Chickpeas and Baby Spinach

I saw this recipe was in the NYTimes today and I thought it looked great--especially as a quick and healthy pantry meal.

Chickpeas and Baby Spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Salt, preferably kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or water
Cayenne to taste
1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for one to two minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a darker color. Add the chickpeas, the stock or water, and the cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition of spinach wilts. Add salt to taste and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for five minutes. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt and cayenne, and serve.
Note: Another way to make this dish is to blanch the spinach separately in salted boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, drain and squeeze dry. Add to the chickpeas as in step 2, but stir together for only two to three minutes.

You can serve it on its own, with couscous or pasta, or over a thick slice of toasted bread rubbed with garlic.

Zucchini Potato Latkes with Tzatziki Sauce and Roasted Tomatoes

1 pound zucchini, shredded
2 cups shredded cooked potato (see Note)
2 medium shallots, minced, divided
1 egg, beaten
2 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tip)
1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and shredded
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 450° F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss zucchini, potato, 3 tablespoons shallot and egg in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, feta, 1 tablespoon dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Form the mixture into 12 patties.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 patties, cover and cook until crispy and browned on one side, 2 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the latkes to the prepared pan, browned-side down. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and patties. Transfer the latkes to the oven and bake until firm and heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare tzatziki: Combine yogurt, cucumber, vinegar, the remaining minced shallot, 1 tablespoon dill and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Serve the latkes with the tzatziki on the side.

All of the recipes I just posted come from Lizzy her food site is here.

Lemon Asparagus Pasta

4 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add asparagus and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, whisk milk, mustard, flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tarragon, lemon zest and juice. Stir the sauce into the cooked pasta and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick, creamy and coats the pasta. Stir 1/4 cup Parmesan into the pasta until combined. Serve the pasta topped with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Spinach Macaroni & Cheese

3 tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni or penne

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Veggi Reubans

Russian dressing
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons chopped capers
1 teaspoon chopped pickle or relish

Sandwiches
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
5 cups baby spinach
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 slices rye bread
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese, such as Jarlsberg Lite or Alpine Lace (2 ounces)
1/2 cup sauerkraut

Prepare Russian dressing: Whisk mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in capers and pickle (or relish).

To prepare sandwiches: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until it has wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Coat the pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and return to medium heat. Add the bread; divide cheese equally among the slices. Divide sauerkraut between 2 slices and divide the spinach mixture between the other 2 slices; cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer sandwich halves to a cutting board. Divide the dressing between the spinach halves. Carefully place the sauerkraut halves on top. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

Rethinking Breakfast

Another good NYT article about whole grains, breakfast, and expanding horizons.
Click here to read.

Grocery bill

I am curious what a typical week at the grocery store is for everyone. I have been making a slow transition to the whole foods diet for about a year now (because my husband is less than supportive). I have decided to get off the fence and just go for it and am trying to stock my pantry with whole food staples and it is really adding up. I expect it to be more in the beginning, but I am curious what I can expect to spend in the future.

Good Cookbook & Avocado Lime Salsa

I recently checked this book out from my library. I was interested because of her healthy approach to foods that we usually crave. She also believes that we should buy food as close to their natural state as possible. We liked almost every recipe that we have tried so far. The book has a mix of meat and meatless recipes (both of which we have tried). She also has a show on The Food Network (we don't have that station though), so I was able to find the recipes online also. They had different names from the book though, so I put both names in the recipe. To find her recipes online, click here. Enjoy!

We made this salsa to top steak (except we had no steak so we ate tilapia instead) tacos (if you want the recipe for the steak tacos, click here). It was very good on chips but also the next day, I had it for lunch. I had a flour tortilla spread with hummus and then topped with the salsa. I also added some hot sauce. It sounds strange, but it was actually a very good combination.

Avocado Lime Salsa

(Cucumber Avacado Salsa From the book The Food You Crave by Ellie Kreiger)

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 avocados, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, diced
2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, plus more to taste

Place cucumber, avocado and onion in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.
Yield: 2 cups (1 serving is 1/3 cup)

Mexican Tortilla Pizza

We loved this for dinner. I added cheese to some of the pizzas. The black bean dip was very good. We liked it with chips. I would definitely double or triple it and leave it in the fridge for a black bean hummus. It was also very quick to make.

Mexican Tortilla Pizza

(Black Bean Mexican-Style Pizza From The Food You Crave by Ellie Kreiger)

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 2 as a main course or 8 as an appetizer (It easily fed our family of four)

Ingredients
4 corn tortillas, or whole-wheat tortillas (6-inches in diameter) (we used 6)
1/2 cup Black Bean Dip, recipe follows
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the tortillas onto a baking sheet and spread 2 tablespoons of black bean dip on top of each tortilla. Top with tomato and cabbage and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pizzas from the oven and sprinkle some cilantro on each one. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

Black Bean Dip:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add onions and saute until they soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute more.
Put the beans into a food processor. Add the onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth.
Yield: 1 cup

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

When I made this, my kids really liked it. It was not as "cheesy" as traditional mac and cheese, but the flavor was very good with the sweetness from the squash. I used fresh squash that I cooked and pureed. I also left off the bread crumbs.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

(From The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger)

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

This was very good. I sort of had a problem with the garlic, so I just added some minced garlic also. Pretty quick and easy to prepare.

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

(From the The Food You Crave by Ellie Kreiger)

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 (1 1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients
3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1(15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic into a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few turns of pepper. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
Drain the beans into a large colander in the sink. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta into the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water will warm the beans. Return drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot.
When the tomatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the roasted tomatoes into the pasta pot, add the garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Whole grain pasta

We are trying to introduce more whole grains and whole wheat into our diet. This week we tried whole grain pasta. At Harmon's, Barilla was by far the cheapest brand and the ingredients were all natural. Plus it's the brand recommended by Backpacker magazine (woohoo!) I'm a little vague on definitions, though, and hope to glean from the vast amount of knowledge. First of all, I noticed that it is whole grain, with about 50% whole wheat (oats were also listed as ingredients). Is that less nutritional that whole wheat pasta? Also, how much of a difference is there, nutritionally, between whole grain pasta and white pasta? 

I was a little apprehensive, but we used the Barilla whole grain pasta in the Ginger Sesame Noodles with Broccoli recipe and it was fabulous!

Penne with Tomato, Eggplant, & Ricotta

I'm sorry, I keep forgetting to take pictures of the food I make! By the time it's done we're all usually starving! Anyway, this was yummy, but I would double the eggplant.

1 small eggplant

1 large clove garlic, pressed

14oz. can diced tomatoes

16 oz. pkg. penne

1/4 cup mature ricotta or grated parmesan cheese

3 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley

olive oil

salt & pepper

Cut the eggplant into bite sized pieces, add a little salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil in a medium pan and sweat the garlic until fragrant (you could add some red pepper flakes here). Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Once the sauce bubbles, reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins. Cook pasta according to pkg. Rinse the eggplant and dry it and saute in olive oil until cooked through. Once the pasta is done throw it all together with a little bit of the pasta water.

Chickpea Soup

This is one of Jamie Oliver's recipes and it is so good! If you make it according to the directions it will be the consistency of mac and cheese, so you might want to double the stock. I also pureed more than half the beans leaving only about 1/4 of them whole.

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
A sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 14-oz. cans of chickpeas
2 1/4 cups of chicken stock
3 1/2 oz. ditalini or other small Italian "soup" pasta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: a small handful of fresh basil or parsley, leaves picked and torn

Put the finely chopped onion, celery, and garlic into a saucepan with a little extra virgin olive oil and the rosemary and cook as gently as possible, with the lid on, for about 15-20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft, without any color.
Drain your chickpeas well and rinse them in cold water, then add them to the pan and cover with the stock. Cook gently for half an hour and then, using a slotted spoon, remove half the chickpeas and put them to one side in a bowl.
Puree the soup in the pan using a handheld immersion blender. If you don't have one, you can whiz it up in a food processor instead, then pour it back into the pan. Add the reserved whole chickpeas and the pasta, season the soup with salt and pepper, and simmer gently until the chickpeas are tender and the pasta is cooked.
At this point, if the soup is a little thick, pour in some boiling water from the kettle to thin it down, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve drizzled with good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley or basil.

I suggest serving with some good bread.

Tuna Fish

My kids love tuna sandwiches, but I worry about mercury in the fish.  I've read on line and it seems that tuna in moderation is okay.  What do you all think?  

Jambalaya Pasta with Chicken (or tofu)

Tonight I made Jambalaya. It has always been one of my favorite dishes to order at restaurants. I have had a recipe for it for a few years, but due to the overwhelming list of ingredients and steps, I had never tried it before. So, several weeks ago, I finally tried it for the first time. It was sooo good. It was a little spicy, but I like it that way. So, I made it again tonight, but without the meat. I added firm tofu for the chicken and skipped the sausage all together. I also replaced the butter with olive oil (not eating dairy for the time being) and it was very tasty anyway. I used mostly whole wheat noodles (about 12 oz.) with the other 4 oz. just regular pasta. Delish. So, here is the recipe. It is pretty long and the first time I made it, it took me longer than an hour (closer to 1 1/2), but this time, I did it under an hour, very worth the time. (Sorry no picture) Another substituion for the pasta is rice. We ate it that way the first time we made it and it was very good too.

Jambalaya Pasta with Chicken
Recipe from The California Pizza Kitchen

Grilled Garlic Chicken

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 teaspoons Minced Garlic

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

½ teaspoon Salt

Two 5-ounce Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Jambalaya Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ pound Andouille sausage cut into 3/8-inch- thick slices
1 medium onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
1 medium green bell pepper cut into ¼ inch dice (I don't love green, so I used another color)
1 cup diced celery (1/4 inch dice)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 ½ cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes in puree
3 ounces canned tomato paste (half of a small can)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 bay leaf

Caribbean Peppers and Onions
¼ cup bottled sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch squares

For the Pasta
1 pound dry linguine (or two pounds fresh)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

To Make the Grilled Garlic Chicken:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this mixture and leave them to marinate at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, and then cut into ¾ inch cubes. Cover and refrigerate. (with the tofu, I cubed it and then just cooked it in the oil mixture, gently turning it until it was browned).

To Make the Jambalaya Sauce:
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sliced andouille sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stir well to blend and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

To Make the Caribbean Peppers and Onions:
In a mixing bowl, stir together the chili sauce, soy sauce and olive oil until thoroughly blended. Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. Toss the pepper and onion squares with the chili sauce marinade to coat thoroughly. Grill or broil the coated vegetables in a single layer, using a spatula or tongs to turn them occasionally, until evenly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

To Prepare the Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 5 to 6 minutes for dry pasta or about 3 minutes for fresh pasta.

Meanwhile, in a covered medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the Caribbean Peppers and Onions, Grilled Garlic Chicken cubes and Jambalaya Sauce (remove the bay leaf). Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing or serving bowl.

Drain the linguine thoroughly, add it to the sauce and toss well. Serve family-style or in individual serving bowls, garnished with chopped parsley.

(I added the sauces to the pasta, tossed well and then added the tofu, gently tossing again)

VARIATION: With Shrimp: For the chicken, substitute 20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined. Toss them with the same marinade ingredients, but cook them for only 2 to 3 minutes, until they turn bright pink. Leave them while when combining with the other ingredients.