White Bean and Walnut Spread

I had high hopes for this spread, but it did not live up to it’s potential. I made it the night before, so the flavors would have a chance to meld, but that didn’t happen. Since I was taking this to a party directly from work, I didn’t have a chance to taste it until I was in the host’s home. I added more salt at her house, but there wasn’t much else I could do at that point. Here it is, served on a mini whole wheat pita from Trader Joe’s:

1 c. dry white beans, soaked overnight and then cooked
1 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 t minced garlic
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
Salt

Mix beans, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor and blend until desired consistency. Place mixture in a small bowl, and stir in parsley and walnuts. Add salt to taste.

-Adapted from Epicurious

On a positive note, the guests certainly were treated to many other wonderful appetizers, including this one: Belgian Endive topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill.

Broccoli Feta Salad

The original recipe for this salad calls for raw broccoli, but I knew I would enjoy it more with broccoli that was partially cooked. I also increased the amount of dressing as recommended in the reviews, and the final proportions are below. This tasted great, and could be served as either a light main dish, or a BBQ side dish.

3-4 c. chopped broccoli, steamed for 2-3 minutes
1 (15 oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. fat free feta cheese
1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
2 T lemon juice
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t black pepper

Mix feta, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and black pepper in a small bowl. Toss with broccoli and beans.

-Adapted from Eating Well

Thai Turkey Curry

First, I was going to make Thai Turkey burgers. Then, I thought about Thai Turkey Meatloaf. I finally decided on this dish, which turned out really well. It would be great served over brown rice.

2 t olive oil
1 t minced garlic
2 T diced scallion
1 lb. ground turkey
2 t red curry paste
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 (10 oz.) box chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 T lime juice

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and scallion, and saute for 2 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned; drain any excess grease. Add remaining ingredients (curry paste, cilantro, spinach, tomato sauce, and lime juice) and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Zucchini Fritters

I absolutely loved the flavor of these fritters with fresh scallion and mint. These would make a great summer appetizer. Next time I will use feta cheese, since I think the flavor will fit better with the other ingredients. Also, I will be sure to grease the cookie sheet more thoroughly since the fritters got a little stuck. When zucchini season really starts, you should see these again.

2 c. shredded zucchini
1 t sea salt
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 c. diced scallion
1/4 c. chopped fresh mint
1 egg

Toss zucchini and salt in a colander, and leave to drain for 1 hour. Mix drained zucchini, flour, cheese, scallion, mint, and egg in a large bowl. Form into balls, and place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

-Adapted from Gourmet

Pina Colada Oats

I had some light coconut milk leftover from the Thai dish I made last week, so I decided to make Pina Colada oats. No rum with breakfast though! I admit I was disappointed in this variation of oatmeal. I didn’t really taste the coconut, and the pineapple didn’t make the oats as sweet as I would have liked, so I went back for more Splenda. It was still fun to try something new, but I’ll find another use for leftover coconut milk.

1/2 c. oats
1/3 c. light coconut milk
2/3 c. water
Sugar or Splenda to taste
1/2 c. pineapple tidbits, mostly drained

Mix oats, coconut milk, and water in a saucepan, and cook on medium high until desired consistency, using sugar or Splenda if desired. Top with pineapple tidbits.

Recession Roast

My cooking club theme this month was cooking on a budget. We each had to spend less than $5 on ingredients to make our dish. However, you could also use whatever staples you had in the house. Since we are a creative bunch (and have staples such as pine nuts), we had quite a feast: stuffed shells, stuffed peppers, green beans with pine nuts, and even a trifle for dessert!

My contribution was a pot roast, which I purchased on sale for $1.79/lb. That used up most of the $5, so I used garlic powder, thyme, and black pepper from my cabinet and rubbed the spices on the roast. I cooked the beef in the crockpot, with some beef broth made from a bouillon cube.

The roast was moist when I first took it out of the crockpot, but seemed to dry out fairly quickly. I liked the mix of spices, and would definitely use the same combination again, but next time I will make some kind of gravy or sauce to serve on the side.

Thai Tofu

Yes, you can use chicken instead of tofu if you prefer. So even if you’re not a fan of tofu, keep reading!

This was the first time I used red curry paste, which was in the international foods aisle at my regular grocery store. I was nervous to use the full teaspoon, but I am so glad I did. The dish had just the right amount of kick for my tastes. That means some of you can use two teaspoons.

1 c. light coconut milk
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 t red curry paste
1 t brown sugar
14 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
2 t olive oil
3 cups fresh spinach
2-3 c. chopped vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, and pea pods

Whisk coconut milk, cilantro, curry paste, and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom. Add vegetables and continue cooking until almost tender. Add curry sauce, and cook for 2 more minutes until heated through.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

These muffins were very moist and you could really see the strawberries. I had a difficult time getting a good picture though!

2 eggs
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 large bananas, mashed
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1 1/2 c. chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and bananas. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir into banana mixture until moistened. Stir in the strawberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups until completely filled.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly. Cool before removing from muffin tins.

-Adapted from a Weight Watchers message board recipe