Meatless Tacos

Another great way to use up the abundance of squash this time of year. My husband and I loved this. The jury was split as far as the kids were concerned, but hey, at least one of them liked it! I think other veggies would be good as well, such as chopped bell pepper, onion, garlic, etc.

3 T. olive or vegetable oil
1 cup cubed potatoes
2 cups cubed zucchini
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. chili powder
dash salt and pepper
12 taco shells
Toppings as desired: shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, green onion, chopped cucumber

Heat taco shells according to package directions.

Heat oil over med-hi heat. Saute potatoes for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini during the last few minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients except toppings. Fill heated taco shells and top as desired.

Corn Edamame Salad

In the words of my friend Jen, this "tastes like summer". It came from Parents magazine, as a way to try to get kids to eat veggies. They might try it if they like corn. But adults love it, too!!

3 ears corn
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame, cooked and drained
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 slivered green sweet pepper, or your favorite color
2 Tbs. red-wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Husk corn and brush with 1 tsp. oil. Grill on medium heat about 15 minutes, or until tender, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Remove and let cool.

2. Cut kernels from the corncobs into a large bowl. Add edamame, tomato and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir dressing into corn mixture. Serve at room temperature or cover and chill for up to 3 days. Makes about 6 cups.

Note: I also have subbed 1 can corn, drained, rather than grilling the corn.

Instant Oatmeal

OK, admittedly I am not a huge oatmeal fan, but I eat it (and serve it to my kids) often because it's so cheap and so good for you! But compared to cereal or toast, it's a little time-consuming when you've got hungry kids waiting. So when I stumbled on this recipe for making your own instant oatmeal, I was really excited. I hardly ever buy the prepackaged kind because it's so much cheaper (and healthier) to make real oatmeal.

Back to the not-being-a-fan part, oatmeal is much easier for me to eat with various toppings such as chopped apples, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc. So I decided to improvise a little bit and made the first batch with Craisins, sliced almonds and dried chopped apples. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some other types of whole grains next time, too. But here is the recipe as it appeared in Woman's Day magazine.

18 oz. container quick-cooking oats.
1 envelope (3.2 oz) nonfat dry milk (which I didn't have, so I just left it out. It still turned out fine)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup raisins

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container. To serve, scoop 1/2 cup oatmeal mix into a bowl and add 1/2 cup water. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Makes about 16 servings.

Zesty Pecan Pasta

This turned out really yummy. The sauce reminds me a little of artichoke dip, and would be great even without the pecan topping, maybe as a side dish (served over the pasta). From Southern Living magazine.

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 (12 oz) package linguine
1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained (make sure they are NOT marinated)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 (3 oz) package cream cheese, softened
3 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves (a litttle strong. One might be sufficient if you're not a huge garlic fan)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
salt to taste

1. Heat pecans in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 5-7 min. or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Remove from skillet. Let cool 5 min. Stir together pecans, parsley and zest.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

3. Process artichoke hearts and next 5 ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid. Pulse 3-4 times until smooth. Toss with hot cooked pasta; season with salt to taste. Top each serving with pecan mixture.

Cheddar Beer Soup

4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. milk
3 c. shredded cheddar
12 oz. flat beer
corn starch

Melt butter in dutch oven. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually add flour, stirring constantly. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Stir in milk and cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Pour in beer, heat through. Thicken with corn starch mixed with water, if desired. Serve piping hot. Serves 6-8.

Cran-Yam Crumble

My sister gave me this yummy twist on traditionally unpopular sweet potatoes! You can mash the sweet potatoes or leave them whole, depending on your texture preference.

2 17oz. cans of yams, drained (I could not find this size, so I used 29 oz and added a little pureed pumpkin)
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 bag of cranberries
handful or so of mini marshmallows

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon and then cut into it the butter. Mix in the cranberries. Reserve about half of the mixture to use for a topping. Mix all together with the yams and place into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Then put the reserved mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 min. adding the marshmallow to the top during the last 10 min. of baking.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I have to give credit for this one to my friend Courtney who put it in our Mothers of Preschoolers newsletter. A great recipe for busy moms of picky kids! It makes a LOT...I'd estimate 8-10 servings. It freezes really well.

4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
2 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli (NOT florets)
1 cup chopped raw onion (I leave this out for my onion-phobic hubby and it's still yummy)
1/2 large bag frozen cube-style hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

Optional:
1 bag frozen crinkle cut carrots
sauteed sliced mushrooms

Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water in a large pot. When dissolved, add broccoli, onion, carrots and hash browns. Boil 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium, add cream of chicken soup and Velveeta. Cook until cheese is melted. Add mushrooms, cook until heated through.

For thicker soup cook 15 min. on low. For thinner soup add up to 2 cups water.

Easy Artichoke Pizza

This is from Pampered Chef, and reminds me of artichoke dip on a pizza. I thought I was taking a bit of risk making it since it's a little different from typical pizza, but my husband and I both loved it. It is another dish I am sharing with our cooking group. I made the topping, froze it in a ziploc, froze the remaining cheese and Italian seasoning separately, and am giving each person a frozen Boboli crust to top when they're ready to eat it.

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped (be sure they're not marinated, as that will add a little more flavor than necessary)
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided (shredded works fine as well)
zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped, or 1-3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup mayo
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 pkg. refrigerated pizza crust (which I don't really like, so I used a Boboli crust instead)
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced (I'm just leaving these out of the portions for our cooking group, as they don't freeze well)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425. Combine artichokes, olives, 1/4 cup cheese, lemon zest, mayo and garlic, mix well.

If using refrigerated crust, unroll and shape/roll with rolling pin into a circle. Spread artichoke mixture evenly over crust to within 1/2 inch of edge. Cut tomato slices in half; arrange over pizza. Sprinkle with seasoning mix and remaining cheese.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 10 min. Yield 16 servings.

Dhal (Lentil Puree)

I went to Bangladesh for a month during college to help out at a school over there. While I was there, one of the Bengali teachers at the school had me and my host family over for dinner. She served us Prawns in Coconut Milk, rice and Dahl. If you're familiar with Indian food, you may know that Dahl is a staple of many Indian diets. It can be eaten as a main course or a side dish. I usually make it as a side dish with a curry & rice being our main dish. Dahl is delicious, healthy and very simple to make. My 14 month old loves it as a meal or a snack.

Here's the recipe as given to me from my Bengali friend:

Any type of lentils can be used for this, but red lentils or moong are the quickest cooking type and do not need soaking. (I was unable to find red lentils so I used green and they worked just fine).

250 grams lentils (This was about half of my 450 g bag)
1 1/2 tablespoons ghee (butter) or oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger (I've substituted powdered ginger but I'm sure fresh tastes much better)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 cups hot water
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala (see recipe on this site if you would like to make your own garam masala)

Wash lentils thoroughly, removing those that float on the surface. Drain well. Heat ghee (butter) and fry onion, garlic and ginger until onion is golden brown. Add turmeric and stir well. Add drained lentils and fry for a minute or two then add hot water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are half cooked. Add salt and garam masala, mix well and continue cooking until lentils are soft and the consistency is similar to porridge. If there is too much liquid, leave the lid off the pan to speed evaporation. Serve dhal plain or garnished with sliced onions, fried until deep golden brown. Eat with boiled rice, Indian breads or as a light meal by itself.

Dhal can be frozen and reheated well. It might get a bit mushier if reheated but it still tastes great. If reheating, add some water to the dish to rehydrate and so it won't burn while heating up.

Bran Flax Muffins

Okay, so I'm on a bit of a health kick right now. I try to find recipes that are yummy but also healthy. When I was at the grocery store, I purchased flaxseed meal and wheat germ not really knowing how I would use them. I found this recipe on the back of the flaxseed meal and it turned out great!

Recipe from the bag of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal

1 ½ cups unbleached white flour
¾ cup flaxseed meal
¾ cup oat bran (I substituted wheat germ)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ cups carrots, shredded
2 apples, shredded (I left the peel on)
½ cup raisins (optional)
1 cup nuts (I used pecans)
¾ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together flour, flaxseed meal, bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins and nuts. Combine milk, beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix. Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Yields 15 medium muffins.

I ended up baking the muffins for around 20-25 minutes. When I made the recipe, I ended up with 24 regular sized muffins.

Vegetable Egg Drop Soup

i hope it's okay to post a recipe that i just made up. i'm sure it's a real recipe somewhere though. :)

this is what we're having for lunch today.

do not worry about amounts, just use however much seems right considering the size of your pot and the amount of soup you want to make. i suggest making a lot so you will have something to put in your husbands lunch later on.

use chicken stock or broth (is there a difference?) and boil the following vegetables in it until the carrots are sortof soft.

sliced baby carrots
sliced celery
chopped onion
minced garlic

add frozen peas and corn. return to boil. add elbow macaroni noodles & boil 7 min. add salt.

at some point remove some of the broth and put into another little pot. bring it to a boil and pour a thin stream of beaten eggs while stirring the broth. if you don't want to mess with the egg business, use cooked chicken or ground beef instead. today i didn't feel like thawing & cooking chicken, so i used eggs like an Asian.

when the noodles are cooked, add the egg mixture back to the pot.
i also added chopped green onions toward the end (negi, negi).

dish it up and let it cool off a little before calling your husband to the table so that he doesn't have to sit there and wait. or, if he typically prays long prayers, go ahead and call him right away, so it doesn't get too cold. :)