Four Nights A Week

Adventures in Eating

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

  • 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.

  • 7 Mar 2011 Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale & Sundried Tomatoes

    Adapted from Whole Foods Market. Whole wheat pasta with kale and sundried tomatoes. Downloaded from the web on March 6, 2011.

    My comment: Kale is a great green and generally pretty inexpensive! I used a red kale with this recipe and changed from Great Northern Beans to Black Beans because that is what I had on hand. Very filling…. I would venture to say this recipe could easily serve 6, but the Points were computed for the suggested serving of 4.

    Ingredients

    Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
    1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
    1 pound kale – thick stems removed and leaves chopped
    1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added Great Northern or other white bean, drained and rinsed
    8 ounces whole wheat pasta

    Method

    1. Soak sundried tomatoes in hot water to cover for 15 minutes to soften them. Then drain and thinly slice.

    2. Bring large pot of water to boil for cooking pasta. In separate high-sided skillet, bring 3/4 cup water to simmer. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in kale, beans and 3/4 cup water. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, greens are wilted and tender and beans are heated through.

    3. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Add the sliced sundried tomatoes about 2 minutes before the pasta is done. Drain pasta and tomatoes and add to skillet with greens. Stir to combine.

    Servings = 4. Weight Watcher Points = 7.

  • 2 Mar 2011 Winter Warmer Stew

    Adapted from MeatlessMonday.com. Winter warmer stew. Downloaded from the web on Feb. 26, 2011.

    My comment: I did make a major substitution in this dish — could it be Seitan? Because I wasn’t near Whole Foods and couldn’t obtain Seitan, I used tempeh — not one of my favorite things, but it seemed like it might be a reasonable substitute. For Weight watchers fans, I used roughly half as much tempeh as seitan — which made the point swap work out. Also did not bother with the beans and used crushed tomatoes. Still created a tasty stew.

    Winter Warmer Stew
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Ingredients:

    2 TBSP olive oil
    1 pound Seitan, cut into chunks
    1 large onion, sliced
    4 medium carrots, sliced
    4 medium potatoes, cubed
    4 cups veg broth or use water (should cover the vegetables)
    1 15-oz. can beans (black or kidney)
    1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
    2 TBSP low sodium tamari or soy sauce
    2 tsp brown miso
    1 TBSP flour (optional thickener)

    Method:

    1. Saute seitan and onion in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add carrots and potatoes and saute for a few minutes longer. Add the broth or water to cover the vegetables.

    2. Puree beans and diced tomatoes together in a blender until smooth (here’s where I substituted just crushed tomatoes). Add this mix to the stew. Cook until carrots and potatoes are tender.

    3. Add tamari and brown miso. If you wish to have a thicker stew, blend in flour and water together and add to the stew.  Also, add more vegetables as you wish.

    Serves 6. Weight watcher Points = 6

  • 28 Feb 2011 Glazed Carrot and Tomato with Wild Rice Ragout

    Adapted from Vegetarian Times. Glazed carrot and tomato with wild rice ragout. (March 2009, p 60 print edition). Downloaded from the web on February 27, 2011.

    My Comment: This was a delightful surprise! I have to admit that I did not buy a bag of wild rice; I just used what we had on hand in the pantry. Also, in place of pan frying the tofu, I took a page out of Susan Voisin’s recipe over on Fat Free Vegan (a great resource for Vegans) and baked the tofu ahead of time. It was quite yummy and did not fall apart.  Highly recommend that method of cooking tofu.

    Ingredients

    Glazed Carrot Tomato Ragout
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    3 tsp. olive oil, divided
    2/3 cup wild rice or wild rice blend
    6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu, cut into 2-inch strips
    1 cup peeled baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
    9 cherry tomatoes, halved (2/3 cup)
    2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
    1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
    2 Tbs. chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
    3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
    1/2 tsp fennel seeds

    Method

    1. Cook rice according to package directions. (since I used a non-packaged rice, I just cooked up a batch of rice)

    2. Here is where I baked the tofu in place of pan frying, but I am leaving the original directions for those who would prefer them. Heat 1 tsp. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook 5 minutes, or until browned, turning once. Transfer to plate.

    3. Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to skillet, and reduce heat to medium. Add carrots to skillet, and cook 10 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and fennel seeds, and simmer 2 minutes, or until liquid is thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally. Stir in reserved tofu; cook 1 minute, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve over rice garnished with additional parsley.

    Serves 2. Weight Watcher Points = 11.

  • 27 Feb 2011 Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

    Adapted from MeatlessMonday.com. Sweet potato shepherd’s pie. Downloaded from the web on Feb. 19, 2011.

    My Comment: The Meatless Monday website was a new find for me — and it is proving to be invaluable! Even though we, or at least I, am committed to a vegetarian diet, the idea of making one night a week “meatless” is appealing on many levels.

    Shepherd’s Pie is one of Adrien’s childhood favorites — I won’t tell you what rude name WE gave it in my high school — so I humor him from time to time with some variation on it. With 3 grams of fat and 7 grams of fiber, this is a more healthy alternative that even I enjoyed.

    Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    Ingredients

    1 pound sweet potatoes
    1 tablespoon butter
    6 small red potatoes
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 cup sliced onion
    1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
    1/2 cups water
    1 cup red wine
    1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
    5 tablespoons flour
    2 portobello mushroom caps, cut into bite-size pieces
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    2 teaspoon dried sage
    2 stalks celery, chopped
    1 carrot, chopped

    Method:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring two saucepans of water to a boil. Add red potatoes to one and sweet potatoes to the other. Cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Mash the sweet potatoes with butter, adjusting flavor with salt and pepper. Set mashed sweet potatoes aside.

    2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onion slices and shiitake mushrooms, cover, and let the mushrooms sweat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the water, wine and tamari, and bring to a boil. Whisk in flour, stirring until there are no lumps. Allow to simmer.

    3. Add portobello pieces, and saute briefly until mushrooms are browned on the outside. Add the carrots, celery and potatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with thyme and sage. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch glass pie dish. Cover with mashed sweet potatoes.

    4. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until potatoes are golden brown.

    Servings = 8. Weight Watcher Points = 6.

  • 26 Feb 2011 Mexican Bean and Tortilla Pie

    Adapted from Weight Watchers. Mexican bean and tortilla pie. (subscription only). Downloaded from the web on Feb. 19, 2011.

    My comment: The servicing size – 1/6 of a 6 inch tortilla is really small! Better have some veggies or a salad on the side.  However, it was a tasty and quick dish — be sure to thoroughly heat it which may mean keeping in the oven for longer than 30 minutes.

    Ingredients

    Mexican Tortilla Pie
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    1 cup canned (jarred) tomato sauce
    3/4 cup salsa
    1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
    2 tsp chili powder
    1 tsp ground cumin
    5 medium corn tortillas (6-inch size)
    30 oz. canned black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
    8 oz. chopped green chilies (canned okay)
    1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

    Method

    1.  Preheat oven to 400F. Combine tomato sauce, salsa, cilantro, chili powder and cumin in a small bowl.

    2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add as many tortillas as will fit in one layer. Cook for about 1 minute, turning once, until lightly toasted. Remove and set aside. Repeat until all 5 tortillas have been toasted.

    3. Spoon 1/4 of the tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate or shallow baking dish. Top with a tortilla. Spread with 1/2 cup of the mashed beans, top with 2 TBSP of chilies followed by 1 TBSP of grated cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the remaining tortilla, sauce, and cheese.

    4. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes more until the cheese is bubbly and the dish is thoroughly heated.  Cut into 6 wedges and serve.

    Yield: 6 servings. Weight Watcher points = 5.

  • 21 Feb 2011 White Bean and Collard Green Soup

    Adapted from Katzen, M. New enchanted broccoli forest. (2000). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. page 21.

    White Bean & Collards Soup
    Copyright © 2011. Adrien Bisson.

    My Comment: In Mollie Katzen’s Enchanted Broccoli Forest, this soup is called White Bean and Escarole Soup — on Mollie’s website, she has renamed it. In my version, I used neither white beans or escarole 🙂  In fact, this is what makes this such a great soup recipe — follow the building blocks — start with the Trinity (onion, celery, carrots) and throw in whatever you have on hand.

    Ingredients

    1 to 2 TBSP olive oil
    2 cups chopped onion
    1 bay leaf
    2 stalks celery, minced
    2 tsp salt
    6 cups stock or water (I used water)
    3 – 4 cups cooked white beans (or use 2 cans of beans, rinsed and drained) – I used Kidney beans here
    3 TBSP fresh garlic, minced
    1 1/2 lbs. collard greens – stemmed and chopped
    Freshly ground black pepper

    TOP WITH:
    Freshly grated nutmeg or Freshly minced parsley or Parmesan cheese

    Method:

    1. Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the onion, bay leaf, celery, carrots and salt. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, then add the stock or water. Cover, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cook quietly for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

    2. Add the beans, garlic and as much of the collard greens as you can fit. Cover and wait a few minutes for the greens to cook down. Keep adding greens in batches waiting between additions for them to cook down.

    3. Add black pepper to taste, adjust salt. Serve hot, topped with a grating or two of fresh nutmeg, a little parsley, and a generous spoonful of Parmesan cheese.

    Serves 4 to 6. Weight Watcher points = 5 points