Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas

When it comes to enchiladas, nine times out of ten I will order Queso Enchiladas, beef enchiladas topped with chili con queso.  Be still my heart.  Sadly, now that we're a (mostly) dairy free household, I can no longer indulge in such delicacies.  So in order to feed my enchilada craving, I came up with these delicious, and much healthier, Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas.  Serve a plate of these with a green salad or Spanish rice and you've got a fantastic Mexican meal that you don't have to feel guilty about!

In order to save time, I used canned enchilada sauce, but these would be even better with a homemade sauce.  If we could eat dairy, then I think this Poblano Cream Sauce would pair beautifully with these yummy enchiladas.  Also, I like my enchiladas on the drier side, so I only used one can of enchilada sauce, but if you like them wetter, use two cans.

Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup water or broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 large ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
1 cup shredded cheddar, pepper jack cheese, or Daiya cheddar cheese substitute
1 10-oz can red enchilada sauce
optional garnishes: sour cream, extra cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and/or black olives

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.  Stir in beans, water, chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Let beans mixture simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is almost all gone, about 10-15 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a casserole pan with nonstick spray.  Spread a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, toss avocado slices with lime juice.  Season to taste with salt and a little pepper.  Set aside.

In a saute pan, add 1/2-inch depth of vegetable oil and heat it on medium.  Test the oil by dropping a few water droplets into the oil.  If they sizzle and bubble, the oil is ready.  If they don't, then let the oil continue heating and test again.  Using tongs, carefully drop one tortilla into the hot oil for 5-10 seconds. Remove to your work surface.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture down the center of the tortilla and top with 1-2 slices of avocado.  Roll up enchilada and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas.  Pour enchilada sauce over the cheese.  Bake 25-30 minutes in preheated oven.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sour cream, more cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro and/or sliced black olives.

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Roasted Tomato Basil "Cream" Sauce

This whole 'dairy free' thing has turned out to be a wonderful change of pace for the family.  Finley is actually eating more (and hopefully gaining weight since she's a skinny minnie), Andrew has already lost two pounds and while I haven't lost any weight (but I'm crossing my fingers I do!), I feel great because we're eating so much healthier than we did before.  I'm also enjoying that going dairy free has pushed me out of my cooking comfort zone and forced me to try new recipes, like this one!

This sauce truly felt decadent while we were eating it, but I loved not feeling guilty about it since there wasn't actually any cream or butter in it!  The sauce is so flavorful from the roasted tomatoes, garlic and loads of fresh basil.  Really, how could you go wrong with those ingredients?!?  Even my carnivorous husband happily ate every bite without any comments/complaints about the lack of meat.  Finley and I happily ate our dinner and then we had leftovers for lunch the next day.  While the leftovers still had a wonderful flavor, the sauce had disappeared (i.e. absorbed by the noodles), so these noodles are definitely best served immediately.  Or just serve the sauce on the side rather than tossing them together.

Roasted Tomato Basil "Cream" Sauce 
adapted from Oh She Glows

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
6-7 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place tomatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly charred and bursting.  Let cool.

Meanwhile, put water on to boil for the noodles.  When boiling, add noodles and cook according to package directions.  Drain.

In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, cashews, chicken broth and tomato paste.  Blend until fairly smooth.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When hot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add tomato mixture and stir to combine.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to the sauce if it is too thick.   Let sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and stir in most of the basil (reserving some for garnish).

Toss sauce with hot pasta.  Garnish with reserved basil.

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Spicy Bean Burritos

This is one of those great meals that you can keep on hand for nights when you don't feel like cooking but you don't want to go out either. I already had most everything stocked in my kitchen and it used up some random odds and ends that were hanging out in my vegetable bin. And it's quick and easy to prepare. I was pleasantly surprised at how those few ingredients combined to make some super tasty refried beans! They had a fantastic, slow cooked homemade flavor without very much time or effort. While they were great wrapped in the burritos, I think they'd be great all on their own too.

Feel free to stuff your burrito with whatever ingredients you enjoy. I used green onions, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocado slices, shredded cheese, lettuce and sour cream. I placed the assorted toppings on the table and let everyone wrap up their own burritos. It was fun to do it that way and it was less time-consuming for me. Win, win! For Finley, I reserved some of the bean mixture before adding the salsa so the beans wouldn't too spicy for her.

Spicy Bean Burritos

adapted from Annie's Eats

For the beans:

2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

kosher salt, to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

4-6 tablespoons fresh salsa

For serving:

6 (9 or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Shredded chipotle cheddar cheese

Chopped tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

Sliced avocado

Chopped green onions

Minced Cilantro

Low-fat sour cream

In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil, garlic, chili powders, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, until spice mixture becomes fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add beans and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and mash beans to desired consistency.

Spread a large dollop of beans on each tortilla and top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, green onions, cilantro and sour cream.

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Bibimbap

If you eat Korean food, then you've probably heard of bibimbap. If you watched last week's Top Chef episode, then may remember that Ed made bibimbap. Otherwise, you've probably never heard of this Korean rice dish that is loaded with bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated beef), cooked vegetables and topped with a fried egg. Yum!

The recipe as written takes quite a bit of prep and cook time, but if you plan ahead, you can use leftover vegetables and/or leftover bulgogi meat to save lots of time. This is a nutritious and delicious Asian dish that I just love. I'm a sucker for fried eggs so to me it was pure heaven mixing the runny yolk with the rice, meat and veggies. It's hard to even decide what my favorite part of this meal is - I love the spicy zucchini, the crunchy sweet carrots and the marinated beef is excellent. Oh and did I mention, there's a fried egg on top?!? While those things are my favorites, it turns out that Finley loves the mushrooms - she ate all of them! Andrew and I had to give her the ones of our plates too! And after all the really rich food, I've been eating for most of December, bibimbap is a wonderful change of pace.

Bibimbap

recipe adapted from Food Network

Steamed white rice

Bulgogi, recipe follows

1 large carrot

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sherry

8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

3-4 cups baby spinach

1 zucchini, halved and cut into thin strips

1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (found in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets)

Eggs

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

Soy sauce, to taste

Sriracha, to taste (the original recipe calls for Gochuchang paste but I didn't want to make an extra trip to the Korean market so I substituted the well-used Thai hot sauce)

Peel the carrot into thin strips with a vegetable peeler. Set carrot strips aside on a large plate.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes and then add sherry. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened and have released their juices. Using a slotted spoon, remove mushrooms to the plate with the carrot strips.

In the same pan, wilt the spinach in the mushroom liquid. Remove spinach to the plate with the mushrooms and carrots.

In a microwave safe dish, place zucchini slices and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain carefully and toss zucchini with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of garlic chili sauce. Remove zucchini to the plate of vegetables.

(I did all of the vegetable prep and cooking ahead of time. Just before serving, I microwaved the veggies for 30 seconds to take the chill off. The hot rice, meat and egg sufficiently heated the vegetables.)

In a saute pan, cook eggs over easy and set aside.

To assemble, place the cooked rice in bowls. Place bulgogi and vegetables on top of rice but placed separately so you can see each ingredient. Drizzle the meat juices over the dish. Place egg on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce.

When ready to eat, mix all ingredients together. Let each person season to taste with sriracha, sesame oil and soy sauce.

Bulgogi

recipe adapted from Food Network

1 pound ribeye steak

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 pear, grated with juices

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 small onion, grated with juices

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (I used much less)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 12-oz can lemon-lime soda

Place ribeye in freezer for 30 minutes, or until it is partially frozen. Remove from freezer and thinly slice against the grain.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining ingredients in a large baking dish. Toss meat with marinade until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.

Heat grill (or indoor grill pan) to high. Remove beef from marinade and grill for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to compile Bibimbap.

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Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

I've seen this recipe floating around on Pinterest and decided to make it for dinner one night. Since it's supposed to be just like La Madeleine's soup, I served it with a Caesar salad - which is the classic combo I always order whenever I go to LM. Just for fun, I sprinkled grilled cheese croutons on top of the soup.

Usually when I make a meatless dinner, it's met with some resistance from the hubby and from the baby. (Seriously, the kid LOVES meat - she asks for meat as a snack!) But much to my surprise, I didn't hear one complaint and every plate was licked clean.

Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

adapted from GirlTalk

2 24-oz jars of tomato puree

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, measured and then finely minced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup heavy cream (I think next time I will use less - maybe 1/2 cup)

1 stick unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices good quality bread

6 slices Muenster cheese

3 slices sharp cheddar cheese

butter

For the soup, heat tomato puree, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper over medium-low heat. Add cream and butter and stir mixture until butter is melted. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Meanwhile, assemble sandwiches by placing 2 slices of Muenster and 1 slice of cheddar between 2 slices of bread. Repeat to make 3 sandwiches. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt a small pat of butter and cook sandwiches, flipping halfway through, until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove sandwiches to a cutting board. Slice sandwiches into small squares.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a handful of grilled cheese croutons.

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Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

This post marks an important day for Baking & Eggs - my sweet, wonderful, fantastically generous husband bought me a fancy SLR camera for my birthday, which means that this post will be the last one with horribly lit photos! Now if only I can figure out exactly how to use it...

Yesterday I baked three loaves of banana bread and a batch of peanut butter and nutella cookies (be still my heart!), so when dinner time rolled around, I was ready for something packed with healthy veggies. I used what we had on hand and it was delicious! I love a meal that tastes great and lets me clean out the fridge! Andrew wasn't happy when he found out it didn't have any meat, but once he tasted it, he admitted he didn't miss the meat at all.

Also, I think you could easily mix up the veggies and cheeses a bit to fit your tastes (or to clean out the random bits of this and that in your fridge). I'd like to try it again with asparagus, broccoli and grape tomatoes with some goat cheese thrown in. Yum!

Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

a Baking and Eggs original

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 large white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

pizza dough (homemade or store bought)

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon olive oil

pizza or spaghetti sauce, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, arrange zucchini, squash, bell pepper, mushrooms and onions on a baking sheet. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper over top. Drizzle veggies in olive oil and mix with hands until all veggies are evenly coated. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. Keep oven preheated to 400 degrees.

Spray a second baking sheet with nonstick spray and lay the pizza dough out flat. Spread the vegetable down the long center of the dough. Top with the three cheeses. Wrap one side over the vegetables and cheese, followed by the second side. Pinch the ends together to close. Brush 1 tablespoon on olive oil over the top of the stromboli. Using a sharp knife make a few slits on the top to allow steam to escape while cooking.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the dough is puffed and lightly browned. Serve with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

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Three Healthy Lunch Ideas

Being a stay-at-home mom, I'm in and out of the kitchen all day long. But often times 3:00 will roll around and I will realize that I haven't had much (or anything!) to eat that day. In an effort to eat regularly - that's a good thing, right! - I'm trying to bookmark easy and fairly healthy lunch ideas. Here are a couple that I've made in the past few weeks that I enjoyed and thought I would pass along.

{White Bean and Guacamole Wrap}

White Bean and Guacamole Wrap

adapted from Eating Well - serves 4

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup prepared guacamole (or make your own)

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

4 whole wheat tortilla or sandwich wraps

In a food processor, pulse beans, chili powder, salt and pepper until mashed. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil.

Spread 1/4 of the bean puree, 1/4 of the guacamole, 1/4 of the shredded carrot and 1/4 of the cucumber slices on each tortilla. Roll up and slice in half.

{15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta}

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

adapted from Oh She Glows - serves 2

6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti

1 medium ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 lemon, juice and lemon zest, for garnish

2 garlic cloves, minced or grated

salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a food processor, pulse avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt, basil and olive oil. Process until smooth and creamy.

Toss sauce with hot pasta. Garnish with reserved lemon zest and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

{Mac N Cheese with Zucchini}

Mac N Cheese with Zucchini

a Baking and Eggs original

6 oz whole wheat short pasta (I used cavatappi)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 oz American cheese

1 zucchini, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, stirring often, until sauce begins to thicken. Lower heat to medium-low and stir in cheeses. Cook until cheeses have melted. Stir in zucchini and toss with pasta.

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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

I absolutely adore pasta. I eat it at least three to four times a week, and I've been getting bored with my usual/traditional sauce recipes. I pinned this recipe on Pinterest (big surprise there!) and thought it sounded like a wonderful change of pace.

I came up with a few quick reasons why you too should try this recipe:

1.) I love that I was able to make the sauce from all fresh ingredients - nothing canned or processed here.

2.) Not only was it healthy, it was really tasty to boot!

3.) The brilliant red-orange sauce flecked with green from the basil and zucchini was beautiful as well as delicious.

4.) Texas has returned to 100 degree weather (ugh!) + a no-cook sauce = a much cooler kitchen

5.) By grating the zucchini and adding it to the sauce, you can sneak in an extra veggie and make it a one-dish meal.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

adapted from Annie's Eats

3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

1/2 cup pine nuts

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb. penne pasta (or your favorite small pasta)

1 zucchini, coarsely grated

heavy cream, optional

Preheat broiler. Place bell peppers on a cookie sheet, cut side down. Broil peppers until their skin is blistered and charred, about 10 minutes. Place bell peppers on a plate and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin of the peppers.

Place pine nuts and cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add bell peppers, basil, and parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until incorporated.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to pot. Add zucchini and pesto and stir well to combine. Add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, if you desire a creamier consistency. Garnish with extra parmesan.

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Tomato Ravioli Soup

I know, I know, soup in the middle of August in Texas?!? I'm not sure why this recipe looked so good to me, especially with the oppressive 100+ degree weather we're having, but I decided to go ahead and make the soup. It was so good! I had two bowls last night at dinner! As I was eating my soup, I couldn't help but think of who I could tell about this great (and easy!) soup. The broth is lovely and I'd suggest serving the soup with a good crusty bread so you can sop up every last little bit of that broth. Delicious! This soup tastes like you've been slaving in the kitchen all day, but of course you haven't been, since it's ready in just about half an hour. Loved it!

Tomato Ravioli Soup

adapted from Taste of Home

9 oz refrigerated tortellini or ravioli

1 can (10 3/4-oz) condensed tomato soup (use low sodium if you can find it)

1 can (14-15 oz) diced tomatoes with basil and oregano, drained

1 cup vegetable broth

2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

1/2 bunch of fresh spinach, leaves only

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for garnish

fresh basil, julienned, for garnish

store bought seasoned croutons, for garnish

Cook ravioli or tortellini according to package directions. Set aside.

Spray a small skillet with nonstick spray. Cook zucchini over medium heat until just barely golden and softened slightly.

Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, cook together, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, broth, milk, garlic powder, onion powder and Italian seasoning. Add zucchini when it has finished cooking. Stir together and add parmesan cheese. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add cooked ravioli/tortellini and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Take soup off heat and add spinach. Stir to cover spinach with soup to allow the spinach to wilt. Ladle into bowls and top with more parmesan cheese, basil and croutons.

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Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

Well, the name pretty much sums it all up, so I'll just go now...

Just kidding! I really had you going there, right?!?

I'm such a dork.

Back to the food. This dish was a wonderful, hearty - but not too hearty - vegetarian dish. My meat-eating man cleaned his plate and asked for more. This meal was just the perfect summer meal - a lightly seasoned pasta, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and melted, gooey cheese. Yes, please! If it weren't brutally hot in Texas, I would have loved to eat this out on the back deck with a glass of crisp white wine while reminiscing about our Italian honeymoon. But it's over 100 degrees (which totally qualifies as brutally hot in my book), so we ate inside with the air conditioner on full blast while intermittently telling Finley not to feed her tomatoes to the dog. Just keeping it real!

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

recipe from Real Simple - serves 4

12 oz spaghetti

3 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), each cut into 4 thick slices

3 T olive oil

salt and pepper

8 oz fresh mozzarella, grated

1/4 cup parmesan, grated or shaved

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Heat broiler. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on greased baking sheet. Season with each slice salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle tomato slices with mozzarella and parmesan. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 7 minutes.

In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss sauce with the pasta. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve tomato slices over spaghetti. Garnish with extra basil leaves.

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Summer Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

{the magnificent summer rolls}

{the duo of dipping sauces - sesame-soy & spicy peanut}

Jennie is one of my oldest and best friends and she and I share a love of cooking. Every couple of months we get together and make a fun dinner for our husbands. This time we settled on a light Asian dinner of Summer Rolls and Hot and Sour Soup. With this Texas heat we didn't want anything too heavy, plus we wanted to make sure we had plenty of room for our dessert, a wonderful berry trifle.

The Hot and Sour Soup recipe we made was just okay for me, so I don't think I'll post that recipe. But the summer rolls were amazing! And so simple that I can't believe I've never made them before. We went with shrimp, vermicelli noodles and a mixture of vegetables as our filling but you can easily switch things up with equally delicious results, I'm sure. The dipping sauces were fantastic with the summer rolls too. As a true condiment/sauce lover, I thought it was really fun to have more than one sauce with the rolls.

While this recipe is not difficult, it is a little time-consuming to chop the veggies, prepare the noodles and wrap the rolls but I found the recipe to be well worth it. The secrets to successfully wrapping the rolls are to not over stuff them with the filling and to tightly wrap them so that they stick together well. As I often write on here, if I can do it so can you!

Because the entire recipe can be made ahead of time, these would be perfect to make when you're having a party!

Summer Rolls with Two Dipping Sauces

a Baking and Eggs original

For the Sesame-Soy Sauce

3 T low-sodium soy sauce

2 T sesame oil

1/2 lime, juiced

1 t sesame seeds, toasted

1/2 t chile garlic sauce

For the Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 t vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 t red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicier)

3 T chicken broth

1 1/2 T creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 T hoisin sauce

1/2 t brown sugar

chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)

For the Summer Rolls

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced into strips

1/2 pkg matchstick carrots

6 green onions, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces

1/2 pkg Asian vermicelli noodles, cooked and cooled

1 bunch mint, leaves only

1 bunch Thai basil, leaves only

1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only

1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled, cooked and cooled (to save time, I purchased it already cooked from the butcher)

1/2 pkg of summer roll wrappers

To make the Sesame-Soy Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to mix well. You can make this ahead of time - store it in the refrigerator and whisk again just before serving.

To make the Spicy Peanut Sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, add oil. When oil is hot, add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until shallot is translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, hoisin sauce and brown sugar. Stir until peanut butter is melted and sauce is combined. Cool slightly and serve warm. You can make this sauce ahead too - cool sauce, store in refrigerator and microwave the sauce for 20 seconds. Just before serving, garnish with chopped peanuts, if using.

To make the Summer Rolls: Place one wrapper in a large bowl of warm water. Let soak about 5-10 seconds, or until the wrapper loses its hardness and becomes pliable. Place wrapper on work surface. Add 3 shrimp in a straight line in the middle of the wrapper. Over shrimp, place 2 tablespoons of noodles. Top with 2 slices of cucumber, 2 slices of bell pepper, 1 tablespoon of carrots, 3 slices green onions, 3-4 mint leaves, 5-6 cilantro leaves and 2-3 basil leaves. Fold bottom of the wrapper tightly over the filling, stopping at the halfway point. Fold the ends in and then continue rolling. Transfer roll, seam side down, onto a serving platter. The rolls will stick together so place them slightly apart from one another. Cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, or up to 8 hours.

Makes about 15 rolls

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Middle Eastern Pizza

I'm sure I'm not the only one watching The Next Food Network Star, right? Two weeks ago Penny (the Middle Eastern mama) made this pizza for one of their challenges. Now while I don't really agree with Penny's aggressive tactics on the show, I still wanted to give her recipe a try. You see my parents spent nine years living in the Middle East and as a consequence, we ate a lot of Middle Eastern food growing up. We ate hummus, couscous, tabbouleh, pita bread, falafel, and baba ghanoush way before it was cool/trendy to do so. I remember in high school wanting to hang out at my friend Jennie's house because her pantry was always stocked with normal things - goldfish, cookies, chips, etc. and she always wanted to come eat dinner at my house because we usually offered more unique fare.

Anyway, back to the pizza. I made this while we were staying with my parents. I must say, this pizza was a little more labor intensive than I usually like my pizza recipes to be, but it was a killer pizza. Definitely not your usual hum-drum pizza, that's for sure! And I almost felt healthy eating it since it had lots of veggies on it.

The recipe makes a lot of sauce and toppings - enough for two pizzas, even though the recipe only says it makes one pizza. I ended up using the leftover sauce and toppings over pasta for lunch and that was great too.

Middle Eastern Pizza

adapted from Penny Davidi as found in The Food Network magazine

for the sauce

2 T olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, zested

1/4 t ground coriander

2 14.5-oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2-3 T tomato paste

salt and pepper

for the pizza

1 lb prepared pizza dough

5 T olive oil, divided

1 medium eggplant, diced

1 t roasted cumin

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

8 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella

1/4 c kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

3/4 c feta cheese, crumbled

fresh mint, torn, for garnish

For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest, ground coriander and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and cook about 20 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

For the pizza: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil on a baking sheet and stretch dough to roughly fit the pan. Brush dough with a little more olive oil and bake until just barely golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cumin, season with salt and pepper, and cook until eggplant is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

In another skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Top the crust with 1 c of sauce, the mozzarella, eggplant, caramelized onion, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Return to oven and cook until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Generously top pizza with mint, slice into pieces and serve.

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Spring Frittata

{all the pretty veggies before the egg mixture went in}

Since we're trying to save for a new house, I've been working to cut down our grocery bill. One of the best ways is to cut down on the meat that we eat each week, so I've been trying to work in a vegetarian meal here and there. The frittata worked out really well because it still has plenty of protein from the eggs and cheese and many of the ingredients came right out of our garden. How fun is that! I love being able to walk outside and grab fresh herbs and vegetables. Now I just have to cross my fingers that our garden will survive the brutal Texas summer! In addition to being inexpensive, this frittata is delicious. I loved the tang from the goat cheese, the olive oil soaked potatoes and the burst of sweetness from the whole cherry tomatoes. Fantastic! I also better better eating it since It didn't have a pie crust base like quiches do and it had a green veggie in it. I will definitely be making this again and again.

Spring Frittata

2 T olive oil

2 large red potatoes (or 1 medium baking potato), diced

1/2 white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 c spinach, roughly chopped

salt and pepper

2 handfuls cherry tomatoes

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1-2 T fresh herbs, chopped (I used chives, parsley, thyme, basil and dill)

6 eggs

1/3 milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes and onion in skillet and cook until fork tender, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Mix in garlic, spinach and salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and fresh herbs over potatoes.

In a bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Pour into skillet over the vegetables. Reduce heat to low and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, gently lifting edges with spatula and tilting pan so that uncooked portion flows underneath. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until set in the middle and lightly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

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Spinach and Boursin Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese, and I've almost convinced myself that this recipe is healthy as it contains spinach and uses whole wheat pasta! Even better, Finley ate it all - including spinach. Praise the Lord! Finley has developed a nasty habit of separating anything green from the rest of her food and then refusing to eat the greens. So getting her to eat spinach is a major feat!

Spinach and Boursin Mac & Cheese

8 oz whole wheat rotini (or other short pasta)

1 T butter

1/2 white onion, diced

2 heaping T flour

1 1/2 c whole milk

1 (5.2-oz) pkg Shallot & Chive Boursin cheese

1/4 c grated parmesan

1 (10-oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry of excess moisture

salt and pepper, to taste

1/8 t ground nutmeg

3 T walnuts, finely chopped

3 T panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 T grated parmesan

2 t olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Preheat broiler.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in butter until onion is soft. Add flour and stir to coat onion. Let cook one minute. Add milk and whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Let sauce simmer 1-2 minutes, or until thickened.

Lower heat to medium-low and stir in Boursin a little at a time until melted. Take pan off of heat and stir in parmesan, spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Carefully stir in cooked pasta. Pour into a greased casserole pan.

In a small bowl, stir together walnuts, panko breadcrumbs and parmesan. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over casserole. Broil about 5 minutes to toast topping. Watch carefully since each broiler is a little different and the topping can go from toasted to burned quickly.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish or 4 as a main dish

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Veggie Quesadillas with Tomatillo Sour Cream

Isn't my daughter, Finley, precious?! Unfortunately, as Finley has gotten older, she has pretty much stopped wanting to eat veggies, so sneaking them in has become a way of life for us. These quesadillas are packed with nutrients and still totally delicious! They take a little while longer to make since you have to chop and saute the vegetables, but to me, they're worth it. (You can always prepare the veggies ahead of time and then assemble the quesadillas immediately before mealtime.) Even with the cheese and tortillas, I still feel good eating them because they are loaded with good stuff too.

Veggie Quesadillas

an Erin original

2 T olive oil

1/2 t Ancho chile powder

1/4 t granulated garlic

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 white onion, diced

3 oz white mushrooms, diced

7-8 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed off and remaining cut into 1/4-inch slices

several handfuls baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

3 T tomatillo salsa

1/4 c minced cilantro

1 c Mexican blend shredded cheese

1 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 tortillas

cooking spray

In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and allow oil to heat up. Add chile powder and granulated garlic. Stir 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and asparagus. Saute until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add spinach, cilantro, salt, pepper and salsa. Continue sauteing until spinach wilts, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer veggies to a plate. Carefully wipe out pan and return to heat. (If you're not using a non-stick pan, spray with cooking spray.)

Place a tortilla in pan and sprinkle lightly with the two cheeses. Spoon a few spoonfuls of veggies evenly over cheese and add another sprinkling of cheese. Top with second tortilla. Allow to cook a minute or two, or until bottom tortilla is golden brown and cheese is beginning to melt. Carefully flip quesadilla over and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove to cutting board and slice into quarters. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve with Tomatillo Sour Cream.

Tomatillo Sour Cream

an Erin original

3 T fresh cilantro, finely minced

3 T tomatillo salsa (I prefer La Frontera's Tomatillo Salsa)

3 T sour cream

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Keep chilled in refrigerator until ready to use.

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Baked Potato Soup

Ah, fall is here and with it comes soup! Baked Potato Soup is so warm and comforting and I love serving it when the weather gets cooler. This recipe reheats well too. I made the soup earlier in the day and reheated it when Andrew got home from work. Easy! I used the recipe from Our Best Bites (www.ourbestbites.com), which is another one of my favorite food blogs. I first sauteed half of a small white onion in a tablespoon of butter and then I followed the recipe's directions.

www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/baked-potato-soup.html

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Peas and Cheese Spaghetti Squash

Here's what is fabulous about this recipe - it only has five ingredients! I was a bit worried serving Andrew a vegetarian meal but he really liked it. Score! If you've never tried spaghetti squash before, Andrew thought it tasted just like al dente, or firmly cooked, noodles. For the most part, it is super easy to make too. The only part I found difficult was actually cutting the squash in half. I tried two different knives, a cleaver and finally a hammer was used before Andrew and I finally got the stupid thing opened. There must be an easier way though!

Peas and Cheese Spaghetti Squash
adapted from Rachael Ray magazine

1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed

8-12 oz spaghetti sauce (depending on how saucy you like it)

1/2 c frozen green peas

1 c ricotta cheese

1/2 c parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish. Place squash halves face down in dish and fill with 1 1/2 c of water. Bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh is easily pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool so that is can be handled.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine spaghetti sauce and peas (or whatever other vegetables you may be adding or substituting). Stir frequently and continue cooking until sauce and veggies are heated through.

Using a fork, shred the meat of the squash halves and place the 'noodles' into the sauce. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle parmesan on top and serve!

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My Birthday Pasta

Monday was my birthday - my thirty-first, which for some reason sounds so much older than thirty - and to celebrate, Andrew made me dinner. I picked out a recipe I'd been wanting to try and that looked like it'd be fairly quick to make. It was wonderful to just sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine and watch Andrew make the meal. The recipe is from Williams Sonoma's Bride and Groom cookbook and it's basically a pasta with peas and asparagus in a light lemony-cream sauce. We threw some crisped proscuitto in it too for a little extra protein and crunch. It was pretty good and did come together very quickly, which makes it a keeper in my book!

Fettucini with Peas and Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus (about 8 spears)

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

2/3 cup heavy cream

minced zest and juice of 1 or 2 Meyer lemons

salt and pepper

3/4 cup peas

1 lb fettucini (we used rigatoni because that's what we had on hand)

fresh basil

shaved parmesan cheese

To prepare the asparagus, snap off the tough woody ends of the spears. Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into pieces about 1/8-inch thick. In a small saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add asparagus and saute for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the cream, and heat until warm. Add lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 30 seconds. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender. Stir occasionally so that the noodles cook evenly. Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water.

Return pasta and peas to the pot and season with salt. Pour the asparagus-cream mixture over the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Tear some of the basil leaves into pieces and add along with lemon juice to taste and additional salt to taste. Garnish with cheese.

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