Worked 9 hours, second day of an incredibly busy weekend at the hospital, too tired to cook really, but hungry, so...
1 onion - sliced
1 medium zucchini - half moons
1/2 red bell pepper - thin, 1/2 inch slices
3-4 cups baby spinach
dried basil & oregano
6 Calamata olives- quartered
Low Fat Feta Cheese
6 Lo-carb Tortillas - fajita size
EVOO - 2 tsp or so
Start the onion in the oil in a heavy pan while slicing the zucchini, then add that and cook together until starting to brown and soften, add the pepper and cook 5 min or so, add the spinach and cook until wilted and darkening, still in 1/2 tsp each of the herbs (or to taste) and little salt and pepper. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for a minute or so to soften them. Split the veggie mix between the tortillas, place the veggies in the center of each tortilla. Top with 1/4 c or so of feta. fold the two sides into the middle, secure with a tooth pick. Place all six on a microwave safe platter, cover with damp towel (paper or clean cloth) and nuke until warm throughout and cheese is starting to melt.
We had these with leftover vegetarian chili and rice mixed together.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Day 89: Stuffed Potatoes
An old favorite. Tonight's batch was a slight variation on the usual because I had no dill and I have switched to a vegan mayonnaise. Here's what I did tonight (made a big batch so there will be leftovers for lunch. My rule is always make a big batch of whatever you are making, leftovers are always good).
5 baking potatoes - I cooked them in the microwave because it is faster - but if you have the time, you can bake them in the oven. Then cut each one in half and scoop out the potato into a big bowl. Save the skins and try to keep them intact - leave a little potato on them if you need to.
Add to the potatoes in the bowl: 1/4 c mayonnaise + 1 cup or so of non-fat cottage cheese (you can use regular)
and mash this up with a potato masher.
Then add: 2-3 tsp mustard (I used 2 tsp spicy honey and 1 tsp Dijon), 1 tablespoon dill or parsley (I used parsley tonight), about 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (I used low fat) - mix it all up and put it back into the potato skins. Sprinkle each half with a little paprika.
Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or so - or heat in the microwave at 70% power for 5-10 minutes
Tonight, I baked them on my pizza stone and they came out very nice - a little crispy on top.
Day 88: Super Duper Super Bowl Pizza
We are generally not among the 20 million Americans who attend a Super Bowl Party, but I made us a pretty nice pizza to eat while watching the game - well L. watched the game, I was actually doing other things, football holds little interest for me.
Super Duper Pizza
1 Bobli thin crust (or crust of your choice)
1/4 cup or so of pesto (I used the last bit of frozen basil pesto from the summer)
A hand full of baby spinach leaves
1 small zucchini
1/4 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
6 Calamata olives - quartered
10 sun dried tomato halves - slivered
low fat feta cheese - about a cup crumbled
I cut the zucchini in half, then sliced each half lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips
I cut the red pepper into 3 strips & the onion into 2 inch pieces
I sprayed the George Foreman Grill with olive oil spray and grilled the vegetables in two batches, then chopped them into bite sized pieces and mixed them with the olives and tomatoes.
I spread the pesto over the crust, spread the spinach on top of that, topped the spinach with the roasted vegetable/olive/tomato mix and sprinkled the cheese over the top.
8 minutes at 450 F
We had this with a salad of romaine, sliced pears, toasted walnuts, and more feta.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Day 87: Lentil Soup
There is nothing better for Saturday supper than a bowl of lentil soup and a good piece of bread. I've said it before and I will say it again, lentils are one of the most perfect foods that God has made.
Lentil soup is the easiest soup to make. No broth is required, and no sauteeing or otherwise pre-cooking the vegetables. Home made Lentil Soup has it all over anything that comes in a can as well. Have you ever taken note of how much salt there is in canned lentil soup? Making it yourself will also save you a bundle. I am going to do an actual cost calculation - I will gather prices next time I visit the grocery store and report to you here - but I bet I can make a big pot of soup that serve about 8 people (with big dinner-sized bowls) for about the price of a can of premium soup that will serve two people at most.
Basic Lentil Soup - from the MooseWood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Rinse 1 bag of dried brown lentils, put them in a pot with 7-8 cups of water and 2 tsp salt, bring them to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so.
Meanwhile - chop: 1 onion, 2 Carrots, 2 stalks of celery and 8 cloves of garlic
When the lentil have cooked for 20 minutes, add all the vegetables plus:1 tsp dried basil and 1/2 tsp each dried thyme leaves and dried oregano - mix it up, then simmer for another 20 minutes.
Add 1 can chopped tomatoes, or chopped stewed tomatoes and cook for 10 more minutes.
Serve with a splash of red wine vinegar (or some freshly grated parmesan) or both.
Variations:
1. Leave out the carrots and celery and instead add 4-6 cups chopped fresh spinach with the tomatoes
2. Add any small cooked pasta (tubetine, small bowties, even elbows) to either version
Lentil soup is the easiest soup to make. No broth is required, and no sauteeing or otherwise pre-cooking the vegetables. Home made Lentil Soup has it all over anything that comes in a can as well. Have you ever taken note of how much salt there is in canned lentil soup? Making it yourself will also save you a bundle. I am going to do an actual cost calculation - I will gather prices next time I visit the grocery store and report to you here - but I bet I can make a big pot of soup that serve about 8 people (with big dinner-sized bowls) for about the price of a can of premium soup that will serve two people at most.
Basic Lentil Soup - from the MooseWood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Rinse 1 bag of dried brown lentils, put them in a pot with 7-8 cups of water and 2 tsp salt, bring them to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so.
Meanwhile - chop: 1 onion, 2 Carrots, 2 stalks of celery and 8 cloves of garlic
When the lentil have cooked for 20 minutes, add all the vegetables plus:1 tsp dried basil and 1/2 tsp each dried thyme leaves and dried oregano - mix it up, then simmer for another 20 minutes.
Add 1 can chopped tomatoes, or chopped stewed tomatoes and cook for 10 more minutes.
Serve with a splash of red wine vinegar (or some freshly grated parmesan) or both.
Variations:
1. Leave out the carrots and celery and instead add 4-6 cups chopped fresh spinach with the tomatoes
2. Add any small cooked pasta (tubetine, small bowties, even elbows) to either version
Day 86: Dinner at Enzo''s in Budd Lake
There are so many reasons why I love this place: its less than five minutes from our house, Ernie, the owner, is friendly and welcoming, his kids have all worked (or are working) there in some capacity and he can be proud of all of them - they do a fine job - they are friendly and helpful - you always get service with a smile, there is always something on the menu that a vegetarian can eat, but the number one reason I love Enzo's is that there is always something new, interesting and delicious on the menu. This is more than I feel we have any right to expect from our local pizzeria, but it is never-the-less true and even though we do not eat meat, we can usually find something new to try. L. has had some outstanding fish dishes from the daily special menu. There is often a special salad or pasta, and fall and winter bring an array of lovely homemade soups. The pumpkin soup that appears on the menu in the fall is something I look forward to all year. These daily specials range from hearty peasant fare to dishes with a gourmet presentation and level of execution that you would expect to pay twice as much for at an upscale place. There is no pretension here, just good food.
Last night I had a wonderful soup with cannelloni beans, lots of celery, roasted red pepper and black olives, with 2 slices of crusty ciabatta bread tucked into the soup at the sides of the bowl. I've never had a soup with exactly these ingredients before. The flavors were wonderful together, as were the textures, it made a lovely meal. L. had his soup with a vegetable Stromboli, I had a small house salad that included romaine and iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green & black olives, red onion, and roasted red peppers. Just perfect.
Last night I had a wonderful soup with cannelloni beans, lots of celery, roasted red pepper and black olives, with 2 slices of crusty ciabatta bread tucked into the soup at the sides of the bowl. I've never had a soup with exactly these ingredients before. The flavors were wonderful together, as were the textures, it made a lovely meal. L. had his soup with a vegetable Stromboli, I had a small house salad that included romaine and iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, green & black olives, red onion, and roasted red peppers. Just perfect.
Day 85: Caprese Pannini
Dinner at work. The cafeteria makes a pretty nice Caprese Pannini - Ciabatta bread, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and a basil pesto. It doesn't come close to what I would make myself in the summer with a good Jersey tomato and some basil from my herb garden on the deck - but it wasn't too bad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)