Easy fall weeknight meal: Cranberry Cheese Melt

Recipe name: Cranberry Cheese Melt
Source: no idea
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: October 26

2 oz cream cheese
2 oz shredded gouda or swiss
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
8 slices bread
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Mix cream cheese, gouda and walnuts and spread on half the slices of bread. Top with cranberry sauce, onion, cheddar cheese and remaining bread. Spray large skillet. Heat over medium heat until sandwiches brown on the bottom. Spray tops of sandwiches and turn to heat the other side.

The first time I made this sandwich I didn't care for it, and that is because I do not like raw onion. The second time I made it, I sauteed the onions before putting them in the sandwich, and that move totally saved this recipe, in my opinion. It is easy to throw together, has a taste that is a bit different from standard weeknight fare, and would go very well with a cup of hot soup on a chilly night. Enjoy!

A different (but good!) vegetarian dish

Recipe name: Rice with African Peanut Sauce
Source: no idea
Servings: 6
Cookbook date: October 30


Ingredients
3 cups brown rice, cooked
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 20 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is soft and golden.
Add the curry powder and coriander, then cook for 1 minute more.
Pour in the tomatoes, then stir in the salt, crushed pepper flakes, and Tabasco. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Stir in the peanut butter and peanuts. Cook for about 5 minutes more. Stir frequently so that the sauce at the bottom of the pot doesn't overcook. The sauce is done when it thickens. Serve the sauce over rice.

Once again, I forgot to take a picture. Tim and I have made this dish twice, I think, and we have loved it both times. It has such a different, yet totally yummy flavor. I'm always well-pleased to find a vegetarian dish that holds it own and doesn't make me think that I'm just eating large quantities of a side dish.

This would also be good with some sort of flat bread. If you try this out, let me know what you think!

Sweet Potato Burritos

Recipe name: Sweet Potato Burritos
Source: Unknown
Servings: 6-8
Cookbook date: Oct 21

1/2 Tbsp veg oil
Handfull of chopped onions
1 clove garlic minced
1 can refried beans
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp grounds cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp soy sauce
6-8 flour tortillas
40 oz can yams, mashed
Shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the beans. Gradually stir in water and heat until warm. Remove the bean mixture from the heat. Stir in all spices and soy sauce.

Heat tortillas in microwave oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute to soften. Put bean mixture on tortillas and spread sweet potato over the beans mixture. Top with cheese. Roll up burrito style and place on a lightly greased backing sheet. Sprinkle top of burritos with cheese. Bake for 12 mins.

Both Tiffany and I really enjoyed this dish. Usually we freeze the leftovers so we can eat them later. In fact, this time we doubled the recipe so that we would have plenty of leftovers. The bean mixture was a little too thin. Next time we will not add as much water. I would suggest just adding the water until the bean mixture gets to a consistency that looks good to you.

Healthy(ish) Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe name: Healthy(ish) Mac and Cheese
Source: no idea
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: October 15

8-10 oz cooked macaroni
8 oz shredded sharp cheese
12 oz cottage cheese
8 oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

In a 9x13 pan, stir together cooked macaroni, cheeses, yogurt, Parmesan and salt and pepper. Put foil on top and bake for 30 minutes. That's it!

I made this for the first time last night, and I absolutely love it. I'm not going to tell you that it is the very best mac and cheese that I've ever had, because that's not true. But it is most definitely the easiest homemade macaroni and cheese I've ever made, and given that it doesn't contain any butter or heavy cream, it tastes AWESOME. I suppose it isn't exactly accurate to call this a "healthy" meal, but I really think this is a great recipe to use when you want some comfort food, but you want to skip the guilt that comes from eating something with enough calories in it to sustain you for 3 days straight!

Sage Scented Sweet Potato Pizza

Recipe name: Sage Scented Sweet Potato Pizza
Source: no idea
Servings: 3-4
Cookbook date: October 1

Ingredients
2 cups sliced sweet potatoes
1 cup sliced onion
1 tsp dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
refrigerated pizza dough
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup colby-jack cheese

Spray an aluminum foil-lined pan with cooking spray. Arrange sweet potatoes and onion on a pan; Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with sage. Roast at 426 10-15 minutes (until almost tender); cool to room temperature. Season with salt and pepper.

Spray a 12 inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Spread dough on the pan. Sprinkle dough with garlic. Arrange potato mixture on dough and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake pizza until crust is browned.

This pizza recipe isn't quite as speedy as I like, due to having to cook the sweet potatoes, let the cool, and then cook the entire pizza afterwards. However, you will most definitely be surprised by how delicious this is! Sage isn't the type of spice that I usually give center stage to in a recipe, so I was concerned that the pizza would taste weird at best. And the taste was different, but very tasty. We forgot to take a picture; sorry!

White Bean Dip

Recipe name: White Bean Dip
Source: Giada on Food Network via Simply Tasty
Servings: 4

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color. Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

I saw this recipe over at Simply Tasty a while back and bookmarked it to try later. Today was later. Let me tell you that my only regret is that I didn't try this sooner. I really think this may be my new favorite healthy snack. I love the creamy texture and the lemon-garlic infused taste. If you like hummus this is an absolute must try. I had it with some leftover pita bread, but I'll also be cutting up some raw veggies to have with it.

Southwest Brown Rice and Black Bean Burgers

Recipe name: Southwest Brown Rice and Black Bean Burgers
Source: Taste Buds via Prudence Pennywise
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: December 2

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1-3 tablespoons minced jalapeno or green chilies, (canned is fine)
1/4 cup salsa
1 egg white
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
cheese, if desired

Mix rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, onion, cilantro, chilies, salsa, and egg white in large bowl. Mixture will be very moist. Add flour, using only enough so that you can shape the mixture into patties. Dust the outside of the patties lightly with flour. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and warm. Add patties and cook until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with cheese, reduce heat to low and cover with lid to melt cheese.


Special thanks to Annemarie at Taste Buds for posting this delicious recipe. This came together very easily, so it makes a terrific weeknight meal. The only changes we made were to leave out the chilies (instead we added a few drops of tabasco) and we just used the whole egg instead of the egg white alone. The burger was a tad bit on the dry side, but this was much improved with some traditional hamburger condiments!

Moving on without the camera

I still can't find the cord so I can upload my pictures. I've decided not to stall my blog any longer, though. I know that recipe posts are much better with pictures, but we have been making some yummy stuff and I want to capture that here and share it with you, pictures or not! So here we go!

Recipe name:Mexican black bean and spinach pizza
Source: Cooking Light
Servings: 4 (at 2 slices each)
Cookbook date: August 24

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place pizza crust on a baking sheet; bake at 375° for 5 minutes or until crisp.

Mash beans with a fork; combine beans and next 4 ingredients (beans through garlic) in medium bowl, stirring to combine. Spread bean mixture over crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Spoon salsa evenly over bean mixture; top with spinach and cilantro. Drizzle with hot sauce; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

I was a little bit worried about the spinach being too excessive, but by the time I squeezed all of the water out of it, it was just fine. We served this to company and they seemed to enjoy it. We love pizza and we love Mexican food, and this recipe was a perfect marriage. I think this is the third cooking light pizza I have made, and I've loved them all!

Pizza Margherita

Recipe name: Pizza Margherita
Source: Inspired by Cook's Encyclopedia of 30 Minute Cooking
Servings:2-3
Cookbook date: August 16

1 pizza crust, about 10-12 inches in diameter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chunky tomato sauce
5 oz mozzarella cheese
2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
6-8 fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper

Tim here. Let me start by saying that the only thing that I used from the recipe above was the picture of the pizza for inspiration. To start with, I didn't have a pre-made pizza crust (all out at Kroger) but one of those pizzas in a bag that you can get in the baking aisle of the grocery store. So I basically just followed the directions on the bag.

I tried to get fancy and preheat the pizza stone and then place the pizza on it. I'm getting ahead of myself. Here is what I put on the pizza. For the sauce I used some spicy spaghetti sauce, very tasty. I then layered some shredded mozzarella. On top of that I put a bit of green onions we had that were about to go bad. Why? Because as Tiffany says "We are in a recession and we already bought them and don't want them to go to waste." I also placed some halved cherry tomatoes and topped the whole thing off with some basil and some more cheese.

The pizza stone and oven was preheated to 425. The back of the bag for the pizza crust had directions for using the pizza stone. It suggested using a wooden paddle to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and I was all like, "I don't need a paddle, I can improvise. I'm a smart guy". I was feeling pretty smug with my system. I had placed the pizza on top of some parchment paper that had been layered with corn meal. The plan was to roll the pizza off the parchment paper onto the stone.

I hadn't counted on the pizza sticking to the parchment paper. I ended up using a spatula to get the pizza off the parchment paper and by that point the pizza was in pieces. I thought for sure my Italian genes would get me through on this one. Oh well. The good news is that even though I messed it up it still tasted great. I guess even I can't miss up bread, cheese and tomatoes :)

Baked Black Bean Dip

Recipe name: Baked Black Bean Dip
Source: no idea
Servings: 3
Cookbook date: August 15

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 clove garlic, diced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 cup grated cheddar
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 small tomato, diced
tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beans, sour cream, garlic and cumin in a food processor. Process until mixed but still chunky.
spread mixture in a pie plate. Top with cheese, onions, olives and tomato.
Bake 15 minutes.

Our substitutions: I only had cherry tomatoes, but they worked out really well. I didn't have any olives (but I know they would rock in this recipe). Believe it or not, I made this with the sour cream and Tim gave it his seal of approval. It's a miracle!!!
This is super yummy. It was really good with Wheat Thins. The next time I make this I will double it because it doesn't last long enough. This is also a great dish for those nights when you want something really fast, because it comes together quickly.

Pita Wedges with Banana Salsa

Recipe name: Pita Wedges with Banana Salsa
Source: unsure
Servings: 3
Cookbook date: July 26

1 large ripe banana, peeled and diced
1 medium nectarine, pitted and chopped
1/2 large green pepper, chopped
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp brown sugar
Toasted pita wedges from 3 small pita bread rounds


In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except wedges. Toss lightly to mix. Serve with toasted pita wedges.

Simple, fresh, divine! Does anyone else get this overwhelming feeling of self-righteousness when they eat something so healthy? I'll be honest, I feel downright smug! I become immediately convinced that all my late night ice cream sins are absolved simply by making a meal made up of only good things (well, ok, it does have a teaspoon of brown sugar...). What can I say? I'm ridiculous. Now go make this recipe so you can feel holier than thou, like me!

P.S. It is officially my birthday month. Let the festivities begin. Awwww yeah.

Curried chickpeas and black beans

Recipe name: Curried chickpeas and blackbeans
Source: Cheap, Healthy, Good
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: July 15
Date prepared: July 15

Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
4 teaspoons curry powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and gingerroot; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder; cook an additional minute. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add salt, black beans, and chickpeas; stir well. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
277.5 calories, 4.4 g fat, $0.82


Please check out the awesome blog Cheap, Healthy, Good! I am a regular reader of this blog, and I was so excited to try my first recipe from their site this week.
Now, I have to admit, I didn't really think that this was going to be that filling. I was afraid that it was going to pretty much feel as though I was trying to fill up on a side dish. Not so, my friends! The beans in this meal are very filling. The flavor is also fantastic. And as you can tell from the recipe, it was crazy simple to make. Give it a try! It is easy on the wallet, the waistline, and the environment.

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A Summer Salad

Recipe name: Green and Red Salad
Source: no idea
Servings: 4-6
Cookbook date: June 4
Date prepared: June 1


Mixed greens or spinach
2 green onions, chopped
1 medium red apple, diced
1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries
raspberry vinaigrette dressing

In a bowl, toss salad greens, onions, and fruit. Drizzle with dressing, toss and serve immediately.

This was a great choice for us as we faced our first dinner at home after eating out and at the tables of others for a full week. It was super simple and required no cooking, just some chopping. Also, this was a feel good dish. I was eating vegetables and fruits, and for a brief moment I convinced myself that this is how I always eat. The only downside is that this can be sort of tough to fill up on, but if you add some pine nuts and some goat cheese, and maybe some raisins it would be more filling. Otherwise, I would recommend this as a starter or side dish.

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