Vegetable Tamale Pies

Serves 6

What You Need
6 au gratin or small oven proof dishes (or one 9 x 9 baking dish)
1 cup cornmeal for polenta (or prepared polenta, about two 18 ounce tubes)
3 cups pinto beans, cooked (or canned)
1 cup frozen corn
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (or a mix of Monterrey jack and cheddar)
Sour cream to serve

Note: If you have time, we recommend cooking the beans from dry beans – it greatly enhances the flavor and texture!

What To Do

1 Make the polenta. When it is done, spread a layer evenly in the bottom of each dish. You can prepare it in advance and refrigerate until baking.

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3 Chop the cilantro. Drain the can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 cups salsa to remove excess liquid. If using canned beans, drain and rinse the beans.

4 In large bowl, coarsely mash the beans with a fork. Add 1 cup corn, tomatoes, salsa, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup cilantro. Mix to combine.

5 Spoon the bean mixture on top of the polenta. Top each dish with cheese and remaining cilantro.

6 Bake for 20 minutes until heated through. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream to serve.

from ACoupleCooks

Gingered Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry

Vegetarian Times Issue: April 1, 2006
Loaded with bright green vegetables and bursting with flavor, this stir-fry is like a little taste of springtime. Serve it with brown rice.

Ingredient List
Serves 6

3 tsp. vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp.)
3 green onions, minced
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
4 Tbs. low-sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbs. dry sherry
2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. black bean garlic sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 large head bok choy (about 1 1/2 lb.), stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces, leaves shredded
8 oz. snow peas
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
10 radishes, trimmed and quartered
8 oz. baked teriyaki tofu, cut into 1/2-inch-cubes

Directions
Heat 1 tsp. oil in large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic, green onions and ginger, and cook 1 minute, stirring often, until fragrant. Add broth, sherry, soy sauce, black bean sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and pour into small bowl.
Heat remaining 2 tsp. vegetable oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add bok choy stalks and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add snow peas and cook, stirring, 1 minute, or until vegetables are crisp-tender and bright green.
Add bok choy leaves and pinch of salt to pan. Cook, tossing gently, until leaves just wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn, radishes, tofu and sauce, tossing gently until warmed through. Serve immediately.

Per SERVING: Calories: 187, Protein: 13g, Total fat: 8g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 17g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 679mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 5g

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons water or chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon Siracha (optional)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
Half a bell pepper, cut into strips
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
Rice, for serving

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water/chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Stir in hoisin, vinegar and Siracha and set aside.

Add oil to wok or large skillet and set over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cashews and stir until garlic is golden and fragrant. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then add to wok. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, then add pepper strips and cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the green onions. Serve with rice and top with remaining green onions and additional cashews, if desired.  Serves 3

From CookLikeAChampion

Vegetarian Chickpea Burgers

From Everyday with Rachael Ray via my mother-in-law Pat
- 1 15-oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 4-oz can diced green chiles
- 2/3 C packed flat leaf parsley
- 2/3 C bread crumbs (Pat note: I use regular, flavored, Panko – whatever. Jane note: I used Panko last night)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lg egg
- 2 T veggie oil (Pat note: I have used olive too)
- 4 thin slices cheddar cheese
- 4 burger buns
- Ketchup, mayo or other toppings (Pat note: I never use these or the cheese or the buns. Jane note: she’s being totally serious here. ha!)

Now… In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, chiles and parsley till finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and s and p to taste (Jane note: I only did ~1/2 tsp salt – should have done more). Stir in the egg and form the 4 patties, each about 2/3 inch thick.

Then… In a large skillet heat the oil over med low heat. Cook the burgers for 4 minutes then flip and cook for 3-5 minutes and add cheese if desired. Pat usually cooks till they are nice and golden brown. (Pat note: Don’t forget, you can shape them into fun designs, like fake turkey legs or letters for your kids!)

Postscript: These are way easier to flip in the pan if you make them into mini-burgers. Click here for a follow-up post with more info on miniaturizing the burgers!

From ThisWeekForDinner

REAL SIMPLE LASAGNA

This is from Real Simple magazine, but it really is ‘real simple’!

1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 18-ounce bag frozen large cheese ravioli, unthawed
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmesan


Heat oven to 350° F. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place 12 ravioli on top. Cover with the spinach and half the mozzarella. Add another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Asian-Style Orange Sauced Norwegian Salmon with Sesame Broccoli

From Norwegian Salmon
- (4) 5-6 oz Norwegian Salmon fillets, skin removed
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup rice cooking wine (I couldn’t find this at the store, so we used white wine)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 each orange slices (and more for garnish if you like)
- 3 cups broccoli, florets
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- 1 tsp orange zest
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375° F

Make sauce: in a sauce pot, combine orange juice, rice cooking wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and sugar. Reduce until thickened (about 2/3 original volume)

Arrange salmon fillets in oiled casserole dish. Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with 1 slice of orange. Pour sauce into casserole dish

Bake for 12–15 minutes or until salmon is pink in center.

While salmon is baking, cook broccoli: Blanch florets in large pot of salted boiling water until tender. Strain water and drain florets well. Toss with sesame oil, sesame seeds and dash of soy sauce

Arrange salmon on plate surrounded with broccoli florets. Garnish with chopped cilantro and orange zest. (Whoops! We forgot the cilantro…but I’m certain it would be a nice touch!)

From ThisWeekForDinner

"Recipes for Health"

Recipes for Health is a regular feature in the NYTimes. I researched as far back as the week on beets.

Quinoa, Corn and Edamame Salad

Quinoa and edamame contribute lots of protein to this mildly spicy, highly textured summer salad.

For the salad:

1 cup quinoa, cooked
2 ears sweet corn
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, cut in small dice
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery, from the tender inner stalks
4 or 5 radishes, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen edamame
2 ounces feta, cut in small dice (about 1/2 cup, optional)
1 jalape?r serrano chile, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove (more to taste), finely minced or pureed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

1. Cut the corn kernels away from the cobs. Discard the cobs (or use for stock), and place the kernels in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam for four minutes. Remove from the heat, rinse with cold water and drain.

2. Soak the onion in cold water to cover for five minutes. Drain, rinse and drain on paper towels.

3. Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss with the salad. Serve.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: The quinoa freezes well and the assembled salad will keep for a day in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 359 calories; 18 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 43 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 25 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 10 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 239 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 17 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 7 grams protein

From NYTimes

Lasagna With Spinach and Cottage Cheese

I'm substituting cottage cheese here for the ricotta used in the classic version of this lasagna. In a pinch, you could make it with prepared marinara sauce, and it then becomes a quick and very satisfying dinner.

1 1/2 cups low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese
2 1/2 cups fresh tomato sauce or simple marinara sauce made with canned tomatoes
12 ounces baby spinach, or 1 generous bunch spinach (about 12 ounces), stemmed and washed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or lasagna dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Place the cottage cheese in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and blend until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, and blend until smooth. Scrape into a bowl.

3. Wash the spinach, and wilt in a large frying pan over high heat in the water left on the leaves after washing. Transfer to a colander, rinse briefly and squeeze out excess water. Chop fine (by hand or in a food processor), then stir the spinach into the cottage cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add enough lasagna noodles to cover the surface of the baking dish (for my rectangular dish, that's three lasagna noodles). Boil just until the pasta is flexible, about two or three minutes for no-boil lasagna. Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water, and drain on a clean dish towel. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, and top with a layer of noodles. Top the noodles with a third of the cottage cheese mixture. Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the noodles. Top with 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan.

5. Repeat these layers two more times, using up the cottage cheese/spinach mixture but retaining tomato sauce and Parmesan for the top layer. Cook one more batch of lasagna noodles, and top with the remaining tomato sauce and Parmesan. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs, and drizzle on the olive oil. Cover tightly with foil, place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. If you wish to brown the top, uncover and continue to bake until the top just begins to color, about five minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for five to 10 minutes, and serve.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: The lasagna can be assembled up to a day ahead of time, covered with plastic and refrigerated. Replace the plastic with foil before baking. It can also be frozen for up to a month.

Nutritional information per serving (using 2 percent low-fat cottage cheese): 320 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 12 milligrams cholesterol; 42 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 360 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 18 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (using fat-free cottage cheese): 311 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 milligrams cholesterol; 44 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 389 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 18 grams protein

Cooked Grains Salad With Tomato Vinaigrette

You can use a variety of grains in this salad. I've made it with a mixture of brown rice and farro, with quinoa and with bulgur. The mixture makes a robust main-dish salad for summer.

1/2 pound ripe, locally grown tomatoes
1 garlic clove, green shoot removed, finely chopped or pur?
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups cooked grains, such as quinoa, brown rice, medium or large bulgur, or a combination
Kernels from 1 ear of corn, steamed four minutes (you can cut them from the cob before or after you steam)
1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, parsley or tarragon, or a combination

1. Cut the tomatoes in half across the equator, and grate on the large holes of a box grater into a wide bowl. Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, vinegar and olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients, toss together and serve.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can make this several hours ahead and keep in the refrigerator, but leave out the herbs until ready to serve. Leftovers are good for a couple of days.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 320 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 48 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 21 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 10 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 214 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 32 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 14 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 7 grams protein