Savory Risotto

Today's recipe also came from The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook. I am actually quite happy with the results. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 c. water (I used a 1 T. olive oil)
1 onion, chopped (I only had green onions, so I used about half a bunch)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped (I used two Roma tomatoes because they were small)
1 t. minced fresh garlic (I used 4 garlic cloves)
1 t. crushed sage
1/4 t. thyme leaves
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
5 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I only used 32 oz--again it's all I had in the pantry)
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
finely chopped cilantro, to taste

1. Place water in a medium saucepan. (I heated the olive oil).
2. Add the onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, sage, and thyme.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for a minute or two.
5. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable broth to boiling in the microwave. (I forgot this part...oops)
6. Add the broth to the rice mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes
7. Stir in the beans and heat through.
8. Add the pepper and sprinkle with the cilantro before serving. (I mixed in the cilantro because I like the flavor it lets out)

I'm really happy with the flavors in this dish, and I'm actually using it as a side dish for my family. It's got a lot of veggies hidden in it for them. I've been introducing more and more dishes to my family that are full of vegetables. At first, they were resistant, but I can actually see that their palates have grown up a little.

Just a little while ago, I had a wonderful mommy moment. My son came downstairs and said, "What smells so good, mama?" When he looked in the pot and saw the risotto, I was afraid that he would complain about the vegetables. Then, he said, "Ooh...mushrooms...I love mushrooms!" If anyone would have told me a year ago that I would hear my finicky 13 year old utter these words, I would have laughed in their face.

I'm grateful for this experience on so many levels...improving my own health, of course is a great benefit, but improving the health of my children is an even better benefit. I have three kids. None of them has ever been fat like I was as a kid. But, over the past few years, I've watched them develop horrible eating habits. Fast food, junky snacks, eating late, etc...I knew I was part of the problem simply because I was sitting back as an observer. Now, I am making good choices for my family not just easy choices.  And, when I really think about it, I'm also happy that I'm being a good role model for them, so that when they have their own families, they will make healthy eating a priority. I also love that they are becoming more open-minded and willing to try new things, and that they are learning about flavors and how to develop them...the list goes on and on :)

Here's a pic of the risotto. It was true to its name...savory. Hope you enjoy it.

Black Bean Sloppy Joes

I made these last night and had the leftovers for lunch today. It tasted better today than it did yesterday. Then again, it could just be that my taste buds got used to the new set of flavors that I hadn't tasted before.

The recipe is from The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook. Here is the recipe as it is listed in the book, with my additions in parentheses


Ingredients
1 onion, chopped (I used red onion because it's all I had)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/3 water (I used s little olive oil, too)
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/4 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (I used quick steel cut oats)
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 T. prepared mustard
1 t. honey
1 t. chili powder
6 whole wheat buns (I used slider buns...they're cuter)
(I added salt, pepper, and tabasco)

1. Place the onion and bell pepper in a saucepan with the water (and oil, in my case). Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, mash the beans with a bean or potato masher--do not use a food processor.
3. Add the beans and remaining ingredients except the buns. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve on the buns with your choice of accompaniments, such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, mustard, and ketchup.

At first, I didn't like the sweetness of the original recipe, which is why I added the salt and pepper. I also used lettuce and grape tomatoes. But, once I bit into the first one, I realized that it was still missing something. So, I put some tabasco right onto the actual beans in the sandwhich, and viola! it was GOOD...well...it was better, LOL.

When I had the leftovers today, I also used the tabasco, but I noticed that the flavors had had more time to marry, and I enjoyed the sloppy joes a lot more.

I am definitely going to try this recipe again with a little more tweaking.

Here are a few pics:

 

Polenta with Italian Bean Sauce

I'm trying a new recipe today! Yay!

I got this recipe from The McDougal Quick & Easy Cookbook: Over 300 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes or Less

Phew! That was a mouthful!

I can see today is an exclamation point kind of day...I've already used four of them!...make it five, LOL.

This is the first time that I write a post as I'm cooking...mostly because I'm sitting here waiting for the polenta to cool so I can cut it into disks.

Before I continue, here's the recipe from the McDougal book, with my adjustments

Ingredients
1 24-ouce package precooked polenta (I made my own)
1/3 cup water (I used olive oil)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ouce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can Italian style stewed tomatoes (I cut up and seasoned my own tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups frozen cut green beans (I used fresh green beans)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Slice the polenta into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the water, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes
4. Add the garbanzo beans, white beans, and tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Ass the green beans and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve over the polenta


As I looked through the recipe, I noticed that it called for packaged, precooked polenta. BUT, since I've never made polenta before, I decided that I would make it from scratch. It just didn't seem right to use the prepackaged kind for my first time, you know??

I found a recipe for basic polenta, which seemed easy enough. It called for 1 cup corn meal and 3 cups water. I let it simmer it could support a spoon, just like the recommendations said. Then, I spread it on a wooden board to cool. I tasted it and it seems pretty bland. I was surprised that nothing else goes into the polenta. For the McDougal recipe, I'm supposed to bake the polenta and then top it with the bean mixture, so I'm hoping that the other flavors will compliment it.

OK, so I just finished baking the polenta, and...yuck...way too bland. I put some shredded mozzarella and provolone on it and melted it. It helped, but I would definitely season it next time.

Next time I make polenta, I'll look for a more complex recipe.

I had one more problem with this recipe. The bean mixture didn't taste good to me. I used to making Cuban beans with A LOT of flavor. This recipe didn't have any depth. I ended up adding extra garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley. It helped a bit, but in the future I will cook the beans from scratch.

The taste was alright after my additions, but I'll have to try this recipe a few more times and tweak it until I'm happy.

**sigh**so much for 15 minute recipes**sigh**

Here's a picture of my not-so-successful, 15-minute recipe, that actually took 45 minutes.

Warm Pasta Salad

OK, this warm pasta salad came about after my visit to the Redlands Farmers' Market. I was so excited to have all of these vegetables, that I decided to use them ALL AT ONCE.

Here's what I used:

5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
4 green onions, chopped
cilantro, finely chopped
4 carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
4 baby graffiti eggplant, salted and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 sweet yellow pepper, diced
2 sweet orange peppers, diced
4 large white mushrooms, finely chopped
handful grape tomatoes, halved
handful ruby potatoes, quartered
the juice of one lemon
apple cider vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
parsley
1/2 pound acini di pepe pasta
extra virgin olive oil

I cut up all of the vegetables first and mixed them together in a large bowl. I mixed in the lemon juice and some apple cider vinegar. Unfortunately I didn't measure the vinegar, but a little goes a long way, so  be conservative and taste the vegetables as you go along. Originally, I had only wanted to use the lemon juice, but it didn't have enough acidity. The apple cider vinegar was a happy solution because I only had one lemon. It really worked!

I cooked the pasta following the directions on the package. I love that it only takes 5-6 minutes to cook this tiny pasta. I drained the pasta and poured some olive oil and mixed it in so that it wouldn't stick. One quick tip: Definitely use a large strainer. The pasta is so tiny it slips through the holes in a colander.

I added olive oil to a large saute pan and waited until it was nice and hot. I added the vegetables, mixing to coat with the olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste and mix gently, being careful not to hurt the veggies. Once the vegetables were glistening, but still bright ( about 5 minutes), I folded in the pasta and continued cooking on high heat for another 3-5 minutes. I had to add a little more oil at this point so that the pasta wouldn't stick to the pan.

I turned off the heat and left the pan covered for ten minutes. I checked it a few times until I felt that the eggplant and potatoes were cooked through.

I placed a picture of this dish on my last post, but here it is again.

I really enjoyed this dish. If you try it or make your own variation, please share your experience. I'd love to hear about it.

Farmers' Market Take Two

My first experience with the Glasier Farms farmers' market was a bit unnerving, and I had been avoiding going back for the last few weeks, because I didn't want to feel awkward while buying produce. Don't get me wrong...the quality of the produce was magnificent, the prepared foods were amazing, and they guarantee that all their produce is organic. I just didn't feel the warm and fuzzies while I was there, that's all.

Then I learned about the Redlands Farmers' Market from the ladies I met at Winn Dixie, so I went to check it out last Saturday, and I am so happy that I did.

First, this felt more like a true farmers' market than the one I visited in Coconut Grove. There were several vendors there, so as I looked across the whole area I could see repeats of the same produce. Some stands had more produce than others.  I heard vendors calling out their prices, trying to get customers to come over, and I could hear people haggling over prices--not that I'm adventurous enough to do that.

I walked through the whole thing and decided on the one vendor whose produce looked good and had the best prices. I filled an entire box with produce, and it only cost me $20. I was even able to find fresh rosemary, thyme, and many other fresh herbs, for $1/bunch. My son carried the box for me, thank goodness.

As we were leaving, I saw another vendor's stand with beautiful graffiti eggplant. I was picking out several baby graffiti eggplant, when I saw the red bell peppers. My eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets. Normally, I am only able to buy one red bell pepper a week when I go to the grocery store, because they are just so expensive. But, these were only .75 a piece and they were as big as my hand! I grabbed four of them, plus 5 baby eggplant, and a bunch of asparagus, all for $5.

I walked away in complete bliss, and I spent the whole week using the produce with a smile on my face.

In retrospect, I am aware that the produce I purchased was most likely not organic. I recall washing the vegetables more than I usually do. I guess my subconscious was ahead of me on the whole non-organic thing.

I think the reason I felt more comfortable at this farmers' market is that I was more invisible. I tend to find a certain level of comfort in anonymity. Before anyone mentions it, I do realize how hypocritical it is to put myself out there on the internet by blogging, and yet cherish being invisible.

Anyway, the place was packed with customers shuffling around each other, and everyone seemed to be in their own little world. As I walked by people, I could here little tidbits of their conversations. I love people watching. It's like Discovery Channel Live, but not as dangerous.

There was one couple that I found amusing. The husband was doing his best to be patient about "shopping" and the wife kept oohing and aahing about the produce, mentioning how much cheaper everything was than at Whole Foods. He really wanted to go home, LOL.

There was a pair of elderly ladies that were checking EVERY single piece of produce before putting it in their baskets. It was neat to watch. They were so meticulous, but not in a crazy way. They were really in the moment, you know...enjoying the whole process.

Last, but not least, I enjoyed watching other people who were in my situation. Newbies who were trying to figure it all out, without any real direction. It was an easy fit for me. I kind of just fell into the groove of it all, and I noticed that it was pretty easy for everyone else, too.

I am definitely going back when I run out of produce.

Here's a picture of one of the dishes I made this week. It has EVERY vegetable that I had in it, and it was delicious! I'll post separately about it since this post is getting so long.