Black Bean Risotto

If you’re looking for a vegetarian and gluten-free meal, I can tell you right now that this risotto will hit the spot. This creamy, savory twist on beans and rice will not disappoint. I served this with a lovely green salad and ALL my boys ate it up.

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

4 cups chicken broth

1 T EVOO

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 cup roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp salt , plus more for seasoning to taste

1/4 tsp pepper

1 (15 oz) can black beans

4 oz. cream cheese

2 T butter

In a skillet heat 1 T EVOO; saute onion and garlic. Do not brown. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt & pepper, and diced tomato. Stir and heat through. Scoop out and place in bowl. Set aside.

Pour broth into heated skillet and allow to come to a boil. Stir in risotto. Lower heat and cover. Stir often and let cook through, 20-25 minutes.

Cube the cream cheese and stir into the rice, until melted, along with the butter. Drain the black beans and add it to the rice. Add the onion and tomato mixture. Combine well. Heat through.

Salt & pepper to taste. Serve with parmesan for sprinkling on top. *A pinch of rosemary is good in it, too.

 

7-Layer Meatless Tortilla Pie

A Mexican and a meatless meal in one? How can this go wrong??

This simple dish, served with a salad and some guacamole on the side, makes a perfect meal for any night, meatless or otherwise. And just to give it a little extra something I mixed in 1/2 cup of my yummy hummus

2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained

1 cup picante sauce, divided

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained

1 small tomato, chopped

7 (8 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

green onion for garnish

1. Mash pinto beans. Stir in 3/4 cup of the picante sauce and the garlic powder.

2. In a separate bowl, mix remaining picante sauce, cilantro, black beans, and tomato.

3. Place 1 tortilla in a pie dish or round baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the pinto bean mixture over tortilla to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Top with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with tortilla and 2/3 cup black bean mixture. Top that layer with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice more. Finish topping with remaining tortilla and spread with last of the pinto bean mixture. Cover with foil.

4. Bake at {preheated} 400* oven for about 40 minutes or until hot. Uncover. Top with remaining cheese, tomato pieces, and green onion. Cut into wedges. Serve with additional picante sauce, guacamole, tortilla chips and salad.

*Ground cooked meat could easily be added to the mashed pinto bean mixture.

Caprese Pasta Salad

I love Caprese (and not because it looks like my name either ;p) but because I just can’t get enough of tomato and basil, which is why I can literally live for days off of nothing else than brushetta.

The Caprese is similar to brushetta in ingredients: tomato, fresh basil, garlic, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and traditionally is served knife and fork style on thick slices of big, beefy tomatoes. Here is a bite-sized version using fresh mozzarella balls and grape tomatoes. You can also use cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both.

Let’s just say that adding my bite-sized caprese salad as a pasta topper was phenomenal! It truly was awesome and I gobbled it up. The best part about this is that it becomes a meatless meal and a light summer-time dish for those evenings when you just want to throw something together quickly without a whole lot of fuss.

Make this soon. You will not be sorry!

8 oz. *whole wheat spaghetti noodles (or pasta of your choice. I think a farfalle would look lovely)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

5 oz. fresh mozzarella balls packed in water (I used the little ones packed tightly in a moist package)

1/8 cup EVOO

2 -3 T. balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3  T. fresh basil, minced

1/2 t. sea salt

dash freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Rinse tomatoes and cut into halves. If using 1-inch mozzarella balls, cut into bite-sized pieces.

Mince fresh basil and garlic. Place in large bowl with tomatoes and mozzarella, EVOO, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix well.

The longer this mixture sits and marinates, the better it will be.

Drain cooked pasta. Top with the Caprese and enjoy!

*This particular recipe uses whole wheat spaghetti, but you could easily substitute rice noodles and make this a gluten-free meal.

These measurements yielded about 3 servings. To serve 4 or more, just double up on the measurements.

May Menu – 2012

WOW! May is a long month! 5 solid weeks of recipes is somehow way more intimidating than 4. I sit down to work out a month-long menu and my mind goes blank. I sift through magazine pages, foodie blogs, Pinterest, and emails from Kraft, BH&G, Southern Living- any of them that put out recipes, I’m on their mailing list. It’s a lot to go through. And then finally- a menu is born. I’ve got a whole lot of new things on here this month, so recipe links will be added periodically.

A realization came to me that has actually made planning A LOT easier. I tend to repeat my dinner theme on a regular basis. Once I realized this and decided to plan according to the themes, the menu came together quite easily. So with that in mind, the meals follow a simple pattern:

Monday: Meatless Meals

Tuesday: Chicken (or other poultry)

Wednesday: Mexican

Thursday: Fish/Seafood and Dessert Night

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Pasta

Sunday: Traditional Meals or Brunch-Inspired

Week 1 ~ May 1st – 6th

Chicken & Rice Pilaf with roasted asparagus

Taco Cornbread Pizza and salad

Tilapia (recipe to be decided) with veggies and rice

Tiramisu

*Pizza

Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs in Marinara with garlic toast

Brunch Cake

*I don’t make my own pizza. I started “Pizza Night” months and months ago to give myself a break. I buy frozen pizza and add turkey pepperoni for the boys. They love it and really dislike it when Friday comes around and I don’t make pizza. For me, I will sometimes add olives, spinach, chicken, and tomatoes.

Week 2 ~ May 7th – 13th

Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini

Baba’s Chicken and Cream, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits

Chicken Fajitas, rice & beans

Fish Cakes with Cheesy Rice Fritters and salad

Truffle Fudge

Pizza Night

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo with penne

Traditional Pot Roast {crock pot}, Sweet Potato Cornbread, and roasted brussels sprouts

Week 3 ~ May 14th – 20th

Cheesy Polenta and Veggies

BBQ Pulled Chicken {crock pot} Sandwiches and Corn on the cob

Easy Mexican Casserole

Dijon Dill Salmon, long grain and wild rice, broccoli

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pizza Night

Pasta with Pesto and Green Beans

Skillet Breakfast Pizza

Week 4 ~ May 21st – 27th

Cheesy Beans and Rice with garlic toast and salad

Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Skillet Corn, salad

Beef Enchiladas with rice, Bean Mash, and salad

Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Rum Sauce

Heavenly Filled Strawberries

Pizza Night

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese, veggies

Traditional Roast Chicken with Carrot Mash Bake, fresh green peas, and biscuits

Week 5 ~ May 27th – 31st

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup (Trader Joe’s) and Grilled Cheese sandwiches on Whole Wheat.

Chicken and Corn Chowder, salad, whole wheat dinner rolls

Ground turkey Tacos with all the fixins

Fish Newburg with green beans and Creamy Risotto

Brown Sugar Cake

EXTRAS ~ Breakfasts and Treats ~

Hunter-Style Muffins

Cinnamon Muffins (never got to them last month)

Cheesy Egg in a Bowl

Eclair Dessert

Eggs and Grits Bowls (I make this for the boys at least once a week)

Millefeuille Ratatouille

This week’s Meatless Monday feature is Ratatouille. If you’ve been following me long enough you’ll know this is a repost, but it is definitely worth one and deserves a place in my Meatless Monday cache.

I made this recently when we had family visiting for Easter break. Of course, I served it with Bulgur- my favorite way to eat this dish!

Click the links to take you to the recipes.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Millefeuille Ratatouille

Bulgur

 

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Another Meatless Monday is here and I’ve got something pretty good for you

I’ve been preparing half-sized recipes because the kids just aren’t that big on eggplant, mushrooms, etc. and a whole pan of leftover Moussaka would take hubby and I a week to eat. I like leftovers for lunch the next day, but can’t really say the same dish will turn me on the day after that, and the day after that. And since I’m usually the only one eating leftovers for lunch, well, let’s just say less is more.

So, many of my meatless recipes are designed for two, or possibly three or four, if your eaters are small, but mostly they are meals for two. With that understood it should be easily assumed that any recipe can be doubled.

I only have one picture because the plated enchiladas did not look as pretty as they tasted.

Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

1 pkg. sliced mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 bunch fresh spinach (it’ll look like a lot but spinach really cooks down)

1 tsp cumin, divided

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cream or milk (1/2 & 1/2 works in a pinch, too)

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 grated cheese, such as mexican Parmesan or sharp white cheddar

6 corn tortillas

Extra cheese

Cilantro (fresh or dried, to taste)

Saute mushrooms in EVOO until tender. Add garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add spinach and cumin; stir and heat until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 350*.

In a small saucepan, mix milk  and cornstarch. Add sour cream, the remaining cumin, chili powder, salt, and some cilantro. Cook and stir on medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Stir continually and allow to boil for one or two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, stirring until melted.

Spray a 4 x 7 baking dish with cooking spray and put 1/2 of the cream mixture over the bottom of the pan. Fill tortillas with vegetables, rolling them up and placing seam-side down in pan.Cover the enchiladas with the remainder of the cream mixture. Sprinkle with additional cheese and cilantro.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serves 2.

This recipe is small enough that it would be a great use for leftover veggies. Don’t be afraid to get experimental. You could easily use zucchini, bell pepper, onion, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno, and chilis. Your sauce can be a white creamy sauce or a red based sauce. There are so many options.

Eggplant Moussaka

It’s Meatless Monday again and I have a great recipe for you! I adapted this recipe from My Recipes: Vegetarian Moussaka, and it is great! The original version yields 4 huge servings at 343 calories each, so you know you’re eating right! I cut the recipe in half and it still was plenty for me and hubby.

 

1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 tbsp. EVOO, divided

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup uncooked bulgur

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 cup *chicken broth

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 medium tomatoes, pureed**

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

1/2 cup milk

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. grated Parmesan

1 egg, lightly beaten

*Since I’m not actually a vegetarian I didn’t have any problem using chicken broth in this recipe, which worked out perfectly because I had a cup of it leftover from a recipe I made last week and it was just sitting in my refrigerator, waiting to be usefull. You certainly could substitute a vegetable broth, however.

** I happened to have 2 tomatoes on their last legs so used them in place of 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained. It worked just as well, and some of the tomato bits I left chunky.

Preheat broiler. Brush eggplants slices with 1 tbsp. of EVOO, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and place on foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil for 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from broiler and set aside.

Set oven to preheat to 350*.

Heat skillet and add remaining 1 tbsp of EVOO to pan; swirl to coat. Add chopped onion to pan; saute 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minutes. (I usually throw my onion and garlic into the mini food processor together, which means they cook up together. It’s never a problem.) Add bulgur; cook 3 minutes or until bulgur is lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Add cinnamon. Stir in broth, oregano, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cook a few minutes. Whisk constantly to blend well. Gradually add milk, whisking. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese and salt. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Add egg, stirring well with a whisk.

In greased baking dish (4×6) arrange half the eggplant slices on the bottom in a single layer. Spread the bulgur mixture evenly over the eggplant. Use the rest of the eggplant slices to create a second layer over the bulgur mixture. Top with the milk mixture. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes and remove from oven. Can increase heat to 475* for an additional baking time of 5 minutes, or broil until top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Zucchini Tomato Feta Spaghetti Fritatta

In my search for great vegetarian dishes I came across two different frittata recipes. One called for linguine and greens (any kind such as collards), and the other, zucchini and tomato. Well, they both sounded so good that I just couldn’t decide. So instead of choosing I simply adapted both recipes and combined them into one fantastic frittata!

Zucchini Tomato Feta Spaghetti Frittata

1 Tbsp. EVOO

1 small onion, diced

2 large zucchini, or 3 smaller ones sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1-2 large tomato, sliced

1 Tbsp. fresh Thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)

Salt & Pepper

9 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup feta, chopped up

1/4 grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups cooked whole wheat  spaghetti or linguine

Pre-heat oven to 425*. In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add zucchini, onion, and thyme and cook, covered, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. {I browned mine anyway because that’s how I roll and it turned out great. So don’t panic if your stove top is hotter than any other in the whole world, like mine is.} Uncover, and cook until all the liquid in the pan evaporates. Season with salt and pepper, remove skillet from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add parmesan cheese and whisk briefly again. Stir in noodles. Pour egg mixture over zucchini. Use a fork to gently combine the vegetables with the noodles {You could cut the noodles up into smaller pieces before to make this easier. I didn’t because I like to make things difficult for myself. It still turned out fine} and to allow the beaten eggs to coat the bottom of the pan. Top with feta cheese and tomato slices.

Place skillet in oven and allow egg to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until egg mixture is fluffy, slightly browned, and center is set. You can set the broiler on the last few minutes.

Remove from oven; gently slide a heatproof spatula around the edges and underneath to loosen from skillet. Serve immediately.

There are so many ways to make a frittata!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s Meatless Monday recipe

Zucchini Fritters

Welcome to my first Meatless Monday post! This recipe came from Pinterest and I dreamed about it all the days leading up to when I actually made it.

It was AH-MA-ZING! 

This awesome recipe also came with a great sauce. You must try it! This is such a great meal for those days you want to go meatless. I’m not big on fried foods, but once in awhile is a treat, and this meal almost makes up for the fact that it’s fried Serve with a salad.

Vegetable oil for frying

3 cups grated zucchini

1 cup diced onion

2 eggs

1 cup flour (I use 1/2 all-purpose, unbleached & 1/2 whole wheat mix)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

*Pour oil into skillet about 1/2 inch deep and turn heat to medium. While oil is heating up combine zucchini, onion, and eggs in a large bowl. Give the mixture a good stir.

In a smaller bowl combine flour and the remaining ingredients. Then add to zucchini and fold in until mixed well.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons, frying about 6 fritters at a time.  Cook on each side about 2-3 minutes, depending on how crispy and brown you want them. When the centers are firm, remove from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

 

Chili Lime Aioli

 

1 cup prepared mayo

juice from half a lime (about 1-2 ounces)

1/2 tsp. chili powder (add to taste)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

*Simply combine the ingredients, stirring well. Refrigerate until slightly chilled to take the mayo taste out. Serve with fritters

 

Now I’m thinking of all kinds of fritters….Corn Fritters, Cheese and Broccoli Fritters, Apple Fritters, even a Coconut Chicken Fritter. The possibilities are truly endless. I hope you enjoy   

Meatless Mondays aren’t just a fad.

How many of you eat a whole chicken breast or steak weighing in at an average of 8 to 10 ounces per meal? I know I do. In fact, you probably don’t even realize how much meat you’re consuming per meal, but the suggested amount is only 4 ounces of lean meat. So let’s say you eat a burger for lunch. Unless it’s a small burger from McDonalds {yuck!}, it’s probably going to be between a quarter to half a pound. Then for dinner you prepare a meal that allows for each family member to have a full chicken breast of their own. That’s well over 4 ounces again. It way more meat than our bodies need daily.

For optimum health we need to get away from canned foods (especially those with BPA- but this toxin is found in a lot more things than just cans, it’s also in our plastic, for example); meat, eggs, and dairy products that contain hormones, among other things; breads and cereals that include disgusting ingredients such as L-cysteine.

This is not a complete list by any means, and it doesn’t even cover things like soaps, shampoos, dish washing liquids, etc. All those things can be and are absorbed into the skin (or eaten off of “clean” plates and forks) and are just as toxic, but we’ll have to get to that another day.

So, in order to actually afford eating better we need to be realistic and smarter about it. If we should only be eating 4 ounces of meat at a time then spending more money on grass-fed beef or organic meats is more possible. Plus, who says we have to eat meat at every meal? You can get just as much protein from beans, legumes and eggs.

That’s when I realized that I don’t have to search out a ton of new recipes (even though I will anyway just because I’m always looking for new recipes) but instead I just have to incorporate healthier ingredients into the recipes I already love Then it came to me- why am I not searching out more vegetarian meals?

And so Meatless Mondays on The Home Heart begins!

Now, I know this isn’t a new idea by any means, in fact it’s all over the blog world. But for us it is new, and not only that but I hope to plan out my future menus with more than just one vegetarian meal a week. I began this project by surveying my Facebook friends with the question, “What’s your favorite meatless meal?”

Here are some of the replies:

1. Vegetarian Moussaka

2. Eggplant Parmesan

3. Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

4. Linguine Frittata with Greens

5. Butternut Squash Risotto

6. Vegetable/Eggplant Lasagna

7. Black Bean Soup

I intend to try these, and any other awesome recipes that come my way, and feature them on Meatless Mondays. If you have a favorite vegetarian recipe that you’d like to share, please feel free to post it here or contact me through The Home Heart on Facebook. There is a link on the upper right side of this blog. I would love to see what great meatless meals you are all eating.