Recipe: Cheesy Black Bean and Butternut Squash-Stuffed Poblanos

Cheesy Black Bean and Butternut Squash-Stuffed Poblanos

The Brain Health Kitchen, Annie Fenn, MD, p.237
4.5 stars

When eating this, I thought it was delicious, but as I've been eating the leftovers, it's been meh. Maybe if the cheese topping was a melty cheese like Monterey Jack or Mozzarella, it'd taste better. Cotija smells funky when heated up.

Overall, this was an easy base dish to make -- in the future, I can see us taking this and adding to it ~ like adding chipotle in adobo or fire-roasted tomatoes.

Ingredients: poblano peppers, butternut squash, corn, black beans, green enchilada sauce, goat cheese/feta or queso blanco, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, chili powder, Kosher salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used cotija -- next time, use a melty cheese
• Used frozen butternut squash and corn -- worked out just fine
• Used 5 poblanos but 4 would've worked as noted in the recipe
• Didn't make the quick-pickled Pomegranate red onions

Recipe: Tofu and Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Noodles

Tofu and Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce and Noodles
The Brain Health Kitchen by Annie Fenn, MD, p.197
4.8 stars

I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out (being healthy and all) -- it was DELICIOUS!!! Definitely making this one again! The sauce makes the dish as it's nice and spicy. 

Ingredients: udon noodles, tofu, red onion, baby bok choy, peanuts, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sambal oelek (fresh chili paste), honey, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, avocado oil

Tips:

• Added carrots and celery
• Served with vegetable gyoza

Recipe: Bright and Spicy Shrimp Noodle Salad

Bright and Spicy Shrimp Noodle Salad

Bon Appetit Magazine, Feb 2020, p.60

4.6 stars

Nice, easy and healthy weekday "salad."

Ingredients: shrimp, glass noodles, cucumber, roasted peanuts, basil, lime juice, honey, serrano, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Used rice noodles instead of bean thread (cellophane or glass) noodles
• Add mango
• Add edamame
• Serve with egg rolls

Recipe: Beefy Vegan Tempeh and Broccoli

Beefy Vegan Tempeh and Broccoli

VegNews.com

4.6 stars

This dish was fine -- I think I need to use different tempeh next time because I didn't love the texture of the one I bought from Trader Joe's.

This dish was great with spring rolls on the side, and we added chile garlic sauce to the dish to taste at the table.

Ingredients: brown rice, tempeh, broccoli, vegetable broth, hoisin sauce, tamari, red wine vinegar, sriracha, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, shallots, ginger, garlic, scallion, dried hot chile pepper, toasted sesame seeds

Tips/Notes:

• Used quinoa instead of brown rice
• Used soy sauce instead of tamari
• Used a serrano instead of a dried hot chile pepper
• As noted above, added chile garlic sauce at the table

Recipe: Beet Tostadas

Beet Tostadas

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2024, p. 35
4.7 stars

I was so intrigued by this recipe, though, there were so MANY steps so with our culinary knowledge, we modified it a bit. It was overall good but needed something with umami -- see notes below.

Beet Tostadas Ingredients: beets, black beans, yellow onion, guajillo chiles, garlic, limes, lime juice, ground cumin, ground coriander, chile powder, red pepper, Kosher salt, olive oil

Picked Vegetables Ingredients: scallions, jalapeno, radishes, lime juice, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, sea salt

Additional Ingredients: tostadas, queso fresco or crumbled feta, cilantro, roasted pepitas, flaky sea salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used frozen beets already peeled and sliced -- roasted them for about 28 min with all ingredients but used guajillo chile powder and garlic powder
• Did not grate the beets
• Need to drain the black beans about 75% as the puree was too runny
• Used queso fresco; also bought Oaxaca cheese
• Added hot sauce to taste
• Skipped the roasted pepitas
• To add umami, add mushrooms or plant-based meat

Recipe: Chilled Zucchini Soup

Chilled Zucchini Soup
Food & Wine Magazine
4.9 stars

This recipe from Chef Michael Anthony was just as good as Chef Grant Achatz's Silky Zucchini Soup but it had another layer of complexity because of ALL the other vegetables in it -- there are 12 (including the herbs)! 

We took this recipe and simplifed it by A LOT. See notes below. In short, we sauteed, then blended, then served it hot. We'll eat the leftovers chilled.

Soup Ingredients: zucchini, leek, spinach, yellow onion, shallots, garlic, lemon thyme, parsley, basil, vegetable broth, olive oil, Kosher salt

Garnish: hakurei turnips, summer squash, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper

Tips:

• Literally just sauteed everything, blended it and served. No ice bath, no straining through a wire-mesh strainer, no chilling of the soup.
• Added red pepper when sauteing the vegetables.
• Used 5 sprigs of thyme and lemon zest since we don't have lemon thyme.
• Didn't use turnips.
• Topped with sauteed squash, Parmesan and croutons.

Recipe: Beet and Mushroom Miso Ragu

Beet and Mushroom Miso Ragu

Bon Appetit Magazine,  May 2023, p. 50
5 stars

This was so delicious!!!! Reading the title of the recipe, I was wary... you never know how these plant-based type of dishes will turn out. We will definitely be making this one again -- I didn't even miss the meat! Great umami from the shiitakes and miso, and loved the texture. We used organic lentil spaghetti.

Ingredients: spaghetti, beet, shiitake mushrooms, canned chickpeas, white miso, Parmesan, shallot, Aleppo pepper, garlic, vegetable oil, extra-virgin olive oil, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used frozen beets (thawed them)
• Didn't "thinly slice" the 2 garlic cloves -- minced them
• For the 1.5 cups of pasta water, use judgment
• The mixture didn't get very brown -- we likely didn't use high enough heat in our Caraway pan that can only take heat up to setting 7
• Added Impossible Italian meatballs to the dish

Recipe: Sweet Peach & Goat Cheese Salad

Sweet Peach & Goat Cheese Salad

Recreated a Mendocino Farms salad

5 stars

I saw this salad advertised in an email from Mendocino Farms. As I read through the ingredient components, I thought to myself, "We can make that!" It turned out GREAT!!! A $14.35 salad but ours is all ORGANIC!

Ingredients:

• Shaved, roasted chicken breast (we used Impossible chicken that we air fried)
• Sweet peaches
• Romaine, kale and mixed greens
• Pickled red onions
• Fresh mint
• Shaved fennel
• Marinated goat cheese (we used honey goat cheese)
• Honey roasted almonds (to cut back on calories and more sweetness, we used Marcona almonds)
• Drizzle of hot peach honey
• Farmhouse vinaigrette (made our own basic vinaigrette)

Recipe: Creamy Polenta with Artichokes Agrodolce

Creamy Polenta with Artichokes Agrodolce

Food & Wine Magazine, May 2024, p.52
4.8 stars

I loved this dish but thegrandcruman did not as he didn't like the artichokes and vinegar-y-ness to it. I think it's restaurant-worthy with all of its really great flavors. If anything, the polenta itself was super flavorful!

Ingredients: quick-cooking polenta, fennel, marinated artichoke hearts, Castelvetrano olives, raisins, dry white wine, sherry vinegar, water, whole milk, butter, shallots, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Minced instead of slicing the garlic
• Used regular raisins that we had on hand
• Shorted the salt (1/2 tsp instead of 3/4 tsp) in the vegetable mixture and also shorted it in the polenta
• Added olives when serving as thegrandcruman isn't a fan of olives
• Forgot to add the mint leaves and red pepper for garnish

Recipe: Orange, Currant and Pine Nut Couscous

 

Orange, Currant and Pine Nut Couscous

Emeril 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast, p. 48
5 stars

A really great side -- we had this with salmon, steamed broccoli and a Chardonnay. A DELICIOUS MEAL!

Ingredients: couscous, carrots, dried currants, red onion or shallot, orange, orange zest, pine nuts or walnuts, mint or parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, white pepper, water

Notes/Tips:

• Because the couscous takes 10 min to cook, we started cooking the couscous for 5 min, then added the carrots, red onion, etc. We didn't follow the recipe (the steam method).
• Tripled the amount of carrots
• Used 1/2 tsp of salt instead of 3/4 tsp
• Used dried blueberries since we had them on hand
• Used both walnuts and pine nuts -- added them upon serving vs. mixing them in (didn't want to make them soggy)
• Also added the orange segments upon serving

Recipe: Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas

HalfBakedHarvest.com
Dressing: 4.8 stars

Overall, I didn't like this salad because of the raw kale and brussels sprouts -- I think they need a little "cook" on them. Also, the salad flavors were overall muddy as some Half Baked Harvest recipes are, but the Parmesan Tahini Dressing (the "Caesar" dressing) was really good and tasted like a Caesar dressing.

I would consider making this again but with a little "cook" on the kale and brussels sprouts or maybe mixing in some mixed greens.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, kale, brussels sprouts, avocado, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Parmesan Tahini Dressing Ingredients: lemon juice, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, tahini, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Add in some mixed greens
• Lessen the amount of chipotle chili powder and smoked paprika as it was SPICY!

Recipe: Tofu and Cashew Stir-Fry Over Basmati Rice

Tofu and Cashew Stir-Fry Over Basmati Rice

Dr. Mark Hyman's site
4.8 stars

Basically, we didn't follow the recipe as the recipe was not proofed/is not "correct" (I think the author got mixed up because there are instructions regarding ingredients that aren't listed at top).

We basically, took the ingredients and stir fried them with sesame oil and a Primal Kitchen organic Asian Korean BBQ sauce and served it with quinoa and egg rolls. EASY for a weeknight meal and delicious.

Ingredients: broccoli, tofu, carrots, bok choy, tamari (we used soy sauce), snow peas, cashews, hoisin (we used sauce we had on hand), ginger, garlic, sesame oil

Tips/Notes:

• See above
• Plus, added frozen edamame
• Added cashews when serving so they didn't get soggy

Recipe: Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing

Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.9 stars

GREAT salad that is hearty, filling and delicious!!! I loved the various flavors from the SPICINESS on the sweet potatoes and chickpeas to the herbs, crunch of the cucumbers, saltiness from the feta and creaminess of the avocado.  We definitely will be making this again.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, avocado, feta cheese, mixed herbs (basil, dill, parsley), extra virgin olive oil, sesame seeds, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, Kosher salt, black pepper

Honey Mustard Dressing Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, dijon mustard, stone ground mustard, honey, tahini, lemon juice, champagne or apple cider vinegar

Tips/Notes

• Made 2/3 of the dressing 
• It's spicy! Use a little less chipotle chile powder
• For the herbs, used basil and parsley (actually, decided the 2nd time not to use parsley)
• Served with falafel

Recipe: The Creamiest Turkey Pot Pie

The Creamiest Turkey Pot Pie

4.9 stars
Bon Appetit Magazine, Nov 2022, p. 65

We've been eating more plant-based meals but had some smoked turkey in the freezer back from the holidays. I'd been wanting to make a pot pie so decided to try this recipe which was excellent -- with our modifications below. Can't wait to eat the leftovers!

Ingredients: puff pastry, turkey, potato, onion, frozen mixed vegetables, garlic, all-purpose flour, American cheese, parsley, butter, extra-virgin olive oil, egg, flaky sea salt, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Used 2 potatoes instead of 1
• Used fresh carrots (4) and celery stalks (5) and frozen peas instead of a bag of frozen vegetables
• Used shredded cheddar (about 4 oz) instead of American cheese (Note: Can't taste the cheese ~ it gives creaminess to the dish)
• Added 5 sprigs of thyme
• Added cayenne
• Put a sheetpan in the oven in case the pot pie bubbles over
• Watch for doneness in the final 10 minutes of baking as it can overbrown

Recipe: Spicy Southwest Quinoa Bowl

Spicy Southwest Quinoa Bowl

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.7 stars

Delicious and healthy dinner!!! Great for a weeknight meal -- just remember to start early to roast the sweet potatoes.

Main Ingredients: quinoa, sweet potatoes, black beans, cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, tortillas, taco seasoning, lime, olive oil, salt, pepper

Mango Slaw Ingredients: mango, Tuscan kale, jalapeno, cilantro, olive oil, lime, sat

Charred Tomatillo Vinaigrette: tomatillos, green chiles, cilantro, olive oil, lime, salt

Tips/Notes:

• Made our own taco seasoning but may buy it next time
• Had this with quinoa chips instead of tortillas
• Oops - we forgot the avocado!
• Made half of the slaw which was enough
• Didn't make the Charred Tomatillo vinaigrette -- instead, used jarred green tomatillo salsa

Recipe: Fudgy Almond Butter Brownies

Fudgy Almond Butter Brownies

Dr. Mark Hyman Blog
4.7 stars

Finally! A pretty good dessert made with better-for-you ingredients.

Because of the lack of gluten, the brownies are a little crumbly, but the texture is good and moist because of the almond butter. 

Ingredients: cassava flour, almond butter, unsweetened cacao powder, coconut sugar, ground flax seeds, vanilla extract, maple syrup, coconut oil, baking soda, sea salt

Optional Topping Ingredients: 100% unsweetened cacao chocolate, coconut oil, sea salt

Tips/Notes:

• Used date sugar instead of coconut sugar
• Used melted butter on the pan instead of coconut oil
• Didn't add the optional topping yet but think it would give the brownies more richness

Recipe: Bulgur-Mango Salad

Bulgur-Mango Salad

Food & Wine Magazine's Weeknight Easy Volume 4 (free booklet), p.17
4.6 stars

This was a good salad in a pinch! I felt like we were on an episode of Chopped where I was trying to find things to put together for a meal. We used what we had in the fridge like peaches instead of mango, queso fresco instead of feta.

Ingredients: bulgur, salad greens, garbanzo beans, mango, feta, red onion, lime juice, canola oil, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, mint, salt 

Tip:

• Served with falafel
• Added a little more oil as the dressing was pretty strong in flavor

Recipe: Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder

Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder

HalfBakedHarvest.com
5 stars

This was DELICIOUS!!!! It is VERY similar to Half Baked Harvest's Instant Pot Chipotle Chile Corn Chowder. I like this one because it uses sweet potatoes, though both are good.

Can't wait to eat these leftovers! Again, the chipotle in adobo adds so much flavor and complexity to the soup.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, yellow onion, flour, broth, apple cider, milk, garlic, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, smoked paprika, greek yogurt or sour cream, cilantro, green onion, butter, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• The prep time for this is not 15 min -- it's 30 min
• The cook time is not 35 min -- it's 45-60 min
• Used apple juice instead of apple cider since cider wasn't available

Recipe: White Bean and Mushroom Cassoulet

White Bean and Mushroom Cassoulet

Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2024, p. 39
4.8 stars

Delicious and EASY dish to make -- though the cook time is a little long. The dish will look soupy, but the liquid soak up.

Ingredients: cannellini beans, dried porcini mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, panko, Gruyere cheese,  garlic, tomato paste, dry white wine, dry sherry, parsley, extra-virgin olive oil, thyme, unsalted butter, Kosher salt, black pepper, hot water

Tips/Notes:

• Used dried porcini powder that we had
• Used a little less water since there was so much liquid
• Next time consider adding some paprika and cayenne

Recipe: Honey-Glazed Sweet Potato Steaks with Brussels Sprouts

Honey-Glazed Sweet Potato Steaks with Brussels Sprouts
Food & Wine Magazine, Mar 2019, p. 95
4.6 stars

This turned out better than we expected! Glad we decided to make it -- we'll definitely do it again but with the changes below.

Ingredients: sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, ginger, sea salt, coriander, red pepper, canola oil, honey

Tips/Notes:

• Cooked on sheet pans; did not do any of the cooking on the stove
• Doubled the recipe
• Put brussels sprouts on a separate sheet pan from the sweet potatoes
• Next time, use a LOT less salt -- instead, sprinkle sea salt on the vegetables vs. putting it in the rub mix
• Remember to add honey to the vegetables about halfway through the cooking process
• Use a little less ginger