Category: Dinner
EC’s Mini {Red Pepper Stuffed} Mushrooms
| June 10, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Dinner, HOTR Eats |
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a recipe. The truth is, for awhile I thought I might give up posting them altogether. Because-let’s be honest-I’m no gourmet chef. And when it comes to my favorite things to make, it’s pretty hard to top {ontherun} Carrot Cake.
If a blogger wanted to go out with a bang, that would definitely be the way to go.
But then the other night, EC helped me create something that was both so incredibly delicious and simple to make, I thought I would be doing you all a disservice not to share it. The only problem – EC. As you may remember from the {Ontherun} Carrot Cake recipe, he has a “thing” against sharing {what he thinks should be} family recipes. And he doesn’t quite understand why I have this need to give away all my secrets.
Photo via cyclonebill on Flickr
But with a few threats to never cook him dinner again a little convincing, he agreed to let me share it – on two conditions. The first is that despite all the really simple recipes you read on this blog, if you ever come over for dinner, let’s just both pretend that I made you something incredibly complicated. You know, because I’m such a great cook and all. The second, is that I am going to tell you that these amazing stuffed mushrooms contain a secret ingredient*. Because every recipe sounds cooler when you say there’s a “secret ingredient”, don’t you think?
EC’s Mini {Red Pepper Stuffed} Mushrooms
(a.k.a. Incredibly Addicting Mushroom Bites)
The star of the recipe is this balsamic glaze that EC found at our local grocery store. It is thick and syrupy with a slightly sweet taste – and I would go so far as to say that this is the best balsamic I’ve ever tasted! Worth every penny (and believe me, it cost quite a few of them).
SInce I don’t usually advocate for buying a specific, slightly expensive ingredient for a recipe, you could probably substitute the glaze for a balsamic reduction. The key is that the balsamic you use should be thick and syrupy, without the usual acidic taste.
Ingredients
- 2 packs of mini portobello mushrooms, whole
- 1 roasted red pepper (I just used a jar, but you could roast your own)
- Olive oil
- Gorgonzola cheese
- 4 – 5 leaves of basil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- Balsamic Glaze
- Secret ingredient*
Directions
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees and cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2.) Wash your mushrooms and remove stems. Place in a bowl and drizzle a little olive oil (~2 tsp) over top. Mix well to coat evenly.
3.) Line up on baking sheet, stem side down. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes, until mushrooms start to brown.
4.) Meanwhile, start chopping! Chop the garlic, basil, and roasted red pepper up into very small pieces.
5.) Slowly heat 1 TBS of olive oil (enough to cover the bottom) and chopped garlic in a small frying pan over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes until soft. Add in basil and red peppers. Saute over medium heat for another 1 – 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, add in your breadcrumbs and ~ 1/4 cup Gorgonzola (more or less depending on how cheesy you would like the dish). Stir and heat until cheese has softened and mixture has started to clump together.
6.) Remove mushrooms from the oven, flip so that the stem side is now facing up. With a small teaspoon, stuff each mushroom with the filling. Sprinkle a drop of balsamic glaze on each mushroom cap.
7.) Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the filling is golden brown.
8.) Remove from oven, place on serving dish, and add a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Enjoy!
*There is no secret ingredient. But do me a favor and don’t tell EC. Ok??
Lentil Tacos Remix
| January 27, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Dinner, HOTR Eats |
To be completely honest, I probably shouldn’t even be posting this. I mean, it’s hardly a recipe, and it doesn’t even look pretty. But the truth is, this pile of mush is the most delicious dinner I’ve had in awhile. And I’m the type of person who, once I’ve discovered a new combination, has a strong urge to share it with the world as if I’m the only person in the history of the earth who has ever thought to mix these things together. So let’s just pretend I am for a minute, okay?
It started out just like any other night. I had a strong craving for lentil tacos, so I took out a pot to boil some water. But somewhere along the way, I got distracted by the sweet potatoes in the cupboard, and I suddenly needed to have one immediately. And that, my friends, is where creative genius was born.
Since I employed my favorite cooking method (the dump and pour), there really isn’t a great recipe to share. But I assure you, this is one of the easiest things you could ever make. The toughest part is waiting for everything to cook! Not only that, but the ingredients are inexpensive, and it’s a nutritional powerhouse! Packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins…and extremely low in fat. What more could a person ask for?
Lentil Taco Remix
What You’ll Need
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils
- 12 oz can of black beans
- 1 sweet potato
- Spices
- Salt
- Paprika
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Dash of crushed red pepper
Directions
1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash sweet potato and poke with a fork several times. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place directly on oven rack. Bake until soft, or about 1 hour. You’ll know it’s done when you see little bubbles of liquid coming out of the holes (that’s the sugar!).
2.) Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil to cook the lentils. For a tip, see my no fail lentil prep – it works great every time! But the secret is to use a lot of water. Cook the lentils like pasta — don’t worry about having extra water at the end. It’s also helpful to cook extra lentils all at once, to have them on hand for the rest of the week.
3.) When the lentils are close to being done, place about 3/4 of the can of beans into a small pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until heated through.
4.) Remove sweet potato from the oven, take off the skin, and mash.
5.) Once lentils are soft (after about 30 – 45 minutes), drain excess water. Place about a 1/2 cup in a bowl with sweet potato and black beans.
6.) Now it’s time to season! I honestly just wing it, but the trick is to use a lot of paprika and cumin, slightly less chili powder, and just a dash of crushed red pepper — unless you like things extra spicy. It’s really up to you. Everyone has a different “spice tolerance” so feel free to taste-test as you go. I’m told all the best chefs do it. 
**Hint: if the sweet potato is taking too long to cook for your liking, you can always put it in the microwave. Microwaving a sweet potato is so easy! Just poke holes as you would if you were going to bake it. Place on a paper towel and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Flip over and repeat. You’ll know it’s done when it’s soft and bubbly.**
Enjoy! Depending on how you serve it, this can definitely make enough to serve two. Use as filling in a burrito, combine with other taco fillings, eat plain as a side dish (or meal), or enjoy as a salad!
Massaged kale (drizzle of olive oil + salt), tomato, lentil taco remix, and cheddar cheese
It’s delicious no matter how you eat it. Just get creative…that way maybe you can convince people that your meal took forever to make and should probably be considered a culinary masterpiece for all the work you put in.
This might become a new obsession. I’ve already decided how I’m going to use it next.
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By the way, if you’re actually looking for something substantial to read, I suggest you read my very strong opinion about convenience store drive-thrus and weigh in here! There are definitely some great thoughts in the comments.
Lazy Girl’s Lentil Burgers
| September 23, 2010 | Posted by Lauren under Dinner, HOTR Eats |
This week, I haven’t felt much like cooking. Blame it on a bad case of post-relay blues, or on being over-tired, or because I found a couple fleas on my disgusting, dirty, lovable furball the other day which has made me itchy ever since. Whatever the reason, when it comes time to make dinner, I’ve been feeling rather uninspired.
I could’ve gone out to dinner, or gone grocery shopping to find some new foods that might inspire a burst of cooking, but I’m trying to save money and put off the grocery shopping until the weekend. So instead, I’ve been surviving on simple, one-dish dinners, doing everything I can to avoid eating oatmeal for every meal.
It finally hit me last night how dumb I was being. Instead of trying to make a dinner from scratch every night, why not just cook a big batch of something simple and use that as the basis of my meals for the rest of the week? Essentially, Meal Planning 101, but hey…sometimes I’m a little slow on the uptake.
So I filled a pot up with water and got to work boiling a nice big pot of lentils.
My original plan was to actually try Alex’s Lentil Meatballs. But a quick glance in the cupboard reminded me that I didn’t have any tomato sauce or paste or anything, so I changed my mind. Instead, I figured I’d whip up the next best thing: a lentil burger, because it’s quick and easy and because well, if you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’re probably convinced I eat nothing but Mexican food and veggie burgers. And why change that pattern now?
Making these burgers was super easy and just based on stuff I already had in the house. Earlier in the week I had made some Spicy Black Bean Avocado Dip, but used a little less avocado to give it a thicker consistency. I basically just mashed that together with some cooked lentils, breadcrumbs, and a little extra salt. Another super easy recipe for all you lazy cooks out there.
These came out a little flimsier than your typical bean burgers, but are incredibly delicious. I love how hearty lentils are, and how they easily take on the flavoring of other things. They’re cheap, nutritious, and with a little side of veggies, provide a much more rounded meal than a bowl of oatmeal (as delicious as that may be).
Lazy Girl’s (or guy’s!) Lentil Burgers
Makes 2 patties
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cooked lentils (see my no-fail lentil cooking method here)
- 1/4 cup Spicy Black Bean Avocado Dip (basically just black beans, avocado, garlic, lemon juice & spices)
- ~1/8 cup bread crumbs
- Salt
Directions
Mash lentils and black bean avocado dip in a bowl with a fork. Once it’s well combined, slowly add in your bread crumbs. You want the mixture to stick together well enough to form a patty, but you don’t want it to be too dry (hint: if the mixture feels too dry and falls apart in your hands, add a little water. Just run your hands under the faucet and shape the patty with wet hands.)
Cook on medium-high heat in a greased skillet (a little EVOO or Pam works about the same) for about 4 – 5 minutes until bottom is golden brown. Flip and repeat.
Sometimes Koli likes to get in on the excitement
And there you have it. Another simple veggie burger recipe that took all of 10 minutes! Makes me wonder why I ever bothered buying Morningstar…
To round out the meal, I had my favorite “lazy girl’s” dessert:
Candy corn + peanut butter. Don’t knock it till you try it. It’s salty, sweet and downright addicting. And as an added bonus, it doubles as the perfect running fuel.
Cannellini Beans – the other white “meat”
| August 30, 2010 | Posted by Lauren under Dinner, HOTR Eats |
The other day, in search of a different type of veggie burger and some new dinner inspiration, I dumped a can of cannellini beans into a bowl and mashed them together with some lemon juice, fresh cilantro, and a little EVOO.
The result was so surprising and delicious that I immediately called EC. “I think I just found the perfect vegetarian ‘chicken’!” I exclaimed.
His reaction was a skeptical one. “Does it actually taste like chicken?” he asked.
Well of course it does! I wanted to insist. I mean, it’s a white patty with a texture that maybe even looks a little bit like chicken if I squint at it from just the right angle. So what if my memory of chicken’s taste is a little fuzzy from not having eaten it in over 13 years…or that I hadn’t actually added any type of chicken-like seasoning to it – this was the real deal.
The next night EC came over for dinner and my recipe was put to the test. I eagerly watched as he took a bite of his ‘chicken’ patty sandwich, barely waiting for him to finish chewing before asking him what he thought.
“It’s good!” was his only response. “Yeah, but does it taste like chicken??” I insisted.
At that he paused, put down his sandwich, and with a smile he turned to me and said simply: “No.”
Not quite the answer I was hoping for, but I have to at least love him for his honesty. So it doesn’t really taste like chicken. Even so, this light, summery patty is a perfect veggie meat alternative. It’s delicious and super easy to make. And no matter what anyone says, it’ll always be “chik’n” to me.
Lemon Cilantro Cannellini Bean Burgers (aka Veggie Chik’n)
Makes 4 – 6 patties
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup oatbran
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (preferably local, organic and not from a certain farm in Iowa)
- 2 TBS of lemon juice (more if you like it really lemony)
- 1 tsp garlic
- A generous drizzle of olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1.) Dump all your ingredients into a small to medium-sized bowl.
2.) Take out your handy-dandy mashing implement and mash everything together until well mixed. But don’t puree it — you want to still have some full/partially full beans in the mix. You also want the mixture to be moist, but not so wet that it isn’t able to stick together.
3.) Take a big handful and shape it into a patty.
4.) Place patties in a lightly greased frying pan and cook over medium heat for 4 – 5 minutes until bottom is brown. Flip and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes, until golden brown.
And voila! Lemon cilantro cannellini chik’n patties!
Serve on a bun, over a salad, with marinated veggies, or in your favorite pasta recipe.
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A couple of additional things:
1.) This past week, I’ve been playing around with the look of the site. So if you’ve been reading these posts in a reader or email, take a quick minute to actually go to the site and let me know what you think!
2.) Tomorrow is the last day of August! Which means if you’ve tried The Core and haven’t let me know yet, please leave a comment here or shoot me an email by midnight on the 31st. I only know of a couple of you who have done it, so at this point your odds of winning my “fabulous” prize are pretty good!
3.) And finally, on a completely unrelated note… I know I talk a lot about public health and marathon running and eating beans instead of chicken, but just so that there’s no false perceptions out there about me, I figured I’d show you the inside of my freezer. Overall, I think I eat pretty healthy, but I do strongly believe in allowing yourself to indulge. Most nights after dinner, I treat myself to some of dessert. And I’m not just talking about indulging in a square of chocolate…
Along with a couple hidden bags of frozen veggies, the only thing inside my freezer:
The Seagrams belongs to EC, but the ice cream is all mine. I’ve got a slight problem – I can’t pass up a sale on ice cream. What can I say…it just goes against my very nature. 
Vegetarian Tacos
| August 7, 2010 | Posted by Lauren under Dinner, HOTR Eats |
One of my favorite meals (pre-vegetarian days and now) has always been tacos. I love the messiness of them, and I love the multitude of favors – especially the contrast of spicy “meat” with crisp lettuce and cool cheese.
Now, if you’re a vegetarian (or someone looking for a healthier alternative) and find yourself with a hankering for tacos, you could go to the grocery store, get yourself a package of soy meat crumbles and a packet of taco seasoning and whip yourself up a delicious meal in no time at all.
Or…for less money, more nutrition, and the same amount of time, you can try this homemade version instead.
The star of the show – lentils.
Lentils are legumes that are packed with nutrition. They’re high in fiber, protein, and vitamins…and low in calories. And the best part – compared to other dried beans, they don’t take that long to cook. No soaking or extensive preparation needed.
I used to be afraid of lentils. Even though I’ve been a vegetarian for 14 years now, it wasn’t until last winter that I actually discovered my love for them. I’m not really sure why, but for the first 25ish years of my life, I wouldn’t go anywhere near them. Then one day my roommate (a lover of lentils) finally convinced me to try them – and the rest is history.
Although lentils are typically considered a winter food, my favorite thing to make with them can be enjoyed all year-round: Tacos.
Yes, I realize this looks like a burrito — but I prefer to call it a soft-shelled taco
Vegetarian Tacos with Homemade Guacamole
No-Fail Lentil Prep
Lentils are the perfect thing to use as taco filling, because they easily absorb flavors and have a meat-like heartiness when cooked. This filling is extremely easy to prepare, but does require some advance preparation, since lentils can take up to 45 minutes to cook.
There are two important things you need to do when preparing lentils:
1.) Before doing anything, give them a good rinse with cold water. Look carefully to make sure they’re clean and no small stones are hiding in the bowl (these are dried beans, after all).
2.) When cooking, make sure to use enough water. Otherwise you may be stuck with a bunch that don’t open up. For each 1 cup of lentils that you cook, you should add at least 3 cups of water. Don’t worry about all that being absorbed by the end; you can drain out the extra when you’re done.
My fail-proof strategy — cook the beans in a big pot with lots of extra water, like you would pasta. Bring the water to a boil, add lentils (I used 1 cup) and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 30 – 45 minutes.
Homemade Guacamole
(makes 3 generous portions)
While your lentils are cooking, get to work making the guacamole. In a bowl, combine:
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- Salt (to taste)
Squeeze the juice from ~1/4 of a lime over ingredients and mash with fork until well combined. You want the mixture to be spreadable, but still a little chunky.
Cover and keep in fridge until tacos are ready.
Lentil Taco ‘Meat’
Once the lentils are soft, it’s time to give them some flavor! It’s super easy to make a great-tasting filling without those high-sodium flavor packets. For this meal, I just used:
- 1 huge handful of diced tomatoes
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic, salt, and the following spices:
That would be minced onion, crushed red pepper, ground cumin, chili powder, and paprika.
Quick fact about me: I hate onions. It’s mostly a texture thing, but I can’t stand foods that have a strong onion flavor. So when it comes to cooking, I either skip it altogether (like with the guac) or I cheat. Minced onion adds a little bit of flavor to a dish without that overwhelming onion taste or slimy texture.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…back to the filling:
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and spices. Cook over medium-high heat until tomatoes start to soften, about 5 minutes or so.
- Add your drained lentils and cook for another 5 -10 minutes, until the lentils have really absorbed all the flavors. Add extra spices as necessary.
Now you’re ready to prepare your feast!
Notice the Chobani in the back left? No, that’s not for dessert. Greek Yogurt actually makes an excellent substitution for sour cream. It’s just about the same consistency, and lower in fat and calories. You can’t even tell the difference – I promise!
Now you tell me — what could be better on a hot summer night than tacos, Corona, and Sox vs. Yankees?
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