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.

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.

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.

Scallion & Ricotta Fritters

Here’s another recipe from the cookbook  I’ve been using all week: “500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson. I left out the cilantro, since neither of us care for it. I LOVE ricotta cheese, and I really love anything with the word “fritter” in it. These were easy to make, and took no time at all to fry up. They are basically little pancakes. To me they tasted a little bit like mashed potatoes, which is a good thing. For a dipping sauce, I just served them with a little sour cream. With these we had some Quorn Gruyere Cutlets and some roasted asparagus. These were good! I bet you could really change these up now and then by adding different veggies and seasonings.

rating: 8

Scallion & Ricotta Fritters
(from the cookbook “500 Greatest-Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson)

generous 1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
6 tbsp self-rising flour
6 tbsp milk (I used Silk lite plain soymilk)
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro (I omitted)
sunflower oil, for frying
salt and ground black pepper

To garnish
cilantro sprigs
lime wedges

1. Beat the ricotta in a bowl until smooth, then beat in the egg and flour, followed by the milk to make a smooth, thick batter. Beat in the scallions and cilantro. Season well with pepper and a little salt.
2. Heat a little oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add spoonfuls of the mixture, in batches, to make fritters about 3 inches across. Fry for 4-5 minutes one each side, until set and browned. The mixture makes 12 fritters.
3. Drain the fritters on paper towels and serve immediately. Garnish with the cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Broiled Goat Cheese Salad

I love goat cheese, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. I first made the dressing. It really didn’t seem like enough dressing for 2 big salads (and it’s supposed to be for 4!), so I had Toby take a look at it. He agreed that it wouldn’t be enough, so he basically doubled it. As for the goat cheese, the plain-flavored goat cheese “log” in my grocery store was not vegetarian, so I got a flavored version that was. It was Mediterranean Herbs & Garlic-flavored. This recipe was super easy to make and it’s great! The little French bread pieces with the cheese baked on top = delicious. They could be eaten with a shoe and make it taste great! They were so good that today for lunch I made more! We enjoyed this salad with some egg-salad sandwiches.

rating: 9

Broiled Goat Cheese Salad

(from the cookbook “500 Greatest Ever Vegetarian Recipes” by Valerie Ferguson)

2 firm round whole goat cheese, about 2.5-4 ounces each

4 slices French bread

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

6 ounces read-to-serve salad greens

snipped fresh chives, to garnish (I omitted)

for the vinaigrette dressing

1/2 garlic clove

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp white wine vinegar (used white vinegar)

1 tsp dry white wine

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1. To make the dressing, rub a large salad bowl with the cut side of the garlic clove. Combine the mustard, vinegar and wine in the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, then whisk in the oil, 1 tbsp at a time, to form a thick vinaigrette.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut the goat cheese in half across their width to make four “cakes”.

3. Arrange the bread slices in a broiler pan and toast them on one side under a hot broiler. Turn them over and place a piece of cheese, cut side up, on each slice. Drizzle with olive oil and broil until the cheese is lightly browned.

4. Add the leaves to the salad bowl and toss to coat them with the dressing. Divide the salad among four plates, top each with a goat cheese crouton and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Chickpea Cakes Piccata

I had an awesome Piccata dish at Sublime restaurant in Florida (http://www.sublimeveg.com/home.html), so when I saw this recipe I thought I would give t a whirl. For the chickpea cake recipe, I substituted lite soy cause for the tamari, minced onion for the onion (it’s like a spice), and then whole wheat flour for the chickpea flour. These were easy to make, and it did indeed make exactly 6 cakes. The cakes turned out a little dry and crumbly. I am wondering if it’s because of my substitutions? As for the sauce, I did not use any lemon zest. I think that the sause was actually a little too oniony for me. I will keep looking for a Piccata sauce like Sublime’s. These were ok, but not great. I served these with some roasted asparagus, leftover cole slaw, and mashed potatoes. Note, Toby liked me to roast the asparagus until it practically disappears! rating: 6

http://happyherbivore.com/2009/03/chickpea-cakes-piccata/

Buttermilk Potato Cakes

I came across this recipe in a magazine (it’s in an ad for Ore-Ida), and decided to try it. This is the second time I have used these potatoes, and these potato cakes turned out well. The recipe says that it makes 8 potato cakes, but I only made 7 (I think mine were a little too big). I had to buy some buttermilk (will have to look for other recipes that use buttermilk!), but everything else I had on hand (except for the Ore-Ida potatoes!). I will make these again. Oh, and I had to use a little more oil than this calls for. With these we enjoyed some Quorn Gruyere Cutlets and some roasted asparagus.

rating: 8

Buttermilk Potato Cakes
(from an ad in a magazine)

1 bag Ore-Ida Steam n’ Mash Cut Russet Potatoes
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I used dried)
1 tsp McCormick mustard powder
1/2 tsp McCormick garlic powder
flour as needed
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt

Prepare Steam n’ Mash Cut Russet Potatoes according to the package directions.

In medium bowl, mash cooked potatoes, buttermilk, and butter. Stir in parsley, mustard, and garlic powder until well combines then shape into 8 patties. Dip patties in flour; pat off excess. In large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Place 4 patties in pan and dry for 3 minutes without turning, or until nicely browned. Gently turn cakes over and cook 3 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel, season with salt, and repeat with remaining 4 patties.