Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Another quesadilla, how exciting! And cheap and easy for me! I intended to make all these last week, but instead had thrilling meals such as SOUP, and the oh so famous english muffin with earth balance.
My cold is still holding on, but Im doing my best to fight it off. Besides the two margarittas I had on Tuesday night, those were delicious to me and my week immune system. Dammit.

With this dish I had a few different ideas I wanted to explore. First was the black bean. As far as black beans go, after soaking and cooking them, personally I don't know if it was worth it. If you are serving for a large group or are super tight on cash, buying your beans in bulk is cheaper and they do taste delicious. But these days the canned organic black beans to me taste very close to making them yourself, and I don't know if it was worth my time. Even when you soak them overnight, they still have to cook for about an hour or more, and I normally don't have that kind of time. Also Im cooking for one or two most of the time, so preparing a ton of beans is almost more of a hassle.
So its up to you, no matter what I reccomend getting organic black beans, because they do not have a ton of preservatives and other crap they add into canned beans. Be sure to check the sodium of the beans too, its easy to get a ton of soduim in canned beans, and I know almost no one who needs MORE sodium.

roasted sweet taters, yum!

The second element of this dish was the sweet potatoes. My desire was to play with sweet and salty, which is where I got the idea to add cinnamon to the sweet potatoes. Recently I learned cinnamon is high in iron and magnesium, and in general a good spice to use. It adds sweetness but not sugar or carbs, which is AWESOME. To read more about this handy healthy little spice click here: Facts on Cinnamon

I found blending the sweet potatoes was unecessary. My idea behind this dish was to make a sweet potatoe puree hoping that it would make the quesadillas less messy. I hate when all my ingredients fall out of my quesadilla so in pureeing it I was hoping to eliminate that problem. They were still a bit messy, those sneaky black beans were all over the place, and the sweet potatoes were more of a paste than a puree. I used a blender, but looking back think it was unnecessary. The potatoes were better in paste form, but you can just mash them with a fork until they form a paste.

As far as the cayenne, healthy boyfriend is sensitive to spicy, so I only added a small amount to the sweet potatoes. If you know you like heat, add more, or omit the cayenne if heat aint your thang. Its good to note that cayenne is excellent for the immune system, so try it if you can!

This makes two whole quesadillas, so I recommend eating half of a quesadilla and a side dish of some sort of delicious green. Broccoli and Zucchini sautéed in a little oil and garlic was my side dish, but anything green and healthy will do.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

The Goods: Serves 3-4

4 whole wheat tortillas
2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 cup of black beans, warm
1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
A dash of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
A dash of cayenne(optional)

Note: If using canned black beans, omit step 1, and simply warm your canned beans in a pot over low heat.

The Deal:


1. Place one cup of pre-soaked black beans in a medium pot with three cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to meduim low and simmer beans for an hour or up to and hour and half. Remove any film that builds up on top on beans. Beans are ready when soft and most of the water has cooked down.

2. After the beans have been cooking for about 35 minutes, preheat oven to 375, and place sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Add olive oil to pan and toss with sweet potatoes, making sure to evenly coat all the sweet potatoes in oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

about to be roasted

3. Place sweet potatoes in oven and bake for 12-16 minutes, turning once to ensure even browning. Remove when sweet potatoes are lightly browned and a fork can be easily inserted.

4. Place sweet potatoes, cayenne, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and mash with a fork until the sweet potatoes form a paste.

Sweet potato paste

4. Grease your tortillas and place two, greased side down on your baking sheet. Spread the sweet potatoes mash on the quesadilla, making sure it is evenly distrubuted, then add half of your beans, and top with half of your cheese. Repeat with second tortilla. Place your last 2 tortillas on top, greased side up. Lightly press down the tortillas. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping once to ensure even baking.

Spreading on the paste!

5. Remove when cheese is bubbling and the tops of the tortillas are lightly browned. Cut into wedges and serve hot. Grab your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce, and get your eat on!

Faux Pigs in a Blanket

I call him "Pig Faux"

I feel pretty silly for posting this, hence the very silly picture. Also this is by no means healthy, simply less terrible than normal meat pigs in a blanket. It happens to be one of my all time favorites. ever. Plus they are the fanciest pigs in blanket you are likely to have. I use vegi dogs and find with the other additions I don't miss meat hot dogs and all their filler.
The scallions add an unexpected flavor and the sesame seeds are a crunchy delight.

This dish is not a meal, but would be a nice treat for a party.
One thing I am trying to do with this blog is take the normal, often boring recipes and give them a bit of a twist.

Anytime you are serving something with a lot of bread and cheese be sure you have a good vegetable to go with it. IE last night I had a big helping of steamed green beans with this meal. I also did not eat them all(though I could have, its real unhealthy how much I love these little puppies, I mean piggies!). I made sure half of my plate had a good simple vegetable, so I did not fill up on piggies(and then become one). It would have been better if I had brown rice instead of pastry and cheese, but Im getting there. Im getting there.

If you are having a party, serve these(or the miniature version, see note) and then have a big vegetable platter beside it. You can use homemade ranch for both!

I PROMISE something healthier to come in the next few days. With lots of vegetables, lots and lots. Eating healthy is HARD people. Remember these are for PARTIES, not night alone by yourself-ies *cough* me *cough*


 Note: For a larger party, you can also slice the fake dogs in 1/4s and the crescent triangles in half. You get the double the amount and they are more bite sized. Yum!

Faux Pigs in a Blanket

Right out of the oven, golden little non piggies!

The Goods: Makes 16 fake piggies
1 package of tofu dogs, each dog sliced in half
2 packages of immaculate baking crescent rolls(or any crescent rolls that aren't full of chemicals)
1 cup good cheddar, shredded( I prefer cabot for cheap yet still good cheddar)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons sesame seeds


The Deal: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Grease 2 large baking sheets.

2. Pull apart a crescent roll triangle. Sprinkle a pinch of cheese and scallions on the triangle and lightly press into the dough. Then place half of one hot dog on the flat side of the triangle. Roll the dog towards the point. Then sprinkle sesame seeds on the top and sides, pressing lightly to help them adhere. Repeat with the remaining 15 dogs.

3. Place each fake piggie on a baking sheet and once they are all assembled place them in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes or until the roll is lightly browned(see picture above).

4. Serve hot with ketchup, honey mustard or homemade ranch on the side! How to make your own Ranch!

Cheesy Zucchini and Couscous Cake

This is a neat and different way to cook couscous. I am trying to explore all the grains out there, and couscous is one of the easiest and fastest to cook. I enjoy couscous, though its not my favorite. The benefits are the quick cooking time, and the taste is very mild, so it can be used with a lot of different recipes.

You can use a variety of vegetables in this dish. I used zucchini because thats what I had on hand, but you could use leeks, caramelized onions, butternut squash, the varieties are endless. I love when I find recipes that are easy to tweak.
This time around I wasn't thrilled with the outcome. It was good, but not great and thats what Im looking for. I want to crave a dish, and I think with a few tweaks it could be much better. I am posting what I made, but I want to make this dish again to see it I can improve it. Next time I will try using a little bit of vegetable broth to give the couscous some flavor. Also I want to cook the vegetables in garlic to give them a bit more flavor as well. Feel free to try this dish and let me know what you would change! Fun Times!

What the couscous cake looks like before you flip it:

After you flip it, slightly overcooked, but not by much. You want it a bit crispy:

Cheesy Zucchini and Couscous Cake

The Goods: Serves 4

11 oz/1 1/3 cups of couscous

3-4 small zucchinis, sliced lengthwise and then thinly sliced

1 cup good cheddar cheese grated

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

3 tbsp olive oil

2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste

1 teaspoon pepper, more to taste

The Deal:

1. Place couscous in large heatproof bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in 9 inch frying pan. Add zucchini and cook over medium heat until soft and lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes.

3. Remove zucchini with a slotted spoon and stir them into couscous. Add the grated cheddar cheese and salt and pepper and stir well. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and pour couscous mixure. Pat down firmly to form a cake and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until bottom is crisp and golden brown.

4. Remove pan from heat and slide out the cake onto a place, then invert it back into the pan and cook on other side. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Once ready remove from heat, slide onto cutting board and cut into wedges. Top with parmesan cheese, and additional salt and pepper if desired.

This recipe is based off a recipe I found in the Three Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White.

Scalloped Potatoes and Kale

Kale Oh Kale, Why art though so intimidating?

 I pass you every time Im in the grocery store. I notice your deep green color and have heard tell of your ridiculously healthy value, but still I can never get up the guts to buy and cook you.

Well all that ENDS TODAY! I have prepared kale in a dish that is good for Kale beginners. Some of you brave folks may just want to dive right in and have a big plate of kale, but I find baby steps are the best way for me to start on new vegetables. I have tried having bites when boyfriend orders it a resturants, and have enjoyed it, sorta.

I want to love kale because it is SOOOO GOOD FOR YOU. It has tons of Vitamin A, K, and C. Its also high in magnesium and fiber, some say its better for you than Broccoli. (thats right Broccoli, youre good, but Kale is better) In general its good to eat a variety of leafy greens, and most people dont eat as much Kale as Broccoli so anytime you can get this nutritious vegetable in your belly, you should.
Lots more info on the world healthiest food site, read all about it: KALE 4 LIFE

This was a good main course, but would also make a nice side dish to a meat entree. If using as a main dish, add a side salad to round out the meal. You can taste the kale, but its not overpowering.

Here is what the kale looks like after its cooked and some prep work pics:

Scalloped Kate and Potatoes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 pound fresh kale, OR 1 10 oz package frozen kale, thawed

5 medium large potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated. I used a mix of cheddar and havarti b/c thats what I had.

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits OR sub all or some smart balance. I used 3 tbsp real butter and 3 tbsp smart balance

1 1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt, I would add more if you are salty like me.... 

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. If using fresh kale, thoroughly rinse it and shake out excess water. Pull the leaves off the steams and discard steams. Stuff kale into medium pot and add about 1/2 cup water. Cook on medium high heat until the kale just wilts, about 7 minutes. It will look bright green, similar to steamed broccoli. Drain the kale, and squeeze and remaining moisture with your hands. Roughly chop and set aside. (If using frozen kale, simply squeeze it dry with your hands and set aside)

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 10 x 10 x 2 inch baking dish or other large shallow baking dish. Spread half the potatoes slices on the bottom of the dish. Spread on the kale, then sprinkle garlic, half the cheese, half of the butter, salt and pepper. Top with remaining potato slices, cheese, butter, salt, pepper.

3. Carefully pour in the milk and gently shake the dish to distribute. Bake 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the top is nicely browned. Serve warm.

Based on a recipe from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures! Enjoy!

Mushroom Pie!

MUSH WHAT? MUSH WHY? MUSHROOM PIE YALL!

Well folks, finally I have cooked something besides toast this week! Sure its thursday and having healthy boyfriend back helps a lot with motivation. This is a very easy, healthy pie, and for mushroom lovers its a must. This probably goes without saying, but DO NOT make this pie if you dont like mushrooms. Its mushroomtastic! The cooking is fairly easy, but with prep it took me almost an hour and half. So if you can, cutting all your vegis ahead of time would be ideal. Its a fine meal on its own, but some mashed potatoes or nice bread would make a great side dish!

Mushroom Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp on unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium onions, diced

1 cups broccoli, chopped

1 1/2 pounds(around 8 cups) fresh mushrooms, finely chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Dash cayenne pepper, add more if you enjoy heat

2 tablespoons unbleashed flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 9-inch pie plate and sprinkle bread crumbs, covering the bottom and sides. This will be your simple crust.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, then saute the garlic, onions, and broccoli for 5 minutes.

3. Raise heat to high, stir in mushrooms, thyme, paprika, and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the juices have almost completely evaporated.

4. Sprinkle on the flout, stir to coat the mixture and cook 1 minute. Stir in the milk and salt and cook 1 more minute. Scrape into a large bowl and let cool until just warm. NEVER add eggs to a hot mixture, they will scramble and not in a good way :)

5. Stir in the beaten eggs into the mushroom mixure and spoon half of the mixture into into the pie plate, then sprinkle with half your cheese. Pour the rest of mixture in, and top with remaining cheese. Top with additional breadcrumbs if desired. Bake 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the sides of the pie or almost clean when inserted in center. Let pie cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

ENJOY!

Healthier than typical Alfredo? Still not as healthy as it could be....

Well, week two is not starting out with as many vegetables as it should. Today is a snow day, and after a long day of playing in the snow I want something warm, creamy and delicious. I made this sauce with things I had on hand, and used frozen gnocchi. Making your own gnocchi is actually pretty easy, it just takes a while, and my house was lacking potatoes.

Though not as healthy as using tomato sauce, using half and half instead of heavy cream and some smart balance instead of all butter does eliminate some of fat. Not a good meal to have all the time, but its a sweet treat!

Pour this sauce over any pasta you have on hand, I love Alfredo Sauce with gnocchi, but we all have our faves. Steamed broccoli, asparagus, or green beans would make nice healthy additions.


Alfredo Sauce:
Serving size 2, increase as needed.

• 2 tablespoons butter, OR 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp smart balance
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 
• 2-3 tbsp grated cheddar, optional
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt/Pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. 

2. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

 3. Add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Remove from heat, stir in parsley, add salt/pepper if desired and serve.

Mac and Cheeese PLEASE!

So this is not the healthiest of recipes, but it feeds the soul in a way that almost no other food can. My mothers mac and cheese could heal the world, I truly believe that.
This is a variations on her dish, since she often changes the cheeses depending on what she has.
If you have never made your own mac and cheese, finish reading this recipe and then get in the car and buy the ingredients needed. On the way call your mother and see how she makes it, because I found most people prefer how there mom makes it. My mom happens to make the best, so I got lucky in that way :)

This recipe is straight from Martha Stewart, though I prefer Barefoot Contessas. The only thing I changed was adding 5 ounces goat cheese and 1 cup parmesan instead of gruyere, but again mac and cheese can be played with a lot. I also changed elbow macaroni to rigatoni, because thats the way my mom makes it. The rigatoni make little cheese pockets, SO GOOD!

Serves 12
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound rigatoni

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Zucchini, Tomato and Cheddar Pie

Zucchini, Tomato and Cheddar Pie:
This is a easy, delicious pie, that will satisfy your need for pie, but is still mostly vegetables. Serves 3-4, and can be served as a meal, but a salad or side dish would round out the meal nicely.  

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp butter

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I prefer Panko, b/c they are generally healthier)

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium tomatoes diced and seeded

3 medium zucchini quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced

3 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer Cabot, its cheap, made in Vermont, and a great company)

3-4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

salt/pepper

1/2 tsp fennel seed(optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter pie plate then sprinkle bread crumbs covering sides and bottom of pie pan. This will be your simple crust. 

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, onions should cook down slightly. Stir in diced tomatoes and saute for five minutes. Raise heat to high. Mix in the zucchini, salt, pepper, and fennel seed(if using). Cook until the zucchini is barely tender, about 5 minutes. The mix will begin to stick to the pan. Remove pan from heat and cool for 5 minutes(this recipe can be prepared in advance at this point, and chilled for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

3. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in milk then stir in zucchini mixure. Pour half into prepared pie plate, top with cheddar cheese, then pour on remaining vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese covering the top and dot with remaining butter. 

4. Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Total prep/cooking time about an hour. Cutting vegetables ahead of time will save you 20 minutes.

ENJOY!

Based on recipe from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.