Cannellini Bean Dip

adapted from Jenn Cuisine

I have been having a love affair with beans. They taste so good and are so good for you and are so filling! Unfortunately they don't take a very good picture. This bean dip was terrific and very hearty, I served it with toast and salad and it was great. The recipe calls for tuna, but I think it would be better without it. I also think it would be great with some cheese mixed in and maybe even heated up... so experimentation is recommended.

4 cups white cannellini beans, canned (drained and rinsed) or already cooked

1/2 lemon, juiced (about 2-3 Tbsp)

olive oil, as needed (I used a little more than 1/4 cup, taken from the sundried tomatoes)

1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup canned tuna

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp sage

salt and pepper to taste

Add beans and lemon juice to a food processor, and pulse until it is all smooth. If too thick, slowly pour in olive oil until it is the consistency of scoopable dip. Mix in tomatoes, tuna, herbs salt and pepper. Serve with pita bread or chopped vegetables.

White Bean and Lentil Stew

Adapted from Dana Treat

This was a great stew. It's vegan and healthy and so tasty. Pour it on top of brown rice and be prepared to feel good about your diet.

Olive oil

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup dried lentils

1 15-oz (about 425 grams) garbanzo or white beans, rinsed and drained

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks

1 Tbsp dried parsley

10 oz (about 275 grams) spinach

1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped

Lemon wedges

salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat a large pot, add oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft. Add tomato paste and spices and keep stirring until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in broth, water and lentils and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes (or once the lentils are almost tender).

Add garbanzo beans, carrots, cabbage and parsley. Cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender. Stir in spinach slowly and allow for it to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls of rice and garnish with parsley and lemon.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

from Eat This House

I made these for Ben to eat while I was on vacation and we ate them all before I even had a chance to leave. I have had a real thing for gingerbread lately and these blended flavors hit that and my chocolate craving all at once.

1/2 cup butter (about 113 grams)

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp boiling water

1 heaping cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white sugar (for rolling the cookies in)

Cream butter and sugars until soft. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and spices. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and boiling water. Then, taking turns, beat half of the flour mixture into the butter/sugar bowl, then add the baking soda/water mixture, then add the rest of the flour. Mix in the chocolate chips and turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat into a 1 inch log and refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours)

Preheat the oven to 325 F (163 C) Once chilled, slice the cookies into 1/2 inch rounds roll in granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Bake until surfaces crack slightly, about 10-12 minutes. Let them cool slightly on the pan for a few minutes, then scoop them onto a wire rack to cool.

Brazilian Black Mango Soup

from Allrecipes

When I first saw this recipe I was pretty skeptical because of all the random ingredients. Mango in a stew? Are you crazy? But I really love mango. And black beans. And sweet potatoes. So I thought I would give it a try. So glad I did. And while I loved the ham, it would be great with out it as well.

1 Tbsp oil

1/4 lb chorizo sausage

1/3 lb cooked ham, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large bell pepper, chopped

2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 hot chili pepper, finely minced (optional, add for heat)

1 1/2 cups stock

2 (16 oz) cans black beans

1 mango

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

salt to taste

First, heat oil in a big pot. Saute onion and garlic and once softened, toss in the chorizo and ham. Then add in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, the cans of tomatoes with juice, minced chili pepper, and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in beans and simmer for 5-10 more minutes. Lastly, mix in mango and cilantro, season with salt and serve.

Rainbow Birthday Cake

I made this cake for my nephew's first birthday and it was beautiful.

The frosting had some issues, but once you cut into the cake it was a lovely display of color.

And it was so easy! First, you make a simple white cake. (We used the boxed kind to save time) You split the batter into different bowls and add enough food coloring to get the primary and secondary colors:

Then you pour the batter into the cake pan, one a time, layering the colors on top of each other. Do not stir. Bake the cake as directed and let cool completely before frosting. Again, we used the store bought kind, but next time I think I would use a homemade cream cheese frosting... mmmmmm....

Enjoy!

Mom's Carrot Cake

from my Mom

This is one of my very favorite cakes and my mom's recipe is my very favorite version.

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

3 small jars carrot baby food

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 lb powdered sugar

1/2 cup (113 g) butter

Mix together oil, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Then add eggs, beating well after each addition, and mix in the pureed baby food carrots. Sift together the flour, cinnamon and baking soda and add to the wet mixture. Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 30-35 minutes (or until the center comes out clean when you pierce it with a toothpick). Cool well before frosting. Eat chilled.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans and Onions

adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 Tbsp butter

2-3 large red onions

1 chili pepper (1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper)

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Steam beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Melt butter in a lager heavy skillet at hight heat. Peel the onion, chop in half and chop again lengthwise leaving you with larger pieces of onion. Saute until onions begin to soften (3-4 minutes). Add vinegar and sugar and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add in beans; toss to coat and heat through, about 1 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spinach Artichoke Twists

adapted from Sparkling Ink

This is an easy and pretty finger food I brought to a party. They were light and savory and disappeared in 20 minutes.

10 oz (280 g) frozen spinach

10 oz (280 g) canned artichokes

1/2 cup (1.2 dl) cream cheese

1/2 (1.2 dl) Parmesan cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper (to taste)

17 oz (480 g) frozen puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).

Drain the spinach, chop the artichokes and combine together along with parmesan cheese, cream cheese, garlic and onion powders and salt and pepper.

Thaw the puff pastry as directed. Spread the spinach-artichoke filling generously on the sheets. Carefully roll them up and press the end to seal the seam. They should look like little burritos. Next, using a sharp knife, slice the rolls into 1/2 inch thick slices and place them on a baking sheet. (It may help to put the rolls into the freezer for 30 minutes to make the slicing easier) Bake at for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I love this dinner. It's cheap and delicious and so easy to make. With bacon and sour cream you can't go wrong. Definitely isn't the healthiest, but I'm confident substitutions could be made without affecting the taste too much.

12 large baking potatoes

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup cheese

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

2 Tbsp butter

8 slices bacon, crumbled

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp paprika

1 ranch dressing packet

salt and pepper to taste

6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (200 C). Bake potatoes for one hour or until soft. Meanwhile, fry bacon, drain grease, let cool and crumble.

Once potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh of the potato leaving about 1/4 of an inch of the potato attached to the skin. Set skins aside.

In a large bowl combine potato flesh, sour cream, bacon, green onions, milk, butter, 3/4 of the cheese, spices, salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy and spoon back into the potato skins. Top with Parmesan and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

Adapted from Cate's World Kitchen

Cabbage soup is the ultimate diet food. It is filling and cheap and low in calories. The potatoes and beans add a little more heft, but still this is a great way to stick to those new year's resolutions. My estimate is about 200 calories per bowl.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, medium

3 potatoes, diced

4 cups stock

salt

pepper

1 cup pinto beans

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced

3 carrots, julienned

1 tsp parsley

grated parmesan for a garnish (omit for vegan)

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft. Add the potatoes and 2 cups of stock along with a little salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Once potatoes are very tender, carefully puree with and immersion blender until very smooth. (You may want to let the soup cool a bit!) Add 2 cups of stock and stir in cabbage, beans, parsley and carrots and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.

Serve hot and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Ants Climbing on Branches

Adapted from First Look, Then Cook

After bingeing during Christmas I was feeling very lethargic and unhealthy and I wanted to try a few recipes that tasted good but were still fairly light. This is the carb friendly version to the Chinese food "Ants climbing on Trees" which is ground pork with thin noodles. Here the noodles are replaced with green beans, making it much lower in calories while still being delicious.

1 lb green beans

1/2 lb lean ground pork

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion

1-2 chilies

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cashews

Heat oil and saute garlic, onion, spices together for a few minutes until fragrant. Then add pork and brown, then add beans and red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until the beans are beginning to soften. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and whisk together until smooth. Stir broth mix into pork and cook until thickened. Top with cashews and serve with rice.

Karelian Stew

from Mandi

Karelian stew (Karjalanpaisti) is a traditional meat stew from Karelia, the eastern part of Finland where Ben's mother is originally from. It is hearty and uses tasty root vegetables found in Scandinavia. I would love to try this in a dutch oven sometime, it seems like perfect camp food.

Serves 4

1-2 lbs of beef, pork or lamb chunks

1 Tbsp butter

1 rutabaga, chopped

3-5 carrots, chopped

4 small onions, chopped roughly

4-5 cups water or beef broth (enough to cover food in the pot)

15 peppercorns

4 bay leaves

salt to taste

6-8 potatoes

Heat the oven to 275 F. Wash and chop all vegetables except potatoes (set them aside). Brown the meat in the butter in a sauce pan and layer meat cubes, onions, and vegetables in a lidded casserole dish. Pour water or beef broth over the meat and cover.

Bake in the oven, stirring occasionally until meat is tender (about 5 hours). While the stew is in the oven, boil the potatoes. Once 5 hours is up, take out the stew, remove bay leaves and peppercorns and serve over boiled potatoes.