Thai Spice Crispy Edamame

Thai Spice Crispy Edamame (from The Law Student’s Wife, Servings: 4, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients

·         12 ounce package frozen, shelled edamame

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         1 tsp. sesame oil

·         1 ½ tsp. lime juice

·         1 ½ tsp. Thai red curry paste

·         ½ tsp. brown sugar

·         ¼ tsp. soy sauce

·         1/8 tsp. garlic powder

·         1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the edamame into a colander and rinse under cold water to thaw. Drain and set aside.

2.      In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, sesame oil, lime juice, curry paste, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger until well blended. Add edamame and toss well to coat.

3.      Spread the edamame into the bottom of a 9x13 inch-baking dish. Bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven, stir to rotate the beans, and return to oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I served this as an appetizer to the Sweet and Sour Smoked Tofu and Pineapple en Papillote dish.  My husband and I both enjoy edamame, so I figured instead of just serving the regular pop beans with salt, I would opt for some different spices to coat them.  We both liked the outcome.  There is a slight, building heat to the beans – from the red curry paste.  I liked that they stayed nice and crispy, even when coated with the different spices and oils.  This dish was easy to make and do plan on making it again.

Sweet and Sour Smoked Tofu and Pineapple en Papillote

Sweet and Sour Smoked Tofu and Pineapple en Papillote (from Vegetarian Times, Servings: 4, Total Time: 1 hour)

Ingredients

·         1 cup basmati rice

·         1 10-oz. pkg. frozen spinach

·         2½ tsp. toasted sesame oil, divided

·         2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

·         ½ tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

·         1 6-oz. pkg. baked smoked tofu, diced

·         1 cup diced fresh pineapple

·         2 tsp. sweet chile sauce

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut four 15-inch lengths of parchment paper, and fold each in half. Set aside.

2.       Cook rice and spinach separately according to package directions. Transfer rice to bowl, and stir in 1 ½ tsp. sesame oil and sesame seeds. Drain spinach, squeeze out liquid, and stir in soy sauce.

3.       Open folded parchment sheets like a book, and arrange ½ cup rice to one side of crease on each sheet. Top rice with ¼ cup tofu, ¼ cup spinach, and ¼ cup pineapple. Drizzle with ¼ tsp. sesame oil and ½ tsp. chile sauce. Fold parchment over food so edges meet, then crimp and seal edges with small overlapping diagonal.

4.       Transfer packets to large baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before serving.

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it would be kind of difficult to make – I’ve never heard of en Papillote.  I’m glad that I did not let that initial thought keep me from making this dish – it is good to try new things!  After I got all of the ingredients ready, the rest was easy (actually, it all was pretty easy).  I think that the most time-consuming part is dicing and waiting for the basmati to cook.

Both my husband and I thought that this dish was pretty bland, as is.  He added a bit more soy sauce to his and I added some more sweet chile sauce and some Sriracha to mine.  We were both plenty happy then!  Without those additions, you can taste the sesame oil and seeds and a little bit of the sweet chile sauce, but not enough to overcome the spinach and rice. The pineapple adds a bit of crunch to this otherwise soft dish.  I think that if I make this again, in addition to adding more soy and sweet chile sauce, I will not use the baked tofu. I don’t know that it added that much taste over regular tofu – I’d rather use regular tofu soaked in a combination of soy, sweet chile and Sriracha and go from there.

Vegetable and Garbanzo Curry

Vegetable and Garbanzo Curry (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings: 4-6, Total Time: 5.5 hours)

Ingredients

·         3 cups cauliflower florets

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

·         ½ of 16 oz. bag frozen cut green beans

·         1 cup sliced carrot

·         ½ cup chopped onion

·         2 cups vegetable broth

·         2 tsp. curry powder

·         2 cups light coconut milk

·         ¼ cup shredded fresh basil leaves

Directions

1.       In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine cauliflower, garbanzo beans, green beans, carrot, and onion. Stir in broth and curry powder.

2.       Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

3.       Stir in coconut milk and basil.

The picture on the Better Homes & Garden website is very misleading.  My vegetables were in no way bright and vibrant.  After about 2 hours in the slow cooker, they were quite dull.  It definitely took away some of the excitement that I had for this meal.  The flavor was also kind of missing as well.  I added a bit of garam masala, red cayenne pepper, and ginger to try to get more flavor out of the dish. My husband enjoyed it, but I just couldn’t get behind it.  I finally just added some Sriracha to amp up the flavor.  With all that said, I would not make this dish again.  There are a lot of other curry dishes that I have made, successfully, and I’d much rather have those.  It’s a shame because this was super easy to make. 

As a note, I served the curry over brown basmati rice, which soaked up the broth/coconut milk mixture.  That was a nice plus – I like it when I have a runny curry and can use rice as a sponge!  This dish would not work with naan.

Southwestern Breakfast Bake

Southwestern Breakfast Bake (slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, Servings 6-8, Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes)

Ingredients

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

·         ¾ cup canned enchilada sauce

·         2 4.5 oz. cans diced green chile peppers, drained

·         ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 cup shredded taco cheese

·         3 egg whites

·         3 egg yolks

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         ½ cup skim milk

·         1 tsp. dried cilantro

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.       Spray a 2-quart square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, combine black beans, enchilada sauce, green chile peppers, green onions, and garlic. Sprinkle with cheese.

3.       In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl); set aside.

4.       In a large bowl combine egg yolks, flour, and salt. Using a wire whisk, beat mixture until combined (mixture will be stiff). Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Fold the beaten egg whites and cilantro into egg yolk mixture. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the bean mixture in baking dish.

5.       Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until egg mixture appears set when gently shaken. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Both my husband and I liked this dish, and he even ate some of the leftovers!  I used green chile enchilada sauce, which was a bit spicy, but tasty.  If I had used regular or mild enchilada sauce, I may have added a dash of hot sauce (as recommended in the original recipe).  I cut back on the green onions (using ¼ as opposed to ½ cup) because my husband claims that he doesn’t like them – although, I will say, he didn’t seem to notice that they were in this dish (the blend in with the green chiles).  Sneaky, sneaky!

I served the egg dish in soft taco shells and I don’t think that it needed anything extra (i.e. salsa or sour cream).  The black beans were firm and provided a good texture difference against the soft and chewy eggs.  The 1 cup of cheese was also plenty – it made the whole mixture creamy and everything bound together quite nicely.

I will definitely make this dish again, but I plan to make a few changes.  8 oz. of green chiles is a lot and the dish might work just a tad better with 4 oz. green chiles plus a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (or just one can of diced chiles and one can of plain diced tomatoes).  The regular enchilada sauce would definitely add some color, but I think that some variation of veggies would also be nice.  I think that adding corn would also be a nice addition.  Enjoy!