Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans with Lemon and Dill

Ah Pinterest. You're such an awesome source of inspiration and colossal time sucker.

 For the longest time I resisted Pinterest. Photo sharing? Lame. Boring. Big Deal.

Then somehow I got sucked in and lost many hours of time; sharing and hoarding photos of food, clothes, crafts and decor. Pinterest. How I love thee and the photabulous foodstuffs that can be found there, including this one.

This recipe is adapted from Real Simple magazine.

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
about 6 Tbsp. olive oil, or enough to coat the potatoes
2 Tbsp. dill (fresh or dried)
a handful of fresh green beans
1 lemon, sliced very thin
salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze of fresh lemon

In a small bowl, whisk together the the dill, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let sit for about 10 minutes to combine flavors.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss the olive oil mixture, lemon slices and potatoes in a large bowl.

Spread on a cookie sheet and bake, tossing half way through, for 30 minutes.

Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the top just before serving.

Spinach and Potato Frittata

It's a rainy Veteran's Day out here on the California coast, and what better for brunch than a savory frittata and a cup of hot coffee? My husband's got music playing and my kids are debating on whether this should be considered a breakfast or a lunch...hence: brunch.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 large red potatoes, diced and boiled until barely soft
1 6 oz. bag of fresh baby spinach
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/3 cup of vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup of shredded cheese of your choice
sprinkling each of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute the onion until soft, then set aside.

Saute the spinach until wilted, doing in two batches if necessary and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, whites, broth, seasoning, salt and pepper, whisk until blended. Then fold in the onion, potato and spinach.

Pour into a greased pie pan and top with cheeses and bread crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until middle is set and top is browned. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Curried Pumpkin Stew

I love, love, love fall. Pumpkins, squash, orange leaves, halloween costumes...is there anything better?? Capture the taste of autumn with this savory pumkin stew.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 tbsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. curry powder

2 whole pods of star anise

1 whole stick of cinnamon

3 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups of veggie broth

2 russett potatoes, scrubbed and chopped

1 sugar pumpkin, peeled, cleaned and cubed

1 small bag of frozen corn

1 tbsp salt

1 cup of cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Saute the onion, celery, spices and garlic until soft and aromatic, about 3-5 minutes. Add in broth, potatoes and pumpkin and simmer until soft. Puree 1/3 of the soup in a food processor until smooth and stir back in. Add in corn and heat through. Stir in salt. Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro.

Soyrizo and Potato Breakfast Burritos

I'm married to a meat eater. It's true. Sometimes people ask me if it is difficult, but truth be told, it's actually pretty easy. We eat vegetarian at home, and he eats meat at work when he wants it. He's not on the road to becoming a vegetarian any time soon, but one thing he has given up is chorizo. Chorizo is a kind of sausage that is made up of so many disgusting animal parts, I can't even attempt to type them here.

Thankfully, there is a nice soy version, called Soyrizo, that is just plain tasty. Here is the Misters breakfast burrito, with vegan options noted.

Ingredients (serves 5)
6 small white potatoes, diced and roasted in olive oil at 400 degrees, for 30 minutes.
1/2 to 1 tube soyrizo
1 onion, diced
4 eggs (optional)
tortillas, one for each person

Saute the onion until soft, then add in the soyrizo and break up any large pieces. If using eggs, add them in and continue to cook until the eggs are done. Mix in your potatoes and serve the soyrizo mixture on warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.

"You're So Cheesy" Potato Squash Bake

I'll let you in on a little secret: I'm not that great at planning meals. I'm really not. For every post you get here, there are 5 other meals that we had, slung from the hip and none too exciting. But generally, here is how I come up with my recipes: I take whatever vegetable I bought at the store, whatever was on sale or looked particularly appetizing (or here, my friend gave us a gallon bag of fresh yellow squash) and I begin to Google recipes that contain that ingredient. I go through about 10 recipes for inspiration and then get into the kitchen and whip up my own ideas.

I should have called this bake "the great disappearing act" because as soon as it was out of the oven, it was gone!

Ingredients:
2 yellow squash, cut into thin circles
1 onion, halved and cut into half moons
about 5 small yellow potatoes, thinly sliced
Italian seasoning
2 big handfuls of shredded cheese of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

Oil a pie pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then layer your potatoes around the bottom of the pie pan, overlapping. Then layer on the squash, followed by the onion and sprinkle with seasoning, salt and pepper, and one handful of cheese.

Repeat the layering one more time: Potatoes, squash, onion, seasoning, cheese.

Cook, covered for 30 minutes. Then remove cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with sliced green onion and serve with a nice big salad!

Italian Arugula and Potato Soup

Perhaps it's because summertime in our part of the world is synonymous with endless fog, that I've been feeling so soupy lately. This one is a simple peasant soup, which reminded my husband of the potato soup his mom used to make when he was a kid. It must have been good, the kids ate it up, with seconds and thirds all around!

Ingredients:

2 pounds white potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 medium carrots, diced
4 ounces (or about 3 cups) arugula, spinach or other green leafy vegetable
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 loaf stale ciabatta bread, diced into 1 inch cubes (I happened to have this on hand already, but if not, you can toast the chunks in the oven prior to making the soup)
4 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce, for serving

Saute, in a large pot, the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add in the potatoes, stock and seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Then add in the carrots and cook another 15 minutes. Then remove from heat.

Add in the bread and arugula and cover, let sit for another 5 minutes. Serve with hot sauce on the side, for the grownups who like it spicy!

Asparagus and Potato Chowder

Let me preface this post with a caution: There is no photo on earth that could do this recipe justice. It was "the best soup I've had in a long time" according to the Mister.

I use two methods to make vegetarian and vegan soups thick (not liking to use cream, myself).

1. Make a roux

2. Blend 1/4 of the soup in the blender before serving

It really does make a difference, and I usually use both methods in the same soup, although the blender is the most successful, the roux adds a bit of flavor.

Let's Dive In!

Ingredients:

2 cups diced red potatoes

1 pound fresh asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 or 6 cups of vegetable broth

1.5 cups of plain soymilk

1 to 1.5 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup of butter or substitute

4 tbsp. flour

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/4 tsp sage (or two leaves fresh)

1 cup finely shredded cheese of your choice (optional)

1/2 tsp. liquid smoke  (optional)

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in a large pot, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the broth, soymilk, salt, pepper, asparagus, potatoes, and herbs and bring to a simmer.

Roux: In a skillet, melt the butter and then add in your flour, mixing with a spoon or whisk until the flour is incorporated and no chunks are left. Be careful to do this  over low heat and not to burn. (You cannot just add the raw/cold flour to the soup, it will only result in lumpy clumps of flour.) Add the roux to the soup, and the liquid smoke, if using.

Continue to simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Then transfer, carefully, about 1/4 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Add this back into the soup, mixing well.

If you want to add cheese, do so now, and cook another two minutes, stirring constantly.

Viola! Asparagus Chowder!

We served ours with a fresh garlic baguette from the local bakery. Heaven.



Vegan Pumpkin Enchiladas

Born of the wonderful bounty of pumpkin puree I had in my freezer, these pumpkin enchiladas had all my meat-loving friends and family *almost* in tears. Hands-down the best enchiladas I've made, ever. Don't be put-off by the strange ingredients, they're completely, freakin' awesome.

Pumpkin Enchiladas

Sauce:

2 cups unseasoned pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
1 cup water
1 cup veggie broth
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 seeded jalepeno
3 cloves of garlic
handful of fresh cilantro

Puree all ingredients in the blender until smooth.

For the filling

4 red potatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup green beans, ends cut off and chopped
5 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 each, orange and red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup corn kernels (frozen works nicely)

Saute the potatoes 5 minutes in olive oil, stirring occasionally. Add in onion and mushrooms, cook another 3 minutes. Add in bell pepper and corn, continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan with pumpkin sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat corn tortillas (the recipe makes about a dozen or so) to prevent cracking while handling ( I do this over my gas burner for a few seconds).

Fill each torilla with a small amount of filling and roll. Place seam-side-down in the pan and continue to roll tortillas until the pan is filled. Cover with a bit more sauce (not too much or it will all be soggy) and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Top with salsa, vegan sour cream and fresh sliced green onions.

I served ours with my "Santa Monica Pilaf" that used a mix of couscous, lentils, rice and quinoa
that was cooked with a bit of garlic and olive oil and topped with cilantro. I'll post that recipe at a later date!

A New Take on Twice Baked Potatoes

Call me un-American, but I've never liked twice baked potatoes. Plus they're not very healthy and I was looking for something a little easier on the waistline...

I finally came across an idea that, after tinkered with, came out simply delightful.

There are two variations, one for grownups (savory salsa filling) and one for the littles (cottage cheese and fruit).

To bake your potatoes, puncture them with a fork a few times, rub in oil and salt and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour.

Let them cool a bit, then slice them in half, scoop out the insides (reserving for mashed potatoes?) and turn the halves skin-side-up. Cook another 10 minutes or until crispy. Let cool.

Savory Salsa Filling

For the first variation, combine 1/2 cup mashed mixed beans, 2 green onions, chopped, 1 chopped tomato, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1 clove crushed garlic with 3 tbsp. salsa. Line the potato halves with fresh spinach leaves and fill with topping.

Cottage Cheese and Fruit Filling


Sweet and savory at the same time! Add 1 chopped apple to 1/2 cup cottage cheese and toss in 2 chopped stalks of celery. Mix well and fill the potato cups.

Vegetarian Chili over Baked Yellow Potatoes

Fall is my favorite time of year, it's filled with memories and nostalgia about halloween costumes, holiday dinners and family. Although I'm not sure it is officially autumn yet, I recently cooked up one of my family's favorite fall-ish meals. Baked potatoes and chili usually have a pretty bad rap in the world of calories and saturated fat, but this vegetarian version is the exception. It is a comfort food you can indulge in freely!

This recipe makes enough to feed five, with plenty left over to either freeze for another time or serve the next day (maybe over tortilla chips).

Potatoes
I have a favorite way of cooking baked potatoes that I learned from my friend Jake, who is a wonderful chef. Instead of microwaving them (ew!) or wrapping in foil, simply puncture the potatoes a few times with a fork, rub in olive oil and salt and cook at 400 degrees for an hour, turning once half way through. They come out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside! Perfect!

Chili
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large anaheim chili pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 pound of dried beans (your choice, I used 1/2 red beans, 1/2 pink beans)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
fresh corn, removed from cob (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups veggie broth (or water)
chili powder
cumin
garlic salt

Toppings:
your choice of:
avocado
sour cream
chives
cilantro
cheese

When making chili I always use dried beans. They are cheaper than canned (about $2.20 for a pound) and don't contain all the salt of canned beans. If you use red, pink or pinto beans they don't need overnight soaking but be sure to start them about 2.5-3 hours before you want dinner to be ready.

Rinse them and put them in a pot with lots of water (about 3x the amount of beans) bring to a boil and then remove from heat, cover and let sit for an hour. After an hour, rinse them, put in your veggie broth and can of diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Let them simmer for about 20 minutes while we work on the other steps.

Chop your veggies, saute onion, garlic and pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add in a generous palmful each of chili, cumin and garlic salt. I always use more spice than I think I need, and it always comes out perfect. Adding the spices at this step will help release the flavor better than if you add it to the water.

Saute the spices/veggies for another 2 minutes or so, then add this to your simmering pot of beans. Cover and cook for about an hour, then check your beans. If they feel about 1/2 way cooked, remove the cover and let the pot simmer (to allow some of the water to cook off.)

Some people like their chili runny, others thick, the difference here will be on keeping the pot covered or uncovered. If the chili gets thick and your beans aren't quite done, you can cover them or add more water. If you are deciding to add corn to your chili (I love this, it adds color! But I didn't do it this time) you will want to add it only about 20 minutes (if raw) before the chili is done. Corn doesn't need much time to cook.

When your chili is done, top your baked potato with a generous helping of chili and add on your favorite toppings!