Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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Amy’s Writing, Photography and Art can be found at amybisson.com

  • Apr 11 2011 School Night Tacos

    Adapted from Whole Foods Market. Meals for four under $15. (Spring 2011). Austin TX: Whole Foods Market.

    My Comment:  While I’m sure these quarterly meal suggestions are produced by Whole Foods to dispel any notions that shopping in their stores is expensive, I often find something fun to cook — as in this quarter’s publication.  Originally, this recipe called for ground beef or ground dark-meat turkey; however, being a non-meat-a-tarian, I substituted soy crumbles (from Morningstar I believe) and found this to be very satisfying.  I also was adventuresome in the salsa suggestions. Stonewall Kitchens is distributing a mango salsa (fresh) in our local supermarket so, since it was on hand I used it instead of bottled salsa. And, finally, don’t feel obliged to buy the southwest seasoning suggested. I substituted a chipotle chile powder with a bit of garlic.

    School Night Tacos
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Ingredients:

    1 TBSP canola oil
    1 lb. ground (meat) soy crumbles
    2 TBSP (Everyday – WF house brand) Southwestern Grille Seasoning
    1/2 cup mild or medium salsa plus more for serving
    1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    1 large ripe tomato, diced
    1 romaine lettuce heart, sliced into thin ribbons
    1 small red onion, chopped
    1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt – nonfat)
    1 lime, cut into wedges
    1 package Corn Tortillas

    Method

    1. Warm oil in a skillet. Add soy crumbles and seasoning. Cook, until it “browns” – about 5 minutes. Stir in the salsa, lower the heat and simmer another 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into a small serving bowl and keep warm.

    2. Set out small bowls of salsa, shredded cheese, diced tomato, lettuce, chopped onion, yogurt and lime wedges.

    3. Warn tortillas by steaming over a steamer basket OR by microwaving under a damp paper towel in a loosely covered container. Stack tortillas in a covered bowl or wrap in a clean kitchen towel.

    4.  Have everyone build their own tacos – and add toppings as desired.

    Serves 4. Weight Watcher Points =9

  • 9 Apr 2011 Pasta Primavera

    Adapted from: Whole Foods Market. Meals for 4 under $15. (Spring 2011). Austin, TX: Whole Foods Market.

    Pasta Primavera
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson

    My Comment: Finally! A real spring day and temperatures climbed to the 60s. To celebrate, I cooked this pasta primavera from Whole Foods Market’s Spring 2011 Four Meals flyer.  I halved the recipe and found the servings size enormous – the full recipe easily will feed 6 moderately sized servings.

    Ingredients

    1 lb. whole wheat linguine, cooked, reserving 3/4 cup pasta water
    2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
    1/2 lb. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
    3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
    2 large spring onions or 4 green onions, thinly sliced
    1 1/2 cup frozen green peas
    1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
    3 TBSP lemon juice
    2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
    1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

    Method

    1. Cook pasta according to directions on package a set aside with reserved 3/4 cup cooking water.

    2. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until just golden brown (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and onions and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in peas, salt and pepper. Immediately cover and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

    3. In the same skillet over medium heat, toss the hot, drained pasta with reserved pasta water, cheese and lemon juice.

    4. Gently toss mushroom mixture and tomatoes into the cooked pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to serving bowls. Top with basil and serve.

    Serves 4 (I think it’s more like 6). Weight Watcher Points = 8 (4 servings) or 5 (6 servings)

  • 08 Apr 2011 Back in the saddle with Carrot Soup

    My Comment: March was a cruel month — too much to do at work, lousy weather, and one cold virus after the other. Did anyone notice 4N/W was MIA? But April… well with April, there comes new resolve: we ARE going to go back to our basics of eating well, eating healthy foods, and eating economically.

    This recipe was one I winged.  I think I’d use less broth next time around. I’ve made other soups featuring carrots and ginger; this was the first time I thought to add in thyme.

    Carrot ginger soup
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Ingredients

    1 TBSP olive oil
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 yellow onion, halved and then sliced
    About a 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
    About a pound of baby carrots, chopped up into rounds
    1 tsp thyme
    6 cups water/vegetable broth (I used a combination — feel free to reduce this for a thicker soup)
    dollop of plain nonfat yogurt

    Method

    1. Heat the oil in a soup-sized sauce pan. Throw in the garlic and onions — keep the heat settings low enough to sweat the garlic and onions, not crisp them.

    2. Throw in the ginger, stir, and allow to cook with the onions/garlic for a couple of minutes before you add the carrots.

    3. Add the thyme; stir everything to coat.

    4. Add the broth and allow all the veggies to cook until tender. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot.

    5. Serve. Add a dollop of yogurt (I used Icelandic – you will want something thick).

    Serves: 4. Points = 2

  • 27 Mar 2011 Greens with Carrots, Feta Cheese and Brown Rice

    Adapted from Whole Foods Market. Greens with carrots, feta cheese and brown rice. Downloaded from the web on 3/26/2011.

    My Comment: About 6 months ago, I received a bunch of kale as part of our CSA share. Having

    Greens with carrots, feta cheese
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    never had kale before, I hadn’t a clue what to do with it. Over time I’ve discovered I actually like it — and how nutritious and inexpensive it is. This recipe is no exception; it’s quick and delicious. Only use the frozen rice if you’re pushed for time.

    Ingredients

    2 carrots shredded
    2 bunches dark leafy greens, stems removed and leaves very thinly sliced (her’s where I used kale)
    1/2 red onion
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
    1 (20-oz) package Whole Foods frozen whole grain brown rice (here’s where I use dry rice and cook it myself — the frozen is a timesaver)

    Method

    1. Put carrots, greens, onions, 1/4 cup water, salt and pepper into a large deep skillet and toss well. Cover and cook over medium heat, tossing once or twice until greens are wilted and tender — 10 to 15 minutes.

    2. Toss with feta cheese and spoon over cooked brown rice.

    Serves 4. Weight Watcher Points = 8.

  • 25 Mar 2011 Quinoa Mushrooms and Peas with Miso

    Adapted from Whole Foods Market. Health starts here: Quinoa mushrooms and peas with miso. (2011). Austin, TX: Whole Foods Market.

    My Comment: This week I treated myself to dinner with a friend at a local vegetarian restaurant, Life Alive right here in downtown Lowell.  This recipe reminded me a lot of some of my favorite Life Alive specialties. The taste of miso and ginger in this dish is both satisfying and clean. A quick, low-fat and vegan dish — what’s not to like?

    Quinoa with Mushrooms
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Ingredients:

    1 cup uncooked quinoa
    2 medium carrots, diced
    2 cups sliced white mushroom (I used baby bella)
    3 cloves garlic, finely minced
    1/4 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh ginger, finely diced)
    4 tsp mellow white miso paste
    3/4 cup frozen peas
    1/2 cup sliced green onions

    Method

    1. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Drain quinoa and set aside.

    2. In large skillet, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cook about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Cover and cook until mushrooms are tender and have released their liquid. Uncover and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until most of the water has evaporated.

    3. Add quinoa and stir one minute. Whisk miso into 2 cups water and add to quinoa. Bring to a simmer, then cover and continue simmering until quinoa until it is almost tender, about 12 minutes.

    4. Add peas, cover and continue cooking until quinoa grains are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and stir in green onions. Serve immediately.

    Serves 4 to 6. Weight Watcher Points = 4.

  • 21 Mar 2011 Spring Vegetable Minestrone

    Adapted from Farre, Viviane Bauquet. Chop, Chop! Vegetarian Times. (April 2010). Issue 376, Volume 36, No. 5. p. 42.

    Spring Minestrone
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

     

    My Comment What better way to kick off spring than this spring soup! Even though it is snowing today (on the first day of Spring) in New England, we’ve flirted with some fine spring weather in the last week. That makes me long for the days when fresh veggies start to show up in our markets! As Viviane Farre’s introduction to the recipe states, the secret to success is getting all the veggies about the same size. And while I’m sure a crisp white wine would be a more subtle flavor, I threw in the alcoholic beverage I had on hand — which happened to be Marsala. Not bad.

    Ingredients

    3 TBSP olive oil plus more for drizzling
    2 large shallots, finely diced
    3/4 cup dry white wine
    3 large cloves garlic, minced
    1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    3 medium carrots, peeled & cut into 1/4 inch dice
    1 large yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
    2 medium young turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice (I used rutabaga — out of vegetable ignorance)
    4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
    12 Italian parsley springs, 8 fresh thyme springs + 2 bay leaves–all tied together to add to soup (and fish out later — no thanks! I just threw the herbs in the pot)
    10 oz. fresh or frozen shelled peas
    4 oz. snow peas, trimmed and cup in 1/8 inch wide slices
    3 cups lightly packed spinach leaves
    2 TBSP minced fresh tarragon for garnish

    Method

    1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallots, saute 2 minutes or until softened. Add wine, garlic, and cayenne. Simmer for 4 minutes.

    2. Add carrots, potato, and turnips and saute for 1 minute. Add broth and 5 cups of water (this seemed a bit much — add the water in batches if you’d rather). Tie together parsley, thyme and bay leaves with kitchen twine and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes.

    3. Stir in snow peas, peas, and spinach. Cover and simmer five minutes more. Remove herb bundle (see my note above) and discard. Adjust salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with tarragon and drizzle with additional olive oil if desired.

    Serves 8. Weight Watcher points = 5 points.

  • 19 Mar 2011 Bow Ties with Broccoli Pesto

    Adapted from Rees, N. 1 food 5 ways. Vegetarian Times (April 2010). Issue 376. Vol. 36, No. 5. p 64.

    Broccoli Pesto & Bowties
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    My Comment: After a whirlwind week of  leftovers and pick up cooking — no I don’t mean drive-through or delivery food — we are back! This was a fantastic twist on pesto. Who knew broccoli could be turned into pesto? Not I! Adrien missed the cheese, but I did not — and these was much less olive oil so the points are lower. We halved the recipe and there was plenty of pesto which I will freeze for the next time we’re looking for a pick-up meal.

    Ingredients

    6 TBSP blanched hazelnuts
    2 cups broccoli florets
    1 1/2 cups loosely pack parsley leaves
    1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP olive oil (I used just the 1/4 cup)
    1/2 cup mint leaves
    4 tsp lemon juice
    1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
    1 1/2 tsp capers, rinsed and drained (optional, but I added them)
    5 large garlic cloves, peeled
    12 oz. farfalle pasta (I used the mini farfalle); can use brown rice pasta or other vegan substitute as you wish.

    Method

    1. Toast hazelnuts in skillet 3-5 minutes or until golden, shaking the skillet often. Cool, coarsely chop and set aside.

    2. Meanshile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the broccoli 2-3 minutes or until tender. Remove with slotted spoon. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again.

    3. Pulse hazelnuts, broccoli, parsley, oil, mint, lemon juice, lemon zest, capers and garlic in food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

    4. Cook farfalle according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water (you may need more so plan accordiningly) before draining.

    5. Toss farfalle with pesto and pasta water. Garnish with more toasted hazelnuts if you wish — nothing else is really needed though.

    Servings = 9. Weight watcher points = 6.

  • 15 Mar 2011 Kerala-Style Edamame Curry

    Adapted from Riccardi, Victoria Abbott. “1 food 5 ways”. Vegetarian Times. (Mar. 2011). Issue 383, Vol. 37, No. 3. p. 67.

    My Comment: Eating We love curries — this one has a couple of things going for it. Using edamame in place of the traditional lentils is a clean taste. Not only is this recipe vegetarian, it’s vegan. And very filling!

    Method

    Edamame Curry
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    1 TBSP fennel seeds
    1 TBSP brown mustard seeds
    2 tsp cumin seeds
    2 tsp vegetable oil (divided)
    1 large onion, half chopped – half sliced (divided)
    4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
    1/2 cup reduced fat coconut milk
    4 cups peeled, diced butternut squash
    1 medium head cauliflower (cut into bite-sized pieces)
    1 TBSP minced fresh ginger
    1/2 tsp ground tumeric
    1/2 tsp coarse salt
    2 cups frozen shelled edamame
    6 TBSP unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
    1/2 cup chopped cilantro

    Method

    1. Heat fennel, mustard and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium low heat. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until mustard seeds being to pop – shaking the pan occasionally. Turn off heat and keep skillet covered until popping subsides.

    2. Heat 1 tsp oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, saute 6 minutes. Add 1 cup of the broth to lift any of the brown bits. Then add remainings 3 cups broth and the coconut milk. Stir in squash, cauliflower, ginger, tumeric, salt, and sauteed spices. Bring mixutre to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more.

    3. Meanwhile toast coconut in small skillet over medium heat 3-4 minutes or until browned and fragrant. Set aside.

    4. Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and sautee 12 minutes or until golden.

    5. To serve, spoon curry into 6 bowls. Garnish with golden onion slices, toasted coconut and cilantro.

    Serves 6. Weightwatcher points = 6

  • 11 Mar 2011 Weeknight Stirfry from Whole Foods

    Adapted from Whole foods market. The whole deal. (March/April 2011). Austin, TX: Whole Foods Market, IP, LP. p 20.

    My Comment: Could it be…. Seitan? Why yes it is.  The 5 basic recipes in this month’s Whole Deal from Whole

    Italian Skillet Dinner
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Foods Market caught my eye because once the basic method is mastered, it’s just a matter of changing up the seasonings to create all sorts of quick meals. While Whole Foods used ground beef as the base, I am using Seitan, a wheat protein. Feel free to substitute your favorite vegetarian protein product — soy crumbles would also work well.

    Ingredients

    Protein:        1 package of Seitan (wheat soy protein)
    Seasonings: 1 TBSP Italian seasoning (or make up your own!) AND 8 thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
    Veggies:        1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen, already seasoned with Italian seasoning)AND 1 bunch thinly sliced lacinto kale (remove the tough stems and wash thoroughly) AND 2 tsp chopped garlic

    Method

    1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Spray the pan with olive oil spray – you may need to add some olive oil when using Seitan or other meat substitutes as the protein will stick to the pan.

    2. Add the seasonings to the pan along with the protein you are using. Brown until cooked through (about 10 minutes). The mixture should be fairly dry.

    3. Stir in veggies and cook until just tender and heated through. I needed to cover the kale to get it to cook down.

    4. Serve by itself or over some cooked pasta.

    Serves 4. Weight Watcher points = 3.

  • 09 Mar 2011: Simple Black Bean Soup

    Adapted from Whole Foods Market.  Simple black bean soup. Downloaded from the web on March 6, 2011.

    My Comment While I prefer preparing beans over canned beans (be sure to rinse off that gelatinous goo), it sometimes is a challenge to get my act together enough to soak and cook the beans. This time I soaked the beans all day, but when it came time for cooking, I neglected to forward think the 2 hour cooking time! No problem – we ate our “pick up meal” of veggie burgers and finished the soup for the next night. Served with a nice plonk-priced bottle of Cabernet.

    Simple Black Bean Soup
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Ingredients

    1 pound dried beans (about 2 1/2 cups) rinsed
    2 medium onions, chopped
    1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
    4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
    1 TBSP ground cumin
    1 tsp ground chipotle pepper (worth the purchase – it was delicious!)
    2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
    2 TBSP nutritional yeast
    1 TBSP lime juice
    1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

    Method

    1. Soak the beans overnight or for 6-8 hours prior to cooking. Drain and rinse.

    2. In large pot, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer over medium high heat. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown (about 10 minutes). Stir in cumin and chipotle and cook 1 minute stirring.

    3. Add drained beans and 10 cups of water. Bring soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender.

    4. Remove 4 cups soup and carefully puree in a blender (or use your hand blender to partially puree right in the pot). Return puree to the pot and stir in cilantro, nutritional yeast and lime juice.

    5. Spoon into bowls for serving and garnish with avocado.

    Servings = 8. Weight Watcher Points = 3.