Recipes Discovered – Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar, to taste
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoons mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounce can pork and beans
• 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce can lima beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon and onion until the bacon is crisp and the onion softened. Drain the fat. Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a large bowl. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, mustard,  and salt. Stir to combine. Add the pork and beans (undrained) and the rest of the drained and rinsed beans. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish or a 9×13 baking dish and bake 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Serves 12 to 15 people.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used northern beans instead of lima beans (couldn’t find them) and my mom has also used green beans instead of lima beans. Recipe is easily doubled, tripled or even octupled (served 120 people!).

Recipe courtesy of Sharon Gibbons.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala **
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder **
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
• 4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed
• 2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/3 cup finely chopped tamari almonds, for garnish (optional), available in health food stores
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions:

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add up to 1 cup stock, as needed.) Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.

Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds if desired and scallions.

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish or 6 as a main dish.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

** Garam Masala is an Indian spice found in some gourmet or ethic grocery stores. To make your own, combine 2 parts ground cardamom, 5 parts ground coriander, 4 parts ground cumin, 2 parts ground black pepper, 1 part ground cloves, 1 part ground cinnamon, and 1 part ground nutmeg.

** Curry powder is a more common Indian spice but somehow I misplaced mine. To make your own, combine equal parts ground coriander, ground cumin, ground pepper, turmeric, and ground ginger

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 1 jalapeno, split
• 1 3/4 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crema:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• Lime wedges, for garnish
• Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Directions:

Pick through the beans and discard any debris – wash under cold running water. In a food processor, add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and cilantro for a minute or two, until very wet.

Set a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the oregano and cumin. Add vegetable puree and saute until just fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Add beans, ham hock, jalapeno, stock, and bay leaves. Slightly cover and simmer for 3 hours until beans are tender.

When cooked, remove bay leaves and take out ham hock. Cut ham meat off the bone, cut into pieces and set aside.

Using a blender or immersion blender, puree just enough of the beans and stock (about a third of the total pot) to thicken up the soup and bring everything together. Season with salt and pepper and fold ham meat back into the soup.

Make the crema by combining sour cream and zest. Serve each soup with a spoonful of lime crema, a squeeze of lime and some fresh cilantro.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I didn’t add the ham hock, but for the smokey flavor, added a splash of liquid smoke.

I gave this a thumbs up, but not really for the soup… it’s a great base for tacos, a great dip for tortillas, or great on a sandwich with some shredded chicken.

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, pinch of ground nutmeg, and a pinch of ginger
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 12 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Sour cream and salsa

Directions:

Place sweet potato in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onion, garlic, and spices in oil until onion is tender. Stir in beans and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until thickened. Mash beans slightly with a fork. Stir in sweet potato and chilies. Cook until heated through.
Layer six tortillas, layer 3/4 cup bean mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Top each with another tortilla. Cook quesadillas on a greased griddle for 3-4 minutes on each side or heat under a broiler for 3 to 4 minutes. Cut into wedges; serve with sour cream and salsa. 

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro.

Serves 2.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used leftover roasted sweet potatoes (about 1 cup). After sauteing the onion, I seasoned it, then added the beans, tomatoes (I used about 1 1/2 cups with the juice), and diced sweet potatoes. I didn’t add the water.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

For salad:

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

For tahini sauce:

1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a good pinch or two of salt. Using a large spoon or your hands, toss until the squash pieces are evenly coated. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add tahini sauce to taste, and toss carefully. (Alternatively, you can also serve the salad undressed, with the tahini sauce on the side. That way, each person can use as much or as little as they want, and the individual ingredients taste a little brighter, too.) Serve, with additional salt for sprinkling.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I sauteed the red onion and then added the drained chick peas, just so everything was warm. I didn’t add any oil to the sauce, but did add some allspice

Recipe courtesy of Orangette.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup green lentils
• 1 cup bulgur
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely diced (1 cup)
• 3 yellow peppers, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place lentils and 2 cups broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and most liquid is dissolved, about 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. While lentils are cooking, place bulgur and remaining 2 cups chicken broth in another small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most liquid is dissolved and bulgur is tender, about 13 to15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add the bulgur to the lentils.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook until peppers are tender, another 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to bulgur-lentil mixture. Stir in parsley, basil, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to incorporate.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I topped the pilaf with a couple of sauteed shrimp. It was great.

Recipe courtesy of

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 6 ounces portobello mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 ounces red beans or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 14-1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; saute the carrots, onion and peppers for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in the beans and rice. If dry, add some chicken stock or water. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; heat through. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Adapted from Taste of Home.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large head of garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large poblano peppers
• 1 pounds ground, all-white meat chicken
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin, divided
• 15 ounce can chopped fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1/4 cup onion chopped or 4 to 5 scallions, white and green parts finely chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided (eyeball it)
• 1 1/2 cup milk (eyeball it)
• 2 cups grated cheese (smoked gouda or sharp cheddar)
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 15-ounce cans black beans, drained

Directions:

Preheat oven 400ºF.

Slice about a half inch from the top of the head of garlic so the tops of the cloves are just peeking out. Place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle it with some oil, wrap it up in the foil and reserve while you prepare the peppers (the garlic will go into the oven at the same time as the peppers).

To prepare the peppers for stuffing, lay then down on their sides and take a thin slice off one of the sides leaving both the stem end and the bottom of the pepper intact. Finely chop up the removed slices and reserve in a large mixing bowl. With a small spoon, scrape out and remove the seeds and guts from each pepper and discard.

To the bowl with the reserved, chopped pieces of pepper, add the ground chicken, rice, thyme, 1 tablespoon cumin, coriander, tomatoes, onions or scallions, lime juice and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. With your hands or a spoon (hands will be faster), combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Using a spoon or your hands, stuff each of the pepper boats with the chicken mixture. Once they’re filled, arrange the peppers in a casserole pan, alternating stem end and bottom end so that they all fit snugly in the pan. Add a splash of water or chicken stock to the pan and cover with tin foil. Transfer the pan to the oven along with the foil-wrapped garlic head and bake 45-50 minutes. Remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes, until nicely brown and cooked through.

About 10 or 15 minutes before the peppers and garlic come out of the oven, make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in 1 cup of chicken stock and the milk, and bring up to a bubble. Cook until thickened. Season with some salt and pepper, turn the heat down to low and stir in the cheese until melted. Reserve until ready to serve. (If it thickens up too much as it sits, whisk in a splash of chicken stock to loosen.)

For the beans, place another medium-size saucepot over medium heat with one turn of the pan EVOO. Add the onions, remaining teaspoon of cumin and cook, stirring every now and then for 3-4 minutes. Add the drained black beans and remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock and cook to warm through.

Remove the peppers and the garlic from the oven and let the peppers rest while you finish up the black beans: If the garlic is too hot to handle, fold over a couple of pieces of paper towel, place the stem end of the garlic in the center and use the paper towel as a finger barrier as you squeeze out the roasted flesh into the pan with the beans. Once all the cloves are out, smash them up with the beans. Season with some salt, freshly ground black pepper, and stir to combine.

To serve, cover the bottom of four serving plates with some of the beans, then place a roasted peppers in the middle of the plate. Top with the cheese sauce.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves
  
• 2 cups or 15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
  
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
  
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• Paprika and extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it’s minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and garnish with paprika and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Peanut butter can be substituted for the tahini.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.