Tag Archives: dinner

Chick pea, tomato and basil pasta

I’m not gonna bore you with the story of how I came up with this recipe or go on and on about how easy it is to make. I’m also not gonna tell you that tomatoes and basil are a fail-proof flavor combo (duh) or that chick peas boast quite an impressive nutrition panel. I will, however, tell you that chick peas make this sauce sinfully rich without any help from our good friends butter and heavy cream. And, I will also gonna strongly suggest that you make it. ASAP.

Chick pea and tomato pasta

(Yield: 4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 20 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt + pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/2 c basil leaves, gently torn

1 lb penne or another short cut pasta, cooked just short of al dente

Parmesan cheese for garnish (if desired)

Procedure: Divide chick peas in half. Puree one half using a potato masher or food processor. Set all chick peas aside. Heat olive oil in large saute pan or high-sided skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 min. Then add chick peas, tomato cause, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. Then turn the heat off and stir in basil leaves (if not serving immediately, hold off on adding basil until right before serving).

Chick pea and tomato pasta

Combine sauce with pasta; taste and re-season if necessary.

Chick pea and tomato pasta

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

It’s easy to get stuck in a jack cheese, chicken and/or bean quesadilla rut. But, crispy flour tortillas are actually a great vessel for all types of ingredients and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t let our imaginations run wild! And while Muenster cheese (my favorite melting cheese) and mango slices aren’t exactly a crazy combo, they’re a start.

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

(Yield: 4 quesadillas)

Ingredients:

8 flour tortillas

1 c shredded Muenster cheese

1/2 mango, thinly sliced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Procedure: Preheat oven to 350F. Place four tortillas on baking sheet and brush the top-facing side lightly with olive oil. Flip tortillas oiled side down and sprinkle each tortilla with cheese. Divide mango slices evenly amongst four tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with remaining four tortillas and brush tops with remaining olive oil. Place into oven and cook for 10-12 min until crispy. Serve hot.

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

To make dipping sauce, combine 3 tbsp sour cream, 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice, and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro together. Serve with quesadillas.

Mango and Muenster baked quesadillas

How would you re-invent the classic quesadilla?

Spiced refried beans

I wish I could write a witty little intro blurb about this bean recipe - a sort of literary version of the Mad Men dancing-in-slow-motion Heinz beans (some of you must know what I’m talking about, right?) - but I cannot. Beans are beans, and they are not romantic. Beans are a utilitarian, cheap, peasant food. And like many other peasant foods, beans are versatile, nutritious and filling. Pinto beans, for instance, have 100 calories per one 1/2 cup serving, and they are high in fiber, protein and help decrease cholesterol. Although they’re not very dreamy, beans are definitely worth incorporating into your diet.

Spiced refried beans

These beans can be a dip, topping or side dish.

Ingredients:

2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 c water

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/3 cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Pour half of the beans into a blender with water and puree. Set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, about 4 min. Add beans and bean puree along with spices and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 min - until beans are warmed through. (Add more water if thinner consistency is desired).

Spiced refried beans

Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve hot.

Spiced refried beans

What are your favorite ways to prepare beans?

Potato and squash frittata

Hello, readers. Happy new year!

Although I hope that you all have enjoyed a bountiful holiday season, along with the basted birds, creamy casseroles, grandma’s pies, and neighbors’ cookies, the holidays are O-V-E-R. The time has come for us to stop stuffing our faces and consider what’s happening inside our bodies. I’m sure I speak for more than myself when I say that January is the month when I want to put the indulgence on hold and bring my waistline back to the way it was before November 22nd. Here is a healthy, vegetarian, and might I add beautiful, dish to get us on the right track for this month.

Potato and squash frittata

Here is a healthy, vegetarian, and might I add beautiful, dish to get us on the right track for this month.

(Yield: 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 large russet potato, sliced 1/8″-thick

1 small green squash, sliced 1/8″-thick

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp butter

4 eggs

1/4 c milk

1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tbsp

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 chopped scallion for garnish

Procedure: Preheat oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/3 c cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. In another bowl, toss together potato, squash and thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Grease pie dish with butter. Evenly layer vegetables into dish and pour egg mixture over the top.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 min. Then, uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for another 10-15 min, until the top is golden brown.

Potato and squash frittata

Let stand for 10 min before slicing. Garnish with scallions.

Potato and squash frittata