Sweet Irish Bread

Sweet Irish Bread (from AllRecipes, Servings: 12+, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup butter

·         1 cup white sugar

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         ½ tsp. baking soda

·         1 tsp. cream of tartar

·         1 pinch salt

·         1 cup sour cream

·         1 cup raisins

Directions

1.)    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2.)    In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the sour cream mixture until just blended. Fold in raisins. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.

3.)    Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown, comes out clean.

I made this recipe for two reasons: 1.) I was needed to get rid of raisins that I used in two Indian dishes and I didn’t want to throw them away, and 2.) I needed a host gift for a St. Patrick’s Day party.  Perfect combo!

The consistency of the bread was right and it rose very nicely.  When I cut through it, though, some of the raisins started falling out.  I did let it cool for about 1 hour, but maybe it needed a little bit longer to set.  I tasted a bit without reasons and it was sweet and moist.  My husband said that he would probably eat it with the raisins in, he liked it that much.  I will say that it went quickly at the party!

Baileys Irish Cupcakes with Irish Cream Icing

Baileys Irish Cupcakes with Irish Cream Icing (cake and frosting recipes both from AllRecipes, Servings: 12, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

   For Cake:

·         ½ cup butter, softened
·         ¾ cup white sugar
·         4 egg yolks
·         ¾ cup sour cream
·         ½ tsp. vanilla extract
·         1 tsp. almond extract
·         1 cup all-purpose flour
·         1 tsp. baking powder
·         ¼ tsp. salt
·         6 Tbsp. Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys®)

   For Icing:

·         ¼ cup butter, softened
·         1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed
·         1 ½ Tbsp. Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys®)

Directions

1.)    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.)    Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
3.)    Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the butter is light and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; beat in sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, at least 5 more minutes.
4.)    Beat in egg yolks one at a time, mixing until each yolk is just combined before adding the next; mix in sour cream and vanilla and almond extracts.
5.)    Sift flour in a separate bowl with baking powder and salt.
6.)    Stir flour mixture into the liquid ingredients in thirds, alternating with Irish cream liqueur, until the batter is smooth.
7.)    Pour batter into the lined muffin cups.
8.)    Bake in the preheated oven until the cupcakes are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
9.)    While cupcakes are cooling, whip ½ cup butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
10.)                        Set mixer to low speed and slowly beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat in the Irish cream liqueur; adjust thickness of frosting with more confectioners' sugar if needed.

I am not a fan of Bailey’s, but I wanted to make an Irish dish for a neighbor’s party.  I did a quick search and saw the cupcake recipe and thought it would be a perfect way to use the Bailey’s we had from a previous party.  I also found the frosting recipe using the same methodology.

I cannot account for the taste of the cake, but I did receive rave reviews from guests at the party.  They said that the cake was moist and were asking what was it.  I cannot believe they couldn’t tell it was Baileys because the cupcake certainly smelled like Baileys.  The cupcakes did fall in the center while they were cooling, but I don’t think that affected the flavor or texture.  Maybe a little more baking powder would fix that.  I used half the frosting ingredients from the second recipe and it was enough to cover the cupcakes, but I think that a full portion would have had better coverage.

Le Shio - Wilmington, DE

http://www.leshio.com/

Le Shio is a very unassuming restaurant from the outside.  It is in a strip mall in Wilmington, DE, stuffed between a Radio Shack and a Dress Barn.  Even though you could pass right by and not realize it is a restaurant, I strongly urge you not to.  The food is worth a stop at this Asian Fusion restaurant.  The décor has a modern/industrial feel to it, one large room with white walls, a sushi bar at back before kitchen (with some available seats), a bar to the right after you walk in, and a number of booths and tables spread throughout the large room.

I ordered the Vegetarian Sushi Set (a selection of 24 pieces of maki sushi) that came with a cup of miso soup or a house salad.  I opted for the salad and also ordered Edamame as an appetizer.  The edamame was served in a small bowl and was enough for my husband and I to share.  Nothing special about it, just your standard edamame pods.  The salad was in a very small dish and consisted of a bit of lettuce and a tomato slice.  It was served with an aged ginger dressing – which was creamy and delicious, pretty sweet.

My sushi set consisted of three rolls cut into eight pieces each.  Asparagus, Oshinko (a pickled vegetable), and one with Avocado and Carrots.  Each one was rolled in seaweed and covered in rice.  They were tightly rolled and easy to pick up with chopsticks – they also held together well when dipping them in soy sauce.  The sushi was, of course, served with ginger and wasabi.  I added a bit too much wasabi to my soy sauce, but that’s OK.  Nothing too bad happened!  Overall, I really liked the sushi set, the Avocado and Asparagus rolls had a crisp texture because of the fresh vegetables.  Quite enjoyable!  I don’t remember ever having Oshinko before – it was good!  At first I thought it was Yellow Squash, but the texture was a little creamier.  I definitely recommend trying it.

I like Le Shio, though not quite as much as my sushi-loving husband.  If you are looking for vegetarian sushi, I recommend it go to the top of your list.

Red Lentil Curry

Red Lentil Curry (from All Recipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 40 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 cups red lentils

·         1 large onion, diced

·         1 Tbsp. canola oil

·         2 Tbsp. curry paste (I used red)

·         1 Tbsp. curry powder

·         1 tsp. ground turmeric

·         1 tsp. ground cumin

·         1 tsp. chili powder

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 tsp. white sugar

·         1 tsp. minced garlic

·         1 tsp. ginger root, minced

·         1 (14.25 oz.) can tomato puree (I used tomato sauce)

Directions

1.)    Wash the lentils in cold water until the water runs clear (this is very important or the lentils will get "scummy"), put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and simmer covered until lentils tender (add more water if necessary).

2.)    While the lentils are cooking: In a large skillet or saucepan, caramelize the onions in oil.

3.)    While the onions are cooking, combine the curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, and ginger in a mixing bowl. Mix well.

4.)    When the onions are cooked, add the curry mixture to the onions and cook over a high heat stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.

5.)    Stir in the tomato puree and reduce heat, allow the curry base to simmer until the lentils are ready.

6.)    When the lentils are tender drain them briefly (they should have absorbed most of the water but you don't want the curry to be too sloppy). Mix the curry base into the lentils and serve immediately.

This was another dish that I made for the tasting.  I will start by stating that the original recipe doesn’t tell you how long to cook the lentils.  I believe that mine took about 15 minutes over a medium heat, no extra water was needed.  At first I thought that I overcooked them, but they still tasted good and the other people who tried the dish liked it.  Just keep an eye on them while doing the other steps in the recipe.  This was also my first time working with ginger (FYI – you need to peel it before mincing!).  I think that I did OK on both accounts.

Overall, the recipe is easy to follow and the end result is pretty tasty.  It’s a little light on the taste, but I didn’t want to add any Sriracha because we have to be sensitive to the people who may not like spicy food.  However, on my leftovers, I went Sriracha-happy and it tasted awesome!  The consistency was almost like refried beans, but that worked well on some sandwich thins and pitas.  The curry is not “runny” or “oily” like some other curries that I have eaten or made, so it works really well with bread.  I definitely recommend trying this recipe!  Pretty healthy (calories are fairly low, protein is good) and tasty.

Curried Carrot Salad

Curried Carrot Salad (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods, Servings: 6-8, Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 lb. shredded carrots

·         ½ cup raisins

·         1/3 cup sliced green onions (green and white parts)

·         ½ cup Light Mayonnaise

·         1 ½ tsp. curry powder

·         1 Tbsp. white vinegar

·         1 Tbsp. honey

·         ¼ tsp. salt

Directions

1.      Toss carrots with raisins and onions in large bowl; set aside.

2.      Mix all remaining ingredients with wire whisk until well blended. Add to carrot mixture; toss to coat. Cover.

3.      Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

My neighborhood is having a Progressive Dinner and I am on the food committee.  We had a tasting of various Asian dishes (our theme) and I was assigned Indian.  I made a few curries, so I picked this out as a potential veggie side dish, even though I am really not a fan of raisins.  I think it is a bit high in calories, even when using Light or Reduced Fat mayo, so you have to be careful with portion size.  For the taste, well, I’m not a fan.  There is no sweetness from the honey – it just kind of tastes like yellow mayo.  Paired with the raisins, it just wasn’t a dish for me.  I will say that the bites I had with green onion were tastier.  They, and the carrots, added a nice crunch factor.  Needless to say, I will not be making this again (I vetoed it from the Dinner).

Berried Delight

Berried Delight (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods, Servings: 20, Total Time: 4 hours)

Ingredients

·         1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
·         6 Tbsp. margarine, melted
·         1 pkg.  (8 oz.) low-fat or fat-free Cream Cheese, softened
·         2 Tbsp. cold milk
·         1 tub (8 oz.) low-fat or fat-free whipped topping, thawed, divided
·         4 cups fresh strawberries, halved
·         2 small pkg. fat-free, sugar-free Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
·         3-1/2 cups  cold milk

Directions

1.)    Mix graham crack crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2.)    Beat cream cheese and 2 Tbsp. milk in large bowl with whisk until blended. Stir in half the whipped topping; spread over crust.
3.)    Top with berries.
4.)    Beat pudding mixes and 3-1/2 cups milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over berries.
5.)    Refrigerate 4 hours (or freeze for 1 hour). Spread with remaining whipped topping just before serving, if desired

When I started making this recipe, I did not read it the whole way through and thought that I was making a different dish with pudding and strawberries(one that I love and have had a few times).  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until I'd already started and it was too late to turn back.  I guess I should also be clear that I do not like cheesecake, so when I realized my mistake, I was sorely disappointed.  However, I decided to buck up and make the recipe – it’s always good to try new things.

So, the end result definitely does not look like the picture on the Kraft website.  I had a lot of excess liquid that went to the bottom of the pan and made the graham cracker crust all mushy.  I did try the cream cheese portion of the dessert, but did not like it.  For leftovers, I have scraped this portion out and the dessert tastes just fine!  My husband liked the whole thing, so maybe you should follow his feedback if you are OK with or like cheesecake (no judging from me).

The recipe is simple and easy to follow.  I used the freezer method and it cut OK – although, they didn’t do a great job at maintaining a bar form.  Even after keeping them in the refrigerator for leftovers, they fall apart.  That’s OK though – messy desserts make me smile!

Pub-Style Vegetarian Chili

Pub-Style Vegetarian Chile (from AllRecipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1/3 cup olive oil
·         2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
·         1 cup finely chopped onion
·         1 cup chopped carrot
·         ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
·         ¼ cup chopped celery
·         1 Tbsp. minced garlic
·         1 Tbsp. chili powder, or more to taste
·         1 Tbsp. ground cumin
·         1 1/8 tsp. salt
·         ¾ tsp. ground black pepper
·         ¾ tsp. dried basil
·         ¾ tsp. dried oregano
·         1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
·         3 cups black beans, undrained
·         ½ (6 oz.) can tomato paste
·         ¼ cup red wine
·         ¾ tsp. hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco®)
·         2 cups water

Directions

1.)    Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms, onion, carrot, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano until the onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
2.)    Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, black beans and their liquid, tomato paste, red wine, hot pepper sauce, and water.
3.)    Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

My husband did not like this dish at all – he said it looked more like soup than chili.  I agree, the consistency is not chili-like at all. If you make this, I recommend adding less water, maybe even removing that ingredient entirely.  I served it over spaghetti squash and it completely saturated the strands (with some leftover!).

As for the taste, it was OK.  One of the reviews on the website said spicy – not so much.  You would need to add a lot more hot sauce than ¾ tsp.  It wasn’t bad, I just feel like the different spices didn’t really lend it to taste like chili.  The fresh vegetables did stay crisp, which made for a difference in consistency.  Overall, though, I will not make again – I have better chili recipes in my stockpile.

Nirvana Fine Indian Restaurant - Wilmington, DE

After a few stops on the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail, my husband and I decided to order Takeout from Nirvana Fine Indian Restaurant (located in Independence Mall, Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE) and instead of going out to a restaurant.  We used Takeout Taxi – which is a great service when you are feeling too lazy to go out and get the food yourself.  Yes, it can be a little pricey, but we ended up with five meals out of our one order, so I don’t think that’s too bad.

I ordered the Bombay Potato side dish to serve as an appetizer and then ordered two curries, Mixed Vegetable and Bagare Baingan.  I specified Hot for both of them (there were four options, Mild, Medium, Hot or Very Hot).  Both of the curries tasted good, but they were not quite as hot as I expected – next time I will know to order Very Hot.  The Bombay Potato dish had potatoes cooked in a light gravy with peas and tomatoes.  There was also some herb on them, possibly cilantro.  The taste was a little sweet and the potatoes were nicely cooked.  I did not care for them, but my husband loved them.  Both curries had a lot of excess oil, so I would recommend being careful on the amount that you eat.  The naan was soft and pliable, but held its own next to the curry.  The Bagare Baingan curry was baby eggplants cooked in traditional gravy consisting of sesame seed, ground nut, cumin, tamarind and coconut.  This was definitely the more oily of the two curries that I ate, but it was still tasty.  The eggplant was a bit mushy.  The Mixed Vegetable Curry consisted of carrots, green beans, and a few other veggies cooked with herbs and spices in a thick sauce.  This was the spicier of the two curries – and I liked it!  It was slightly greasy, but not overly so.  The vegetables had a nice crunch to them.  For a self-made buffet, this wasn’t bad.  Just don’t put curry on a paper plate!

Red Beans & Rice Burger

Red Beans & Rice Burger (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4, Total Time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 (15 oz.) can no-salt-added red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
·         ½ cup finely chopped onion
·         ¼ cup finely chopped celery
·         ¼ cup rolled oats
·         1 clove garlic, minced
·         ½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed
·         ½ tsp. ground cumin
·         ¼ tsp. salt
·         ¼ tsp. black pepper
·         ¾ cup cooked brown rice

Directions

1.)    In a medium bowl coarsely mash beans with a potato masher or fork. Stir in onion, celery, oats, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Stir in rice.
2.)    Shape the bean mixture into four ½ -inch-thick patties.
3.)    Preheat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add patties to pan or skillet. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through, turning patties once.
4.)    Serve burgers on toasted hamburger buns with desired accompaniments.

First of all, I used rolled oats instead of the breadcrumbs called for in the original recipe; I also omitted cilantro (as called for in the original).  I made these changes for my own taste and health preferences.  I had an issue with these burgers binding – there was not enough moisture in the mix and I do not believe that the changes I made had an impact on this.  The taste of the burger was good – a little on the “Mexican” side with the cumin, but the consistency was not right for a burger.  The onion and celery add a little crunch to the mashed beans, oats, and rice, which is quite a nice surprise when biting into the “burger”.  On the health side, these are pretty high in calories for just the burger, but good on fiber and protein.  Once you add a bun and accompaniments – watch out!  I served mine with no bun (because I feel that there are more than enough carbs in there with the oats and rice) but with a sprinkle of Mexican cheese and salsa.  The salsa gives it the much-needed moisture that it needs.

Overall, this is OK, but I don’t think that I’ll make it again.

India Grille (Wilmington, DE)

http://www.indiagrille.net/

My husband and I went to the India Grill on Naamans Road in Wilmington, DE, to sample their lunch buffet.  I have had a huge craving for Asian food since my return from Japan and thought that his would be a great time to check out a new restaurant.  The location is in a strip mall, beside a liquor store and a Wawa.  It is quite unimposing from the front and the interior décor is quite minimalist.  There are a number of booths and tables in a brightly lit atmosphere.  They have paper tablecloths that move with you when you leave the booth, which is quite annoying.  Other than that, I have no complaints about the inside.

The buffet had about seven-eight dishes, plus two soups, a few types of bread, and a large salad with accompaniments.  They also serve you a basket of naan at your table.  I grabbed a spoonful of the different vegetarian items to give everything a taste.  I’ll start with the salad – it was fresh, but it was overloaded with red onions.  The accompaniments around the salad were OK, but I didn’t find anything that I loved.  I bypassed the Tomato Soup for the Mulligatawny Soup - an East Indian soup with a lentil base, vegetables, and curry seasoning.  It was delicious and I sopped up the remaining broth with naan!   The curry seasoning gave it some heat and it was a good mix of beans and veggies.  I got seconds on the soup. 

For my main plate, I sampled Baigan Bharta, Aloo Gobi, Dal Makni, some basmati rice, and topped it off with a Mixed Vegetable Pakora.  Descriptions are below for each of these, including my assessment.

·         Baigan Bharta - roasted eggplant sauteed with onions, tomatoes, green peas, cilantro, and spices

o   Yummy!  It has a bit of heat that made me grab for my water glass more than once and is delicious on its own or with rice or naan.  They used baby eggplant, which I’ve never had before.  Each bite was full of flavor (though I didn’t get much cilantro).  As with a number of curry dishes, it was a bit mushy, but that didn’t matter to me.  I went back for seconds!

·         Aloo Gobi - potatoes and cauliflower cooked with onions and tomatoes in gravy

o   Bland…I thought that I would really like this, but I wasn’t impressed.  I ate two bites and then pushed it to the side.  Just not my taste.

·         Dal Makni - black lentils cooked and mixed with onions and tomatoes in a creamy base

o   Again, a bit bland. I ate a little more of this dish than the Aloo Gobi, but it still wasn’t that good.

·         Mixed Vegetable Pakora - mixed vegetable fritters battered with chickpea flour

o   I grabbed this fried fritter to try something new.  I was disappointed, again, bland.  Plus, I’m not a huge fan of fried food to begin with.  If it’s fried and doesn’t wow with me flavor, I won’t continue to eat it.

Overall, I found the lunch buffet OK (especially for $9.99), but I want to try other lunch/dinner buffets for a better comparison.  On to the next as Jay from Ghost Hunters says!

Vegetarian Chickpea Curry with Turnips

Vegetarian Chickpea Curry with Turnips (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 Tbsp. olive oil

·         ½ onion, diced

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 Tbsp. ground cumin

·         2 Tbsp. curry powder

·         1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), undrained

·         1 small red bell pepper, diced

·         1 small turnip, peeled and diced

·         1 (15 oz.) can corn kernels, drained

·         1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

·         ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·         1 pinch salt

·         1 pinch cracked black pepper

Directions

1.)    Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, cumin, and curry powder; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.)    Add the garbanzo beans, red bell pepper, turnip, corn, and tomato sauce. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the curry has thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

My first experience cooking with curry and turnips was a major success!  The original recipe calls for simmering for 1.5-2 hours.  I don’t know if that is necessary, my curry was cooked through in about 1 hour.  At that time, I added some more curry powder and cumin as well as ¼ to ½ cup of water and cooked on low for an additional hour.  After it was done, I also added a splash of Sriracha – which, I believe, was the perfect addition!

My husband and I loved this dish!  It was a little spicy, but the curry flavor definitely comes through.  The cumin/curry relationship is fantastic.  The corn, turnip, pepper, and beans all have a nice crunch to them, which goes well if you serve it with rice.  I also served heated mini pita bread bites, and the dish works quite well with those as well.  I cannot wait to make this dish again and again, it is a definite keeper in my book and so easy to make.  If you are a beginner with curry, don’t be scared, this is a great starter dish and so easy to adjust to your taste.  Enjoy!

Chik’n Lo Mein

Chik’n Lo Mein (adapted from Kraft Foods, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         ½ lb. spaghetti, uncooked

·         ¼ cup Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

·         1 package Trader Joe’s Chickenless Chicken Strips

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen bell pepper and onion strips, thawed, drained

·         ½ cup  fat-free reduced-sodium vegetable broth

·         1 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter

·         ¼ cup  lite soy sauce

Directions

1.)    Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt.

2.)    Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 min. Add vegetables, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry 3 to 4 min. or until everything is heated through.

3.)    Drain spaghetti; return to pan. Add chicken mixture and soy sauce; mix lightly.

Okay, so I made a major flub on this one that actually didn’t turn out too bad.  I thought I had vegetable broth, but alas, when I went to retrieve it from the pantry – no such luck.  My spaghetti was already cooking and my veggies were frying, so I made a split decision to use water.  When my husband and I ate the final dish, we found it slightly bland and I think that the broth would have helped in the flavor area; however, after refrigerating and reheating the leftovers – flavor!  No problems.  Next time I make this, though, I’ll use the vegetable broth.

I did not top the final dish with cilantro and peanuts (as the original recipe calls for) for two reasons: 1.) my husband doesn’t like peanuts and 2.) neither of us likes fresh cilantro.  I don’t think that took anything away from the final product, though.  The taste has a little bit of peanut butter, but mostly the toasted sesame dressing with a hint of garlic.  I think that the only thing I would change (besides actually using vegetable broth) is to use fresh vegetables.  The frozen and thawed veggies had no bite to them whatsoever and I feel that a little extra crunch would have amped up the meal.  You’ll probably be fine to use frozen veggies if you use the peanuts, though.

Enjoy!  And remember, letting the dish sit for a few minutes will definitely help the flavors meld!

Spaghetti Squash with Chili

Spaghetti Squash with Chili (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4-5, Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 2-lb. spaghetti squash

·         8 oz. Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles

·         ½ cup chopped onion

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

·         1 (11 oz.) can no-salt-added corn, drained

·         1 (8 oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

·         2 Tbsp. no-salt-added tomato paste

·         2 tsp. chili powder

·         ½ tsp. dried oregano, crushed

Directions

1.)     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Using a fork, shred and separate the spaghetti squash into strands.

While squash is cooking:

2.)    In a medium saucepan, cook crumbles, onion, and garlic until crumbles are thawed and onion is tender.

3.)    Stir in undrained tomatoes and green chiles, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and dried oregano. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until desired consistency.

4.)    Serve sauce with spaghetti squash. If desired, sprinkle with cheddar or Mexican shredded cheese.

I am in love with Spaghetti Squash!  My obsession started in December when I ate at Ruby Tuesday a few times and ordered their Spaghetti Squash Marinara.  Tired of the high-sodium option, I decided to make my own dish.  Instead of using a spaghetti sauce, I decided to use this recipe.  I made a spaghetti squash dish some time ago and it did not turn out well – I’m not sure if I didn’t roast the squash long enough or what, so I was hesitant to try again.  I’m glad I did!  This dish is excellent!

I didn’t change much to the original recipe, mostly just using Burger Crumbles and a couple of heaping teaspoons of chili powder.  The whole dish has a very creamy flavored and the chili is not overly “tomatoey” – the garlic and other spices work well with the dish.  The squash is a nice base and, similar to rice, absorbs some of the tomato sauce and flavor of the chili.  It is healthy and satisfying!

Updates Coming

I've been traveling the past few weeks for work, which is why I have been M.I.A.  Updates are coming soon as I have been cooking up a storm since I returned from trips to Toronto and Tokyo.  Toronto was easy to come by vegetarian food.  Tokyo was slightly more difficult, but I had luck in part because of cards I printed from this site: http://justhungry.com/japan-dining-out-cards.  Most of the restaurants understood, though I did end up with chicken in one dish, fish in another, and was horribly sick off a meal at the hotel (it was labeled Vegetarian and the menu was in English!  Not sure what was in it...).  I ate at a few noodle bars (but avoided the broth because I was unsure of what was in it) and some Indian restaurants.  They also have some fantastic Japanese curry!  I also tried Nepalese (similar to Indian) and eggs and rice with some kind of curry sauce.  Delicious!  If you have the opportunity to go to Tokyo, I recommend being adventurous and using the cards from the above site.  My boss, who eats meat and has been to Tokyo before, was not nearly as adventurous as I, and I think he was jealous when I described the type of dinners I had eaten the night previously.  Imagine that!  A vegetarian being more adventurous in a foreign country than an omnivore!  It feels good :-)