Dairy-Free, Dry Beans, Fall, Great Leftovers, Quick, Spring, Summer, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Slow Cooker Taco Salad

January 11, 2020 Sam

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Taco Salad

Easy to make and produces excellent leftovers

Prep Time30

Cook Time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: California, Comfort Food, Mexican

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 518kcal

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

Beans

½ lb black beans
½ can chipotle peppers in adobo
½ red onion
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro stems and leaves separated and chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika

Toppings

2 red onions
2 avocadoes cubed and spritzed with lime juice
2 bell peppers
4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
2 cups corn chips
8 oz sour cream
16 oz cheddar cheese
4 tomatoes chopped
1 jalapeno thinly sliced
8 oz salsa

Instructions

Mince the small red onion, the cilantro stems, and garlic cloves. Mix the spices and salt. In the Instant Pot on sauté, add a bit of oil and the red onion, cilantro stems and garlic. Once fragrant and cooked, add the tomato paste, the juice from half of the can of chipotle and then chop half the peppers and add to the pot as well. (Save the other half for another use.) Add the spice mix. Rinse the ½ lb beans and add to the pot, along with 1 quart water. Stir well. Turn to medium for 6-8 hours. Adjust temperature if needed.
Prepare the toppings before you’re ready to serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Taco Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 518 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 17g106%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 74mg25%

Sodium 1110mg48%

Potassium 899mg26%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 5313IU106%

Vitamin C 59mg72%

Calcium 514mg51%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dessert, Dinner Party, Snack

Perfect Quick Cookies with Chocolate and Pecans

December 7, 2019 Sam

These are the best quick cookies – maybe the best cookies overall. No need to rest the dough in the fridge, though I bet it would be improved that way.

The dough does save well, and this makes probably 2 dozen cookies total. Refrigerate or freeze the unused dough, preferably in pre-measured balls, so you can make cookies anytime the oven is warm.

Print Recipe

Perfect Quick Cookies with Chocolate and Pecans

Tested again and again, but never tested enough

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food

Keyword: Chocolate

Servings: cookies

Calories: 162kcal

Ingredients

226 g butter softened
175 g granulated sugar
175 g brown sugar
2 large eggs
270 g all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp cinnamon
175 g chocolate chips, or chopped bars
125 g pecans
Flake salt

Instructions

A few hours before, remove the butter from the fridge and allow to soften.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. (If you have not softened the butter yet, you can wrap in a towel and place near the oven, so it warms some. Then, chop into small pieces before adding to the mixer.)
In the stand mixer with the spatula-paddle, add the 226g softened butter and the 175g each of the sugars. Mix well on a medium-high speed for a few minutes, to get plenty of air into the butter.
In a separate bowl, mix together the 270g flour, ½ tsp baking soda and 1 tsp salt. Add to the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined. (Don’t develop that gluten.)
Then, add the 1½ tsp vanilla, ½ tsp cinnamon, 175g chocolate and 125g pecans. Mix on low until just combined.
On baking sheet(s) lined with aluminum foil, place 1 tbsp of dough about 2” apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Add a touch of flake salt as soon as they come out of the oven. Leave on the baking sheet for a few minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

Makes 36 cookies

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Perfect Quick Cookies with Chocolate and Pecans

Amount Per Serving

Calories 162 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 23mg8%

Sodium 130mg6%

Potassium 48mg1%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 172IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 12mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Holiday, Quick, Roasted Vegetables, Side, Winter

Roasted Root Vegetables

November 28, 2019 Sam

Print Recipe

Roasted Root Vegetables

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: California, Thanksgiving

Keyword: Roasted Vegetables, Simple

Servings: servings

Calories: 117kcal

Ingredients

2 large parsnips
1 large purple-top turnip
1 large fennel bulb
2 small red onions
1 tbsp sage minced
1 tsp rosemary minced
1 tsp thyme minced
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Remove the skin from the red onion. Peel the parsnips. Chop everything into large chunks, about ½" each. Consistent sizes helps things roast evenly.
2 large parsnips, 1 large purple-top turnip, 2 small red onions, 1 large fennel bulb
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Add the minced herbs. Add about 1 tsp salt and plenty of fresh pepper. Add the 2 tbsp olive oil.
1 tbsp sage, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt, fresh ground pepper, 2 tbsp olive oil
Toss the vegetables, herbs, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in an even layer on a large sheet pan and place in the oven. Check every 15 minutes and stir at least once. Remove from the oven when done, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Notes

Makes about 6 small servings

Nutrition

Dairy-Free, Dinner Party, Dry Beans, Favorites, Great Leftovers, Projects, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans)

November 23, 2019 Sam

Is this technically a chowder, because it contains potatoes? The Internet told me once that a chowder is a soup with potatoes. The Internet lies.

So, no, it’s not a chowder. It’s just delicious.

Print Recipe

Habichuelas Guisadas

Puerto Rican Stewed Beans

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 399kcal

Equipment

Pressure cooker
Dutch oven

Ingredients

Beans

1 lb dry beans red, pink or pinto beans
2 cloves garlic
1 medium shallot
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1 stalk celery

Stew

1 cup sofrito
2 large carrots diced
1 large red bell pepper diced
2-4 tomatoes depending on size
2 tbsp sazón
1 lb red potatoes or other waxy potatoes, diced into large chunks
10 large green olives

Serving

2 cups Puerto Rican white rice
1 cup Pique

Instructions

First, the beans. Rinse and soak the beans in 1% salinity water for at least 6 hours. Add the beans and their soaking water to a large pot. To a spice bag, add 2 peeled garlic cloves, 1 shallot, 2 bay leaves, some coriander seeds, peppercorns, and a roughly chopped stalk of celery. Bring to a hearty boil for 10 minutes, and then cook for 30 minutes, maybe less depending on how fresh the beans are. When the beans are done (they can be just-cooked), drain but save the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, prepare the ingredients. Make the sofrito (if you do not already have some on-hand). Dice the carrots, bell pepper and tomatoes. Peel the potatoes and cut into fairly good-sized chunks. Drain the olives.
In a large Dutch oven, heat a few tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add the sofrito, the carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes and 2 tbsp sazon. Cook for a few minutes to activate everything and start to soften the hard parts. Add the beans, potatoes and 1-2 cups of the bean water. If under-seasoned (besides salt), you can add some concentrated broth, bullion cubes, tomato paste, or more sazón. Make sure there is enough liquid for this to stew for a bit.
Cook for an hour, removing the cover part of the way through to let the broth thicken.

Notes

For six servings, including the rice

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Habichuelas Guisadas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 399 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 401mg17%

Potassium 1647mg47%

Carbohydrates 74g25%

Fiber 23g96%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 5301IU106%

Vitamin C 58mg70%

Calcium 151mg15%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dairy-Free, Favorites, Side

Puerto Rican White Rice

November 23, 2019 Sam

Arroz blanco maybe? Not sure what it is called traditionally, but the oil here makes this special.

Print Recipe

Puerto Rican White Rice

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings: servings

Calories: 241kcal

Ingredients

1 cup Calrose rice
1.5 cups water
2 tbsp oil maybe a bit less
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Rinse the 1 cup rice. Bring a bit less than 2 tbsp oil, 1.5 cups water, and ½ tsp salt to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, allow to just gently boil, and cook until the water has just about cooked out (it will not be cooked). Stir, reduce heat to medium-low and cover and cook, checking and stirring every 4-5 minutes, until it is cooked (15-25 minutes).

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Puerto Rican White Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 241 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Sodium 296mg13%

Potassium 38mg1%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 3g6%

Calcium 4mg0%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Spice Mix

Sazón (Puerto Rican Spice Mix)

November 23, 2019 Sam

Print Recipe

Sazón

Puerto Rican spice mix

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Keyword: Spice Mix

Servings: servings

Calories: 43kcal

Ingredients

1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ground annatto or ½ turmeric, ½ sweet paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Mix the spices together. Store.

Nutrition

Quick, Weeknight Dinner

Grilled Caprese Flatbread

November 23, 2019 Sam

This is a great meal for Naan Week (especially in summer) because it is typically going to be different than other naan-centered planned for that same week.

Print Recipe

Grilled Caprese Flatbread and Salad

Naan serves as an excellent flatbread to support a fresh summer dinner

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Servings: servings

Calories: 707kcal

Ingredients

2 pieces naan
1 tbsp olive oil for brushing
4 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
8 oz tomatoes cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
2 oz basil pesto

Salad and Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large lemon zested and juiced
3 oz arugula

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients and lay it all out. Preheat a broiler on high.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
1 large lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil
Brush both sides of the naan with oil. Place on a sheet pan under the broiler for about 3 minutes until the top is developing good color. Remove from the oven.
2 pieces naan, 1 tbsp olive oil
Flip the naan so the bottom is the crispy side. Divide the sliced mozzarella among the naan, then top with tomato slices to cover (some can be for the salad). Season with with some of the salt and fresh pepper. Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan.
4 oz fresh mozzarella, 8 oz tomatoes, 1 tsp salt
Return flatbreads to the oven and broil until the cheese looks softer or melted, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat if everything is browning too quickly. Transfer to a cutting board to cool briefly.
Finish the salad. To the large bowl with the oil and lemon juice, mix in remaining tomatoes, arugula, walnuts and parmesan.
3 oz arugula
Sprinkle some of the lemon zest and the 2 oz pesto over the top of the flatbreads, then cut into wedges.
2 oz basil pesto

Notes

Serves 2

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Caprese Flatbread and Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 707 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Fat 49g75%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 19g

Cholesterol 50mg17%

Sodium 2238mg97%

Potassium 629mg18%

Carbohydrates 48g16%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 2959IU59%

Vitamin C 52mg63%

Calcium 483mg48%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Sauces

Sofrito (Puerto Rican Cooking Base)

November 23, 2019 Sam

Delicious start to Puerto Rican meals.

Print Recipe

Sofrito

A delicious base for Puetro Rican meals

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time15

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings: portions

Calories: 63kcal

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion large chopped
1 Anaheim pepper or cubanelle if available; stemmed, seeded and rough chopped
9 cloves garlic peeled and trimmed
½ bunch cilantro rough chopped
4 ajices dulces or a green bell pepper; stemmed, seeded and rough chopped
2 large tomatoes stemmed
1 tsp anchiote or sweet paprika
1 medium red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and rough chopped
2 tsp salt

Instructions

Prep the ingredients as above.
Place onions and cubanelle/anaheim peppers in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time through the feed tube and process until smooth. Season with about 2 tsp salt. Transfer what you don’t use to the freezer, where it will keep for quite a while. You want to have about ¼-½ cup per portion used in the meal.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sofrito

Amount Per Serving

Calories 63 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1220mg53%

Potassium 433mg12%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 2115IU42%

Vitamin C 81mg98%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Spice Mix

Pique (Puerto Rican Vinegar Sauce)

November 20, 2019 Sam

This sauce is perfect for Puerto Rican dishes.

Print Recipe

Pique

Puerto Rican vinegar sauce

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Pre-soaking2

Total Time2 30

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Keyword: Sauces

Servings: cups

Calories: 45kcal

Equipment

Food processor
Fine-mesh strainer

Ingredients

3 jalapeños
2 cups white vinegar
20 dried chile de arbol peppers
3 cloves garlic
1 medium shallot 2 tbsp chopped
1 large carrot ¼ cup sliced
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 serrano chiles

Instructions

Remove the stems from the jalapeño peppers and cut halfway through the peppers (as in, not all the way through), leaving them whole. Place the 2 cups white vinegar in a large bowl (that can be tightly sealed) and add the scored peppers. Let them soak, covered, for 48 hours. Then discard the peppers.
Peel the 3 cloves garlic. Chop the shallot until you have about 2 tbsp. Chop the carrot until you have about ¼ cup.
In a small pot, combine the 20 dried chiles, garlic cloves, onion, and carrot. Add about 2 cups water until the vegetables are just covered. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrots have softened. Pour the vegetables through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the cooking liquid.
Transfer the vegetables to a blender, then add the 2 cups vinegar from the jalapeños, the 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 cup of the vegetable cooking liquid, the 2 tbsp salt, and 1 tsp ground pepper. Process until completely smooth and blended. Taste, and add vinegar or more cooking water if needed to reach the desired acidity.
Pour the pique sauce into bottles or mason jars for storage and add one whole serrano chile to each bottle to soak. The sauce can be used immediately, but the flavor improves after a few days of rest.

Nutrition

Dry Beans, Great Leftovers, Projects, Rotation, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner

Greek Lentil Pie

November 20, 2019 Sam

This was so good that we ate the whole thing in one night. The best way to make this is to first cook the Lentil and Tomato Stew. Then, proceed to this recipe. All-in, it’s about 2-3 hours of work, excluding the dishes.

Even better, cook the the lentils the first night, and have them with bread, pasta or couscous, and then on the second night you make the pie with the leftovers. (It is even be better that way, since the lentils thicken nicely in the fridge.)

Print Recipe

Greek Lentil Pie

Prep Time45

Cook Time45

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Greek, Vegetarian

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 789kcal

Equipment

Nine-inch, straight-sided ceramic or metal pie pan

Ingredients

1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups lentil and tomato sauce stew or 2 cups cooked lentils, with some cooking water
½ cup dill chopped
5 oz feta crumbled
2 tbsp unsalted butter
12 sheets phyllo dough
5 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the 2 cloves minced garlic and stir together until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from heat.
1 medium onion, 5 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
In a medium bowl, combine the cooked onion and garlic with the 2 cups lentils, the chopped herbs and crumbled feta.
2 cups lentil and tomato sauce stew, ½ cup dill, 5 oz feta
Combine 2 tbsp butter and 4 tbsp olive oil in a heat-safe cup and melt gently in the microwave. Brush a 9-inch straight-sided ceramic or metal pie tin with butter and oil. Lay your phyllo dough out on a work surface and cover completely with a kitchen towel. Moisten another kitchen towel, and place on top of the dry towel. Remove phyllo one sheet at a time, replacing towels each time. Do the next steps quickly, to prevent the phyllo from drying or becoming damaged.
2 tbsp unsalted butter, 5 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan, tucking it into the seam of the pan, with edges overhanging rim. Brush it lightly with butter and oil and turn pan slightly, then place another sheet on top, positioning it so that edges overlap another section of pan’s rim. Continue to layer in 5 more sheets of phyllo (for 7 total), brushing each one with butter and oil and staggering them so that overhang on the rim of pan is evenly distributed and covers entire pan.
12 sheets phyllo dough
Fill the lined pan with lentil filling, then fold overhanging edges in over filling, brushing each one lightly with butter/oil mixture again.
Layer remaining 5 sheets of dough over top, brushing each sheet with butter and olive oil and rotating pan slightly after each addition. Crimp edges into sides of pan. Brush top with butter and oil. Pierce top of pie in several places with a sharp knife. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Serves 4

Nutrition

Nutrition information is generalized and may not include the actual lentil stew calculation, though it likely won’t make a big difference considering the other ingredients.

Nutrition Facts

Greek Lentil Pie

Amount Per Serving

Calories 789 Calories from Fat 315

% Daily Value*

Fat 35g54%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 683mg30%

Potassium 156mg4%

Carbohydrates 85g28%

Fiber 22g92%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 784IU16%

Vitamin C 12mg15%

Calcium 264mg26%

Iron 10mg56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.