Monday, January 17, 2011
'Shrooms
It's been awhile since I've had a portabello mushroom, so I decided to make grilled portabello mushroom sandwiches. One of the best tricks I've learned is that you can broil things in the oven and it's just like grilling! Which is nice when it's freezing cold outside ;)
Ingredients:
- 2 portabello mushrooms
- 1/2 red pepper
- olive oil
- red wine (I used port because that is what we had open... probably not the BEST choice...)
- salt
- pepper
- sliced provolone cheese
- baby spinach leaves (I just used mixed greens we had in the fridge)
- sliced tomato
- pesto
- hamburger bun (I think a Kaiser roll would have worked better)
Directions:
- Preheat your broiler.
- Wash your veggies. Make sure to cut the stem off of your mushrooms if they have not been precut!
- Place mushrooms in a broiling pan (or you can use a wire rack on a cookie sheet if you don't have a broiling pan) gill-side up. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow them to soak for a few minutes so that they are nice and moist while cooking.
- Drizzle red pepper with olive oil and place in broiling pan with skin-side up.
- Place under broiler. Check periodically and take out when the mushroom is soft and pliant. The red pepper may scorch a little on top. This is fine.
- Toast the hamburger bun either in the oven for the last minute or use a toaster. You can melt the provolone cheese on your buns if you want - but be careful that it doesn't drip.
- When everything is done, assemble your sandwiches. Spread one side of the bun with pesto. and then layer mushroom, pepper, cheese, tomato and spinach. Done!
Cost:
Hamburger buns - $3.29
Mushrooms - $3.49
Red bell pepper - $1.64
Tomatoes - $2.72
Provolone cheese - $2.99
That totals $14.13 and I have toppings for sandwiches and salads for the rest of the week!
I already had the olive oil, red wine, pesto, and greens. We already had some french fries in the freezer, so we had those on the side. Making recipes that include things you already have saves $$$!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Mmm... Soup and Naan!
I think the substitution of skim milk made the soup too runny... I would use half and half next time. Or at least whole milk. It's not THAT bad for you! Naan = awesome!Here it is - Acorn Squash and Apple Soup
This is the original recipe from my friend Jess:
It's for acorn squash, but I think 1.5-2 pounds of any orange-fleshed gourd will work--
It was great with the kabochkas.
I also think you could cut the saturated fat a bit by not using the half and half... The puree was pretty tasty before I put that in during the last step.
1 medium acorn squash (1.5-2 lbs)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 medium tart cooking apples (I used granny smiths, and they held up really well)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
4 C chicken broth
1/2 C half and half
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Heat oven to 350.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds and fibers. Place squash, cut sides up, in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Pour water into pan until 1/4 inch deep. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until tender. Cool; remove pulp and set asaide.
Slice onion. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in apples, thyme, and basil. Good 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove 1 cup of the apples with a slotted spoon; set aside. In small batches, puree remaining apple mixture with pumpkin until it has all been pureed.
Return pureed mixture to saucepan. Add cup of apples that were set aside. Stir in half and half, nutmeg, salt and peper. Heat until hot, and serve!
6 servings
1 serving: 155 cals; 7g fat (4g saturated fat); 15 mg cholesterol; 910 mg sodium; 20g carbs (2g dietary fiber); 5g protein; diet exchanges: 2 vegetables, .5 fruit, 1.5 fat
Changes I made to Ingredients:
We didn't have any nutmeg (must have been all that holiday baking!), so I used a little cinnamon and ground ginger instead. Why? Because About.com told me to! I also used skim milk instead of half and half, so we'll see how that turns out. I'm also making fresh naan to eat with it!
It's for acorn squash, but I think 1.5-2 pounds of any orange-fleshed gourd will work--
It was great with the kabochkas.
I also think you could cut the saturated fat a bit by not using the half and half... The puree was pretty tasty before I put that in during the last step.
1 medium acorn squash (1.5-2 lbs)
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 medium tart cooking apples (I used granny smiths, and they held up really well)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
4 C chicken broth
1/2 C half and half
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Heat oven to 350.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds and fibers. Place squash, cut sides up, in rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Pour water into pan until 1/4 inch deep. Bake uncovered about 40 minutes or until tender. Cool; remove pulp and set asaide.
Slice onion. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in apples, thyme, and basil. Good 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove 1 cup of the apples with a slotted spoon; set aside. In small batches, puree remaining apple mixture with pumpkin until it has all been pureed.
Return pureed mixture to saucepan. Add cup of apples that were set aside. Stir in half and half, nutmeg, salt and peper. Heat until hot, and serve!
6 servings
1 serving: 155 cals; 7g fat (4g saturated fat); 15 mg cholesterol; 910 mg sodium; 20g carbs (2g dietary fiber); 5g protein; diet exchanges: 2 vegetables, .5 fruit, 1.5 fat
Changes I made to Ingredients:
We didn't have any nutmeg (must have been all that holiday baking!), so I used a little cinnamon and ground ginger instead. Why? Because About.com told me to! I also used skim milk instead of half and half, so we'll see how that turns out. I'm also making fresh naan to eat with it!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Brrr... it's time for soup! Acorn Squash and Apple Soup to be exact.
My friend Jess sent me this recipe when I started this blog. We're going to give it a whirl 'cause it looks delicious! Since we didn't get our act together in time to make the whole thing tonight, we're going to spread the prep out over two evenings. Tonight I'm roasting the squash (as well as the seeds - yum) and tomorrow night we'll make the rest. Stay tuned for the recipe and the result...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
More Veggie Fun
Tonight we're going to have Sweet Potato Enchiladas. I know many of you are thinking "YUCK!" but these babies are delicious. To see the original recipe, which is for a gluten-free version, click on the title of this post. Some big changes I made were using flour tortillas, which were on sale and also allowed me to avoid the "softening" part of the recipe.
Ingredients:
8 tortillas (recipe calls for corn, but I used flour this time)
1c vegetable broth
1tbsp cornstarch (original recipe uses arrowroot, but we already had cornstarch)
2 cans of roasted green chiles, diced (I bought 2 7oz cans which were already roasted and chopped)
6 cloves of garlic
2 cups of sweet potatoes
1 15oz can of black beans (sometimes I make mine from dried beans using this recipe; especially if I'm going to make black bean enchiladas for a picky eater)
lime juice (recipe calls for juice from a fresh lime, but we already had a bottle of lime juice in the fridge)
1tsp cumin
1tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
shredded cheese (I used a shredded cheddar jack mix - the recipe calls for Monterey Jack only)
The recipe also calls for fresh cilantro, but I'm one of those people who think it tastes like soap, so I left this out.
Directions:
Cost:
Tortillas - $2.79 I got them on sale and still have 8 leftover!
Vegetable broth - $1.29
Green chiles - $2.98
Shredded cheese - $2.29
Sweet potatoes - $2.75
Garlic - $.63
I already had cornstarch, lime juice and all the spices I used. The original author gives other options for spices you can use instead (including curry powder) if you are looking for substitutes. This recipe totals $12.73 and will probably feed us for a few meals as well.
Ingredients:
8 tortillas (recipe calls for corn, but I used flour this time)
1c vegetable broth
1tbsp cornstarch (original recipe uses arrowroot, but we already had cornstarch)
2 cans of roasted green chiles, diced (I bought 2 7oz cans which were already roasted and chopped)
6 cloves of garlic
2 cups of sweet potatoes
1 15oz can of black beans (sometimes I make mine from dried beans using this recipe; especially if I'm going to make black bean enchiladas for a picky eater)
lime juice (recipe calls for juice from a fresh lime, but we already had a bottle of lime juice in the fridge)
1tsp cumin
1tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
shredded cheese (I used a shredded cheddar jack mix - the recipe calls for Monterey Jack only)
The recipe also calls for fresh cilantro, but I'm one of those people who think it tastes like soap, so I left this out.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven for 350 degrees F.
- Cook the sweet potatoes and mash them a bit. I do this by peeling the potatoes, cutting them into chunks and boiling them for 20 minutes. Then I mash them with a fork.
- Make the Green Chile Sauce by dissolving the cornstarch in a bit of water. Then mix the vegetable stock, cornstarch, 1c of the green chiles, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 2 cloves of minced garlic into a small sauce pan. Simmer over medium-high heat until thickened.
- Meanwhile, combine drained black beans, 4 cloves of minced garlic, and lime juice in a bowl to make the black bean filling.
- Make the sweet potato filling by combining the sweet potatoes with the rest of the green chiles, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper to taste. I like to add a pinch of ground chipotle chili pepper for a smoky flavor.
- Drizzle 1/2 c of the Green Chile Sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Recipe only calls for 1/4 c, but I don't think that's enough!
- Get ready to stuff your enchiladas. Place your first tortilla in the baking pan and add 1/8 of sweet potato filling and 1/8 of black bean filling.* I like to sprinkle a little cheese inside as well, but the original doesn't call for this. Roll up the enchilada and place at the edge of the pan. Continue with the remaining tortillas.
- Top with the remaining Green Chile Sauce and cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in 350 degree oven until the enchiladas are hot and bubbly.
*If you use corn tortillas, you will need to soften the tortillas before putting in the filling. See original recipe for instructions if you are unfamiliar.
Cost:
Tortillas - $2.79 I got them on sale and still have 8 leftover!
Vegetable broth - $1.29
Green chiles - $2.98
Shredded cheese - $2.29
Sweet potatoes - $2.75
Garlic - $.63
I already had cornstarch, lime juice and all the spices I used. The original author gives other options for spices you can use instead (including curry powder) if you are looking for substitutes. This recipe totals $12.73 and will probably feed us for a few meals as well.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Veggie Lasagne
make this. Tastes delicious despite it!
Want Veggies?
The roomie said she wanted veggies this week, so here we go! Tonight I'm making Roasted Vegetable Lasagne that I pulled off a Weight Watchers website a few years ago. Here's the recipe with my modifications:
Ingredients:
2 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (Not included in original recipe - replaced a 3rd eggplant with this to make it more colorful)
4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
9 dry lasagne noodles (I'm using the no boil kind)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (The recipe calls for 3/4 a cup... but really?)
Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Combine the veggies, garlic and olive oil in a roasting pan and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. I had to use two pans because there are so many veggies!
3) Place half of the veggies, salt, pepper and 1/2 c of water in a food processor and process until smooth. Since I only have a mini food processor, I had to break this down into smaller batches.
4) Spoon 1/2 a cup vegetable puree into bottom o f 9x13 inch baking dish. I'm going to use a 9x9 dish and a bread pan. We'll eat the 9x9 this week and throw the bread pan in the freezer to eat at a later date.
5) Place 3 noodles over the puree. Top with 1/2 a cup of puree, 1/2 a cup of remaining vegetables, 2 tbsp Parmesan, and 2/3 c mozzarella cheese (original only calls for 1/4 c if you're looking to be more healthy). Repeat layers and then top with remaining 3 noodles, puree and cheese.
6) Bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Serve!
Cost:
Eggplant - $3.80
Red Bell Peppers - $5.51
Zucchini - $2.27
Tomatoes - $4.72 (but I only used 4 of the 5)
Shredded Mozzarella - $2.29
We already had the garlic, olive oil, spices and lasagne noodles at home and I used some leftover Romano cheese instead of Parmesan... so it was a grand total of $18.59. I've got 3 meals for me and the roomie and an extra tomato. Woo hoo!
Ingredients:
2 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium sweet red peppers, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (Not included in original recipe - replaced a 3rd eggplant with this to make it more colorful)
4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
9 dry lasagne noodles (I'm using the no boil kind)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (The recipe calls for 3/4 a cup... but really?)
Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Combine the veggies, garlic and olive oil in a roasting pan and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. I had to use two pans because there are so many veggies!
3) Place half of the veggies, salt, pepper and 1/2 c of water in a food processor and process until smooth. Since I only have a mini food processor, I had to break this down into smaller batches.
4) Spoon 1/2 a cup vegetable puree into bottom o f 9x13 inch baking dish. I'm going to use a 9x9 dish and a bread pan. We'll eat the 9x9 this week and throw the bread pan in the freezer to eat at a later date.
5) Place 3 noodles over the puree. Top with 1/2 a cup of puree, 1/2 a cup of remaining vegetables, 2 tbsp Parmesan, and 2/3 c mozzarella cheese (original only calls for 1/4 c if you're looking to be more healthy). Repeat layers and then top with remaining 3 noodles, puree and cheese.
6) Bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes. Serve!
Cost:
Eggplant - $3.80
Red Bell Peppers - $5.51
Zucchini - $2.27
Tomatoes - $4.72 (but I only used 4 of the 5)
Shredded Mozzarella - $2.29
We already had the garlic, olive oil, spices and lasagne noodles at home and I used some leftover Romano cheese instead of Parmesan... so it was a grand total of $18.59. I've got 3 meals for me and the roomie and an extra tomato. Woo hoo!
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