Baked Tomatoes with Corn and Quinoa

I love stuffed tomatoes. They’re so versatile, you can really get creative with them and add whatever you think sounds good; as well as subtract what you’re not particularly fond of. With this particular recipe, I have to say that broiling the chiles, corn and onion does add a great favor, but there have been times I’ve been in a pinch and used canned chiles and skipped broiling the corn and onion all together and they still tasted great.

Ingredients

2 poblano chiles (omit or decrease if you don’t like spicy)
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 large ripe tomatoes
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup water
4 ounces co-Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat broiler to high.
2. Cut the chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place chile halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 8 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel chiles. Coarsely chop chiles; place in a bowl. Add corn and onion to pan; broil 10 minutes, stirring twice. Add corn mixture to chopped chiles; stir in oregano, oil, lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and black pepper.
3. Cut tops off tomatoes; set aside. Carefully scoop out tomato pulp, leaving shells intact. Drain pulp through a sieve over a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract liquid. Reserve 1 1/4 cups liquid, and discard remaining liquid. Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Invert tomatoes on a wire rack; let stand 30 minutes. Dry insides of tomatoes with a paper towel.
4. Combine reserved tomato liquid, quinoa, 1/4 cup water, and the remaining salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork. Add quinoa mixture to corn mixture; toss well.
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Spoon about 3/4 cup corn mixture into each tomato. Divide cheese evenly among tomatoes. Place tomatoes and tops, if desired, on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Broil the tomatoes 1 1/2 minutes or until cheese melts. Place tomato tops on tomatoes, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving
Calories: 320
Fat: 11.2g
Saturated fat: 4.1g
Protein: 13.4g
Carbohydrate: 46.3g
Fiber: 8.8g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Sodium: 550mg

Ridiculously Delicious Rösti

Vegetable Rösti with Tomato-Corn Relish

Let’s go ahead and address the first thing you’re probably wondering (as I was when I initially heard the word), what the heck is a Rösti?? 

Well, basically, it’s similar to a potato pancake or hash brown patty. They’re commonly eaten for breakfast or as a side dish in Switzerland. They are usually pan fried, but can also be baked in the oven. Although basic rösti consists of nothing but potato, a number of additional ingredients are sometimes added, such as bacon, onion, cheese, apple or fresh herbs. Adding these extra ingredients is often considered to be a regional touch. They are also just delicious, especially when you get creative and add seasonings and/or toppings. If you don’t want to use the Tomato-Corn relish feel free to use a different type of relish, salsa or even marinated mushrooms or sautéed onions.

Tomato-Corn Relish

• 3 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped (1½ cups)
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil ( I used 1 heaping TBSP. dried basil)
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbs. chopped onion
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. minced garlic

Rosti

• 2 medium white potatoes (sometimes I use 1 white & 1 sweet potato)
• 2 large carrots
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (feel free to use gluten free flour if needed)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. To make Tomato-Corn Relish: Combine all ingredients in bowl. Set aside.

2. To make Rosti: Grate potatoes, carrots, and zucchini onto clean kitchen towel. Wrap towel around vegetables, and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Transfer vegetables to bowl, and stir in onion, flour, and garlic. Fold in eggs, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Spoon 2 Tbsp. Rosti mixture for 
each patty, shaping with spoon to make patties. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until bottoms are crisp. Carefully flip with spatula, and cook 2 minutes more, or until browned on both sides. Serve with Tomato-Corn Relish.

Nutritional Information

Serves 4

Per Serving (6 rosti and 3/4 cup relish):

• Calories: 328
• Protein: 12 g
• Total Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Carbohydrates: 57 g
• Cholesterol: 93 mg
• Sodium: 105 mg
• Fiber: 8 g
• Sugar: 15 g

Chicken Taco Soup

This is definitely one of my favorite fall/winter foods to make. It comes together pretty quickly and is also great to throw together in the crockpot and let go. Sometimes I’ll thrown in a can of black beans (drained), too, if I have them handy and I also like to add a “dollop of Daisy” (sour cream 😉 or greek yogurt).

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, diced
1 4.5-ounce can green chilies
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced (optional)
Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, and cumin; cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chilies and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken; simmer 10 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro.
3. Ladle into individual bowls and serve garnished with the avocado slices and the lime wedges.

Serves 6

Nutrition facts per serving: 233 calories, 20g protein, 21g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.4g saturated), 5g fiber

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, January 2010.

Beans, Beans, they’re good for your heart, the more you eat…

…the more you put in your grocery cart!

If you don’t eat beans on a regular basis, you really should consider doing so. Wonder why? It’s because they really are very good for you! So, that song you may remember about beans from your childhood was spot on, (depending on the version you heard, anyway *snickers*) they really are good for your heart! There are some other things about beans that make me quite fond of them; they are high in protein, virtually fat-free, have lots of fiber, and are very filling!

Eating beans regularly (the USDA recommends eating three or more cups per week) has been shown to have great health benefits, some of which may include:

-improving cholesterol levels

-lower the risk of heart disease and certain cancers

-help manage diabetes

-cut risk for high blood pressure

-help in losing weight

To find out how good for your heart they are, check out this web site:  http://americanbean.org/bean-facts/

The following recipe is a great way to get beans into your diet, especially if they are not a food you’re too keen on eating plain, as they are well incorporated with the other ingredients and create a “meaty” consistency.

Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh Salsa

adapted from Eating Clean

Serves 4, 2 croquettes and ½ cup salsa each

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs, divided ( I like to use Ezekiel bread and make my own)
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
2 green onions, sliced
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ( I use grapeseed oil)
1 avocado, diced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mash black beans, garlic and cumin with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl until no whole beans remain. Stir in corn and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir 1 cup of the tomato mixture into the black bean mixture.
3. Mix the remaining 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a small bowl until the bread crumbs are coated with oil. Divide the bean mixture into 8 scant 1/2-cup balls. Lightly press each bean ball into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the croquettes until heated through and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir avocado into the remaining tomato mixture. Serve the salsa with the croquettes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 405 calories; 12 g fat ( 2 g sat , 8 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 61 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 16 g protein; 16 g fiber; 438 mg sodium; 621 mg potassium.

Time for Tostadas…Tilapia Tostadas that is!

Have Fish Fridays been getting a little too costly for you lately? Going out to a restaurant every week for fish can not only affect your wallet, it can affect your waistline, too. Don’t think that just because you’re eating fish that it’s going to be low-calorie or low-fat. Many places that prepare fish add so many extra ingredients that by the time you’re done with your meal, you’ve eaten between 700-1200 calories! If you’ve eaten somewhere that has prepared your meal to be on the higher end of that, that’s almost a persons ENTIRE recommended calorie intake for ONE DAY! That is crazy and completely UN-necessary.

Give this recipe a try instead next time you get a craving to go out for fish. Your wallet AND your waistline will thank you later!

Tilapia Tostadas with Roasted Corn Relish

from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup green salsa
Cooking spray
1 cup yellow corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup diced peeled avocado
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon grape seed oil, divided
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup packaged cole slaw mix

Preparation

1. Mix together salsa and sour cream.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add corn, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels. Combine avocado and juice; toss gently. Stir avocado mixture into corn mixture.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish and coat fish in cornmeal. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half the fish to pan; cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn fish over; cook another 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Repeat with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and fish.
5. Coat both sides of tortillas with cooking spray. Arrange tortillas in a single layer on baking sheets; broil 2 minutes on each side or until crisp. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates. Arrange 2 tablespoons slaw on each tortilla. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each serving with about 3 tablespoons corn relish and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 470
Fat: 17.1g
Saturated fat: 4.3g
Monounsaturated fat: 7.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 3.3g
Protein: 40.4g
Carbohydrate: 43.7g
Fiber: 6.7g
Cholesterol: 96mg
Iron: 2.2mg
Sodium: 610mg
Calcium: 83mg

Tilapia Tuesday

Okay, folks, I hope that you stocked up on fish after last weeks announcement that we’re doing a Tilapia recipe every Tuesday! I know I did (then again I ALWAYS have Tilapia on hand)! And remember that if you’d prefer to use a type of fish other than Tilapia, it’s perfectly fine to. You can also use fresh or frozen fish. I buy frozen, individually packaged Tilapia fillets. I either let them thaw in the fridge a day before I need them or if I need to thaw them immediately I fill up the sink (or a large bowl) with cold water and they will thaw in that after an hour or so. Should you choose the cold water thawing method, you will also want to change the water out after 25-30 minutes and turn the fish and continue to do so until the fish is thawed (thicker cuts will, of course, take longer than a thinner cut). Check out this link about Cold Water Thawing for more information. If you’ve never thawed something out this way before I would suggest reading up on it. When thawing food, bacteria can be an issue (not ALL bacteria can get cooked out, which can lead to food poisoning), so please keep that in mind! And for goodness sake, whatever you do – don’t just leave it out on the counter to thaw!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tilapia Corn Chowder
from Eating Well

Ingredients
2 ounces bacon, (about 2 slices)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 stalk celery, diced
1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
2 cups fresh (frozen works too) corn kernels, (about 4 ears)
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup half-and-half (or try light coconut milk if you can’t have dairy)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, (optional)

Directions:
Chop bacon and cook in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add oil to the pan. Add celery, leek, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and corn. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender and the corn is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in tilapia and thyme; return to a gentle simmer. Cook until the tilapia is cooked through, about 4 minutes more.
Remove from the heat.

Stir in half-and-half (or coconut milk), lemon juice and the reserved bacon. Garnish with chives, if using.

Makes about 6 servings, 1 1/4 cups each

Nutrition

Per serving: 288 calories; 10 g fat ( 4 g sat , 3 g mono ); 78 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 31 g protein; 2 g fiber; 453 mg sodium; 598 mg potassium.

Giving it a Go – Meatless Mondays

I’m pretty sure I’ve done Meatless Monday before. Matter of fact, most of my week days tend to meat free. I’m not a vegetarian, it’s just that most of the time I would rather eat salads, veggies, fruits and legumes (beans). I’ve considered going vegetarian, but I know it would be a commitment that, for me, would fail. Probably not right away, though. I can go without meat for awhile. But eventually, the immense craving for a delicious cheeseburger or beer brat would invade my brain and never leave until satisfied. And I’m perfectly ok with that. Truth be told, very rarely do I even eat red meat. I would say that 80% of the year I’m a pescatarian (someone who’s diet allows seafood but not any other animal meat). I suppose I’m kind of a mutt when it comes to labeling what I am ‘diet-wise’. I’ll be sure to post some Tilapia recipes soon for any fellow fish lovers like myself, but until then…

Back to Meatless Monday!

I had several garden fresh veggies begging to be used.

Sweet Potato, Walla Walla Onion (the SWEETEST onions you could ever give your taste buds the pleasure of discovering), Sweet Corn and Kale to be specific. With some other essential ingredients that I always have on hand this recipe was destined to be made (and the fact that it all comes together in one big stock pot makes dishes a breeze – great for Mondays)! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

adapted from http://www.milkfreemom.com

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Chili

1 Tbsp. Grape seed oil (or olive oil)

1-2 Onions, chopped (I use 2 because I love onions but be sure to adjust per your preference)

1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 can tomato paste

32 oz. chicken or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 Tbsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Oregano

1/2 cup Kale leaves, finely chopped (about 1-2 leaves depending on size of leaf)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup white quinoa (dry, not cooked)

1 1/2 cups corn (frozen or cut off the cob)

salt and pepper to taste

Optional to Garnish with:

Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

Avocado slices

Directions for Deliciousness:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and bell pepper, cook until slightly tender (make sure they’re not mushy, they’ve got quite a bit more cooking to go through). Add the garlic, and cook for another minute or two. Then add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the beans, stock, potatoes, kale and corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. The quinoa should have expanded and thickened the chili by the time it’s done. It should not be crunchy, so be sure to check.  Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado and Greek yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Fajita Salad

A few days ago I was in a predicament. You see, I had recently found my new favorite restaurant go-to meal (you know the meal you end up choosing EVERY time, even after you go in thinking you’ll try something different?) and I was craving it – BADLY. So badly I was considering selling my laptop just so I could go out and get it. Well, okay, I wasn’t seriously considering selling the laptop; if I did how would I be able to blog about my new recipe??

You may be wondering, why didn’t I just go out to eat and get it then? Well, like many people in the world, after I paid my (always increasing) bills, I simply didn’t have the money to. But you know what I realized I did have? EVERYTHING to make it. At home! Where it turns out to be *GASP* much cheaper!

I am telling you, people, this salad is so satisfying and delicious I would much rather spend the time making it at home than going out to eat. I mean, quite honestly (not to toot my own horn or anything, but…) I like mine better! Other than tasting as beautiful as it looks, it’s healthier than the alternative because it’s not served in a huge deep-fried tortilla bowl that only taunts me as I eat the healthy veggies of the salad…

You know you want me. I’m crispy. I’m crunchy. I practically melt in your mouth. (says the deep fried shell)

Yes. I do. Wait. NO! It’s only the fat and grease that melts in my mouth. You should be ashamed of yourself for putting such healthy veggies on top of you! (my conversation with said deep fried shell)

Imagine the looks I get from the waiter witnessing THAT conversation!

Aside from the shell that seems to take away the healthy goodness of a SALAD, I enjoy my homemade version because I control what I put in it, which means I know what is going into my body. No MSG, no added salt, no Silicon Dioxide, etc.

So, without further ado (drum roll please!)

 

 

Fajita Salad

1-2 large onions, roughly chopped (any type you prefer. I love onion so I used 2 large white onions that I had on hand)

2 bell peppers, roughly chopped (any color)

1 cup frozen corn kernels ( I used 1 ear of corn, cut off the cob)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, no salt added

1-2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

3/4 cup greek yogurt (or sour cream if you prefer)

1/4 cup (or more or less, to your liking) taco seasoning (free of Silicon Dioxide and any other additives)

low-fat milk, to thin (I use a couple of tablespoons)

lettuce ( I use an Artisan mix that I tear apart and clean with the help of my wonderful salad spinner)

optional: 2 cups cooked chicken ( I prefer mine without but it suites the salad quite well to add it)

optional: Guacamole

optional: shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat saute onions, peppers and corn until tender (don’t over cook them, you don’t want them mushy), usually about 7-10 minutes. Once tender, add black beans, greek yogurt, taco seasoning, and milk to thin.

Place about 1 – 1 1/2 cups worth of this mixture onto your plate. Top that with cheese if you’re using it. Your plate should look something like this…

Then top that with a generous amount of lettuce and your tomatoes and guacamole, should you choose. You should end up with a finished product similar to this…

Then I like to mix it all up really good to evenly distribute all the yummy goodness. Of course, then it doesn’t look as pretty so I didn’t take a picture of that 😉

I hope you give this one a try and enjoy it as much as I do!

-KJ

Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans- drained and rinsed

1 can corn, no added salt (or fresh cooked and cut corn on the cob)- drained and rinsed

2 cups tomatoes – chopped

1/2 onion – chopped

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp grape seed or olive oil

2 Tbsp (more or less to taste) fresh cilantro- chopped

2 garlic cloves- chopped

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Combine oil, vinegar, cilantro, and garlic in a medium bowl, and mix well.  Stir in beans, corn, onion and tomatoes and toss.  Chill in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.