Hello, hello! Did you have a happy Mardi Gras? Did you eat lots of yummy fried foods? I did- and boy, was I paying for it today! My body was just screaming for something light, fresh, and green. This wrap had me feeling like myself again in no time, and was delicious, to boot!
Dill Spinach Hummus Wrap
For Hummus:
1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp water
pinch paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
Add all ingredients except for pine nuts to food processor, streaming in olive oil as you go to help it come together. Blend well, then stir in pine nuts.
For Wrap:
1 large flour tortilla
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 green bell pepper, sliced
1/4 medium red onion, sliced
1/4 tsp seasoning of choice (I used Cajun)
pinch each of salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1 tbsp capers (optional)
Bring medium sized frying pan to medium high heat and swirl a little olive oil in pan to coat. Add peppers, onions, and seasonings and stir fry until softened.
Heat tortilla in microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Spread with as much hummus as you like, then layer with other ingredients, roll up like a jelly roll, cut off ends to pretty it up, and serve.
I woke up this morning with the words "curried dill" repeating on a loop in my mind. I knew that nothing would satisfy me today unless it contained those two ingredients.
And oh, my, was I satisfied! Please, please don't dismiss this because you see the word slow-roasted. That doesn't mean loads of work- it simply means it will take a while, and that the flavors will be super-concentrated and amazing. You could make the onions and tomatoes ahead of time, or the couscous ahead of time, whatever you do- just make it! I think you'll be glad you did :)
Curried Dill Couscous with Slow-Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Pearl Onions
For Tomatoes and Onions:
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/8 tsp pepper, divided
1/4 tsp dried thyme, divided
olive oil, to coat
Preheat oven to 225. Place halved grape tomatoes and pearl onions in separate bowls (if pearl onions are larger than tomatoes, you may have to halve them as well. Have to halve :) Drizzle just enough olive oil over each to coat, then sprinkle equally with salt, pepper, and thyme. Place on foil-lined baking sheets in oven. Remove onions after 2 hours, tomatoes after 2 1/2 to 3 (tomatoes should be dried but juicy inside, but you want your onions nice golden and plump.)
For Couscous:
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup butter (vegans use Earth Balance margarine)
1/2 tbsp curry powder
dash of sriracha (optional)
2 cups couscous
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Toast pine nuts in medium frying pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant, shaking the pan a few times to make sure that they don't burn. In a medium saucepan add vegetable broth, butter, curry powder, and sriracha and bring to boil, then immediately add couscous and garlic, stir quickly, and remove from heat. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes, fluff with fork and add salt and pepper to taste, and toss with rest of ingredients. Serve hot or cold.
A whopping 4% of the restaurants in the town next to us are Cajun. In other words, there is one Cajun restaurant there. Needless to say, it's a small town, but bigger than the one we live in, which boasts one Subway and a deli. So when my parents come to visit, as they are doing today, there is a good chance that they will say, "Hey, let's go out tonight!" And an even better chance that what that really means is "to that Cajun restaurant whose only vegetarian option is buttered noodles." I don't think I've ever had Cajun food before, but seeing my parents and husband in such states of food bliss made me wonder what the fuss is about. So I set about to find out for myself.
I based this recipe off of Emeril's Cajun Jambalaya, but as you can see, I strayed from it quite a bit. After all, what does Emeril know about Cajun food? What makes this so good, in my opinion of course (although I hope you agree) is that each individual element is seasoned- the chickpeas, the peppers, the rice- so you get that wonderful effect of layer upon layer of flavor. Thank you, Emeril, for a good base recipe. But you know how it is- sometimes you just have to kick it up a notch.
Cajun Chickpea Jambalaya
2 cups rice
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp cajun seasoning, or to taste
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cans chickpeas
olive oil for frying
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cloves garlic
Cook rice according to instructions on package, substituting broth for water and adding bay leaf. Stir in cajun seasoning, butter, and tomato paste. Meanwhile, add enough olive oil to coat large frying pan and cook chick peas over medium high heat, stirring in taco seasoning. Let cook for 5 minutes, then remove from pan, add a bit more oil, and add peppers, onions, celery, salt and pepper to pan. Let cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds while stirring. Add veggies and chick peas, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.
My husband knows me better than anyone. He knows that as much as I love to make my own food, there will be days when that frozen pizza that I said I didn't want will be my very best friend. He knows that I will always, always be in need of new socks. And he also knows that when I say I don't want anything for Valentine's Day, what I really mean is that I want him to get creative. This Valentine's Day, he showed up with a gleaming ruby red bunch of beets. And I almost cried. The man knows how to get to me. What you should be seeing here is a gorgeous- wait, I'm not going to tell you. I'm working on that recipe and it will be amazing one day but right now it needs a little tweaking. Luckily for me, this bunch of beets came complete with greens, and those greens more than made up for the disappointment their roots brought.
There's no use reinventing the wheel here. Deb over at Smitten Kitchen's got the best recipe for slow-roasted tomatoes, ever. Period. So I'll just spare you a sad attempt to recreate it and send you right on down to the master herself. Or, of course, you may just want to use bottled sundried tomatoes. (Trust me, you don't.)
Beet Green and Sage Pesto Linguini with Slow Roasted Tomatoes
1 lb linguini
2 cups chopped beet greens, center ribs removed
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sage leaves
1 cup fresh grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup olive oil+ more for frying
1 cup slow-roasted tomatoes
Add enough oil to coat a large frying pan and bring to medium low heat. Add beet greens and cook until wilted. Let cool. Bring large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions on package. Add walnuts to food processor and grind until fine, then add cooked greens and all other ingredients except for tomatoes, streaming in olive oil at the end. Drain pasta and return to pot, tossing with pesto and adding in tomatoes.
I have to say, I've been loving me some brussels sprouts lately. This is my 22nd post, 3 of which have been about these little cabbages of the gemmifera sort (there's a new baby name for you, celebrities. I know you're reading. Okay, maybe not.) Anyways, back to brussels- I love this salad. It's a dream come true for women like me who can't make up their minds. It's hot, but cold. It's crisp, but smooth. It's sweet, but savory. It's....
All gone :(
Roasted Shredded Brussels Waldorf Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
2 lbs brussels sprouts, shredded, washed, and dried
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped apples (I used pink lady)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Maple Cider Vinaigrette
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp good maple syrup
1 tsp sriracha (optional but gives it a little something extra)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Prepare vinaigrette:
Whisk together all ingredients, streaming olive oil in at the end. This vinaigrette is best prepared ahead of time and refrigerated a few hours to develop flavors, but it will still be good if used immediately.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Pour shredded brussels sprouts and cranberries into a large baking dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring a few times. Toast walnuts briefly in a frying pan with no oil over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Pour all ingredients into a bowl and toss with vinaigrette.
If you are vegetarian, or even just health-conscious, then I'm sure you've heard of kale chips. I'm not sure who first came up with the concept, but I'd like to give them a big hug. They're fantastic, and certainly much better for you than any thing else I can think of that precedes the word "chip." Still, there comes a point when two months of eating the same thing every day, sometimes twice a day, loses its appeal, no matter how good it is. I created this dish with low expectations, merely a way to use up one last bunch of kale, and certainly with no plans of ever showcasing it on this blog. But I was pleasantly surprised by it, and so thrilled to see my kids enjoy it, that I felt it had earned it's place on here with the rest of my favorites.
I am calling this a side because that's what I think most people would consider it. But I ate it as an entree, and felt full and energetic all day. If you are are still a little unsure of kale, I suggest only using a half bunch and leaving out the extra bits at the end, as it is hardly detectable once pureed with the other ingredients.
Kale and Pistachio Couscous
Yield: 4 sides
1 cup couscous (uncooked)
1 bunch curly kale, stems and center ribs removed, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 tsp lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil + more for pan frying
1/2 cup parmesan
1 small onion, chopped
Toast pistachios briefly in pan with no oil over medium low heat until fragrant. Set aside. In a large pot over medium high heat, add broth and toss in kale, along with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until almost all of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Blitz half of the pistachios in food processor, reserving the rest to be added later, then add in half of the kale and all other ingredients except for onions. Process well. Cook couscous according to instructions on package. Add a little oil to large pot and sautee onions over medium high heat until translucent. Reduce heat to medium, then add couscous, pureed ingredients, kale, and pistachios, and toss to combine. Let cook for 5 minutes.
Way back in my waitressing days, the restaurant I worked at had a pasta that I'd been itching to try. It was called the Southwestern Chicken Pasta, although of course I'd requested to have it made without chicken. I'd heard my customers rave about it- heck, I'd even raved about it when asked (I'm sorry customers. It's just easier to pretend to eat meat than answer a million questions about protein.) Anyways, when I finally tried this dish I was disappointed, to say the least. It just didn't live up to it's potential, and that made me sad. So I took it upon myself to give it the life it deserved.
Southwestern Pasta
Yield: 4 servings
For Sauce:
6 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 cup fresh grated parmesan (any other kind will result in lumpy sauce)
1/2 cup tomato paste
1-2 tbsp cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then whisk in flour and cook until it forms a golden paste, about 5-7 minutes. Whisk in milk one cup at a time, then reduce heat to medium, and rest of ingredients, whisking continuously until combined. Let cook for 8-10 minutes, whisking frequently, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10- 15 minutes.
For Pasta:
16 oz pkg rotini (or pasta of choice)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 anaheim peppers, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
Bring water to boil in large pot and cook pasta according to al dente instructions on box. In a large frying pan over medium high heat, cook peppers and onions until onions become transparent. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10- 15 minutes until peppers and onions are fork-tender. Add sauce and veggies to pasta and toss to combine.
