Wilted Spinach Salad with Shrimp, Black beans, and Corn
I’m craving fast food lately.
I think it is the 2 hours and 30 minutes I spend in the car each day commuting to and from work. But no, I’m not speaking of the deep-fried, comes-through-a-window variety of fast food. I’m talking about quick-to-make food.
Let’s see. I wake up at 5:15 am if I want to go for a run. And since I am marathon training, there’s pretty much always a run in my schedule. I’m starting the engine to my car by 6:40am so that I can arrive at work at 8am.
I work, on my feet, all.day.long. until about 6:30 pm. And then I commute home. So that means I’m finally taking a deep breath about 7:45pm.
Insert fast food craving here.
Discovering I like shrimp was a wonderful epiphany in my life. Since these little buggars take all of 90 seconds to cook, I can throw together a meal like this faster than you can say, “Hell to the no, I don’t want fries with that.”
This recipe is a Mexican inspired wilted spinach salad with beans and shrimp thrown in for protein. It is quick, easy, and great served warm or cold.
One Year Ago: Southwestern Cous Cous Salad
Wilted Spinach Salad with Beans, Shrimp, and Corn (4 servings)
1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch cayenne pepper
juice from a lemon
4 cups spinach
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup cilantro
3 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
In a large bowl wash spinach and combine with rinsed beans and thawed corn. Toss.
In a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat, add shrimp, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. Cook shrimp about 90 seconds, turning half way through, until fully cooked. Add cilantro and garlic and stir to coat. Toss mixture over spinach salad, allowing the heat of the shrimp to wilt the spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Per serving
Calories 259.5
Total Fat 2.9
Protein 31.8 g
Marinated Vegetable Kabobs
For those of you who haven’t been following my story, I’m no longer living with the Omnivore. We live 1 state apart but we see each other as often as possible. This weekend, I came home to cook in my own kitchen visit my dear hubby.
Whilst living together, the ‘Vore generally insisted we go out to eat for dinner during the weekend. I generally dug my heels in, then decided that it was a battle not worth fighting, and conceded.
These days, though, the Omnivore is craving my cooking. What a sweet man!
So, as I was brainstorming ideas of what to make for him during my short 36 hour stint in the same state, I decided it needed to be vegetable heavy. I suspect he eats only carbs and meat while I’m gone. I’ve gotta get some roughage in him! And these vegetable kabobs were a wonderful way to do that.
The veggies marinated for about three hours while the Omnivore was out teaching yoga. (Cool, or what?) When he got home, I wiped the nap from my face, skewered the veggies, threw some corn on the grill, and within 20 minutes we were eating. Perfect for spending more time together.
One Year Ago: Black Eyed Pea Salad
Marinade (inspired by this recipe)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 T maple syrup
8 leaves of basil, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch salt, pinch pepper
12 button mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 onion
1 zucchini
Clean and cut vegetables into kabob size. Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over cut veggies. Toss to coat. Let ingredients marinate for at least three hours, or overnight, before grilling.
Mashed Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes
Living with the Papavore has made me realize exactly how trained the Omnivore is. And it isn’t that the Papavore is acting out of line or anything. And it isn’t that the Omnivore is particularly meek and mild, either. It’s just that…the Papavore…he asks so many questions!
For instance, the Papavore is always wondering, “What’s for dinner?”
The Omnivore knows dinner is always covered. We aren’t gonna starve, people.
When I reply, jokingly, “Whatever I’m making, pops,” the Papavore delves further…
but what?
This is where I’m stumped. The Omnivore simply doesn’t want to know. Feed him anything. If it happens to be something a third grader would not find in his lunch box, then withhold that information. Simple.
The Papavore wants details. Crap. Sweet potatoes. He doesn’t like those. And that’s what’s for dinner. Quick. Detour. Cauliflower! A new cauliflower recipe!
Well. Again. We realize that the Papavore does like sweet potatoes and we both LOVED this recipe. Homey and delicious! The nutmeg is unexpected and perfect. I would even serve it at Thanksgiving Dinner.
One Year Ago: Beet Pesto
Roasted Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Mash (4 servings, adapted from here)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. dried marjoram
salt and freshly grated black pepper
1/4 c. vegetable broth, heated
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
Preheat oven to 425*. Clean cauliflower and cut into florets. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Place into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle spices over vegetables and toss in garlic cloves. Mix with a spoon. Cover with foil. Roast at 425* for 45 minutes.
Place veggies in a large bowl and with a potato masher, mash veggies until mostly smooth. Fold in warmed veggie broth and sour cream. And salt if needed.
4 servings
Calories 153.9
Total Fat 2.4 g
Total Carbohydrate 30.2 g
Dietary Fiber 8.2 g
Protein 6.4 g
Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns
We’re two weeks out from Labor Day and I know you’re doing what I’m doing: scrambling to complete the cooking tasks on your “must make this summer” list.
Insert Margarita Cupcakes, Grilled Nachos, and Gazpacho. Squeeze in potato salad (mayo and non-mayo varieties!), ribs, and the Perfect Burger. Oh the perfect burger. Is it chicken? Beef? Turkey? Buffalo? Black Bean? Lentil?
Actually, who care about the burger? It’s all about the bun.
These soft whole wheat rolls would be perfect for the last lingering summer cookouts. They are the softest, pillowy whole wheat buns I’ve run across. Forget making those cute end of summer cupcake and make something worthy of your time!
Sandwich Rolls (adapted from KAF via Cate’s World Kitchen)
3/4 cup warm water
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup milk, warmed up a little
2 tbsp softened butter
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 tsp salt
low fat milk (optional), for brushing cooked rolls
Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl and stir to combine. Let stand for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast looks creamy and frothy.
Put the flour, salt, and gluten in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with a fork. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the warm water and yeast. Mix with the dough hook for about 10 minutes, or until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
Then shape it into a ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Grease two 9″ cake pans. Fold the dough over on itself a few times, then divide it into 8-10 balls, flattening them gently with the palm of your hand. Arrange them evenly in the pans. Cover the pans with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. The sides of the rolls will be touching after they’ve risen.
Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Brush warm rolls with milk (about 2 T total) and wrap in a cheesecloth until cool.
Mexican Pepper Casserole
Look. There they are again. Black beans.
It is so weird – the minute the Papavore expresses his non-preference for black beans, I can’t get them out of my mind. I’m just being drawn to them and cannot stop preparing them. Luckily, the Papavore is being a good sport about it. But the fact that I keep knowingly forcing black beans upon my dad doesn’t mean I fail to take into account his own eating preferences.
The recipe posted here, you see, has nothing to do with the black beans. It’s all about the Mexican Pepper Casserole. I chose to make this recipe for my dad because of it’s lack of carbohydrates coming from grains, flours, or corn. He prefers to eat low-carb and because I apparently prefer to keep serving black beans against his will I decided I’d make up for my rudeness by choosing a recipe picked especially for him.
This hearty main dish or side dish consists of soft, sweet peppers and onions cooked in Mexican spices and topped with a tangy, creamy custard. It feels rich, heavy, and carb-y, but isn’t really at all. And we loved it.
Mexican Pepper Casserole (5 servings, adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook)
2 cups sliced onions
6 bell peppers (use a variety of colors), sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp cumin
2 tsp sweet chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
paprika
2 T whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
1 cup yogurt (non fat is fine)
1 cup sour cream (low fat is fine)
**you can use any combination of yogurt/sour cream equaling 2 cups
Preheat oven to 375*. In a large pan, heated to medium heat and sprayed with cooking spray, saute onions 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and bell peppers as well as cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and mustard and cook 6-7 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Add flour and cook 5 more minutes. Pour pepper mixture into a 10″ casserole (or equivalent) sprayed with cook spray.
Beat two eggs and fold into sour cream and yogurt. Pour over peppers. Sprinkle liberally with paprika. Place casserole in oven and bake uncovered for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Per serving
Calories 195.2
Total Fat 8.2 g
Protein 8.6 g
Lettuce Wraps
This recipe was insanely difficult to make. Not because it is time consuming; it’s not. It isn’t because the ingredients are obscure; they aren’t. It was because I’m cooking in the Papavore’s kitchen and he does not have a citrus zester.
And the inclusion of lemon zest in this recipe was the reason I singled this recipe out when I was looking through recipes for Asian lettuce wraps. So, as long as you have a zester, this recipe is quick and easy for a weeknight. Otherwise, you’ll be like me, using a paring knife to carefully remove the zest and not the pith from the lemon, and chopping it to oblivion so that it achieves a zest-like character.
The lemon zest added the most wonderful dimension to this recipe. And before you ask, let me just make this clear: I’ve never eaten at PF Chang’s so I have no idea if this recipe is similar to that one. But it is so darned good that it doesn’t matter if it is a knock-off recipe for PF Chang’s or not.
Looking for a vegetarian lettuce wrap recipe? Veggie Loaded Lettuce Wraps
One Year Ago: Vegetarian Gyros
Asian Lettuce Wraps (2 servings, inspired by Our Best Bites)
1/2 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
1 zucchini, diced
2 scallions, slices
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp freshly minced ginger
2 T soy sauce
3 T chopped cilantro
1 tsp sesame oil
sesame seeds
iceberg lettuce
In a nonstick pan, cook ground turkey and zucchini. Add water chesnuts, lemon zest, juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Lightly cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in cilantro and scallions. Divide mixture among 6 iceberg lettuce leaves and top with sesame seeds. Serve warm.
2 servings, per serving
Calories 216.6
Total Fat 10.3 g
Protein 23.2 g
Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
Last month, my peach pie was selected as the winner of the monthly blogging group, You Want Pies with That? The prize? $1000. Who knew pie baking could be so lucrative?
I’m kidding. Naturally. I won something even better: the opportunity to choose this month’s theme. The past months’ themes had been focused on food ingredients, but since I spend so much time in my blog talking about things other than the food (things that are, of course, related to food, most of the time), I figured I’d choose a pie theme that wasn’t entirely focused on the components of the food itself.
Choose a pie, I challenged, that best represents your personality and use your blog post to justify that choice.
This theme was particularly fitting for me, since I’ve just started a new job. So this was a special getting-to-know-you-treat for my coworkers. Of course, the only thing I care about is that I get the reputation for being the girl that can cook. Whether or not that they see that the pie itself is a honest representation of yours truly doesn’t really matter to me.
This Blueberry Crumble Pie, however, is me in a dish.
-The oat crumble topping is a little rough around the edges, just like me. It keeps people honest.
-The blueberries burst with personality amidst the background of sour cream filling. This is like me – mostly normal with spurts of eccentricities.
-The Graham cracker crust offers a healthy touch, something that is important to me. Did you know that Graham flour is whole wheat?
This pie and I did have one difference, though. The Blueberry Crumble Pie is perfect. And I am not.
It holds its shape when sliced. It is delicious warm or cold. With or without ice cream. Now or later. Mostly now.
One Year Ago: Curried quinoa with peas and raisins
Blueberry Crumble Pie (adapted from CookingLight)
5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 (9-inch) reduced-fat graham-cracker crust
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup oats
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon SmartBalance Buttery Spread
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place blueberries in crust; set aside.
Combine brown sugar, flour, vanilla, and sour cream; spread over blueberries. Combine oats, granulated sugar, and SmartBalance; sprinkle over sour cream mixture. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until set and crumbs are lightly browned. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.
Shrimp, olive, and artichoke salad
The Papavore got me back.
He told me he didn’t like black beans, and I proved him wrong by making him black bean and sweet potato burritos and turkey and black bean burgers. He adored both meals. He, therefore, likes black beans. Success.
I told him that I didn’t *love* shrimp. He made me Shrimp, Olive, and Artichoke Salad. And I could hardly stop eating the stuff. Revenge was so delicious. And I, therefore, *love* shrimp.
One Year Ago: Hoppin’ John
Shrimp, Olive, and Artichoke Salad (4 hefty servings, adapted from here)
12 oz. shrimp, cleaned and peeled
3/4 cup black olives
14 oz canned artichoke hearts, drained
2 cups garbanzo beans
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
Place shrimp in a saucepan with enough water to cover shrimp by about 1″. Bring pot to a boil, turn off, and let cool. Whisk together olive oil, cumin, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Pour over shrimp. Fold olives, garbanzo beans, parsley, red onion, and artichoke hearts and let mixture marinate 4 or more hours before serving.
4 servings
Calories 421.0
Total Fat 18.7 g
Protein 24.7 g
Tomato sauce with Basil and Olives
There was quite a bit of discussion between the Omnivore and I before I settled on making this original pasta sauce for dinner.
You see, a neighbor had recently dropped off a peck (well, not really a peck, but a basket full) of vine ripened tomatoes and I was itching to put them to good use. So was the Omnivore.
The problem? Every recipe I suggested to the Omnivore seemed to be not good enough for the deliciousness that is a summer tomato. Gazpacho? No, what a waste, don’t puree the tomatoes into oblivion. Burgers with sliced tomatoes? Please… Herb stuffed tomatoes? Oh come on! You’re going to cover those tomatoes with herbs and cheese? We’ll never taste the tomatoes then!
By the way, I’m going to hold that comment regarding not preferring herbs and cheese against the Omnivore one day.
Once I started rockin’ and rollin’ in the kitchen with my chosen concept for those tomatoes, however, the Omnivore and I ran into another dilemma.
Hot olives? he asked. Yes. I know. We don’t like olives in hot dishes. Well then, why did you add them? I don’t know. It just seemed right. Oh, baaaaby. I hope it’s okay. Me, too, honey. But no matter what, we’re not ordering pizza.
By the way, the Omnivore labeled this meal as “fantastic.” And he was right. Even though we cooked the sacred summer tomatoes to oblivion and added olives to the simmering tomato sauce, this meal was definitely worth repeating. Although, I think it would have been better with the addition of a few anchovies…
One Year Ago: Dessert Sushi
Tomato sauce with Basil and Olives (2 servings)
1 4.5 oz can black olives, chopped
5 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed w/ the side of a knife
2 tsp olive oil
2 scallions, sliced
salt and pepper
fresh basil
In a medium nonstick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add smashed garlic cloves and swirl around in oil about 30 seconds, until browned. Remove and discard. Add scallions and tomatoes and simmer approximately 15 minutes until the fruit is broken down and the sauce is thickened. Just before serving, fold in olives and simmer lightly. Top pasta with sauce and add fresh basil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Per serving
Calories 167.0
Total Fat 10.0 g
Total Carbohydrate 20.4 g
Protein 3.8 g
Black Bean and Turkey Burgers
I’m cooking for a new omnivore. Perhaps he is the original omnivore. He’s called the Papavore. I’m living with my dad. Get it? I thought it was funny, too.
So, basically, I’m starting from scratch. More reforming of eating habits. More introduction of brannified foods. In a nutshell, it’s like potty training a toddler all over again. Just when you think you’ve got it down, hell freezes over.
In truth, the Papavore enjoys my cooking as much as the Omnivore misses it. But the Papavore has different tastes and preferences than I’m used to. For one, he doesn’t like black beans. At least, that’s what he told me. He also told me he didn’t care for sweet potatoes.
Naturally, the first evening I made dinner for him, I whipped up sweet potato and black bean burritos. This allowed us to establish a couple of things:
- I cook. You eat.
- You actually do like black beans and sweet potatoes.
- You do the dishes.
Well, the last point has nothing to do with the black bean recipes, but it was important to get the introductory stuff out of the way.
This evening I made a fantastic recipe that included black beans also. It also included ground turkey, so he couldn’t rightfully declare he wasn’t eating the beans since they were so intertwined with the meat. These chili spiced black bean and turkey burgers absolutely could not be beat for dinner.
The guacamole sauce on top was excellent and using the Papavore’s homegrown tomatoes just made the entire burger a home run. Make this recipe for bean lovers and haters alike. They won’t be disappointed.
One Year Ago: Burrito Baskets
Black Bean Turkey Burgers (4 patties)
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg, beaten
1 scallion, sliced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 t salt
1 T chili powder
2 dashes hot sauce
Mash black beans with a fork and incorporate with beaten egg. Add sliced scallions, cumin, salt, chili powder, and hot sauce. Combine. Fold in ground turkey and mix until combined, but do not over mix. Form 4 patties.
Preheat broiler. Cook burgers 6-7 minutes on each side until cooked through and lightly browned. You may cook burgers on a rack or on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Per patty
Calories 222.4
Total Fat 9.4 g
Cholesterol 133.1 mg
Potassium 140.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 8.1 g
Dietary Fiber 2.9 g
Protein 26.5 g
Guacamole Sauce (4 servings)
1 avocado
1 scallion, sliced
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
2 T salsa
Mash avocado with a fork and incorporate lime juice. Fold in scallions and salsa.
Per serving
Calories 75.7
Total Fat 6.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 38.8 mg
Potassium 246.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 4.5 g
Protein 1.0 g
