Vegetarian Week, #3. Mango, Avacado and Black Bean Quesadillas

I have mentioned in my past post that I want to try to prepare more dishes with beans. Black beans, like other beans, have high soluble fiber which helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar for people with diabetes. Other than fiber, black beans are a very good source of folate. Also, they are a good source of manganese, protein, magnesium, thiamin (vitamin B1), phosphorus and iron.

I added mango to the recipe to give these bean quesadillas a twist.


Ingredients
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups onion, sliced
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 poblano chile, seeded and chopped
* 1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 cup mango, cubbed
* 1/3 cup avocado, cubbed
* 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
* Cooking spray
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
1) Preheat broiler.

2)Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and poblano, and sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beans; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in mango and avocado.

3) Place flour tortillas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Arrange about 3/4 cup bean mixture on half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese over bean mixture, and fold tortilla in half. Lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 1-2 minutes or until cheddar cheese melts.

Vegetarian Week, #2. Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

I love tomatoes! A lot of people know that tomatoes contain the phytochemical Lycopene, and the processing of tomatoes increases the concentration of bioavailable lycopene. Research shows that sun dried tomatoes have the highest lycopene bioavailability compare to fresh and canned tomotoes. Lycopene has been linked to the reduction of free radicals (that causes wrinkles) and certain cancers.

It is better to buy organic tomatoes because home washing and cooking practices will not reduce the chemical or hormonal residues.



Ingredients
* 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh whole wheat fettucini
* 3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
* 1/4 cup organic basil leaves
* 2 tablespoons almonds
* 2 tablespoons preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
1) Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan.

2) While pasta cooks, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped.

3) Combine tomato mixture and the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add to pasta; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with feta.

Recipe Resource: Myrecipes.com

Vegetarian Week kick off! Caprese Melts

I have been trying to have at least one vegetarian meal a week. Since, my new year resolution was to eat more beans and trying to eat lamb, I decided to create some meatless dishes for a week. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine said she had an organic heirloom tomato sandwich, immediately I thought of making this summer dish. A caprese melt!

This week, Metropolitan market has the daily house make fresh mozzarella cheese for $7.99 per pound. It is the perfect timing to make this delicious meal.

I do not own a panini maker, so I used the family size George Forman Grill. If you don't have both, you can use your oven, set to broil to make the sandwich toasty!




Ingredients
* 6 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
* About 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 12 fresh basil leaves, rinsed
* 2 firm-ripe tomatoes (about 8 oz. total), sliced 1/4 inch thick
* 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick
* Salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Place 3 slices, oil side down, on a George Forman Grill and layer evenly with basil leaves, tomato slices, and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and top with remaining bread slices, oil side up.

2. Gril sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes total. Serve immediately.

Szechwan style vegetable and pork stir fried with penne

I was craving pasta and something very spicy tonight. So I opened the refrigerator and brainstormed for a while, then created this recipe with a Szechwan twist. It is the perfect dish for someone who doesn't like vegetables as much as I do. I use the flavor and spice to mask amount of vegetables so Mr. S will eat more vegetables :).



Ingredients
* 2 cups penne pasta, cooked
* 1 pound pork loin, sliced
* 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon white pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 cup water or broth
* 1 tablespoon rice wine
* 1 teaspoon fish sauce
* 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
* 1/2 teaspoon chile paste
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
* 2 cups broccoli, chopped
* 2 cups cabbage, chopped
* 1 yellow pepper, chopped
* 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
* 1 teaspoon chile flake


Preparation
1. Place the pork in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with light soy sauce, white pepper and sugar; toss well. Let stand 10-15 minutes.

2. Combine 1/2 cup water (or broth) and the next 6 ingredients (rice wine to sesame oil) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; stir-fry 5 minutes to brown. Remove pork from pan; set aside. Add garlic and ginger to hot pan; stir-fry 1 minute. Add all vegetables; stir-fry 5 minute or until vegetables are soft. Return pork and penne to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes.

4. Add water mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Sprinkle chile flakes for garnish.

Stir fried Ginger Shrimp and Vegetable with Quinoa

What is Quinoa? Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah)is a whole grain that is both high in protein and fiber. It is a good source of iron and magnesium. It is also gluten-free, so it is easier to digest. It cooks faster than other whole grains. Quinoa is usually used in salad or soup. This time I used it as a substitute for rice.




Quinoa
Ingredients
* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups water
* Pinch salt

Preparation
1) Rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove the naturally occurring bitter resin which coats the grain. Add 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water and salt. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until water is all absorbed. Let cool completely.


Stir fried Ginger Shrimp and Vegetable
Ingredients
* 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Dash of white pepper
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine) or rice wine
* 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
* 1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
* 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
* 1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 cups cabbage

Preparation
1. Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with ginger, salt, and pepper; toss well. Let stand 5 minutes.

2. Combine 1/2 cup water and next 6 ingredients (through chile paste) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp mixture to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove shrimp mixture from pan; set aside. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add cabbage; stir-fry 1 minute. Return shrimp mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

4. Add water mixture to pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Serve immediately with cooked quinoa on the side.

Mexican fusion pizza

I like homemade pizza because I can put the ingredients that I like on it and it's more fun to make it yourself. This is a easy version of homemade pizza with a Mexican twist. A good summer meal option.




Ingredients
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 1 teaspoons sesame oil
* 8 ounces chicken breast tenders, cut in small cubes
* 1/2 cup green salsa
* 1/4 cup chopped pineapple
* 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
* 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation
1) Preheat oven to 350F.

2) Marinate chicken with first 4 ingredients for at least 10 mintues. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté chicken until cooked for about 5 minutes, set aside.

3) Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of green salsa on each tortilla. Place topping with chicken, pineapple, corn and tomatoes; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of cilantro. Serve immediately.

Great recipe for a hot day....... Asian noodle salad

Finally feels like summer in Seattle, which started with a heat wave for a whole week. It is unbearable when I still need to heat up the stove to cook in the kitchen with no a/c. So I thought this recipe for those of us, who want to make something but don't want to increase the temperature in your house. Basically I just used the vegetables I saw in my fridge and created this delicious meals.

I just read something at Seattle times 'Eat spicy food as they do in the hot climates of Mexico or India. It causes you to perspire, cooling the body', so the chili oil in this recipe should help us to cool down.




Ingredients
* 1 package soba noodles
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
* 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
* 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 big radish, thinly sliced or julienned
* 5 green onions, bottom 4 inches, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
* 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or julienned
* 1 cup cooked shrimp, cut into cubes
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
* 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
* 4 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, for garnish

Directions
1) In a medium stock pot, boil water, add salt and cook noodles. When finished, place noodles in an ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
2) In a medium bowl combine, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, hot chili oil, hoisin and extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and then combine prepared vegetables, shrimp and noodles.
3) Garnish with sesame seeds and peanuts.

Balsamic Pot Roast

I got some grass fed beef a couple of weeks ago and have been thinking to make a pot roast without using a slow cooker. This recipe uses balsamic vinegar to increase the flavor from the beef and Mr. S gave 2 thumbs up :).



Ingredients
* 1 can organic beef broth
* 1 4- to 5-pound pot roast, trimmed fat
* 3 tablespoons salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 large yellow onions, cut into eighths
* 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 cups baby carrots
* 4 cups potatoes
* 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Preparation
1) Heat oven to 350° F. Rub the meat with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the meat until well browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

2) Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining oil, onions, garlic, and rosemary to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and add the broth, vinegar, and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Add potatoes and carrots, Cover. Transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

3) Transfer the meat to a cutting board and cover with foil to keep warm. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and reserve. Place the pan over high heat and boil the cooking liquid until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Add the parsley, stir, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

4) To serve, cut the pot roast across the grain into thin slices. Place them on the platter with the vegetables and spoon on some of the sauce.

Homemade jam

Mr. S and I went strawberry U-pick last week in Carnation. It was a good day to pick strawberry because it wasn't too hot and wasn't raining. After an hour of picking, we got 14 pounds of strawberries.



I decided to use some of the strawberries to make homemade jam. It was my first time to make jam so I did some research online. I followed the instruction from 'Pick your own', and the instruction provided with the pectin.



Tools that I use to make jam:
* Large mixing bowl
* Potato masher
* Large pot
* Small pot
* 4 jam jars (with new lids)
* Ladle

Ingredients
* 2 pounds Strawberries
* 1/4 cup Fresh lemon juice
* 6 cups Sugar
* 1 box Pectin

Preparation
1) Slightly mash strawberries in a large mixing bowl with potato masher. Add lemon juice, stir well, then add in pectin. Transfer mashed strawberry mix into a large pot.
2) In another small pot, put the lids in hot water(not boiling water) for several minutes.
3) Heat mashed strawberry mix over medium high heat to a full boil. Add sugar, bring it back to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim excess foam. Stand for 5 minutes.
4) Fill in jar and put the lid and ring on. To preserve the jam, put the jars in hot boiling water, cover with 2 inches of water. Boil jars for 10-15 mins. Lift the jars out and let them cool for 12-24 hours.