Tomato & Bean Crostinis

I wasn't sure what to make for dinner last night, when I was suddenly struck with inspiration! I mentioned to Jeff what I'd concocted in my head driving home, and he was totally game.

And the Tomato & Bean Crostinis were born.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15-20 min
Total time: 30 min

Yield: 2 servings (or more if served as appetizers)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• vegan cheezee sauce
• french bread, sliced
• shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Stir together tomatoes, beans, and spices. Set aside.
2. Spread vegan cheezee sauce on sliced bread.

3. Spoon bean mixture onto bread.

4. Bake in toaster oven for 15-20 minutes, until bread is toasted around the edges. If adding shredded cheese, sprinkle over bean mixture in the last few minutes of baking.

To keep these vegan, simply leave off the mozzarella cheese or use a vegan shredded cheese substitute.

These seriously turned out so good!

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Italian Enchiladas

I'm trying to get creative with all these wraps that we have. Hmm. How about making enchiladas, but with spaghetti sauce instead of enchilada sauce and a filling similar to lasagna?

And voila! The birth of the Italian Enchilada.

Ok. So, it's possible that someone else has already come up with this idea, but it was new to me and turned out so delicious! I'm excited to call this my own, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

Yields 4 hearty enchiladas.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 of an eggplant, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 egg
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup torn fresh spinach
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 Tomato Basil wraps

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease square cake pan.
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook until tender.

Add chopped red onions and garlic.

Sautee 1-2 more minutes until onions are translucent.
Add crushed tomatoes. Stir until mixed. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together egg, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, herbs, salt and pepper.

Spoon a layer of eggplant mixture onto a wrap. Top with the cottage cheese mixture.

Roll up wrap and place seam-side down in a greased square cake pan.

Spread spaghetti sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is nice and gooey.

Enjoy!

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Broccoli Cheese Roll-ups

If you follow me on my other blog, you might know we're in wrap-heaven right now thanks to Bountiful Baskets. We'll be eating a lot of wraps and other things with tortillas, so you've been warned. :-)

Last night, I made the most delicious broccoli cheese roll-ups. And they're so very easy to make, too! I roasted just enough broccoli for two wraps, but this is simple enough to adjust to however many wraps you need want to make.

Ingredients
Broccoli
Olive oil
Seasoned Salt & Pepper
Garlic & Herb Tortillas
Shredded Fiesta Blend cheese
Chopped red onions

Directions
Toss broccoli in olive oil and season with seasoned salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes at 400°F or until broccoli is nice and tender. Cool slightly and chop.

Place tortilla on a plate. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, onions, and chopped broccoli.

Microwave for 1 minute or just until cheese is melted.

Cool slightly, so you don't burn your fingertips rolling up the tortilla.

Enjoy!

What are you cooking this week?
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Bean 'n Mushroom Enchiladas

I wanted to try the recipe for enchiladas on the back of my package of shredded cheese. I'd been meaning to try this recipe for awhile, but by the time I got around to it, the cheese was gone and the new package had a different recipe.

I had to improvise.

So I  decided to do a little fridge clean-out. I found beans, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, and chipotle chiles that needed to be consumed. Add a couple other ingredients and the Bean 'n Mushroom Enchiladas were born.

Jeff is not a big fan of mushrooms (neither am I, really) so I was nervous that he wouldn't like this, but he surprised me by saying they were very good. I don't think I ever told him there were mushrooms in there. Shhh... It will be our little secret.

SW Bean Burgers

Yes, I'm still here. And yes, I even still spend a little time in the kitchen. Though not nearly as much as I'd like.

Tonight, I made the most delicious bean burgers. I was slightly inspired by this recipe, but I changed so much of it, that I'm totally going to call it my own!

These are quite possibly the BEST bean burgers I've never made (or enjoyed!). And super easy to make as well.

SW Bean Burger

Yield: 4 burgers

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

I got really excited when this recipe appeared in my Inbox. It looked soooo gooood! And sounded even better. I finally got around to actually making it on Valentine's Day. Something about V-day always screams pasta to me. I don't know why.

This dish turned out to be so flavorful! I loved it!! Jeff, however, didn't care for the texture. :(

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

Yield: 4 cups

Black Bean Soup

I love black beans. And black bean soup has always been one of my favorites, so when I saw this recipe over at Happy Fit Mama for Roasted Corn Black Bean Soup, I could hardly wait to try it out. I didn't have any peppers, roasted corn, or zucchini, so I had to modify it a bit with what I had on hand.

The last soup I made had been a complete disaster, so I decided to stick to the recipe instructions for this one and not attempt to make it in the slow cooker. It probably would've been fine since there is no kale or pasta in this soup, but I didn't want to risk it. I mean, really, it doesn't take that long on the stove top anyway.

I did, however, risk making this with the salvaged broth from the disaster soup. Turns out, it was a risk well taken. It cleared out some space in my fridge and tasted pretty good in the soup. Well, it didn't taste bad, at least.

Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6 cups

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

I found this delicious looking recipe over at Nutritious Eats. Ok, well, I actually saw it first over at Happy Fit Mama's menu plan for the week. These sounded and looked so good, I couldn't wait to throw them on our menu plan for the week.

Yes, I actually made a menu plan this week.

I excitedly added egg roll wrappers to my shopping list, and made these the very next night. I was nervous about them because they have spinach in them. Jeff doesn't normally like anything with cooked spinach, so I had pretty much braced myself for having to eat the majority of them.

Turns out the spinach is hardly noticeable AND Jeff really liked them.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

Yield: 21 egg rolls

Salsa Rice and Red Beans

Another Vegan score for dinner tonight!! This was very tasty, and bonus - Jeff really liked it! Of course, he did add some Frank's Red Hot sauce to it, but he adds that to everything. I no longer take any offense. :-) Seriously, though, this was super easy to make. You won't be disappointed. The original recipe said it yields 4 servings, but I think it yields closer to 6.

Salsa Rice and Red Beans

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 med yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• Salt, to taste
• 2 (15.5-oz) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (4-oz) can diced green chiles, drained
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup Cheezee Sauce, optional (recipe coming soon)
• 1 large ripe tomato, diced

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Stir in the rice and water. Add salt to taste, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
2. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chiles, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and pepper. Simmer to heat through and blend the flavors, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
3. Serve hot, topped with the diced tomato and drizzled with the cheezee sauce, if using.

Recipe Credit: Salsa Rice and Red Beans. Vegan on the Cheap. Robin Robertson. pg 132.

Three-Bean Loaf

Once again, I did not have the right size pans or bowls to make this, and, of course, I didn't adjust the recipe quantity. In the midst of preparing this, I had to put it on hold, run to Wal-Mart, and buy large pans and bowls. Oops! BUT now I should be all set for future recipes. Yay!

I thought this was quite tasty! Jeff didn't care for it nearly as much, so I doubt I'll be making it with any frequency. The thing with a bean loaf is to remember that it is NOT meat and will not likely have the same consistency or flavor. If you're expecting meat, you might be disappointed. If you're expecting flavorful beans in a different form, then you might be pleasantly surprised.

This was actually taken the next day, after I'd warmed up a slice in a fry pan.

Three-Bean Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 T Olive oil
• 1 med yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (15.5oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup wheat gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T yellow mustard
• 1 T brown sugar
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place the three varieties of beans in a large bowl. Mash well, leaving some texture. Add the onion-carrot mixture, then stir in 1/4 cup of the ketchup, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the bread crumbs, oats, flour, and parsley. Mix until well combined. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup with the mustard, sugar, and vinegar. Mix well. Spread the topping mixture over the loaf. Bake until firm, 50 to 60 minutes. If the top begins to brown too much, cover loosely with foil. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Credit: Three-Bean Loaf. Vegan on the Cheap. Robin Robertson. pg 155.

Better Bean Burgers

The last time I attempted to make non-beef burgers, Jeff thought they were disgusting. I, of course, loved them! When I found this recipe for black bean burgers, I thought it was worth a try. We both enjoyed them this time. Score! The consistency is slightly different from a regular burger, but the taste was good - especially with the condiments. :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 (15.5oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 T wheat gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)
• 1/2 c dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 c red onion, minced
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 T olive oil
• 4 burger rolls
• Condiments of choice

Directions:

1. Place the beans in a medium bowl and mash well. Sprinkle the flour on the beans and mix well to combine. Add the bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Use your hands to shape the mixture into 4 patties, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the burgers, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, use a spatula to flip the burgers, and cook, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes.

3. Serve on burger rolls with your favorite condiments.

Recipe credit: Better Bean Burgers. Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson. Pg 178.

Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad

Yesterday, I actually sat down and planned out a week of menu ideas. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to hit the grocery store until today. Still, here is my first vegan dish. I thought it was very tasty! Jeff enjoyed it, too, but I didn't realize that he doesn't care much for pasta salads. Oh well, more for me! :-)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz rotini
• 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/2 roma tomato, diced
• 2 radishes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• Annie's Natural Goddess dressing

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook rotini according to package. Drain well and rinse with cool water. Transfer to a large bowl.

2.  While pasta is cooking, prep vegetables. Add all the vegetables to the cooked pasta. Drizzle with 1/3 to 1/2 bottle of dressing  and toss gently to combine.

*Recipe adapted from Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad with Inner Goddess Dressing. Vegan on the Cheap. pg. 85.

Creamy Bacon Pasta

I had some bacon to use up I think that's first! Whoever has bacon nearly go bad?, but I didn't want boring eggs and bacon for dinner tonight. Using the handy Dinner Spinner on my phone, I found this intriguing recipe. I had to make a few modifications, since I didn't have the exact ingredients.

When Jeff asked what was for dinner, I replied, "Something amazing." I'm pleased to announce that it lived up to my boastful declaration.

Creamy Bacon Pasta

 This recipe is picky husband approved.

Hmmm...perhaps I should create some kind of badge/award for that.

Anyway, onto the recipe!

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz pasta - I used egg noodles
• 3 slices of bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
• ¼ cup dried, minced onion OR ½ medium onion
• ½ tsp (or 1 clove) garlic, minced
• ½ of a 10-ounce tub of cream cheese
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning I didn't actual measure this, so this is a guesstimate
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper Again, I didn't measure, so use your best judgment

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with hot water, if desired.

Meanwhile, cook cut up pieces of bacon in medium skillet until crisp. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about a tablespoon of bacon grease in pan.

Sautee onion and garlic in bacon grease.

Add cream cheese, milk, vegetables, and spices.

Cook until cheese is melted and vegetables are tender.

Serve over pasta. Top with bacon.

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Pattypan Squash with Pasta and Red Sauce

Here's another squash recipe that I just threw together one evening for dinner. It's very simple, and was very tasty, but I did no measuring. Sorry. I did; however, take a couple process pictures.

Ingredients:

• Pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
• Pattypan squash, cut into bite-sized chunks (I used Yellow Sunburst)
• Dried, minced onion
• Dried, minced garlic
• Red pasta sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried basil
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2. Sautee squash with onion and garlic in a small skillet.

3. When squash is tender, add pasta sauce, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Pour sauce over drained pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

This was a tasty dinner for one that I would definitely make again.

Squash Stuffed with Chard and Black Beans

This is one of the first squash recipes I tried. I found the recipe here originally, I but made a few changes to make it my own. I was surprised at how tasty this was! Unfortunately, Jeff didn't care for it too much and really only enjoyed the topping.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 med acorn squash, halved, seeded
• ½ tsp plus 1 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¼ tsp salt, divided
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper, divided
• ¼ cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T water
• ½ T tomato paste
• 4 cups chopped chard leaves (about ½ large bunch chard)
• ½ (15-oz) can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 2 T coarse dry Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 T grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each squash half so it rests flat. Brush the insides with ½ tsp oil; sprinkle with ⅛ tsp each salt and pepper. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on High until the squash is fork-tender, about 12 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat ½ T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in water, tomato paste and the remaining ⅛ tsp each salt and pepper. Stir in chard, cover and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in black beans; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan and the remaining ½ T oil in a bowl. Fill each squash half with about 1 cup of the chard mixture. Place in a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil in the center of the oven until the breadcrumbs are browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Gnocchi with Squash and Tomatoes

We've received a lot of different types of squash in our CSA, so look forward to some yummy squash recipes coming your way. Last night, I had some yellow squash to use up, so I threw together this quick and easy recipe.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• Tri-colored gnocchi
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup red pasta sauce
• grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions

2. Heat oil in small skillet; sautee squash with garlic and salt/pepper.

3. Add tomatoes.

4. Add pasta sauce.

5. Pour sauce mixture over gnocchi, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a nice glass of Riesling.

Twenty-Minute Chili

I received this recipe the other day in my Inbox. There was a chill in the air outside, and chili sounded great for dinner! This was pretty simple and quite delicious. I modified it a bit, including making it a meatless. Since my husband generally likes his soups/chilis pretty thin, I tripled the amount of liquid in this dishes. I have included the original ingredients in brackets or you can visit the link above for the original recipe on MyRecipes.com.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili, 1/2 cup rice, and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 1 c long-grain white rice [originial recipe: 1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice]
• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1/4 c dried, minced onion [originial recipe: 1 cup chopped onion]
• 3/4 c chopped green bell pepper
• 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed [originial recipe: 1/2  pound  ground turkey breast]
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp Wrcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5-oz can Southwestern-style diced tomatoes with green chiles, jalapeños, and lime juice, undrained [original recipe: 1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeño peppers and spices, undrained]
• 2 (5.5-oz) cans V8 [original recipe: 1 (5.5-ounce) can tomato juice]
• 1 (5.5-oz) can of water (use empty V8 can) [original recipe did not call for water]
• 1/4  cup (1-oz) preshredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions.

While rice cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, [and turkey]. Cook 3 minutes or until done. Stir in chili powder and the next 9 ingredients (chili powder through water); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Serve over rice, and sprinkle with cheese.

Pecan-Crusted Tilapia

We're trying to incorporate more fish into our diet. It's difficult because we're not huge fans; however, we did try some tilapia when we were in Costa Rica back in January. It was prepared so deliciously that I bought some frozen fillets when we got back home. They sat in my freezer, untouched, for a few weeks, and then I received this recipe for Pecan-Crusted Tilapia in my Inbox and thought it would be a good way to start.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 tilapia fillet)

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped pecans
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/2  cup  low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot sauce
• 3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 4  (6-ounce) tilapia or snapper fillets
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil, divided
• 4  lemon wedges for garnish

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a medium bowl; place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge 1 fillet in flour. Dip in buttermilk mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining fillets, flour, buttermilk mixture, and breadcrumb mixture.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and fillets. Serve with lemon wedges.

Other than halving this recipe (there are only two of us), the above is unchanged from the recipe on MyRecipes.com. I served this with a side of white rice. I thought it turned out really quite delicious; Jeff thought it needed a little more breading to more significantly change the texture of the fish. I do think I'll try this recipe again.

Individual Shepherd's Pies

For dinner the other night, I thawed out some ground beef but wasn't sure how to prepare it. I thought a shepherd's pie sounded good, but it seemed like too much for just the two of us. After scouring the Internet a bit, I came up with the idea of making mini-shepherd's pies. Here is the recipe I concocted. I was so pleased with how delicious these turned out! Jeff even liked them so much that he warmed up leftovers the next day! :)

Click here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup dried, minced onions
• 1 tsp dried, minced garlic
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups instant mashed potatoes, prepared
• Parmesan cheese, to taste
• Paprika, to taste

Directions:

Brown ground beef, onions, and garlic. Drain fat.
Defrost frozen veggies slightly by running under cold water.
Add soup and veggies to beef mixture.

Spoon mixture into a muffin tin.

Top with prepared mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and paprika.

Place muffin tin on a cookie sheet (in case of overspill). Bake at 350°F for 20 min or until hot.

Enjoy!

This was incredibly tasty; however if I make it again, I would stretch the beef mixture to make 24 mini-pies and increase the amount of potatoes. This would hopefully prevent the spilling over in the oven.

That would be a LOT for the two of us, so I might just make 1/2 the amount of beef mixture to accomplish the same task.