Smoky Black Bean Chili

This delicious smoky chili was a good mix up for my normal chili!  It was a great vegetarian meal that was pretty darn healthy as well!  We loved this and it will definitely make its way into the rotation.

Smoky Black Bean Chili
slightly adapted from Rachel Ray magazine

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper
1 cup frozen corn
2 tomatoes chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped (I ended up adding a second for a spicy chili!)
chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt & pepper
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 quart vegetable stock/broth
2 tbsp tom paste

Heat oil in large stock pot.  Cook onion, carrots, and pepper until tender.  Add all other ingredients and stir.  At this point the chili was too thin for our tastes so I used my immersion blender to puree a little bit until it was as thick as I liked.  Season with seasonings to taste.  We enjoyed this with shredded cheddar, greek yogurt, and cornbread.

Salmon Florentine

This is definitely becoming a regular in our home.  I've made spinach and feta covered salmon a few times and its great, but this was so so much better.  We have been loving sun dried tomatoes lately so they were a great addition.  And last minute this afternoon I thought of this fish I previously made with roasted garlic.  Have you ever had roasted garlic?  It is one of the simplest things to make and it adds incredible flavor.  Such a delicious healthy meal that was pretty simple to make!

Salmon Florentine
adapted from Self Magazine

1 lb fresh wild salmon
about 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed
1 head garlic
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil
1 teaspoons panko bread crumbs, optional


Heat oven to 450. Cut the top off the garlic and wrap it in foil.  Bake at 450 for 30 minutes until garlic is roasted and tender.  You will be able to easily squeeze the cloves out.  Lower heat to 375.

Squeeze spinach of all excess liquid and place in a bowl. Add tomatoes, feta, and roasted garlic.  Season with salt & pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and mix.  Place salmon fillet in a baking dish and carefully cover with spinach mixture patting down on salmon.  Sprinkle lightly with panko.  Bake until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.


 

Mexican Grilled Polenta Pizza

I mean holy cow.  These "pizzas" are so so good.  They have that great grilled flavor, the polenta crust is crunchy on the bottom, yet somehow still sort of creamy inside, and the veggies - so so good!  This is why I love the blog world and making new recipes.  You find something so fun and inventive like this that I never would have thought of, yet we absolutely loved it.  If its too cold where you are to make these on the grill, I'm positive they would be just as delicious made indoors.  You could roast the veggies or even saute them and bake the crust in the oven as well, no problem.  I am starting to think of fun winter versions of this now with colder weather veggies!

Mexican Grilled Polenta Pizza

adapted slightly via Edible Ash

  

3 cups water

1 cup polenta grits

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

toppings: red onion, red peppers, zucchini, corn, black beans, taco sauce, smashed avocado, cheddar cheese, etc.

For the polenta: Bring water to boil in a large pot. Slowly stir in the polenta grits and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and place a lid on slightly ajar to avoid spattering. Stir frequently for 25-30 minutes [lid can be removed once spattering stops] until the polenta is very stiff. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the salt + pepper. Taste and add more s/p if needed. *The polenta will seem thickened around 15 minutes but continue to cook the full time. Do not use these instructions for quick-cook polenta.
While cooking, line two, 8-inch round pans with parchment [or wax paper]. Spread half of the polenta in each pan with a silicone spatula being sure to spread evenly, firmly, and all the way to the edge. You want the pizzas 1/8-1/4-inch thick. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until fully chilled.
While chilling cook any pizza toppings and set aside until ready to use.

Preheat your grill to 350-375* F [med/med-high]. Grease your grill grates and evenly brush 1-2 teaspoons of oil the top of each polenta crust. Remove from the pan and gently flip onto the grill. Peel the parchment off and close the grill. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until grill marks appear and the edges are golden brown. Lightly oil the other side then carefully flip with a large metal spatula. Grill for about 4 minutes then add toppings (I spread with smashed avocado, then shredded cheese). Close the grill and let cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Carefully remove from the grill and add the remainder of the toppings (veggies and taco sauce in my case), let rest for 2-3 minutes then slice on a cutting board and serve.
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notes: Cooking polenta for hot breakfast cereal may only take about 5-10 minutes but when cooking to actually create polenta it takes about 30 minutes until it’s fully ready. It’s important to cook it this long so the pizza crust holds up when grilling. Pizzas can be made 1 night ahead and kept in the fridge overnight. Cover once cooled.
for the toppings: I sliced red onion, red pepper, and zucchini and tossed them in olive oil and taco seasonings.  Then I cooked them on the grill using my grill basket until tender. Then I added frozen (thawed) corn and black beans and tossed together. I set everything aside until ready to top the pizzas.

Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash

This was a really delicious spin on spaghetti squash.  It basically tastes like spinach and artichoke dip baked on top of the squash in a casserole dish.  Its packed with tons of great nutrition and yummy feta cheese.

Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash
via Taste & Tell blog

1 spaghetti squash, seeded
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup light sour cream
3 ounces less fat cream cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan, divided
3 cups packed baby spinach
1 1/4 cups canned artichoke hearts, chopped
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Place the spaghetti squash in a microwave safe dish, cut side up. Pour about half an inch of water in the dish, then cover with plastic wrap and microwave until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly, then with a fork, scrape up the strings from the squash.
2. Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds. Add in the sour cream, cream cheese and half of the parmesan cheese and stir until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts and cook until the spinach has wilted. Pour half of the mixture into each spaghetti squash half and gently pull up on the spaghetti squash strings to combine with the sauce as much as possible. Top with the shredded mozzarella and the remaining parmesan. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Thai Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

This is a fun salad before the nice weather is completely gone!  I had this recipe pinned for forever and finally tried it out.  We added shrimp on top to make it a meal and it was great!  I have really been liking curries lately and absolutely loved the flavor of the dressing!  And the mango is perfect, don't skip it if you can find it!

Thai Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing
via The Roasted Root

For the dressing:
1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder 
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the salad:
Spring green mix
1 mango, peeled and chopped
½ red pepper, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
4 stalks green onion, chooped
2/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews
Fresh cilantro for serving

 To prepare the dressing:

1. Add all ingredients for the dressing to a small blender (I used my small food processor) and blend until smooth. Refrigerate the dressing until it thickens, about 2 hours.

To prepare the Thai Salad:

2. Add all ingredients for the salad to a large serving bowl (or add desired amount of ingredients to separate bowls).
3. Drizzle desired amount of Curry Coconut Peanut Dressing on top and toss ingredients together.
4. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and lime slices.

Salmon & Feta Pockets

These are one of our new favorite meals.  I guess not very new since we have been making them all summer long.  They are ridiculously easy and so so great.

Salmon & Feta Pockets

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Salmon (we use about 1 lb wild salmon for the two of us and leftovers)
Feta Cheese, crumbled
Greek Yogurt
Fresh Spinach
Tomatoes, sliced
optional: cucumbers and red onion (I'll add these if I have them!)

Bake salmon until it flakes easily with a fork.  Spread greek yogurt in pitas and add all other ingredients to your taste!  Enjoy!

Salmon Salad with Sauteed Peppers, Corn Cakes & Avocado Dressing

This was a fun salad for dinner!  I've been eying both these homemade summer corn cakes and this avocado dressing on pinterest for quite a while so I decided to make them into a salad including one of our favorite add ins - salmon!

Salmon Salad with Sauteed Peppers, Corn Cakes & Avocado Dressing

Summer Corn Cakes via Ezra Pound Cake

Avocado Dressing via Food Pins Now

Summer Corn Cakes, recipe below

Avocado Dressing, recipe below

1 head red or green leaf lettuce

1 red pepper

1/2 red onion

1 small zucchini

2 salmon fillets

taco sauce

Sprinkle salmon with salt & pepper and cook at 375 for around 15 minutes until they flake easily with a fork.  Slice pepper, onion, and zucchini thinly and saute in a pan with olive oil until tender.  Chop lettuce and place into serving bowls.  Serve salads with salmon, veggies, dressing, and corn cakes, and drizzle with taco sauce.

Summer Corn Cakes 

yields about 12, so I would probably half next time!  

3 ears corn, shucked

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal (If you can only find cornmeal mix, skip the baking powder.)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Canola oil, for frying 

Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife to release the juices into the bowl.  Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.  Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix.  Add the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine. 

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough canola oil to barely cover the bottom, and heat until sizzling hot.  One heaping tablespoon at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Drain on the lined baking sheet.

Avocado Dressing
1 large avocado
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all in a food processor and serve.