Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

{Meatless Monday}

...even though it is not really Monday at all!

I got this recipe off one of my favorite vegetarian cooking blogs.... A Couple Cooks.

This was REALLY yummy.  Surprisingly yummy!   I bookmarked the recipe more out of curiosity than anything.  It was one of those times when I thought, "well, I like sweet potatoes....and I like black beans...but will I really want to eat them together??"  ; )

But, yes, oh yes, you want to eat them together!  This was a keeper and I can't wait to make it again.

Here's what you'll need:

2 medium to large sweet potatoes (3 cups diced)
15 oz. can black beans
8 ounces canned diced green chilies (about 1 cup)
1 medium red onion
½ tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
about 2 cups salsa verde (or homemade tomatillo salsa)
1 cup Colby jack cheese, shredded
8 whole wheat flour tortillas (or 10 6-inch)
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro, to garnish


Preheat the oven to 350°F.

 Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a pot and cover with water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, around 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and place in bowl.

Now to prepare the filling:  Finely chop the red onion. (I decided to saute my onion for about 5-7 minutes.  It helps my kids to eat them better!)

To Mix the Filling:  In a large bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, drained black beans, red onion, green chilies, ½ tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine.

To make the enchiladas... In a large baking dish, spread ¾ to 1 cup of the salsa verde. Fill each tortilla with a heaping ½ cup scoop of the filling, add a handful of cheese, and roll it up. 

Place the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. When all enchiladas are in the dish, top with the remaining salsa verde (about ½ cup or so) and the remaining cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Serve, garnished with sour cream (mixed with a tiny bit of water to loosen it) and chopped cilantro, if desired. (I only had romaine lettuce, but sour cream & cilantro would be fabulous!) 

White Bean Burgers with Spinach

{Meatless Monday}

I have SO many recipes for non-meat burgers that I want to try.  Every time I see one, I rip it out and put it in my folder.  They all require quite a bit of mashing and such...so they seem a little more labor intensive.  But when I actually get around to making them, they always turn out great!  These were easier than some I have made.  They have a great flavor and as long as you cook them well, they have a nice crispy outer layer.

Here's what you need...

1 19 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used Great Northern)
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg
1 T olive oil
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh baby spinach
4 slices country bread or buns

In bowl, mash beans with fork or potato masher. (I used my pastry cutter at first and then finished with my potato masher.)  Stir in half the bread crumbs, the carrot, onion, egg, 1 T. oil, half the parsley, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

 Shape into 6 to 8 patties (depending on what size you prefer).

Place remaining bread crumbs and parsley in shallow dish.  Coat both sides of patties in bread crumb mixture.

 In large skillet, heat 2 T oil over medium heat.  Cook patties in hot oil 6-8 minutes per side.  (I actually cooked mine at least 8 minutes per side. I like to make vegetarian burgers have a nice crispy outside...it gives the a nicer "bite".)

Serve patties on toasted bread with spinach, open faced.  I also used my Cajun Mayonniase to spice up the flavor a bit, and it REALLY worked with the flavor of the patty!

***Cajun Seasoning Recipe***
I am not about to go to the store and spend $5 on some special mix of spices, so I simply googled Cajun seasoning and then mixed up some of my own.  Here is a link if you want to make a larger portion of it to keep in your cupboard:  Cajun Seasoning 

I just basically made a small batch of it...here's what I used:
3/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground thyme (I just chopped up my regular thyme)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. dried oregano

Mix all up in a bowl.  This made enough for at least 2 or 3 recipes of the burgers.

Use 1 tsp of this seasoning per 1/2 cup mayonnaise.  Or however it fits your taste!  ; )

Butternut Squash Risotto

{Meatless Monday}

This is kind of a "cheat" post.... ; )

But I got this recipe off of Pioneer Woman and the night I made it was CRAZY!  I barely had time to make the dinner, let alone take pics of it!  (I thought I had taken at least ONE picture right before I ate, but I searched and searched and nope...not a one!)

Plus, Pioneer Woman has GORGEOUS photography and takes SO many pictures, it would be a shame for you not to see them!

This was SO AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS that I completely over-ate!  I think I had three servings. I just could not help myself.  ; )  And I cannot wait to make it again, only this time, I will save that third serving for lunch the next day.


So....you simply MUST try this!  It was easy and oh. so. delicious.  And pretty healthy too!  I, of course, used Half and Half instead of the Cream and it was still creamy and delicious.  My husband and I plan on hosting a (belated) Earth Day Celebration Dinner and I am absolutely making this delicious dish!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Asian-Style Fried Rice and Beans

{Meatless Monday}

I am so glad I tried this recipe.  Years ago I would never have even looked at it twice...but that was back before I liked pineapple.  I was 26 before I tried my first fresh pineapple and discovered that I LOVED it!  Since then, I have been able to enjoy it in a few forms, though I still cannot abide pineapple in my jello salads.  Yuck.

But since this one was sliced pineapple and it was seared I thought I would end up liking it.

It actually calls for fresh or canned.  I think it would be AMAZING with fresh, but I think I will only bother with fresh if I happen to find pineapple on a great sale.  The canned slices worked really well.  The recipe said that canned would not sear as well as the fresh, so I sprinkled a tiny bit of brown sugar in the pan to help it carmelize a little better.

This was actually a BIG hit with the family.  Everyone ate their dinner with NO COMPLAINTS!  (That does not happen very often at our dinner table! : )  And three of the four children that were at the table asked for seconds...especially the pineapple.  It is definitely a keeper!!

Here's what you'll need...

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced OR 8 oz. can pineapple slices
1 T. vegetable oil
2-3 medium carrots, thinly bias-sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 cups cooked brown rice (I used 1+ cup brown rice and 1+ cup barley)
1 15 oz garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 T. soy sauce
1/3 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1 lime, halved

Heat 2 tsp oil (and a little sprinkled brown sugar if you want) in the pan.  Get the pan nice and hot before adding the fruit.  It should sizzle when it hits the pan.  Brown each side for about 2 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

I just cut mine up with the spatula once it was seared.

Pour the other 1 tsp. oil into the hot skillet.  Add carrots; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until just tender.  Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds.  (Forgot to take picture.... ; )

Stir in brown rice, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and peas.  Add soy sauce.  Cook and stir about 4 minutes until heated through.  Stir in cilantro.  Return pineapple to pan.

To serve, squeeze lime juice over all.  Top with additional cilantro leaves, if desired.  (I forgot to buy cilantro, so you won't see any in my pictures!)

This was probably the most delicious fried rice recipe we have ever had.  I LOVED the sweetness of the pineapple and I also appreciate that the recipe calls for regular ingredients.  And it is FAST.  You could cook up the rice early in the day--or just use leftover--and it could 

be on the table in 15 minutes flat!

Mushroom Barley Salad

{Meatless Monday}

This one comes from the most recent Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  Since they discontinued Everyday Food (boohoo!), they are filling the rest of my subscription with their main magazine.  I think this stood out to me since my hubby and I both LOVE mushrooms and also because he has recently decided that he likes barley (as opposed to brown rice, which he hates.)

The recipe is SUPER easy to throw together...especially if you cook the barley beforehand.  Barley, like brown rice, takes about 45 minutes to cook...so it definitely needs a little planning ahead!

Here's what you'll need...

I will give you what the recipe actually calls for, but I substituted nearly everything ; ), so I will also tell you what I used.

Olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. mixed mushrooms     I used white and crimini
1 shallot, minced                        I used a regular yellow onion
3 T sherry vinegar                 I used 1/2 balsamic (or red-wine) vinegar and 1/2 rice vinegar 
1/2 cup creme fraiche               I used fat-free sour cream
3 T chopped fresh chives         I used dried chives
3 teaspoons fresh thyme           I used dried thyme--I wish I had used way less...like 1/2 tsp?  
2 small heads Bibb lettuce        I used Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked barley
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts        I used toasted sliced almonds--loved them!
1/2 cup fresh parsley

You will need to cook about 1/2 cup of barley to get 1 1/2 cups cooked.  I have always used Pearl Barley and I buy mine in bulk at Winco.  It is just as cheap as white rice.  Just follow the directions on y our bag from the store.  It is easy!  Just plan ahead so it can cook for 45 minutes.

Heat 1-2 T olive oil in a large skillet.  Cook the mushrooms with 1/2 to 1 tsp salt, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden.  Transfer to a bowl.  

 Cook onion in a small amount of oil until softened.  Add 2 T vinegar and simmer until reduced by half.  Remove from heat and whisk in creme fraiche (or sour cream) and remaining 1 T vinegar.  Whisk in 3 T more olive oil.  Add chives and thyme and season with salt and pepper.  (I personally like thyme, but think that its "woodsy" flavor can quickly overwhelm a dish, so next time I will use it sparingly!)  

This is what my "dressing" ended up looking like....

Combine lettuce, barley, mushrooms, nuts, and parsley.  Add dressing from pan.  Toss to coat then  season with salt and pepper to taste.

I like to sprinkle on just a little Parmesan cheese for the finishing touch.  I like the little extra flavor it adds to the dish.

I have made this again and we really love it.  The second time I used red-wine vinegar instead of the balsamic and just a tiny sprinkle of thyme and it was perfect!

So if you have never cooked with barley, you should give it a try.  And as long as you like mushrooms, this recipe is a great place to start!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These were delicious!  I am a BIG lover of sweet potatoes in any form...but especially fried!  So I was excited when I saw this baked recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens magazines that might allow me to enjoy a favorite a little more often without paying for it around the middle!

Here's what you'll need....

Olive oil

1 lb. sweet potatoes or carrots (I have yet to try the carrot version...but I think I'd love it!)

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 T. water

1 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 T olive oil

Ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce...we made some Cajun Mayonnaise.

Preheat oven to 400.  Brush pan with olive oil.  Peel potatoes and cut into narrow wedges.  Toss with 2 tsp oil.  Place the veggies on the pan and roast 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Let cool for 10-15 minutes. 

While they cool, mix together four and salt in a shallow pie pan or dish.  In a second dish, combine eggs and water.  In a third dish, combine bread crumbs and parmesan.  Dip veggies, a few at a time, in the flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixtures.  Arrange in a single layer on an oiled cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes until brown and crispy.  Serve warm with the dipping sauce of your choice!

Roasted Carrot Soup

{Meatless Monday}

Roasted Carrot Soup... 

    this is currently my FAVORITE soup.  This last time I made it, I cooked up at least 

3 pounds of carrots and still did not have enough leftovers for my liking!!

It is also super easy!  And oh so healthy! 

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart.  I found it one night (it was probably the 12th or 13th of the month...our payday is the 15th! ; )  when we had almost nothing in the fridge.  And I mean NOTHING!

But what I did have was a big bag of carrots in my vegetable drawer.  I just went to Google and typed in Roasted Carrots (because that is of course my favorite way to eat carrots!) and this was one of the first links.  We made it that night, and I have been hooked ever since!

Here's what you'll need...

• 1 small onion
• 1 pound carrots,  peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 small Belgian endive, quartered lengthwise (I have always left this out)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, plus more for thinning
• 1/3 cup half and half or milk (I usually use Fat-Free Half and Half)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger, or to taste
• Creme fraiche or sour cream, for garnish (optional)

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Preheat oven to 450.

Cut your onion into wedges and your carrots into nice medium thick sticks.  Put on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Stir around and spread in single layer.  Don't overcrowd the cookie sheet.

Roast until edges of vegetables are deep brown, about 30 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a pot and add bay leaf. (I like to pour a little broth onto the cookie sheet to get off all the yumminess from the roasting and then pour that into your pot!)   Pour in enough broth to just cover the vegetables. Bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until vegetables are very soft.  

Remove bay leaf and then puree the mixture (I have to do this in 2 or 3 batches in my blender).  We like ours to be completely smooth...no chunks at all.  Return to pot and warm up again.  At this point, the recipe tells you to stir in the ginger. 

But when I make it, I actually leave it completely unadulterated when I serve it.  Then I put out all of the following spices:

CINNAMON and NUTMEG and GINGER and CURRY.  

They are ALL delicious in their own way!  I let each person decide what spices they would like.  And my favorite part is that I can choose to have 3 small bowls and give them all a slightly different flavor.  

This soup has such a smooth and rich flavor!  You really need to try it.  Trust me! It is an all-time favorite now and the best thing is....carrots are cheap!!