Sweet Potato Chili

I had this in a comment, but then I figured I'd just go ahead and post it. I think it's worth sharing with everyone.

Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potato

I came across this recipe in Real Simple a few months ago maybe. It is not a traditional chili, but I loved it! Anything that has sweet potato in it catches my eye, and I was intrigued that cocoa powder was an ingredient. I don't know that I could really taste the cocoa, but this chili definitely has a unique taste. Max and I both really liked it. It's my new go-to chili.

The recipe says to cook it for several hours in a slow cooker, but I just made it on the stove. Well first, I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven. Then I sauteed the other vegetables in a large pot; added the liquid, sweet potato, and spices; and let it simmer for maybe 30 minutes. Easy!

Good luck in your recipe search Maren!

Black Bean Salad

I made the black bean salad and actually used it for filling in burritos.  The beans turned out soft, but I did cook them for about 3 1/2 hours in addition to the first 30 minutes.  They were very easy to make just took cooking time, but a couple of the ingredients were difficult to find.  For some reason I could not find the butcher's twine, and I kept having flash backs to the movie "Bridget Jone's Diary" when Bridget made the blue soup so I figured I better get the right item.  I eventually found it in the fresh meat area of the grocery store.  Also, I could not find a dried arbol chile so I settled for dried anaheim chiles.  After some research I realized that an arbol chile is really hot it is used in cayenne pepper, and the anaheim chile is mild so I used 3 when I made the beans.  I like a little kick, and these did not have  any so in the future I will add extra chiles or cayenne pepper. 

Overall, the beans were good, but I think I would like a little more flavor like I said more spice and maybe a little garlic.  I do not normally have these ingredients on hand, and I have a black bean recipe that I like so I will probably use that one more often. Also, I think adding flavor to canned beans is a bit easier than the dry beans.

Also, I will not be making the hummus recipe on the website because it calls for peanut butter, and I have made hummus with peanut butter before and it is not good. Stick to recipes that call for tahini.

Catch Up -- Danielle's Cheesy Squash Pasta

I'm trying to stock up on meals I can save in the freezer for after the baby comes. I thought this one would work nicely. I stretched the recipe so that I'd have enough to eat tonight and eat for lunch tomorrow, plus enough for a dinner later. It worked out perfectly.

So here's what I did --

I added a lot more than 1 c. of squash puree (possibly more than doubled it), and I used a lot more than the 1/2 c. of milk called for -- that's mainly how I stretched the sauce. I would've actually added more milk because I thought the sauce was too thick, but I didn't want to dilute the flavors any more.

I also added onion and spinach, and I cooked the onions and red pepper before adding them to the sauce. Then I used pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar. I liked the flavor and spicy kick the pepper jack added. Oh, and as you can see from the picture, I used rotini (whole wheat) instead of bow tie pasta because I couldn't find whole wheat bow tie pasta.

I agree with Elise that the butternut squash flavor in this dish is very good. It went really well with the other flavors. I also really liked the flavor of the cream cheese in it, especially combined with the pepper jack.

I don't make pasta very frequently, but I can see myself making this again.

Danielle's Tomato Dumplings

Mine didn't look nearly as good as the ones in Erin's picture... Sadly, mine look barely edible!

This recipe has great promise. The vegetable stew part tasted great. However, I royally screwed up the dumplings.

I thought about using buttermilk instead of milk because 1) I love it, and 2) I have some in the fridge I'm trying to use before it goes bad. I did a little internet research to see if the substitution would work, and I saw on at least a couple of websites that you can easily substitute buttermilk for milk in biscuit recipes. I figured the dumpling dough was probably pretty close to biscuit dough, so I gave it a shot.

Well, that fell flat. My dumplings were gummy. They weren't bready in the middle at all. The flavor was ok, but I had a really hard time getting past the texture.

If I get around to trying this again sometime (this time following the recipe like I'm supposed to!), I'll post an update about how it turns out.

Danielle's Sun Dried Tomato Jam

I have mixed feelings about this tomato jam, and I can't really explain why. Every time I taste it, I experience the same thing -- half of my brain is saying, "Yum! This tastes good!" and the other half is saying, "Um, there's something there that just doesn't work for me. Jury's still out on it." The half of my brain that thinks it tastes really good has the edge, but I can't say I totally love it. I really want to love it, but every time I eat it there's a little something there...

That being said, I love the look of these little crostinis. I got a thin little french baguette, and these made perfect, beautiful little bite-sized appetizers -- which I promptly served to myself for lunch. :)

A couple of side notes -- I liked this better warm than cold or room temp. Also, I know this is supposed to be a "jam", but I think I might have liked it better without the sugar. You know, more savory and less sweet.

Danielle's Indian Spiced Cauliflower & Potatoes

Like Melanie, my husband claims to not like cauliflower. I've always liked it so I cook with it occasionally, and basically, Max eats whatever I make for dinner. Max actually said he really liked this dish and would be happy to eat it if I made it again.

I liked it, but I can't say I really loved it. I mean, it tasted good. But realistically, I don't see it being a favorite that I'll make over and over. I think it needs a sauce or something. As is, it seems like more of a side dish. But I appreciate any good vegetarian meal, so I might try this again and make up some kind of sauce.

If any of you are interested, I made some homemade naan to go with it that was quite good. The whole process takes a long time (longer than other breads I've made), but there's a lot of down time in between (for rising) that you could be doing other things so it's not too bad. I stuck with the lower end of all the time ranges and it took me about 3.5 hours start to finish.

Here's the recipe: Snowshoe Naan

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

source*

I am in love with roasted cauliflower. It's ridiculously flavorful and hearty while still being super good for you. For those of you who may believe that it's a bland vegetable, I urge you to reconsider. You could actually skip all the other stuff in this recipe and just roast it in some olive oil and call it good. But the other ingredients are tasty, too, so go ahead and give it a try.

I've made it several times with some modifications that I think make it easier to prepare. Serve it up with some basmati rice and some warm naan and you've got yourself a well-rounded meal.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes
Gourmet | February 2004
Posted on Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.
2. Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
3. While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

yield: Makes 4 side-dish servings
active time: 30 minutes
total time: 30 minutes

266 calories per serving

Total cost = approximately $1.50 a serving (unless you don't have the spices on hand)

Cook's Notes:

• This is not that spicy. I would just say it's more flavorful. My kiddos don't mind spicy foods but I usually leave out the jalapeño seeds just to be sure.
• I don't think it's necessary to do Step 3. Why waste an extra pan? I just toss all of the ingredients (minus the water) into a bowl to mix and then dump it all onto a baking sheet to roast in the oven together.
• I've never used cumin seeds and it's still turned out great.
• If you don't have all of the dry spices and don't want to go out and get them, you could probably get by with just some yellow curry powder.

*I forgot to take a picture so I've borrowed from Epicurious. Hopefully, I'll remember to add my own soon.

Cami's Veggie Burritos

I love how easy these are to make. I whipped them up last night in no time. They are quite tasty as well. As you can see Calder thought they were awesome. His favorite foods are cheese, avocado, black beans and tortillas so these are right up his alley.

The flavor is perfect. I love the onion and black bean insides. I also love the warm burrito with cool tomatoes and guacamole on top. I used orange bell pepper instead of red because I prefer the flavor. I somehow made large burritos and only ended up with 6. All well. I'll certainly make these again.

Danielle's Winter Pot Pie

This was a delicious dinner. We all liked it very much, and I appreciate any hearty, delicious, vegetarian meal. I used everything the recipe called for except mushrooms (I'm not a fan). I loved leeks last time I had them, so I was excited for an excuse to use them again. And parsnips are something I'd been wanting to try.

I have to admit, I didn't really like the flavor of the parsnips all that much. I thought they were pretty bitter. Max said he liked them though, and according to Wikipedia, parsnips are rich in vitamins and minerals and are a good source of fiber. So maybe I'll give them another shot sometime. I'll just have to sweeten them up or something.

The biscuit topping was delicious, and I imagine with all the vegetables this is a pretty healthy meal. I will definitely be making this again.

Cami's Winter Vegetable Potpie with Cheddar Biscuit Topping

Sorry, no picture. I didn't feel good yesterday when I made this and therefore couldn't muster the energy to take a decent picture. It looks very pretty though and would make a good meal for guests.

I really liked the homey flavor of this recipe. The vegetables were perfect and the cheddar biscuit topping made it a full meal in one dish (which I needed last night). I didn't add leeks or parsnips since I doubt Jason would eat them. I added an onion which I loved. I think next time I'll add celery and peas because I thought it could use a few more veggies to counterbalance the biscuit topping.

I will be making this again. I'm glad Suzy posted it now so I have another recipe to add to my winter favorites.

Cami's Potato, Goat Cheese and Spinach Quesadillas

These are so tasty. I never would have thought to put these ingredients together and I don't think I would have used this recipe just by looking at the ingredients. We made them two nights in a row because they were so good! I'll definitely make these again.

Melanie W.'s Potato, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

I have consistently been impressed with the recipe selections on here. These are no exception. They proved to be flavorful, filling, and a nice break from the normal boring stuff I tend to make. I'm not a huge fan of goat cheese, but I used it anyway and it was actually really good! Maybe I should use goat cheese more often. I did as Jeannie recommended and I used whole fresh baby spinach and put cheese on both the top and bottom. It stuck together pretty well. For leftovers I only used 1 tortilla and it flipped a little easier than 2 full tortillas, so I think next time I would use the fold-over method. I used red potatoes since that's what I had, and I forgot to get tomatillo salsa so we just used red salsa. They were yummy.

Potato, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Normally, when I think of quesadillas I think of an easy, no-brainer meal option. Something quick to put on the table that everyone will enjoy. But I came across this recipe and loved the idea of goat cheese and a little more substance (and vegetables) to enhance this main dish.

At first glance, these seem like more work than what you'd expect in a quesadilla, but I think it's worth the effort. We've made them 3 times now and they've always been well-received.

Potato, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
From Bon Appétit | March 2008
Posted on Epicurious.com

yield: Makes 4

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups jarred salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed mustard greens (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 275°F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack cheese*. Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cup (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

Cook's Notes:

• I've never used Yukon Gold potatoes-- just russets-- and they've tasted great
• We've tried it first with mustard greens and then with spinach leaves the next time and have liked them with spinach better
• I've always made them flat using 2 tortillas per quesadilla instead of folding one, as the recipe says
• *I didn't think of this before, but they would stay together better after cooking if you spread the pepperjack cheese out over the bottom tortilla, put the greens, potatoes (minus the pepperjack), goat cheese, and sauce on, and then sprinkled the remainder of the pepperjack on top before you put on the second tortilla*

Do you have any pet peeves?
Sadly, too many to name. But the worst is when people smoke outside our window. Then the smoke seeps into our apartment and stinks up the whole place. Yuck!

Any other hobbies besides being an amazing cook?
Is eating a hobby? I do love to eat, more than I like to cook, actually. But I also enjoy reading, singing, acting, going for walks on the beach, swimming, photography...

What is your favorite summer activity?
Swimming. Or anything to do with the water.

Are you a morning or a night person?
I would so love to be a morning person because they seem to be much more organized, but I am definitely a night person.

Are you a go-go-go sight-seeing kind of vacationer or lie-on-the-beach-all-day kind of vacationer?
I think that I like a little bit of both. If I'm going to a foreign country, I love to see as much as possible but also spend some time on the beach, by the pool, etc. if possible.

What is your favorite store?
Cost Plus World Market. Or maybe Target. It's a toss-up.

What is your favorite beverage?
Water. But I also love Vanilla Coke every once in awhile.

If you had to go back to school, what would your major be?
Not for any sort of practical reasons, but I would love to study theater and acting (I almost minored in them!).

Melanie W.'s Cheesy Squash Pasta

Just playing a little catch-up here.

I had every intention of making this recipe the week it was posted, but for some reason I couldn't find a butternut squash in Ecuador that week.

I'm glad I tried it, because I liked it. I had never cooked with butternut squash before. The extent of my experience with it is making it for my baby. I like that it's a sneaky way to get more veggies into your diet. Like Cami mentioned, I also think it would be great with another vegetable. The only thing I would change is to add a little more pasta because I thought it was too saucy. I'll be keeping this in my recipe files!

Cheesy Squash Pasta

I thought this was okay. I ended up with really thick sauce, so I must have cooked it a little too long. I added more milk and it seemed to help, but that decreased the flavor.

I love the way it looks. The bell peppers are great. If I were to make this again I would add some zucchini. I add zucchini to everything. Salsa would be pretty tasty as well.

Cheesy Squash Pasta

(Sorry this post is late. I just got back from Utah today.)

This is my slightly modified version of a recipe from Deceptively Delicious. Not only is it a great way to sneak in some veggies for your kids, the butternut squash flavor is awesome.

2 cups Bow Tie pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

1 cup butternut squash puree*

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 ounces cream cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. pepper

*Butternut squash puree: take a whole butternut squash, slice it in half, and bake it face down on a cookie sheet (juice is going to run out, so don't use a cookie sheet without sides). Bake at 350 for an hour or until tender. Scoop out flesh from squash and place in blender. Pulverize until smooth.

-Cook the pasta according to directions.
-While the pasta is cooking, coat a large suacepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned (1 - 2 minutes).
-Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken (3 - 4 minutes). Add the vegetable puree, the chopped pepper, cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings. Stir until smooth.
-Stir in the pasta and serve warm.

Q: When did you start baking / cooking?
A: I've been baking & cooking since I was young, but my family had pretty limited variety in their meals. Plus, we always did everything the hard way--everything from scratch. Grind your own flour, make your own butter, grow your own food, milk your own milk, etc. Plus when you're cooking for 12+ people, things are never easy. Needless to say, cooking was always quite the endeavor. I didn't really enjoy it because it was such a chore. Now that I'm married and only cooking for 3, I like trying out new recipes and new foods. I pretty much don't ever use an actual cook book, just allrecipes.com. (But sometimes Deceptively Delicious, of course.)

Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: My Bosch and my garlic press. I also really like my ice cream scooper, but I don't think that counts.

Q: Do you have a favorite spice? If so, what is it?
A: Crushed red pepper. And fresh garlic.

Q: What is your favorite book?
A: Hmmm. I guess I'll say The Hobbit today.

Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
A: Right now I want to go to Greece. It looks so pretty in all the movies.

Q: If you had to change your first name right now, what would you change it to?
A: When I was young I always wanted to change it to Alyse instead of Elise, because that way people wouldn't always say "Elsie" when reading my name off something. (It made me wonder just how many people out there are dyslexic. Seriously.) Now I like Elise better because it is French, and therefore cooler :). I guess if I HAD to change, I would just change it to Lise, because that's what most my friends and all my family call me anyway.

Q: Where do you currently live?
A: Chicago

Q: Where are you from?
A: Born in Houston, then moved to Saudi Arabia for seven years, a couple short spurts in Washington and Idaho, and finally to Orem, UT.

Q: If you could eat one thing for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: Cafe Rio Chicken Salad.