Black Bean Cakes with Salsa

I am always searching for the perfect black bean cake. And alas, my search continues. This recipe is very easy, but I think the cakes are a little sweet (thanks to the muffin mix) and a little too bready (thanks to the muffin mix). They aren’t bad, just not what I am looking for. I left out the jalapeno (no heat for me). I was going to serve these with some yellow rice (Mahatma, I think, is the brand I normall buy), but when I was cooking the rice, I noticed that it had little red flecks in it. Then I noticed that the bag did NOT say Mahatma. Uh oh. So I read the ingredients: chicken fat. I promptly threw the rice away. So instead we had some tortilla chips and a green salad.

rating: 6

Black Bean Cakes with Salsa
(from the April 2009 issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine)

1 1/2 cups prepared salsa
1 jalapeno pepper (I omitted)
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8.5 ounce package corn muffin mix
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp chili powder

1. In colander, drain 1/2 cup of the salsa. Seed and finely chop half the jalapeno; thinly slice remaining half. In large bowl, mash beans with a vegetable masher or fork. Stir in muffin mix, drained salsa, 2 1/2 tsp chili powder and chopped jalapeno.
2. In 12″ skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add four 1/2 cup mounds bean mixture to skillet. Flatten mounds with spatula to 3.5″ round cakes. Cook 3 minutes each side until browned. Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining oil and bean mixture.
3. In bowl, combine sour cream and 1/2 tsp chili powder. Top cakes with remaining salsa, sliced jalapeno, and seasoned sour cream.

Asparagus & Soft Eggs on Toast

I tell ya, I am a little obsessed with asparagus right now. I’ve always loved it, but now I just CRAVE it! When my MIL was in town we bought some white asparagus at a grocery store I never go to(have not seen it anywhere else around here), and that was good too! Did you know that white asparagus is just regular asparagus that has not seen the light? Neat. So anyway- this recipe. For the bread I bought a little round loaf of “peasant bread”. The asparagus I had to cook a little longer (of course!) because Toby likes his to have no texture whatsoever. Then for the eggs I actually poached them instead of soft-boiling them. I can’t STAND runny eggs whites, and feared that I may encounter them if I soft-boiled them. The verdict? I really liked this dish. We each had 2 big slices of bread but I could have eaten more (it was so good!). Toby didn’t seem as giddy about his as I was. He said that if I made it again, he would suggest the following: use smaller slices of bread (!), cook the asparagus more (really not possible), and maybe try an over-easy egg instead of poached. Ok, Toby, noted. With this we had some diced red potatoes that were roasted with some herbs, and then a small green salad (too much food, really).

rating: me- 9, Toby-7

Asparagus & Soft Eggs on Toast
(from the May 2009 issue of Real Simple Magazine)

4 slices rustic country bread
1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
8 large eggs
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan (1 ounce)

1. Heat broiler. Place the bread and asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
2. Broil until the bread is toasted, 1-2 minutes per side; transfer the bread to plates. Continue broiling the asparagus, tossing once, until tender, 4-8 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Carefully lower the eggs into the water. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 6 minutes. Cool under running water and peel.
4. Divide the asparagus among the toast, sprinkle on the Parmesan, and top with the eggs.

Product Review: Santa Fe Style, Black Bean & Corn by It’s All Good

I’m back! My MIL from Germany was visiting for awhile, and we like for her to do all of the cooking (!) while she is here, so there were no posts from me. The day before she left, she made a casserole that I could just pop in the oven as a quick dinner, so that’s what we had last night, along with this new product from It’s All Good. I picked these up at our local grocery store (Giant). I was so excited to see them when we went to our out-of-state college reunion, so that’s great that they are now carried locally. So these looked pretty good on the package. To prepare them is simple- pierce the plastic and microwave for 2 minutes (you get 2 little (faux) chicken breast-like things per package. I don’t know, there was something weird about the sauce. Toby said he liked his, but not enough for me to rush out and buy some more. I didn’t even finish mine. Good thing Oma left us a big noodle casserole!

rating: 5

http://itsallgoodfoods.com

I’m still here

But I’ve got my mother-in-law in town from Germany, so she’s doing all the cooking! I will be back next Tuesday with new recipes! Stay tuned!

Potato, Zucchini, and Carrot Pancakes

I don’t know what it is about shredded veggies, but I love them! Toby is not a fan of zucchini (unless it is shredded- what’s up with that?) nor carrots, so I only used 2 tiny baby carrots in this. It took awhile to get everything mixed together, but after that everything came together quickly. It was a little tough making the little indentation in the finished pancake. I didn’t think the ones I was making were big enough for the eggs, but they turned out to be fine. The baked eggs were good. They are kind of like poached, maybe? I had to poke them several times to see if they were done, because they sure didn’t look like it. But they were. Weird. Toby really liked this, but he said it might be even better with fried eggs on top instead of the baked. He said it would be good to have a little runny yolk. I told him “now THAT’S the kind of feedback I am looking for, sir!” With this we had a nice little green salad.

rating: 9

Potato, Zucchini, and Carrot Pancakes
(from the April 2009 issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine)

nonstick cooking spray
1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 4 cups)
1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)- I shredded 2 baby carrots
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed (I used dried)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat two small baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Drain zucchini in a colander; press to squeeze out excess liquid. In large bowl combine zucchini, potatoes, carrot, flour, 1 of the eggs, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. In extra-large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat. To make a pancake, spoon about a 1-cup portion of potato mixture into skillet; evenly press and round edges with back of spatula to form a pancake. Cook two pancakes at a time, 4-5 minutes each side or until golden brown, turning once. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining oil and potato mixture.
4. With the back of a wooden spoon or a 1/2 cup measure gently press each pancake, slightly off-center, to make a 3″ diameter depression, deep enough to hold an egg. Pour one egg in each nest. Place pancakes with eggs in oven, being careful not to tilt baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

Ravioli-Vegetable Stacks

Last night Toby had a soccer game at 7:30pm, so he wanted to eat as soon as he got home (5:30), so that he wouldn’t be playing on a too-full stomach. Well, of course Liam woke up in a crabby mood from his nap, so I had to hold him while I was getting this recipe together, and basically had to do everything with one hand. I thought we might be eating dinner WAY late, but it was actually ready in just a few minutes. Toby hates zucchini, but I thought that these pieces were big enough that he could just pick them out (and give them to me!). He actually ate a few, though. This dish was good, but I think it could do with a little less cheese. It was VERY cheesy. Also, It says that you “cut it into squares to serve”. I had to scoop mine up with a spoon. Maybe my ravioli were too small. In any case, this was a nice twist on the typical pasta and sauce dish. With this we had some garlic bread.

rating: 8

Ravioli-Vegetable Stacks
(from the April 2009 issue of Better Homes & Gardens magazine)

1 pound frozen sausage or meat-filled ravioli (I used refrigerated cheese ravioli)
2 small zucchini
4 plum tomatoes, thinly-sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup small fresh basil leaves
1 8-ounce package shredded Italian=blend cheese (2 cups)
Fresh basil (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Trim and lengthwise slice zucchini. Add zucchini to ravioli during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain, but do not rinse.
2. Thinly slice tomatoes. In 2-quart square baking dish, layer half the tomato slices. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the oil. Sprinkle half the basil. Using tongs, layer half the ravioli and sprinkle half the cheese. Layer zucchini slices; drizzle 1 tbsp oil. Layer remaining ravioli, basil, cheese, and tomatoes; drizzle remaining oil. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
3. Bake, uncovered, 9-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown. To serve, cut in squares; sprinkle with fresh basil.

Cheesy Broccoli-Pasta Bake

I made this for dinner last Wed. night (we left for a trip Thursday morning, coming back last night). I thought this dish was very bland. Toby, of course, added hot sauce and said it was ok. I think there are alot better pasta recipes out there for me than this one.  I did not love this one. With this, we had a big salad (thank goodness!) and some fake chicken cutlets.

rating: 4

Cheesy Broccoli-Pasta Bake
(from the May/June 2009 issue of Weight Watchers magazine)

1/2 pound medium pasta (such as penne, penne rigate, or ziti)
8 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1 2/3 cup fat-free milk (I used Silk Lite plain soy milk)
1.2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain; return the pasta and broccoli to the pot.
3. While the pasta and broccoli are cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and mustard; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and salt. Increase the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the sauce to the pasta and broccoli; stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes.

Classic Potato-Leek Soup

Boy, yesterday was a good day for soup! Cold and rainy. Yuck. I thought this soup was sort of bland, but Toby said that if you add hot sauce, it’s pretty good. So there ya go. It didn’t take that long to make, and once again I got to use my immersion blender. I did end up adding about 1/4 cup of heavy cream at the end, just because I thought it needed *something*, plus I needed to get rid of that cream. With this we had some hot rolls.

rating: 7

Classic Potato-Leek Soup
(from the May/June 2009 issue of Weight Watchers magazine)

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
4 large leeks, cleaned and chopped, white and light green parts only
1 large onion, chopped
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie “chicken” broth)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (I omitted)

1. Bring the potatoes, leeks, onion, broth, and pepper to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Let the mixture cool about 10 minutes.
2. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the saucepan and heat through; stir in the chives. If making ahead, let the soup cool. Divide among 2 (1-quart) microwavable freezer containers and freeze up to 2 months.

serving size- scant 2 cups
points per serving- 5

Pierogi with Creamy Mushrooms

I think I might subscribe to the Weight Watchers magazine. I always find some great recipes in there, like this one! I happened to have some pierogi in the freezer, so I only needed to buy a couple of items for this meal. This dish really comes together quickly, and boy is it good! I was surprised by how good it was. I usually boil or pan-fry the pierogi, and then serve them with just some sour cream on the side, so this is a nice change. Toby really liked it, too. I served this with some roasted asparagus (can’t get enough of them!) and a green salad.

rating: 9

Pierogi with Creamy Mushrooms
(from the May/June 2009 issue of Weight Watchers magazine)

2 tsp olive oil
1 (18-ounce) pkg portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp paprika
1.2 tsp salt
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetarian “chicken” broth)
18 frozen low-fat potato and Cheddar cheese pierogi
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I omitted)

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, paprika, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 8-1o minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables; stir until blended.
2. Stir in the broth and pierogi; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the pierogi are tender, 7-8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the sour cream and dill.

serving= 3 pierogi with 1/2 cup sauce
Points per serving= 5

Pear & Parmesan Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I actually made this as an appetizer last week and forgot to post about it! For some reason, we don’t eat alot of pears in our house. I don’t know why. We all like them. The dressing was a snap to make. The verdict? It’s good! Toby’s comments were: “It needs more Parmesan” and “this is good- it’s different!” It’s a nice dish to have on a hot day.

rating: 8.5

Pear & Parmesan Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
(from the cookbook “500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson)

4 just-ripe pears
2-ounce piece of Parmesan cheese
watercress, to garnish (I omitted)
water crackers or rye bread, to serve (optional)

For the dressing
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
good pinch of dried thyme
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sunflower oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
salt and ground black pepper

1. Peel the pears if desired, although they look more attractive with the skin on. Cut them in quarters and remove the cores.
2. Cut each pear quarter in half lengthwise and arrange them on four small serving plates.
3. Make the dressing. Mix the vinegar, sugar and thyme in a pitcher. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, then the sunflower oil. Season with salt and pepper, then add the poppy seeds.
4. Trickle the dressing on the pears. Shave Parmesan on top and garnish with watercress. Serve with water crackers or thinly sliced rye bread, if desired.