Posted By Lindsay on January 21, 2009
Tacos don’t need meat. In fact, sometimes they can be much more hearty and satisfying without it. Case in point: these delicious and meatless black bean tacos. Don’t skimp here and buy pre-made hard taco shells, the fresh tortillas are cooked until crisp with the black bean filling inside them, making for a perfectly crunchy and hot taco. I think we might have overfilled ours a bit, and didn’t have much room for the slaw after the fact. Next time we’d probably make 6 or so tacos (instead of 4), and save more room in each one for the slaw. I also felt that the slaw could have a bit more flavor to it – maybe some chipotle mixed with some plain yogurt would give it a nice bite and consistency.
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw
Makes 4 tacos (2-4 servings, depending how hungry you are). Recipe from Bon Appetit, January 2009.
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cups coleslaw mix, or finely shredded red and/or green cabbage, and grated carrot
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 white or yellow corn tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce
Directions:
Place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with feta and slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside.
Posted By Lindsay on January 19, 2009
This is like the Asian version of chicken soup – rich, comforting, delicious, especially on a cold day. And right now, as I’m watching the snowflakes coming down outside, it sounds just about right. So much for moving out of Colorado to get away from the snow… though I guess I can deal with it a few times a year.
This recipe comes from SteamyKitchen.com, which if you’re wondering the proper technique for folding these babies, check out her post and informational video on the process. You’ll be a pro in no time. :)
For those of you enjoying the last few days of this cold front as we are, this post is dedicated to you…
Wonton Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground pork
2 stalks scallion, finely minced
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 pound wonton wrappers, at room temperature, covered with a damp towel
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/4 cup cool water (cornstarch slurry)
2 quarts chicken broth
8 ounces dried wonton noodles (or thin, egg noodles)
1/2 pound bok choy, leaves separated and washed well
1 teaspoon sesame oil
chili garlic sauce (optional)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the pork, scallion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sugar and sesame oil. Mix well. Put a scant teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper, brush cornstarch slurry on all edges. Fold over to form a triangle, press to secure edges, encasing the filling. Brush cornstarch slurry on one tip of the triangle. Bring two corners together and press to secure. Place on clean, dry plate in one layer and cover loosely with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Repeat with remaining.
In a large stockpot, add all but 2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. The 2 cups of reserved broth should be room temperature or just slightly chilled. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wontons. Bring pot back to a gentle boil. When it reaches a boil, add 1 cup of the reserved broth. Bring back to a boil and again, add the remaining 1 cup of reserved broth.
Keep the heat on the pot on (you still need to cook the noodles and bok choy) while using a spider or sieve to scoop up the wontons and distribute amongst the bowls. Cook the noodles in the pot according to the package instructions. Add the bok choy to the pot during last minute of cooking noodles and let simmer, until cooked through. Ladle broth, noodles and bok choy to bowls. Drizzle just a few drops of sesame oil in each bowl.
Serve with chili garlic sauce if desired.
Posted By Lindsay on January 15, 2009
So it might sound unusual, but it’s actually quite delicious. I’ve been noticing sweet potatoes creeping into things more and more lately, and more often than not it’s a pleasant surprise. Like a stir fry. You’re not expecting a sweet potato, yet it works – and it works well.
Just be warned – while leftovers of this dish *taste* good the next day, the chicken turns a lovely and not-so-appetizing shade of purple thanks to the cabbage. Actually, everything in the bowl has a violet hue after one night in the fridge. Paired with the orange yams, well, not so pretty. Just close your eyes. It still tastes as good as it did the night before.
You can also substitute chicken thighs if you tend to like the cheaper prices and richer flavor of dark meat, like we do. It might go against the ‘healthy’ categorization of this recipe just a tad, but oh well!
Chicken Stir-fry with Yams, Red Cabbage, and Hoisin
Recipe from Bon Appetit. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes; about 1 pound), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, then cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips
1 medium-size red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
8 ounces skinless boneless chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups 1/3-inch-thick strips sliced red cabbage (about 1/4 medium head)
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add yams and onion; stir-fry until yams are just tender, adjusting heat if browning too quickly and adding water by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add chicken, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add cabbage; stirfry until chicken is cooked through and cabbage is wilted but still slightly crunchy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in hoisin sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in 1/2 cup cilantro. Transfer stir-fry to serving bowl; sprinkle with remaining cilantro.
Posted By Lindsay on January 12, 2009
Pizza again! We’ve definitely been exploring the nearly-cheeseless pizzas lately, as they satisfy both of our constant cravings for pizza. My cravings because pizza is something I can’t have unless it has very little or no cheese (rare), and Taylor craves it because I can’t have it he doesn’t get it often and goes through withdrawal. Poor guy. All he wants is his pizza. Lucky for him, I found this recipe, which is mozzarella free, only boasting a sprinkling of my favorite, goat cheese. And while there are no eggs on this one, it’s still a feast for the eyes and the stomach.
My favorite pizza of all time just might be Pizza Bianca from this recipe. Seriously, the best pizza ever. But it has slightly too much cheese for me, the mozzarella really puts it over my cheese tolerance level. But, I did steal one thing from that recipe and have adapted and claimed it as my own: the crust. It’s perfect. Delicious. Crisp. And with the addition of some fennel and thyme, this is not your plain old pizza crust. If you’ve got the time, definitely give the from-scratch crust a go. It’s well worth the extra effort.
Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza
Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are and how big you roll it). Recipe adapted from Epicurious.
Ingredients:
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Topping:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (1 1/2 to 2 ounces)
1 1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms (5 to 6 ounces)
1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup paper-thin red onion slices
8 large fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Directions:
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.
Mix olive oil, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic in small bowl, and set aside.
Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons garlic oil evenly over crust. Top with spinach leaves, then sprinkle with sliced mushrooms, roasted red peppers, red onion slices, fresh basil, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle pizza evenly with remaining garlic oil.
Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
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