cilantro spinach chickpea salad {by laurie}

hi everyone!  i'm laurie, one of jenn's friends from way back in the day.  (believe it or not, jenn and i have known each other since fifth grade!)  for as long as i can remember, jenn and i have loved to eat . . . really, who doesn't?  so, i was so excited when she told me she was starting a collaborative food blog.  i am trilled to join the team and to be able to share some recipes here!

i absolutely love cooking and baking.  for as long as i can remember back, i have been helping my mom in the kitchen.  my mom is absolutely amazing when it comes to food, and i definitely get my love of being in the kitchen from her.  now that i'm married, i love being able to cook and bake with my husband too.  we have so much fun creating recipes together for our family and friends.

i share tons of recipes as well as snapshots of my daily life over on my blog love, laurie so be sure to stop by and say hi sometime.

so . . . let's get down to business.  the real reason that i'm here is to tell you about this salad.  since it has been so hot the past few days, i haven't been in the mood for heavy meals.  so the other day for dinner i made this chickpea salad with cilantro and spinach.  it was so light and refreshing (and healthy too)!  ryan has already requested that i make it again soon.  i have a feeling that this salad is going to be a staple in our house over the summer!

cilantro spinach chickpea salad
prep time: 10 minutes
yields: 4 servings

ingredients:
2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas
4 cups of fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
dash of salt
dash of pepper

directions:
drain and rinse the chickpeas.  place the chickpeas in a bowl and set aside.  in a food processor, add the spinach and pulse until finely chopped.  add the chopped spinach to the bowl with the chickpeas.
in the food processor, add the cilantro, onion, lime juice, sugar, olive oil, garlic powder, and onion powder.  pulse until smooth.  pour the cilantro dressing over the spinach and chickpeas.  stir well.  season with salt and pepper to taste.

*you can see my original post of this recipe here on my blog.

enjoy!

love, laurie

(mostly) Vegan Easter!

My sister Lisa is vegan and so I challenged myself for Easter to make a mostly vegan meal for our families to enjoy. There was no super elaborate recipes, just simple good healthy food made vegan with a few modifications. The best thing about this meal is that I don't think anyone would have realized it was vegan if I didn't mention it and it was enjoyed by everyone.

Appetizers:
We made a vegi and cracker platter with two different dips. The chopped vegis included broccoli, orange bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and celery. The crackers were garden triscuts and buffalo wheat thins (both naturally vegan). The dips were a roasted red pepper hummus (store bought) and a homemade dip which was a sweet pepper and onion relish mixed with vegan cream cheese to create a creamy sweet peppery dip. It was a huge hit!

Entrees/Sides:
Spiral Ham (the only non-vegan menu item, prepared according to the package)
Roasted Potatoes and Onions (chopped potatoes, chopped onions, garlic, salt, pepper, evoo, baked in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for about an hour)
Maple Carrots (peeled, sliced, simmered on stove with a little water, evoo, salt, and maple syrup until carrots are cooked and liquid is reduced)
Dijon Balsamic Asparagus (sauteed asparagus tossed with balsamic vinegar, evoo, dijon mustard, salt and pepper)
Portabello Mushroom Linguine (sauteed mushrooms and onions tossed with tri color linguine and a garlic white wine sauce)

Desserts were not provided by me but included a cherry cobbler (vegan) and pineapple orange sorbet (also vegan) and chocolate cake/ice cream (not vegan).

Baked Sweet Potatoes

The story here is that my grandma Ruth (yoga teacher extraordinaire, health nut, Epstein family matriarch, and true Florida-lover) found a great produce stand at her local farmers' market and when I was down visiting last weekend, she highly recommended the sweet potatoes, so I got some :) They're not just sweet potatoes- they're YELLOW sweet potatoes- and they sure are sweet! They sat in our pantry for a few days, then I scrubbed them down, cut off the ends, poked a fork into them a couple times and put them in the oven at 350 for about an hour. The end result? Sweeter-than-you-can imagine, fluffy but moist potatoes that Kyle and I both enjoyed!

Note: I didn't do anything to the skin aside from washing it. It wasn't as tasty as some other potato skins that I've had and was even really tough in spots. Normally, I'd eat at least some of the skin, because I know there are some good health benefits, but it was not easy to eat this, so I didn't. Next time, I may put a little olive oil over it- maybe it was a little burnt? Oh well, the inside was so good, it didn't matter!

Stir Fry Veggies

Just sauteed some squash, brussels sprouts and onion with a little vegetable broth on the stove. They turned out perfectly, and I enjoyed them at lunch and dinner. Then they were gone! Ready for more :)

Note: I rolled the brussels sprouts around with a little olive oil, garlic powder and salt first)

Mashed Potato Timbales

Let me just start by saying that I'm really glad I brought our mini muffin tins along to Florida. I've used them so many times, for actual muffins and a number of non-muffin recipes, and have found that anything in a mini-muffin shape is 1) the perfect size and 2) so much more fun to eat (despite being a little bit more time-consuming to create).

I found the recipe for Mashed Potato Timbales (What is a timbale? Click here to find out!) and pinned it awhile back on my 'Recipes I Want to Make' board on Pinterest. Then I made it, and these turned out delicious :)

Note: See pics at the bottom and forgive their fuzziness. These were taken in the stage of our Florida time when I didn't have a working digital camera. Thanks, iPhone for taking some decent pics, but I'm SO happy that I have a new camera now! Look for newer, lighter, clearer pics soon!!

Here's the recipe I followed:



Yield: 12 Servings muffin-size (or 36 for minis)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds potatoes (about 6 potatoes), peeled and cubed
8 ounces ricotta cheese (reduced fat)
8 ounces sour cream (reduced fat)
2 egg whites (I used 2 whole eggs)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp grated onion
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko crumbs)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (I crushed it myself! Put some dried rosemary in a baggie, folded in a dish towel, and rolled a glass bottle over it! A rolling pin would work, too! This releases the flavor and breaks up the rosemary. Mmm)
1/4 tsp pepper (skipped)


How to Make 'Em:
Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with butter and onion until small lumps of potato remain; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat ricotta cheese, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, rosemary and pepper until smooth. In a small bowl, beat eggsuntil frothy; fold into cheese mixture. Fold or beat into potato mixture.

Generously coat muffin cups with nonstick spray; evenly sprinkle muffin cups with bread crumbs. Fill with potato mixture; smooth tops.

Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 27-30 minutes or until edges of potatoes are lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes. Loosen timbales from sides of muffin cups; invert onto a baking sheet to remove.

These are so delicious and made about 3 dozen, so I froze some for later and we've been enjoying them for a few weeks. Just ate the last one yesterday with some bean and grain soup. Yum!

I did find that the Panko crumbs didn't hang on as well as I would've liked, and that after they were frozen and unfrozen, then warmed up, they fell apart a little more easily. They were still so yummy and a fun way to enjoy potatoes, but I might modify this a bit next time!

Avocado Fries- a new adventure!

Another Pinterest find :) These. are. delicious. Here's the recipe and some better pictures. It calls for a cookie sheet, which I didn't have, so I just crumpled up tin foil a bit and sprayed a little cooking spray to keep the fries from sticking and allow the heat to get to them evenly. It worked :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2-in. wedges
Grated parmesan for serving (optional)

Just:
Preheat oven to 450.

Coat avocado slices in the flour, then egg, then panko. Spread on a cooling rack that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, then place on a cookie sheet. Spray/lightly coat the top of the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then bake for about 20 minutes at 450, or until they are golden brown (I turned my oven up to 500 for the last 5 minutes).

Review: Awesome :) These would be great dipped in a little sour cream or just on their own. Squeezing a little lemon juice on them would also be a lip-puckering good time. Enjoy! Again, sorry for my lame pics, but the site has better ones!

Long Time, No Share- Sorry!

I have been baking/cooking in Florida, but I haven't been blogging about it and for that I must apologize. It's no excuse, but my beloved digital camera crashed a few months ago and while I've tried a few things to see if I can fix it (to no avail), it seems that I'll have to get a new one. I have snapped a few shots with my 3G iPhone (no flash, no zoom, not really a great picture-taker, but still something), and luckily, the sites that have inspired my recipes have some great pics you can check out. So let's catch up on some recent favorites. First, let me say that I'm LOVING reading 2 healthy blogs- one is Peanut Butter Fingers and the other is Can You Stay For Dinner? . Both Julie & Andie are fabulous writers and positive sources of motivation/inspiration for my 2012 healthy lifestyle. Since I'm following these blogs, I found out that Fitness.com has their Fitterati Blogger Awards voting going on now, and you can go find the best blogs for healthy eating, exercise, and more here. Awesome :) I've also been using Pinterest to keep track of recipes I find that I want to make, as well as those that I've made (I'll be updating/moving some of these around after I write this post). Enjoy, and please don't hesitate to send a text or give a call if I go this long without posting again and tell me to get my hiney in gear. Thanks in advance :)

First up...Spinach Mini Muffins (inspired by my sister Rachael, who found the recipe at Eatingwell.com)

These should take about 40 minutes total (prep and baking)
Ingredients:
12 ounces fresh spinach, (I labored over fresh spinach for way too long, and while they turned out delicious, I think next time I'll definitely use frozen spinach- and hopefully my Quick Chef or an alternate food processor)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese (I used ricotta)
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 large eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (skipped)

Prep:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped (or, if you want to spend a really long time on it, roll up spinach leaves together and chop, chop, chop until you have about 10 cups!). Transfer to a large bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups. I used mini muffin tins and this recipe made a LOT (like, enough to refrigerate and freeze to enjoy the following week).
Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes (about 15 for minis). Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.


Note: Baby spinach is immature or young spinach—it's harvested earlier than large-leaved mature spinach. We like the sturdy texture of mature spinach in cooked dishes and serve tender, mild-flavored baby spinach raw or lightly wilted. Baby and mature spinach can be used interchangeably in these recipes (yields may vary slightly); be sure to remove the tough stems from mature spinach before using.

10 ounces trimmed mature spinach=about 10 cups raw
10 ounces baby spinach=about 8 cups raw

Nutrition (love that Eatingwell.com has this info, be sure to cut it into 1/2 or even 1/3? for minis)
Per serving: 141 calories; 8 g fat ( 4 g sat , 3 g mono ); 123 mg cholesterol; 6 g

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (170% daily value), Folate (46% dv), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium (30% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

Review: I thought these were delicious and very mini-quiche-like and the recipe made so many! They'd be awesome in a little crust, but were great the way that they were. The only thing I'd change is that I used Pam in the tin and did not use papers and the bottom of the muffins tasted a little Pam-my. I'd probably do something different next time to avoid that. These were nice as a snack or a side dish and I'll definitely make them again.

Tortellini Tuscan Stew

Yummy! And a crock pot recipe, so easy and delicious!

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large zucchini, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow summer squash, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
4 ounce(s) thin green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
1 can(s) (28-ounce ) crushed tomatoes
1 can(s) (14 1/2-ounce) vegetable broth
2 tablespoon(s) fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 package(s) (9-ounce) fresh cheese tortellini
1 bag(s) (5-ounce) baby spinach
3 tablespoon(s) grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, in a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours or low 6 hours. Uncover; turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover: continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender. Uncover; gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover; cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender. Smile and enjoy :)

Maple Carrots

Not too sweet and very delicious!

8-9 Carrots (washed, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch circles)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer covered for 8-9 minutes and then uncovered for another 4-5 minutes or until juices reduce to a glaze. Enjoy!

Shrimp Stir Fry

This is a very simple recipe I learned from a friend a couple summers ago. You can easily shake up the ingredients to customize it to your palate. Basic ingredients are vegetables, a meat product, dressing/flavoring and some rice.

For the pictured dish, I used:

Broccoli

Red & Yellow Peppers

Onions

Mushrooms

Other veggies I typically use or have tried include Carrots, Boc Choy, Green Peppers, Zucchini, Snap Peas.

Shrimp

Other meats I have used are Chicken, Beef.

Italian Dressing

Other flavoring I have used includes Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce.

Prepare the meat the night/day before by deveining the shrimp (if necessary), or cutting up the chicken/beef to bite-size morsels. Marinate the meat overnight in your flavoring, you want the meat super saturated so be generous with the dressing. I will either put the shrimp/meat & dressing in a large plastic bag or in a large bowl. The next day, when it's dinnertime, cut up your vegetables, again into morsels. Peppers work better if you employ the "box cut" technique for vertical strips, as opposed to cross-section slices. Carrots you can julienne if you have skill or ambition, otherwise cross-sections are swell.

Now you can cook. Begin with the meat, either on the grill (tastes best), or cook it before the vegetables in your fry pan/wok. Once the meat is cooked, start dropping in your vegetables, being cautionary to cook speed (onions go in first, then carrots, then broccoli, save peppers and mushrooms for last). Basically it's just stir frying 101. Drop in some dressing/flavor whenever you feel it's drying up or needs some more sizzle. This veggie/meat combo is best over some white rice, so you can fire up a cup or two in the microwave or stovetop when you're starting the meat.

For portioning, I usually gauge it something like, 1 carrot per person, 1 pepper per person, a decent clump of broccoli per person. So a 6-person meal involves 6 carrots, 6 peppers and so on.

I will say this is an excellent dish to reactivate some leftover meats or vegetables. Also, if the meal produces leftovers they are an easy lunch the next day at work.