Chili Rellenos Con Guacamole: A Light, Delightful Summer Meal

So Will and I are back to trying to lose weight again and are looking at meals that are reasonably healthy. I've made this particular recipe before, but decided to make a few changes in order to get a better flavor profile going.

First, roast your poblano peppers. The way to do this is simple. Turn on your broiler, arrange your peppers on a baking sheet, and roast, turning until all sides are blistered. This should only take a total of five minutes. Next, stick them in a plastic bag and leave them alone until they are cool enough to handle. Warning: they will be steamy.

While waiting for your peppers to cool, make your guacamole. Mine is a pretty simple mixture of avocados, 1 clove of garlic per three avocados, salt, pepper, and some form of acid. Normally I use lemon or lime juice, but this time I had to use white wine vinegar. Because vinegar is more acidic than citrus juice, make sure to use a light hand with it.

Once your peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off the membrane, which should be easy since you blistered it in the broiler, and remove the seeds. If you don't, you will be in for a fiery mouth. Finally, spoon some of the guacamole into each pepper and serve.

Will thought these were awesome, but might be better with Anaheim peppers because they're spicier. I personally prefer to use poblanos because they are smokier tasting when roasted. This really is a fantastic summer dish and I look forward to making this in the future.

Cherry Vanilla Almond Sorbet: Fresh Flavor, No Dairy

I had a bunch of leftover cherries and decided to make some homemade sorbet. In order to do this, I modified a recipe I had for mango sorbet.

First, pit 2 cups of cherries and freeze them until frozen solid. Meanwhile, make a vanilla simple syrup by combining 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, and half a vanilla bean. Bring this mixture to a boil on medium heat, stirring to dissolve. Once it comes up to a boil, put it on low and let it simmer until smooth, about a minute. Take it off the heat and cool it completely. Remove the vanilla bean from the syrup. For extra vanilla flavor, split the vanilla bean after removing it and scrape the seeds into the syrup.

Next, put cherries, 2 cups ice, syrup, and 1/2 cup almond liqueur in a blender. Blend this mixture until it's smooth and slushy. Pour this into Tupperware containers and freeze it until frozen solid.

Will and I both found this delicious. I was considering adding chopped almonds the next time I made it, but once I tasted it, I realized it didn't need it.

Black Rice Salad: Way Too Much Vinaigrette Used; Please Don't Make the Same Mistake I Did

I decided to make a rice salad to get back on the whole dieting thing after some craziness involving school and work. The good news is, this is my last year as an undergraduate. The bad news is, I have to struggle to get into graduate school. Wish me luck, everyone! Anyway, here's the recipe.

Cook one cup of black rice (also frequently known as Chinese forbidden rice or just forbidden rice) in one and three quarter cups boiling water for 45 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, thaw and drain frozen edamame (also known as shelled soybeans), French cut green beans, and corn.

To make the vinaigrette, combine one third of a cup of white wine vinegar, three Tablespoons grapeseed oil, and one Tablespoon agave nectar. Whisk this mixture to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the rice and vegetables together in the vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

As I said in the title, this had WAY too much vinegar. All I could taste was the acid. Will found it so vinegary that it turned his stomach and he couldn't actually stand to eat it. If I ever make this again, I will cut down the vinaigrette by at least half. Also, if you have stomach problems, make sure to cut down the vinaigrette or else your stomach will complain at you forever.

Fusilli in Sundried Tomato Sauce: Simple yet Delicious

I had a lot of sundried tomatoes, so I decided to try to find something good to use them in.

First, place three ounces of sundried tomatoes in three cups of water and let it sit at least five minutes. Once it's ready, set aside one third of the tomatoes and process the rest of the tomatoes and the water in a food processor.

Saute a diced onion until the onion is cooked through. Add one minced garlic clove and saute until they just begin to color. Add the reserved tomatoes and the processed tomatoes and simmer ten minutes. Add dried rosemary, seasoned salt, and dried oregano to taste and simmer five minutes; put on low.

Meanwhile, cook fusilli according to the package directions. Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat and toss in ten shredded fresh basil leaves. If you aren't vegan or vegetarian, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Vegan Couscous With Curried Vegetables: Easy, Quick, and Tasty

I was looking for a good meatless recipe. Little did I know, I would find a great vegan recipe that is packed with nutrition and loaded with flavor.

First, bring two cups of salted water to a boil. Stir in two cups of couscous and take the pan off the heat. Let it stand for five minutes and fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat a Tablespoon of oil and add two minced cloves of garlic and one finely chopped onion. Cook until slightly browned. Add one thinly sliced zucchini, one can of drained garbanzo beans, and one thinly sliced and quartered eggplant as well as cumin and curry powder. Add the couscous and toss it to coat. Salt it to taste with seasoned salt and remove it from the heat.

Will loved it. I was surprised just how quick it cooked up and loved just how filling it was. I will make this again because it is so cheap and easy; it's perfect for nights that we have meetings.

Potato Leek Soup: Delicious and Easy

A former friend of mine made a potato leek soup with kielbasa. I loved the concept and decided to make it meatless.

First, wash and cut up five potatoes and one leek, put it into a pan, and cover it with coconut milk and water and add seasoned salt to taste; add less than you think because it will get stronger as it simmers. Let this simmer for an hour or until the leeks are tender and clear and the potatoes practically fall apart.

This was fantastic; Will didn't use as many crackers as he normally does, which I would say is a pretty big win for me. It was more flavorful than said former friend because I added more seasoning and had a richer flavor because I let it simmer longer and added the coconut milk sooner.

Tricolor Pulao: Easy Vegan Meal

As I've said before, I'm always looking for good vegetarian or vegan options. I was looking through recipes and found this one; after a bit of tweaking, I got it to where it would be palatable for Will and me. He said it's one of his new favorites and, better yet, I should make this often because it's one of the best meals I've ever cooked.
First, lightly fry half a cup of cashews in grapeseed oil. Once they're golden brown and aromatic, remove them from your skillet or wok and set them aside. In the same pan, toast about a teaspoon and a half of cumin seeds until they spark and then add four green cardamom pods, two bay leaves and a half teaspoon of ground cloves. Once that's aromatic, add one diced onion and cook it until browned.
Next, add twelve diced baby carrots to the pan and cook for four minutes. Add a cup of basmati rice, the fried cashews, and a half cup each of frozen peas and corn; mix this until combined and the rice is a bit toasted. Add two cups of water, two teaspoons of ground cumin, and salt to taste. Let this simmer until the rice is cooked through, take it off the heat, and let it sit ten minutes before serving.
As I mentioned, Will and I loved it. I also made a discovery about myself when I made this: I don't like cashews raw, but I love them fried. I accidentally bought too many, so I'm thinking of frying what's left and using them as a snack or a component of a snack mix. This is another dish where I generally always have the ingredients, so I will be making this again.

Mushroom Rollatini: Easy and Tasty

I can never find cannelloni tubes, so I use the recipes to make rollatini using lasagne noodles. This time I ended up making my own red sauce, and it worked out pretty well. This recipe does contain bread crumbs, but you could always try making it gluten free by using rice or rice flour.
First, make a variation on duxelles by combining finely chopped crimini mushrooms with a finely chopped onion and adding thyme and a quarter cup of dry white wine. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer ten minutes. Mix in the breadcrumbs until just combined and it binds the duxelles together. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
Make the sauce by combining three quarters of a cup of dry white wine, a can of whole tomatoes with basil, a small can of tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for ten minutes.
To assemble them, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Take a cooked lasagne noodle and scoop some of the mushroom mixture into it and roll it up. Repeat with the remaining noodles, top with the remaining sauce and bake in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. Serve piping hot.
Will loved this recipe. I can see this becoming a winter staple. If you want some added flavor, add some Parmesan or Romano cheese to the top.

Aloo Gobi: A Mistake Worked Out Okay

I decided to make aloo Gobi this week. Unfortunately, the culinary gods didn't seem to want to cooperate. My cauliflower wound up freezing and my turmeric mysteriously disappeared. Despite these setbacks, the dish came out quite successful.
Prepare the aloo Gobi like in my previous post, except omit the turmeric and you basically have what I made. The cauliflower greens were too badly damaged from the freeze to do anything but throw away, but that's not much of a loss because Will doesn't like cauliflower greens anyway.
Will and I both enjoyed it. While the dish was more of a russet than the golden yellow that aloo Gobi usually is, the loss of turmeric didn't take away from the flavor. Needless to say, though, turmeric is on my shopping list for the next time I go out.

Stuffed Acorn Squash: Quick, Easy, and Autumnal

One of my favorite parts about autumn and winter are all the wonderful varieties of squash that come out. Last year, I experimented with butternut squash, so this year, I thought I'd try my hand with acorn squash. I was surprised at just how quick it was to prepare this meal.
First, cut two acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and stringy bits; make sure to use a sharp French or chef knife otherwise you risk cutting yourself. Put them on a baking sheet, cut side down, and cover the sheet with about a half inch of water. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the squash is just tender. Meanwhile, make your stuffing by combining two chopped apples, a quarter cup of chopped pecans, and two Tablespoons of lime juice. Once your squash is done, turn them over so they're cut side up, sprinkle them with salt, and fill them with the stuffing; sprinkle the top with brown sugar. Return to the oven and cook for another ten minutes or until the stuffing is nice and hot.
Will and I both enjoyed it, but because I accidentally used seasoned salt instead of plain iodized salt, it was a bit bland. I will have to experiment further to make this dish the tastiest it can be.

Chile Rellenos Con Guacamole: Easy and Tasty

This recipe marked a few firsts for me. It was my first time roasting and peeling chilies and also my first time making rellenos that weren't baked. All in all, this was a good experience and proof positive that homemade doesn't have to be back breaking labor; it can be pretty easy.
First, roast and peel four Anaheim chilies. This is as simple as heating your broiler, putting your chilies on a baking sheet, and leaving them under the broiler until the skins are blistered. Then stick them in a plastic bag and let them steam for fifteen minutes. Finally take them out and peel them. Once all of them are peeled, cut as small a slit as you can, leaving the stem on, and remove all the seeds. Stick them in a bowl of salted water and let them sit for half an hour.
Meanwhile, make your vinaigrette by combining four Tablespoons oil, two Tablespoons white vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley; mix well. Make your guacamole by slicing two or three peeled avocados, mashing them with a fork, and adding fresh diced tomatoes, cumin, lime or lemon juice, and salt to taste. Usually when I make guacamole I use lemon juice, but since I have a lime tree with fresh limes less than fifty feet from my back door, I used limes.
By this time your chilies should be ready. Drain them, rinse them, and drain them again. Stick two chilies on each plate, fill them with the guacamole, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Will immediately smelled the vinaigrette, but said that the one bite he did try was not vinegary thanks to the guacamole. Sadly, his stomach was rather bilious from eating leftover curry so he decided not to chance it. I loved it, but forgot that the chilies I purchased were from Hatch, New Mexico. For the record, mild chilies from New Mexico are about the same as medium chilies from California. I am so glad my local supermarket had them due to the Hatch chili festival being this weekend, and that I didn't buy the hot ones!

Minestrone: Not Exactly Quick, But Easy and Tasty

I decided to make my own vegetable stock, since I had a great deal of mire poix vegetables left over from making chicken stock. As a result, I thought making a nice minestrone would allow us to get in more vegetables and make use of some of the stock I prepared.
First, making stock is pretty simple; just use more vegetables than you did when you made chicken stock and don't use any meat. Once your stock is a pretty golden color, you can add your vegetables. The sky is the limit with adding vegetables, herbs, and spices; I personally added canned roasted and diced tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Once the vegetables are tender, serve piping hot with bread and butter.
Will and I both liked it, but Will did have one complaint to make with this; I forgot that many minestrone recipes include either pasta or beans.

Tofu and Green Bean Curry: Easy and Really Good

Will and I ate at restaurants most of the weekend, so I figured we needed to eat something vegan and cook the mushrooms I got for this recipe. While Will probably disagrees with me, I don't like the taste of reheated tofu, so make sure someone in the house does or else make sure you eat it all.
First, add about a third of a can of coconut milk and heat until you notice an oily sheen on the surface. Then add two Tablespoons of red curry paste, three Tablespoons fish sauce, and two teaspoons of palm sugar or light brown sugar and mix well. Then add 8 ounces of whole button mushrooms and coat them with the sauce. Add the remainder of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Stir in tofu and fresh or frozen green beans and cook for six to eight more minutes or until heated through. Add sliced fresh red peppers and serve. I used Thai hot peppers or, as my family calls them, boonie peppers, but you could add red jalapenos to it no problem.
Will was not too happy about the boonie peppers in the curry, but it was a good thing that I made a raita with yogurt, a lemon cucumber hybrid, and fresh tomato to go with it. I also served it with a saffron rice. All it takes to make that is to add a pinch of saffron to your boiling water when you make rice, and the result is a fragrant yellow rice.

Beans: Not As Difficult As You Think

I finally remembered to soak my beans and cooked them. This is one of the first times I've made them, and I have to say they didn't turn out half bad.
First, rinse, soak, and make sure you don't have any stones in among your beans. Next, just barely cover them with water, add a diced onion, some garlic powder, and some ground thyme; boil this mixture for three hours, stirring occasionally while also making sure the beans remain covered with water, until the beans are tender. If you want to add meat to your beans, add a couple ham hocks or, better yet, a smoked turkey leg, when you add the onion and spices to the beans. This time, I made it completely vegetarian, but to each his own.
This made a great accompaniment to leftover chilaquiles, and I plan on freezing the leftovers to use in soups, stews, and sides. All in all, it was a good experience.

Taco Salad: Experimented With Some Success

We haven't had taco salad in a couple months, so I decided to make it. This time, I added a few extra bits to try and make it a bit more special. Parts of it worked, while I would change a few things the next time I make this. I know most people will tell you that taco salad is the worst thing to order on the menu at a Mexican restaurant, but just bear with me and you'll see that in this case, homemade is the better route in this case.
First of all, ditch the chalupa (this is the fried tortilla bowl most taco salads come in; it's deep fried, which means excess fat that will kill a diet in its tracks if you're not careful). Your waistline will thank you. Second, most restaurants use iceberg lettuce in their taco salads. Not only is it very low in fiber, the only nutritional value that you can derive from it is water, so you're much better off going with a dark, leafy green like Romaine lettuce. Finally, use a lot of vegetables. Tomatoes are pretty standard, as are avocados, and some members of my family will even use canned peas.
One of the two biggest changes I made in comparison to last time was I added canned jalapeno slices to my ground beef this time. It added a nice zing to the meat; the problem was it was too spicy for my liking, which is a rarity. The other big change was we made our own refried beans, which is to say, we pureed some canned pinto beans and fried them in grapeseed oil with spices and cheese. There were a couple smaller changes, like the fact that I added cotija cheese to the cheese mix and used low fat Greek yogurt as a topping on the salad itself to help cut the heat.
Will and I both agreed that the beans were great, but the beef needed fewer jalapenos. Now I know for future reference and am glad I took the risk and tried something new.

Garbanzo Curry With Minted Rice: Really Good and Pretty Easy

I've made the minted rice before, but I've never made the garbanzo curry that usually goes with it. Now I know this is an amazing vegan meal if you don't serve it with the cucumber salad I used as a side.
First, prepare the salad. Cut up your cucumbers, add your tomatoes and jalapeno, and mix in yogurt and salt and pepper to taste. Stick this in the refrigerator while you cook the curry and rice.
You're going to want to start on the rice because that will take the longest. First, toast a cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and cloves in oil or clarified butter until aromatic. Then add one cup of rice and toast it without burning it. The toasting for the spices and rice lends a richer flavor to the spices and adds a unique texture to the rice. Then add some fresh chopped mint and one and three quarter cups water. Bring this to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer. Meanwhile, cook one chopped onion in oil or clarified butter with a cinnamon stick until the onion is tender. Add a small amount of garlic, ginger, and curry powder. I toast and grind my own. The next time I make korma, I will have to grind some more and will gladly share the recipe. Cook this mixture a minute longer and add your drained can of garbanzo beans, tomato sauce, and a cup of water. Let this simmer to thicken. By the time it thickens, your rice should be ready. Fluff it and serve everything.
I've made the cucumber salad before, and it's always a hit. The rice was much better using fresh mint rather than dried, and the curry was awesome. This recipe is a definite keeper.

Avocado Wraps: Fresh and Simple

I've had a massive ear infection that has resulted in severe sinus issues and thus the inability to cook or eat. Luckily, I'm on antibiotics, so I'm starting to feel much better; my temperature has stopped fluctuating erratically and I can hear out of both ears again. I'm still running an above average temperature, though, so using heat is the last thing I wish to do. I had avocado wraps on the menu, so this caveat wasn't exactly difficult to take care of.
All you do is warm up some tortillas; I used plain flour, but if you want to up the flavor and fiber by using multigrain tortillas, go ahead. You want the tortillas flexible, not hot, so don't worry if they didn't get very hot. Put some slices of avocado in the middle, followed by slices of cucumber (I used hot house because they are smaller so they require less cutting and I prefer the flavor they have to your standard English), halved grape tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Wrap all this up and you have a delicious dinner. If you want to use something to help keep your filling attached, use a bit of mayonnaise or mustard, and for a bit of zing, add some Tobasco sauce.
Will and I found this a nice way to take a break, especially since it was so hot out yesterday. Will's was vegan because he doesn't like mayonnaise and didn't use any Tobasco sauce where mine wasn't because I used mayonnaise and Tobasco (they use chicken stock to make it).

Vegan Three Sisters Soup: This Defrosted Failure Got a Revamp

I made this soup last year and froze it despite its being an utter failure with the intent of coming back to it and making it palatable. I didn't think it was salvageable, but it came out very good.
First, if you're going to use dried beans not canned beans, soak them overnight, drain them, and go through them to make sure you don't have any unwanted surprises in the beans. You only need about two cups, so it shouldn't be a huge deal. Next, cut up two carrots and a butternut squash; set aside. Boil your beans in vegetable stock for two or three hours, add some frozen or canned corn, and your butternut squash. Simmer this for thirty-five minutes or until the squash is barely tender. Add your carrot, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer until the carrot and squash are tender. Needless to say, this recipe was pretty bland. What I did to change it was added more salt, since I didn't add enough, added Italian seasoning, and added some Tobasco to it. One thing for the vegans in the audience, read the ingredient labels. Some hot sauces add chicken stock, and that kind of ruins the point of making a vegan soup.
Will and I really liked it. The squash fell apart and incorporated into the broth, which gave a velvety texture that was missing in the soup before. The Tobasco gave a nice zip that was absent and lifted the flavor of the soup drastically.

Fusilli with Zucchini: Delicious and Quick

I've made this once before and, since we bought two zucchini at the grocery store when we needed just one, I thought of making this recipe. I was not disappointed; in fact I think it turned out better than the last time I made it.
First, heat some olive oil on medium low and add a thinly sliced onion; cook until the onion is golden brown. Add two diced garlic cloves, and rosemary and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add 1 julienned zucchini and cook until crisp-tender; season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook your fusilli according to the package directions, drain, add some additional olive oil, and mix the zucchini mixture into the fusilli. If you feel that it needs Parmesan, feel free to add it.
As soon as Will walked in the house he said it smelled good. In fact, it made him so hungry that he had to go into our cupboard and get a small morsel to tide him over. We both loved it; Will must have gone up for three helpings.

Farfalle with Eggplant: Great and Summery

Will loves eggplant, so in the spring and summer, I try to cook as much of it as I can. I wasn't so sure of this particular recipe, but it turned out wonderful.
First, you take one eggplant and dice it up. Stick it in a strainer, salt it, and let it sit at least 30 minutes. Then, in a small saucepan, heat some olive oil and add some diced shallots and garlic; saute until they're just starting to brown, then add canned diced tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper; cover and simmer it for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat it dry with paper towels and stick it in a skillet with olive oil and brown it. If you don't have a skillet large enough to do all of it at once, just do it in batches and keep the eggplant warm. Cook your farfalle according to the package directions, drain it, and stick it into a bowl. Pour the sauce over the top and toss it to coat, then add the eggplant on top.
By now you may have a couple of questions. First, the reason I use canned tomatoes is because I only use canned tomatoes when making sauces; only if I am serving something with fresh tomatoes will you find fresh in my house. The reason I do this is because canned tomatoes have a lot of lycopene in them; the more processed the more lycopene. Lycopene, as many of you will know, is thought to aid in the prevention of prostate cancer. As I don't know much about Will's family history, I make sure to use a lot of processed tomatoes. One thing to remember when using canned tomatoes is, never use dented cans. That can be evidence of botulism, and nobody wants that. Second, the reason to put a lid when cooking any sort of tomato sauce is, because of tomatoes' viscosity, it tends to require more force for air to be released when boiling, so it spatters all over your stove. Believe me when I say that tomato stains are the hardest stains to get out of just about everything, from counters to clothing. The reason you salt eggplant is, eggplant can get bitter if you're going to brown it, so it needs a heavy dose of salt to help counteract that.
Will and I loved this dish. It was so good that Will actually took four helpings of it.