Health for life

We’re hungry. There’s nothing to eat. What are we gonna do?

Five of us are upstate at a friend’s country house. One of us is a gluten-free vegetarian, and another is off sugar. I like to eat whole grains and real food, but I’m not a total snob. Oh, and the other people would be happy with a grilled American cheese on white bread with a donut for dessert.

We blew a bunch of money on lift tickets. We want to save money.

I go to the cupboard and I find a bag of brown rice; it’s almost empty. So, I dig further and find some lentils, some dried split peas, and some millet. Some taco shells. I find a can of black beans, another can of ried beans, a tiny can of tomato paste. I know we have some onions and garlic. In the freezer there’s a bag of frozen carrots. Rummaging through the fridge, I turn up some slightly withered hot peppers and some cheddar cheese.

I’m in business. It’s gonna be chili & rice.

I sauté half a sliced onion in some olive oil and add half a bouillon cube. (I use Rapunzel, it’s vegan. At some point I recommended it to my friends and thankfully, they have some on hand.) I put in the brown rice and some salt while I have the teakettle on to heat up some water. When the onions are soft and the rice gets kind of opaque I toss in the lentils, split peas, and the millet, and then the hot water. Plumes of steam hiss up and I slam a lid on it, dropping it down to a low simmer temp.

I get some help to slice the onions and hot peppers (which leads to an alarming contact lens situation later) and toss them into a pot with olive oil. I rinse off the black beans in a colander. We’re in company; it’s essential to not make the country cabin into a gas factory. I’ve been told it helps if you rinse off the beans. I find chili powder and cayenne in the cabinet. (I wish they had caraway seeds, it’s a great anti-gas agent!)

Once the onions and peppers are soft I toss in some crushed, coarse-chopped garlic. Following quickly are the beans, the tomato paste, some water, some chili powder, salt, and for the sneaky warmth of it, a cinnamon stick. Cover and simmer. You know what? Some ried beans go in. Not the whole can, I took a quick survey and everybody wants some ried beans just as they come, warmed up. That and the carrots, I’m gonna keep simple. They go into their respective pots for a warmup. I toast the taco shells in the oven a little bit so they are warm and won’t break apart.

At the end we have a ton of food. It’s pretty low rent but with grated cheddar melting on vegetarian chili, girl, we sure did like it. Also, since the food was already paid for, we have more money for snowboarding.

The chili took about 20 minutes. If you want this whole recipe to take 20 minutes, make quinoa instead of the brown rice.

The brown rice took about 45 minutes; that’s a pretty long wait but it’d still take longer to go to town, sit in a restaurant, look at menus, decide and then wait for the food. I bet.

On the Fly Vegetarian Chili
Serves 4 or 5


Chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small hot red peppers, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 14.5-ounce can ried beans (vegetarian, if possible)
1 14.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can tomato paste
A little water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chili powder to your liking
1 cinnamon stick (or a little ground cinnamon)

Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bouillon cube (Rapunzel if you can)
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/8 cup lentils, uncooked
1/8 cup millet, uncooked
1/8 cup green split peas, uncooked
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Jack, cheddar, or Colby cheese, grated (optional)
Taco shells (optional)

See above for preparation directions. You should have just enough chili to feed everyone. There will probably be leftovers of the rice mixture.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
4 servings: 433 calories, 13 g fat, 16.8 g fiber, $1.95
5 servings: 346 calories, 10.4 g fat, 13.5 g fiber, $1.56
For 1 taco shell add: 62 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g fiber, $0.21
For 1 ounce grated 2% cheese, add: 90 calories, 9 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.25

Calculations
1 1/2 medium onion, chopped: 69 calories, 0.2 g fat, 2.3 g fiber, $0.93
2 small hot red peppers (hot): 36 calories, 0.4 g fat, 1.4 g fiber, $0.75
2 or 3 cloves garlic, chopped: 10 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.10
3 tablespoons olive oil: 358 calories, 40.5 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.56
1/3 can ried beans: 79 calories, 1.1 g fat, 4.4 g fiber, $1.29
1 14.5-ounce can black beans: 382 calories, 1.3 g fat, 29 g fiber, $1.29
1 small can tomato paste: 131 calories, 0.2 g fat, 7.2 g fiber, $0.89
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked: 342 calories, 2.7 g fat, 3.2 g fiber, $0.54
1/8 cup lentils, uncooked: 85 calories, 0.3 g fat, 7.3 g fiber, $0.12
1/8 cup millet, uncooked: 95 calories, 1.1 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.35
1/8 cup green split peas, uncooked: 85 calories, 0.3 g fat, 6.5 g fiber, $0.25
1/2 bouillon cube (Rapunzel brand): 25 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.19
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder: 35 calories, 1.9 g fat, 3.8 g fiber, $0.20
1 cinnamon stick: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.33
TOTALS: 1732 calories, 52 g fat, 67.3 g fiber, $7.81
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 433 calories, 13 g fat, 16.8 g fiber, $1.95
PER SERVING (TOTAL/5): 346 calories, 10.4 g fat, 13.5 g fiber, $1.56

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I camped. A lot. I was a Girl Scout, see. And when I wasn’t pushing Thin Mints on the unsuspecting elderly, I was deep in the woods, playing Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board and doing everything I could to avoid roaming packs of Daddy Longlegs.

I was also eating, as freakishly tall 13-year-olds are wont to do. Back then, my troop’s campsite meals were limited to sandwiches and granola bars, along with the occasional S’more-a-thon.

However, as we got older, we also got smarter, and began booking a large cabin with a fully functioning kitchen. (Note: I grew up on Long Island. This still counted as roughing it.) Spaghetti dinners became much more common than burgers and dogs. As approximately 400% of Long Islanders are at least part Italian, this was greatly appreciated.

Honestly (and I’m positive my leader will know for sure), I don’t remember ever cooking anything in a tin foil pouch, over a campfire or otherwise. I wish we had, though, because this Southwestern Chicken from About.com would have been great. With only four major ingredients, it’s stupefying in its simplicity, but rewarding in its … uh … tasteicity.

Baked in the oven at a high temperature, the salsa steams the chicken, keeping it pleasingly moist without overcooking. It flavors the dish, too, meaning the higher the salsa quality, the better the meal. While you could definitely serve Southwestern Chicken with rice or a salad, the corn and beans make it a fairly complete dinner. I give it a foil-packed thumbs up.

Readers, do you have any favorite foily meals? I have Reynolds wrap, and I’m not afraid to use it. There’s a nation of eager Girl Scouts out there waiting for your suggestions. (And for you to shoo the spiders away. *shudder*)

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Black Bean Salad with Fresh Corn
• Stuffed Peppers With Black Beans and Corn
• Vegetarian Bean Chili

~~~

Southwestern Chicken
Serves 2
Adapted from About.com.


2 12x18-inch rectangles aluminum foil
2 5-ounce pieces boneless skinless chicken breast (or, 1 10-ounce breast cut in half)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup chunky salsa, medium heat

1) Preheat oven to 450°F.

2) Generously salt and pepper both sides of each chicken breast. Place each smack in the middle of its own sheet of tin foil. Top each with 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup corn, and 1/4 cup salsa.

3) Seal the packets. Bring the long ends together and double fold them. Then double fold sides. Don’t make them too snug – make sure you leave some space in there for steaming.

4) Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven and give the foil a minute or two to cool. Release your chicken and serve over rice.

NOTE: Thinner cuts of meat will cook for less time. Mine was about 1-inch at its thickest part.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
269 calories, 2.4 g fat, 6 g fiber, $0.98

Calculations
2 5-ounce pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts: 312 calories, 3.4 g fat, 0 g fiber, $1.06
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber per serving, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber per serving, $0.01
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed: 114 calories, 0.4 g fat, 7.5 g fiber, $0.19
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed: 76 calories, 0.6 g fat, 2.3 g fiber, $0.20
1/2 cup chunky salsa, medium heat: 35 calories, 0.3 g fat, 2.1 g fiber, $0.50
TOTALS: 537 calories, 4.7 g fat, 11.9 g fiber, $1.97
PER SERVING (TOTALS/2): 269 calories, 2.4 g fat, 6 g fiber, $0.98

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG archives. This one comes from June 2009.

Though it might seem intuitive, determining a recipe’s cost and nutritional value can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly. Ingredient prices can add up before you know it, and a combination of fats, meats, and cheeses will take a toll on your calorie count without even registering on your radar. And sometimes, even the most harmless-looking dishes, like All Recipes’ Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta, can run you $2 and 42 grams of fat per serving.

So, how can you tell if a dish is good for you, just by looking at it? How can you avoid the pitfalls of secretly fatty and financially unsound food? How can you err on the side of caution when it comes to cooking?

Look no further, sweet readers. We’ve got you covered. If your recipe source doesn’t give a nutritional breakdown and you’re unsure of the potential cost, these tips will help you decide whether the money/waistline expenditures are worth the trouble. If you have any suggestions, be sure to include them in the comment section.

DO choose your source wisely. Man, I love Paula Deen. Her food looks stupendous and she’s endlessly entertaining – like Yo Gabba Gabba if it was a charmingly cackley southern woman. That said, her concoctions might not be the best choice for those concerned about weight. If you know you’re looking for healthier recipes, sources like Everyday Food, Cooking Light, and Eating Well will generally be more helpful than the Neelys or the Two Fat Ladies. Likewise, reproducing a dish from Grant Achatz’s Alinea cookbook will probably run you a pretty penny compared to the average Cook’s Illustrated meal. Starting your search with a website, cookbook, or blog aimed at your requirements is half the battle.

DO check the number of servings. Once you have a recipe in mind, before you do anything else, check how many people it’s supposed to sate. Fourteen ounces of flank steak does little damage split among eight eaters, but can destroy diets if it’s meant only for two.

DO read the ingredient list caully. After the serving size, the ingredients are the most important determinant of the cost and nutritional value of a recipe. Scan the rundown, look for a few keywords (many of which are listed below), and be extra aware of extravagant or difficult-to-find foods for your area, which will drive up the price.

DO consider recipes with one or two out-of-the-box ingredients. In small doses, odds are it/they won’t break the bank, and you can incorporate new flavors into your repertoire. Lemongrass? Meyer lemons? Lemon basil? Sure, why not?

DON’T dismiss a long list of ingredients outright. Lighter foods like Bon Appetit’s Turkey Chili with Beans frequently require multiple, inexpensive spices and flavorings to make up for the absence of fat. While their sheer number can seem pretty intimidating, don’t fret. Oftentimes, these foods can be found right in your pantry for minimal cost.

DO count the number of ingredients already in-house. Speaking about that pantry, recipes based on dry goods will usually be cheaper than ones requiring a trip to the supermarket. Look for meals that use rice, beans, pasta, and other staples as jump off points, and go from there.

DO opt for whole food ingredients. If it can be found in the outer aisles of your supermarket, it’s probably a good start to a meal. Fresh fruits, veggies, and lean meats give recipes more bang for the buck, and almost guarantee a healthier overall experience. Fewer preservatives and extra-excellent flavor are just bonuses.

DON’T choose recipes made from processed food. The less ingredients are handled by humans, the better. Why? Well, in general, heavily processed and pre-cut edibles are more expensive and worse for you than the aforementioned whole foods. Semi Homemade-style meals may be convenient, but when you’re sacrificing money, nutrition, and taste, is it worth it?

DO watch out for lots of meat and cheese. In moderation, neither of these is anything to fear. But prices and calories rise when a meal centers on multiple cups of frommage or large cuts of beef or pork. Instead, search for recipes where meat and cheese are add-ons instead of the main event. You’ll save all around.

DO calculate about 12 or 13 grams of fat per tablespoon of butter or oil. When doing a cursory scan of any recipe, I take extra care to check the total cooking fat. If there’s a lot, but it can be easily reduced (like in sautés), I keep going. If there’s a lot, but the amount is set in stone (as in some baking), I move along to the next dish.

DON’T rule out all fatty ingredients. Nuts, olives, avocados and certain oils aren’t low-fat foods, but they’re healthy ones because of the vitamins and minerals they offer. Relatively inexpensive and often pivotal to a dish’s overall flavor, they should be incorporated into any diet in moderation.

DO look for words like: baked, roasted, steamed, grilled, or sautéed. These cooking techniques tend to use less fat than others while still producing flavorful foods. Steaming and boiling are good keywords as well.

DON’T choose recipes with the words: fried, au gratin, cream sauce, bisque, bacon-wrapped, or lard. Each of these terms implies one thing: fat. If you’re serious about watching your weight, there are lighter recipes for certain dishes (Spaghetti Carbonara, etc.), but straight-up lobster bisque will do a number on your numbers.

Confusing? Maybe. Do-able? Definitely. With some practice, these rules will get easier to use. And in the end, you’ll have no problem telling the difference between the recipe you really want and the recipe you thought you wanted.

Readers, fire away in the comment section.

~~~

If you liked this article, you might also dig:

• How to Tell if a Recipe is Worth Cooking With Five Easy Questions at Casual Kitchen
• Frugal Food Hacks: 10 Tricks to Simplifying Online Recipe Searches
• The Dos and Don’ts of Buying a Cookbook

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

In healthy, vegetarian cooking—in any cooking really—there is a shade of difference between bland and subtle. Conventional wisdom holds that if food is good for you it has to taste like a craft project. Well, I like to keep my craft projects and cooking projects separate, unless Amy Sedaris issues a challenge.

That is why I am known to tweak all recipes, especially vegetarian ones, written before 2005. Vegetarian recipes are notoriously bland. I mean, y’all know. We’ve all tried to cook quinoa with spinach, mushrooms, and tofu for unsuspecting carnis, only to have it backfire on occasion.

So this week I was trying to get whittle down the abundance of kasha in my pantry. Kasha, in the U.S. anyway, is buckwheat. In my old Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook, I found what I thought was the perfect recipe to start with: Kasha with Potatoes and Dill.

It uses the classic Eastern European flavors of onion and dill, which are a bit out of my usual comfort zone, i.e., no garlic, parsley, or cilantro, and it will challenge me to follow a recipe. When working with new flavors, I don’t experiment much.

Well. It turned out to be that textbook hippie food that turns people off of healthy cooking: bland, mushy, with the distinct flavor of Aleene’s Tacky Glue. My Charming Dinner Guest was so polite, adding extra salt and telling me that “No, really, it’s good.” But I knew.

And I was determined to make it good.

Back to the recipe, I was ready to up all the seasonings and adjust the kasha:veg ratio by adding a turnip. I did those things, but I also realized something very important. I screwed it up the first time.

Going through the instructions again, I discovered that I had cooked the kasha way too long the first time. I got paste because I overcooked the grain. The recipe was still light on the onion and dill, but my error took away the subtle, nutty flavor of the kasha, which absolutely makes the dish.

The second go-round was delicious—light and fluffy, with a hint of sweetness from the onion and a counterbalance of tang from the dill. This dish makes a lovely alternative to a potato side, and packs in way more nutrition with the high-fiber kasha giving it a boost.

That is not the first time my hubris in the kitchen has resulted in a grain FAIL. But it’s cool. These little experiments are how I learn. But next time, I won’t jump to blame the recipe before I check my work.

Now my pantry is nearly kasha-free, and my fridge is well full. My menu is set for the week.

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might enjoy

• Quinoa, Mushrooms, and Mustard Greens
• Beets and Greens Curry
• Miso Mashed Potatoes

~~~

Kasha with Root Vegetables and Dill
Adapted from Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook.
Serves 6


1 medium potato (about 8 oz), chopped (peeled, optional)
1 medium turnip (about 8 oz), peeled and chopped
water to cover

1 cup kasha
2 cups water
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 large onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
1/4–1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tsp salt

1) In a small saucepan, cover chopped potatoes and turnips with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a rolling simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set root vegetables aside.

2) In a skillet, toast kasha over medium high heat for 7–10 minutes or until you smell the roasted grain fragrance. Stir and toss regularly. Set aside kasha.

3) Bring the 2 cups of water and 1 tsp of salt to boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the kasha, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

4) While your kasha is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet and add the onion. Cook until onion is soft, about 7–10 minutes. Add water as necessary if the onion starts to stick.

5) Once all your components are ready, combine in the skillet over medium heat. Add to the onion the kasha, root vegetables, dill, and salt to taste. Toss to combine.

6) Serve as a side with a hearty entrée and vegetables. This goes great as a potato alternative with Bean Burgers and a vegetable.

7) Marvel at the subtle flavors and your finely tuned palate.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
158 calories, 1.6g fat, 6g fiber, $.44

Calculations
1 medium potato: 164 calories, .15g fat, 5g fiber, $.15
1 medium turnip: 39 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, $0.37
1 cup kasha: 567 calories, 4g fat, 17g fiber, $.83
1 1/2 large onion: 136.5 calories, .5g fat, 75g fiber, $1.00
1 tsp olive oil: 40 calories, 4.7g fat, 0g fiber, $.03
1/2 cup fresh dill: 2 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.25
2 tsp salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and price per serving
Totals: 948.5 calories, 9.35g fat, 24.5g fiber, $2.63
Per serving (totals/6): 158 calories, 1.6g fat, 6g fiber, $.44

Last week, we asked readers what traditional Super Bowl recipe you would most like to see lightened up. There were a bunch of wonderful suggestions, but I was most intrigued by the Potato Skin challenge. Because I love them very, very hard.

Historically (historically?) mid-scale dining joints like TGIFriday’s and Charley O’s have served potato skins packed with cheese, bacon, and sour cream. While undeniably delicious, they’re not the most nutritious foods in the world, and a plateful can surpass your entire caloric intake for the day. Could we create a lighter version, but still maintain the rich flavor? ‘Twas a challenge.

I began with research. And as it turns out, most loaded potato skins are fried. By baking them, I could chop a ton of fat without compromising too much taste. Epicurious, All Recipes, and Simply Recipes each had recipes for baked skins, and by taking elements from all three, I had an excellent base. All Recipes suggested coating the skins with spices, too, which added flavor without fat. Sweet.

Next up was the skin size. How could I make the skins appear substantial, without being overwhelmingly huge? The solution: cut large russet potatoes into thirds instead of halves or quarters. That way, they weren’t too big, weren’t too small. It looked like I would be serving a lot of food, and the skins didn’t dwarf the fillings.

About that filling. Cheese wasn’t an issue: 2% shredded cheddar is the frommage of champions. Bacon-wise, I stuck with the real thing, as turkey bacon seemed like cheating here. I skipped the sour cream (not a fan), but a topping of scallions provided a sharp, fresh finish. Voila. The skins were good to go.

And? Victory! The results were crisp, flavorful, and felt like an indulgence. The Husband-Elect and our friend J. loved ‘em, and H-E even requested I make them again. Whats more, he made that request in the middle of Losts season premiere. This meant he liked them so much, he stopped thinking about the Smoke Monster for a while. Whoa.

So, here’s the recipe. Just to clarify: this is not a healthy dish. Much like our Macaroni and Cheese, it’s a somewhat lighter version of a pretty unhealthy one. In that sense, we’re all winners here.

Happy Super Bowling, folks.

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also dig:

• Chili-spiced Potatoes
• Dijon Roasted Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

~~~

Baked Loaded Potato Skins
Makes 9 skins.
Inspired by Epicurious, All Recipes, and Simply Recipes.


3 large russet potatoes (about 11 ounces each), washed, scrubbed, and dried
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A few shakes paprika
A few shakes garlic powder
A few shakes Kosher salt
A few shakes freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup 2% cheddar, Colby, or Jack cheese, shredded
3 slices bacon
A few scallions
Low-fat or fat-free sour cream (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Pierce potatoes a few times with a fork. Place 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a small bowl. Brush potatoes with the oil. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until they can be pierced with a knife with no resistance. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

3) Turn oven up to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

4) In a small bowl, whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside. (Now would be a good time to slice the scallions, too, if you haven’t done it already.)

5) When potatoes are cool enough to handle, caully cut each one lengthwise into thirds. The cuts will look like this (along the pink lines):

Using a teaspoon, gently scoop out the potato flesh, leaving a 1/4-to-1/2 inch shell for each skin. As you’re finished with each one, place it on the baking sheet. Save all the leftover scooped-out potato flesh (I had exactly 1 lb.) for another purpose.

6) Brush both sides of each skin with the vegetable oil mixture. Bake skin side down for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven. Using tongs, flip skins over. Bake for another 7 to 9 minutes.

7) While skins are baking, cook bacon in a pan on the stove top. Drain on a paper towel. Crumble or cut up into little pieces using kitchen shears. Set aside.

8) Remove skins from oven. Distribute cheese evenly among the skins (about 1 scant tablespoon per skin). Sprinkle evenly with bacon crumbles. Bake for another 2 minutes, or just long enough for the cheese to melt.

9) Remove to a plate. Add a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with sour cream, if you like. Dance!

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
113 calories, 5.5 g fat, 1.3 g fiber, $0.40
(Compare to 1 O’Charleys skin: 188 calories, 13.3 g fat, 1 g fiber)

Calculations
Skins from 3 large russet potatoes (about 17 ounces after carving): 467 calories, 0.5, 11.1 g fiber, $2.04
1 teaspoon vegetable oil: 44 calories, 5 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.02
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil: 185 calories, 21 g fat, 0 g fiber: $0.06
A few shakes paprika: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
A few shakes garlic powder: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.02
A few shakes Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
A few shakes freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
1/2 cup 2% cheddar, Colby, or Jack cheese, shredded: 180 calories, 12 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.62
3 slices bacon: 138 calories, 10.7 g fat, 0 g fiber: $0.60
A few scallions: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, $0.22
TOTAL: 1019 calories, 49.2 g fat, 11.5 g fiber, $3.62
PER SERVING (TOTAL/9): 113 calories, 5.5 g fat, 1.3 g fat, $0.40

Mint green-tea is famous among North African countries where it has a longstanding history; this traditional beverage is normally consumed all the day long, by all people regardless of their social status. Whether they are members of the royal family or just ordinary commoners, Moroccans’ love towards this reshing and unifying beverage is unshakable.

Mint green-tea is an ordinary green tea prepared along with fresh spearmint and some sugar. What makes this beverage so exceptional is that it comprises synergetically two fabulous herbs: green tea (Camellia sinensis) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). Both of them have a howling array of beneficial properties
With about 2,500 studies in its capital, green tea is surely the most studied food-beverage so far. No other food can even come close to its firm standing in the face of a myriad of skeptical studies. I don’t think if there is anybody who still needs further proof to embrace this new green tea-mania.
Nevertheless, some people may still ignore the full range of green tea’s health benefits. Some of them have already been known for centuries by religious monks and healers while others have juts been discovered lately by up-to-date science.
Green tea has been scientifically credited to cure a lot of illness, such as reducing high blood pressure, preventing and treating diabetics, lung protection for smokers, preventing and treating cancers, rejuvenating body from heart strokes, clearing obstructed arteries, boosting immunity, losing weight and preventing tooth decay.
Besides its pleasant aroma and freshness, Mentha spicata can add more healthy proprieties to your cup of tea. Spearmint is an excellent antioxidant. It has also some unique anti-androgenic properties suitable to treat hirsutism in women. Spearmint is used to treat gastrointestinal ailments, as well as gas and fungal infections.
1.Wash your fresh spearmint
2.Put about 2 whole stems in a glass.
3.Put your tea bag and some sugar.
4.Pour hot water and wait 5 minutes.
5.Enjoy it.
PS: this is the most basic method, and the best-known, normally some people would add some absinthe.

Moroccans do not add peppermint; they use a local cultivar closely related to spearmint but has a more pungent aroma. In other words, classical Moroccan green tea contains spearmint and sometimes they add another kind of local "peppermint" which is related to spearmint with some sort of peppermint aroma. But they never add the "western" well-known peppermint.
_http://only-healthy-ideas.blogspot.com/2011/07/mint-green-tea-is-famous-among-north.html

Green Kitchen is a bi-weekly column about nutritious, inexpensive, and ethical food and cooking. Its penned by the lovely Jaime Green.

I don’t make many traditional Jewish dishes. They’re tasty, and fondly associated with big family dinners, but they don’t tend to prominently feature the myriad vegetables and vegetarian proteins I try to work my meals around. It’s more about carbs and meat, much like other European peasant cuisines.

So, when I decided to bring a kugel to Passover dinner at my dad’s house, there were a lot of things I took into consideration:

• Passover’s traditional dietary restrictions: no leavened grains, or, really, grains at all.
• My own personal restrictions on meat (being vegetarian) and dairy (being lactose intolerant).
• My inclination towards local, seasonal produce, which this early in the spring is still what’s left from last fall: apples, winter squash, potatoes, and onions.
• The palates of the assembling group, and the traditional vein of a Passover meal, which excluded most international or adventurous dishes.

(Note: What I did not take into consideration was my lack of a food processor with a grating blade. I got to know my box grater and several pounds of sweet potatoes very, very well.)

Kugel is basically Jewish casserole, and comes in two traditional iterations. The first, noodle kugel, is a sweet side dish of egg noodles cooked in a creamy base, sometimes using cream cheese or cottage cheese, featuring a variety of additions like raisins, pineapple, nuts, or crusty, crumbed toppings. The second variety, potato kugel, is savory, shredded potatoes and onions, sometimes with a dash of color from a carrot, held together with eggs and sometimes matzoh meal or flour.

I love noodle kugel, but can never really get into the potato variety. It has the same ingredients as potato latkes, which are fried pancakes, but aren’t those tasty because they’re fried? Baking it all in a casserole dish seemed to take away the magic – the crispy edges, the (let’s be honest) delicious fat.

But then, ding (!), a light bulb went off: sweet potato kugel! It would have the architecture of potato kugel, with sweeter and more interesting flavors. Bonus: all the vitamins and good stuff that come with the orange tubers, and it’s almost entirely seasonal, locally available produce, with the addition of happy-chicken-borne eggs.

I tooled around the internet, made a couple of calls to my local potato kugel expert (my mom), and came up with the deliciousness below. There’s no sweetener beyond a little fruit juice (squeezed from an in-season, if not local, orange) and the natural sweetness of the vegetables and some raisins.

It’s all brought out by spices that we associate with sweetness – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves – for a hearty but healthy side dish that works well with a salty, savory meal. (It’s also amazing reheated and served with a scoop of cottage cheese, as my breakfasts this past week attest.)

There’s nothing traditional about this kugel, and there’s also nothing limiting it to Passover or Jewish kitchens. Leftovers freeze well, and I’ve got a stockpile now for tasty breakfasts and snacks. You can also cook this ahead of time and then reheat it before serving, for about 20 minutes at 350.

Even if I did get to spend a little more time with my grater than I ever, ever wanted, well, that was a nice workout for my arms, too.

~~~

If you like this recipe, you might also treasure:

• Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
• Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Pork Chops, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes

~~~

Sweet Potato Kugel
24 small servings (or 12 large)
(Pictured here with cottage cheese)


(NOTE: All spice measurements can and should be varied to match your taste.)

5 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 8 cups)
2 apples (something sweet and crisp – no mushy macs!)
5 eggs
1 cup golden raisins (You could also use dates. Just chop them and skip the soaking.)
½ cup orange juice (or the juice of one orange)
½ cup walnuts, crushed to small pieces
½ cup pecans, crushed to small pieces
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
butter for greasing

1) Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x12 cake pan with butter. (I like the flavor this adds, but you can use cooking spray or line your pan with parchment paper.)

2) In a small bowl, soak the raisins in orange juice, adding water so the raisins are covered. (You can speed up the plumping by microwaving for 30-45 seconds.)

3) Peel the sweet potatoes. Using a grater blade on a food processor or a box grater, grate them. Put the grated sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

4) Beat the eggs. (The fluffier they are, the fluffier your kugel.) Mix into sweet potatoes.

5) Grate the apples, add to the sweet tater & egg mixture.

6) Stir in the salt and spices.

7) Add the raisins and soaking liquids. Stir.

8) Pour/scoop mixture into your cake pan, smoothing flat.

9) Sprinkle with crushed pecans and walnuts, pressing them a little into the kugel.

10) Bake 45 minutes or so, until the edges are a little browned and the top gets golden. Let it cool a bit, then cut into 24 pieces, but know that everyone will probably want more than one.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
Small Serving (total/24): 164 calories, 4.6g fat, 3.9g fiber, $0.44
Large Serving (total/12): 328 calories, 9.3g fat, 7.8g fiber, $0.88

Calculations
5lbs sweet potatoes: 1994 calories, 3.7g fat, 65.6g fiber, $5.45
2 apples: 189 calories, 0.6g fat, 8.7g fiber, $1.25
5 eggs: 388 calories, 26.5g fat, 0g fiber, $1.46
1 cup golden raisins: 520 calories, 0g fat, 8g fiber, $.75
½ cup orange juice: 55 calories, 0g fat, .5g fiber, $.20
½ cup walnuts: 383 calories, 38.1g fat, 3.9g fiber, $.60
½ cup pecans: 377 calories, 39.2g fat, 5.2g fiber, $.75
1 ½ t salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
1 t cinnamon: 6 calories, 0g fat, 1.2 g fiber, $.04
1 t powdered ginger: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
¾ t nutmeg: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
½ t cloves: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.01
butter for greasing (1/4 t?): 24 calories, 2.9g fat, 0g fiber, $.02
TOTAL: 3936 calories, 111g fat, 93.1g fiber, $10.59
PER SERVING (TOTAL/24): 164 calories, 4.6g fat, 3.9g fiber, $0.44
PER (LARGER) SERVING (TOTAL/12): 328 calories, 9.3g fat, 7.8g fiber, $0.88

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism.

Hey y’all, happy new decade. Hope your holidays were dreamy and golden.

So, it’s been awhile. Whatcha been doin’? I’ve been eating homemade veggie burgers almost every day since the beginning of 2010. I made a big batch on New Year’s Eve (because I know how to party) and about half is still stashed in the freezer.

As you may recall, I have a love/hate relationship with veggie burgers, especially in restaurants. A chef or restaurant owner who only deigns to nuke a frozen patty for vegetarian customers can’t think too much of us; and the feeling is mutual.

But at home, a veggie burger can be a quick and easy comfort food/guilty pleasure. (They’re not bad for you. They’re just expensive/processed, and I rarely buy them.)

My favorites have always been the bean/rice varieties; I rarely pursue realism when seeking fake meat. So when I found Mark Bittman’s bean and oat burger recipe, deep within How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, I got happy.

This is a perfect pantry-busting recipe. It’s made from staples most vegetarians have on hand: beans, oats, rice, onion, garlic, spices. And, with canned beans, it’s fast. Otherwise, it just takes a bit of advanced prep. I’ve made it with dried/soaked beans and with canned beans and it works great either way.

My version is the Bittman recipe quadrupled, garlicked, and veganized. He suggests rice instead of egg as a vegan binder and I likey. I also used my homemade adobo spice mix for pizzazz, but you can add whatever spices you like. It’s essentially a meatloaf recipe with beans instead of ground beef.

Once the mixture is set, you can make patties or balls as your heart desires. And your heart will love them. These delicious, satisfying bean/grain burgers beat the cellophane off those pucks in the freezer section.

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Horseradish Mustard
• Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
• Falafel

~~~

Mighty Good Veggie Burgers
Adapted from Black Bean Burger by Mark Bittman.
Yields about 15 3-oz burgers


25 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 1/2 cups cooked beans)
25 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 1/2 cups cooked beans)
1 medium onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups cooked brown short grain rice
2 tbsp adobo spice mix (or spices of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste

1) Cook short grain brown rice ahead of time. You’ll need 2 cooked cups.

2) Rinse beans and put into food processor. Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves, and oats. Pulse a few times to begin mixing. Then add the rice and spices.

3) Pulse until all the ingredients are combined but not pureed, scraping the sides of the food processor occasionally. Add a splash of water if necessary. The mixture should be moist but not wet (if that makes sense).

4) Let bean/grain mixture rest for about 15-20 minutes before forming into patties. Roll mixture into 2 1/2- to 3-oz balls (a little less than 1/4 cup) and flatten into 1/2-inch-thick patties.

5) Pan cook in a teeny bit of oil or cooking spray for 5–7 minutes on each side; or bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes. Either way, the outside gets a little crispy and the inside is nice and chewy, but not dry.

6) Serve with whole grain bread and your favorite condiments, like spicy mustard or peanut butter and American cheese. These burgs rock with sweet potato fries.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price per Serving
156 calories, 1g fat, 5g fiber, $0.43

Calculations
25 oz canned black beans: 500 calories, 0g fat, 25g fiber, $2.39
25 oz cooked or canned kidney beans: 500 calories, 0g fat, 25g fiber, $2.39
1 medium onion: 40 calories, .2g fat, 3g fiber, $.50
3 cloves garlic: 4.2 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, $.036
2 cups rolled oats: 614 calories, 10g fat, 16g fiber, $.34
2 cups cooked brown short grain rice: 668 calories, 5g fat, 6g fiber, $.71
2 tbsp adobo spice mix: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
salt and pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $.02
TOTALS: 2,332.6 calories, 15.2g fat, 75g fiber, $6.41
PER SERVING (totals/15): 156 calories, 1g fat, 5g fiber, $0.43

You can throw just about any vegetable into a stew.  Use anything youve got on hand.  Most of these are pretty standard for a stew, but I had some extra salsa lying around so I threw that in just for shits and giggles.

• Stew beef (I used 2 pounds)
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic (5 cloves, chopped)
• Mushrooms
• Carrots
• Mild Salsa
• Butter (~2 tbsp)
• Parsley
• Salt (1 1/2 tsp)
• Pepper
• Water

Everything but the water.

I hope you can see the water level here.  This is all you need.  In fact I had a little too much.  I like my stew a little thicker.

This is how high the water level got by the time it heated up.  You can always add more.  Dont get carried away.

Let it simmer COVERED for at least 2 hours, easy peasy.  Once the beef reaches your desired level of tenderness, its done!

The finished product!! Yummayyyyyy!

And youre done!  Now you have a pot of beef stew to keep you warm for the winter.  Its delicious, nutrient-dense, and you only spent 10-15 minutes prepping it.  Enjoy!

The Onion’s AV Club recently asked its writers about art they discovered too late – stuff that could have been life-changing at 17, but meant zilch at 27. A few contributors mentioned video games and Star Wars. Another, Harry Potter. One woman claimed Bob Dylan did nothing for her, having been subjected to so many bad impressions before hearing the actual thing.

It was kind of a bummer, honestly. (A life without Star Wars is a life without joy.) But it got me thinking about things I waited too long to try, and how that timeframe affected my appreciation for them.

Let’s see. Emo music is definitely one. What I might have found romantic and charmingly melancholy at 20 sounded like self-indulgent whining at 25. Same goes for everything on Cartoon Network. In 2000, it could have been revelatory. In 2010, I just want Tim & Eric to get to the point already.

The big tuna: I read On the Road when I was 27, about ten years after I should have. It came highly recommended, and the prose was all it was cracked up to be – weird and gorgeous, evocative and elusive.

The problem came with the message. Instead of, “Let’s hop in a Chevy, ditch this town, and fill our time with freedom, just like Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarity!” I thought, “What irresponsible jags, leaving their families and responsibilities for such silliness. Those beatniks need some damn jobs.” Harsh, man. Harsh.

The experience made me happy I caught One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest my sophomore year of college, and Catcher in the Rye in 9th grade. They’ll always be two of my favorite novels, probably because all teenagers relate to alienation. Sometimes I wonder if I would find them foolish now, if I had just picked them up for the first time. How sad.

It’s such a relief, then, that the opposite happened with food and cooking. They meant nothing to me as a kid; they were means to an end. The less time they took, the better. But age has made me appreciate vegetables and cast iron pans, spices and the pleasures of a good roast chicken.

There’s no easy way to segue into a White Bean Dip here, so I’ll just awkwardly cut to the chase: this recipe is tasty, fantastically easy, and dang addictive. It’s barely even cooking, actually – more like alchemy. Just a few ingredients thrown together to create manna.

That aside, what about you, readers? What did you discover too late? How do they differ from the things you found later, but appreciated immediately? What do you look forward to getting into? Its all about possibilities, isnt it? And if something doesnt connect, thats okay. But what a thrill when it does.

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also appreciate:

• Baba Ghanouj
• Lemony Hummus
• Roasted Eggplant Spread

~~~

White Bean Dip
Makes 6 servings of 1/4 cup each.
Adapted from Ellie Krieger.
(This is actually a picture of CHGs hummus, because ... uh, technical malfunction? They look pretty much the same, though.)


1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Puree. Taste and see if you like the results. If not, add more of what’s missing. Serve.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
115 calories, 4.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, $0.28

Calculations
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained: 440 calories, 0 g fat, 24 g fiber, $0.99
1 clove garlic: 4 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.05
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, $0.23
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice: 8 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.40
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.01
TOTAL: 691 calories, 27.1 g fat, 24.2 g fiber, $1.69
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6): 115 calories, 4.5 g fat, 4 g fiber, $0.28

Sweet readers! Todays post is a bit abbreviated for the vacation, but I didn’t want to skip this recipe. It’s a really good one, with absolutely no cooking involved, and it only gets better after a day or two in the fridge. Add a little feta cheese on top for pure Greek pita enjoyment.

Happy 4th! (Er ... or 5th.)

~~~

Greek Antipasto Pita
Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Moosewood’s Simple Suppers.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill or oregano)

1 celery stalk, diced
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber (unpeeled), seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, minced
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

4 whole wheat pitas
A few sprinkles reduced-fat feta cheese (optional)

1) Fill a small bowl with ice water. Add red onion and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain, Set aside.

2) To a medium serving bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and dill. Whisk to combine.

3) Add celery, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and olives to bowl. Stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at least 10 minutes.

4) Scoop filling on to pita. (You can toast the pita it if you like.) Sprinkle with feta if desired. Enjoy!

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
4 servings: 269 calories, 10.7 g fat, 6.7 g fiber, 8.4 g protein, $1.19
6 servings: 179 calories, 7.1 g fat, 4.5 g fiber, 5.6 g protein, $0.79

NOTE: For these calculations, I used Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat Pitas. Your numbers might vary slightly depending on your perred pita.

Calculations
2 tablespoons olive oil: 239 calories, 27 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.24
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.03
2 garlic cloves: 9 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.4 g protein, $0.12
1 tablespoon fresh dill: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.40
1 celery stalk: 9 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1 g fiber, 0.4 g protein, $0.19
1 large tomato: 33 calories, 0.4 g fat, 2.2 g fiber, 1.6 g protein, $0.49
1/2 red bell pepper: 21 calories, 0.2 g fat, 1.7 g fiber, 0.8 g protein, $0.61
1 cucumber: 45 calories, 0.3 g fat, 1.5 g fiber, 2 g protein, $0.66
1/4 red onion: 12 calories, 0 g fat, 0.4 g fiber, 0.3 g protein, $0.21
8 kalamata olives: 67 calories, 6.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.44
Kosher salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
Freshly ground black pepper: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
4 whole wheat pitas: 640 calorie, 8 g fat, 20 g fiber, 28 g protein, $1.33
TOTAL: 1074 calories, 42.7 g fat, 26.9 g fiber, 33.5 g protein, $4.74
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 269 calories, 10.7 g fat, 6.7 g fiber, 8.4 g protein, $1.19
PER SERVING (TOTAL/6: 179 calories, 7.1 g fat, 4.5 g fiber, 5.6 g protein, $0.79

Today on Serious Eats: Curried Kumquat Chutney. Delicious, hilarious to say.

It’s the second full week of 2010. By now, you may be ten or eleven days into a resolution diet. You’re probably feeling really good about your progress. Chances are you lost a little weight. There’s a possibility you noticed a physical change already. You might even be thinking (and justifiably so): “I am the greatest person alive! Besides Eddie Vedder, I mean.”

Sadly, this may also have crossed your mind: “If eat one more salad, I’m going to set my face on fire.”

Sweet baby Jane, I hear you. When I began to change my eating habits, salads made up a big chunk of my diet. Office lunches were never-ending parades of the Caesar varietals (with light dressing, natch), and I got real tired, real fast of baby spinach. Then, I learned to cook and life got exponentially better. (Exponentially! That’s a lot.)

Anyway, once I started puttering around the kitchen, I realized the following:


With a creative topping, you can turn five ounces of pedestrian grilled chicken into a succulent celebration, a flavoral fooferaw, or even a scrumptious shindig. (Or any other gratuitously alliterative party.) Think of the meat as your canvas, and the accompaniment as your pretty rainbow paint of rainbows.

Take Gail Simmons’ Tomato and Avocado Salsa from Food & Wine, for example. You can use it as a dip for chips or veggies, sure. (The Super Bowl’s coming up, after all.) But on plain poultry, it becomes something else entirely: a tasty, filling, healthy dinner. Like almost all salsas, the recipe is staggeringly easy to make and constitutes a solid serving of vegetables. For $1 and 100 extra calories, that ain’t too shabby.

This week, when you’re choking down another round of Romaine, stop. Grab an avocado and a few grape tomatoes, grill a slice of chicken, and treat yourself to Tomato and Avocado Salsa. It’ll make the next few months a lot easier to stomach.

~~~
If you like this recipe, you might also dig:

• Guacamole-Bean Dip Mashup
• Mango Salsa
• Tomatillo Guacamole

~~~

Tomato and Avocado Salsa
Serves 4.
Adapted from Food & Wine.

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 Hass avocado, diced small
1/4 cup onion, chopped small
1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1) In a medium bowl, gently combine all the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir again to combine. Serve on meat, chicken, fish, chips, cheese, or … anything, really.

NOTE: If you’d like a less chunky salsa, chop the tomatoes and avocado even smaller.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Price Per Serving
4 servings: 100 calories, 7.4 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $1.04

Calculations
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered: 45 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, $2.50
1 Hass avocado, diced small: 322 calories, 29.5 g fat, 13.5 g fiber, $0.99
1/4 cup onion, chopped small: 13 calories, 0 g fat, 0.6 g fiber, $0.08
1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced: 9 calories, 0 g fat, 0.3 g fiber, $0.05
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped: negligible calories and fat, 0.1 g fiber, $0.25
1/8 cup fresh lime juice: 10 calories, 0 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, $0.25
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper: negligible calories, fat, and fiber, $0.03
TOTAL: 399 calories, 29.5 g fat, 14.8 g fiber, $4.15
PER SERVING (TOTAL/4): 100 calories, 7.4 g fat, 3.7 g fiber, $1.04

Kris and I, as she mentioned in her Serious Eats column this week, participate in a semi-monthly gathering of food-minded friends who love to cook and love to eat. We rotate hosting duties and themes (spicy food, Mediterranean, Feast of St. Maximillian). People mostly take care to consider the food issues of all in attendance and no one could possibly go hungry.

This month, though, there wasn’t really a theme beyond “I’m making a brisket; you guys bring whatever.” In the past, I’ve used potluck to be creative and take risks with varying degrees of success. This time, I decided to make something really “potlucky,” and to me, that means a casserole.

The potlucks of my past have been a vegetarian hell of meatballs, fried chicken, tuna casserole—and if I’m lucky, macaroni and cheese. Some brave church lady (probably my mom) will decide there should be a vegetable and make a green bean casserole. Maude bless her, but Maude help you if you’re vegan.

I wanted my dish to be healthier and dairy-free. Is it possible to have a casserole that isn’t cheesy, creamy, and fatty? CB suggested “something Mexican,” and an idea began to form. I could picture the dish in my mind. I just needed a jumping off point.

Then I remembered the Pan-American Grits and Quinoa recipe I shared with you some time ago. What if I just layered that with beans and vegetables? It sounded good to me, but I needed precedent. To Moosewood.

There was a recipe for Instant Tamale Pie that was essentially what I pictured in my head, only with store-bought ingredients (pre-cooked polenta, jarred salsa). I put the cookbook away and went to the stove. A little while later, my 9” × 13” baking dish, which sees little action, was full (and heavy) and ready to hit the road.

It’s misleading to call what I ended up with a casserole. The only baking necessary was to reheat on arrival. Nonetheless, it was a huge success. Thumbs up from stuffed faces around the room—and there was bacon mac and cheese (only 1/2 bacon—thanks KJ!), homemade foccacia, and brisket on that table.

Cheap, healthy, and vegetarian proves, once again, to be a contender. Take that, church ladies. Actually, here, I’ll make you one for Spring Fling Supper.

~~~

If you enjoy this dish, you might also quite appreciate:

• Black Bean Burrito Bake
• Refried Beans
• Quinoa Soup with Avocado and Corn

~~~

*Grits and Quinoa with Spicy Pink Beans
yields approximately 20 servings


Bottom layer
8 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup grits
1 cup quinoa
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 cup frozen corn kernels

Top layer
3 cups pink or pinto beans, soaked and cooked
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
2 jalapeño peppers, diced with seeds
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen spinach
1 tsp salt
cilantro, chopped for garnish

1) Add water and salt to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.

2) Whisking constantly, slowly add grits to water. As soon as saucepan comes back up to a boil, add quinoa. Stir.

3) Drop heat to low. Simmer around 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
While the grits are cooking...

4) Spray a large skillet with canola cooking spray and sauté 2 cups of the onion for 7 or so minutes.

5) Add the peppers, cook for a 2–3 minutes; then add spices, cook for 1 minute; then add corn.

When grits/quinoa is ready...

6) Mix sautéed veggies into grains, salt to taste, and pour into a 9”×13” baking dish. Be sure to leave about 2 inches of room at the top.

7) Rinse out your skillet with a little water, but don’t wash it. Spray again with cooking spray and sauté the remaining onion for about 5 minutes.

8) Add garlic and jalapeño and sauté for another 2–3 minutes.

9) Toss in the diced tomato with juice, salt, and frozen spinach, stirring well to combine.

10) Add the cooked beans and a little water if necessary. You don’t want it to be soupy, but wet enough not to scorch. Allow to simmer for about 5–7 minutes.

11) When the beans are done, spread over the grits/quinoa base and top with chopped cilantro. Cheese is optional.

12) Serve warm with a side of this and that and oh Maude THAT for dessert.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
142.9 calories, 1g fat, 4.8g fiber, 6.1g protein, $.58

Calculations
1 1/2 cup grits: 864 calories, 3g fat, 3g fiber, 21g protein, $1.00
1 cup quinoa: 626 calories, 10g fat, 12g fiber, 24g protein, $1.59
2 large onions: 120 calories, 0g fat, 6g fiber, 4g protein, $1.50
cooking spray: 6 calories, 0g fat, 6g fiber, 4g protein, $.02
2 red bell peppers: 102 calories, 0g fat, fiber, protein, $2.99
1 tbsp ground cumin: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
1 tbsp ground coriander: negligible calories, fat, protein, $0.02
2 tsp salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $0.02
2 cup frozen corn kernels: 240 calories, 2g fat, 6g fiber, 8g protein, $1.25
3 cups pink or pinto beans: 735 calories, 3g fat, 45g fiber, 45g protein, $1.00
6 cloves garlic: 26 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 2g protein, $.07
2 jalapeño peppers: 8 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein $.16
1 cup canned, diced tomatoes: 41 calories, 0g fat, 2g fiber, 2g protein, $.38
2 cups frozen spinach: 90 calories, 1g fat, 10g fiber, 12g protein, $.99
cilantro: negligible calories and fat, $0.50
TOTALS; 2858 calories, 19g fat, 96g fiber, 5.3g fiber, 122g protein, $11.51
PER SERVING (TOTALS/20): 142.9 calories, 1g fat, 4.8g fiber, 6.1g protein, $.58

My daughter Evie likes pancakes. A lot. Its not really Sunday at our house if youre not in your PJs at noon eating pancakes while batter slowly drips off your daughter (and the stove, and the walls...). I cant say I blame her, theyre fun to make, theyre delicious, and theyre really not that bad for you.

(This is assuming you dont put chocolate chips inside and then slather them with whipped cream and who knows what else - I mean, you can do that, Im not judging. I wont even call the health police on you. However, if she was going to be eating pancakes that often, I figured we should at least try.)

So why are they "pioneer" pancakes? Well, anyone who has kids knows that the first component to a successful meal, especially one they dont want to eat, is marketing. (Yes, we had to sell our daughter on the idea of pancakes. Kids are funny that way. Im sure she wouldnt believe it now either.) One of the main components of the recipe is substituting molasses for sugar, since molasses is a mineral-dense sweetener, particularly for calcium and iron. My daughter and I were reading the Little House on the Prairie books, and they mentioned eating molasses as a topping for pancakes. Voilà, marketing slogan established!

Evie, helping me make pancakes: "Are we going to put that in now? The other thing?"
Me: "What thing?"
Evie: "The icky sticky goo?"

Well, apparently I cant add molasses to anything without singing, "Molasses, molasses, icky sticky goo! Molasses, molasses, itll always stick to you!" A song that fun was not going to go unnoticed.


As far as Im concerned, there arent a lot of things that cant be improved with the addition of pumpkin (and theres not a lot of other ways to sneak vegetables unnoticed into breakfast). And I throw some walnuts in there too for good measure ("Brain Food"...it looks like your brain and its good for it too! There should be a requirement that all ad execs have to have prior experience as a parent.) Use whole wheat flour and youre in business!

We usually make a triple batch and freeze them on cookie sheets, before putting them in big freezer bags. Then we can reheat one or two at a time for a quick breakfast during the week. Because, hey, if you could get away with eating pumpkin pioneer pancakes for breakfast every morning, you would too!

Pioneer Pumpkin Pancakes
Feeds 3 hungry people (12 - 14 medium-sized pancakes)

1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp black strap molasses
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup walnuts

1) Beat egg in a large mixing bowl.

2) Beat in buttermilk, baking soda, baking powder, molasses, canola oil, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.

3) Beat in whole wheat flour. I just hand mix it (but then again Evie doesnt mind if it is a little lumpy). You might notice that the batter is pretty dark thanks to the whole wheat flour and the molasses.

4) Add water to thin batter if necessary.

5) Heat skillet. You could hypothetically do this at the same time as mixing the batter, unless you also have to manage a 3 year old.

6) Oil the skillet. I usually do this about every other batch of pancakes or so.

7) Use a large spoon to make whatever size pancakes you want.

8) Sprinkle a handful of walnuts on each pancake. You could mix it into the batter, but I like to put it into the pancakes manually so the walnuts are evenly spread. I find that if you mix them into the batter, you end up with the last few pancakes being walnut city.

9) Flip the pancakes when bubbles rise to the top and the edges look a little crispy.


NOTE: All of the following calculations come from Kris (the proprietor of CHG), instead of Shane (author of the guest post). Please e-mail her/me if there are any issues. Thanks!

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
382 calories, 15.4 g fat, 8.1 g fiber, 14.6 g protein, $0.99

Calculations
1 egg: 54 calories, 3.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, 4.7 g protein, $0.33
1 1/4 cups buttermilk: 172 calories, 6.1 g fat, 0 g fiber, 12.6 g protein, $0.62
1/2 tsp baking soda: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $0.01
1 tsp baking powder: 2 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.01
1 tbsp black strap molasses: 47 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.13
1 tbsp canola oil: 124 calories, 14 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.08
1/2 cup pumpkin: 42 calories, 0.4 g fat, 3.6 g fiber, 1.3 g protein, $0.33
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice: 6 calories, 0.2 g fat, 0.3 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.70
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour: 509 calories, 2.8 g fat, 18.3 g fiber, 20.5 g protein, $0.27
1/4 cup walnuts: 191 calories, 19.1 g fat, 2 g fiber, 4.5 g protein, $0.50
TOTAL: 1147 calories, 46.3 g fat, 24.2 g fiber, 43.7 g protein, $2.98
PER SERVING (TOTAL/3): 382 calories, 15.4 g fat, 8.1 g fiber, 14.6 g protein, $0.99

Today’s question is born of frustration.

Q: Sweet readers! I’ve been working on a recipe for Parmesan Polenta with Spinach and a Fried Egg the past few days, but can’t get it right. It’s driving me crazy.

The polenta seems dry and needs more flavor, the spinach is giving off a weird aftertaste, and the whole thing begs for more textural variety. Can you make some suggestions to improve the situation? (Note: Not this situation.)

A: Here’s the recipe, portioned for one person:


Seriously, I’ll take anything you got. Plus? If your suggestion works out, it’ll be part of Monday’s recipe, and you’ll get the huge, honkin’ credit! (I know, I know: money would be nicer.)

The comment section/weird spinach is awaiting your words.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.