Category Archives: Main Dishes

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Veronica

I know I sound like a broken record, but you’re gonna have to get used to it: this is another great recipe from My Kitchen Cafe! I’m actually starting to wonder why I even have a food blog because I’m just stealing Mel’s recipes and putting them on my own! Well, at least you know when I post them they have been approved not only by her family but mine so you can probably trust that it’s gonna be good.

Not only was this delicious, it’s so easy! I love preparing meals in the crockpot because after coming home from work, the last thing I want to do is start dinner. Usually I’m starving and just want to sit down and eat. This meal is perfect for career-women and Moms. And just anybody that loves an easy and delicious meal! Slow-cooking the meat makes it super tender and it practically melts in your mouth. Scanning the ingredients, I thought it sounded too simple to be very impressive but it just goes to show that sometimes simple is best!

THE ULTIMATE BEEF STROGANOFF
Printable recipe

Put in crock pot:
2-3 pounds stew meat
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 onion, sliced

Mix in a bowl and pour over meat:
¼ tsp. garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock (made up from cubes or granules)
1 tablespoon ketchup

Cook in crockpot on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When cooked make a simple roux by whisking 1/3 cup flour with enough apple juice (about 5-6 tablespoons) to make a thick but still pourable flour mixture. Whisk the roux into the crockpot and add 4 ounces sliced mushrooms.

Cook on high for 15-30 minutes. Then stir in ½ cup sour cream. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. Mel stores the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaws in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Veronica’s Notes: I didn’t have apple juice so I just used water for the roux. Though it didn’t seem to suffer for it, I hate that I might have missed out on the full flavor experience so next time I will be sure to have apple juice! I also used a ton of mushrooms (four times what’s called for) because I had a ton of mushrooms and didn’t want them to go to waste. Still tasted good! So if it bothers you to only use half of an 8-oz container, go ahead and put the whole thing in. Lastly, if you’re wondering about those fabulous fat noodles that look homemade, they are Essenhaus Amish Country Kitchen Extra Wide Homestyle Noodles. I found them on the bread aisle in the grocery store. You can purchase them online here or use their store locator to see if they are sold near you.

Recipe source: My Kitchen Cafe

9 Comments

Posted in Main Dishes, Meats, Slow-Cooker/Crockpot and tagged apple juice, beef stroganoff. Bookmark the permalink.

General Tso’s Chicken

Posted on April 6, 2010 by Veronica

How was your Easter? Dennis and I went to Abilene to spend it with his family and had a lovely time. Phyllis, my mother-in-law, made a killer ham and my favorite scalloped potatoes, and we also had the creamed corn (the REAL kind with whole corn mixed with butter and cream cheese–Dennis HAS to have that stuff at every family function) and Mexican coleslaw that my sister-in-law, Joan brought. The coleslaw was really yummy and I plan to use it on some fish tacos so I’ll be blogging it eventually. I brought the dessert (was there any doubt?) and supplied lemon bars and white cupcakes with my favorite lemon frosting. I’ve had lemon on the brain since it finally started warming up and I’m still thinking about making more lemon desserts! Something to look forward to.

Anyway, now that we’re all getting a little tired of leftover ham, I have something completely different for you to add to your meal plan. I mentioned in a recent post that I’d been wanting to spread my wings a little and try more ethnic cuisine so it’s a little ironic that I chose General Tso’s chicken as one of my first attempts since it’s actually an American creation. But it tastes and looks Asian and is served in Chinese restaurants so that’s close enough for me!

I based my recipe & method off of a You Tube Video that my friend Dewey sent me when he read that I was wanting to try it out. After watching itkman cook it up with little effort, I was comfortable enough to change it up a little, and it turned out beautiful and delicious! I hope you try it. Just looking at the photos has me drooling and wanting some more!

General Tso’s Chicken
Printable recipe

Sauce
½ cup chicken broth
¼ c sugar
¼ c rice vinegar
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
2 t minced fresh ginger
6 cloves minced garlic
4 scallions, chopped

Chicken
2 lb. chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 egg
1 T soy sauce
Flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Vegetables
1/3 of a red pepper, sliced
1/3 of an orange pepper, sliced
1/3 of a yellow pepper, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets

Mix all but the last three ingredients for the sauce and once the sugar & cornstarch are dissolved, stir in the ginger, garlic & scallions. Set aside.

Mix the chicken with the egg and soy sauce, then roll each chunk in flour. Fry the chicken in vegetable oil that is 375 degrees F until golden brown.* Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

Put the vegetables in a microwave-safe dish with a cover and nuke for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large wok on high, give the sauce a stir, and pour it into the wok. Wait for it to start simmering, then start stirring until it gets thickened. Add in the chicken and toss until it is evenly coated. Remove from heat and add the vegetables, stirring until mixed.** Serve hot along with rice if desired.

Serves 6.

*Veronica’s notes: I do not own a fryer, so I filled an uncoated (as in, no Teflon coating or nonstick surface) skillet half full of oil and used my candy thermometer to gauge the temperature, frying the chicken in three batches. If you do your frying on the stove top, be sure to keep an eye on the temp b/c you don’t want it over 400 or below 350.

**If you are wondering why I didn’t just stir-fry the veggies before adding the sauce & the chicken, it is because the veggies would absorb too much of the sauce if done this way and the chicken wouldn’t get enough. Coating the chicken first ensures it’s thoroughly coated so that just the little bit extra coats the vegetables, making them slightly flavored but still bright and fresh tasting, which nicely contrasts the saucy chicken.

I’m linking this with Food For Thought for BSI: Broth.

17 Comments

Posted in Asian, Main Dishes, Meats and tagged American Chinese, general tao's chicken, general tso's chicken, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Guacamole BLT & An Award

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Veronica

This is a simple lunch or dinner idea from Faith of An Edible Mosaic that comes together quickly, and is quite healthy, filling, and delicious. I think Faith described it perfectly so I’ll quote her summarization here: “The salty, crispy bacon and the smooth, creamy avocado pair perfectly, and the tomato and lemon juice really help to brighten the avocado’s flavor.” It’s truly wonderful!

Guacamole BLT
recipe from An Edible Mosaic
(Yield: 1 sandwich)

2 slices multigrain bread (or any bread you like)
2-3 slices turkey bacon, cooked
2 large leaves lettuce, washed and dried
1/4 avocado
1/4 c cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash salt and pepper

Toast the bread. Mash the avocado and stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper; then mix in the tomato and scallion. Spread the avocado mixture on one slice of bread, then top with the lettuce, turkey bacon, and the remaining slice of bread.

Faith recently passed on the Sunshine Award to me. Isn’t she a sweetheart?! Thank you, dear Faith!

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blog world. I would like to pass this award onto the following bloggers:

1. Laura Flowers of The Cooking Photographer

2. Sarah of If These Curls Could Talk

3. Glenn of Tupper Cooks!

4. Sophia of Burp and Slurp (though I’m sure she’s already gotten it before!)

16 Comments

Posted in Announcements & Awards, Burgers & Sandwiches, Lighter Fare, Main Dishes and tagged guacamole blt. Bookmark the permalink.

Lasagna & Garlic Bread

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Veronica

Both these recipes come from my favorite food blog, My Kitchen Cafe, and are the best lasagna and garlic bread I’ve ever made. We ate huge pieces of the lasagna and couldn’t stop going back for more of this amazing garlic bread until only 1/4 of the loaf remained. 5 cloves of fresh garlic cooked in butter for 7 minutes, then stirred into softened butter makes an amazing spread. This dinner was delicious, hearty & satisfying. Serve it with a green salad and you’ve got a wonderful meal.

Mom’s Lasagna
recipe adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1 package oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 to 1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (undrained)
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cloves minced garlic
2 ½ teaspoons dried basil
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 container (15 ounce) ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef and onion, drain. Stir in tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste, sugar, garlic, basil, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (this is actually so thick that it doesn’t exactly simmer. I just left it on low heat and stirred it once in a while). In a small bowl blend ricotta, egg, parsley, parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon salt. Put a layer of noodles in a 9 X 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil, a layer of meat sauce, layer of ricotta mixture and a layer of the cheese then repeat all the layers twice more. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, bake 10 minutes more. (I cooked mine 30 minutes foil on & 20 minutes without the foil, that’s why the cheese got all dry-looking.) Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to about 40 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Garlic Bread
adapted from Melanie’s Cheesy Garlic Bread

5 garlic cloves, finely minced (click here for a tutorial on working with fresh garlic)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt (1/2 tsp if you’re using unsalted butter)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 18-20-inch baguette or loaf of french bread, sliced in half horizontally

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400.

In a small nonstick skillet, cook the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the butter and water over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is straw colored, 7-10 minutes. It is important to keep the heat low or the garlic will burn and turn bitter. The garlic should be lightly browned but not burned!

In a small bowl, place the remaining 7 tablespoons softened butter and the salt and pepper. Mix in the hot garlic mixture and stir to combine. Using a rubber spatula, spread the butter mixture on the cut sides of bread. Sandwich the bread back together and wrap the loaf in foil. Place the wrapped loaf on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cut into angled pieces and serve hot. Please try to exert self-control and share the bounty with others at the table.

11 Comments

Posted in Bread, Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta and tagged garlic bread, lasagna. Bookmark the permalink.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Veronica

Although my confidence in baking is pretty high, I have very little confidence as a chef. (I’m sure that’s obvious from the amount of sweet vs. savory recipes I post!) Countless times, I have relied on this simple recipe, one I developed over time from another given to me by a friend, to fall back on when I wanted to serve something that wouldn’t disappoint. I can always count on it–it never fails me. Mother’s Day potluck? Bringing these enchiladas. Family reunion? Bringing these enchiladas. Friend coming from out-of-town? Serving these enchiladas. Providing food for the grief-stricken survivors of a lost loved one? It’s gonna be these enchiladas. Preacher and his wife coming to dinner? Definitely serving these enchiladas.

These aren’t just my favorite enchiladas, this are my favorite dish, period. It might not top your list of favorites, but I do know that everyone I serve them to really enjoys them as well. Dinner guests don’t always do the eye roll and moan that I usually do with the first bite, but they always give rave reviews.

Although I tend to think of anything that contains “cream of fill in the blank soup” as ghetto food and try to avoid it, I’ve tried leaving it out and subbing more sour cream but it really does taste best with the stupid soup.

Two tips to get the best flavor: shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded and be sure to buy PACE brand picante sauce. Here’s why. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with some sort of junk* to keep it from clumping together in the bag, but it also inhibits the beautiful gooey melt we desire. It will melt, but not as well as cheese you shred yourself (see photo below of pre-shredded cheese-topped enchiladas compared to first photo for proof). I was also astonished to discover that shredding your own combination of cheddar and Monterrey Jack tastes ten times better than using the Mexican cheese blend. Strange, but true. As for the picante sauce, this is probably the only time I’ll ever insist on not going generic (I’m the Queen of Generic, FYI) but the flavor of the sauce really enhances the enchiladas and generic just really isn’t as good here. I don’t even know if it would be as good with some fancy-schmancy expensive stuff but since I haven’t tried it, I won’t forbid it. If you go for the fancy schmancy, let me know how it worked for you!

OK, enough talk. On your mark, get set, go make these enchiladas!

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Makes 15 enchiladas

Printable recipe

2 cups cooked & shredded chicken breast meat
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (7-oz) can chopped green chiles
4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend OR 2 cups Monterrey Jack & 2 cups Cheddar, divided
1/2 cup Pace Picante Sauce (use original in your choice of heat)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
15 flour tortillas (soft-taco size)
2 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce (AKA red sauce)
Butter for pans and tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13×9 and a 9×9 pan with butter and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, onion, sour cream, soup, green chiles, 2 1/2 cups of the cheese (reserve the rest for the top), salsa, garlic, salt & pepper.

Heat the tortillas in stacks of six by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 50 seconds. Rub a stick of cold butter over one side of each tortilla while they’re hot, turn them over, and begin filling them. Use about 1/3 cup per tortilla. Place seam-side down in pans. Once assembled, pour the enchilada sauce evenly over them (I use a pastry brush to get it evenly spread), cover the pans with foil and bake in for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle the cheese over the top and return to the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving (they’re easier to move from pan to plate after sitting a little bit).

If you are making them in advance, assemble them in your pans but don’t put on the sauce. Keep in the fridge covered with plastic wrap. When ready to bake, cover them with sauce, swap the plastic wrap for foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and top with cheese before returning it to the oven for an additional 10. These can definitely be frozen but since but I haven’t tried it yet, this is just my theory on how that should be done: after filling the pan with rolled enchiladas, go ahead and pour the sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese. Cover and freeze. You could probably bake them from frozen, but you’d have to bake them at least an hour, covered, and an additional 10 uncovered. You could also defrost them in the fridge for a couple days before baking, then bake covered for 40 minutes and uncovered for 10.

Believe me, it tastes better than it looks!

*I learned this from Mel at My Kitchen Cafe, whose husband works at a cheese factory. Ever since she mentioned this in one of her blogs (can’t remember which), I’ve shredded my own cheese and haven’t looked back. It really is worth the extra minute or two it tacks onto the preparation. If you’ve never been to her blog–check it out and browse around. Hers is my favorite food blog and I make more dishes from it than any other. Family friendly, comfort, down-home cookin’ dishes is what she offers and that’s what I’m comfortable with & enjoy eating most.

*Veronica’s Note: I almost always serve these enchiladas with green rice, another tried-and-true recipe that I’ve been making longer than the enchiladas and it always gets as many compliments. If you want that recipe, click here.

20 Comments

Posted in Main Dishes, Mexican, My Favorites. Bookmark the permalink.

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.

Super Bean Burritos

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Veronica

We’ve eaten these burritos three times in the last month and I’m just now getting around to posting the recipe! The picture is from the first time I made them (you’d think I’d have stopped to take a better one on subsequent occasions, but I just couldn’t be bothered b/c I was too busy stuffing my face), but my favorite way to layer the ingredients now is to put a smear of sour cream on the tortilla, dribble on some salsa, sprinkle on some cheese (I like a combo of Monterrey Jack and cheddar), and then put the bean filling over it and fold it up. That way the cheese doesn’t come out of the bottom but melts at the top and I don’t have to put any condiments on the outside. Yumtastic-ness!

SUPER BEAN BURRITOS
recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.

Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired — or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don’t come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:
Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

3 Comments

Posted in Main Dishes, Mexican, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged bean burritos, super. Bookmark the permalink.

Shrimp & Bacon Ranch Pizza

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Veronica

I was scrolling through my blog and came to realize out of the last 12 postings, only two recipes have been for non-sweets. Sweets are my forte, but I figured a dinner recipe was long over-due, and have I got a doozy for you!

A couple MySpace friends inspired this one. Through MySpace, I’m connected to a great network of women who love to cook and are so supportive and fun. Kim, the one responsible for hooking me up with most of my foodie friends, posted a recipe for Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza yesterday that had me drooling over my keyboard. I’d been wanting to make a pizza that my friend Suzie posted on her blog that had shrimp on it, so I decided to meld the two recipes into one. So here it is, the final masterpiece. And it would be just as good with chicken, which I plan to make next.

Shrimp and Bacon Ranch Pizza
I made this in a large 14” pan so if you’re making a smaller pizza, adjust the ingredients accordingly.

Ingredients
Your favorite pizza dough (I used an entire recipe of Wolfgang Puck’s dough)
¾ c ranch dressing, divided (I used homemade—the bomb!)
½ t dill (dried)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz. frozen cooked salad shrimp, thawed
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)
½ cup chopped grape tomatoes

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Fit dough onto a pizza pan sprayed with cooking oil and bake for 7 minutes. While it’s baking, stir the dill into the dressing. Remove the crust and set oven temperature to 450 degrees. Spread ½ cup dressing over the crust, then sprinkle the mozzarella over it. No need to wait until the oven has preheated, just pop it in for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. While it’s baking, mix the shrimp with olive oil and garlic until coated.

Remove pizza from oven. Top pizza evenly with shrimp, bacon and tomato, then drizzle the remaining dressing over everything. Return to oven; bake an additional 5-7 minutes or until shrimp is thoroughly heated. Cut & serve warm.

Nutritional Info per 1/8 of recipe (based on the same ingredients I used. You can lighten it up by using less cheese & light mayo in the dressing.): 440 cal, 23g fat, 38g carb, 18g protein.