Radishes Au Gratin

I heard that baked radishes taste a lot like potatoes, so I thought...why not make radishes au gratin?! I couldn't find any recipe online, so I made one up based on a potatoes au gratin recipe. I also tried to make it less calories, omitting the milk and using a minimal amount of butter and cheese.

Radishes Au Gratin
(serves 2-3 people as a side dish)

About 15-20 fresh radishes, sliced thinly
1 yellow or white onion, sliced into thin rings
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 slices of cheese - I used Muenster
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover the bottom of a round glass baking dish with the sliced radishes (you can overlap and make layers). Arrange a layer of onion on top. Melt the butter, and using a spoon, drizzle it over the top of the dish. Then sprinkle the flour over the dish. Season the dish with salt and pepper. Be aware that radishes are basically flavorless...I would suggest at least 1/2 tsp of salt. Next tear the cheese into smaller pieces and place it on top of the onion layer. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 50 minutes.

THIS IS SO DELICIOUS. I've made it twice so far. :)

Farinata (chickpea-pancake) wrap

I've been meaning to post this for a while. Ever since I saw this post, I'd been wanting to make my own version of this wrap. When I researched it, I learned that there are many types of chickpea pancakes. Different cultures have slightly different recipes; India has "papadum," Italy has "la farinata," and France has "socca." Once I finally got my hands on chickpea flour, I made my chickpea pancakes using the Italian method. You can experiment with this wrap, and tweak the ingredients to your liking.

This is what my wrap consisted of:

1 chickpea pancake
1 sheet of whole-wheat flatbread, toasted
Shredded lettuce
Chopped white onion
Fresh sliced tomatoes
A sprinkle of fennel
Sauce made from sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, and Tabasco (to taste)

This was really good. The pancake (farinata) is similar to falafel, but it isn't deep-fried like falafel usually is (and so, it also has less calories...) The toasted flatbread gives it some crunch, plus all the veggies, and the yummy spicy sauce...it's good. :) Plus it's WAY easy to make. Just remember that the pancakes take about an hour to set, so you should plan for that.

Another interesting thing is that you can make hummus from chickpea flour. I tried it one day, because I figured it would be easier to blend than whole chickpeas. Well, I was right. It is easier to make, however it has kind of a strange aftertaste... Probably just gonna save the chickpea flour for farinata.

Savory oatmeal with fried eggs

I have always hated oatmeal. Don't most people? In the past I have taught myself to like certain foods because of their nutritional values. Skim milk...tomatoes...salad. But oatmeal...no matter how hard I tried to like it, I just couldn't. Even when I tried steel-cut oats, even when I mixed in cinnamon and honey, even when I put peanut butter and chocolate chips in it - I still felt like I had to force it down my throat.

But now...I have found an oatmeal I like.

The other day I saw a post (I can't remember where now) about savory oatmeal, with olive oil and herbs mixed in. Intriguing! I'd never heard of such a thing. Not the saccharine-sweet, brown sugar, milky cream oatmeal, but SAVORY! I finally tried it for myself last week and I was pleasantly surprised. A few nights later, as I was drifting off to sleep, I found myself CRAVING this oatmeal and scheming how I would make it again. I would spread the oatmeal out on a plate, then top it off with fried eggs.

And that's exactly what I did.

And it was good!

As far as how I made it: I used Quaker Instant oats and prepared one serving (half cup of dry oats) according to the package directions. It's better not to get it too soupy, so don't add too much water. A medium thickness makes it seem almost like risotto, which is perfect. Once it's hot, add in 1/2 TB of extra virgin olive oil, and salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (I love a lot of pepper). That's it! I haven't tried it with herbs yet but I'm sure it'd work great.

Blueberry crumb cake

To Die For Blueberry Muffins from Allrecipes


Sorry guys, don't feel like being descriptive today. I haven't been much into cooking lately. I think I need a little break from all the foodie stuff. Anyone else ever feel that way?

To keep it simple, this recipe is absolutely divine. I used brown sugar for the topping instead of white, and I doubled the recipe and baked it in a large pan instead of making muffins. Definitely recommend it. It's very sweet but very good.

Greek hummus wraps

Hummus Salad Wraps from Mediterrasian.com

Greek Pita Pockets from Mediterrasian.com


According to the family, this is the most filling vegetarian recipe we've ever had. It's a combination of the above recipes.

Hummus spread on whole-wheat flat bread, then covered in feta cheese, red onions, black olives, lettuce, tomato, grated carrots, and best of all.....Frank's Red Hot sauce.

It's a very refreshing meal, but filling at the same time. Plus it's really beautiful and colorful, and everyone can customize their sandwich with their favorite toppings. Definitely recommend this. :)

The hummus was homemade, created with chickpeas, olive oil, walnuts, red pepper flakes and some more of Frank's Red Hot. (I can't get enough of that stuff!)

Italian fried eggs on garlic bread

Fried Egg with Tomato & Mozzarella from Ginger Rose

I first made a version of this after I saw Giada DeLaurentiis make it on her show. When I saw Ginger's post, I knew it was time to make it again.

I love the combination of eggs and tomato sauce! I often make egg pizzas in the morning or actually...any time of the day. This version served on top of french bread is delicious and savory...definitely a satisfying and easy meal!

Greek yogurt with toasted pecans and honey

I am in love with Greek yogurt. My mom bought a big container at Whole Foods last week and I've been eating it every chance I get. Actually...I just had some with blueberries. Yum!

But the best way to eat Greek yogurt is with toasted nuts. I'm sure any nut would work, but the pecans are really delicious. Just spread the nuts out on a baking pan and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes. Mix it with a tablespoon of honey, and you really feel like you're eating a big bowl of ice cream. Plus, it's packed with protein and much more satisfying than ice cream!

I mean, just look at the picture, it speaks for itself. MMMM!

Oven-fried green beans

Oven-Fried Green Beans

1/2 tsp salt
About a LB of fresh green beans
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 eggs

Wash and trim green beans and cut into halves. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add oil and use your fingers to work the oil into the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to a large plate or shallow bowl. Set aside. Whisk eggs to break them up completely. When you lift the whisk up it should be as lifting it out of water. Preheat oven to 425. Liberally oil a large baking sheet (or use nonstick). Thoroughly dry green bean sticks. Keeping one hand dry and one hand wet, dip a green bean in the eggs, lift it out and shake off any excess egg, put green bean in bread crumbs mixture and coat completely, lift out and shake off any excess bread crumbs, transfer stick to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sticks. Bake, turning once, until browned, crispy, and tender to the bite, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Dipping Sauce: Mix light sour cream with chipotle seasoning and a small amount of horseradish.

Mushroom rice casserole and glazed carrots

Mushroom Casserole from 101 Cookbooks


Glazed Carrots from Alton Brown



Of course I've had mushroom rice casserole before, but typically we've made the canned-cream-of-mushroom variety. This recipe calls for fresh chopped mushrooms mixed in with a creamy mixture of cheeses and rice. It's very good, and it also smells HEAVENLY.

I decided to whip up some glazed carrots and found Alton's recipe. It calls for ginger ale, which I thought was interesting. Overall it's a good and simple, easy-to-make side dish.

Chiles rellenos and cilantro-lime rice (Father's Day)

Chiles Rellenos from Dave Harker
via Home Companion August 2002
(recipe posted below)


Cilantro-Lime Rice from Allrecipes


Our family has always loved the chile relleno. I remember when I was little my mom would always order it at Mexican restaurants, and at the time, I would just take a little taste, because that was when I was afraid of spicy food. Haha...

Anyway, for Father's Day lunch my sister suggested this chile relleno recipe with a twist: instead of breading, you use egg-roll wrappers as the crispy outer layer. I have to say, it was a lot easier than breading 11 chiles, and it was absolutely delicious. Really really good. Yum. Everyone loved it.

Along with it we served cilantro-lime rice, which my sister made and which is one of her favorite side dishes for Mexican food. Also good. For dessert I made a strawberry pie, which I will share soon in a follow-up post. :)

For now, here is the Chiles Rellenos recipe credited to chef Dave Harker (apparently Home Companion is no longer published...hmmm).


Chiles Rellenos
makes 6

6 poblano chiles
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, softened in warm water, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 C plus 3 TB chopped cilantro
2 TB shredded fresh basil
1 package egg roll wrappers
2-3 C tomato sauce
1 C vegetable oil, plus more as needed

(The chiles should be skinned to remove the tough outer skin. To do this easily, place them on a sheet of aluminum foil or broiler pan and blister under a preheated broiler, turning occasionally, until browned. Have a bowl of ice water nearby, and, when peppers are charred, place them into the water. Let them cool just briefly and then remove them and carefully peel off the skin. Try your best not to tear the chiles, but it's almost inevitable so don't worry about it. If chiles are ripped, they can be salvaged. Carefully split the chiles up one side without removing the stem. Gently rinse out the seeds. Drain the chiles cut side down on paper towels.)

Meanwhile, combine cheese-sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 C of the cilantro, and basil. Place stuffing inside chiles and carefully fold the edges closed, overlapping the edges slightly. They may not look too pretty at this point, but the wrapper will mask this.

Open egg roll wrapper package on two sides and remove one wrapper at a time. Cover chiles, leaving stem exposed.

Meanwhile heat 1-2 C of tomato sauce in a saucepan until hot.

Pour oil into a frying pan to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Heat oil on medium heat. When hot, fry the chiles, several at a time, gently turning them until they are browned on all sides. Adjust heat so they don't burn, adding extra oil as needed. When browned, place on paper towels to drain. Serve immediately on top of tomato sauce and garnish with the remaining 3 TB of cilantro.

Cabbage and walnut stir-fry

I am so behind on food blogging...there are literally about 50 new pictures sitting around on my desktop that I haven't gotten around to posting. So I should have a lot of new posts in the next few days.

This is the first recipe I tried from my new Vegetarian Bible, which was a gift from Alejandro (even though he's claimed he won't eat anything out of it).

The book is full of gorgeous pictures and I was actually shocked at how yummy these vegetarian recipes look. There are several that I can't wait to make.

I made this cabbage dish for dinner this past weekend and everyone liked it, but it didn't seem filling enough to eat alone, so keep that in mind and pair it with something more substantial. Still it's got great flavors and it's perfect for you if you're a fan of cabbage, like my friend Adam, who also has a food blog, with much more beautiful pictures than my own.

Here is the recipe as published in the book.

Cabbage & Walnut Stir-Fry
serves 4

12 oz white cabbage
12 oz red cabbage
4 TB peanut oil
1 TB walnut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 scallions, trimmed
8 oz firm tofu, cubed
2 TB lemon juice
1 C walnut halves
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp poppy seeds
salt and pepper

Using a sharp knife, shred the white and red cabbages thinly and set aside until required. Heat the peanut oil and walnut oil in a preheated wok. Add the garlic, cabbage, scallions, and tofu and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the lemon juice, walnuts, and mustard, season with salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Transfer the stir-fry to a warm serving bowl, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and serve immediately.

Chocolate-banana cookies

Nikki's Healthy Cookies via 101 Cookbooks


This is a flour-less, egg-less cookie....so, perfect if you're like me, and you have a yearning to bake, but you don't feel like going to the store. Hehe... Also good if you're like me and you let bananas sit around til they're practically mush, and the only thing you can do with them is put them in a baked good.

I really enjoyed these cookies. They're healthy, but they're good! I promise! I calculated that each one has 105 calories and 2g protein when you make a batch of 26.

Like a 100-calorie pack!
(You know, except healthy, and not full of corn syrup ;))

Roasted chickpeas

Roasted Chickpeas from Christie's Corner


I've been seeing roasted chickpeas on a few different sites, and I finally got around to trying them. Instead of making them garlic, chili-flavored I just seasoned them with salt, olive oil, and tons of pepper. Yum. I was lazy, so I didn't saute them, I just dumped the can onto on a pan and went from there.

Doing it the lazy way makes the chickpeas less crunchy, and more chewy, so they taste like tiny potatoes. To me they taste like cracked-pepper potato chips, in mini size. They're really good. I totally recommend them.

One thing I would say is I didn't need that much olive oil. According to my calculations, a 15 oz can of chickpeas with 2 TB olive oil makes about 4 servings, with 165 calories a piece. I made these again, and I halved the olive oil, and I still felt like it was too much. So I'll have to do some tweaking to figure out the perfect amount.

Hummadilla

Part hummus, part quesadilla. And you get the hummadilla.

This concoction is a ripoff of a menu item at the Magnolia Cafe in Austin, Texas. And it is SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD. Yum. Yum yum.

Yum.


Hummadilla
(serves 1)

2 whole-wheat flour tortillas
1/4 c to 1/2 c hummus (depending how much you love it)
1/4 c black beans
chopped up tomatoes and onions and/or red salsa to your liking

To crisp up the tortillas without using oil, heat them on a med-high to high heat skillet for a few minutes each side. They should become crisp and firmer, almost like a tostada. Slather a tortilla with hummus, then top with black beans and salsa. Put the other tortilla on top, and put it all back in the skillet to warm it up. Then just slice it in half. And you're done.

Mmm.. I also think this would be so awesome with some black olives, and also some jalapeños, so I'll have to try that next time. The hummus I used was made with chickpeas, walnuts, and hot sauce. Yum!

Tomato quiche majig

It looks horrible and calorie-ridden, doesn't it?

Not so!!! I found this recipe in a book called Country Cooking, which is filled with all kinds of amalgamations of butter and grease and lard. This is an example of how to take a fatty recipe and use replacements to make it healthy. I don't have the recipe to share with you, but these are just suggestions you can use to healthify a country-fied greasy quiche or omelette.

Instead of heavy cream (gasp!) I used plain fat-free yogurt. Instead of a pie crust, I used a thin layer of frozen hashbrowns. Instead of the layer of shredded cheddar, I used a couple slices of Muenster cheese, and sprinkled just a little of the shredded cheese on top. I also added some extra veggies to the filling.

After all that, it was about 300 calories for a fourth - a FOURTH - of that casserole dish. Mind-boggling! :)

Pan-glazed tempeh

Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh from Jude Blereau via 101 Cookbooks

This something I've been wanting to try for a while. If you've never heard of tempeh, it's similar and dissimilar to tofu. They're both made from soy beans, but tempeh has a very different texture, among other things.


My veggie sister bought a pack of tempeh the other day and I decided to go ahead and try it for lunch. I didn't have all the ingredients for this recipe, so I just used what I had. I ended up using V8 Mango-Peach juice instead of orange juice, and I left out the mirin because...quite frankly I don't know what that is. ;)

Ok, ok, I looked it up...mirin is a Japanese sweet cooking wine.

So the verdict is: tempeh is....interesting. I'm glad I tried it, but...I'm not entirely sold. From what I've heard, it's one of those take-it-or-leave-it kind of foods. There were some bites that were very nutty and crunchy, and I liked that part about it. So maybe I didn't crisp them up enough. Or maybe I'll just use tofu next time.

As a side note, my older sister claims this tempeh recipe tastes exactly like brisket. So if you're a vegetarian craving barbecue, this is the recipe for you. :)

Homemade granola bars

I found a bag of marshmallows in the pantry today, along with a big box of rice cereal. I was so tempted to make rice krispie treats, but instead I made some healthy homemade granola bars.

Here's what I threw into mine....however you can play around with ingredients, this is just what I had in the house. To make it even healthier, you could omit the butter and use Kashi or another healthier cereal instead of the rice krispies. Any kind of nut would also be a good addition.

Peanut Butter Oat Bars
based on this recipe from suite101.com

3 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
3 c quick-cooking oats
3 oz raisins
1/4 c toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 c craisins
1/2 c almond butter
1/2 c peanut butter
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c honey
2 TB butter

Spray a 13 x 9 pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix puffed rice cereal, oats, raisins, craisins, and pumpkin seeds. Heat peanut butter, maple syrup, honey and butter on medium-low heat for a few minutes, until melted. Stir. Pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat. Press mixture into prepared pan using your hands. Freeze 30 minutes. Cut into bars. Keep refrigerated.

Makes 16 bars, 235 calories each.

Frozen yogurt and chile relleno casserole

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt from David Lebovitz
1/2 c for 127 calories

Chile Relleno Casserole from Peertrainer.com
6 servings for 288 calories each

I first tasted Pinkberry frozen yogurt when my family visited Hollywood two summers ago. Since then we have tried to find a frozen yogurt that is comparable. The frozen yogurt with berries at Central Market comes pretty close. Well then I found this recipe, and this is the closest thing yet.

I will definitely make this again, and double it, because there was not enough to go around with 7 people. I will use a little less sugar next time. We topped ours with white chocolate chips, but pretty much any fruit, nut, or chocolate topping will taste good with this yogurt.

The chile relleno casserole was a recipe that I found randomly, when I was looking for tips on how to make a low-calorie chile relleno. (Although it's made from a very large chile, at Mexican restaurants it's usually stuffed brimming, overflowing with cheese....and usually has at least 600 calories.) I've never heard of peertrainer.com but this recipe was good, so I might look to see if they have other tantalizing recipes.

Roasted Grape salad / Eggplant sandwich

Grape Salad from Myrecipes


Eggplant Sandwich from Allrecipes


You know when you don't eat grapes in time, and they lose their crunchiness? Well yesterday I had a bagful of such grapes. They just weren't fit to eat by themselves. I have really been into roasting vegetables lately, and I thought...why not roast grapes?

Well, I googled it and sure enough, there were directions. I knew it wasn't crazy. Toss the grapes in a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, and bake on 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. I tasted one right after they came out of the oven - they taste surprisingly like a cherry cobbler.

I found the above recipe for a grape salad, and I simply omitted the chicken and used the roasted grapes instead of fresh.
If you use these on a salad, though, be careful because they retain a lot of juice. To avoid a soggy salad, you'd probably do best to add them on top of each salad portion, instead of mixing them into the bowl.

My sister made the eggplant, and it was yummmmy. I ate mine in a pita instead of the bun.

Pepper and goat cheese frittata

I decided to make another frittata using this for general instructions. As you can tell, this frittata isn't quite as purple as the other one. ;)

This time I used sauteed onions and green bell pepper, green chiles, red pepper flakes, roasted cherry tomatoes, and a "spring" mixture of lettuces (romaine, swiss chard, etc).


I also added more goat cheese than last time (a hard, "drunken" goat cheese, and also a soft, pepper goat cheese).


Topped it with some toasted pine nuts and it was done.

This is a great recipe to experiment with. The egg base is easy to make, and you can add whatever toppings you're in the mood for.