Tag: vegetarian

Chickpeas and Carrots over Couscous

Just a couple of weeks ago, I made a chickpea and carrot salad which was pretty good. Then I saw this Cumin-Spiced Chickpeas and Carrots recipe in Cooking Light, and decided that sounded even better. Most of the comments indicated that the dish needed more sauce, so I increased the amount of liquid and made a few other changes to suit my tastes.

All of the changes worked well, and I really liked this dish. That was a good thing since it made 5 lunches worth of food! I also really like using whole wheat couscous as a base for the chickpeas and carrots. It’s not always available in the regular grocery store, but I do find it at Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find whole wheat couscous, brown rice would work well too.

Chickpeas and Carrots over Couscous

1/2 c. vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lemon
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 T canola oil, divided
2 c. sliced carrots
1 t cumin
1/2 t garam masala
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
4 c. cooked whole wheat couscous

Combine broth, lemon juice, and tomato sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet over high heat, and fry chickpeas for 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove chickpeas from pan and set aside.

Add remaining tablespoon of oil to pan, and add sliced carrots. Stir fry for 5-10 minutes. Add cumin, garam masala, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir well. Add in broth mixture and chikpeas. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over couscous.

Mexican Grilled Salad

I hope everyone had a great long weekend! Did you try any of the recipes I suggested for an End of Summer BBQ? My classes start today, and I am actually really excited about the new semester. There’s a lot left to learn, and I want to keep moving towards the goal of being a Registered Dietitian. But if you’re not ready for fall, don’t worry. There’s at least a week of summer left on Recipes that Fit, and it will be full of tomatoes, eggplant, and corn.

This salad was at least partially made with ingredients from a Rhode Island farmer’s market, and is a variation of the Mediterranean Chopped Salad from earlier this summer. The corn, tomatoes, and onion can all be grilled in advance.

I got the idea for grilled croutons from Emeril, and added a Mexican flair by dipping the bread in a mixture of olive oil and chili powder.

Of course, any of the salad ingredients can be optional, and you could add sliced jalapenos if you’d like your salad to have more kick. I used queso fresco, which is a soft and mild cheese, but shredded cheddar would also be good. This might be the last time I eat fresh corn this season, and this salad was the perfect way to enjoy it!

Mexican Grilled Salad

Ears of Corn, husks removed
Onion, sliced thickly
Tomatoes, cut in half and seeds removed
Baguette slices
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, and Cumin
Romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn
Black Beans, rinsed and drained
Avocado, diced
Queso Fresco, crumbled
Olives sliced
Limes

1. Place corn and onion slices directly on a hot grill. Cook until nicely browned. Cool slightly, and remove corn niblets with a knife. Chop grilled onion.
2. Drizzle tomato halves with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until browned and softened, using a grill basket if available. Cool slightly, remove tomato skins, and chop.
3. Dip baguette slices in a mixture of olive oil and chili powder. Place directly on a hot grill, and cook until browned. Cool slightly, and chop into croutons.
4. Mix 3 T olive oil, 2-3 T lime juice, 1/2 t cumin, 1/2 t chili powder, 1/8 t salt, and 1/8 t cayenne pepper in a small bowl. (Makes enough dressing for 3-4 salads.)
5. Assemble salads using all ingredients, drizzle with dressing, and serve.

Stuffed Eggplant

This was supposed to be an end of summer masterpiece. Sometimes when you build a recipe up in your head and predict it will be fabulous, it can’t possibly meet your expectations. It started when I bought another $1 eggplant from a stand at the Brookline Farmer’s Market. Last year, I made zucchini boats which were kind of neat, so this time I figured I’d try stuffed eggplant. I read through a bunch of different recipes like this one, and then gave it a go using the ingredients I had on hand.

The end result wasn’t inedible, it was just boring. I felt like I was eating stuffing out of a theoretically edible bowl. I say ‘theoretically edible’ because the eggplant shell still wasn’t very soft after an hour in the oven, and I had to scrape it with my fork to remove the flesh. Although the eggplant looks reasonably pretty when it comes out of the oven, things go downhill pretty fast when you try to cut each shell into pieces. So unless you’re going for initial presentation, actually stuffing the eggplant seems like a waste of time. The filling itself did taste pretty good, but required even more salt and pepper in my dish. None of the flavors were dominant, and the dish really needed a strong herb to give it some character.

So why am I sharing this recipe at all? Because either you’ll, a) use this information to create a much better version of stuffed eggplant or, b) decide to use your eggplant in other ways. Maybe Grilled Balsamic Eggplant Sandwiches?

Stuffed Eggplant

1 T olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves torn and stems chopped, divided
1 large eggplant
6-7 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 c. cooked brown rice
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook shallot for 3-5 minutes, until just starting to brown. Add Swiss chard stems, and cook until softened.

Meanwhile, halve eggplant, and scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/2″ shell. Chop the eggplant pieces, and add to the frying pan. Cook until softened, and then add the mushrooms and Swiss chard leaves. When all of the vegetables are done, remove the pan from heat. Add brown rice and almonds, and season generously with salt and pepper.

Place eggplant shells in a glass dish. Fill with vegetable/rice mixture. Cover tightly with foil, and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Italian Baked Potatoes

When I went to the farmer’s market last week, I was stunned to see apples and squashes already. Those are most definitely fall foods and I haven’t yet accepted the fact that my leisurely summer is coming to an end. I filled my bag with eggplant and zucchini and peaches and almost ran away so I would not be faced with reality.

And then I spied local potatoes for just $1/lb., and threw some of those in my bag as well. While you might not think of baked potatoes at the end of August, this recipe from Real Simple needs to be made now while tomatoes are still seasonal. I managed to make this recipe decidedly less ‘simple’ and yet I think much better than the original.

Italian Baked Potatoes

2 large potatoes, scrubbed and poked with a knife
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 t olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 t garlic powder
1 t dried basil

Place potatoes in a 400F degree oven. Meanwhile, toss tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on a baking sheet. After potatoes have cooked 30 minutes, place pan with tomatoes in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft, and tomatoes are roasted and split open.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta, Paremsan, garlic powder, and basil. Place each potato on a plate and cut in a criss-cross fashion. Top with ricotta mixture and roasted tomatoes and serve.

-Adapted from Real Simple

Carrot and Chickpea Salad

When you’re craving a pot of chana masala but it’s way too hot to turn on the stove, this carrot and chickpea salad just might hit the spot. I was inpsired by this recipe with beautiful brightly colored carrots. The original dressing was a little too tart and spicy for me but adding some honey tamed things nicely.

I took a shortcut and bought shredded carrots from the grocery store, but don’t make this mistake. I know grating carrots is hard on your knuckles, but it will be worth it when you have sweet, tender, freshly grated carrot. Next time I won’t be so lazy, and that will make this salad even better.

Carrot and Chickpea Salad

6 oz. nonfat plain yogurt
1 T lemon juice
1 t coriander
1 t cumin
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t garam masala
1/2 t ground ginger
dash cayenne pepper
2 t honey
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 c. shredded carrots
Romaine lettuce, cleaned and torn

Mix yogurt, lemon juice, spices and honey in a small bowl and season to taste. In a larger bowl, mix chickpeas, carrots, and enough dressing to coat.

Serve over a bed of Romaine lettuce, adding more dressing if needed.

-Lightly adapted from Caroline at “Surprised by Joy”

Grilled Balsamic Eggplant

While I was at the Brookline Farmer’s Market, I also picked up 2 enormous eggplants for just $1 each. Now that’s a deal! Last year I made Grilled Pesto Eggplant, but this time I wanted to let the eggplant marinate before bringing it to the BBQ to grill. Later that night, the eggplant slices went on the grill with many other delicious items including chicken, sausages, and steak.

The eggplant got nicely charred on the outside and soft on the inside, and picked up the balsamic flavor. But something was missing. Cheese! The next day, I created another sandwich using two pieces of eggplant and a slice of provolone cheese on a whole wheat bun. With very little effort, you can have a great vegetarian double cheeseburger.

Grilled Balsamic Eggplant

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1″ slices
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 t minced garlic
Salt & Pepper

Mix oil, vinegar, and garlic in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Place eggplant slices in the dish one at at time, making sure to dip both sides in the marinade. Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Cook on a grill until the eggplant slices are fork tender.

Fresh Herbs and Yellow Squash

The other day, a friend brought me fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano from her garden. Everyone needs this kind of friend. Just like fresh vegetables taste best, so do fresh herbs.

You can get fussy and try to match certain herbs to certain foods, but I threw caution to the wind and used all three at once. I know, crazy, right? I had some yellow squash on hand, rice in the pantry, and feta in the refrigerator. This dish was quick, easy, and contained vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and dairy all in one bowl.

Fresh Herb and Yellow Squash Bake

2 yellow squash, cut into 2″ chunks
1 heaping T fresh herbs
Olive oil
1 bag instant brown rice, cooked according to directions (makes about 2 cups)
1/2 c. feta cheese

Place squash on baking sheet, and sprinkle herbs. Drizzle olive oil on squash, and turn to coat. Roast at 400F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and mix in a large bowl with cooked rice and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Charred Corn Tacos with Zucchini Radish Slaw

The main dish of our Mexican feast were these corn tacos, based on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. You start by making a slaw with zucchini, radish, and lime. (A total of six limes were used in the preparation of this meal, and none of those were in an alcoholic beverage!)

2 ears of corn are grilled, to produce nicely charred kernels. The kernels of the remaining ears are sauteed with chopped onion. This mixture of corn was so good, you could have just eaten it right out of the bowl.

I warmed the tortillas by placing them between damp paper towels and cooking for 20 seconds in the microwave. So if you don’t eat all the corn first and actually assemble a taco, here’s what you get. It was very messy to eat – you had to either hold the taco and keep eating until it was gone, or drop it in your plate and attack it with a fork.

But regardless of how you ate them, the tacos were delicious.

Do you feel like something is missing? Oh yes, in the hustle and bustle of dinnertime, I completely forgot to take out the queso fresco. I can only assume that crumbled cheese would make these tacos that much better. Next time…..

Chinese Eggplant and Goat Cheese Pasta

OK, I didn’t actually buy this eggplant at the Brookline Farmer’s Market, I got it later at a local produce market. Although I love traditional eggplant dishes like Eggplant Parmesan, these Chinese eggplants are perfectly sized for a quick weeknight meal for one, with no peeling required.

I don’t often have goat cheese on hand, so it was a special treat in this meal. The goat cheese made a rich and creamy sauce for the pasta, but it may not reheat very well, so this is a dish to enjoy in the moment.

Chinese Eggplant and Goat Cheese Pasta

1 t olive oil
1 Chinese eggplant, cut into 2″ chunks
3/4 c. dry medium whole wheat pasta shells
1 oz. goat cheese
2 t balsamic vinegar
Generous pinch dried basil
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add eggplant pieces and saute for 15 minutes, or until softened. In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

Mix goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese mixture to hot pasta and toss until coated. Add cooked eggplant and toss again.

Beets with a Blueberry Balsamic Reduction

When one of the vendors at the Brookline Farmer’s Market said that he had pulled the beets just that morning, he definitely had my attention. Normally, I roast beets, although last year I grilled beets as well. This time I decided to try boiling them. After simmering in water for about 40 minutes, the skins slipped right off.

Since I had a little time on my (beet stained) hands, I wanted to do somthing a little more interesting. I found this recipe for a Blueberry Balsamic Reduction. I happened to have blueberries on hand, and the recipe is as easy as putting a few ingredients in a pot and letting them simmer for a while. I didn’t even use a blender since the cooked sauce was already fairly smooth. I placed the sliced beets on a bed of fresh lettuce, and topped them with the sauce as well as chopped walnuts and fresh Paremsan.

This made an excellent salad, although the sauce was perhaps a bit too sweet on top of the beets which were sweet as well. The original recipe suggested that the sauce could be paired with goat cheese. Since the next meal to roll around was Happy Hour, I spread some goat cheese on a baguette, with a dollop of Blueberry Balsamic sauce. Oooh, now that was really good. (And not just because it was served with wine.)

If the farmer hadn’t talked about his freshly harvested beets, I never would have bought them, and then discovered this sauce. The best cooking inspiration always comes from talking about food!