Supplimental food: Black Bean and Rice Burritos and Tortellini with Pesto

Dinner



We have had a lot of food lately that has been lasting more than a week because we keep doubling the recipes. I was getting really tired of it so I only made a single batch of this weeks Cajun Skillet beans, so we ran out. Now we are having Black Bean & Rice Burritos. Of course, I made too much, so it will go into next week too... I give them 3.5 out of 5. They are a little dry, I think they could have used some salsa. Approx. time to prepare: 25 for the rice, about 5 min for each burrito.

Recipe (10-12 servings):
1 can black beans
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 package of Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice (cooked)

Mix them up and store until you make the burrito. Other items on our burritos: Avacado, shredded carrot, tamari sunflower seeds, shredded cabbage, bell pepper and red leaf lettuce.

Movie Night Dinner



We usually will make one unique meal a week (usually Saturday or Sunday night after going on a long bike ride or making the food for the week). I usually forget to take a picture of it though, and so I don't include it in the blog. I remembered this week though. We had Tri-Color Tortellini with a yummy pesto sauce on it. Paul also made me a nice salad to have with it. I give it a 5 out of 5. It was very creamy and cheesy and carbo-loaded, my favorite. Oh, and the movie? Hands on a Hard Body. We are suckers for documentaries... (I gave this one a 3 out of 5 though as it was a little slow at times)

Oats(w/Cranberries), Hummus Sandwiches, Cajun Skillet Beans with orzo and Spicy Kale

Breakfast



Oats with Dried Cranberries. Rating 5 out of 5 for their flavor and texture. They have a tanginess that compliments the sweet Oat Milk we have over it.



Lunch

Sandwiches (hummus or PB & J when we finally run out of Hummus)
I have had enough with the Hummus already. Really, I think I am done for a while. Now watch, it will show up here again in a month... Rating 2.5 out of 5 (ONLY because I have had too much of this dish lately). Approximate time to prepare: 5 minutes

Dinner



I give it a 5 out of 5. This is a very hearty, deliciously flavorful dish. The Spicy Kale is a very good compliment. Approximate time to prepare:50 minutes.

Cajun Skillet Beans

1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Bulb garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 green or red bell peppers, chopped
approx. 1 tablespoon dried thyme
approx. 1 tablespoon dried basil
approx. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
approx. 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
pinch salt
pinch cayenne (I left this out, to accommodate my daughter)
2 cups or 2 14 1/2 oz cans tomatoes
approx. 2 tablespoons honey
approx. 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 16 oz can black-eyed peas (yes, Mom, really!)
1 16 oz can butter beans

I played with the quantities of spices, and did not really keep track... sorry.
In a large skillet (I used a wok), saute the onions and garlic in the oil on medium heat. Chop the celery and bell peppers and add them to the pan. Continue to saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme, basil, oregano, black pepper, cayenne and salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden, stirring once or twice. Add the tomatoes, honey and mustard and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the beans, cover and stir occasionally until thoroughly heated.

Adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

We are serving it over Orzo Pasta. Follow the recipe on the package. We added 1/2 teaspoon tumeric during cooking for color. Approximate time to prepare: 10 minutes

And Spicy Kale
In a large skillet heat up 3 tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive). Saute 1 medium onion, diced. Add 1 head of regular kale, chopped. Saute until the kale is wilted. Add generous amounts of Chipotle Tabasco. Yumm. I give it a 5 out of 5. It is spicy and hearty. Approximate time to prepare the Spicy Kale: 15 minutes.

Oats(w/Apricots & Golden Raisins), Hummus Sandwiches and Gado Gado

Breakfast


Oats with Dried Apricots and Golden Raisins

I don't really know why we are having this particular combination of fruit. Paul picked it out...
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 The texture is very good, but the flavor combination is not that great. Individually, I would give each of these fruits high ratings, but together... They are a little weird. Approximate time to prepare: 4 minutes

Lunch


This is the third time we are having Hummus sandwiches since I started this blog! Wow, guess it takes something like this blog for me to see just how often we have some things... Guess I will give it a 5 out of 5 for flavor, texture and how filling it is.

On the sandwiches this time:
Ezekiel bread
spicy Hummus
Plain Hummus
Sunflower Seeds, flavored with Bragg's
Carrot, shredded
Green bell pepper, very thinly sliced
Red leaf lettuce

Approximate time to prepare: 5 minutes

Dinner


Okay, so doubling the peanut sauce recipe gave us too much. We are having it again. This week we also added Tamari Sunflower seeds to the yummy bowl 'o food.
Rating: 5 out of 5. I just love peanut flavored stuff (soy ice cream, snickers candy bars, thai peanut sauces, etc.) I really like all of the different textures in this meal. We heat it up so it is al dente at best. The crunchiness of the cabbage still comes through and the sunflower seeds add even more crunch and flavor. Oh, and we have discovered that Sriracha sauce is VERY good on this dish.

Instead of spinach under the sauce, we are doing Spicy Kale.
In a large skillet heat up 3 tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive). Saute 1 medium onion, diced. Add 1 head of regular kale, chopped. Saute until the kale is wilted. Add generous amounts of Chipotle Tabasco. Yumm. I give it a 5 out of 5. It is spicy and hearty. Approximate time to prepare the Spicy Kale: 15 minutes.

Oats(w/ Apples), Gado Gado, and White bean and Black Olive Soup

Breakfast



Oats with Dried Apples
prep time and cooking: still keep forgetting to time it (slow starter...). less than 10 minutes
rating: 4 out of 5. I like it, I will definitely have it again (In fact, our fruits are on a rotation). The flavor is mild, kind of sweet. The texture is very good.

Lunch



Gado Gado (Salad over rice with a peanut sauce)
Prep time and cooking: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. It is a hearty and versatile bowl o' food. It is not so pretty, but many of the meals we have been having lately have not been so appetizing to look at...

Underneath the sauce:
A bed of fresh Spinach, chopped, shredded, torn or whole
Rice (Add 1/2 tsp turmeric to the rice as it cooks to turn it a lovely shade of yellow)
Assorted vegetables (we are using red cabbage and some green beans)

The Sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup minced onion
2 Tbs freshly grated ginger
2 3/4 cups good peanut butter (mmm, grind it at the store...)
2 to 3 cups hot water
3+ Tbs rice wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
3+ Tbs soy sauce
2-3 Tbs brown sugar or honey
3+ Tbs lemon juice

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and ginger and saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the onion is very soft. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Simmer over very low heat for about 15 minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings. Set aside until serving time. Serve at any temperature.

You are supposed to add some stuff over the sauce, but we are not going to as they are mostly additional garnish... (minced onion, fresh ginger, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, unsweetened coconut and fruit).

From the Moosewood Cookbook

Dinner



White Bean and Black Olive Soup (served with Potato Rosemary Bread)
prep time and cooking: 50 minutes
Rating: 5 out of 5. I really liked the flavor of this soup, and it was very nice looking. It has a nice zing to it.

4 Tbs olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp oregano
1 Tbs basil
3 small (5 to 6 inches long) zucchini, diced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bulb garlic, minced
fresh black pepper
8 cups water
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 cups (~3 cans) great northern beans
2 cups sliced kalamata olives (or black ones; we used Italian seasoned black olives)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, celery, carrot, salt and herbs. Saute over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.

Add zucchini, bell peppers and garlic. Saute 5 minutes more. Grind in some black pepper

Combine water, wine and tomato paste. Add to vegetables along with the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes (or longer). Serve hot.

Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook

Oats(w/ Pineapple), Eggplant-Hazelnut Enchiladas and Mushroom Barley Soup

Breakfast

Oats with Pineapple (5 out of 5)


My favorite combination of fruit in my oatmeal is Pineapple and Cranberry, and a close second is just plain pineapple. I love the flavor, it is so good!

Lunch



Eggplant-Hazelnut Enchiladas (recipe in two parts) (rating 5 out of 5) I like them so much because of their harty texture and complex flavors. We added enough Chili Flakes to give it a pretty good kick too, which I am thoroughly enjoying!)

Mexican Red Sauce
2 tsp. Olive oil
1 cup minced onion
½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Chili powder
32 oz. Tomato sauce
red chili flakes
chipotle Tabasco Sauce
1 bulb garlic, minced

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add onion and salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add cumin and chili powder and saute for about 5 minutes more.

Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil, partially covered then lower heat. Simmer at lease 30 minutes (preferably longer). Add the black pepper, chili flakes and garlic at any time during cooking. (The later you add the garlic, the more distinct its presence.)

adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook

Preparing the enchiladas:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Cup minced onion
3 medium eggplant, diced
1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
black pepper, to taste
1 bulb garlic, minced
2 green bell pepper, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 to 1 1/2 cup ground roasted hazelnuts (leftovers from last week)
20-24 corn tortillas
1 batch Mexican Red Sauce (above)

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add eggplant, salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft.

Add garlic and bell pepper, Stir and cook 5-8 more minutes, or until the pepper is just tender. Taste to correct salt.

Remove from heat; stir in hazelnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave each tortilla for 12 seconds in the microwave, fill with about 1/3 cup filling and roll up. Gently situate the filled enchiladas in a baking pan, pour the Mexican Red sauce over the top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook


Dinner




Mushroom Barley Soup with Potato Rosemary Bread (3.5 out of 5) (would be higher, but I am just not super thrilled with Barley unless it is in my beer!)

Mushroom Barley Soup
½ cup uncooked Pearl Barley (still with the leftover BARLEY)
1 ½ cups water
64 oz. Vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. Paprika
1 bulb garlic, minced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. Salt
4 tbs. Soy sauce
4 tbs. Dry Sherry
freshly ground black pepper

Place the barley and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the barley is tender (20-30 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and paprika and saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and ½ tsp. Salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is very tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and sherry.

Add the vegetable broth to the saute. Grind in a generous amount of black pepper, and simmer, partially covered, another 20 minutes over very low heat. Taste to correct seasonings and serve.

Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook