Washington Street Alehouse - Wilmington, DE

http://wsalehouse.com/

I am amazed that I have never written about the Washington Street Alehouse!  It is where my husband and I had our first date…and now we live close enough to walk to it.  The Alehouse is a welcoming place, with a sports bar to the right after you enter, a dining room to the left, and a dining room in the back (oh, and a private room on the second floor).  It is dimly lit, but has large windows in the front dining room that they open on warm days.  I have always had wonderful service from both waitstaff and bartenders.  A very friendly place!

On this particular occasion, my husband and I took my father while he was visiting for the weekend.  We decided to have a late lunch at the Alehouse.  I ordered theVegetarian Chili, which was the soup of the day, and the House salad.  As an appetizer for the table, we started with the Soft Pretzels.  I love their pretzels!  Very soft and warm, and seved with just a touch of salt.  As accompaniments, they have their homemade garlic butter, nacho cheese sauce, and spicy mustard.  All are delicious, but I especially recommend the butter!  I have also had their hummus as an app, and it is amazing!

The House Salad came next, baby greens mixed with grape tomatoes, herb-marinated mushrooms and cucumbers, topped with an apple balsamic vinaigrette.  Overall, I like the salad, the dressing is served on the side and adds a hint of sweetness.  The salad is somewhat deconstructed, so you have to mix the different parts yourself.  I am not a huge fan of the marinade on the mushrooms, but they are fine.  It’s a healthy start!

I finished this meal with the Vegetarian chili.  It was a thick chili, very light brown in color, made with beans, carrots, and celery.  Not spicy, but a good mix of flavors.  Almost like what I think a ham bean soup would taste like, without the ham.  Not the usual chili experience, but good.

I cannot wait until we go there again!

Ulysses Gastropub - Wilmington, DE

http://www.ulyssesgastropub.com/

I have only eaten at Ulysses once before and it was not the best experience.  My main issue with the restaurant is that they do not keep their online menu updated.  For example, this time there was a wonderful pasta dish on the online menu, but in the restaurant, it was nowhere to be seen.  That being said, I am impressed with the quality of the food (much better than the first time I went) and the service (friendly and attentive staff).

Upon entering the restaurant in North Wilmington, you are immediately presented with a large bar and a massive choice of craft beers.  There is a dining room in the back – suitable for a gastropub.  The restaurant is loud, but the atmosphere is inviting.

On this occasion, I ordered the House salad, the Veggie Burger, and finished by sharing the Death by Chocolate with my husband.  The house salad is a mixture of baby greens, dried cranberries, and candied walnuts, topped with a roasted apple vinaigrette.  It is served in a “tilted” bowl (interesting presentation), and is a good start to the meal.  I love the sweet taste of the vinaigrette, and the crunch of the walnuts adds a different texture to the salad.  The Veggie Burger is a homemade jerk spiced brown rice and black bean burger, topped with mozzarella and creamed avocado.  It comes with fries and a side of aioli.  The burger holds together very well, it only fell apart because I put my fork through it!  It has a “meaty” texture (from the rice and beans) and has just a hint of spiciness to it.  The mozzarella is gooey and works well with the burger.  The fries are standard issue steak fries.  I did not care for the aioli, the taste was a little heavy on the mayonnaise and it was very thin.

The finale: Death by Chocolate.  A firm chocolate mousse topped with chocolate shavings and a pile of chocolate sauce on the side (the waiter tried to make a design, but it ran together!).  Creamy, decadent, rich.  An explosion of chocolate in your mouth.

I recommend checking out veggie-friendly Ulysses, just don’t count on the online menu!

Grilled Herbed Ratatouille and Polenta

Grilled Herbed Ratatouille and Polenta (adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 small eggplant

·         1 medium zucchini

·         1 small leek

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         2 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·         1 14 ½  oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

·         1 cup cornmeal

·         2 cups water

·         1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary

·         Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.      Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and leek crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. In a small bowl combine the oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Brush the vegetables with the oil mixture.

2.      Preheat an open indoor electric grill on high setting, if available. Arrange half the vegetables on the grill rack. Grill 6 to 8 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender and grill marks appear, turning once. Remove vegetables from grill rack or pan; set aside. Repeat with remaining vegetables.

3.      Meanwhile, mix cornmeal, water, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan.  Mix until combined.  Add more water to get the polenta to your desired texture.  Allow to heat through.

4.      In a medium saucepan, heat the tomatoes until boiling. Add the grilled vegetables. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

5.      To serve, place a spoonful of polenta into a bowl; spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta.

The original recipe called for ½ of an eggplant, 1 small zucchini, and 1 fennel bulb.  I chose to use the whole eggplant and a medium zucchini because the more the merrier!  Actually, it seemed that only that amount of vegetables wouldn’t be enough for the full meal.  I subbed a leek for the fennel bulb (1. Because there were no small fennel bulbs at the grocery store, and 2. Because I don’t like the licorice taste).  I found the meal to be lacking on taste, even with added rosemary to the polenta – just a bit bland.  I did add some Italian pizza cheese and that went a long way!  The recipe does not have much protein, but is high in fiber and low(er) on calories than other meals.  However, I do not think that I would make this particular recipe again. 

Apple and Cheddar Penne Pie

Apple and Cheddar Penne Pie (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 8, Total Time: 75-80 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 Tbsp. margarine, melted

·         1/3 cup breadcrumbs

·         3 tsp. fresh thyme

·         12 oz. dried penne pasta

·         2 cups chopped and peeled cooking apples

·         ½ cup chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla

·         3 Tbsp. margarine

·         3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ¼ tsp. ground black pepper

·         2 cups skim milk

·         ½ cup apple cider

·         6 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened and cut up

·         1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 ounces)

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a casserole dish with PAM.

2.      Mix 1 Tbsp. melted margarine with breadcrumbs and 1 tsp. of the thyme; set aside.

3.      Cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed by package directions; drain. Return pasta to pan; set aside.

4.      Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 3 Tbsp. margarine over medium heat.  Cook apples and onion for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and apple cider. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Add cheeses and the remaining 2 tsp. thyme; stir until cheese melts.

5.      Add sauce mixture to pasta; stir to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with reserved breadcrumb mixture.

6.      Bake, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until edges are bubbly. If desired, top with fresh thyme sprigs.

Ok, so definitely not the healthiest thing that I have ever made, but oh so tasty!  I decided to use a casserole dish instead of a pie pan and did not use butter and breadcrumbs to coat the sides (as the original recipe calls for) – I don’t think that I missed out on anything except extra calories!  The original recipe calls for butter, whole milk, and regular cream cheese, switching to margarine skim milk, and fat free cream cheese saves some calories and fat while keeping the taste.  Even though I didn’t use reduced fat cheddar, that is another way to reduce calories without skimping on taste.  With the changes that I made, there are less calories and fat, but it is still a very satisfying, creamy dish. 

Now on to taste!  The pasta has a sweet hint because of the apple and sweet onion – a nice contrast to the creamy cheese sauce.  I used regular breadcrumbs instead of panko and I like that it added a little crunch to the top of the casserole.  I honestly think that the only further change I would make is to switch to reduced fat cheddar cheese and possibly add some more thyme and maybe 2.5 or 3 cups of apple.  It’s nice to use apples during harvest season – and this a great way to capitalize on fall produce!

The Queen (Wilmington, DE)

My husband and I visited World Café Live at The Queen in Wilmington for dinner and a show.  We ate in the upstairs area.  Please note that The Queen is not somewhere you go to have an intimate dining experience.  There was a Blues Jam, and there are so many speakers and the tables are all so close to the stage that we could not hear each other (or the waitress).  If the music is good, it’s not that big of a problem.  Luckily, it was good.

The menu has a lot of tasty options.  I started out with a side Beet Salad – roasted golden beets, honey goat cheese, red onion. Cucumber, radish & arugula tossed with a  sweet Vidalia onion vinaigrette.  I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet taste.  The goat cheese was crumbled (not what I expected, but very happy that it wasn’t in a large circle), but they did have a little too much on there for the size of the salad.  The onion and cucumber added a slight crunch to the soft texture – and the salad was nicely coated with the vinaigrette.  My one feedback point is that they brought the salad out with my main dish – not so great since I was starving.  As my entrée, I had the Stuffed Pepper (the menu is kind of misleading, considering I was only served one pepper).  It is a poblano pepper stuffed with a spiced Israeli cous cous and tofu blend set in a chipotle-tomato sauce.  Fantastic!  The dish made my eyes water a little bit, but that was mostly the chipotle-tomato sauce.  The cous cous/tofu blend was mostly cous cous (I saw maybe 2-3 pieces of tofu) and the taste on that alone was very good. I would definitely get this dish again and my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  The one pepper that they served was enough to satisfy me, but not too much to have to take anything home.  The pepper also added a nice texture difference to the rice.  I hope that they keep this on the menu!

Update: My husband and I went to one of The Queen's Grilled Cheese & Craft Beer Tastings.  If you get the opportunity, go!  They made vegetarian-friendly options for the courses that were not already vegetarian.  Some of the courses included a black bean pate on top of a biscuit with a little cheese sprinkled on top, bourbon-glazed onions, mushrooms, and pepperjack with a chimichurri spread, and swiss on multigrain with shaved brussel sprouts and a red pepper coulis.  Very good!

Quick & Easy Yorkshire Pudding with Onion Gravy and Veggie Sausage Links

Quick & Easy Yorkshire Pudding (slightly adapted from AllRecipes) with Onion Gravy (from AllRecipes) and Veggie Sausage Links (Servings: 6-7, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Yorkshire Pudding Ingredients

·         3 eggs
·         1 cup milk
·         1 cup all-purpose flour (I only had whole wheat on hand)
·         2 Tbsp. butter

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.      In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk. Stir in flour. Set aside.
3.      Divide butter evenly into the twelve cups of a muffin tin, about 1/2  tsp. per cup. Place tin in oven to melt butter, 2 to 5 minutes.
4.      Remove tin from oven, and distribute batter evenly among buttery cups.
5.      Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake 25 minutes more or until puffed and golden.

Gravy

·         1 Tbsp. butter
·         1 ½ large onions, chopped
·         6 cups vegetable broth
·         2 cups red wine

Directions

1.      Melt 1 butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the onions until translucent and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes.
2.      Pour in the broth and wine; boil the mixture down to about half its volume, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Okay, I’ll start of by saying that I had to make some adjustments to the recipes because of dietary restrictions and what I had on hand.  This may have changed the flavor of the dishes, but I really don’t think that the changes I made affected the taste all that much.  I found this dish bland – the pudding was dense (because of the wheat flour), but did have the bready taste I expected, the gravy seemed to just make things wet.  I used two Morningstar Farms Sausage Links for my dish and for my husband’s – I think that was the best part of the meal.  My husband said that he enjoyed the dish, so I guess it depends on what you like to eat.  I will let you know that the pudding grew moldy in the refrigerator after just a couple of days, so I don’t think that I’ll be using that recipe again.  This just wasn’t my “cup of tea”, even though I am of English descent :-)

Crazy Dipped Pretzel Rods

Crazy Dipped Pretzel Rods (from AllRecipes, 30Minutes)

    

I liked these, but my husband – not so much.  I used semi-sweet chocolate morsels and holiday sprinkles.  I think that he is used to the chocolate covered pretzels that are completely smothered while these are only partially covered.  I might try white chocolate next time with mini chocolate morsels – maybe more chocolate will win him over!

Ingredients

·         1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

·         1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

·         16 pretzel rods

·         Mini Morsels and/or sprinkles

Directions

1.    Line baking sheet with wax paper.

2.    Microwave 1 cup morsels and vegetable shortening in small, dry, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted.

3.    Dip pretzel rods about 3 inches into melted morsels, tilting bowl to easily dip. Use side of bowl to remove excess. Sprinkle with morsels or sprinkles. Place on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Chocolate Fudge Cookies (from AllRecipes, Time - 20 minutes, 24 servings)

      

One word: Chocolate!  Almost too much for even me, but not quite.  These are easy to make and tasty.  I received rave reviews from the family (I gave them out as part of their Christmas gifts).

Ingredients

·         1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

·         2 eggs

·         1/2 cup vegetable oil

·         1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

2.    In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and oil until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into small balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

3.    Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Quinoa and Black Bean Chili

Quinoa and Black Bean Chili (from AllRecipes, Time - 1 hour)

      

This is a healthy chili with a good mixture of protein and carbs.  I was hesitant about using quinoa because my husband is not a fan, but he really liked this dish.  He actually wanted me to make it again for a chili cookoff!

Ingredients

·         1 cup uncooked quinoa 

·         1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·         1 onion, chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, chopped

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1 tablespoon ground cumin

·         1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

·         2 (19 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 green bell pepper, chopped

·         1 red bell pepper, chopped

·         1 zucchini, chopped

·         1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

·         1 Tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

·         1 tsp. dried oregano

·         salt and ground black pepper to taste

·         1 cup frozen corn

Directions

1.    Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Set aside when finished.

2.    While the quinoa is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion.  Ccook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook and stir 1 minute to release the flavors. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno pepper, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

3.    After 20 minutes, stir in the reserved quinoa and corn. Cook to reheat the corn for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.

The vegetables stayed crisp-tender and added a nice crunch to the otherwise smooth texture of the chili.  As it stands, the recipe is not quite spicy enough for me, but it is easily amended with some hot sauce.  This chili is very filling due to the high protein and fiber contents of the beans and quinoa.  A keeper in my book!

Chocolate Cookie Bark

Chocolate Cookie Bark (from KraftRecipes, Time - 15 minutes + 1 hour to cool)

      

One of my favorite desserts other than ice cream! It’s really easy to make and I have received so many compliments on it.  Just a little bit of bark goes a long way in satisfying that sweet or chocolate craving.  My mouth starts to water just looking at this recipe.

Ingredients:

•  2 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 pkg. (6 squares) White Chocolate (I have also used white chocolate chips)
• 10 OREO Cookies, coarsely crushed, divided
• 1 pkg. (8 squares) Semi-Sweet Chocolate (I have also used dark chocolate chips)

Directions:

1.)    Melt white chocolate in a microwaveable bowl.  Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each time.

2.)    Add peanut butter to white chocolate; mix well. Stir half the crushed cookies into bowl of melted chocolate.

3.)    Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a microwaveable bowl.  Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each time.

4.)    Stir half the crushed cookies into bowl of melted chocolate.

5.)    Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto a waxed paper-covered baking sheet, alternating colors of chocolates. Swirl with knife.

6.)    Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

If you have any chocolate lovers in your family, I recommend making this for them.  They will thank you!

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Tri-Color Stuffed Peppers (slightly adapted from KraftRecipes, Total Time: 55 min., Servings: 8)

I can’t believe that I’ve never written about these stuffed peppers – I feel like they are one of my regular recipes.  Both my husband and I really enjoy them, and use the leftover filling for tortillas.

Ingredients

• 1 bag Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles
• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn OR 1 can (14.5 oz.) corn
• 1 ½ cups salsa (medium or hot, or a mixture of both!)
• 1 ½ - 2 cups cooked instant brown rice
• 1 cup nacho or Mexican cheese
• 1-2 each large red, yellow, green, and orange bell pepper (I find that I have less mixture leftover if I used at least 5 whole peppers)
• ½ - 1 cup water

Directions

1.     Heat oven to 400ºF.

2.     Cook crumbles, corn and salsa in large nonstick skillet on medium 5 min. or until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in rice and ½  cup cheese; spoon into pepper halves.

3.     Place in 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour water into bottom of dish; cover.

4.     Bake 30 min.; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10 min. or until cheese is melted.

I like this because the peppers cook nicely, but are still firm.  The mixture is slightly spicy – depending what kind of salsa you use, but manageable for those who aren’t spice-crazy.  The peppers and corn add a nice crunch factor to the otherwise soft-textured dish. Low in calories, high in fiber and protein, and great as leftovers!  In my book, that’s tough to beat J

Fall Ratatouille

Fall Ratatouille (from KraftRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         1 eggplant, cut into bite-size pieces

·         1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         1  red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

·         ¼ cup Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing

·         1can  (14.5 oz.) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

·         2 Tbsp. Parmesan Grated Cheese

·         ½ cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 350°F.

2.      Cook and stir first 5 ingredients in large skillet on medium-high heat 6 to 8 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender and lightly browned.

3.      Add tomatoes; cook 15 min., stirring occasionally. Spoon into casserole; top with cheeses.

4.      Bake 15 min. or until mozzarella is melted and vegetable mixture is heated through.

A good vegetable dish, but low on the protein.  The dish comes together well, but you can still taste the individual ingredients.  I added some extra zucchini because I didn’t want our’s to go bad, but it didn’t mess up the dish’s synergy.  The parmesan and mozzarella add a little bit of protein, but a lot of flavor.  Next time I make it, I may use Italian style diced tomatoes or through in some basil, oregano, and garlic powder to make it a little more Italian.  I have made this before and added Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage to help out on the protein-side.  A nice warm dish that sits well in your stomach on a cool fall day.

Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad (slightly adapted from KraftRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         1cup  quinoa, uncooked

·         1can  (14.5 oz.) vegetable broth

·         1can  (11 oz.) corn, drained

·         1can  (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed, drained

·         5 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

·         ½ cup  Zesty Italian Dressing

·         1 red pepper, chopped

Directions

1.       Bring quinoa and broth to boil in medium saucepan; cover. Simmer on low 15 min. or until broth is absorbed. Cool.

2.       Mix quinoa with remaining ingredients just before serving.

I really liked this salad – and it looks pretty too!  It has a refreshing, good, light taste – very suitable for spring or summertime.  I also found it very filling due to the quinoa and black beans – plus they offer a really good boost of protein.  The Italian dressing was very light and allowed the vegetables and beans to take center-stage in taste but kept the dish moist.  The peppers, onions, and corn gave added a slightly crunchy component to the quinoa.  Overall, a very nice dish and something that I definitely intend on making again.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheesy Polenta, and Best Ever Meatloaf

Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheesy Polenta, and Best Ever Meatloaf (slightly adapted from ABCNews and AllRecipes respectively, Servings: 8 for Polenta & Meatloaf, 12 for Biscuits, Total Time: )

Biscuits Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix
•  ¾ cup cold skim milk
• 4 Tbsp. cold butter (1/2 stick)
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Topping Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• ¼ tsp. dried parsley flakes
•  ½ tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

1.)    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.)    Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. There should be small chunks of butter that are about the size of peas.

3.)    Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

4.)    Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

5.)    Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

6.)    After removing from oven, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a small bowl in microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter.

My husband requested these for his birthday dinner, so I found a recipe and went at it.  They were soft and a tad flaky, very garlicky.  They had a little too much garlic and cheese for me (the horror!), but my husband thoroughly enjoyed him.  He said that they tasted slightly different (maybe because of skim vs. whole milk), but that he thought they were tasty.  I only had one, so he has successfully eaten all of them himself!

Polenta Ingredients:

• 2 cups skim milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 ½ tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 oz. (1 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.)    In a large pot, over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta.

2.)    Reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until creamy, lifting the lid and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes to prevent sticking.

3.)    Remove pot from stove, stir in pepper and butter. Gradually stir in cheese. Serve.

Along with the biscuits, I served this polenta dish and Best Ever Meatloaf.  The polenta was good, very cheesy, but a little spongey (I either overcooked it or it was because of the skim milk).  I still liked the taste and would make it again!

Best Ever Meatloaf (adapted from KraftRecipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 pkg. Morningstar Farms MealStarters Burger Crumbles

·         1 egg

·         1 cup ground Stove Top Stuffing

·         1 pkg. onion soup

·         1 can tomato soup

·         ½ green pepper

·         ½ cup shredded carrots

Directions

1.      Combine crumbles, egg, stuffing, onion soup, tomato soup, green pepper and carrots.

2.      Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread mixture into pan.

3.      Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

This is my husband’s favorite “meat”loaf recipe.  He won’t stop eating it when I make it!  He likes that there is the onion soup mixture instead of onions (which he doesn’t like).  I added the whole can of tomato soup to act as a binder with the crumbles.  It worked!  It stays together nicely after being cooked.  The loaf has a nice texture to it, creamy with a slightly crispy edge from the cooking and the stuffing.  I really enjoy this one, too!

Tex Mex Squash Bake

Tex Mex Squash Bake (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. Morningstar Farms MealStarters Burger Crumbles

·         2 Tbsp. olive oil

·         4 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

·         1 red bell pepper, chopped

·         1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         4 green onions, chopped -- white and green parts separated

·         salt and pepper to taste

·         3 Tbsp. tomato paste

·         4 tsp. chili powder, or to taste

·         2 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste

·         1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 cup frozen corn, thawed

·         ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

1.      Cook and stir the burger crumbles in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2.      Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

3.      Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the zucchini, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and the white parts of the green onions until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and mix in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Allow the mixture to simmer until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

4.      Stir in the burger crumbles, black beans, kidney beans, corn, and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary, and spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, and cover the dish with foil.

5.      Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling in the center, 20 to 25 minutes; remove the foil, return to oven, and bake until the cheese is browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle the remaining green onions (green tops) over the top.

This dish was lacking in flavor and I added some tabasco to give it a kick.  The beans were also a bit tough, so I recommended cooking the mixture when the beans are in it.  I also think that using Mexican shredded cheese instead of parmesan would add some flavor to the dish.  Using one large jalapeno or two regular sized ones might also increase the flavor without the need to add Tabasco.  It is fairly healthy, with protein from the beans and burger crumbles, full of vegetables, and low in fat (even with the Parmesan), so I am willing to make some adjustments to it to make it work for my family.  You can serve this by itself, as a filling for tacos, or served over a bed of lettuce with chopped tomatoes. 

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce (from AllRecipes, Total Time: 50 minutes, Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         1 container roasted red peppers

·         2 Tbsp. minced garlic

·         ¼ cup fresh basil

·         3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

·         2 cups half-and-half (I used fat-free)

·         ¼ cup grated Romano cheese

·         4 Tbsp. butter

·         salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.      Chop peppers into small pieces, removing seeds as you go.

2.      In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil, and red peppers in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, so that the flavors mix.

3.      Place mixture in blender (careful it is hot), and puree to desired consistency.

4.      Return puree to skillet, and reheat to a boil. Stir in the half-and-half and the Romano cheese; cook and stir until the cheese melts. Add the butter, and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

I served this sauce over a Mediterranean ravioli.  I think next time, I’ll choose regular pasta.  I’ll also use regular half and half instead of fat-free because our sauce ended up thin.  It had a slightly sweet flavor to it, I’m not sure if that was the sauce or the pasta.  I had to add some red pepper flakes to mine to get some good flavor out of it, so next time I’ll throw that in while its cooking.  Not a bad sauce, but I’ve had better.