Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Taco-Stuffed Zucchini Boats (slightly adapted from Skinny Taste, Servings: 4, Total Time: 70 minutes)

Ingredients:

·         4 medium (32 oz.) zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise

·         ½ cup salsa

·         1 pkg. Morningstar Farms Burger Crumbles

·         1 tsp. garlic powder

·         1 tsp. cumin

·         1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

·         1 tsp. chili powder

·         1 tsp. paprika

·         ½  tsp. dried oregano

·         ½ small white or yellow onion, minced

·         2 Tbsp. red bell pepper, minced

·         8 oz. can tomato sauce

·         ½ cup taco shredded cheese

Directions:

1.)    Using a small spoon or melon baller, hollow out the center of the zucchini halves, leaving 1/4-inch thick shell on each half.

2.)    Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside to add to the taco filling, squeeze out excess water with a paper towel.

3.)    Cook Burger Crumbles in a large skillet, breaking up while it cooks. When heated through. add the spices and mix well. Add the onion, bell pepper, reserved zucchini, and tomato sauce. Stir and cover, simmer on low for about 20 minutes

4.)    Preheat oven to 400°F. 

5.)    Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

6.)    Drop zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute. Remove from water.

7.)    Place ½ cup of salsa in the bottom of a large baking dish.

8.)    Using a spoon, fill the hollowed zucchini boats dividing the taco mixture equally, pressing firmly. Top each with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

9.)    Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.

I made some adjustments to the original recipe so that the meal would be vegetarian and to use the rest of a few of the ingredients that I had (for example, using 8 oz. of tomato sauce).  I used red bell peppers instead of green because I wanted to add a little extra color to the meal.  I recommend trying yellow or orange as well.  The resulting meal was fantastic!  The boats are Mexican through and through.  The zucchini got a little too mushy for my liking, but my husband loved it.  Using vegetarian crumbles really keeps the calorie count down.  To cut down on fat, you can also use a different type of cheese – I like taco shredded cheese because the flavor, in my opinion, is much bolder than Mexican shredded cheese.  Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese (slightly adapted from Sweet Anna’s, Servings: 6, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 box (about 16oz) pasta - elbows or shells
·         1 Tbsp. olive oil
·         1 clove garlic, minced
·         3-4 large fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
·         1 cup water
·         ½ cup skim milk
·         8 oz. fat-free or Neufchatel cream cheese
·         2 cups shredded taco cheese
·         salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1.       Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.  Drain.
2.       While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and preheat the broiler of your oven to Low.
3.       In the heated skillet, drizzle in the olive oil & then add the jalapeños and garlic, sautéing until tender, about 5 minutes.
4.       Reduce the heat to low and stir in the water, milk & cream cheese, stirring often until melted and smooth. Turn off the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted. Taste and add salt & pepper to taste.
5.       When the noodles are done, toss them in with the cheese mixture and if your skillet is oven-proof place in the oven. If it is not oven-proof, place mixture into oven-proof dish and then pop into oven.
6.       Broil for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully, until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.
7.       Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.

When I picked up my bi-weekly CSA bag, I had one large jalapeno, a habanero, and two red chilies.  My first thought was “What am I going to do with these since I just made salsa?”  As I’m sure you know by reading other entries, my husband is not in love with hot food – although he is better than he used to be, he’s still not up to my level of heat.  So, I went online to find something, anything, that would appease both of our palettes.  I saw this recipe and thought that it was a good option considering all of the dairy products – they would help dampen the heat down.  I made it two days after receiving my veggies.  Unfortunately, in that short time, my jalapeno rotted, but the habanero and the chilies were still good. 

I made a few adjustments to the original recipe to cut back on fat and calories – using skim milk instead of heavy cream, fat-free cream cheese instead of full-fat, and eliminating the parmesan and tortilla chips.  I think it turned out great – still very cheesy and tasty, with just a bit of kick.  My husband even liked it – and ate most of the leftovers!  A win in my book!  I used medium shells as the past, and I think that was a great idea because the cheese really coated the little openings to the pasta.  I will let you know that the cheese congeals when it cools.  Maybe using Neufchatel cheese instead of fat-free is good (fat-free also takes a while to melt down).  I like this dish and intend on making it again.

Roasted Beets 'n' Sweets

Roasted Beets 'n' Sweets (from AllRecipes, Total Time: 1 ¼ hours, Servings: 6)

Ingredients

·         3 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks

·         2 ½ Tbsp. olive oil, divided

·         1 tsp. garlic powder

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 tsp. ground black pepper

·         1 tsp. sugar

·         2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks

·         1 small sweet onion, chopped

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.       In a bowl, toss the beets with ½ Tbsp. olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3.       Bake beets 15 minutes in preheated oven.

4.       While beets are baking, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.

5.       Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

The original recipe called for 6 beets and 2 medium sweet potatoes, but I used the quantities above because that’s what was in my CSA bag this week.  This dish is pretty easy to make – just remember to wear gloves when you cut the beets or else your hands might turn an interesting red/purple color. 

The vegetables were very tender – soft, but still had just a little bit of bite to them.  That satisfied both my husband and me.  It obviously tasted sweet – I think that the dish could have done without the added sugar.  If you are set on using sugar, I recommend only ½ tsp.  I also found it very “peppery”, I recommend only using ½ tsp. of pepper.  Other than that, it needed no changes.  A sweet way to get some veggies into a meal!

Slow Cooker Indian Chikn Stew

Slow Cooker Indian Chikn Stew (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 8, Total Time: 8-10 hours)

Ingredients

·         Nonstick cooking spray

·         2 packages Trader Joe’s Chickenless Chikn Strips, cut into 1-inch pieces

·         ½ cup onion, chopped (1 medium)

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         5 tsp. curry powder

·         2 tsp. ground ginger

·         ½ tsp. salt

·         ¼ tsp. ground black pepper and/or cayenne pepper

·         2 15 oz, cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

·         2 14 ½ oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained

·         1 cup water or vegetable broth

·         1 bay leaf

·         2 Tbsp. lime juice

·         1 9 oz. package fresh spinach

·         Hot rice (for serving)

Directions

1.       Lightly coat a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add Chikn, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker. Add curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, water, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

2.       Stir lime juice into mixture. Stir in spinach and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach starts to wilt. If desired, serve in bowls with hot cooked rice.

This was a simple dish that was low on preparation but high on flavor.  Not sure if it’s exactly one of the flavor profiles that I fall in love with, but it was still good and I would probably make it again.  The only changes that I made to the above recipe was using water in lieu of vegetable broth (we didn’t have any), cayenne pepper, and three small bay leaves instead of one bay leaf.  I also removed the leaves before serving (because that’s what I’ve read in other recipes).

The soup has just the faintest hint of heat (from the cayenne pepper.  I actually added some Sriracha to mine the first night because I wanted to amp up the heat.  It has a little sweetness to it as well, you can definitely make out the bay leaves and ginger in each bite.  The garbanzo beans cooked nicely, but I recommend using petite diced tomatoes – it might make the soup look a little neater (as opposed to having big chunks of tomato everywhere!).  I also recommend tearing the spinach leaves into small pieces because each bite I took, there was a string of wilted spinach hanging off the fork – not very appetizing, in my opinion.  If I make it again, I’ll probably add a bit more curry powder to increase the Indian flavor, and the cayenne pepper to make it something I like a little more.

All in all, not bad for a quick dish that I can let sit and stew all day!

Spicy Vegan Potato Curry

Spicy Vegan Potato Curry (slightly adapted from All Recipes, Total Time: 1 hour, Servings: 6)

Ingredients

·         4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

·         2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

·         1 yellow onion, diced

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         2 tsp. ground cumin

·         1 ½ tsp. cayenne pepper

·         4 tsp. curry powder

·         4 tsp. garam masala

·         1 tsp. ground ginger

·         2 tsp. salt

·         1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

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

·         1 (15 oz.) can peas, drained

·         1 (14 oz.) can light coconut milk

Directions

1.       Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.

2.       Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, curry powder, garam masala, ginger, and salt; cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, peas, and potatoes. Pour in the coconut milk, and bring to a simmer.

3.       Simmer 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

I think that this is one of the best Indian dishes that I have ever had – and it came from my kitchen!  It was “Oh My Gosh” delicious!  Flavor explosion in my mouth.  All of the spices smelled so good and my mouth watered as I cooked the meal (and upon reheating the leftovers).  The consistency was smooth with just a bit of crunchier texture from the chickpeas.  It was not spicy (even for my husband) and the curry flavor was front and center.  I definitely recommend trying this – I cannot wait to make it again and would not change a thing!

Tria Café – Rittenhouse Square

Tria Café – Rittenhouse Square

http://www.triacafe.com/

123 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

My husband and I met two friends at Tria Café near Rittenhouse Square for dinner.  The eatery has a few tables outside, but since there had been rain off and on all day, we chose to eat inside.  There are about 10-15 tables along one side of the restaurant with a bar on the other side that runs just about the length of the restaurant (back to the kitchen).  The interior was heavy on wood accents, but welcoming.  Because of its size, it was pretty loud and we had to speak up a lot to hear each other.

We decided to share two bruschetta appetizers: Apple Tree Goat Cheese with Basil Pesto and Truffled Mushroom with Fontina.  I really enjoyed both of these.  The Goat Cheese one was creamy and the bruschetta wasn’t too crisp.  The top of it was layered with pesto and the savory flavor of the pesto worked well with the sweeter taste of the cheese.  The Truffled Mushroom one was also good – the mushrooms had a slightly sweet flavor to them and the fontina was shaved on top.  I was really satisfied with both of these and wish I could have had more!  Alas, I had to share.

For my main meal, I had the Roasted Mushroom and Brie Panino with Baby Spinach and Lemon Oil, but sans the lemon oil (not being a big fan of lemon).  I did not particular care for this sandwich – it had an overpowering taste of mushrooms and the brie could not keep up with it.  The bread was thick, firm, and made for a good sandwich, but I could have done with less mushrooms.

Overall, I say give Tria a try!  There are a few vegetarian options and they put a lot of care into the dishes.  The service was also excellent!

Quinoa Goat Cheese and Parmesan Cakes

Quinoa Goat Cheese and Parmesan Cakes (slightly adapted from Food & Spice, Servings: 6 three-inch cakes, Total Time: 15-20 minutes)

Ingredients

·         ½ cup soft goat cheese

·         1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup dried)

·         1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

·         2 to 3 Tbsp. unbleached white flour

·         2 green or red chilies, seeded and finely chopped

·         2 shallots, finely chopped

·         ½ tsp. ground cumin

·         ¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne, to taste

·         1 tsp. dried basil

·         ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

·         ½ tsp. sea salt, or to taste

·         fresh cracked black pepper to taste

·         1 large egg, lightly beaten

·         1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions

1.)    Mash the goat cheese with a potato masher or fork.

2.)    In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, cheeses, 2 Tbsp. of the flour, chilies, shallots, spices, herbs, salt and pepper, egg and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir until well combined, adding more flour or oil as needed to achieve a fairly moist mixture that can be shaped into roughly 6 small patties.

3.)    Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat (use 2 Tbsp. olive oil if you wish). When hot, fry a few patties at a time until golden brown — about 5 minutes each side. Remove and let drain on paper towels.

My husband and I both enjoyed these cakes, although I found them better the first day that I made them.  They got a little dry for leftovers.  I liked the mix of Italian and Mexican flavors – it made for a nice mixture and no spice or flavor overwhelmed any other.  I could definitely taste the cheese in the patties, but all of the other spices melded together to make a nice little cake.  I may make these again, but unfortunately, the dry flavor of the leftovers is left in my mind more so than the nice soft consistency of when I first made them.  I did not serve them with any sauce, which may be why this happened.  

Black Bean Burritos

Black Bean Burritos (slightly adapted from AllRecipes, Servings 2-4, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         Flour tortillas

·         1 small onion, chopped

·         ½ red bell pepper, chopped

·         1 tsp. minced garlic

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

·         1 tsp. canned green chilies

·         3 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese

·         ½ tsp. salt

Directions

1.      Heat skillet over medium heat (can use oil if desired).  Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and chilies in skillet, cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.      Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.      Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.      Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortillas.

It says it in the name of the recipe: delicious!  I wasn’t sure how good these would be, but I can say that I really enjoyed them.  The onion and peppers stay just a bit crunchy, and work nicely against the smoothness of the beans and cream cheese.  The filling is creamy and cheesy, but the cream cheese flavor is in no way overpowering.  I served the mixture in burritos on top of lettuce and tomato to cut back on calories and fat and amp up the vegetable content.

La Fia Bakery Market Bistro - 421 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware

La Fia is a new restaurant that opened in downtown Wilmington.  I read several positive reviews about the new bistro and was excited to try it – it also has the same owner as Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia, which I enjoyed when I went there a few months ago.  The front of the bistro is all windows and there are a few small tables inside – I think that I read they can seat 35.  There is a small market connected to the bistro.  The inside is rustic – lots of wood and exposed pipes and beams.  Pretty nice and comforting, although it can be a tight squeeze to fit around the tables.  The hostess was friendly, but advised that our table was not ready yet.  We waited about 20 minutes to be seated.  When we were able to sit down, the server was slow getting to us.  And when we did order drinks, he completely ignored my husband, only taking orders for three in our party.  We finally got that straightened out.

Looking at the menu, I saw a couple of options.  My first thought was to ask if the risotto could be made without ham and with vegetable stock, but my husband cautioned against it.  Instead, I asked if the seemingly innocent-looking pasta dish was vegetarian.  Alas!  They use chicken stock and could not make it with vegetable stock.  There were some vegetarian side dishes, so after confirming with the server, I ordered the gazpacho and the vegetable bread pudding.  We waited at least an hour for our food to come out, but they did serve various bread and rolls with butter while we waited.  My soup arrived first, and it was barely a cup-full of soup!  It was tasty – of course it had a tomato base, but there was a bit of spice to it.  It was satisfying.  My “main” was my bread pudding – they brought me out a slice that was just larger than a credit card and about ½-inch thick, for $9!  It was OK – soft and chewy with some vegetables inside, but not worth $9.  We did not order dessert.

My husband was not satisfied with his food either, so I don’t think that we’ll be giving this restaurant a second try.  The next day, both my husband and I had severe indigestion. I’m not stating that this was from La Fia, but it was an interesting coincidence.

Zesty Hoisin Chili Sauce with Veggies

Zesty Hoisin Chili Sauce with Veggies (adapted from Food.com, Yield: 1 cup for the sauce, Total Time:  10 minutes – for the sauce)

Ingredients for Sauce

·         6 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

·         4 Tbsp. dark sesame oil

·         2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce

·         2 Tbsp. honey

·         5 tsp. Thai sweet chili sauce

·         3 ½ tsp. lemon juice

·         2 tsp. dried ginger

·         4 Tbsp. chopped parsley

We picked up our bi-weekly CSA bag and it had eggplant, onion, and bok choy in it.  To me, that screamed stir fry!  I found a recipe that included ingredients that I had in the house (well, for the most part, if you look at the original recipe, you’ll see that I adapted it).  I also picked up a crook neck squash from my mom, so I decided to use that too. 

The sauce is simple to make and I doubled the recipe (above outlines the doubling) so as to accommodate the veggies and some steak that my husband was cooking for himself.  As I was working with the recipe, I found that the above combination worked just right for me, though you may want to cut back on the soy sauce or chili sauce based on your preferences.  My husband added a bit more soy sauce to his plate – not sure why, I found this a little salty as is.  There was a just a slight kick from the chili sauce – the “back of the throat” kick you don’t recognize until you’ve already swallowed.  Good!  Other than the salt, not one flavor overpowered the sauce.  I definitely plan on making it again, and may add just a bit more honey and cut back on the soy sauce by 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp.

I cooked my veggies to a mushy state (per the request of my husband) and they soaked up the sauce very quickly.  I love how it permeated each and every bite.  I hope that you try this recipe, it is delicious!