Category Archives: Lighter Fare

BSI Challenge: Caramelized Tofu Over Brussels Sprouts

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Veronica

Despite my affinity for vegan and vegetarian meals, I’ve never been a huge fan of tofu. There are, however, a few tofu dishes that I really love and this one holds the #1 spot. Heidi at 101 Cookbooks has such amazing vegetarian, whole food dishes, and everything I’ve tried from her website I’ve loved. Not surprisingly, my second favorite tofu dish is also from her blog, the Garam Masala Tofu Scramble (I prefer to make mine with leeks in place of the fennel).

This one is a wonderful balance of savory and sweet, with the tofu crispy on the outside and the sweet pecans adding nutty crunch. The slightly bitter edge of the brussels sprouts is offset by the brown sugar and garlic and the different flavors come together in complete harmony.

I’m submitting this recipe it to the lovely Sophia of Burp and Slurp for the BSI (Blogger Secret Ingredient) challenge (she chose brussels sprouts). Check the link if you’re interested in joining in the brussels sprouts fun!

(My apologies for the harsh picture–my eyes are watering just from looking at it a few seconds–but it’s the only one I have. It was one of the first food pictures I took and never took another after the first time I made the dish. I will update the pic as soon as I make it again.)

Caramelized Tofu
recipe from 101cookbooks.com

7 – 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments (see photo)
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons fine-grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.

Serves 2 – 3 as a main, 4 as a side

9 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged brussels sprouts, caramelized tofu. Bookmark the permalink.

World’s Greatest Salmon (improved)

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Veronica

Yes, I know the title is a bold statement, but that is how much I love this salmon. I’m willing to admit there may be better recipes, but I honestly have never had better salmon, no many how many variations I try. This is my favorite and it may be presumptuous to call it “world’s greatest” simply because I love it, but this is my blog and I think it’s the best, so there! :)

This is actually the first recipe I ever posted, back when I was just a MySpace blogger. I actually started Veronica’s Cornucopia in the fall of ’09 but if you do much searching, you’ll see I have recipes dating back to June of 2008 because I copied all those I had on MySpace over to here when I started it. And this one was the very first. But I like it so, so much, and have improved it since the original post, so it merits an encore.

Enjoy!

World’s Greatest Salmon
adapted from my friend Rossie K’s recipe
Serves 6

6 (4-oz) salmon fillets
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup REAL maple syrup
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced into rings
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Put the minced garlic, maple syrup and soy sauce in a gallon-size Ziploc bag, seal it, and shake it to combine. Add the filets and reseal, then place the bag in the fridge for at least two hours, turning halfway through.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the salmon filets in a single layer in the dish and pour about a tablespoon of marinade over each filet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame and vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the peppers and onion, stir, and pour the remaining marinade over everything. Saute on medium-high until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced. If the sauce is too thin, add the cornstarch and cook another minute or two until it has thickened, adding additional cornstarch if necessary.

To serve, plate a salmon filet and spoon some of the vegetables and sauce over the top. Serve hot!

Veronica’s Notes: This recipe is best with skinless salmon filets. You can replace the maple syrup with honey if you don’t have any–I haven’t tried it this way because I like the maple version too well to change it, but Rossie made it that way and loved it. You can use any soy sauce you like, but I always use light soy sauce (in this case, the “light” is referring to reduced sodium) because even that has plenty of salt and makes a wonderfully flavored fish.

12 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Meats, My Favorites and tagged garlic, maple syrup, recipe, salmon, soy sauce, world's greatest salmon. Bookmark the permalink.

Falafel Pita Pockets

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Veronica

It’s been several weeks since we had this meal but I swear, when I close my eyes, I can still smell and taste it. I love it when I find a vegetarian recipe that doesn’t rely on gobs of cheese to taste wonderful and this one really delivers in the flavor department without being high in fat. My mouth was watering while the falafel balls baked up and the smell of cumin laced with garlic and onion filled the air. I could scarcely wait to pop them in the pockets, douse them with the dill dressing and gobble them up. They are seriously delicious and the recipe is now saved in my permanent “Favorite Recipes” binder. I only put the recipes I know I’ll use again in it. Do you have one of those?

Falafel Pita Pockets with Dill-icious Yogurt Dip
recipe from Hungry Girl
Ingredients:

For Falafel Pockets
2 1/2 whole-wheat or high-fiber pitas
One 15-oz. can chickpeas, well-drained
1 onion, very finely chopped
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. paprika, or more to taste
black pepper, to taste
Two 2-second sprays olive oil nonstick spray

For Dip
6 oz. plain fat-free yogurt
1 Persian cucumber, peeled and chopped (or another small cucumber, peeled, deseeded, and chopped)
1 tsp. dried dill
3/4 tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place all ingredients for falafel (except for the pitas and nonstick spray) in a large bowl, and give them a good stir. Using a potato masher, mash well. Mixture should remain slightly chunky, not smooth.

Spray a baking sheet thoroughly with a 2-second spray of olive oil nonstick spray.

One at a time, take spoonfuls of mixture in your hands and form 15 balls, each about the size of a ping-pong ball, and gently place them on the baking sheet. Spray the top of each ball with olive oil nonstick spray, for a total of about a 2-second spray.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for dip in a blender or food processor, and pulse until just blended. Season to taste with black pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove baking sheet from the oven, and carefully turn each ball over, gently reshaping if the bottoms have flattened. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Allow to cool and set for at least 5 minutes.

Cut the whole pitas into halves, toast or warm all pita halves slightly, and then fill each with three falafel balls and 3 tbsp. dip. Enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS
PER SERVING (1 pita pocket with 3 falafel balls and 3 tbsp. dip): 198 calories, 2.25g fat, 863mg sodium, 37g carbs, 8.5g fiber, 5g sugars, 10g protein — POINTS® value 3*

HG Alternative! Enjoy your falafel ‘n dip pita-free (wrapped in lettuce, over a salad, or straight from a plate!). A pita-less serving has 139 calories, 2g fat, 718mg sodium, 24g carbs, 6g fiber, 5g sugars, and 7.5g protein (POINTS® value 2*). Woohoo!

5 Comments

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged dill yogurt dressing, falafel, pita pockets. Bookmark the permalink.

Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Veronica

These are the best tasting wholesome muffins I’ve ever made. Made with whole wheat flour, honey, apples, carrots & walnuts, they are not only good for you but have a very moist and tender crumb (this surprised me) and are really delicious (this surprised me too). They are so good, in fact, that I replaced my dinner with them tonight!

[OK, fine. Here’s the full disclosure. I meant to only have one as a snack (I baked them in the afternoon) and it was so yummy, I nabbed another. And another. Then I had to break one apart to take a picture of the inside so I figured I may as well eat that one too. By then I no longer wanted dinner!]

I plan to store them in the freezer and pop one or two into the microwave on busy mornings. I think they’d be wonderful with a cup of black coffee.

Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins
Recipe adapted from An Edible Mosaic
Makes 12 large muffins

Muffins
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil
1/4 c 2% milk
1/2 c honey
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 large finely shredded carrots
1 large or 2 small sweet apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (I used Fuji)
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Glaze
1 oz Neuchâtel cheese (low-fat cream cheese)
1 1/2 tsp honey

Preheat the oven to 350F and put paper liners in your muffin pan.

Beat together the eggs, oil, milk, honey, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Lightly stir the wet ingredients into the dry, then fold in the carrot, apple, and nuts. Fill the muffin tray (the batter will come up to the top and mound in the center) and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the glaze, warm the Neuchâtel in the microwave, then stir in the honey. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled muffins with a fork, or put it into a Ziploc bag, cut the corner, and squeeze it over the muffins while sweeping the bag back and forth.

Nutritional Information (per muffin): 224 Calories, 11g fat, 37mg cholesterol, 225mg sodium, 29g carb, 3g fiber, 4g protein

I very finely shredded the carrots so they're hard to see, but I promise they're there!

16 Comments

Posted in Breakfast, Lighter Fare and tagged apple, Breakfast, carrot cake, muffins. Bookmark the permalink.

Sesame-Maple Roasted Tofu

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Veronica

My friend, Jaci, clipped this recipe and mailed it to me a few years ago because she knew of my preference for vegetarian fare. I’m not a huge fan of tofu, which is one reason it took me over three years to try it. (The second being that I have about 36,000 recipes saved and this one kind of got lost in the pile.)

This is one of the most enjoyable tofu dishes I’ve ever eaten! The caramelized onion, sweet snap peas (OMgosh, I’ve found a new best veggie friend–these are so sweet & crisp!), flavorful sauce, and the way roasting made the outside of the tofu firm really made this enjoyable. My husband couldn’t eat the tofu but loved the rest of it so if you’re a person that really doesn’t like tofu, don’t expect this recipe to change that. If you’re looking for a tofu miracle, this one and this one worked for me.

Sesame-Maple Roasted Tofu
Recipe from EatingWell magazine, September/October 2007 issue
Active time: 20 minutes Total: 45 minutes

1 14-ounce block extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tahini, (see Tip)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
3 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Toss tofu, onion, canola oil, sesame oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast until the tofu is lightly golden on top and the onions are browning in spots, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Whisk tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup and vinegar in a small dish until combined. Remove the tofu from the oven, add snap peas and drizzle with the maple sauce; stir to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Return to the oven and continue roasting until the peas are crisp-tender, 8 to 12 minutes more.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Notes
Tahini is a smooth, thick paste made from ground sesame seeds. Look for it in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters in large supermarkets. I used peanut butter in place of the tahini and it still tasted really good, though maybe not as intended. :) To make it a meal, serve over udon noodles or rice.

Nutrition Per serving: 197 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 3 g fiber; 305 mg sodium; 219 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (25% daily value), Vitamin C (20% dv), Iron (15% dv).

10 Comments

Posted in Asian, Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged maple, roasted, sesame, snap peas, tofu. Bookmark the permalink.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Veronica

This chili is so easy and the results blew me away! I could not believe how delicious it was, especially for how little energy it required. I will definitely be making this over and over again throughout the remaining winter months.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Chili
Recipe from Betty Crocker
Prep time: 10 minutes Start to finish: 7 hours, 10 minutes Servings: 6 (1 2/3 cups each)

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium yellow or green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
2 cans (14.5 oz each) Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (15-16 oz each) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso enchilada sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Mix all ingredients exept sour cream and cilantro in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7-8 hours.
3. Stir mixture to break up chicken. (I had to pull it up and cut it against the side of the crockpot with a fork a little bit and did the same with the stewed tomatoes). Top each serving with sour cream and cilantro.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
1 Serving: Calories 370; Total Fat 11g; Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 1690mg; Total Carbohydrate 38g (Dietary Fiber 8g); Protein 30g

Notes: I used 1 large breast and 1 thigh for the meat and that equaled 1 1/4 lb. I accidentally only purchased 1 can of Mexican stewed tomatoes, so I substituted a can of chili-ready tomatoes for the other with great results. I will probably use the chili-ready tomatoes instead of the stewed next time b/c they are already diced and I wouldn’t have to cut up any big chunks.

6 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Mexican, Soups & Stews and tagged chicken, chili, crockpot, easy, enchilada, slow cooker. Bookmark the permalink.

A Healthier (Vegan) McRib Sandwich

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Veronica

Though it tastes almost nothing like the original, this sandwich is healthier and very tasty in it’s own right. And it’s vegan! Always a plus in my book. (I’m not a big fan of meat.)

Morningstar Farms’ Hickory Barbecue Riblets are made from soy & wheat protein, have a meaty texture, and are smothered in yummy hickory barbecue sauce. The wonderful flavor of the sauce combined with the texture of the “riblet” totally tricks my mouth into thinking I’m eating meat while my mind can remain happy that I’m not. I love these things, but I do know people who don’t so go out and buy a package for yourself to see if you will or not. This sandwich is a good excuse to try it!

Sassy Saucy Ribwich
Recipe from Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
1 Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblet (found in the freezer aisle)
1 Arnold Select/Oroweat Sandwich Thins roll or Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats roll (or alternative below)
3 hamburger dill pickle chips
3 thin slices onion

Directions:
Prepare Riblet according to package directions. Meanwhile, split roll in half and lightly toast.

Stack Riblet, pickles, and onion on the bottom half of the roll. Finish it off with the top half. Now chew!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Calories: 335
Fat: 4.5g
Sodium: 1,299mg
Carbs: 60.5g
Fiber: 10.5g
Sugars: 28g
Protein: 22g

POINTS® value 6*

HG Alternative! For a lower-carb swap with less sodium, enjoy this with crispy lettuce leaves in place of a roll, and nix the pickles — that version has 240 calories, 3.5g fat, 815mg sodium, 39.5g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 25.5g sugars, and 19g protein (POINTS® value 4*). Hooray!

3 Comments

Posted in Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged healthy, mcrib, morningstar farms barbecue riblet, sandwich, vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Easy Lemon Cookies

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Veronica

5 reasons why you need to make these cookies ASAP:

5. They’re insanely easy to make.
4.They’re bright and pretty!
3. They have superb texture–firm on the outside, chewy on the inside.
2. They taste like sunshine.
1. You can have two whole cookies for just 102 calories!

What, you need more reasons? What are you waiting for?!

I like to really douse the cookies with powdered sugar so they take on the "crinkle" look.

Easy Lemon Cookies

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
grated zest from 1 lemon
powdered sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon juice & lemon zest until well blended. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes, and up to overnight to make the dough easier to handle. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls and then drop into a small bowl of powdered sugar. Roll around until lightly or heavily covered, depending on how much you want. Once sugared, place on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 6-9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

Makes 60 cookies
Per cookie: 51 calories, 2 g fat, 7.8 g carbohydrate

This recipe is linked with GirliChef for BSI: Lemons!

14 Comments

Posted in Cookies, Lighter Fare and tagged cake mix, Cookies, diet-friendly, easy, lemon, low calorie, summer, sunshine. Bookmark the permalink.

Crispy Kale Chips

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Veronica

It may be hard to believe, but kale is super easy to turn into a shatteringly-crisp, salty treat that satisfies potato chip cravings. OK, if you REALLY need potato chips, then this won’t give you the same flavor, but they are delicious and the crisp & salty combo along with the distinct flavor is addictive! And if you’re going to be addicted to something, it may as well be something this healthy, right?

Crispy Kale Recipe
The biggest secret to getting the kale super-crisp is to dry them in a salad spinner. If there is moisture on the leaves, the kale will steam, not crisp. Also, do not salt the kale until after they have come out of the oven. If you salt beforehand, the salt will just cause the kale to release moisture…thus steaming instead of crisping. I’ve also found that the convection setting on my oven works really well too – I set the convection on 325F and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Have fun with this recipe, I sometimes mix the salt with Cajun or Creole seasoning.

4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (you can lightly mist with oil for less calories)
sea salt or kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark – the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they’ll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.

Recipe from Steamy Kitchen

Veronica’s Note: I should add that these should be eaten as soon as they’re cooled and not stored. If you put them in an airtight container or baggie, they will lose their crispness. OK, I actually don’t have first-hand knowledge of this since we eat the whole batch as soon as it’s out of the oven, no matter how big it is, but I’ve read it somewhere and it makes sense to me. Just thought I’d give you a heads-up!

9 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged baked, chips, crisp, crispy, kale, salty. Bookmark the permalink.

Italian Green Beans

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Veronica

I’m often prone to exaggeration, but I’m telling you the honest-to-goodness truth when I say I eat these green beans a minimum of five times a week. The green beans and olive oil are so healthy and adding in the seasonings just makes them wonderful. I love them so much and they’re so easy to make, I bring them with me every day for lunch! In fact, my green bean infatuation has become a long-standing joke with my co-workers. They used to make bets on whether or not I’d brought the green beans but now they don’t bother. They know that no matter what else I’ve brought, the green beans will accompany it. They watch me heating my food with knowing smiles and slowly shake their heads as I take my seat.

I smile back and eat them in blissful reverence. They wouldn’t mock if they knew what they were missing.

Italian Green Beans

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 lb. green beans (fresh, frozen or canned all work)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 packet Italian dressing mix

Cook/heat the green beans, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the dressing mix over the top. Toss together and serve hot. To make an individual serving, I heat a can of green beans (yes, a serving to me is an entire can!), drizzle with a little EVOO and then sprinkle as much dressing mix as I want.

Recipe by Veronica Miller