Chickpea Bajane from Cooking Light July 2010

For over 7 years, I have been trying to get my husband to agree to vegetarian dinners. Well, he finally came around and suggested Meatless Mondays! :)

I found this recipe in the July 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine. I loved the colors in the photo so I decided to try it. :)


Chickpea Bajane

Bajane is a Provencal term for the midday meal. Chickpeas are a staple in Provence, where they are often stewed and served with pasta and vegetables. In this version, chickpeas, leeks, carrots, fennel, and spinach are served atop protein-rich quinoa.

Quinoa:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup organic vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt

Chickpea mixture:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 large)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups sliced fennel bulb (about 1 large)
1 3/4 cups (1/4 inch thick) slices carrot (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can no salt added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach

1. To prepare quinoa, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 garlic clove to pan; saute 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and next 4 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt); cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

2. To prepare chickpea mixture, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek and 4 garlic cloves to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, fennel bulb, carrot, and fennel seeds; saute 10 minutes or until vegetables are golden. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in 1 cup broth, 2 teaspoons thyme or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup broth, 2 teaspoons thyme, and chickpeas; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and spinach.

3. Place about 2/3 cup quinoa in each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 1/ cups chickpea mixture. Sprinkle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon of thyme. Yield: 4 servings.

Shrimp Curry

My dear friend, Laura sent me this recipe. It is a very easy "go-to" recipe when you need something yummy and healthy.

I have never marinated the shrimp for more than 30 minutes and I use uncooked, frozen tail on shrimp. Serve over salad, with rice or with mango salsa.

1 lb fresh, uncooked shrimp (tail on or off)
1 tablespoon curry
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper

Blend above in a Ziploc bag and marinade overnight.

Preheat oven to 500degrees and warm a baking dish for 5 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook for five minutes.

See! I told you it was easy!

Shrimp and Asparagus with Ginger-Sesame Sauce from April 2000 Cooking Light

This recipe was so, so easy and incredibly yummy! I didn't have any mushrooms handy so I made it without them.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 1/2 cups shrimp mixture and 3/4 cup rice)

Marinated Shrimp
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (I use gluten free soy sauce)
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
dash of black pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen, raw, peeled, tail on shrimp.)

Remaining Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups (2-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus
1 1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 2 (3.5 ounce) packages)
1 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1 tablespoons sesame seeds

To prepare marinated shrimp, combine first 9 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. Remove shrimp from bag, reserving marinade.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and mushrooms; saute 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Combine reserved marinade, water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Vegetable Soup from Cooking Light April 1999

My Mom found this Cooking Light recipe (from their April 1999 issue). It is so flavorful, healthy and has more vegetables than you can imagine.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size is 2 cups and 2 tablespoons of cheese)


Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 5 garlic cloves, minced (or you can use jarred minced garlic)
• 2 cups chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
• 2 cups (2-inch) cut green beans (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears) - I use frozen when I cannot get fresh.
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 (14 1/4 ounce) cans fat free beef broth (I use gluten free.)
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 4 cups chopped seeded tomato
• 2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (about 3 ounces) omit if you are (a) planning on freezing or (b) gluten free
• 1 (8 ounce) can no-salt added tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Stir in celery and next 9 ingredients (celery through kidney beans). Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add tomato, macaroni and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until the pasta is done. Add cabbage, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes or until cabbage wilts. Serve with cheese.

Note: Refrigerate any remaining soup in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for up to three months.

Golden Winter Soup from Cooking Light January/February 2008

This is a very yummy soup! It is simple yet flavorful and I would like to thank the January/February 2008 edition of Cooking Light for publishing it!

Golden Winter Soup

2 tablespoons of butter
5 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth (I use gluten free chicken broth.)
1 cup half-and-half
12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices (for my non-gluten free friends & family)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1. Preheat Broiler
2. Melt butter in large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt and pepper to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add leek; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of the potato mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. (I use an immersion blender. I highly recommend it.) Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
3. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Chipotle Orange Shrimp from The Family Dinner

WOW! This was GOOD!

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

• 1/2 frozen condensed orange juice, defrosted
• grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I made sure mine was gluten free)
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce from a can** (Latino section of your grocery store)
• salt and pepper to taste

For the shrimp:

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled & deveined (I used frozen, peeled & deveined shrimp)
• squeeze of lime
• cilantro or scallions for garnish

**You can use more or less depending on how spicy you like it; if you want it much less spicy, just us a tablespoon of the sauce from the can, not the chile itself. (I used 2 chile's and it had a good kick!)

To Make 4-6 servings:

Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender (I used an immersion blender) and blend until smoth. Taste for seasonings. Is it tangy & sweet and salty with a little heat?

In a non-reactive bowl (the acid in citrus revolts in aluminum or iron bowls), mix the shrimp and marinade. Let this sit in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes.

With tongs, put the shrimp on an oiled baking sheet. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cooke the shrimp until sizzling and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip and broil until the second side is pink, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Alternatively, you can use the same method to grill the shrimp.

Squeeze the juice of 1 line into the sauce and tast for seasonings. Garnish with sauce and cilantro.

The Family Dinner (a wonderful cookbook) suggests serving with carmelized bananas and black beans. I didn't have this on hand so I served over brown rice with a side salad. It was fantastic!

Savory Sausage and White Bean Stew from The Family Dinner

The Family Dinner is a wonderful cookbook and this is a wonderfully easy yet flavorful dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 4-medium size organic Italian-style sausages, turkey, chicken or pork. (I suggest Adele Italian Sausage)
• 1 cup bread crumbs (they suggest panko because they are crunchier; or if you make your won bread crumb out of day-old bread, that would be great too.I used gluten free bread crumbs.)
• 3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped & divided
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained (I used one can of petite diced tomatoes)
• 3 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained (cannellini or great northern), or 5 cups home-cooked beans
• 2 cups chicken stock (I make sure mine is gluten free)
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice of 1 lemon
• handful of chopped parsley

Drizzle a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and over medium heat, saute the sausages so they are golden brown and crisp on each side, about 10 minutes. Then slice them on the bias, or into small bite size pieces...put them aside.

In the same pan, saute the bread crumbs, sage, 1 clove chopped garlic and Parmesan until they are crunchy and golden brown. You might need to add a little olive oil. Put the bread crumbs aside too.

Wipe out the pan, add 2 more tablespoons olive oil, and saute the onion until it is caramel colored and has little crispy edges. Add the remaining garlic, bay leaf and rosemary, stir for a moment, then add the wine and tomatoes, letting it all simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the beans and chicken stock, then nestle the sausage into the pan among the beans. Let it all gently simmer until the sauce has evaporated a bit and the beans are lovely and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Top with the bread crumbs, lemon juice and a shower of parsley.

Serve with a simple mixed green salad and whole grain mustard.