Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Tacos

We seemed to have consumed our yearly intake of meat over our July 4th weekend, so when we got back home from vacation we were craving lots and lots of vegetables.  This certainly was what we were looking for.  It was delicious!  You really need to add a tomato salsa and extra lime juice to give it a bit of tang and oh my! Fabulous.  The fresh corn off the cob most certainly made it even better, but you are welcome to use frozen corn.  Though be warned that nothing compares to that crunch of fresh corn.  You can bake corn in the oven or microwave with the husk still on.  We usually do 2 cobs of corn (with the husk still on) in the microwave for 6 minutes.  Let cool and then the silk and husks come right off when you peel it.  We just slice the kernels right off the cob.  We also used feta as I like the extra flavor, but feel free to enjoy whatever cheese you like best.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Tacos

2  lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

4 Tblsp olive oil, divided

1 Tblsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5) oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 corn on the cob, cooked, and cut off cob or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn

3 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Corn or flour tortillas

Romaine lettuce

Cotija or feta cheese

1-2 diced avocados

red tomato salsa or pico de gallo

lime wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil then place sweet potatoes on foil. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp olive oil and toss evenly to coat. Sprinkle evenly with cumin, paprika, coriander, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to evenly coat. Bake in preheated oven 15 - 20 minutes until tender, tossing once halfway through baking.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden brown, about 5 - 6 minutes.  Add garlic during the last mintue of sautéing. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in drained black beans, corn, honey and lime juice. Heat until warmed through. Toss in roasted sweet potatoes and cilantro. Serve over warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Serves 6

*Adapted from Cooking Classy.

Asparagus, Avocado and Poached Egg on Toasted Pita

Oh mercy!  This was a party in our mouths.  It was so fresh and light and the perfect dinner for a warmer evening.  When we got done, my husband and I looked at each other and said wow!  It was divine.  And I have a confession.  It was one of my first Pinterest recipes I tried.  Oh I have pinned quite a few recipes on my Pinterest account and they all look just delightful, but if I'm going to go through all the effort and ingredients I want to trust my source that it is going to be good.  Thankfully with lots of fresh ingredients and a few alterations it did not disappoint.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Asparagus, Avocado and Poached Egg on Toasted Whole Wheat Pita

4 whole wheat pita

8 eggs

2 large ripe avocados

2 medium heirloom tomatoes

14 oz (a large bunch) green asparagus

3-4 oz goat cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (Edmond Fallot is my favorite)

juice and zest from 1/2 of a lemon

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

fresh sprigs of thyme

freshly ground salt and pepper

Heat oven to 475*.  Fill a two quart pot a little more than halfway full with water.  Add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a slow simmer. Meanwhile, wash asparagus and cut woody bottoms off (about 1 1/2 inches).  Place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss asparagus with olive oil and salt & pepper.  Roast until asparagus is bright green and fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Set aside.  

Start to poach the eggs.  In a very small bowl, crack one egg into it, careful not to break the yolk.  In the slow simmering water (small bubbles, not rapid ones) gently pour the raw egg into the water.  With a spoon gather all the egg whites and fold it back onto the egg yolk as it cooks.  Gently simmer for 3 minutes until the egg white is firm, but the egg yolk is soft.  You want the egg yolk partially runny so it can coat all the wonderful veggies on top of the pita.  Place the poached egg on a plate until ready to use and continue with the rest of the eggs.

Cut the tomatoes into a medium dice.  Place in a bowl.  Cut open the avocado and scoop out flesh into another bowl.  Add the lemon juice, zest, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard.  Mash until it is the consistency you like.  Toast the pita in the oven or toaster oven until it is crispy (but not crunchy).  Immediately after toasting pita start to assemble toasts.  

On top of toasted pita scoop 1/4 of the avocado mixture and spread around.  Place 1/4 of the roasted asparagus on top of the avocado spread.  Sprinkle 1/4 of the diced tomatoes on top of the asparagus. Crumble the goat cheese on top of the tomatoes.  Carefully place 2 of the poached eggs on top of the tomatoes.  I like to break my eggs open so it can coat the vegetables.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper and thyme sprigs.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4

*This fabulous recipe was adapted from the blog A Tasty Love Story.

Edamame, Rice and Corn Salad

This delicious salad was introduced to me by my cooking friend, Kristen Morefield.  She is a friend that is a delight to have around.  We sometimes get together for lunch or breakfast and share our leftovers and talk about all the yummy food we have been eating/making or hope to eat/make.  This salad has become a common appearance on our table.  It's fast, it's light, it's delicious!  You can also find all the ingredients at Trader Joes, which makes it easy to stock up on ingredients and pull out for a quick meal. Enjoy! I'll thank Kristen for you. :)  

Edamame, Rice & Corn Salad

Salad:

1 bag (12 oz) frozen shelled edamame

1 bag (16 oz) frozen corn or 4 corn on the cob, cooked, and kernels removed

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice or 1 bag frozen cooked brown rice (about 2 1/2 cups)

4 oz sliced almonds

3/4 cup small diced celery

4 scallions, chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

6 Tblsp canola oil

3 Tblsp rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1-2 Tblsp lemon juice

Bunch of fresh basil, chopped (about 15-20 leaves)

salt & pepper to taste

Thaw edamame and corn for 30 minutes (and rice if using frozen rice) on counter top.  Mix all salad ingredients in medium bowl.  Mix all dressing ingredients in container and shake.  Pour dressing over salad ingredients and stir.  Add more salt & pepper to taste.  Serve room temp or chilled.

Serves 4-5

Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Red Peppers

I made these the other day in an attempt to use more of a variety of grains.  I have been craving pasta way too much this winter.  Quinoa (which is pronounced "KEEN-wah") is awesome!  I could go on and on about all the health benefits, but here is just a few.  It is a complete protein, which provides all the essential amino acids needed by the body. It has lots of fiber, which helps with lowering high blood pressure.  It has iron in it, which helps keep our red blood cells healthy.  And a whole lot of other great minerals and vitamins that helps our body function well and keeps us running smoothly.  But, it is also really yummy to eat if prepared right.  It's very important to rinse quinoa before cooking because it has a coating called saponins that is meant to protect it during cultivation, but leaves a bitter taste on the tongue.  So just rinse it up and swoosh it around in water to get it off.  You can do this in a strainer, but just make sure it has tiny holes so that you don't lose all your quinoa.  I usually just do it in a bowl and use my hands to strain it.  This is great as a leftover too.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Quinoa Peppers

1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 Tblsp olive oil

2 celery sticks, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 Tblsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

15oz can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup quinoa

3 large carrots, grated (11/2 cups)

11/2 cups grated pepper Jack cheese, divided

5 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook 5 minutes, or until golden. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

      Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 to 2 1/2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and plump. Stir in 1 cup grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

       Fill each bell pepper half with quinoa mixture until mounded and full, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with more of the remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates and serve.

Serves 6

Parmesan Polenta Chard Bundles

Growing up, my father would always grow chard in his garden.  He still does.  Seeing all of the health benefits to chard, I now see why he does.  It's a powerhouse vegetable.  It has glutamine, which boosts the immune system and helps you recover from injuries.  It is full of vitamins K, A, & C.  It's a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron and fiber.  It also contains lots of folate, so eat it up you pregnant ladies.  I love the rich red vines that pulse through the bright leafy greens.  It's beautiful, healthy, and yummy.  This recipe makes me feel like I'm receiving a delightful gift on my plate all beautifully packaged.  The polenta, marinara and parmesan all compliment each other nicely making a great vegetarian meal or side.  Since the polenta takes at least an hour to cool, make it ahead.  It then goes quickly as you assemble the rest of the parts.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Polenta Chard Bundles

3/4 cup dry polenta (coarse cornmeal)

1 Tblsp butter

1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

1 bunch small to medium sized chard leaves (about 18)

fresh ground pepper

Spray an 8x8" pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.

            In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 1 tsp salt to a boil.  Pour in dry polenta and whisk.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thick, 10 to 15 minutes, occasionally whisking.  Remove from heat and stir in butter, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of pepper.

            Scrape the polenta into prepared pan and smooth the top.  Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, and then refrigerate at least an hour to solidify polenta.  If you need to leave it in longer, just wrap with plastic wrap after an hour of cooling.  Unmold and cut into 16 squares, 2 x 2 inches each. 

            Preheat the oven to 400* and bring a pot of water to a boil. Submerse chard into a bowl of cold water and swish to wash.  On cutting board, cut out the thick large stem from leaf.  You can cut a V into part of the chard leaf to remove some of the thicker portion of the stem.  Smaller chard leaves have a tender stem than their larger leaf counterparts.  In a pot of boiling water, submerse chard leaves, turn off heat, and let it sit for 8 minutes.  Remove and dry completely on paper towels.

            In same 8x8 pan, pour 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce into the bottom.  To form the bundles, lay 1 chard leaf on the cutting board and place 1 polenta square on top.  Place a spoonful of marinara sauce on top of the polenta and then wrap up like a gift.  Place the polenta square with the seam of the chard leaf face down into the marinara layer in the pan.  Continue with the rest of the polenta squares and chard leaves, fitting them very snugly together in the pan.  Spoon the rest of the marinara sauce on top of all the chard bundles.  Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan making sure to get all the squares. 

            Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Broil for 1 to 2 minutes after baking to brown the cheese.  Serve bundles hot.

Serves 4


*Adapted from a Cheryl Sternman Rule recipe from Ripe