Black Beans and Yellow Rice

This recipe is nice to have on hand when you don’t have alot of time to throw something together. The thing that takes the longest is the yellow rice-it takes about 20 minutes to cook. But while it’s cooking, you can be doing something else. I served this with a cheese quesadilla and sour cream (and the usual green salad). I also doubled everything in this recipe.

rating: 8

Black Beans and Yellow Rice
(from the cookbook “Down to Earth-More than 130 Vegetarian Recipes” by Weight Watchers)

1 (5 ounce) package saffron rice mix
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, divided (I omitted)
3 tbsp 30%-less-fat sour cream (such as Breakstone)
1 tbsp sliced green onion (I omitted)

1. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting fat. Remove from heat; set aside, and keep warm.
2. Drain beans, reserving 2 tbsp liquid. Combine beans, reserved liquid, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tbsp cilantro. Spoon about 3/4 cup rice onto each of 3 plates, and top each with about 1/3 cup bean mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp cilantro. Dollop each serving with 1 tbsp sour cream, and sprinkle each with 1 tsp green onions. Makes 3 servings.

Beguine Cream Soup

Today was nasty and rainy out, so you know what that means. Soup! This soup was a cinch to make. When I make it again, I will add alot more salt and pepper, though. It was kind of bland. But once I added more seasoning, it was very tasty! I served it with a green salad (of course) and some whole wheat rolls.

rating: 6.5

Beguine Cream Soup
(from the cookbook “Twelve Months of Monastery Soups” by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette)

7 cups water
2 leeks (I used 3)
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 slices stale bread
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup half-and-half
1 tbsp butter or margarine
chopped parsley and chopped chervil (I just used parsley)

1. Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, and bread slices. Lower the heat to moderate, cover the pot, and cook for about 1 hour.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the soup, Turn off the soup and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then blend the soup in a food mill or blender till thick and creamy.
3. Return the soup to the pot. Add the nutmeg, half-and-half and butter. Stir well and bring to a light boil. Add the chopped parsley and chervil and serve at once.

Mushroom Noodle Casserole

Ok, this one will really throw you. I got this recipe from…A Dollywood cookbook! This cookbook was my grandmother’s, and this is the first recipe I have tried from it. Granted, I had to “veggify” it a little, but it was really good! When I make it again (and I will), I will add more mushrooms (and Toby says to add a different kind of mushroom- something more “woodsy”). I think that’s all I would change. My substitutions are in the recipe. I served this with a green salad.

rating: 8

Mushroom Noodle Casserole
(from the cookbook “Recipes from the Heart of the Smokies”, by Dollywood, Inc.)

1 package (8 ounces) egg noodles
3/4 cup margarine, melted (I used butter)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups chicken broth (I used veggie)
1 cup milk (I used Silk soymilk)
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (I omitted)

Melt margarine, remove 1/2 cup to mix with bread crumbs. Saute onions and mushrooms in remaining margarine. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth, stir and cook until thickened. Spray 2 quart casserole with cooking spray. Mix sauce with cooked noodles, chicken, and milk in casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs with margarine and sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees or microwave 15 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Potato and Black Bean Soup

This soup sounded good, looked easy enough, and I thought, you know, a cold day like today needs some yummy soup. Well, I didn’t like it. It was very blah and bland. However, Toby DID like it. He added some Maggi to it (about 2 spoonfuls) and had, get this, THREE bowls full! I used a no-name brand organic (very blah) veggie stock, so maybe that was the problem. I also did not include the cilantro (vomit). I think if I make it again, I will use another stock, add another can of black beans, use diced tomatoes, cut up the mushrooms a little more, and maybe double the Cajun seasoning. I served this with some hot rolls from the oven.

rating: 3

Potato & Black Bean Soup
(from the cookbook “Better than Peanut Butter & Jelly- Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love!” by Marty Mattare and Wendy Muldawer)

6 cups vegetable broth, canned or made from bouillon cubes
10-12 medium-sized mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, cut up
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream or yogurt (optional)
In a large saucepan, combine broth, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and potatoes. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes are just tender; about 10-12 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Serve topped with sour cream.

serves 8

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers

I am normally not a meatless burger fan, but for some reason I decided to try these. They were a cinch to make. Well, not a cinch…it takes some effort to smash those beans! I tried the nonstick cooking spray, but I wanted them a little crispier, so I added some vegetable oil. Toby really liked them- said they were really good and different. He ate his, plus another, plus half of my 2nd one! In the recipe, I omitted the cilantro (can’t stand it), and the lettuce (thought we would have some extra, we didn’t). And I could only find white mini pitas. I served these with some Tater Tots and a caesar salad.

rating: 7

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
(from the cookbook “Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes- Vegetarian Meals”)

1 can (15-19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp light mayonnaise (I used regular)
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (I omitted)
1 tbsp plain dried bread crumbs
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
nonstick cooking spray
1 cup loosely packed sliced lettuce (I omitted)
4 mini (4″) whole-wheat pitas, warmed
1/2 cup mild salsa

1. In large bowl, with potato masher or fork, mash beans with mayonnaise until almost smooth with some lumps. Stir in cilantro, bread crumbs, cumin, and pepper sauce until combined. With lightly floured hands, shape bean mixture into four 3″ round patties. Spray both sides of each patty lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat 10″ skillet over medium heat until hot. Add patties and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. With pancake turner, turn patties over, and cook until heated thought, 3 minutes longer.
3. Arrange lettuce on pitas; top with burgers then salsa.

makes 4 sandwiches

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Peanuts

I bought a new cookbook, mainly for making food for Liam (he’s 15 months old). It’s called “Better than Peanut Butter & Jelly”. It’s filled with “quick vegetarian meals your kids will love!” I picked this recipe to start with. I had all the ingredients on hand except for the green beans, and it looked pretty simple. I bought alot more than the 8 ounces the recipe calls for, so I really kind of guessed on the amount of soy sauce and honey to use. I kept dribbling it in there and tasting it until it tasted good. And these WERE good! I cooked the beans a little longer, just because Toby doesn’t like crunchy green beans. I served these with some Naked Quorn Cutlets, potato pancakes (with a dollop of sour cream), and a green salad.

rating: 8

Stir-Fried Green Beans with Peanuts
(from the cookbook “Better than Peanut Butter & Jelly” by Marty Mattare & Wendy Muldawer)

1/3 cup water
8 ounces green beans, fresh or frozen
3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp honey or other sweetener
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp peanuts, chopped

In a medium frying pan or wok, bring water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until most of the water has evaporated. Add soy sauce, honey, and garlic powder. Stir rapidly over high heat for 1 minute or until green beans are coated. Transfer to a serving platter and top with chopped peanuts.

Green beans should be cooked just till they turn bright green to keep their pleasing crunchiness; if beans turn dull colored, they are overcooked.

serves 3-4

Lemony Roasted Potatoes

These are another great recipe from “Veganomicon”. They were excellent! And super easy! The only thing is that they take a while to cook. But the prep is hardly anything. Toby really liked them (he had 2 helpings!) and said they tasted very similar to a German potato salad that he remembers, minus the oregano. And yes, we had a very BEIGE dinner tonight. But we also had a salad! I served the potatoes with some breaded Quorn cutlets, some Dr. Praegger’s Broccoli Pancakes, and a green salad.

Rating: 8

Lemony Roasted Potatoes

(From the cookbook “Veganomicon- The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook” by Isa Chandra Moskiwitz & Terry Hope Romero)

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (medium to small potatoes work best)
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more then 3/4″ thick.

In a large, deep baking pan or casserole dish (at least 10 17-inches or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of casserole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.

Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15-20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.

serves 4-6

Nothing new yesterday

Toby actually REQUESTED a recipe that I made last week! He said he LOVED that Mile-High Tortilla thing, and would I make it again. So I did. So this means that it’s a really good recipe and you should try it too.

Omelet aux Fines Herbs

I had a hankering for an omelette, so I decided to try this one. It was very simple to make, although making it their way left it a little uncooked for my taste. And I used dried tarragon instead of fresh. I think it would have been better if I had used fresh. I served it exactly as they suggested- with french fries and a salad. I think next time I will use fresh herbs and cook it more. Oh, and starting today, I am going to start rating each recipe, with 1 being bad and 10 being great.

rating: 5

Omelet aux Fines Herbs

(from the cookbook “Classic Vegetarian Cooking” by Linda Fraser)

3 eggs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh chervil (I couldn’t find this, so I omitted it)
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp butter
salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Break the eggs into a bowl, season to taste and beat with a fork, then add the chopped herbs.

2. Heat an omelet or frying pan over a high heat, add the butter and cook until it foams and browns. Quickly pour in the beaten egg and stir briskly with the back of a fork. When the egg is 2/3 scrambled, let the omelet finish cooking for 10-15 seconds more.

3. Tap the handle of the omelet or frying pan sharply with your fist to make the omelet jump up the sides of the pan, fold and turn onto a plate. Serve with french fries, green salad and a halved tomato.

- serves 1 (so I doubled the recipe)

Curried Corn Chowder

I decided to make a recipe from a cookbook I’ve had for a long time and never used- “The Great Vegetarian Cookbook: The Chef’s Secret Recipes” by Kathleen DeVanna Fish. This soup was simple to make, although I had to stop halfway through the onion chopping to give my eyes a rest. I can’t believe I used to make these kinds of soups and then pour them into a blender to puree! Once again, I am so thankful I have my immersion blender-thingy. Toby liked the soup, and he suggested maybe adding cubes of tofu to it next time. It is a little spicy, if you like that sort of thing. I served this with a green salad and bread.

Curried Corn Chowder

(from the cookbook “The Great Vegetarian Cookbook: The Chefs’ Secret Recipes” by Kathleen DeVanna Fish)

2 onions, finely diced
peanut oil for sauteing
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 cup water
3 tbsp garlic, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
3 tbsp ginger, ground
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups corn kernels, frozen or fresh
2 cups potatoes, finely diced
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream

In a large pan, saute the onions in peanut oil until translucent.

Dilute the curry paste in water and add to the onions. Add the garlic, scallions, ginger, salt and pepper. Saute until the mixture is well-cooked and aromatic. Add the corn and potatoes and stir. Add the stock and the cream.

Simmer for 45 minutes to one hour. Pour into a food processor or blender and puree. Season to taste.