Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

Serves 4

From Cooking Light magazine

RICE:

1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice (I used boil in bag brown rice)

2 teaspoons butter

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon salt

PATTIES:

2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans (1 [15-ounce] can), divided (I used 2 cans)

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers (I just used Monterey Jack)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup cornmeal

Cooking spray

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

I added in a can of jalapeños

To prepare rice, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place rice in a large bowl. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple; sauté 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to brown. Add pineapple mixture, cilantro, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to rice in bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. (I actually added the cooked rice to the pineapple in the skillet and cooked)

To prepare patties, place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. (I just mashed all the beans at the same time with a potato masher -- no pureeing)

Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. (I added jalapenos here) Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Spoon about 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 patty and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

My Review: Wow! These were pretty spectacular. I don't know why I was messing with those Morningstar and Boca burgers when I could be making my own. I liked the rice as well.

Spinach 'n' Broccoli Enchiladas

serves 8 - from Light and Tasty magazine

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 cup picante sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup (8 ounces) 1% cottage cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add the spinach, broccoli, 1/3 cup picante sauce, garlic powder and cumin; heat through. Remove from the heat; stir in cottage cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Spoon about 1/3 cup spinach mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon remaining picante sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

My Review: I was really nervous about this one. I thought it was going to taste like crap. It ended up being pretty tasty. Of course, I used hot picante sauce, so maybe I burned my tastebuds off!

LINGUINE WITH LEMON, GARLIC AND THYME MUSHROOMS

by Nigella

• 225g chestnut mushrooms - I used 6 ounces button
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil - I used 2 T olive oil
• 1 x 15ml tablespoon Maldon salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stripped to give 1 teaspoon leaves - I used dried
• 500g linguine- I used 1/2 box of whole-wheat
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped - I used dried
• 2–3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, or to taste - I used 2 T gorgonzola
• freshly ground pepper
• I added 1 C of asparagus
• I added red pepper flakes

Slice the mushrooms finely, and put in a large bowl with the oil, salt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and zest, and marvellously scented thyme leaves.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and drain loosely, retaining some water. Quickly put the drained pasta into the bowl with the mushroom mixture.

Toss everything together well, then add the chopped parsley, grated cheese and pepper to taste, before tossing again, and eat with joy in your heart.

My Review: Yum - what a tasty, light meal! It was so easy to make and so versatile. You could add chicken, shrimp, peas -- whatever your heart desires. Simon even liked it -- so it was man appropriate.

Tomato-Basil Pasta Nests

I halved this recipe to make what I thought would be 4 servings -- it was more like 6!

adapted from 365: No Repeats by Rachael Ray

• 1 pound whole wheat pasta, angel hair (I used thin spaghetti)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 can(28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
• freshly ground black pepper
• 20 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I substituted dry basil)
• 3 tablespoons pesto sauce (I omitted)
• 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (I used regular grated Parmesan)

Bring a large pot of water for the pasta to a boil and add some salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente. Meanwhile, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onions. Saute for 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat down if the onions begin to brown. You want them sweet and soft, not caramelized.

Stir in the tomatoes and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the basil to wilt and remove from heat. Stir in the pesto sauce. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to distribute. Sprinkle in the cheese. Using a meat fork, stick it into the pasta and bring up a heaping forkful. Turn and twist the pasta using your palm to guide it a bit, to form a nest.

My Review: Yum-o! This was an easy, quick pasta dinner.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burrito

adapted from The Moosewood Low Fat Cookbook -- serves 4

• 2 medium sweet potatoes… peeled and cubed
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1 large onion… chopped
• 3 garlic cloves… finely chopped
• 1 green chile… finely chopped
• 2 tsp. coriander
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 pinch cayenne
• 14 oz. canned black beans… drained and rinsed
• 1 handful coriander
• 1/2 lemon… juiced
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 fat-free Flour tortillas

Add the sweet potato to a pan of salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. Drain.Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and chilli and cook gently until the onions have softened. Add the spices and cook for a further minute.Add the sweet potato, onion, chilli, garlic, beans, coriander, lemon juice and salt to a food processor. Blend for 20-30 seconds until smooth-ish.Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a baking dish. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the middle of each burrito and roll into a cigar shape. Place burritos into the snug-fitting baking dish and cover with foil.Bake for 30 minutes.

My Review: OMG -- these might be the best burritos on earth! They were a little time-intensive, but totally worth the effort. This recipe made way more filling than I needed, so I froze half so I can make again. And I absolutely can't wait to make them again! Simon also loved these so definitely boy-friendly.

Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

adapted from WW Best Eats Cookbook

Serves 6 - if you make the recipe without my adapations, it's 204 cal, 3 g fat, 598 mg sodium and 4 g fiber

• 1 small eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 red pepper(s), cut into 8 strips
• 3/4 tsp table salt
• 1 garlic clove(s), minced
• 2 large tomato(es), coarsely chopped (I couldn't pick out a good tomato if my life depended on it, so I just used a giant can of chopped organic tomatoes. I actually read somewhere that canned tomatoes are more nutritious, which works well with my laziness!)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I love spice so I doubled this)
• 1/8 tsp black pepper (I love pepper so I doubled this)
• 2 tbsp basil, fresh, minced (I used dried - fresh herbs are expensive and don't last long!)
• 2 tbsp chives, fresh, minced (I used fresh because they were a manager's special at Kroger)
• 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
• 8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained (I used whole-wheat pasta)
• 4 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
• Personal extras - I also added a couple of tablespoons of Harry and David's Pepper and Onion Relish to give it more kick and a couple of tablespoons of ketchup to thicken it up. (I think I read somewhere that ketchup could sub for tomato paste.)

Preheat grill to medium or you can roast the vegetables if you prefer. (To roast, preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place vegetables on prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.)

Place eggplant slices and pepper strips in a grill basket (or place vegetables on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil with holes poked in it to allow smoke through). Off heat, coat vegetables with cooking spray; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place on grill and cook until lightly browned and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces; set aside.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over low-medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly pulpy, about 1 minute more. Stir in vegetables, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil, chives and broth; increase heat to medium-high. Cook until broth is slightly reduced and mixture has a sauce consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat. Stir in cheese just before serving. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Review: This was surprisingly good! I was really nervous because I waited too long to make this and my eggplant got a little decrepit. Luckily the roasting took care of the decrepitness! The sauce tasted very healthy and fresh. It had just enough kick to keep my taste buds happy. I really enjoyed the feta in this - it melted a bit and was really creamy.

Next time I make this, I'll cut smaller eggplant pieces and leave the skin on. I'll also cut the pepper into smaller pieces. I'm not really a fan of giant vegetables in my sauces so I ended up cutting the vegetables with my fork before I ate them.

Oh - and it goes without saying since I don't own a grill (second floor apartment) that I roasted the veggies.

Balsamic Green Bean & Potato Salad

Recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

2 cups baby Dutch potatoes (I couldn't find these, so I just used baby red potatoes.)

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

3 tbsp olive oil (I couldn't justify this - so I scaled back to 2 T; should have done 1 T and a little more balsamic.)

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2-3 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Fill a large saucepan with water and season with salt. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain and let stand.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil until combined.

Toss the potatoes and beans with the dressing to coat and top with freshly chopped basil.

Review: This was good - but it wasn't my most favorite recipe ever. Everything that went wrong was completely my fault. The red potatoes were too big, so I cut them in half, which made them soggy. It was cold - so next time I'll leave it at room temperature. I really liked the vinaigrette. It was delicious!