Caesar Roasted Tempeh Pizza

It has been a while since I cooked tempeh and I was struggling with coming up with a new way to do it.  Now you may be asking, why not do it a way you know? Well, I asked myself that too and it mostly came from already being in sweat pants and not wanting to go to the store.  I also needed a new blog recipe.

Anyway, long story short, the Caesar tempeh is really nice.  It would be great in its namesake salad, on a sandwich, or served plain.  I was looking to stretch it into a few meals so I took the pizza route with it, and the tempeh was a nice substitute for meat when used like this.  Also of note, the tomato/garlic/mushroom/parsley mixture would be wonderful as a bruschetta topping or added to a soup.  It is sharp and garlic-y and can be made year round.

That brings me to a dirty secret this week...I like canned mushrooms.  Not all the time, but on pizzas there is something about the texture that just works for me.  You can use fresh or sauteed if you so choose.

Recipe: White Chicken Chili

I've been on a chili/soup kick lately, most likely a result of it getting colder here in Iowa and the need to stock my freezer before finals arrive.  This is a great, and pretty easy, chili to throw together.  All the ingredients work nicely together and lime is a revelation when combined with the slow burn heat of the poblanos.  I used 3 different types of beans because the store had them, but using 3 cans of Great Northern beans would work just as well.  One step in this recipe is mashing half of the beans used, and this would be a great way to involve kids in the kitchen if you have them.  I used chicken breasts for this recipe, but shredding a rotisserie chicken is an easy swap to simplify this even more.  If you are one of those who cannot stand cilantro substitute it for fresh flat leaf parsley.

You will need:
3 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked and shredded
2 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
32oz Stock (I used a no-sodium chicken stock)
1 lime, zested and 1/2 juiced
1 can navy beans, drained
1 can white kidney beans, drained
1 can great northern beans, drained
4oz can chopped green chilies
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1.5 Teaspoons Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder (or chili powder)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Start by prepping all of the vegetables.  Chop the poblanos (and then wash your hands with warm soapy water), the onion, and garlic.  Open and drain the beans and mash half of them either with a potato masher or by hand.  You will have time while the chili is simmering to cook the chicken, but I found it easier to cook the chicken first so it could cool before I shredded it to add.

In a large pot add a glug of oil and heat over medium high heat.  Add the onion and the poblanos and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft.  Add the garlic and green chilies and cook for 1-2 more minutes.  Add salt (if using regular chicken broth, add just a sprinkle until you taste later), pepper, cumin, coriander, and chili powder.  Cook for another minute so that the spice flavors can bloom, and then add the chicken stock.

When the stock has come to a simmer add the lime zest, juice, and the mashed and whole beans.  Stir to combine and cook at a simmer for 20-25 minutes.  About half way through give the broth a taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. If the heat needs to be adjusted, use the red pepper flakes.  Add the shredded chicken and cook just until it is warm.  Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

Garnishes could include: Cheese, sour cream, red pepper flakes, sliced avocado, diced tomato, tortilla strips.

Recipe: Cheap and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

This weekend I just needed some soup. Using some leftovers and things I had lying around, I threw together this simple and delicious take on chicken noodle soup.  If you have low/no sodium chicken broth, it is great here, especially if you are combining it with bouillon, which I had to do.  I also used some leftover rotisserie chicken, though you could use any leftover cuts of chicken.  What really makes this soup special is the red pepper flake, which adds a subtle heat to the soup.  For the pasta, I took the very easy way out and just boiled it in the stock.  The bouillon is probably less salt than I would use in a normal pasta pot but it worked out fine.  Feel free to cook the pasta separately if you choose. This pot would serve 3-4 depending on how hungry people are.

You will need:
4-5 cups of liquid (Stock or water with bouillon)
1/2 box of whole wheat spaghetti
~1.5 cups shredded chicken
~1/2 cup grated carrot
Salt
Garlic Powder
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 Tbsp. for garnish

Bring the liquid to a boil.  When it is boiling take bunches of the pasta and break into about two inch pieces.  Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the pasta is very close to done.  Add the shredded chicken, grated carrot, a shake of garlic powder, and a large dash of the pepper and red pepper flakes.
With a soup like this, it is easy to add a bit at a time and taste it until it is too your likely.  In the last minute, add 2 tablespoons of the parsley.  Use the remaining parsley to garnish.

Love Thy Leftovers: Black Bean Chili Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers.  Not only are bell peppers a tasty and healthy alternative to a bread bowl, but they can also be used to hold so many different things.  I used some of the leftover black bean chili, but you could also use any leftover regular chili, taco meat, thick beef stew, a layer of mashed potatoes topped with a stew, etc etc etc.  If the bell peppers are large or won't stand up on their own, slice them length wise.  If they are small, slice off the top of the pepper and then fill them up.

You will need:
2-4 green bell peppers (either one small one per person, or 1/2 large one)
A few cups of leftover black bean chili (recipe here) or other filling
A few handfuls of your choice of cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley to taste

Start the leftover chili warming on the stove, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  As it warms, wash the peppers and then cut them either 1) length wise, leaving the stem on the pepper so the filling won't fall out, or 2) cut off the top of the pepper as close to the stem as you can.  Clear out the ribs and seeds from the peppers and put a pinch of salt and pepper into the bell peppers.  Once the chili is warm, taste it and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Add a small handful (about 1/4 cup) into the chili and stir until it melts.  Cover a cookie sheet in foil, and place the peppers on top.  Fill each pepper to the top with the chili mixture.  Cook for 25 minutes.  After the 25 minutes, cover the tops of the peppers with a small handful of cheese and cook 3-5 more minutes until the cheese has melted.  Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving.  Top with chopped parsley if desired.

Recipe: Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Swiss Chard Chili

Who doesn't love a good pot of chili? It is great on a cold night, and wonderful to keep reserves of in the freezer.  Like many of you, I grew up with the fairly standard ground beef and kidney bean version and it always brings back good memories when I make it.  However, I also love to try new versions out, and adding veggies to something never hurts.  The base recipe was inspired from this, which used butternut squash instead.  I also had about a cup of cooked orzo on hand that I added in, though this is completely optional.  A few other tweaks here and there and a whole new beast is made.  Meat could very easily be added to this as well if you want it in there.

You will need:

One and a half cooking onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large sweet potato, cubed
Three 15oz cans of black beans, washed and drained
One 14.5 can diced tomato, UNdrained
1 Bunch swish chard, washed, dried, torn from the stems and chopped
2.5-3.5 cups stock (I used chicken)
One handful fresh parsley, finely chopped with some reserved for garnish
1 cup cooked orzo, optional
2 Tablespoons Adobo Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Feta for garnish

Start by prepping the sweet potato.  Mine was pretty ugly on the outside so I peeled it.  Either way, cut it in half length wise and then cut into half-moons.  Stack about 3 half moons on each other and cut them in half length wise.  Then cut these sticks into about 3 cubes each (you can cut them still stacked up to make this faster).
Heat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  When hot, add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Add a dash of salt and pepper and then the garlic.  Stir and cook for 4-5 more minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.  Add the cubed sweet potato and cook for 4-5 more minutes until it starts to get tender.  Add the chili powder, cumin, another good dash of salt.  Stir to combine.
Add in the beans, tomatoes, dijon, and stock.  Stir and bring to a bubble.

Reduce to a simmer and let cook ~15 minutes or until the chili has thickened and the sweet potato is tender.  Halfway through give the broth a taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. When the potato is cooked add the chard.  Stir the chard into the chili and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the chard has wilted. Add in the cooked orzo if you wish, and then the handful of chopped parsley.  Stir to combine.  Garnish with feta and parsley if desired.

Love Thy Leftovers: Hummus Pizza

This was a supermarket epiphany, I didn't wan't to buy/make a pizza sauce that might not get used in something else, and I wasn't looking at spending a lot of extra money that night.  I already had a container of hummus in my fridge, and leftover stir-fry from a night or two before.  The rest came together pretty quickly.  I used the thin-crust Pillsbury roll out crust but feel free to use whatever type you want if you have a favorite, just note a difference in cooking times and you might have to rearrange some of the steps.

You will need:
1 can Pillsbury Thin Crust roll out pizza dough
Hummus (I used about half a container)
Toppings (I used the aforementioned stir-fry mix of slightly curried bell pepper, kohlrabi, and steak. See link)
One handful cheese of choice (I actually used a non-seasoned mexican cheese mix)
Red pepper flakes
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Parsley, chopped, for garnish is desired
Cooking spray

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.  While it is heating, cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spraying it with cooking spray (or a bit of olive oil).  Roll out the crust on the cookie sheet and sprinkle it with a little pepper and garlic powder.  Bake the crust for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread the crust with the hummus, scatter on the toppings, add the red pepper flakes, and finally the handful of cheese.  Continue baking for 6-10 minutes or until the crust is browning and everything is heated through.  Remove and garnish with parsley, if desired.

Recipe: Kohlrabi, Bell Pepper, and Steak Stir-fry

That is a kohlrabi, and before going to the farmer's market a few weeks ago I'd never seen or heard of it. This past week I decided to give it a go.  The outer layer is peeled off with a paring knife and the light greenish white flesh can be eaten raw, stir fried, steamed, slaw-ed, or in pretty much any other way.  Flavor wise it is mildly sweet with hints of cabbage, and very crisp.  For this recipe, I used the meat that I had on hand (steaks my grandmother had sent from Omaha Steak) but any typical stir fry meat/meat substitute could be used.  I kept the seasonings very simple to let the sweetness of the kohlrabi play off the slight bitterness of the peppers and the bite of the garlic.

You will need:
4 four oz. top sirloin steaks, sliced
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
2 bell peppers
1/2 large kohlrabi bulb, peeled
Soy Sauce
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Curry Powder
Cayenne or red pepper flakes

Prep work:
For the bell peppers, I started by cutting the four sides off of the core.  I then cut each section into strips length-wise and then cut those strips in half.
The kohlrabi, presents a bit of a challenge especially if it is a large bulb.  The best advice is to use a large, sharp knife and carefully slice through.  Then peel (if you haven't already) and laying the flat side on the cutting board cut into strips and then sections approximating the size of the bell peppers.

Stir-fry:
I found that two pans worked easiest for this, and started the second pan right after I added the meat to the first.  Start by tossing the meat strips in some salt and pepper, and then add to a pan heated over medium high heat.  Add a tsp of soy sauce and cook until the pink has just disappeared (if beef), or until completely cooked (if pork or chicken).

Heat the second pan (a large pot) over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil.  When it is hot, add the chopped garlic and cook ~30 seconds or until golden.  Immediately add the kohlrabi and bell peppers and stir.  Add a dash of salt, pepper, curry powder, soy sauce, and either cayenne or red pepper flakes and stir to combine.  Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the kohlrabi begins to just brown.  Add the meat and give it a stir and a taste.

I served it over some barely, but rice would work just as well, as would the mix on its own.