oil
• 
  
  1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon cayanne
• 
  
  1 teaspoon ground corriander
• 
  
  1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
• 
  
  1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (about a 2-inch piece)
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 
  
  1 medium tomato, finely chopped (or a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained)
• 
  
  3 cups finely chopped fresh dill including stalks (about 2 bunches)
• 
  
  One 15.5 ounce can low-sodium chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 
  
  1/4 cup water
• 
  
  1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and saute the onion over medium heat until it has softened, about 5 minutes.  Add all the spices (except salt) and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.  Mix in the tomato and cook until it is soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the dill, chickpeas, water and salt.  Simmer until the dill is soft and tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve warm, over rice.

Marathi Yellow Fried Rice

Serves 4 in 15 minutes

$0.50 per serving: Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free 

• 
  
  1/4 cup canola oil
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 
  
  2 medium green serrano chilies, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
• 
  
  1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 
  
  1/2 tespoon ground tumeric
• 
  
  5 cups cooked white rice, pre-cooked and at room temperature
• 
  
  1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 
  
  1 1/2 to 2 1/2 teaspoon salt*
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 
  
  1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves, minced (optional)

*Use leftover rice.  If you salted the rice when you originally made it, use 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.  If not, use 2 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat.  When the oil begins to smoke, add the mustard seeds and cover the pan immediately.  After the seeds have stopped sputtering, add the chilies.  When the chilies are toasted, add the onion and stri-fry until the onion is golden around the edges.  Add the turmeric, stir well, and take off the heat.

Add the rice, lemon juice, salt, and sugar to the pan, and toss until all the ingredients are yellow.  

Return the wok to low heat, cover, and steam until the flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Both recipes are from 5 Spices, 50 Dishes by Ruta Kahate.

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil (Spaghetti Aglio e Olio)

A filling dinner in 10 minutes for 25 cents/serving!

I have made two versions of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio.  Both are delicious, super-cheap, and very filling.

The first version is the one we served last night, by Lidia Bastianich.  She was kind enough to post it on her Facebook Fan Page a few weeks ago.  This recipe follows below.

The second version is by another PBS chef, Mary Ann Esposito (another specialist in rustic Italian cooking).  I own her book Ciao Italia in Umbria, and later this month I shall attempt its recipe for Mezzalune (Almond Crescent Cookies).  Tragically, I have lost my copy of her version of Spagetti Aglio e Olio, but I hope it is coming in the copy of Ciao Italia! I just ordered.  As soon as I am reumited with Mary Ann's version, I will be sure to share it!  UPDATE: I found a link to Mary Ann's version of the recipe here.

The primary difference between these versions is the amount of garlic used. 

I never thought I would say this, but Lidia's version almost has too much garlic!  It may be that I used especially strong garlic, but it was a lot to handle.  You can try this version as-is, or reduce the garlic by about 25-50%.

Spaghettini with Garlic and Olive Oil

Serves 6 as a main dish, or 8 as a side dish

Time to prepare: 10 minutes

$0.25 per serving: Vegan (omit cheese)
$0.50 per serving: Vegetarian (include cheese)

$2.00 per serving: gluten-free (make the sauce as described below, saute chicken breast in the sauce then serve over polenta)

• 
  
  Salt
• 
  
  1 pound spaghettini or vermicelli* (nothing thicker than spaghetti)
• 
  
  5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 
  
  10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) crushed red pepper
• 
  
  1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (MUST be fresh)
• 
  
  1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Pecorino Romano (optional)
• 
  
  Gluten-free only: one pound boneless chicken breast and cooked polenta

*Spaghettini is very similar to vermicelli, and both are somewhere between cappellini and spaghetti when it comes to thickness. Because they cook quickly, it’s best to remove them from the boiling water when they are still undercooked, and to let them finish cooking in the sauce. Lidia finds this pasta very delicate but zesty and wouldn’t serve it with cheese. But if you love cheese in your pasta, have it.

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat. Stir the spaghettini into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still very firm, about 6 minutes.  Gluten-free: start cooking polenta instead.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper.

Ladle about 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water into the sauce (gluten-free: add 3/4 cup hot tap water instead). Add the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt to taste.

Gluten-free: skip to alternate last step, below.

If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a simmer, tossing to coat with sauce. Cook until the pasta is coated with the sauce and done, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and toss in the grated cheese, if using. Check the seasoning, adding salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

Gluten-free last step: Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1-inch cubes.  Add to the sauce, and saute over medium heat until fully cooked.  Serve the chicken over polenta and serve imemdiately.

Recipe adapted from Lidia Bastianich's Facebook Fan Page.

Home-made Gnocchi with Home-made Marinara Sauce 1/26/10

Happy Birthday to me!
I'm not cooking tonight...

For those nights when I'm just not going to cook, I always try to have instant dinners stored in the freezer.

Tonight is one of those nights!

A really fun (seriously!) weekend project is making home-made gnocchi. Preparing the dough is actually very fast, it just takes a while to shape the pasta. But this is soooooooo easy to do, you can get spouses and kids involved! This can be a fun and productive way to spend time together as a family.

$0.55 per portion: Gnocchi and Marinara combined (vegetarian)

I use Lidia Bastianich's gnocchi recipe, and I wouldn't dare alter it. For that reason I am giving you the link direct to her site.

http://www.lidiasitaly.com/first-courses/potato-dough-for-gnocchi

This is a vegetarian dough, but as it contains egg and flour I do not have a vegan or gluten-free option for tonight. Sorry!

The cost per person for home-made, organic gnocchi is probably about $0.30!

If you are going to take the time to make this recipe, do yourself a favor and make a triple batch. You can freeze in dinner-sized batches so you make a few meals ahead at once!

I garnished with a dollop of Ricotta Cheese and Fresh Basil, steamed chard is on the side with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Here is a really good hint: First freeze the gnocchi in a single layer on a cookie sheet (about 15 minutes per batch). After the gnocchi are individually frozen, then scoop them together into Tupperware or Ziploc freezer bags and put back in the freezer. If you don't freeze in a single layer first you get a gloopy mess when you cook them later. This freezing trick works great for berries, too!

To cook when frozen or fresh: Drop gnocchi into a pot of water at a rolling boil. When the gnocchi float to the top, they are done: it takes about 1-2 minutes. Do not thaw gnocchi, cook immediately from a fresh or frozen state only. Do not overcrowd the pot, either.

Here is the recipe for Lidia's Home-made sauce (or gravy, if you prefer):

Marinara Sauce 1/26/10

Makes about 1 quart, enough to dress 6 servings of pasta.

$0.25 per serving: Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free

• 
  
  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 
  
  One 35-ounce can crushed Italian plum tomatoes (San Marzano, if possible)
• 
  
  8 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 
  
  Salt to taste
• 
  
  Crushed red pepper to taste
• 
  
  10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Heat the oil in a 2- to 3-quart non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Whack the garlic with the flat side of the knife, add it to the oil, and cook until lightly browned on both sides (about 2 minutes).

Carefully slide the tomatoes and their liquid into the oil. Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook, breaking-up the tomatoes/garlic with a whisk or a spoon, until the sauce is chunky and thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil about 5 minutes before the sauce is finished. Taste the sauce and season again (to taste) with salt and red pepper if necessary.

NOTES: It does not take any longer to cook a triple batch than it does to cook a single batch, so I ALWAYS triple the recipe. Then I freeze the extra sauce into 2-cup portions in the freezer. It freezes beautifully. In the summer, you can use fresh tomatoes but any other time of year use the canned for best flavor.

HELPFUL HINT: Where I live, Costco sells #10 cans of crushed and diced tomatoes for about $3 each. This is the main reason I only make triple batches, because then the sauce costs $1.00 per batch, or $0.25 cents per serving!

Both Recipes are from Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, by Lidia Bastianich. Gnocchi is page 170, Marinara is page 150.

North African Pumpkin Stew 1/25/10

A harmless dish, but not very exciting.

This may have been the fault of my execution. I took a shortcut by using frozen, pre-cooked pumpkin so I only stewed it together for 5 minutes, instead of the 30 minutes called for. If I make this again, using pre-cooked pumpkin, I will probably increase the amount of spices. (I also tossed in some left-over cauliflower.)


North African Pumpkin Stew 1/25/10Serves 4.
Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 15 minutes. Total time: 30 minutes.

$1.19 per person: Vegetarian & Gluten-free as published.
$1.19 per person: Vegan (replace brown sugar with 1 tablespoon maple syrup)

• 
  
  1 tablespoon safflower or canola oil
• 
  
  1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice (organic)
• 
  
  4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 
  
  1 or 2 small, fresh, hot chilies (seeded and chopped)
• 
  
  1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
  1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 
  
  1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 
  
  Salt and pepper, to taste
• 
  
  2 pounds cooking pumpkin, seeded, peeled, and cut into bite-sized cubes (about 5 cups)
• 
  
  3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (organic)
• 
  
  2 cups cooked kidney beans (organic, see note)
• 
  
  2 cups cooked brown rice (organic)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, chilies, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, and cloves, and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.

Add the pumpkin and toss until evenly coated in the spices.

Add 1 cup of water, the brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the beans, and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Serve over brown rice.

NOTES: I generally use dried beans. They take up less storage space and are MUCH less expensive. One pound of soaked beans costs about 40 cents (organic). When is the last time you paid 40 cents/pound for meat as a protien source? Beans usually triple in size when soaked, so for 2 cups cooked beans soak 2/3 cup dried beans overnight. After soaking, simmer covered in water for 1 hour, or in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes. Cooking after soaking will help eliminate bean gas.

From Some Like it Hot: 200 Spicy Vegetarian Recipies from Around the World (1998), page 124.  While this particular recipe didn't excite us very much, it is a very good cookbook.

Apple Quinoa Salad 1/24/10

Gluten-free, Sugar-free Cooking: Over 200 Delicious Recipes to Help You Live a Healthier, Allergy-Free LifeQuin-what?

Quinoa (pronounced keen-whah) is an ancient grain that has been continually in the diet of people living in and around the Andes for over 6,000 years! These super-cute seeds are extremely high in protien (12-18%) and it is considered by many to be a complete proitien (i.e., it has a balanced set of essential amino acids).

This super-easy, super fast, super nutritious salad can be served as an entree or as a side dish. It makes a great lunch!

Apple Quinoa Salad 1/24/10

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 10-15 minutes. Total time: 20-25 minutes.

 

$1.00 per person: Vegetarian, Vegan, & Gluten-free

• 
  
  1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
• 
  
  2 cups water
• 
  
  1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped (I used Trader Joe's roasted red pepper in a jar)
• 
  
  1/3 cup red onion, chopped
• 
  
  1/2 cup carrot, grated
• 
  
  1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 
  
  1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I used raw, organic, & unfiltered)
• 
  
  2-3 tablespoons vegetable broth
• 
  
  Salt and pepper, to taste
• 
  
  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
  1 clove garlic, minced
• 
  
  1 large organic apple, chopped (I forgot to buy aples, I used 2 small pears)

Combine the quinoa and water in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the red bell pepper, red onion, grated carrot, parsley, cider vinegar, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and garlic.

Add to the cooled quinoa and stir to mix well. Add the chopped apples.

Recipe from Gluten-Free, Sugar Free Cooking by Susan O'Brien, page 150

Mmmmm. Homemade Pizza! 1/23/10

Tonight is a classic - Homemade Pizza! Our toppings were mozzarella cheese, fire roasted red and yellow peppers (from Trader Joe's), fresh mushrooms, fresh basil, and dried oregano.


This is awesome - make the crust once and get enough crust for 2 pizzas!

 

Basic Pizza Dough

Serves 6 slices (per 12-inch pizza).

Prep time: 5 minutes. Rest time: 1 hour. Cooking time: 12-15 minutes.


Crust only = 3 Weight Watcher points per slice (assumes 6 slices per crust)

The following values are for the crust only (toppings not included).


$0.41 per slice: Vegetarian (given recipe is Vegetarian)
$0.41 per slice: Vegan (replace honey with agave syrup or turbinado sugar)


Sorry, I don't have a Gluten Free option!

• 
  
  1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
• 
  
  1 tablespoon honey
• 
  
  1 tablespoon olive oil
• 
  
  2 1/2 teaspoon (1 packet) active dry yeast

Combine the water and honey. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy (under 5 minutes). Stir in the oil.

• 
  
  3 cups all-purpose flour (unbleached & organic, if possible)
• 
  
  1 1/4 cups wheat flour (organic, if possible)
• 
  
  1 1/2 teaspoons salt (sea salt, if possible)

Stir flours and salt thoroughly.

Add the yeast/water mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Knead slightly (only about 1 minute). Put in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let the dough rest in a warm area for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, punch the dough down (deflate) and cut in half. At this point you can freeze 1/2 the dough for later use (SEE NOTES).

Pre-heat your oven as hot as it can go without using the broiler (usually 450-500 degrees).

Put the pan/dish/tray you will use for cooking the pizza into the oven at this time as a hot pizza tray can help prevent sticking.

IMPORTANT - NEVER PREHEAT NON-STICK COOKIE SHEETS (OR SIMILAR). HEATING EMPTY TEFLON COATED ITEMS WILL RELEASE A TOXIC GAS!!!

Take the remaining 1/2 of the dough and roll it our to a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface.

To prevent sticking, sprinkle a handful of cornmeal on the pre-heated cookie sheet (or whatever you are cooking it on) then put the pizza onto the cooking surface.

TOPPINGS:

Use whatever topings you like! Spread a thin layer of sauce, then your cheese (I like shredded Mozzarella, but good provolone is also VERY tasty), then your toppings. When ready, put the pizza on the lowest rack of your oven and cook for 12-15 miutes.

The pizza is ready when the cheese is fully melted and has a hint of brown.

Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

Notes: To freeze 1/2 the dough, wrap it twice with saran wrap or put it in a freezer Ziplock bag. When you are ready to use it later, defrost by putting wrapped dough in microwave on high for 30-45 seconds, then work the dough with your hands for a minute to re-mix and even out the temperature.

This pizza dough recipe is adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (2006), page 300.