Sweet Veggie Chili

Ok, Ok, I definitely win the award for most absent amateur food blogger.  So, I apologize to you, my 1.5 devoted blog readers, but this housewife has been busy!  In fact, this housewife really isn’t a housewife any longer. Yep, that’s right.  I’m a working woman again—and I guess my domesticity (or the documenting of such) has taken a back seat.

Let’s try to fix that, shall we?

Spring hasn’t yet sprung around these parts and it’s still pretty chilly, so I thought I’d share, well, a chili recipe. Of course, this one is a yummy veggie variety and it has kept the husband and I well-fed and cozy this winter.

Sweet Veggie Chili

Serves 8

What You Need:

1  T. olive oil

2  cups chopped onion

3  garlic cloves, minced

4  cups water, divided

2  T. sugar

2  T. chili powder

2  T. Worcestershire sauce (Sub a soy sauce to remain true vegetarian)

2  (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1  (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1  (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1  (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Low-fat cheese, sour cream, green onions to garnish (optional)

What You Do:

1.    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2.    Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.

3.    Add 3 cups water and next 8 ingredients (through cannellini beans), stirring to combine.

4.    Combine remaining cup of water and tomato paste in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir tomato paste mixture into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

5.     Ladle soup into bowls.

6.    Serve and garnish.

What I Learned:

1.    After making this chili a time or two, I decided to add some corn and whole wheat macaroni noodles.

2.    I love kidney and black beans, so instead of the 15-ounce variety, I go for the 29-ounce cans.  When adding the extra beans, noodles and corn it can become pretty hearty, so an additional can of tomatoes is a good supplement, as well as a little more water.

3.    As far as chilis go, this recipe is on the sweet and mild side.  Hubby likes his with some extra kick, so we keep Sriracha on hand.  If you are a fan of the spice, load up on the chili powder for this recipe.

The Verdict:  This is a go-to recipe for a cold day.  The chili cooks up in no time at all, and there’s plenty leftover for lunch the next day!

Source: Cooking Light

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This sweet smoothie has been my daily breakfast choice for months now.  It took some trying to find the perfect ingredient combo, and now that I have, I won’t give this smoothie up—even in the cold winter months.  It’s perfect if you are on-the-go—and even if you aren’t, it’s good for bringing a little sunshine to your morning!  You can vary these ingredients in so many ways, but this is my favorite fail-proof smoothie recipe.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

An Angie Original

What You Need:

8 oz. Vanilla Lite Soy Milk

2 – 3 frozen strawberries

1 medium banana

What You Do:

1.    Blend until smooth

2.    Enjoy!

I use THIS wonderful personal blender from Hamilton Beach. It makes this process as simple as can be, since it doubles as a to-go cup with lid. If pouring into a different glass, these ingredients make a perfect 16 oz. smoothie!  Clearly you could substitute any berry, add protein powder, use regular milk, etc.  I prefer the Vanilla Lite Soy, because it adds a subtle sweetness and helps create a nice creamy consistency.  For something with so few ingredients, I always feel pleasantly satisfied after having this sippable breakfast alongside my morning coffee.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

This is one of the best and absolutely the EASIEST soup I have attempted. Even a novice, like myself couldn't mess this one up!  The only thing easier would be opening a can of Campbell’s… but not close to as yummy.  The husband and I have always been big fans of Panera’s black bean soup, and this one actually comes pretty close!  I vow to keep a couple cans of black beans on hand at all times, so that I can throw this one together when I am tight on time.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

Serves 4

What You Need:

2 cans black beans (15 oz.), drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup salsa

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Sour Cream, Shredded Cheese, Chives/Green Onions to garnish as you prefer

What You Do:

1.    In an electric food processor or blender, combine beans, broth, salsa, and cumin.

2.    Blend until fairly smooth.

3.    Heat the bean mixture in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated.

4.    Garnish and serve.

What I Learned:

1.    Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated to be impressively good!

2.    This recipe is perfect for doubling (even tripling if you blend in batches).  Next time, I will definitely make enough so that there some left to heat up for lunch the next day.

The Verdict: This one will surely become a repeat offender in my kitchen!

Recipe from allrecipes.

 

A Sweet Surprise

In honor of Valentine’s Day this year, I decided to send a little sugar-filled love to a handful of special ladies in my life.  These recipes might go against my greater attempts at healthfulness, but what fun is life without the sweet stuff now and again?!

These cookie recipes are all you need for the perfect roll-out cookie!

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

What You Need:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t salt

What You Do:

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. 
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla. 
3. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
4. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 
5. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

 

What You Need:

1 package cake mix (I used Chocolate and Strawberry)

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 t. vanilla, almond, or lemon extract

1 egg

White or colored granulated sugar, optional

What You Do: 

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. 
2. In a large mixing bowl beat half of the dry cake mix, the shortening, the butter, vanilla, and egg with an electric mixer on medium high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary to make sure everything is well blended. 
3. Stir in the remaining cake mix just until incorporated. 
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. 
5. Roll each portion of dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured cloth-covered surface with a cloth-covered rolling pin, getting it as even as you can. 
6. Cut into desired shapes with your favorite cookie cutters. 
7. Place cookies 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. 
8. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, or until light golden brown around the edges

Angie's Final Steps for a Sweet Surprise:

1. Ice with a mixture of powdered sugar, milk and a touch of almond OR lemon extract
2. Sprinkle with any edible cuteness you can find
3. Toss into a mason jar
4. Seal with a fabric square
5. Ribbon and tag your jars for a personal touch

Finally, pack and ship with LOVE!

I hope everyone had a SWEET Valentine's Day!

Recipes from All Recipes and Best Ever Cookie Collection

Ratatouille Wanna-Be

My first time making ratatouille is my first time actually eating ratatouille.  So while I can give myself points for trying something new, I worry that if this dish went completely haywire, I wouldn’t even know the difference.  You can’t go that wrong with a big skillet of veggies though, right?!   

This dish is titled “wanna-be” because the source from where I pulled the recipe notes that this version doesn’t follow some of the more classic, French varieties, omitting eggplant and a mixture of herbs.  After a few adaptations, my ratatouille is even more of a pretender, but I think it still makes the cut!

Ratatouille Wanna-Be 
Serves 6

What You Need:

2 zucchini, chopped medium
2 yellow squash, chopped medium
1/2 red onion, chopped small
6 large cloves garlic, chopped small
6 red or yellow tomatoes, chopped medium
1 yellow pepper, chopped medium
1 red pepper, chopped medium
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
3 T. chopped fresh savory
(you could use any fresh herbs that appeal to you)
1 t. sugar
1 t. dried oregano
1 T. olive oil, plus more for sautéing

1/2 cup chopped basil

 What You Do:

1.    Heat a small amount of olive oil in large, heavy pan

2.    Add zucchini and yellow squash and sauté 5 minutes

3.    Remove and set aside

4.    Add a bit more olive oil, then add peppers, onions, and garlic

5.    Sauté 3-4 minutes

6.    Add tomatoes to pan, gently combine vegetables, and sauté 5 minutes more.

7.    Add zucchini and yellow squash back into pan with herbs, sugar, olive oil, dried oregano, and season with salt and pepper

8.    Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered one hour

9.    After an hour, add chopped fresh basil, season with sea salt and cook 5-10 minutes more

10.  Serve hot or room temperature

What I Learned:

1. Unfortunately, I had to augment this recipe a bit: 
1. I have no clue what savory is, or where I would find it, so I didn’t use any.
2. With none on hand, I actually had to omit the fresh basil as well
2. One more dramatic deviation from this recipe is that I only let it cook up for 30 minutes as opposed to the full hour noted above.  I simply ran out of time… but it sure looked done to me!
3.  What I did NOT learn: I had no clue what to pair with this dish!  I thought that it would be a dish sufficient as an entrée, and while we did eat it as such, it did feel a little bit lacking.

 

 The Verdict: Ratatouille tastes so much better than it looks!  I really surprised myself on this one… After seeing this dish cook up, and I had pretty much given up on it—looked pretty mushy and not appealing, but I was so wrong!  The husband LOVED it too, and was even quick to request the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Recipe adapted from Kayln's Kitchen.

Whole Wheat PB Pancakes

My previous pancake experience has been limited to a box of Bisquick and an overzealous hand (read: large, misshapen pancakes).  With ¼ cup of batter, these pancakes were the perfect size and completely manageable when it came to the flip.  The whole wheat flour adds some health benefit to an otherwise decadent breakfast (for mem at least).  Perfect for a lazy weekend morning!

Whole Wheat PB Pancakes

Serves 2 - 3

What You Need:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. fine salt

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 T. peanut butter

1 T. honey

1 T. raw sugar (optional)

What You Do:

1.    Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl

2.    Combine non-dairy milk with peanut butter, honey and sugar, if using (I did not)

3.    Mix bowls together and stir until combined

4.    Let rest for 10 minutes

5.    Heat skillet over low heat

6.    Spray skillet with cooking spray and pour in ¼ cup batter

7.    Cook until bubbles form, flip and cook on opposite side for 2 – 3 minutes more

What I Learned:

1.    I augmented this recipe by adding the peanut butter and honey in place of 2 T, of pure maple syrup, as I didn’t have any on-hand.  I was pretty proud of the result, considering I had no clue if the replacement would work.

2.    I would consider adding more peanut butter next time, as I couldn’t taste it at all.

3.    I burned the second pancake, not realizing that the stove was no longer heating up like it was on the first, but it was already very hot.  One casualty = lesson learned.

The Verdict:  The husband and I were both pleasantly surprised by the yumminess.  The bananas on top made them perfect!

Recipe adapted from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Confession:  I am drawn to recipes that have limited prep steps. At this point in my inexperience, it simply makes me feel more confident going in.  Knowing that I’ll have something to serve my husband for dinner at night is always a plus.  When I saw this soup recipe I got excited because I hadn’t cooked with butternut squash before, but I have recently been loving the soup in the low fat V8 variety, as well as an extremely yummy Whole Foods version.  When I scanned the recipe and saw no heavy cream required, I was sold.

Butternut Squash Apple Soup

Serves 4 – 6

What You Need:

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 T. butter

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped

1 green apple, peeled, cored, chopped (squash and apple should be at a 3 to 1 ratio)

3 cups vegetable broth

Nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:

1.    Combine butter, onion, celery, and carrot in large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes.

2.    Add squash, apple, and broth. Bring to boil.

3.    Simmer for 10 minutes or until squash is soft.

4.    Puree.

5.    Add spices to taste.

What I Learned:

1.    It takes a LONG time to peel and chop a butternut squash! I wish I would have completed this step prior to placing the onion, celery and carrot to cook.

2.    I used 3 smaller green apples to get to the 3 to 1 ratio.

3.    I split the recipe and pureed in two rounds so as to avoid an explosion.

The Verdict:  This soup was very filling. The flavors of the apple and onion were such a nice compliment to the squash and really came through. In the end, we both felt like the soup was a bit thick, so if I make again I may choose to add some more broth or perhaps a little milk.  Wonderful dish for the Fall and Winter months.

Recipe from Simply Recipes

Chilaquiles Casserole

My first recipe for this blog would already be considered an “old favorite” of ours (and perhaps our one and only so far?).  With my growing urge to experiment in the kitchen, generally every recipe that I have been trying is a new one—but this one I have made 3 different times within these 3 months that I have actually been cooking (quickly earning that “old favorite” title).  It always tastes as good as I hope it will, and each time we seem to wish that there was a little more leftover!

Chilaquiles Casserole

Serves 10

What You Need:

1 T. canola oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 19 oz can black beans, rinsed

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. salt

12 corn tortillas, quartered

1 19 oz can mild red or green enchilada sauce

1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.
3. Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the pan. Top with half the vegetable mixture, half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.
4. Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

 What I Learned:

1.  Adding a little garlic doesn’t hurt! Mmm garlic :)
2. The bigger the skillet, the better.  If too small, a BIG mess will ensue.
3. I found that you really don’t need all 12 corn tortillas.  In effort to cut calories and the more non-healthful part of the dish I quartered about 8 tortillas and found it to be sufficient. 
4. Same deal with the cheese.  I used 2% skimmed cheese, but you could always use fat free.  I didn’t measure out the cheese and just sprinkled sparingly as I saw fit.
5. For a stand-alone dinner, servings may be closer to 4 – 6.

The Verdict:   Healthy, Easy, YUMMY!

Recipe adapted from EatingWell June/July 2006 and eatingwell.com

The Freshly-Fed Newlywed . What to Expect

This is NOT a meat-and-potatoes kinda house.  The goal here is healthy, veggie-based meals.  And while I am happy to say that we are a health-conscious couple, I must admit, it makes for some tricky menu planning.  “Veggies with a side of veggies, anyone?” 

For now, dinner consists of many one-pot dishes: healthy soups, vegetable casseroles and some experimentation with tofu.  On a personal level, one of my goals for having this blog is to inspire me to step out of my comfort zone in the kitchen and try to cook things I may have never tried before. 

While most meals will be of the meatless variety, it’s not to say that you won’t see the occasional poultry of fish dish here.  We practice the philosophy of Weekday Vegetarianism in this house.  Sound funny?  Learn more here:

It’s worth noting that this simple idea has completely reformed my husband from his previous Ultimate Carnivore state.  I, myself, have not eaten red meat or pork in 10+ years and only brought the white meat back into my diet about 5 years ago. We simply feel better—in more ways than one.

For more information on the idea of weekday vegetarianism and other Ideas Worth Spreading please visit TED.

Welcome!

With so many beautiful food blogs on the internet and an entire television network (or 4) devoted to the art of a perfect plate, the urge to step into my kitchen and create one for myself doesn’t surprise me.  It’s the lack of know-how that stops me once I get there and I’m confronted with my stove top and appliances (courtesy of my wedding registry) that I may or may not know how to use.

So though I never quite learned how to cook, I can definitely read.  My school marks would show that I’ve always been good at following directions as well.  So… with recipes in one hand and a spatchula in the other, I prepare to go from newlywed novice to domestic goddess! How long this transformation will take???  Your guess is as good as mine.  

Along the way I’ll be penning my pursuits here.  Maybe there will be some other kitchen newbies out there to commiserate when my dish looks nothing like the photos on my favorite food blog.  Perhaps there will even be some experts to point me in the right direction…

Here’s to hoping that practice makes perfect and that dinner tastes yummy tonight!