Recipe Review: Chicken Paprikash

I have to admit I've had chicken paprikash one time and it was in a soup version. I really enjoyed the combination of tangy, creamy sauce with the smoky chicken. Having no idea where to start or what makes a good chicken paprikash, I decided to try the recipe for Chicken Paprikash from Annie's Eats. What drew me in was her warm and inviting photographs but what kept me browsing was her straightforward recipes. I found a few more I'd like to try, particularly the sweet potato scones with maple cinnamon butter and mushroom gouda quinoa bake.

Let's get back to what I did make. The ingredients were very simple and what you probably already have on hand:

• chicken
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• onion 
• garlic
• sweet paprika
• flour
• broth
• can diced tomatoes
• sour cream or Greek yogurt
• noodles (or in my case, fettucine)

The recipe was very easy to put together, just a little sauteing and simmering. I repurposed some leftover roasted chicken letting it heat through in the sauce. The tomatoes added a nice layer of flavor to the tangy sour cream. Since it was just me, I had leftovers a few days in a row which kept just fine. Make this and enjoy!

White Chocolate-Walnut-Coconut-Butternut Squash Dessert

If you buy me the ingredients, I promise to review this recipe from Olives 'n Wine. Sounds delicious!

Pantry-Friendly Pie: Vegan Acorn Squash Pie with Crust

Since I made my first vegan acorn squash pie two years ago, I have been experimenting with different recipes and different squashes. I haven't posted any of them because they didn't turn out in taste or looks or both. This whole vegan baking thing is tricky.

My latest attempt at vegan pie even looks like a pie!

Today, I thought I would share my most recent experiment, my attempt at creating a pantry-friendly acorn squash pie. My biggest accomplishment was making a pie crust. I have an unreasonable aversion to making pie crust. I make the biggest mess when trying to roll out a pie crust and have a tendency to crack the crust. I found a tip: roll the crust between two sheets of wax paper. As long as both sheets of the wax paper are floured, this worked much better for me. I could easily move the crust around or flip it over. When the time came to place the crust in the pie pan, I used the invert method (see step 6) from the Pie Maven. I made sure to blind bake the crust before adding the filling.

Here is the recipe I used for the crust. Very simple and Grandma would approve.

 
I used my original vegan acorn squash pie recipe as the base of my recipe. After making several failed squash pies, one important lesson I have learned is to blend all the ingredients in the blender, especially if using fresh winter squash. My ingredients for this pie were:

• acorn squash
• coconut milk
• sugar
• vanilla
• salt
• pumpkin pie spice (my own blend!)

 
I omitted the apples since I had a crust and I wanted to see what would happen without the cornstarch. Turns out, these kinds of pies need at least a bit of cornstarch or arrowroot powder to form the proper texture. I also made sure not to overcook the pie! Do you have a favorite recipe I should try? What are your suggestions???

Recipe Review: Peperoni Ripieni con Tonno

Source: Lidia Bastianich on Cookstr

I have an abundance of sweet Italian peppers on hand. I've made plenty of pasta meals, scrambles, and stir-fries. I wanted to do something a little different with these once-a-year treats. 

I came across this recipe from Lidia Bastianich and made half the recipe since it was just for myself. The ingredients are very simple and pantry-friendly:

• peppers
• olive oil
• salt
• tuna
• capers
• vinegar
• mustard
• mayonnaise
• fresh herbs

I made a few adjustments to suit what I had in my pantry. Instead of capers, I added green olives. I used to hate green olives; I still don't care for them on their own but green olives really do add a special briny touch. I had a few leaves of basil left so I used those, instead. These little rolls would make tasty appetizers but I had a plateful for dinner. Given them a try and enjoy!

Upcoming Recipe Review: Peperoni Ripieni Con Tonno

 

This was my dinner tonight! Check back Wednesday for the recipe.

Recipe Review: Here's Some Recipes I'm Interested in Trying

I have been browsing recipes and I'm feeling inspired! I thought I would share some of the recipes I would like to try.

Cuban cabbage salad 

• I've made ensalada de remolacha and would love to continue exploring Cuban cuisine.

Vegan acorn squash pie

• I can't wait for winter squash to come into season. I love my vegan acorn squash pie but it can't hurt to have a few different recipes under my belt. As I was doing a little research, I found a recipe for chocolate acorn squash baked custard. I love the idea of making little pots de créme. I also found a recipe for acorn squash bundt cake. I have a bundt pan, I should use it!

Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole

• I have a great recipe for this but what about something simpler?

Ravioli

•  I only discovered homemade ravioli last fall. I would love to learn to make more. And I found this sauce that would be great with my pumpkin ravioli. 

Pasta with Bechamel Sauce

• Bechamel sauce is delicious and tastes fancy! The main way I have enjoyed bechamel sauce has been pasta with bechamel sauce. I went on the wild side with roasted cauliflower bechamel sauce. I'd like to try some new recipes with béchamel. I have found baked pasta with bechamel sauce, which seems to share similarities with baked Middle Eastern pasta with bechamel sauce. Both sound great!

Cabbage Rolls

• While my lentil and rice cabbage rolls are delicious, they aren't pretty.  I have found a recipe with an Asian twist on cabbage rolls with lentils! I have only been considering using rice but here is a recipe that uses quinoa. I can't wait to try these enlightened braised cabbage rolls. That sauce looks delicious!

I am definitely interested in trying some new recipes! Do you have any favorites or suggestions???

Recipe Review: Grape Clafouti

 Recently, I found myself with a bounty of grapes (they were on sale, of course). I have a very limited repertoire of grape recipes: grapes in my lunch or this great lentil salad with grapes, apples, and walnuts. I did a little research and came across Heidi Fink's blog, Lip Smacking. She has a recipe for Coronation Grape Clafouti that I just had to try. (Here is a little more information on clafouti if you would like to know a bit more.)

I still can't get over how pretty this desert looked.

The ingredients are very simple:

• butter (or in my case, nonstick cooking spray)
• seedless grapes
• eggs
• sugar
• flour
• light cream (I used milk and it turned out just fine)
• salt
• vanilla

This was delicious and elegant! Z. the boyfriend was skeptical but eventually tried my clafouti and was won over. The grapes transformed into little warm globes of juice that burst in your mouth and the cake was light and not too custardy. I don't have a pie pan, so I used two small pyrex glass dishes. As an experiment, I put grapes into only one pan with just enough batter to reach the top of the little spheres. In the other pan, I poured the remaining batter. When baking, clafouti puffs up, creating two layers. Once the clafouti was cool, these two layers came together into a tasty treat. Enjoy and try this recipe!

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Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad Dressing

Z. and I occasionally receive gift cards to various restaurants. One of these restaurants is Applebee's. I always get their Oriental Chicken Salad. A base of lettuce is topped with cabbage, crispy noodles, sliced almonds, chicken, and their Oriental Vinaigrette.

The vinaigrette is sweet and sour with a hint of toasted sesame. I did a little research and found a blog dedicated to copying popular restaurant recipes: CopyKat. Here is their recipe for Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad Dressing.

The ingredients (from top moving clockwise): mayonnaise, rice vinegar, arrowroot powder, salt, toasted sesame oil, Dijon mustard, sugar, and canola oil.

I made a couple of changes to suit my taste and pantry. I used arrowroot powder in my second batch of this dressing to try to make it slightly thicker. I would suggest leaving it out. I substituted canola oil for the refined sesame oil. I love the flavor of toasted sesame oil. I started with 1/8 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil then would taste the dressing and keep adding a drizzle at a time until I had the flavor I was looking for. The last change I made was to add a pinch of salt. Always season your food and enjoy!

Recipe Review: Lentil and Garlic Sausage Cassoulet

Recipe: Lentil and Garlic Sausage Cassoulet

Source: Bon Appétit

Ace's Opinion (the short version): Delicious! We have already made this twice. It's time-consuming but I'm thinking of ways around that and I actually learned something about cooking lentils. Keep reading to find out what.

Ace's Opinion (the long version): Of course I am going to love any meal involving lentils but if you want to impress and feed a crowd cheaply, this recipe is the way to go. Z. and I were planning a small dinner party and wanted to serve a multicourse French meal. Finding a traditional French entree that didn't have chicken, pork, beef, or fish was proving to be difficult. We did a little searching and found the Bon Appétit recipe for lentil cassoulet, something a little different than the traditional cassoulet of duck confit, white haricot beans, and sausage.

Let's take a look at the basic ingredients of the version Z. and I made that are already a feature in some of my lentil recipes, such as this one or this one:

• lentils
• onions
• carrots
• celery
• garlic
• seasonings

What makes this recipe special:

• BACON STOCK

One reason this recipe is so time consuming is the first step. You create a stock using bacon, water, onion, and cloves. The stock is used to cook the lentils then to finish the cooking process in the casserole dish. This stock not only creates flavorful lentils, trust me when I say that the carrots and celery in the finish dish were the best carrots and celery I've ever had. Don't fret, the bacon is used again.

What we did differently:

•  We changed some of the proportions. Each time we made this recipe, we used about 1 cup of Puy lentils. Even with just 1 cup of lentils, this could have served 6-8.
• We also added extra carrots and celery. See above for a description of sauteed vegetables simmered in bacon stock.
• Go heavy on the seasonings (herbs, spices, and garlic). Perhaps because we were using dried herbs, we needed to use more than we thought at the first time we made this dish. 
• We couldn't find the right kind of sausage and just omitted it, while going a bit heavier on the bacon.
• The recipe doesn't specify fresh bread crumbs or dried. We used dried bread crumbs and certainly had no need for the 4 cups called for in the recipe. One cup of dried bread crumbs was plenty.

Make this recipe and enjoy!

Pineapple Round #3: Pineapple Muffins with Oatmeal Crumble

Fresh pineapple has a wonderfully strong, fresh flavor when raw. I have found that pineapple's flavor mellows when cooked so finding ways to highlight pineapple in a cooked dish has been a challenge. That's why I began to experiment with muffins. I took a tried and true muffin recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and created a variation that highlights the pineapple.

Here is the basic recipe I used: Muffins.

The only change I made was to add about 3/4 cup fresh pineapple to the batter. I also added 1/4 cup rolled oats to the streusel topping. Enjoy!

Receipe Review: Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe from Taste of Home

Source: Taste of Home

I have been wanting to revisit my Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole and create some variations. In this case, I found someone else's recipe that sounded like it had promise. I loved the ingredients list of the Taste of Home recipe because I didn't have to leave my apartment to get any ingredients because it just uses:

• onion
• butter
• flour
• salt
• pepper
• milk
• noodles
• tuna
• peas
• cornflakes (this is a common old-school topping but I just went with some seasoned breadcrumbs)

I did make two additions. I added finely minced garlic and cayenne pepper.

Who wins in the case of Cheap not Frugal Eats Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole v. Taste of Home's Tuna Noodle Casserole? Mine, definitely. Don't get me wrong. The Taste of Home version is solid and I enjoyed my meal. I just find milk sauces without a lot of other flavorings too sweet for my taste.My Pasta with Béchamel Sauce and Spring Vegetables works because it has lots of sauteed onions, garlic, and tons of vegetables to balance the sweetness milk acquires as it cooks. I find the Taste of Home version needs something bright. In my tuna noodle recipe I add brightness two ways: Dijon mustard and sour cream.

I made this meal with spaghetti and I found I really liked that. I'm not normally a big fan of spaghetti or fettucini, it's too messy to eat for me, an already messy eater. A few years ago, Z. and I had a chance to stock up on pasta for almost next to nothing (and some was free) so we have tons of thin, long pasta to finish. I liked the texture of the pasta after it baked. I got several ideas just from making this dish and can't wait to share them with you. Enjoy!

Favorite Cheap not Frugal Eats Recipes

 

One way that I keep my food costs down, is I cook seasonally. The fruits and vegetables that are in season are at their peak of freshness and flavor. Since they don't have to travel as far to get to my local market, they are also cheaper! My favorite veggies of the spring are greens, leeks, and asparagus. Strawberries are in season but may have to travel a ways. If you are in the valley and cost isn't an issue, keep an eye out at your local farmer's market. There have been strawberries at the Corvallis Farmer's Market.

My favorites are the greens. I have already enjoyed mustard greens and baby bok choi from Beautiful Gardens. I have been getting bunches for just $1. I have been enjoying them in stir-fry and lentil salad. One of my favorite vegetables is only available for a short time in the spring: white turnips. I love root vegetables where you can enjoy both the tops and the bottoms. My favorite way to eat the turnip bottom is raw. Baby white turnips are so delicate and tender that cooking them takes away some of their flavor. If you have never had turnip greens, take advantage of the bounty this spring and try them!

Since I cook seasonally, my new recipes come along as the season progresses. I thought I would share some of my favorite spring recipes from years past. Enjoy!

Pasta with Béchamel Sauce and Spring Vegetables: This is one of my hands-down favorite meals to make with spring vegetables!

Green Bean Stir-Fry: Stir-fries are always a hit in this household. It's fast, tasty, and uses whatever is in the fridge or freezer. If I am impatient and do not feel like waiting 23 minutes for rice to cook, I use couscous. Not feeling like Asian flavors, I will just saute fresh veggies, add some salsa, and enjoy the combination over whatever grain is handy.

Black Bean Salad: A favorite brown bag lunch that's light, bright, and fresh.

Pasta Salad: I like this for the same reasons I enjoy Black Bean Salad.

Spinach Hummus: Hummus is a great way to enjoy spring vegetables and you are enjoying even more of the season by adding spinach.

Mediterranean Barley Salad: When prepared like this, barley doesn't have to remain a heavy fall or winter staple. The nutty, toothsome grain is mixed with tomatoes, chickpeas, and artichoke hearts that are dressed with a bright vinaigrette.

White Beans and  Turnip Greens: My first adventure with turnip greens, which was just about this time last year! I included tomatoes in this version but if you are not a fan of tomatoes, I bet it would still be delicious.

Millet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette: I kept this version pretty basic with roasted yam, garlic, kale, red bell pepper, and jalapeno. The orange vinaigrette makes this a winner.

Lentil Salad and it's many incarnations: I make lentil salad a few times a month, year round. I have several versions with spring vegetables: Lentils with Broccoli and Asparagus, Lentil Salad with Sauteed Kale, Onions, and Fresh Turnips, and something a little more unusual, Brown Lentils with Grapes and Apples.

Marinated Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas: Here is another recipe that's great for brown bag lunches. Raw cauliflower becomes more tender and enjoyable when marinated. I combined leftovers with rice noodles to make another meal.

Asparagus Risotto: You will have to wait for our recipe because Z. is the Asparagus Risotto master.

Finally, and certainly not least, is Pasta with Vegetables: The variations are endless.

Recipe Review: Breakfast Cookies

Source: Kumquat

Just take a look at these cookies. They can be as inexpensive or luxurious as you want, breakfast cookies are delicious either way. Gretchen's recipe over at Kumquat uses flax meal, pecans, and dried blueberries. Delicious ingredients, just not in my pantry. So I made the breakfast cookies just with the following:

Z. doesn't care for bananas. Let me put that more accurately: my wonderful boyfriend won't knowingly try anything that has bananas in it. So I substituted apple sauce, about 1/4 cup, maybe more, maybe less. I used just enough to bind the ingredients together. A wetter, gloppier mixture did not result in a better cookie. After making three batches of these, I tried a few different ratios.

Since this household  has become breakfast cookie connoisseurs, we suggest you do not try getting fancy with the seasonings. Just use salt and vanilla. I thought I was being clever (mostly feeling sorry for myself that I didn't have all the yummy-sounding ingredients) and added cinnamon. I love cinnamon with my oats! Just because cinnamon and coconut may grow in the same parts of the world, does not mean they are meant to go together in a recipe. Lesson learned. Enjoy these cookies as they were meant to be: simple.

Recipe Review: Tuna Cakes

Recipe Review: Tuna Cakes

Source: Simply Recipes 

I know that anything that has the word cake in its name and doesn’t have sugar in it, will probably be rather ugly looking, most likely a washed out shade of brown. It’s the ugly sister with lots of personality and a bad tan. This has been the case with my Quinoa Cakes and now my Tuna Cakes. Unlike my Quinoa Cakes, since discovering them, I make my Tuna Cakes on a regular basis. I’m sure anyone who is also cheap or enjoys a quick meal, will agree that canned tuna is a staple in their pantry. 

At any given time, I probably have at least 30 cans of tuna in my pantry. I buy ridiculous amounts of the stuff when I find it at the price I’m willing to pay ($0.30 or so for most brands, up to $0.50 per can for my preferred brand). I eat so much tuna that when my father and sister found a case of 48 cans of my favorite tuna on sale, they bought it, and mailed the case to me. I love and appreciate them so much that I have never had the heart to ask why they just didn’t send me the money and have me purchase the tuna at the same chain grocery store in my neighborhood. I think they were just trying to take care of me in my time of college poverty.

I only have one tuna recipe up my sleeve that does not involve making a sandwich. My one tuna recipe is my popular Stovetop Tuna Noodle Casserole. Not feeling in the mood for something creamy, salmon cakes popped into my mind as inspiration. Why not substitute tuna for the salmon? I found a tuna cakes recipe on Simply Recipes (a blog that I already read regularly) and gave it a try.

Tuna cakes was a winner and has since become a regular in my repertoire. Since most of the ingredients are from the pantry or refrigerator basics, I create variations according to what is fresh my fridge. I would say, start with Elise’s original recipe which is fresh and bright with lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh herbs, and green onions. I would not eat a tuna salad sandwich without mustard and hot sauce (Melinda’s XXX hot for me) but would never have thought of adding them to my tuna cakes. Thanks, Elise! 

Just a few quick points I have learned: 

• I have made tuna cakes with different types of bread and have never noticed any differences. The original recipe calls for white bread, something I don’t have in my home unless the word white is switched with words such as French, Italian, or sourdough. When I buy bread, I get whichever of my preferred brands is on sale. It varies from plain whole-wheat to multi-grain bread with a variety of nuts and seeds. Of course I had to write a paragraph to tell you what you should have already figured out. My point: use what’s on hand and it will be just fine.
• Two cans of tuna will leave you with 4 patties, so if you do the math one can of tuna will provide two tuna patties. I find that two patties make a great dinner for me. I have taken to halving the recipe and using just one can of tuna (Z. doesn’t eat tuna so there is no one to share with). The tuna cakes make decent leftovers but are best fresh. My point: Even though I’m using one can of tuna, I use a whole egg and the patties come out just fine. Unless you’re using eggs that come out of a carton, I’m not sure how to use half of a whole egg. And if I did, I would probably forget about it and waste half an egg.
• When I haven’t had fresh parsley, I have used a few shakes from my jar of trusted Italian seasoning. I actually really liked the flavor of the Italian seasoning with the tuna but was missing the fresh element. I had recently enjoyed my Root Vegetable Soup with Cilantro Pistou and had cilantro on the brain. I didn’t think adding chopped cilantro would be extraordinary but I thought of a sauce I could make and use for other meals. Check back soon to see what I made with cilantro that has become one of my favorite additions to Tuna Cakes. Enjoy!

Recipe Review: Basic Adobo Sauce

Source: Basic Adobo Sauce Recipe

I enjoy my Cauliflower and Bacon Chowder but have been wondering what would it be like with a little kick. I thought of adobo. It's something I could get in a can right off the shelf and just scoop some into my soup. I started investigating what was available at the grocery store. I looked at 3 different stores and they cost too much for me, especially after I started looking at the ingredients list. The adobo sauce in all the cans was only seasoned tomato sauce. I could definitely handle making that myself. Besides, I wanted something with chilies.

I've been wanting to become more familiar with the multitude of dried chilies that are available to me (even the regular grocery store has quite the selection) so I went with the simplest recipe with dried chilies I could find. I have used Roberto Santibañez's recipe that I found on Food Republic. I know nothing about adobo and will not even pretend. Take a look at the website and try this recipe!

Pasilla-ancho chilies

California chilies

I couldn't find guajillo chilies so I used dried pasilla-ancho chilies and dried California chilies. I don't know what the original recipe was supposed to taste like but I really enjoyed what I ended up with. My adobo was very thick and yielded about 1 cup. I think the variations were due to the differences in my chilies. I know if I wanted something with a thinner consistency, I could have added a splash more water. Since I knew that part of this was going into soup, I didn't bother. Enjoy!

Ingredients: Water, dried chilies, vinegar, sugar, salt, cumin, garlic

Corn Chowder with Adobo

Recipe Review: Autumn Sweet Potato Soup

Source: The Shiksa in the Kitchen

No more pumpkin recipes for awhile! I do have one gorgeous buttercup squash that has been roasted and pureed in the freezer. I am going to hold on to it until I have a really special recipe to make with that squash. Before I get to my own recipes, I wanted to show you someone else's recipe I made and enjoyed recently. This is the first recipe I have made from this blog but it's one I read regularly!.

This soup requires just a short introduction. This soup is so yummy just the way it is that I followed the recipe exactly (sometimes that's hard for me). I thought adding peanut butter to a soup sounded crazy but it turned out to be delicious. The flavors of this soup, particularly the yams, ginger, tomato, and peanut butter inspired one of the best meals I have ever made. Check back to find out what I made that was so good!

P.S. I didn't have yams at the time so I used half a delicata squash and it was great.

Please see the link above for the full recipe. Here are some pictures of the ingredients (very simple!).

Garlic, onion, delicata squash, red chile, green chile

Peanut butter, diced tomatoes, and future vegetable stock

From top clockwise: cumin, ground ginger, garam masala (my one addition)

Finished soup, garnished with chopped peanuts!

Pumpkin Detour: Zucchini "Chili"

I have lots of new recipes to share! This little gem is something I made a couple of months ago when you could most clearly see the transition in the seasons at the farmer's market. The last berries of the year were sitting next to basketfuls of delicata squash and dark greens, while mounds of zucchini and chili peppers were  fighting to grab your attention away from heirloom peaches and apples. You can see this in the star ingredients:

• summer squash
• fresh chili peppers
• kale
• delicata squash

Delicata squash may not be available everywhere or for an exorbitant price. If you would like to make a substitute, I suggest butternut squash or yams. Both have a stronger flavor than delicata but it's similar to the delicata.

Creating a yummy meal around my last summer squash that used some of the other veggies in my pantry was my inspiration. I had a huge round zucchini that only cost $0.33 because it was the end of the summer season! By this time, I was pretty tired of all my tried and true zucchini recipes so I did a little searching.

I found Rachael Ray's recipe here. I started with Rachael's recipe and adapted it to what I had on hand. This is a keeper! The spices and chile peppers were a nice combination but didn't overpower the vegetables. I only used 3 chilies but feel free to add more. I was surprised at home much I liked the zucchini in big chunks. The larger pieces of zucchini kept some crispness and made the meal feel more hearty.

I did one step differently. I roasted my two squashes and the peppers. The zucchini I kept an eye on and removed from the oven right when it was just becoming tender. I just heated these vegetables through at the end in the pot. While this step isn't necessary, the roasted flavor really made the meal better. I don't think any of the red pepper made it into the pot because it was so good on its on. Enjoy!

Zucchini "Chili"

by Ace Nation

Keywords: vegan beans/lentils vegetables

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups zucchini, chopped into large pieces
• 1/2 delicata squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 pablano chili
• 1 Anaheim chili
• 1 red chili
• 2-3 cups kale, chopped
• 1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Garnish: Lime wedges or cilantro

Instructions

Note: Roasting the squash and the peppers is not required but does taste delicious. If you decide not to roast the vegetables, add the squash and peppers while the onions cook, and cook until tender.

To roast the squash and peppers: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the squash and peppers with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir the vegetables about halfway through.

In a large high-sided skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low to medium heat. Add onion, stirring occasionally, cook until soft, a little color is nice, 8-10 minutes.

Add garlic and kale, stirring occasionally, cook until tender, 5-7 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cumin. Cook about 1 minute.

Add vegetable stock, Italian seasoning, coriander, smoked paprika, roasted vegetables, and black beans.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the squash is heated through and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Season to taste with kosher salt.

Serve over rice with lime wedges and/or fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

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Winter Squash Challenge: Recipe Review

I love baking quick breads. My arsenal includes banana bread, apple sauce bread, and carrot bread. Why? They're easy to make and cheap! So, when I was planning on a winter squash challenge, I thought I would add pumpkin bread to the mix.

I came across a recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread on Cookie and Kate. I picked this recipe for several reasons:

• Quick breads can easily go from healthy to a desert-y indulgence. I wanted a bread I could pack in my lunch without feeling guilty and this fit the bill.
• I really liked Kate's suggestions of spices! I wouldn't have thought of adding ginger.
• I had just purchased my first bag of whole wheat pastry flour. Normally, I substitute flours and I was happy to try a recipe that called for whole wheat flour. 
• One of the ingredients is millet! I have to admit, I haven't tried this bread with the millet yet. I wanted to get an idea of what this bread tasted like before becoming more adventurous. Next time, I am definitely trying it with the millet!

Recipe Review: Baked Quinoa Patties

Source: Heidi Swanson, 101 Cookbooks

I have finally made a meal with the quinoa that has been in my pantry for the past year. I was really excited to buy the quinoa (I got a pretty good deal on the stuff) but must not have been that excited to cook the seed.

Quinoa, pronounced Keen-wah, is a seed that has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andes of South America. What peaks my interest in quinoa is the high protein content and abundance of minerals. This little seed is pricier than some of my other favorite grains but quinoa can be found at most supermarkets and grocery chains these days.

Previously, I had only eaten quinoa in salad-type dishes. This is a great way to use a whole-grain and I certainly enjoy salads I wanted something with a little more bite to it. Much like couscous, I find quinoa to be overwhelmed and lose its texture when overwhelmed by a vinaigrette or sauce. I did a little searching and kept finding this recipe for quinoa patties. I decided this recipe might do the trick!

I was very happy with how my dish turned out. I did not have to fry the quinoa patties to get a nice golden, crunchy shell. I took advantage of the produce I already had in the refrigerator to add extra flavor. I added half a grated onion, a few cloves of garlic, scallions, and some chopped cilantro.

The recipe calls for bread crumbs. I do not keep bread crumbs on hand and I did not feel like making some homemade bread crumbs. Instead, I used a combination of old-fashioned oats and flour. I used 3/4 cup of oats and 1/4 whole-wheat flour to help bind everything together. Enjoy!

P.S. If you are cooking just for one, as I was in this case, I would consider either making a half-batch or being prepared to freeze leftovers, which I did.

Baked Quinoa Patties, adapted from 101 Cookbooks

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, at room temperature *
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (or substitute fresh chives)
1/2 onion, grated
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole-grain bread crumbs **
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking spray, as needed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Combine quinoa and eggs in a bowl.
4. Add salt, cilantro, garlic, scallions, onion, cumin, and turmeric. Mix well.
5. Add baking powder and bread crumbs, combine. Allow mixture to sit for a few minutes. If mixture is too dry, feel free to add another beaten egg.
6. Form into twelve 1 inch patties. Arrange on a baking sheet with space between each patty. Bake about 20 minutes until bottoms are brown then flip and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve.

* To prepare quinoa, combine two cups of well-rinsed uncooked quinoa with 3 cups water in a suace pan. Bring to a boil, cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and you can see the little "tail" of the quinoa.

**In place of the bread crumbs, 3/4 cup of old-fashioned oats and 1/4 cup flour (all-purpose or whole-wheat) may be used.

Recipe Review: Mujadara

Source: Aarti Sequeira

I have been looking forward to making a dish called mujadara for quite some time. Mujadara has some of the my favorite ingredients: onions, brown lentils, and rice all of which are also frugal pantry staples! But I was always reluctant until I watched someone else make the recipe on tv. I was concerned about the cooking the lentils and rice together and the resulting texture. I finally made Aarti's version because she simmered the lentils separately first before finishing them with the rice.

The rice was simmered for 30 minutes and sat on the stove for 5 minutes without the heat. I followed the directions even though that is a little longer than we normally cook our basmati. The rice was just slightly softer than I would have preferred but was not a big deal. Next time, I will be cooking it for about 5 minutes less.

Do not skimp on the onions! The recipe calls for setting aside about half of the caramelized onions and then simmering the rice and lentils with the remaining onions. At the end, you serve the rice with the reserved caramelized onions. This was my favorite part! The sweet, caramelized flavor went very nicely with the slight spiciness (I went heavy on the cayenne) of the rice and lentils.

 
I used yellow onions because they were exceptionally nice. I thought they browned up just as well as red onions would have.

The spices were very simple and probably spices most of us already have in our cupboards. I loved the cinnamon, especially the scent it gave the dish. Do not worry, the cinnamon scent and flavor was understated and delightful.

I saw the recipe served 6 but I was not convinced with just one cup of lentils and 3/4 cup of basmati rice. This made a huge amount of food! Z. and I have frozen rice before and the reheated leftovers tasted just fine so I made sure to freeze a large portion for those evenings when I just cannot manage to cook. Enjoy!