So Easy Rotini Pasta Salad

This pasta dish is adapted from a recipe mentioned in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book The 30-Day Vegan Challenge but I didn't measure and I added whatever I felt like...

What you need:
1/2 box of multi-grain or whole wheat rotini pasta, cooled
a small can of chick peas
about 1 cup of corn, cooked, cooled
handful or so of grape tomatoes
fresh basil
fresh garlic
salt and pepper
red wine vinegar
olive oil
dry basil

(my mom adding dry basil and s&p)

What to do:
Cook pasta, drain and then cool. Combine ingredients and then chill.

Verdict:
OH SO YUMMY!

Lisa Tries Carrot-Ginger Soup

Recipe: Carrot-Ginger Soup
By: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

What you need:
2 tbsp water to saute with (I used that plus a bit of oil)
1 large yellow onion, coursely chopped
2 tsp garlic, chopped fine
6-7 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds (I used a baby of baby carrots)
2 med potatoes, peeled, quartered
2.5 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I used more)
4-5cups veggie stock
salt and pepper

What to do:
In large pot, saute onions and garlic in water in water (I used that plus a bit of oil when water evaporated).  Add all ingredients and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Transfer to food processor and puree the soup until creamy.  (I waited for the soup to cool down and then added to food processor.) Add salt as needed.  I topped with a bit of cinnamon when I could not find nutmeg.

Verdict:
This soup reminds me of the fall.  Both my mom and aunt tried it and all went "mmm!"  I thought it was light yet comforting and yummy too.

Lisa Tries... Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

Recipe: Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce
By: Cooking Light, 2005

What you need:
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic gloves
3/4 tsp salt
1/4tsp crushed red pepper (didn't have)
15.5oz can of chickpeas drained (and I rinsed)
14oz can of chicken broth, fat free, less sodium
1.5c uncooked shell pasta (I used whole wheat shell pasta)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (I used more)
2 garlic gloves, minced
1tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tspn lemon juice
3 tbsp shredded parm-reggiano cheese

What to do:
Heat oil in pan, add garlic and saute for minute.  Then add salt, pepper, chickpeas and broth and bring to boil, cut heat to simmer, cover for 15 minutes.  While that is simmering, make pasta as per direction omitting salt and fat, drain well. 

Place chickpea mixture in food processor and mix til smooth.  Then combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, garlic, fresh parlsey, and lemon juice and toss well.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Verdict:
Hmmm... this one received rave reviews on myrecipes.com but I didn't think it was great or flavorful.  Next time I try this I will keep the chickpeas whole and add to pasta with lots of basil instead of parsley.  Parsley?  It just didn't taste like it should go in this dish at all.  Definitely basil next time...

Lisa Tries... Morning Glory Muffins

Recipe: Morning Glory Muffins
By: Cooking Light, July 2007


What you need:
1c whole wheat flour
1/2c all-purpose flour
1c regular oats
3/4c packed brown sugar
1 tbsp wheat bran
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1c plain fat free yogurt
1c mashed ripe banana
1 large egg
1c pitted dated (I used Newman's Own Organic Raisins)
3/4c chopped walnuts
1/2c chopped dried pineapple
3tbsp ground flaxseed

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 and coat muffin pan with cooking spray.  You can use muffin liners but I did not because I do not like fighting with them. 

In a large bowl combine flours and next five ingredients, stir.  Then make a well in the center of the mixture and combine yogurt, banana, egg, stirring until moist.  Fold in dates (I used raisins), walnuts, pineapples.  Spoon mixture into muffin pan and sprinkle each with a little bit of flaxseed.

Bake for 20mins.
(I am a very messy baker but a neat cook.)

Calories: 186, fat 4.4, fiber 3.4, carb 35.2, protein 4.2 (mine may be more or less due to the raisins.)

These smell fantastic while baking and taste scrumptous!!  They are hearty and sweet.  I think next time I will not use the pineapple because it tends to make it a bit too sweet for me.  They are easy to make and pretty healthy-ish too.  Definitely a keeper.

Lisa Tries... Black Bean Chilaquiles

Recipe: Black Bean Chilaquiles (chee-lah-kee-lays)
By: My variation of http://www.vegetarianfamilytable.com/ 's variation of Jack Bishop's recipe from his cookbook A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen.

What you need:
10 small corn tortillas
3 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
1 large yellow onion, diced
5 mediun garlic cloves, minced
1 large chipotle in adobo sauce, minced, with 1 tsbp adobo sauce (I used a bottle of green tomatillo sauce because I could not find chipolte/adobo sauce... what is that anyway? :) )
2 15oz cans of black beans rinsed, drained (I used low sodium version)
2 cups water
1/4c sour cream (I used light version)
1 tbsp low fat milk
1 medium avocado, diced
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (I used more)
5oz queso fresco, farmers cheese or queso blanco crumbled.  Shredded Mont Jack cheese works in this too and thats what I used.

I added cilantro, lots of cumin, and diced tomatos.

What to do:
Set oven to 350.  Cut tortillas into wedges, toss in oil & salt (I didn't use the salt) in a bowl and then lay out on a baking sheet (ok if they overlap).  Bake for 12-15 mins (I baked a bit longer til they were brown and starting to get crispy).  Remove from oven and set aside.

In a skillet heat oil, add onion (I added garlic too) and brown.  then add garlic, chile, adobo (I used the green sauce only) and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add beans, salt (I didn't add salt), and water (I added cumin too) and bring to boil.  It will be soupy looking.  I was scared I did something wrong but I didn't.  Reduce heat, simmer for about 10 mins.  Then remove pan from heat and put on protective surface so you can mash the beans in the pan.  It will be thick and there will still be whole beans which is ok.  Put pan back on heat, stir in tortillas until they become chewy.  I also added the cilantro at this point.

While the beans are cooking, get two small bowls.  In one bowl combine the milk and sour cream, mix and set aside -- this thins out the sour cream.  In the other bowl combine the avocado, lime juice, salt (I didnt use salt but I did add fresh cilantro and diced tomatos) and then set aside. 

Serve by spooning the chilaquiles onto plates and top with thinned sour cream, avocado-tomato-cilantro mix, and cheese.

This is such a good vegetarian dish!  I read that it's traditionally a Mexican breakfast, but I think it also makes a fantastic lunch or dinner too.  It doesn't look pretty, but it is tasty!! (You can add shredded chicken too -- I saw a similiar recipe online but I am so turned off by chicken at the moment so I stuck with the vegetarian version.)  SO GOOD and SO FILLING!  YUMMY!  Next time, I will add even more cumin, lime, and cilantro!  I will also slice the tortillias into smaller strips instead of 6 per tortilla.

Lisa Tries.. Christian's Strawberry Banana Muffins (well, not exactly)

Recipe: Christian's Strawberry Banana Muffins
Cookbook: George Stella's Real Food, Real Easy

What you need:
3/4 cup almond flour (I made my own)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar substitute
2 tbsp transfree margarine
1.5 tspn banana extract
1 tspn baking powder
3/4 cup chopped strawberries (I used blackberries, rinses, and patted dry)

What to do:
Preheat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients except the berris in a bowl with a wooden spoon (I used my mixer on low) until blended well.  Add berries by folding in with a spoon.  Fill each muffin cups with batter and bake for about 25 mins.  Remove and let sit for a about five mins, serve.

I liked them!  Sweet and the muffin part was really nice.  The muffin part stuck to the muffin cup things so maybe next time I will not use them.  I will try with strawberries or blueberries too. 

Calories 216, protein 8.5, carbs 16. To make gluten free just double the almond flour.

Ok, I cooked and I baked and I washed dozen of bowls and pans and utensils.  I think that should do it 'til the weekend. :) Oooh, not, I planned on making a chicken recipe from this book again later and need to cook before the chicken goes bad.

I love you my pistachio colored KitchenAid.

(cringing, waiting for Lee's reply ;) )

Lisa Tries... To Make Something Up

Spinach, Feta, Ricotta Chicken
By: Lisa B.

What you need:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts (I like thin cut)
Package of crumbled feta cheese
Two handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves (toss in pan with a bit of water to wilt)
About a cup of ricotta
half of a lime
salt, pepper, italan spice blend, garlic

What to do:
Season chicken and cook in pan with a bit of olive oil til almost cooked.  In a bowl mix the ricotta, feta, lime
and then add spinach.  Transfer chicken onto baking sheet and top with feta mixture and baked for a few mins.

So I made this up because I didn't want to waste the ricotta.  It was pretty good but needed something else... more lime? Actually, probably a lemon would've been better but I didn't have any.  I would make a variation of this again.