Lentil Tacos with Broccoli Slaw

This Monday is feeling more like a Friday after this dinner. I think it's one of the first recipes I've actually developed, beginning to end, with almost no recipe inspiration. And it's SO GOOD. Vegetarian. Packed with veggies. Relatively healthy. 

NOTES: 

For the mixed veggies, use your favorites, but think stuff like onions, carrots, celery and yellow pepper - veggies that hold up well when cooked. 

For the liquid, I used water, a teaspoon of broth base and about 1/2 c. tomato juice, drained from a can of tomatoes. You could use just water, but feel free to use a mix of flavorful liquids.

LENTIL TACOS WITH BROCCOLI SLAW

For the lentils:
1.5 cups mixed vegetables, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning, chili powder or Mexican spices of your choice
3 c. liquid
1 c. green lentils
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. grated cheese

For the broccoli slaw:
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. 2% Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. celery salt
A dash spicy mustard
3/4 bag broccoli slaw

For toppings: Fresh salsa (recipe below), yogurt and hot sauce

1. For the lentils, begin by frying the vegetables in a saucepan over medium heat in a bit of oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and saute for 2-3 minutes more. Add the spices, and saute for 1-2 minutes more.
2. Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Add the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are soft. You may need to add more liquid in small increments (2 Tbsp. or so at a time), but don't let it get soupy because you won't be draining it.
3. Once lentils are soft, stir in cheese and butter.
4. While the lentils are cooking, make the broccoli slaw. Mix all of the ingredients except slaw well. Then, stir in the slaw until well coated.
5. Serve lentils in hard taco shells, topped with broccoli slaw, salsa, yogurt and hot sauce.

Simple fresh salsa: In a food processor, finely chop 1/2 a small onion, 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, 4 cloves of garlic and 1/2 a jalapeno. Put in a bowl; set aside. Then, put two medium fresh tomatoes and one can of chopped tomatoes, drained, in the processor. Pulse until well blended, but still chunky. Add tomatoes to onion mixture. Add fresh juice of one lime, salt and pepper. Mix well and allow flavors to blend for at least 30 minutes. 

What I've made recently

Red Lentil Dal with Coconut Milk and Kale: I subscribe to Food & Wine magazine and absolutely LOVE the dishes they publish. It sounds like a pretentious magazine but it definitely isn't.
I try to cook vegetarian somewhat regularly, so this looked perfect (I subbed green lentils). You don't miss the meat because the coconut milk makes it so creamy and hearty. I served it over rice with a mint and garlic yogurt sauce. I just found this similar recipe, Spiced Dal with Cilantro Yogurt, and will be making it this week with mung beans.

Chicken Shawarma: I haven't had a good shawarma since I lived in Istanbul four years ago, so was itching to make it. This was a good substitute. I served with a cucumber, tomato and radish salad, mint garlic yogurt sauce and pitas.

Skillet Pasta with Sausage: I actually liked this a lot, for a "cheater" dish. It came together really quickly and had great flavor.

Kung Pao Chickpeas: Sadly, these weren't that impressive. They got really nice and crunchy like fried meat would be, but they flavor was  much too tangy. I would maybe try this again if I altered the sauce recipe a bit.

BBQ Margarita Chicken Fajitas: This is a weird recipe. BBQ sauce and Tex-Mex don't seem like they would go together, but surprisingly, it worked! It's funky, so don't cook it for your pickiest friends, but I really enjoyed it. I made my own BBQ sauce, I used chicken thighs instead of breasts and pineapple in the salsa instead of mango. I mixed in some plain white beans with the chicken to make it a little heartier. I served it on regular flour tortillas with spicy black beans and rice on the side and guacamole and regular fresh salsa.

Chicken Kottu Roti: This was so good! My dad, a very meat-and-potatoes guy, really liked it. I know I used a lot of substitutions, but I made it awhile ago so I don't remember what exactly. However, it's a very flexible recipe, so don't feel obligated to buy things like "pandan leaves" or "Sri Lankan chili powder." I just used things I have in my pantry that were "close enough." I also didn't use roti bread; instead, I added rice.

Vegetarian Spaghetti and Meatballs: I had no idea what to expect with these, but I really liked them. The "meatballs" are made of white beans. I think next time, I would add some cheese to the meatballs to make them a little more hearty. Overall, though, this was a good recipe.

White Bean and Bacon Pot Pies: Another gem from my Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I made this one as just a stew -- no pot pie -- and served with bread. It is comfort food at its best though, surprisingly, my husband did not like it. I could eat it every day, though.

Cuban Quesadillas: I make a simpler version of this pretty regularly  - I love the flavors. I usually coat one tortilla with mustard (either dijon or spicy dijon), layer deli ham, Monterrey jack and pickles on top, and serve with a mayo/mustard mix. Divine and tastes really fancy, even though it's not much more effort than a plain cheese quesadilla.

I've also tried quite a few new soup recipes lately, including this doctored up ramen recipe, which I really liked. Super easy to pop an egg on top of the bowl, add some veggies and call it dinner rather than a poor college student's last resort. I also tried my hand at two Dutch soups, brown bean soup and Dutch pea soup. Both pack a lot of veggies and are actually pretty healthy, and taste like the ultimate warm comfort food in the middle of winter.

Finally, I've been really into breakfast/brunch lately. We make these oatmeal cottage cheese pancakes at least once a week. I've also tried this Cajun Skillet Hash which was pretty good but took a LONG time and this positively amazing Huevos Rancheros recipe. It's one of the best breakfasts I've ever made. EVER.

I know that's a lot, but these are almost all recipes I loved and want to make again, so I needed to write them down :) Eet smakelijk!

Bean and roasted veggie tacos

There are a few things I always have in my pantry -- onions, garlic, canned beans, canned tomatoes (and their Tex-Mex cousin, Rotel). Today, I was needing some lunch but too lazy to go to the grocery store, so I whipped together one of my favorite easy, cheap dishes using those key ingredients listed above and a couple other things taking up residency in my fridge. These tacos are healthy, cheap and incredibly easy to make. They are even vegetarian.

Another huge bonus is that they are endlessly customizable. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand, and if you aren't feeling the Tex-Mex vibe, you could switch up the seasonings and make something more Italian or even Thai inspired. This is hardly a recipe so I'm just going to throw out the basic steps I followed

BEAN AND ROASTED VEGGIE TACOS

You'll first need tortillas (I used corn) or some other wrap - pita bread would even do.

The filling
The taco filling is basically beans + roasted veggies. I sauteed black beans in oil with garlic and onion, and added bit of Rotel, some leftover rice and chili powder. For the veggies, chop your veggie of choice into very small pieces (I used broccoli and red onions), coat with oil, salt and pepper, and pop under the broiler for about 10 minutes. Stir it frequently.
Then, just mix the two together.

Additions
Plain 2% Greek yogurt is a great topping here, and I made mine a little Tex-Mex by adding a couple tablespoons Rotel. You could sub sour cream, any yogurt or even mayo. I also sprinkled on a little cheese. Wrap all those goodies up in the tortilla and you're ready to eat!

I've fancied these up and served them for guests before, too. If you make some fresh salsa and guacamole to serve on the side and pop a bag of tortilla chips into a serving bowl, suddenly your quick lunch is turned into an impressive but easy dinner.

Cheater calzones

Hey there, long time, no see! It's been a busy winter, but I finally am throwing something up on the blog.

I've been partial to quick and easy meals lately, but that doesn't mean cheating on quality or health! So, the other night, I whipped up these "cheat's calzones," inspired by another great recipe from my 200 20-minute meal cookbook, a gift from a wonderful friend. Seriously, the book is dirt cheap on Amazon and I use it a few times a month - definitely worth the $4 or so. (I am not a fancy enough blogger to make any money if you buy the book. I just really like it.)

The best thing about this recipe is that, as long as you have tomato sauce and cheese, you can make it. There are endless combinations; what I used below are obviously just suggestions.

I also recommend making a big batch of homemade tomato sauce and freezing it in 1-cup or so increments in baggies to use in this recipe or whenever you need red sauce. My "recipe" is at the bottom of this post. It's really easy and cheap to make. If you don't want to make it, feel free to use the tomato sauce you can buy in cans. It's way cheaper than name brand "pizza sauce" or "pasta sauce" and you won't notice the difference. I paid 55 cents per can yesterday!

Without further ado, here is a delicious recipe for cheater calzones, also known as pizza quesadillas.

CHEATER CALZONES
Serves: 2
Preparation: 15 minutes

Frying oil (light olive oil, canola/vegetable oil, coconut oil)
Salt and pepper
1/2 onion, sliced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
4 small flour tortillas
1 c. tomato sauce (recipe below)
1 roma tomato, sliced
2 slices bacon, fried or broiled and chopped
4 thin slices deli salami (about 4" in diameter), sliced
1/2 to 1 c. mild tasting cheese of choice, shredded (we used Monterrey jack)

1. In a small nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tsp. oil over medium heat. When hot, add onion, mushrooms and pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until soft; 5-7 minutes.
2. Heat a larger nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. When the veggies are cooked, assemble the calzones. On one half of each tortilla, layer with cheese and then layer all your fillings on top. Top with a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce. Then, fold the tortilla in half.
4. Place calzones in frying pan and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and tortillas are browned.

TOMATO SAUCE

extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chopped tomatoes

In a frying pan, heat up a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium-low heat (no higher or it will burn the oil). Add the onions and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft; 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes with liquid from the can and cook for a few minutes more. Add other seasonings here if you'd like (like oregano, herbs de provence, basil, etc.). Add a bit of water if it's too thick. Transfer to a food processor or use an immersion blender to process to a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.


(Just a shout-out: Here's a link to the Cuisinart Smart Stick if you don't have a hand blender. Again, I make absolutely no money off of this but I really, really love my immersion blender for soups, sauces and even smoothies.)

Cheesy quinoa cakes with roasted veggies

I love using quinoa in place of rice or pasta because it's so much healthier, but my husband has never been a fan of the magical South American grain. That changed with this recipe. Apparently, all that was necessary to make quinoa palatable for him was to add cheese and fry it. In general, those two actions make any food taste good.

This was a really easy recipe to whip together, once I got the quinoa cooked. The Kitchn has a good tutorial on cooking quinoa if you've never done it.

Then, I tossed some fresh vegetables (tomatoes, red peppers, onions and mushrooms) with olive oil, fresh garlic and paprika and popped them under the broiler for about 10 minutes. While they were roasting, I made these cheesy quinoa cakes, halving the recipe and adding 1/2 c. each of frozen corn and pinto beans. I used Asiago cheese.I added a little side salad made of mixed greens and homemade ranch dressing. I used that ranch recipe as a base and added dried parsley, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. The ranch also was delicious drizzled over the quinoa cakes.

Easy, peasy, vegetarian weeknight dinner. I will definitely be making this again.

Tomato biscuits with whipped goat cheese

A lot of favorite foods revolve around tomatoes. Salsa, gazpacho, tomato basil soup, bloody marys, ketchup (I'm serious). Big, meaty tomatoes, sliced thickly and sprinkled with salt and pepper and broiled. Cherry tomatoes, eaten fresh off the plant. Tomato sauce made with just a little salt, pepper, garlic, onion and olive oil.

I know that it's a vegetable that divides people. I mean, we can't even make up our collective minds about whether it's a fruit or a vegetable. But I simply cannot identify with anyone who orders a sandwich and says, "No tomatoes, please."

Which is why this sandwich, made entirely of tomatoes, caught my eye. The blogger behind smitten kitchen even put it on the cover of her cookbook (which I highly recommend).

I modified it quite a bit (as always) and I could have eaten the entire batch.

You start with a crumbly biscuit made with scallions and Parmesan.

Then, you make an easy tomato salad (make sure you have some perfectly ripe, farmers market or homegrown tomatoes).

Finally, you top it off with some whipped goat cheese, bacon and walnuts.

TOMATO BISCUITS WITH WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE

Biscuits
2 c. + 2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. butter, chilled
2 scallions, sliced
1 c 2% milk
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Tomato salad
1.5 c. tomatoes, roughly sliced or chopped
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Sugar

Toppings 
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
3 oz. goat cheese
4 slices bacon
1/2 c. walnuts
1 Tbsp. honey
1 scallion, chopped

1. Start by making the biscuits. Preheat the oven to 425*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix all of the dry ingredients well and then mix in the butter with your fingertips until all incorporated (use a pastry blender if you're fancy). Stir in the scallion and cheese and then add the milk. Form the dough into six biscuits. Place them on the baking sheet on a center rack and cook for about 15 minutes. Leave the top rack of the oven empty.
2. Cut the bacon up into small pieces and fry it over medium heat until crunchy.
3. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and put them on the top rack in the oven. Bake for 3-5 minutes, watching closely and stirring frequently, until toasted. Remove from oven, place in a bowl and drizzle with honey. Mix well.
4. Make the tomato salad by mixing the ingredients to taste.
5. Whip the whipping cream and goat cheese together until fluffy and light.
6. To assemble, slice a biscuit in half. Spread the goat cheese mixture on bottom half. Top with a generous helping of the tomato salad and a tablespoon each of crumbled bacon and honey walnuts. Sprinkle with scallions and top with second half of biscuit.

Thai Peanut Curry with Chicken

My cousin works at this great restaurant in our area called New Scenic Cafe. They were pretty early to the farm-to-table, local food movement, opening in a cute little cabin-y building on the shores of Lake Superior in 1999. They make creative but accessible food in an atmosphere that strives to not be pretentious (and most of the time, they actually succeed).

As a wedding gift, my cousin gave me the New Scenic Cafe cookbook. It's a work of art! Of-the-moment restaurants often try to capitalize on their popularity by publishing some bare bones cookbook to bring in some extra revenue, but this is no such effort. You can tell it took years to put together and it was a labor of love. A lot of the recipes are pretty involved, with obscure ingredients and some pretty intense, high-level techniques. I love it, though. It has given me tons of ideas for unique flavor combinations and the handful of recipes I've tried have been great successes. It's definitely not a beginner's cookbook, but if you've been cooking for a couple years, you'll adore it. It's going to be well-loved kitchen tool for me for years to come.

This is a recipe based on one in the cookbook. I tinkered with it and personalized it, based on what I have in my kitchen and my bare-bones knowledge of Thai food. It turned out great!

NOTE: I've been using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts lately. They are cheaper and more flavorful. I'd recommend giving them a try, but you could easily do this recipe with breasts or any leftover, cooked chicken you have on hand.

THAI PEANUT CURRY WITH CHICKEN

Serves: 4
Preparation: 1 hour

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cubed
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 small to medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 c. coconut milk
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. peanut butter, unsweetened
1/2 Tbsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. sambal oelek
1/4 c. cilantro
1 large tomato, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Cilantro, lime wedges and sambal oelek, for serving

1. Season chopped chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat half of the coconut oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add the chicken and cook, stirring every few minutes, until no longer pink; about 10 minutes.
2. Heat the other half of the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and lower heat to medium.
3. Add the coconut milk, peanut butter and chicken stock and stir with a whisk until combined. Turn heat to low.
4. Stir in the curry paste, cumin, sambal and cilantro. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken, garbanzo beans and tomato and keep on heat for about 5 minutes, until warmed through. Season to taste with salt.
5. Serve over basmati rice and top with sambal oelek, cilantro and lime juice.

One crock pot roast, two nights of dinner

Beef roast with mashed potatoes and salad

French dip

I'm busy, so I like food that's easy but delicious (like everyone else in the world.) This crock pot beef roast is perfect. You can make it overnight on Sunday and eat it for dinner on Monday AND Tuesday. Don't worry, not in the same meal -- you use the meat in two different, simple

recipes. How's that for easy?

Recipe inspired by this one.

BEEF ROAST IN CROCK POT

Serves: 2 meals for 2 people
Preparation: 9 hours

1 2-lb. sirloin tip roast
red wine
salt and pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1.5 c. beef broth
1/4 c. tamari

1. Coat the roast completely with pepper and salt, massaging it into the meat. Drizzle with a bit of wine and wrap in plastic wrap. Allow to sit for at least half an hour and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
2. When ready to cook, place the roast in the crock pot. Place the onions, pepper and garlic on top. Pour broth and tamari over everything and cook for 8 hours on low (overnight works well).
3. After 8 hours, remove the roast and vegetables from the liquid. Pour remaining liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add about 1/4 c. red wine, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour half of the liquid into a container and set aside; this is your au jus for French dips.
4. Whisk 1 Tbsp. of flour with 1 Tbsp. of water and add to the remaining liquid. Simmer while whisking until thickened; this is your gravy for the beef roast.

FRENCH DIPS
Shred half of the roast beef with two forks and layer on two long buns. Top with half the red peppers and onions and slices of white cheese (we used gouda, but traditional recipes call for provolone). Broil for 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and meat is warmed. Serve with a side of au jus.

BEEF ROAST
Serve half of the roast beef on two plates as a traditional roast beef meal with gravy and your choice of sides (mashed potatoes are mandatory!)

Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

I'm just in love with Rachael Ray. I've been checking out her books from the library here and there, and every recipe has turned out so well.

This recipe is based on her Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Roll-ups recipe. It's packed with veggies and cheese -- two of my favorite things. I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in the recipe.

Can we talk about cottage cheese? It's kind of been a game changer for me. I always thought it was soooo '80s -- I remember my mom serving it to our family with either pineapple or salt and pepper and fresh onions. It was good but it seemed so ... dated. Now, I've realized that mom, as usual, was right.

Cottage cheese is insanely good for you. One cup of full-fat cottage cheese has 25 freaking grams of protein -- that's almost as much as a serving of chicken! It only has 5-9 grams of fat per serving, too. It's extremely versatile. My mom (why is she so smart?) gave me the idea of using it in dips in place of mayonnaise. If you pulverize it in the food processor, it has this fluffy, creamy texture perfect for the spicy chip dip my husband lives on. It's also WAY cheaper than Greek yogurt. I thought Greek yogurt was basically the second coming of Christ, but I soon realized I can't stomach regularly spending $6 on a container of Fage.

Obviously, this post is bringing in the cash-money from my great sponsors, the cottage cheese industrial complex (Ha. Ha.). But seriously, if you're not on the cottage cheese train, get it together!

Now, on to the recipe.

Rachael (yes, we're on a first-name basis. Duh.) recommends serving this with asparagus and broiled tomatoes. I'll include my broiled tomato recipe at the end, and I usually steam whatever green veggie is on sale and serve on the side. A salad would go well with it, too.

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM STUFFED SHELLS

Serves: 2-3
Preparation: 40 minutes

1/2 pkg. of jumbo shells (about 6 oz.)

Olive oil
1 pkg. baby bella mushrooms
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
11-oz. package fresh spinach
1 Tbsp. butter
1.5 c. cottage cheese

1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. heavy cream
4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook shells according to package directions. Drain, drizzle with olive oil, cover to keep warm and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pulverize the mushrooms in the food processor and add to pan.
3. Finely chop the onions and garlic in the food processor and add to the mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
4. Chop the spinach in the food processor and add to the mixture. Add the butter and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cottage cheese. Cook until the mixture is heated through.
5. Combine the cream and chicken broth over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Bring to a light simmer and stir in the cheese. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.
6. Stuff each shell with 1-2 Tbsp. of the mushroom mixture. Top with Gorgonzola sauce and serve.

Broiled Tomatoes
2 large tomatoes, thickly sliced
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Parmesan

Preheat the oven to broil. Place the tomato slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with shredded Parmesan and broil until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes.

Recent cooking adventures

I had to do a quick post because I've made so many yummy things recently that I don't want to forget!

Spaghetti Chitarra with Pine Nuts and Bacon: Really good, really quick and really easy. I omitted parsley and the bread crumbs and used far less bacon (just four slices). I also toasted the pine nuts and added them at the end instead of adding them to the sauce. This will be a go-to weeknight dinner for us.

Poblano Mac and Cheese from Rachael Ray: I borrowed a Rachael Ray book from the library and tried a bunch of new recipes. This one was really, really yummy! I omitted the corn and substituted roasted asparagus, and my regular grocery store doesn't carry manchego so I used my favorite Irish cheddar instead.

Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet Hot Date-Onion Chutney: This was soooooo gooooood, but a lot of work. I used ground cardamom and cinnamon instead of the whole pieces the recipe calls for, and I couldn't find Thai chilies so I used whatever dried chilies I found at our local co-op. I think they were dried chipotle peppers.

Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake: Not the prettiest dish, but this was nummy. It's also a perfect clean-out-the-fridge dish. You could use almost anything in it. I made this enchilada sauce for it.

Chianti Burgers with Caramelized Onions: This is the perfect dish if you want to impress somebody, and it tastes so fucking good. I'm hungry now just thinking about it. I omitted sage, substituted Parmesan for pecorino and served the burgers on ciabatta bread. The homemade ketchup is essential.

Asian Lemon Chicken Tenders: This is the first time I made fried chicken strips, and they turned out great. I know I substituted a couple things in the sauce recipe (I think orange instead of pineapple juice and white instead of apple cider vinegar), and I would recommend making like a half serving of the glaze. The recipe made way more than I needed. I also used it as a dipping sauce instead of coating all the strips in it.

Asian Lemon Chicken Tenders

Finally, two recipes that were totally meh: Corn Roasted Walleye and Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta. Both were edible (I didn't throw them out and order pizza) but I wouldn't make either again.

Falafel

I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods. I love the fresh veggies, tangy yogurt, big pinches of hot dried peppers and bright, sunny citrus juice that come together in dishes like hummus and lahmacun.

One of my close friends finally took the hint after I constantly ranted about food from the other side of the world and bought me Jerusalem: A Cookbook. After making a few dishes out of it, I'm certain it would be the one thing I would save if my house were on fire. I highly recommend it.

Earlier this week, I made falafel and I just had to share the recipe. It was so good! I served mine on flat bread with a chopped salad of tomatoes and cucumbers and a yogurt sauce similar to tzatziki.

Like a lot of Israeli food, there is a fair amount of "wait time" in this recipe. You have to soak the chick peas overnight and then you have to let the falafel mixture rest for an hour until you use it. I recommend starting it one or two days before you're going to make it. I soaked the beans on a Saturday night, whipped up the falafel mixture on Sunday and then cooked them on Monday. It took just 20-30 minutes to prepare on serving night since I had done all the heavy lifting beforehand.

FALAFEL
From Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Serves: 3-4
Preparation: 40 minutes hands-on time, plus 8-9 hours wait time

1 1/4 c. dried chickpeas
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 ts. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
vegetable oil, for frying
1 tsp. sesame seeds
salt

1. Cover the chickpeas with water in a large bowl and soak overnight.
2. Drain the chickpeas and stir in the onion, garlic, parsley and cilantro. In small batches, food process the mixture for about 30-40 seconds. It should be very finely chopped but not the texture of hummus.
3. Transfer to a bowl and add the spices, baking powder, flour, water and 3/4 tsp. salt. Mix well by hand. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. Form tablespoon-sized balls from the mixture and set on a plate. Line a colander with paper towels and set on a plate.
5. Fill a medium saucepan with oil, until the oil comes 2-3 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Test the heat of the oil by frying one falafel. Drop into the oil and let fry for 2 minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, turn the falafel over so the other side can fry. Fry for about 3 more minutes, until nice and brown on the outside.
6. Remove the falafel  from oil using the slotted spoon and set in the colander. Allow to cool before testing for doneness. The falafel should be brown and crunchy on the outside and bright green and cooked through on the inside. If so, the oil is hot enough. Fry the rest of the falafels in the same manner, frying 5-6 at a time. Drain and enjoy.

Tempeh enchiladas

I've mentioned before that I'm experimenting with different meat substitutes. I think I found my favorite one yet! I cooked with tempeh for the first time this week, and loved it. The texture is so much better than tofu, it actually has some flavor since it's fermented. The nutritional profile isn't as great as seitan, but let's be real, my favorite sauce is made almost exclusively from butter so ... nutritional profile, shmutritional profile.

Anyways, I turned that tempeh into freaking delicious enchiladas, with inspiration from this recipe. It's a real winner. I tried it when my husband was out of town because he's not a fan of non-meat protein, but I would not hesitate to make this for him. You don't miss the meat one bit.

TEMPEH ENCHILADAS
Serves: 3-4
Preparation: 45 minutes

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package tempeh
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. frozen corn
2 c. enchilada sauce (here's a great homemade recipe)
8 small corn tortillas
1/2 c. feta cheese
1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
Salsa and guacamole, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Start by preparing the corn tortillas. Heat individually in a dry frying pan over medium heat until warm, about 30 seconds per side. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until melted. Add the onion and fry until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes before adding the tempeh.
4. Saute the tempeh for 2-3 minutes before adding the spices. Mix well and add the frozen corn and 1/4 c. enchilada sauce. Cook until corn is warmed through and tempeh is done, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp. of each of the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To assemble the enchiladas, spoon about 1/4 c. of the tempeh mixture into each tortilla. Roll and place seam side down in an 8x8 inch pan. Cover with remaining cheese and enchilada sauce.
6. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.

Greek nachos

Oh lordy, this is a yummy recipe. I originally wanted to make Greek pizzas, but then my flat bread was stale, so I made nachos instead. You could do whatever you wanted with the main ingredients of this recipe: an open-faced sandwich, a pizza, a salad, etc.

I have this awesome seasoning from a restaurant in South Carolina where my friend's sister works. She brings us regular shipments and I need a new bottle soon; I am going through it as if it were chardonnay in a box in my fridge. You can order it online here, or use your Greek seasonings of choice.

GREEK NACHOS

Serves: 2

Preparation: 20 minutes

1 Tbsp. butter

1 lb. ground beef

1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning

2 c. tortilla chips

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 c. spinach

1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

1 cucumber, shredded

1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 large red onion, minced

Sauce:

1/2 c. Greek yogurt

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. feta cheese

4 garlic cloves

1. Preheat oven to broil.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break into small pieces with a spatula. Add the Greek seasoning, mix well and fry until no longer pink; about ten minutes.

3. While the beef is cooking, put the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor. Pulse until smooth; set aside.

4. Assemble the chips on two oven-safe plates in an even layer. Layer half of the mozzarella cheese, 2 Tbsp. of the sauce, half of the spinach, half of the meat and half the feta cheese on each plate of chips.

5. Place under broiler, watching carefully. Remove when the cheese is melted; about 4 minutes.
6. Top with cucumber, tomatoes and onions. Drizzle on sauce to taste.

Spicy baked chicken

Oh, chicken. I love chicken because it has so many great attributes -- low in calories and fat, high in protein and so versatile. But it's so damn easy to overcook.

I found this recipe when I was looking to spice up some chicken breasts. I absolutely adore the finished product, but definitely overcooked the little guys, so try to avoid that.

I served this crispy, spicy, cheesy chicken with fried chunks of polenta and a side salad with a honey-lime dressing.

Apologies for the dreadful photography -- I WAS HANGRY.

SPICY BAKED CHICKEN
Serves: 2
Preparation: 30 minutes

2 chicken breasts, flattened with a mallet

Marinade:
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Breading:
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. crushed tortilla chips
1/4 c. shredded marble jack cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno
Salt and pepper

1. Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken breasts and coat completely. You may immediately move on to the next step or marinate chicken up to 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450*. Mix the breading ingredients in a large, shallow bowl. Dip the chicken breasts in and coat completely with crumbs. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
3. Bake until no longer pink in the middle, 15-20 minutes.

Sweet and sour chicken

I've always loved those red-and-white place mats at American-Chinese restaurants that all owners seem to order from the same warehouse. Textured paper, a thick red border and gold text describing the zodiac animals and their various traits provided plenty of entertainment for me as a child waiting for my sesame chicken. The zodiac pairings were always of the most interest, predicting whether a relationship would be successful or not. I'm positive that quizzing my parents for their birth years countless times at The China Cafe is the only way I remember the dates (as a tiger and a pig, they are a good match). 

As for me, I should've been looking for a dog but ended up with an ox, which means unfortunately, we will part.

Whatever. Bottom line is, I'm a horse and as of the Chinese New Year (last Friday), it is MY YEAR.

In celebration (okay, it was more of a coincidence), I made sweet and sour chicken. It's a hallmark of all American-Chinese restaurants -- basically popcorn chicken swimming in a sticky, sweet, thick sauce. I imagine you'd be hard pressed to find a similar dish in China, but they are just missing out.

Thank you to Damn Delicious for the recipe. You'll need at least and hour and a half to whip this up -- but if an impatient horse like me can do it, so can you.

Cook up some brown rice, steam some broccoli to serve on the side and enjoy. 

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Serves: 2

Preparation: 1 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken:

2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Salt and pepper

1/4 c. corn starch

1 egg

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. sesame seeds

Sauce:

3/4 c. white sugar

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. ketchup

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. sriracha sauce

dash garlic powder

dash onion powder

1. Preheat oven to 325*. Coat a medium, shallow baking dish with coconut oil.

2. Whisk together the sauce ingredients over low heat; bring to a simmer. Cook down for 5-10 minutes until it thickens.

3. Mix the cornstarch, salt and pepper together. Coat the chicken pieces in the corn starch mix and then the egg.

4. Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. When golden brown, transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

5. Mix chicken and sauce together in baking dish. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring two or three times.

6. When the chicken is almost done, toast the sesame seeds in a nonstick pan over medium heat until golden brown. Serve chicken over rice and top with seeds.

Adapted from Damn Delicious / Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Asian chicken noodle bowl

I have been hibernating lately thanks to these recent cold snaps. Whether you blame the polar vortex, the bombogensesis, or just plain winter, it's been freakishly cold. That's all I know. It was -18°F when I woke up. Just seeing that number on the thermometer makes me cold, so I bundled up for the trek to the office -- a cardigan and a blazer, long johns under my jeans and, of course, wool socks. Top it off with my normal winter uniform of hat, scarf, puffy jacket and mittens and I miraculously avoided frostbite on the walk to my car.

Anyways, the only cure for my winter blues is brothy chicken noodles. Spicy, Asian-infused chicken noodle bowls. I was inspired by smitten kitchen's recipe but I skipped a lot of the extra steps and specialty ingredients because I do not leave the house when it's this cold. I will do a post soon on how to make chicken broth from scratch, but you can check out this link if you don't know how to do it. Otherwise, the store-bought kind would be okaaaaaaaaay I guess. 

Notes:

-I didn't have a lot of chicken, but you can definitely use more than 1 cup if you'd like.

-This is more of a noodle dish with a little bit of broth. You can easily add more broth or reduce the noodles to make a true soup.

-I used black bean garlic sauce to get an Asian flavor, but you could use any Asian flavorings you like. You can experiment with your favorite stir fry sauce or use a combination of fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, fresh lime juice, hoisin sauce, etc. to achieve your ideal flavor. 

SIMPLE ASIAN CHICKEN NOODLE BOWL

Serves: 4

Preparation: 30 minutes

6 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. fresh ginger, sliced

1/3 c. black bean garlic sauce

A generous handful of linguine noodles

1 c. chicken, cooked and chopped

Olive oil

4 eggs

2 c. bean sprouts 

Cilantro, Asian chili-garlic sauce and fresh jalapenos, for garnish

1. Mix the broth, ginger and black bean garlic sauce together and bring to a boil.

2. Add the noodles and cook according to package instructions, subtracting 2-3 minutes from the recommended time.

3. Remove soup from heat and stir in the chicken. Cover and set aside.

4. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper and cook to medium doneness.

5. Divide the bean sprouts into four bowls and pour the soup over them. Plop a fried egg on top and add cilantro, chili-garlic sauce and jalapenos to taste. 

Black bean seitan and veggie stir fry

Seitan is a meat substitute made with wheat gluten. I've never cooked with it, so I decided to try it out by making a stir fry. (If you care about why I ever use meat substitutes, I wrote a freaking novel at the end of this post.)

BLACK BEAN SEITAN & VEGGIE STIR FRY

Serves: 3
Preparation: 50 minutes

1 c. brown rice
1.5 c. water
1/4 c. black bean garlic sauce
1 Tbsp. sriracha hot sauce
2 Tbsp. red wine (I used a Cabernet)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. sugar
8 oz. seitan, cubed
Coconut oil
1 small white onion, sliced
1 c. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 c. snap peas

1. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 50 minutes.
2. Mix the next six ingredients (black bean garlic sauce to sugar) in a bowl. Add the seitan, coat well and put it in the refrigerator to marinate.
3. Heat about 1-2 Tbsp. of coconut oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add the red peppers and saute for 5 more minutes.
4. In the meantime, steam the snap peas in the microwave. Put in a shallow bowl, add about 2 inches of water and cook on high for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
5. Add the snap peas, seitan and sauce to the vegetables and cook over medium-high heat until warmed through. Serve over rice.

ON EATING MEAT

I'm not really a pet person. Not at all, actually. I sporadically had dogs and a couple of cats when I was growing up, but I never formed a strong attachment with a pet. I can take them or leave them, and people who treat animals like members of their family kind of weird me out.

In addition, I've seen a lot of dead animals turned into tasty cuts of meat and I don't feel particularly bad about. I live in a rural area and lots of our friends and neighbors grow cattle, pigs and chickens for meat. My brothers and nephews are avid deer and pheasant hunters. The delicious sausage, steaks and bacon we get as a result is part of a not-so-pretty butchering process. However, I know how these animals lived and I know they were slaughtered with care and gratitude.

The point is, I'm not an animal freak haha.

But when I see videos or photos of animals being raised in filthy, enclosed spaces and suffering their entire lives for the sole purpose of providing me food -- that is hard to stomach. I do my best to buy humanely raised meat instead of conventional farm-raised meat, but it's a jungle out there. We get a lot of meat from the aforementioned friends and neighbors, but I still need to buy some. The U.S. doesn't have particularly strict food-labeling laws, so just because ground turkey says it's "humanely raised" or "free range" doesn't really mean anything. Beyond that, free range meat and eggs are pricey.

I'm not a purist by any means -- buying only humanely raised meat is a lofty goal that I am reaching for but haven't even come close to achieving. In the meantime, I'm focusing on getting protein from more plant-based sources like tofu and beans (and Greek yogurt, but I haven't looked into the moral implications of Chobani; I don't even want to know haha). I've heard a lot about seitan, which is sort of like tofu but made from wheat gluten instead of soy beans, so I thought I'd give it a shot. The protein content is really impressive -- 21 grams in just 120 calories -- and I like the texture better than tofu.

Mexican sweet potato stacks

Give me anything and I can make it Mexican. 

Bacon, eggs and sweet potatoes? You could make some sort of hash browns or breakfast potatoes fried with bacon and topped with an egg.

But me? I would make these delicious Mexican stacks. 

And let me tell you, it totally works.

MEXICAN SWEET POTATO STACKS

Serves: 1

Preparation: 15 minutes

Two thick slices of sweet potato, baked

2 slices of bacon

1 egg

1/4 of an avocado, sliced

2 Tbsp. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 c. salsa

1. Chop the bacon into small pieces and fry over medium-low heat for 7 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel to drain, leaving the grease in the pan.

2. Heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Put the slices of sweet potato into the pan and fry until crisp on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Set aside and keep warm.

3. Lower the heat to medium and return the bacon to the pan. Add a bit of butter, if necessary. Add the egg and stir in the pan until done, about 4 minutes.

4. Divide the eggs evenly on top of the sweet potato slices and top with cheese, avocado and salsa.

Review: Recent recipes

Here's a roundup of all the yummy yummy things I've made lately.

BREAKFAST

Strawberry baked oatmeal: This is a really easy recipe that can be customized to please anyone. I made it with raspberries, blackberries, bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg and dark chocolate chips. It's SO GOOD and maybe a little high in sugar, but overall pretty healthy. I've eaten it for breakfast every day this week with a big scoop of Greek yogurt. It's super filling.

Quiche with bacon and leeks (recipe in Dutch): This is one of those recipes that looks fancy, like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it's actually pretty easy. I want to try to make it with creme fraiche or Greek yogurt to make it a little healthier; this version really high in fat and calories.

LUNCH AND DINNER

Polenta bake: Polenta is quickly becoming a standby for me. It's easy to make and the perfect base for a meal. I loosely followed the linked recipe, but honestly, you hardly need a recipe to make polenta. I stirred in Greek yogurt, zucchini and spinach. I also added some butter and mozzarella. It was a little too liquidy with the addition of yogurt and juices from all the veggies, so I will probably cut back on the amount of broth I use next time.

Black beans and coconut rich with mango salsa: Easy and super cheap. I love this recipe for work lunches.

Eggplant pizzas: Unimpressive. I will be trying these again, because the recipe says to cook the eggplant before you put the toppings on and I didn't do that (whoops). Maybe that will make all the difference.

Mexican-style pulled pork

This recipe was inspired by Rosie at The Londoner. It combines many of my favorite things: beer, Mexican spices, salsa and a slow-cooker. What's not to love, seriously. I made it while I slept and I've loved having it in the fridge this week to eat for lunch and dinner in tacos, on salads, on nachos, in quesadillas ... you get the idea.

I'm almost positive this recipe would work with any kind of meat -- I would cut the cooking time a bit if you use chicken, but I'm sure a beef roast could easily be substituted.

Mexican-style pulled pork

1.5 lb. pork loin roast
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 c. salsa
1 c. Budweiser
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Cut the roast into four pieces and put in a slow cooker.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything well with your hands.
3. Set the slow-cooker on low and cook for ten hours.

pulled pork burrito

pulled pork "inverted nachos"