North African Inspired Tomato, Chickpea & Spinach Stew (Vegan)

Inspired by pantry staples, I made this super basic, but healthy, vegetarian stew a few weeks ago. My intention was to serve it over rice or with pita bread, but instead I ate two bowls plain by myself. Really enjoyed the flavors and textures together. Thought I'd pass it along if you've got a hungry family and a few cans to use up.

If you're not a big spinach fan, cut the spinach amount in half!!! My picture, above, does not show the bright green vibrancy of the spinach because this particular portion was reheated as leftovers :)

I'm sure this stew would benefit from with some cayenne pepper for heat and topped with some Greek yogurt (if you weren't vegan) or fresh lemon/lime juice (if you are a vegan). The stew was also good over a wild rice mix with a little grated cheese on top (Kashkaval is particulary delicious). Enjoy.


NORTH-AFRICAN INSPIRED TOMATO, CHICKPEA, & SPINACH STEW


Serves ~6

• 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced in half moon shapes (1/2 circles)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, pureed (I used Muir Glen's fire-roasted tomatoes)
• 2 cans chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed--(can save a little liquid)
• 1 tsp. coriander 
• 3/4 tsp. turmeric
• Salt & pepper to taste (I used ~1/2 tsp. of each)
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed or defrost, if you prefer) OR 2 cups fresh spinach

In a medium-sized pot with lid (I used a dutch oven), heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion. Add a couple tablespoons of water (or any of the liquid from the chickpeas). Saute until onion is translucent--about 10 minutes--making sure onion doesn't burn.

Add garlic and tomatoes. Stir until combined and cover. Lower heat to medium-low. Mix in chickpeas and spices, including salt & pepper, and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes or until the chickpeas are tender.

Add the spinach (mine was a frozen block that thawed in the hot stew). Gently mix it in and try to break it up if yours is frozen like a block as well (I used a fork to separate it). You can turn off the heat once most of the spinach has thawed--or when the spinach has wilted, if you are using fresh spinach.

Pesto, Spinach, & Chicken Stuffed Shells

Recently, I have joined Pinterest. I am learning to slow down with my new obsession...Having Pinterest has allowed me to throw away several scrap papers--and yet virtually 'pin' my favorite images--and categorize them on bulletin boards. It's fun to see what your friends are pinning too! Somewhere along the way, someone pinned this awesome recipe. It looked superb. So, I was inspired to try it recently for our family and for a friend to whom I was taking a meal. It was well received and therefore, has become a keeper.

By the way, it's sort of nice to try a stuffed shell recipe that doesn't require tomato sauce, but don't let that stop you if you're a sauce kind of person--you just go ahead and spread some sauce over the shells if you can't stand not seeing red sauce over pasta.

And as I tend to do with these things, I adapted the recipe because the stuffing seemed a little dry to me (I didn't use as much pesto because I didn't want too overwhelming of a flavor). Below is a double recipe (I boiled the whole box of pasta and used about 75% of the shells--the other 25% had fallen apart anyway) and got two 8x8 pans of the dish. However, if you were having a big group for dinner, you could do a big 9X13 inch pan. Consider this a freezer friendly meal.

PESTO, SPINACH, & CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS

Makes approximately 10 servings.

• 24-36 jumbo pasta shells
• water for boiling pasta
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (6 oz) bag of baby spinach (rinsed & chopped)
• 8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/3 cup MORE for topping
• 4-5 Tbsp. prepared basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat a little olive oil and saute the onion for a few minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is almost transclucent. Add the chopped spinach and cook for a minute longer or until spinach has JUST wilted.

Because I'm trying to use less dishes, add the cheeses (reserving that 1/3 cup of Parmesan), pesto, olive oil, yogurt, and shredded chicken to the pot (where you have sauteed the onion/garlic/spinach). Combine. 

Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish (either two 8X8 inch pans--can freeze one of them! or a 9X13 inch pan). Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese over filled shells.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells (uncovered) for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese has melted.

Serve with a fresh salad. Or with diced, fresh tomatoes on top.

Steak House Spinach Salad

Oh, this is such a good salad! This steak house style salad would make an excellent side to grilled steaks and twice-baked potatoes. Or, a great lunch salad--just toss your dressing at the last minute. We really enjoyed it with the lightened buttermilk dressing recipe from the previous post. Feel free to use beets or tomatoes interchangeably.

STEAK HOUSE SPINACH SALAD

Makes 2 entree sized salads or 4 smaller side salads

• 8 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 cup shredded carrot (1-2 carrots-depending on size of carrot)
• 1 cup (~8 oz) grape tomatoes, halved--or 1 cup diced regular tomatoes (~1 tomato) OR chopped beets (from a can is fine)
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 3-4 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• Dressing of your choice--we prefer the buttermilk ranch featured in previous post 

Gently toss all your salad ingredients together with the dressing of your choice.

Alternate Dressing--whisk all ingredients together and pour over salad: 

• Juice of one lemon
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 cup (or less) olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Creamy Mushroom Spinach Chowder

I grew up with a mom that made cream of mushroom soup as soon as the cold weather hit. In Romanian fashion, we'd often eat it with polenta. I crave a creamy mushroom soup the way that other people crave chicken noodle soup for comfort. This is a recipe I've come up with and used the last couple winters that has has seemed to stick with our family. Sure, it's not fat-free, but it's a LOT less rich than the standard recipes I've seen for 'cream' of anything...and that's my consolation (ha).

I have made this soup with both Provolone and Swiss cheese--our favorite may be a combination of the two--but you can do one or the other. I used baby portabella mushrooms--but regular white mushrooms will do just as good. Also, you can use fresh or frozen spinach and it's good either way. If you prefer, you can increase the amount of spinach if you prefer for a more nutritional punch. OR you can completely skip the spinach altogether!

CREAMY MUSHROOM (SPINACH) CHOWDER

2 Tbsp. butter
5 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
5 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups skim milk
½ tsp. salt
black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup half and half-light or fat-free is fine (OR, 2-3 oz. light cream cheese, softened and cut in cubes)
1 cup grated Provolone cheese (or Swiss, or a combination of both)
1 package fresh baby spinach-about 6 oz. (rinsed & chopped) OR, 1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. In it, slowly sauté the mushrooms and onion until tender. Add flour and stir until flour is cooked, a couple of minutes.

Whisk in first chicken broth and then milk, stirring until thickened. Add salt and pepper, nutmeg, and the cheeses. Stir until just melted. Then stir in spinach. Heat and stir very gently. Season to taste.

Serve hot.

Makes about 6 servings.


NOTE: If you have leftover soup that you refrigerate, please keep in mind that this soup will condense somewhat and you can either add more broth or water to dilute it, or the best option is to reheat it gently and add some more milk to it until it reaches your desired consistency (either on stovetop or in microwave).

Twirl-Me-Around-For-Joy Tortellini Soup

I think I need to start adding an 'easy, fast, and healthy'  tag....because even though this is pasta, it's really not that bad for you. Again, think eating in moderation. This is the Sommerville house tortellini soup and it is absolutely delicious. This soup is perfect for those cold evenings in between holidays when you're tired of cooking but still want a home-cooked meal.

I have often added shredded carrots to it (during the garlic cooking process)--just to squeeze in some extra veggies. I'm sure you could add celery if you'd like too. The original recipe calls for cheese tortellini, but I have had great success with mushroom tortellini too (and even considered adding mushrooms to the soup--maybe next time). I'm guessing that chicken tortellini would be great too. Anyway, it's comfort food--my husband's loves this soup.

TORTELLINI SOUP
Serves 6-8

1 Tbsp. butter (or olive oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
*2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth (or vegetarian 'chicken' broth such as McKay's mixed with water)
1 (9 oz) pkg. or container of tortellini (preferrably cheese, but mushroom, spinach, chicken should be find)
1 can stewed tomatoes (un-drained)
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese + more for topping on soup
6 tsp. fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
1 (9 oz) bag of fresh (washed) spinach leaves

Melt butter and add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and tortellini. Bring to a SLOW boil (if you boil to fast, the filling can escape the tortellini). Reduce heat and mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper--if your chicken broth is not low-sodium, you may not need to add salt--taste and adjust seasonings.

Simmer (GENTLY) until tortellini is tender--about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, spinach, and basil.

*NOTE: I often add about 2 more cups of broth or water as the pasta seems to absorb so much of the liquid in the soup.

Simmer for 2 more minutes. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with a little bit more freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if desired).

If McDonald's Made A Healthier Egg McMuffin

This is what I imagine it would be:

Thank you to my sweet friend Erinn for serving us french press coffee, pumpkin muffins, and these egg sandwiches on our recent visit to Charlotte, NC. I really like being a spoiled houseguest....

HEALTHIER EGG MCMUFFINS

For every sandwich, you will need:
1 fried egg
1 english muffin (we used regular, but you can go on with your healthy self and try whole wheat)
1 slice of cheese (Havarti was particularly delicious)
1 handful of spinach
1 tomato slice
salt & pepper
1 veggie sausage pattie, like Morningstar Farms brand (optional)
*Condiments of your choice

Toast the english muffins while you are frying the eggs.(Buttering the english muffins is up to you) Assemble the sandwiches to your liking and dress with mayo, mustard, barbeque sauce, etc.

*For something different, try one of my favorite condiments:
Equal amounts of (Vegennaise) mayo, mustard and pesto. --I HIGHLY recommend trying this condiment either as a dipping sauce with chicken tenders (especially the vegetarian ones like Morningstar brand) or as a spread on sandwiches-like the one above.

And this is the glee that comes from getting to eat a 'lunch'-type food for breakfast....

Grilled Chicken, Hummus, & Spinach Pizza

MORE PIZZA! In this house, you can never have too much pizza. And we like to break away from the traditional red sauce now and then....

I'm a huge fan of cooking once, using twice. We had leftover grilled chicken (from the previous entry) and therefore go to make this delicious pizza for dinner last night & I again have to thank Laura Curlin. All you need is pizza dough, spinach, hummus, grilled chicken and cheese (blend) & maybe some rosemary. An easy 7-ingredient meal if you have things handy....seriously, you can roll/spread out pizza dough with your hands!

GRILLED CHICKEN, HUMMUS, AND SPINACH PIZZA

4-6 oz. (1/2 cup-3/4 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup-3/4 cup cup plain hummus, preferably homemade; store bought is fine (see homemade hummus recipe below--the pizza will use about 3/4 of what is made below--I estimate)

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped or julienne cut (I left them whole)
1-2 grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast-sliced (I used 1.5 big chicken breasts)

1 tsp. fresh or dried minced rosemary

1 ball refrigerated pizza dough (see this entry for an easy home-made pizza dough recipe)

Place crust on cookie sheet and spread out with your hands (it's fine to keep it rustic looking). Spread the crust with hummus. Then top with the grilled chicken.

Even spread the spinach on the pizzas follow that up by spreading the cheeses and rosemary over the pizza.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until your cheese is started to brown and bubble and your crust has gotten golden/brown.

I make hummus all the time but I don't use written proportions. I was happy to receive Laura's recipe because it tastes so much like mine & I actually have proportions this time! Woo-hoo!

Thanks for a great recipe--I love to add paprika and cumin too! I never thought about adding the smoked flavor and while digging through my cupboards, found this amazing smoked salish salt purchased from our culinary tour in Seattle's Pike Place Market (World Spice Merchants). So I used regular paprika and smoked salt with great success.


CURLIN FAVORITE HUMMUS--this is great!

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, strain and reserve ¼ c. liquid
1/4 cup liquid from can
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sesame tahini (sesame seed paste found at Whole Foods or other natural markets--ask your grocer about it)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp. minced fresh garlic (about 2 small cloves)
¾ tsp. ground white pepper (black seemed ok too)
¾ tsp. fine ground sea salt
¼ tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika, pref. smoked

Strain the beans, reserving portion of liquid.

Using a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth, stirring to ensure even mixing consistency if necessary.

Spoon into covered container and refrigerate overnight before serving, if possible.

Store in refrigerator. Will last for 2 weeks. Hummus can be served alone or with pita chips and veggies.

Variations for Hummus: While blending hummus any of the following can be added to change the flavor: roasted red peppers, fresh basil, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pine nuts, artichoke hearts, fresh flat leaf parsley, black olives or olive tapenade, or sundried tomatoes.

Enjoy!!!!

My Favorite Spinach Salad (5 Ingredients) Or the Real Version from Lila

One of my dearest friends, Lila Didenko, made this for me one night at her apartment when she first moved up to Chicago. I have never forgotten it. I am not a big fan of sweet salads—especially ones that have sugar in the dressing, so the more savory, the better for me. I even check my store-bought salad dressings for sugar or high fructose corn syrup…I know, anal.

We used turkey bacon and once we made it with store-bought Italian dressing—which was still delicious if you are in a hurry. Here is the original recipe (from Gourmet Magazine, 2001). Thanks Lila!

SPINACH, BACON (TURKEY) & GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH PECANS
Serves 6

For dressing:

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

For Salad:

1 (10-oz) bag baby spinach
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 lb sliced bacon (turkey)
3/4 cup pecans
Approx. 1 cup grape tomatoes (Lila’s touch & it stuck!)

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons fat from skillet, discarding remainder (I am not sure you’ll get this much with the use of turkey bacon!!!). Crumble bacon.

Toast pecans in 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until 1 shade darker, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Season nuts with salt and pepper and coarsely chop.

Heat reserved fat in a saucepan over moderately low heat until just warm. Remove pan from heat, then whisk in vinegar and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil until emulsified. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Toss bacon, spinach, cheese, and half of nuts with enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle salad with remaining nuts.

AN EASIER WAY:
However, I cheated and below is how I’ve made it a few times (and mainly because I wanted to cut some fat without pecans and bacon)—either way, this is good too & really my favorite spinach salad. If you want to make a meal out of it, go ahead and add the pecans and turkey bacon—get your protein in and serve with some crusty bread.
5 INGREDIENT SPINACH SALAD

Store bought light Italian Dressing, (warmed optionally)
1 (10-oz) bag baby spinach
Approx. 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
5-6 baby portabella mushrooms rinsed, dried & sliced
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Gently toss ingredients together and add the crumbed goat cheese on top.

Marvelously Meatless: Mushroom Stacks

Once in a while, in the life of a culinary experimentalist, a recipe will come along that will blow you away--usually it's one that doesn't require major skill or complicated ingredients. It's a recipe that pares a dish down to basic, wholesome ingredients. This is that kind of recipe for me.

I must give kuddos to Tosha Kurzynske--the sister of a good friend of mine (Heather) that made something like this for us back in college when we were able to have a weekend getaway to Lexington, KY. Their sister, Nikki, and her family do an Asiago cheese version and serve it at every New Years---what a great idea! Thank you girls and your mom (the nutritionist) for wonderful experiences-but also for inspiration.

And, yes, I put that plate out on my patio ledge because I needed the light. I'm just that dorky--and running out of options.

I hope you love this--and of course you can substitute Vegan cheeses.

MUSHROOM STACKS (WITH SPINACH, CHEESE GRITS, AND BLACK EYED PEAS)

Makes 4 servings.

1st Layer: Cheese Grits Base
• 4 ½ cups water
• 1 cup old fashioned grits
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or any cheese of your liking-asiago is a good option. You can skip the cheese, but I think the dish wouldn’t be the same without it.)
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste

In a medium-sized pot, boil water. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 12-14 minutes or until the grits have thickened—stirring occasionally. While the grits are cooking, you can start on the portabella layer. When grits have thickened, add the cheese, garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

2nd Layer: Mushroom
• 4 big portabella mushroom caps, stemmed
• Olive oil or olive oil spray
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Clean portabella mushrooms by shaking off any excess dirt. I like to peel the skin right on top, but you don’t have to—just a quick rinse will do either before or after and then shake off any excess water. Place mushrooms (caps up) on a big baking sheet (you can add tinfoil to the pan first to help with cleanup). Drizzle with olive oil (or use olive oil spray-I prefer this method) and then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms in the preheated oven and roast for about 20 minutes.

3rd Layer: Spinach
• 10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach

Defrost spinach according to package directions (my package said to microwave for 7-9 minutes). Drain well.

Garnish: Tomato and Black Eyed Pea Relish
• 1 (15oz) can black eyed peas, drained
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Pinch of sugar (optional-I don’t care for it but I was told the relish was supposed to be sweet)

Gently mix all these ingredients together, being careful not to smash the peas.

Topping (optional):
• Grated cheese (your choice)

Assembly:

Assemble the stacks by dividing the grits out among four plates. Then top the grits on each plate with a portabella mushroom. Next, divide the spinach evenly among the four plates.

Then, you can either top the stacks with the black eyed pea and tomato mixture or you can surround the stacks with the evenly divided mixture. Either way, it makes for a great presentation.

I thought they needed a little finish so I sprinkled the mushroom stacks with a mixture of grated Parmesan-Reggiano and Asiago cheeses. (Some of you may scoff at mixing sophisticated Italian cheeses with the down-home nature of Wisconsin Cheddar—but let me tell you—it was good!)

Baked Tortellini (with Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes)

This week is "Teacher Appreciation Week" at my daugher's Mother's Day Out program. I suppose paying them to get 5-10 hours as week to oneself is not appreciation enough. Did I mention that no one pays us stay-at-home-mothers? I realized I never got the memo because when I went to sign up to bring food, the only thing left was to provide an entree. I guess everyone learned from last year and didn't feel the need to share with the newbies--if you don't show up 20 minutes earlier than normal & clamor for sodas & store-bought cookies, you end up pulling the short straw and have to feed 20 people with the main meal.

Well, what does one do in this situation? One goes to Costco and then tries to find a middle ground between store-bought & homemade. Costco sells amazing tortellini in the refrigerated section. This is my favorite make-ahead dish to bring to a new mom or to bring to church potluck. I always make it lighter, but for today, my retribution was to bring the full-fat version.

This recipe has been adapted (when I say that, I mean that I've made the recipe my own) from Better Homes & Gardens--and was originally made with ravioli. Here is the original recipe.

BAKED TORTELLINI (with SPINACH AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES)

Makes about 12 servings

2 (9 oz) containers refrigerated four cheese or spinach cheese ravioli or tortellini (or any other variety you wish to use instead)½ to one (8 oz) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz)
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (4 oz)
8 eggs, beaten (I use 4-6 eggs and the rest Eggbeaters)2 ½ cups skim milk

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Salt & pepper, to taste

5 oz. frozen chopped spinach (half package), well drained (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. fresh basil & Italian flat-leaf parsley (use 1-2 tsp. instead for dried herbs)

Lightly spray a 3-quart rectangular or oval baking dish, with cooking spray (okay to use lasagna-style dish--a 9X13, for example). Place uncooked ravioli evenly in dish.

Sprinkle the ravioli evenly with sun-dried tomatoes. Top evenly with cheeses. Set aside. Whisk eggs and milk together until combined. Add garlic powder, salt & pepper, and gently fold in spinach, if using. If you are using dried herbs, this is when you'd add them in.

Pour this mixture over layers in dish. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until top is golden and center of casserole is set.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If you are using fresh herbs, sprinkle the pasta with chopped basil or parsley just before serving.

Best served with a salad and another vegetable on the side.

Note: Recipe can be halved and baked in an 8X8 dish.