Artichoke Tart with Polenta Crust

I was talking to a friend the other day about artichokes. She has a love of artichokes that she passed on to her daughter, so now they enjoy them together. I’ve never felt that strongly about artichokes. Sure, I’ve eaten (more than) my fair share of Spinach Artichoke Dip, but I’ll eat just about anything that involves spinach and cheese. When I saw this recipe for an Artichoke Tart, I was really drawn in by the polenta crust and the pretty fluted tart pan. I also figured it would give me a chance to try artichokes on their own.

The recipe looks more complicated than it really is, and polenta is very forgiving. You really don’t need to fuss. I liked the creamy texture of the tart, although it could have used just a bit more flavor. I think some garlic or caramelized onions would help. And the verdict on the artichokes? They were my least favorite part. I admit, I was wishing I had used spinach, or mushrooms, or asparagus. But that is the beauty of a recipe like this one, you can pick whatever vegetable you like.

Artichoke Tart with Polenta Crust

Crust
3 c. water
1 Knorr Vegetable Bouillon cube
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/4 t black pepper

Filling
1 c. nonfat Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 T Italian seasoning
1/4 t black pepper
1 (14 oz.) can artichokes, drained well
1/2 c. low fat ricotta cheese

Heat water in a pan on medium heat. When the water is simmering, dissolve bouillon cube. Pour cornmeal into the pot slowly, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and continue stirring for 5-10 minutes, until polenta is thickened. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan cheese, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in egg and black pepper. Spread polenta mixture into a large pie dish or tart pan coated with cooking spray. Spread the crust up the sides, and use a spatula or your fingers to make it smooth.

Mix yogurt, eggs, Pamesan cheese, and spices in a bowl and set aside.

Place artichoke pieces on the crust. Place spoonfuls of ricotta cheese around the articokes. Pour the yogurt filling into the crust.

Place pie dish or tart pan on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375F for 45-50 minutes.

-Lightly adapted from Stacey Snacks

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

Last week I spotted some fettuccine alfredo at the hospital cafeteria, and realized that the only ‘alfredo’ recipe on the blog was Hungry Girl’s Girlfredo Pizza. Here is my attempt at a more traditional alfredo, inspired by this recipe. You’ll notice there’s not much chicken, but a little bit goes a long way.

Although this is a fairly simple recipe, I had 4 burners going at once in order to steam the broccoli, cook the chicken, boil the pasta, and make the cheese sauce. That’s a little too much work for an average weeknight, so I’d save this dish for the weekend and cook the chicken in advance if you can.

Once I finally sat down to eat, I really enjoyed this dish. It was rich and creamy without being too heavy. It’s not exactly what you’d get in an Italian restaurant, but it’s pretty good!

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo

1 (16 oz.) package broccoli, steamed
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
2 T canola oil
2 t minced garlic
2 T flour
1 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 c. nonfat milk
Dash paprika
1/2 c. grated Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese (such as from Trader Joe’s)
6 oz. whole wheat linguine, cooked al dente

Pour oil into a medium saucepan on medium low heat. Add garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Stir in flour and mix until smooth. Reduce heat to low and stir in broth, yogurt, and milk. Add paprika. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Toss together broccoli, chicken, linguine, and cheese sauce and serve.

– Adapted from celebrations.com

Crockpot Ethiopian Chicken Stew

I’ve been looking for some spicy food lately, and this Ethiopian Chicken Stew looked like a good recipe to try. The recipe also calls for hard boiled eggs, and it just so happens that I had some beautifully colored eggs in my refrigerator. Traditionally, the egg is placed in the stew whole, but it was easier to eat when I chopped it up.

Some of the comments on the original recipe indicated the stew was fairly spicy, and a full teaspoon of cayenne pepper seemed like too much for me. I cut that back to a 1/4 teaspoon which ended up being just right. I also wanted to mention that I used frozen chopped onions for the first time. Not only did it save me time, but I am pretty sure it also saved me money.

The stew may not be the prettiest dish in the world, but it hit the spot perfectly. Next time I’ll try to make my own injera!

Crockpot Ethiopian Chicken Stew

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 (12 oz.) bag chopped onion
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 t ginger
1 T paprika
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t turmeric
2 c. water
Hard boiled eggs

Place tomatoes in the bottom of the crockpot. Place chicken thighs over tomatoes. Add onions, vinegar, spices, and water. Cook on High for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is falling apart. Serve each bowl with a hard boiled egg.

-Adapted from Stephanie O’Dea (Crockpot 365)

Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Pudding

When you think of Easter, chocolate comes to mind, right? But we couldn’t settle for just any chocolate bunny for dessert – my sister decided to make Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Pudding. We have both made a ton of Smitten recipes and they are generally perfect. But this pudding didn’t set quite right, and a review of the comments shows that other readers had the same problem.

Since we ended up with delicious drinkable chocolate, I can’t call it a total flop. But if you’re looking for something more pudding-like, it seems like the key may be to either cook the pudding for longer than indicated, or use direct heat rather than the double boiler. This tasted so good that I think it’s worth another shot someday!

Spinach and Tomato Strata

My two nephews came to visit for Easter, and I wanted to make sure I spent time with them, instead of the kitchen! So I put together this Spinach and Tomato Strata early in the morning, and popped it in the refrigerator. We went to the park and played, and then came home. I put the dish in the oven, and we played some more.

A short while later, brunch was served. The strata was accompanied by chicken sausage, fruit salad, and Hot Cross Biscuits. The consensus was that the strata was good, but could be even better. My sister suggested adding Parmesan cheese to the spinach/tomato mixture, and adding more salt and pepper. I also think it would be better if the bread was torn into smaller pieces. But it was certainly nice to have almost the whole meal prepared in advance. We’ll have plenty of opportunities this summer to try out those changes and I’ll keep you posted.

Spinach and Tomato Strata

1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained well
1 loaf sturdy whole wheat bread
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 T Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits
5 eggs
2 1/2 c. skim milk
Salt & Pepper
1 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Spread half of tomatoes in a 13″x9″ dish coated with cooking spray. Place one layer of bread slices in the dish, tearing the pieces to fit around the edges. Mix remaining tomatoes with spinach and garlic. Scoop evenly onto bread. Add another layer of bread slices.

Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl and pour over everything. Top with shredded cheddar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Remove from refrigerator and bake uncovered at 375F for 45-50 minutes, until set.

-Adapted from Cooking Light

Pasta with Asparagus and Tomatoes

I just couldn’t wait any longer, I had to buy some asparagus. Of course, the bunch I bought was from Mexico because I don’t think it’s available locally quite yet. I was inspired by this recipe from Giada which uses the asparagus in a simple pasta dish. The original recipe also uses fresh tomatoes, but we’re months away from seeing anything like that around here, so I opened up a can.

I also bought a new product this week at Trader Joe’s: freshly shaved Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago. Every good pasta dish needs at least a little cheese, and I really like this stuff. The cheese is shaved in large pieces with a nice sharp flavor. This is a great alternative to shredding the cheese yourself, because I am far too lazy for that.

In the end, this dish doesn’t have a ton of flavor, but it’s still a satisfying meal. I think it will be much better when asparagus and/or tomatoes are truly in season, and a little bit of fresh basil might be good too. I’ll try to be patient.

Pasta with Asparagus and Tomatoes

1 T olive oil
1 t minced garlic (or Garlic Gold toasted garlic bits)
1 bunch asparagus, stems removed and cut into 1″ pieces
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes in juice
6 oz. whole wheat rotini, cooked and drained, reserving 1/2 c water
1/4 c. freshly shaved Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheese, plus more for serving

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Add asparagus pieces and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, and cover frying pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5-10 minutes until asparagus is tender. Add pasta to pan, and stir well. Add cheese and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water if dish is too dry.

-Adapated from Giada at the Food Network

Chicken Yakisoba

What’s yakisoba you ask? Mark Bittman wrote an article about this Japanese dish with vegetables, meat, and noodles all tossed in a thick brown sauce. I saw this recipe first on Budget Bytes, but Bittman acknowledges that yakisoba is meant to be flexible. It’s a “use what you have” kind of dish, and you all know how much I like those.

On that note, I used buckwheat soba noodles which I had in the cabinet. But after further research, the noodles which come in the Ramen package are closer to the kind which are authentically used in the dish. I haven’t bought a package of Ramen since I finished college, so this recipe provides a good excuse! But it’s the sweet and spicy brown sauce which really makes the recipe good. I would never have thought to mix soy sauce, Worcestershire, and ketchup together, but it works. Just be sure to adjust the cayenne pepper to your taste. Enjoy!

Chicken Yakisoba

3 T reduced sodium soy sauce
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T ketchup
1 t sugar
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 T canola oil
1 T garlic ginger paste
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen vegetables, such as Trader Joe’s Harvest Hodgepodge
4-5 oz. soba noodles or Ramen noodles, cooked and drained

Mix soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sugar, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add garlic ginger paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Add vegetables, and saute 10-15 minutes more. Mix in sauce. Add noodles, and toss to coat.

-Adapted from Budget Bytes

Hot Cross Biscuits

Lent is supposed to be about penance and sacrifice. These biscuits from Joy the Baker do have a cross on the top, but it is certainly not a sacrifice to make them. And it definitely isn’t a sacrifice to eat them!

Last year I made my grandmother’s traditional hot cross buns which were good, but these biscuits are even easier because there is no yeast required. You just need a lot of butter and a few other ingredients. Don’t worry if you don’t have a biscuit cutter, the top of a glass works just fine! You need more butter and some powdered sugar for the frosted cross, but you can’t skip this step or they’re just biscuits. And who doesn’t like a reason to make a small batch of frosting?

Rainbow Asian Slaw

Yesterday’s soup may have lacked some flavor, but this recipe makes up for that, I promise! I saw this Rainbow Asian Slaw and thought it was so pretty. It reminded me of farmer’s markets in the summer, when you are surrounded by fresh vegetables of every color. We’re not quite there yet so I took a shortcut and used packaged slaw mix along with some extra carrots I had on hand.

This recipe really is fantastic. The honey makes it a little sweet and the peanuts make it a little salty and you can taste the freshly minced ginger in every bite. I can’t wait to make it again this summer with some seasonal vegetables!

Rainbow Asian Slaw

1 (12 oz.) package broccoli slaw
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts
1 c. shelled edamame
2 T canola oil
2 T rice vinegar
2 T honey
1 T soy sauce
1 T freshly minced ginger
1 T peanut butter

Toss slaw, carrots, scallions, peanuts, and edamame in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and use to dress the salad.

-Adapted from Heat Oven to 350

Baked Potato Soup

Although it may technically be spring, it’s not too late to make a big pot of soup for dinner. This Baked Potato Soup from Skinnytaste has been on my “must try” list for a while now. If you’re into things like bacon (and I know some of you are!) head on over to the original recipe.

I made a vegetarian version of the soup which I intended to be like a broccoli and cheese stuffed potato. The soup was good, but it was a little bland. I was much more generous with the salt and pepper than usual. I added some extra cheese too, which always helps. This was a filling soup, and very quick to make if you bake the potatoes in advance, so I may just have to try it again and make it better.

Baked Potato Soup

2 large potatoes, baked, peeled, and mashed with a fork
1 (16 oz.) package frozen cauliflower
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. skim milk
Salt & Pepper
1/2 c. low fat sour cream
1 c. chopped broccoli, steamed
Shredded cheddar cheese (such as Cabot 75% reduced fat)

Steam cauliflower in a large pot. Drain, return to pot, and mash. Add potatoes, broth, milk, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. If you have an immersion blender and would like a more consistent texture, give it a whirl.

On low heat, stir in the sour cream. Serve topped with broccoli and shredded cheese.

-Adapted from Skinnytaste