Tag Archives: recipes

ONE POT CHEESY MEXICAN LENTILS, BLACK BEANS AND RICE

SERVES 5

COURTESY OF RECIPERUNNERmexican lentils black beans and rice

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup each uncooked long grain brown rice and green lentils rinsed
  • 2-3 cups low sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (optional
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup fire roasted tomatoes, drained
  • 4 ounce can diced green chiles
  • 1 small zucchini, shredded
  • 1/2 cup defrosted frozen corn
  • 1 cup red enchilada sauce
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheese, I used sharp cheddar and part skim mozzarella
  • Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat a large pot or saucepan over medium high heat.
  2. When the pot is heated spray with cooking oil and add in the onion and garlic.
  3. Sauté for a couple minutes then add in the brown rice and lentils.
  4. Add in the vegetable stock, stir and bring to a boil.
  5. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.
  6. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils and rice are tender.
  7. If there is any excess liquid drain it.
  8. Season the rice and lentils with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and chipotle powder.
  9. Add in all of the remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup of the cheese and stir together.
  10. Heat the mixture until the cheese is melted.
  11. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with a lid.
  12. Heat on low until the cheese is melted and the mixture is bubbly.

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower With Garlic, Parsley and Rosemary

serves 4-6Low-Carb Cauliflower Creamed Spinach

  • 2 medium cauliflower heads (about 2 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon grated or finely minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
  • ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ¼ cup roasted salted almonds (homemade or store bought), roughly chopped
  • 1 red fresno chile, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  1. Cut each cauliflower in quarters and remove the core. Cut quarters into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Chop down wider slices so all are approximately the same jagged size.
  2. Heat olive oil in a heavy wide skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add cauliflower and toss to coat using a metal spatula or flat wooden spoon. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Keeping heat brisk, repeatedly turn the cauliflower, letting the slices brown as they cook. Adjust heat as necessary to keep them sizzling nicely but not scorching. Continue to stir and flip the cauliflower until it is tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Add crushed red pepper, garlic, rosemary, parsley and lemon zest. Stir well to coat and cook 1 minute more. Check seasoning, then transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with almonds and fresno chile, if using, and serve with lemon wedges.

Latest News from Charmaine: February Newsletter: Microgreens

Latest newsGreetings all,

Well, I am back from Grandmother time and, while it was hard to leave the little munchkin Alfred, and his parents, I am glad to be back in my routine again.  Dr. Ray and I will be going back for his christening at Easter…..so we will be away from the office  4/10 thru 4/17.

February is always a strange month…short in calendar days but long in passing as we all get anxious to see spring….It is also a month to stop and assess your health goals…make sure you are eating right, cutting out the sugar and processed foods and drinking LOTS of water.  Check out the article in the newsletter debunking a few nutritional myths.

I have enclosed two wonderful recipes that I came across recently and are now part of my cooking rotation.

Just saw a great little article on (of all programs) Ask This Old House about growing microgreens and it reminded me that I need to get back to growing them again…been a little crazy with the holiday season and new baby..  Anybody interested in a class?  Let me know and if we can get 5 or more people together, we can make it happen.

A giggle I saw on a billboard in Canada recently…The question is posed:  How long is a minute?….The answer is ……It depends which side of the bathroom door you are on!!!

SEE YOU ON THE TABLE, IN THE OFFICE, ON THE MAT OR UNDER THE BARBELLS!

Vegetarian Bolognese

Serves 4-6

Found on Green Kitchen Stories

2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 large carrots, peeled
2 sticks celery, rinsed
4 tbsp green olives, stones removed and slightly bruised
1 tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh oregano, rosemary or marjoram (or 1 tsp dried)
125 ml / ½ cup red wine
100 g / ½ cup uncooked beluga lentils (or puy), rinsed
400 ml / 1 ½ cup vegetable stock (or water)
2 bay leaves
2 x 400 g / 14 oz tins crushed tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve
pasta of choice

parmesan cheese or vegetarian equivalent
fresh parsley
olive oil

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Meanwhile, chop one of the carrots and the celery into 1 cm / 1/2 inch chunks and add them to the pan along with olives and dried herbs (if using). Let soften for a couple of minutes, add the red wine and let cook until the alcohol evaporates. Add lentils, half of the vegetable stock, bay leaves, tinned tomatoes, fresh herbs (if using) salt and pepper. Grate the remaining carrot and add it as well. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked, stirring from time to time as not to burn the base of the sauce. Add the remaining stock or water, little by little, to loosen the sauce whenever it is looking dry.

Cook your pasta of choice. Serve the sauce stirred through the pasta, topped with a sprinkling of grated cheese, fresh parsley or other herbs and a drizzle of oil.

Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew (slow cooker)

Another great slow cooker stew recipe. Great for Michigan winters!soup bowls and dried lentils

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts vegetable broth
  • 2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms
  • 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces
  • 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley
  • 3/4 cup dry lentils
  • 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons dried summer savory
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • salt to taste
  1. In a slow cooker, mix the broth, button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion flakes, garlic, savory, bay leaves, basil, pepper, and salt.
  2. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Roasted Butternut Sunset for 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 large butternut squash (2 1/2 – 3 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced (1/4 inch slice)
  • 2 small beets, peeled and diced (1/2 inch dice or less)
  • 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup orange or tangerine juice
  • 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup white miso
  • 1 tsp orange or tangerine zest
  • 1 green onion, diagonally sliced, OR 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
  2. Put the squash carrots, beets, cranberries, olive oil and salt in a large bowl and toss well to coat the vegetables
  3. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a largish rimmed baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes
  5. Meanwhile combine the orange juice, maple syrup, miso and orange zest in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  6. Remove the vegetables from the oven and pour the orange juice mixture over them
  7. Bake another 15 – 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender
  8. Spoon the vegetables into a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the green onion slices or parsley if desired

Cooking Tips:

To make sure that the beets and carrots cook in the same time as the squash: Slice the beets in ½ inch or less dice, and the carrots 1/4 inch thick or less. If the carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise before slicing.

I couldn’t find fresh cranberries when I made this recipe, so I added frozen cranberries in the last 5 minutes of roasting. That worked. I also used 2 Tbsp agave syrup instead of 1/4 cup maple syrup for the glaze. That worked too.

WILD RICE PILAF

Great as Stuffing!

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup wild rice, rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 2/3 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely diced celery
  • 2 medium tart apples, such as granny smith, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1/3 cup orange juice (from 1 large orange)
  • 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
  • pinch each: cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper OR to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Combine the wild rice and the bouillon cube with 1 3/4 cups of water in a medium saucepan
  2. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the brown rice, return to a slow simmer, then cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes
  4. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
  5. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onion is golden.
  6. Add apple and sauté 5 minutes longer.
  7. Stir in the cooked rice mixture along with the juice, scallions, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  8. Season with salt and pepper.
  9. Sauté over low heat, stirring frequently, another 5 minutes.
  10. Stir in the parsley and pecans

NOTES:

The rice is slightly under-cooked in this recipe, because it’s intended to be used as a stuffing, and cooks more inside the peppers or squash.

When serving this dish as a side, instead of using it as a stuffing, increase the cooking time to 45 minutes, adding the juice, scallions, apple, cinnamon and nutmeg in the last five minutes.

Sauteed mushrooms are a nice alternative to apples in this dish, especially when served as a side.

This can be used for peppers, buttercup squash, acorn squash or even a pumpkin… and it’s wonderful on its own.

HASSELBACK POTATOES

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 whole Golden Potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 piece (about 2 Inches long) Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sliced Thinly
  • ⅛ teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • ¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
  • ¼ cups Heavy Cream
  • ¼ cups Cheddar Cheese Blend

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  • Scrub potatoes.
  • You need 2 wooden spoons with handles of the same width.
  • Place a spoon on each side of the potato and start slicing the potato into thin slices. The spoons will stop the knife from cutting all the way through the potato.
  • Slice the butter into thin pieces.
  • Alternate the butter and the Parmesan, stuffing them in between the slices of the potato.
  • Season the potato with garlic powder and kosher salt.
  • Drizzle the potato with olive oil.
  • Bake at 400ºF for 45 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and drizzle heavy cream over the potatoes.
  • Top with cheddar cheese. Place back in the oven for 10-12 more minutes.
  • Remove and serve!

Hasselback Apples

  “Oh seriously yummy.” ~Dr C.

Choose firm apples with sweet-tart flavor, such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp; in our tests, Fuji and Granny Smith fell apart.

Ingredients

  • 2 large firm apples, peeled, cored, and halved vertically
  • Cooking spray
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
  • 2½ tablespoons butter, melted and divided
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
  • 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ cups low-fat vanilla ice cream

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Starting at the outermost edges, cut most (but not all) of the way through each apple half at 1/8-inch intervals.
  • Place apple halves, cut sides down, in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
  • Combine 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon; brush mixture evenly over apple.
  • Cover pan with foil; bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Remove foil. Bake at 400° for5- 10 minutes or until apples are tender.
  • Remove pan from oven; cool 10 minutes.
  • Combine remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1½ tablespoons butter, remaining ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, oats, flour, and salt.
  • Carefully fan open apple halves.
  • Spoon oat mixture evenly over apples.
  • Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
  • Turn broiler to high (leave pan in oven); broil 2 minutes.
  • Serve with ice cream.

Sweet Potato Crust Spinach Feta Quiche

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
    1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 4 large eggs
    2 large egg whites
  • 1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

(A note from Dr. C: I think next time I plan to grate the potato as I was not a 100% happy with the crust…It still worked but I think it needs a tweak).

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°,
  2. Peel and slice sweet potatoes.. The mandoline speeds up the process significantly and gives you even slices.
  3. Coat a pie dish with cooking spray, then fill the bottom of the dish with a layer of sweet potato slices.
  4. Cut the sweet potato rounds in half and fill around the edges of the pie dish; round side facing up.
  5. Once the entire dish is filled, coat one more time with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Turn heat up to 375°.
  7. For the filling, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
  8. Add spinach; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.
  9. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk.
  10. Arrange spinach mixture in crust;
  11. pour egg mixture over spinach.
  12. Sprinkle with feta.
  13. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes.
  14. Let stand 5 minutes;
  15. cut into 4 wedges.