Vegetarian Migas & The Best Weekend. EVER. (veg, gf)

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This is the first in a flurry of recipes I’ll be posting from the Best Weekend Ever. Somehow, the planets aligned and Dave and I had not only a banking holiday tacked on to our weekend, but we had no plans to leave town. And we had no guests coming in. And we had no solo obligations. And the only things we did have on the books were FUN. And both of us were home. And the weather Saturday was insanely pretty. And we got to eat a lot. While this might sound boring, and while we do love our out-of-town loved ones and house guests, this kind of Dave-and-Lauren long weekend never happens. It’s been months or maybe a year since we had time like that with each other that we didn’t enjoy a plane ride away (stressful in itself). And even then it wasn’t just the two of us. This weekend was like a second honeymoon!

We swam, got a bike ride in (on The Windiest Day Ever), saw the new James Bond- two thumbs up, went bowling, went to dinner with friends twice, went for a long walk around our neighborhood, watched movies and took naps every single day. And I furiously cooked my way through the whole thing. For every calorie burned on the bike or in the pool, I’m pretty sure I cooked two to replace it as soon as we got home. But I probably burned half of those off from intense and loving, Pepe Le Pew-style smiling.

le sigh

I made my sweet potato and black bean burritos on Saturday night, and we headed to Illinois to ride on Sunday morning. My ride was shorter and I beat Dave home; I wanted to make a hearty and healthy brunch for when he got back, and I thought the quickest way to do this was to combine the leftovers from saturday and a dish we love- migas. The migas we order in the Midwest are a Tex-Mex version of a Spanish dish. Scrambled eggs, strips of fried corn tortillas, tomatoes, chorizo, chile peppers, onion, and cheese. I health-ed this up a bit (surprise!!) by starting with the veggie and bean mixture and by baking the tortillas.

SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN MIGAS

Ingredients:

  • half recipe sweet potato and black bean burrito filling, AG! recipe found here
  • two corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
  •  1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
  • 6 eggs, beaten with: 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 bunch scallion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped 
  • 1/2 avocado, sliced
  • salsas, cheeses, sour cream for serving

Directions:

Heat your oven to 350 and spread the remaining teaspoon of olive oil on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cut the tortillas into one-inch pieces and spread onto the oiled baking sheet. Pop these into the oven for 5-7 minutes be sure to check them 5 minutes into cooking. When they’re slightly browned and crispy, remove them from the oven. We’ve been hooked on Mission’s Artisan whole wheat and corn blend tortillas– they have the earthy taste of corn and the addition of wheat makes them pliable. Best of both worlds!

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sweet potato and black bean mixture, and cook over medium for about 5 minutes, until heated through and browned more than it was when you put it in the pan. Add the crispy tortillas at this point, and cook for another 3 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with the milk and kosher salt. Pour the eggs over the veggies and tortillas and lower heat, stirring the mixture frequently. The eggs will cook quickly! Once they’re set, top with cilantro and scallions and serve with avocado and salsas. Kiss your significant other. Ta-da! Brunch is served!

Carrot Apple Muffins (veg)

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Mmm, breakfast!! Dave loves baked goods in general, and these muffins are a tasty and healthy option that can be eaten in the morning or as a snack. They’re great toasted and buttered too. Next time I make them, I want to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking mix in place of the whole wheat flour. Until then, here you go:

CARROT APPLE MUFFINS

Adapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
  •  1/4 c sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup shredded carrots, chopped through several times (you may instead grate whole carrots)
  • 1/4 c walnuts and/or raisins
  • 1- 3.9 oz container unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 c milk
  • 1/4 c canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla

my sweet whole wheat flour canister, a $2 antique shop find

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a muffin pan. I always use shortening to grease cake and muffin pans- it has a neutral flavor and a little goes a very long way. I dip a paper towel into the container and swirl a bit into each cup, then flour with the type of flour I’m using in the recipe at hand.

wet & dry

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another mixing bowl, combine chopped shredded carrots, walnuts and/or raisins, oil, milk, eggs, and applesauce. Stir half of the wet ingredients into the dry ones; combine well and then add the rest of the wet ingredients.

my sous chef

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full (1/2 for a large tin)- this will make a dozen muffins. Bake for 20 minutes, and you’re done. Very good buttered, served with scrambled eggs, or as a coffee snack. Such a nice treat for fall!! Enjoy.

all done!

Turkey Meatloaf & Roasted Brussels Sprouts (gf)

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Mums! Pumpkins! Hay bales on doorsteps! Brussels sprouts! Wait, what?

It’s officially fall, and has been for almost two glorious weeks. Fall is my favorite season (right behind summer, spring, and winter- ha), and one of my favorite ways to enjoy this time of year is to kick my cooking into high gear, including as many seasonal fall veggies as I can on our menu. A favorite is brussels sprouts, which, embarrassingly, I’d always purchased frozen. While I love them any way I can get them, I thought roasting fresh sprouts would be a more elegant and  satisfying way to prepare them, bringing out their natural sugars without complicating the cooking process. That instinct was a good one.

behold! caramelized perfection

Man, were these good! Dave and I ate them like candy while the turkey meatloaf finished cooking (unexpected: while delicious, the meatloaf played second fiddle to the gorgeous Brussels sprouts). Here’s what I came up with, main course listed first:

TURKEY MEATLOAF

adapted from Triathlete (so you know it’s nutritious!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 package ground turkey breast
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced to match
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste, or 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • large pinch kosher salt
  • several large grinds cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat that oven! To 375. Dice the onion and pepper first, and heat your olive oil over medium in a large saute pan. Add those veggies, and cook them for 10 minutes, until they’re softened and the onion is slightly browned.

fragrant and lovely

Meanwhile, chop the parsley and garlic, if you’re using fresh, and grab a large mixing bowl. Combine the parsley, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper with a spoon. Blend this well. Add the turkey and fold it into the herb and sauce mix until it’s all one big seasoned gloppy mess. YUM. Don’t forget to stir those veggies every now and then.

When the onion and pepper are sufficiently soft and fragrant, mix them into the turkey and sauce. This can be done with a spoon since ground turkey is less sturdy than beef (i.e., no need to get your hands involved). Make sure to mix well. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf about an inch and a half tall and 8 inches long- do this on a vented broiling pan. If you like ketchup on top, brush 2 tablespoons on top now.  You may also want to line the broiling pan with foil for easy cleanup (something I thought of while staring at my broiling pan after dinner). Pop that bad boy into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 before serving. Delish!

don’t take a picture of the cooked meal, just post one of raw meat, like this!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the super easy pièce de résistance:

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, washed and ends trimmed if not purchased trimmed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt (eyeball this, add/subtract to your liking)
  • cracked black pepper
  • 2 shallots, cut into quarters (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, then spread onto a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet. I made mine in cast-iron because I was feeling rustic and wholesome and full of the fall spirit. Circle the wagons, guys. If you’re also feeling that way, go cast iron, and don’t look back. Roast for 40 minutes and serve! So easy! So healthy! Good for you!

gawgeous, pre-cooked

These were so pretty, my sister commented that they “looked suspiciously like a Pinterest post,” which is pretty high on my List of Possible Compliments. Enjoy!

leftovers for lunch > pb&j

Quick Marinara Sauce For A Crowd, or “What To Do With Four Pints of Grape Tomatoes” (v, gf)

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We had a party* this weekend!!!!!! First we’ve had in, oh, about three years, so I bought way too many groceries to make the food I had on the menu. What was on the menu? Burgers, brats, BBQ chicken, all of the necessary burger fixins, chips, dips, potato salad with cabbage and sesame oil, avocado and corn tomato salad, baked beans and 534845321564 cookies and cupcakes (none of which I baked).

It was a delicious and overindulgent day, and I wound up with four pints of leftover grape tomatoes from the avocado salad…. What in the heck do you make for a two-person household using that many tomatoes? A friend suggested I make a marinara sauce (my first instinct was tomato soup), so I did, thinking I’ll freeze some later. This recipe begins with the usual disclaimer that I was short on time, so I had to improvise my way through the slow-cooking I would have preferred for the sauce. Cue the food processor…..

the innumerable tomatoes mock me

QUICK MARINARA SAUCE FOR A CROWD

Ingredients:

  • 4 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes, preferably sitting on your counter ripening for two days, challenging you to a “you can’t cook me” face-off
  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 very large onions, chopped
  • 5+ cloves garlic, or 3 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 1/2 tbsp  dried Italian seasoning (small palmful)
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 2-3 tsp kosher salt (you may prefer more, I try to limit salt)
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup water or pasta water, if you’re simultaneously cooking pasta and you like a thinner sauce

Directions:

Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the hot pot, and swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, and spices, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add the washed tomatoes and water, if using, cooking for about ten minutes, or until the tomatoes start to break down from the heat and salt. Add balsamic at this point, and stir. Cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes more, or however long you have.

Remove from heat and uncover, letting the sauce cool for about ten minutes before processing in batches. The benefit of quick-cooking a sauce like this is that it’s light and fresh at the end, which is nice in the spring and versatile. I plan to freeze it in muffin cups and use the fairly neutral sauce in future pastas and soups. I also thought that a quickly browned pound of ground beef or turkey could easily turn into a spaghetti dinner with two or three servings of the sauce, tossed in at the end of cooking time to melt and meld, then be served over pasta.  This sauce is also a great way to use sale tomatoes!

If I’d had more time (Always. Always “if I’d had more time…”), I would have roasted the tomatoes and onions together in a large roasting dish with olive oil before transferring to a stock pot to simmer, and then puree. The flavor would have been richer, but that will be a delicious way to try this sauce in the fall. Enjoy!

Sauteed with cooked ground beef- this was the next day’s lunch. YUM

Some more ideas:

  1. omit balsamic, stir in creme fraiche, or chunks of neufchatel
  2. stir in ribbons of fresh basil after pureeing
  3. stir in Kalamata olives and feta cheese before pureeing, serve over fish
  4. add zucchini or spinach for a nutritional boost
  5. use a head of roasted garlic in place of fresh cloves (DEFINITELY trying this!)

*

Breakfast Smoothie & Detoxifying “Green Drank” (v, gf)

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Recently, a reader asked why I have posted only one true breakfast recipe. The answer is, I usually blend a protein smoothie for myself and throw it in a blender bottle in the morning- it’s a fast, portable meal that keeps me full for hours, and the protein is timed well after morning workouts. Posting variations of the same smoothie would be boring, but I thought I’d share the basics.

My favorite combo is:

PB & CHOCOLATE BANANA SMOOTHIE

  • 2-3 scoops chocolate protein powder (your choice- whey, soy, both, other)
  • 1 banana, cut into chunks
  • 1 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • water (1 1/2- 2 cups)

Directions: blend all ingredients well, for about 2 minutes in a food processor. Pour and serve.

But this morning, I made:

VANILLA-BLUEBERRY FLAX SMOOTHIE

  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (whey or vegan)
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 2 cups water Read More

Apple Cinnamon Granola (veg)

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Dave loves granola, and I’ve been pretty unhappy with what we’ve been buying. So much of what’s available in grocery stores is laden with fat and way too much sugar (which is why it’s so good, but still). I’d been wanting to try to make my own so I wouldn’t feel like I was sugar poisoning my husband, so this apple cinnamon version was my first attempt, mostly because I had all of the ingredients at home. It was soooo easy- just mix and bake.

The recipe I loosely followed still used more sugar than I did, so my measurements are below.  The proportions of oil and liquid/sweeteners to nuts and grains seems like a good jumping off point for other versions. Ta-da!

APPLE CINNAMON GRANOLA

Adapted from Rockstar Diaries

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 3.9 oz cup Motts Natural applesauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used Penzey’s Vietnamese Extra Fancy– ooh, la la)
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 c honey
  • 3 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1/2 c almonds, unsalted
  • 1/2 c cashews, lightly salted
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • parchment paper to line baking sheet Read More

Quickie: 4-Minute Bibimbap Fake-Out (veg, gf)

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Had four minutes yesterday morning to whip up something that would feed me for two lunches. That’s all the intro needed.

with first Sriracha application

 4-MINUTE BIBIMBAP FAKE-OUT

Ingredients:

Roasted Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes with Coarse Salt and Nutmeg (v, gf)

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If you have read my other posts, it’s no big secret that I adore sweet potatoes. With undying, eat-them-two-to-three-times-a-week adoration. They’re incredibly nutritious, they’re versatile, they’re filling, and they’re beyond delectable. Craveable, even… which leads me to this post.

snack ti-yme

I had NEVER TRIED sweet potatoes (say whaaaa!!!???) until I met my husband. My mother-in-law, Jane Ann, makes them in holiday casseroles and as dinner sides all the time and she opened my sad, beta carotene-deficient eyes to the wonderful vegetable. My life is now divided into time BSP and ASP.

These days, when I want a sweet and salty, deeply flavorful snack that is still going to do something good for my body, I make these. If you can wait about an hour to snack, I swear: give these a shot and they will kill any craving you have. They have all the warm, homey trappings of comfort food, and they won’t break the calorie bank. From the bottom of my orange, starchy little heart, here are:

ROASTED BROWN SUGAR SWEET POTATOES WITH COARSE SALT AND NUTMEG

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes (at least 1 pound)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • a few shakes of cinnamon (1/4 tsp or so)
  • freshly grated nutmeg (same- 1/4 tsp or so)
  • a large pinch of kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp) Read More