Easy Tamale Pie

Yet another no-recipe recipe, make as little or as much as you want. (I made enough to fill an 8"square baking dish for 4 generous portions.)

Easy Tamale Pie

Ingredients:
olive oil
onion, diced
bell pepper, diced
ground cumin
chili powder
paprika
salt & pepper, to taste
diced tomatoes with green chilies or jalapenos (salsa would work here too)
beans, drained and rinsed (red kidney, black, pinto- dealer's choice)
cooked, shredded chicken (omit for vegetarian)
corn (frozen or canned, whatever you've got on hand)
shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack- again, whatever you've got on hand)

1 (8.5 ounce) box of cornbread mix
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium heat, cook the onions and peppers in olive oil with all spices until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes (and/or salsa), beans, and chicken and simmer for another 5-7 minutes before adding the corn.

Meanwhile, make the cornbread topping according to box instructions by combining the egg and milk with the cornmeal until it just comes together, being careful not to over mix.

To construct the tamale pie, pour the bean mixture into your baking dish of choice (I used an 8" square glass dish), top with a layer of shredded cheese, then spoon on the cornbread mixture before spreading it out in a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown on top.

Enjoy!

Tofu & Corn Chowder with Roasted Red Peppers

I. Love. Chowders.

Whether it's your basic clam chowder (yum!), chicken & veg chowder, turkey, potato... I could go on and on... I love 'em all. I've made chowders many times over the years and each time, I like to change things up a bit. Traditionally, I start my chowders with bacon (usually turkey, although occasionally I'll go with the real stuff) or salt pork (one of the very few culinary teachings from my New Englander mother that stuck with me), then saute the onions and any other veg in that salty goodness before adding flour to make a roux, so on and so on. This time, however, I kept things pretty light and extremely easy while maintaining that essential chowder flavor/texture that I love so damn much.

Tofu & Corn Chowder with Roasted Red Peppers

perfect to pack for dinner at work!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil (yes, butter would be better but I rarely have REAL butter in the house anymore)

1/2 cup onion, finely diced (straight from the freezer)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 (14.5 ounce) can cream-style corn (this was a MAJOR cheat for me because I would normally use fresh corn on the cob, scraping the cobs or "milking" them to achieve the same final product)

1 cup milk (I used plain soy, although with other chowders I'll buy real dairy milk)

2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup corn (straight from the freezer again)

1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced (I usually have a jar of these in the fridge or pantry)

4 ounces of previously baked tofu, diced (of course, chicken or turkey is awesome here as well)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion and spices in olive oil until softened and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Here's where it gets really complicated so pay attention: Dump in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with a hunk of crusty bread or some biscuits, and you're golden.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Tacos

Okay. I admit it: Tacos are one of the few foods that I will occasionally "cheat" and use the box dinner kits that include those crunchy taco shells and a spice packet. So what? They're tasty and still better than the fast-food version you get through the late night drive thru because I can make them with ground turkey, chicken, or tofu and top them however I want. That being said, for the most part I make tacos from scratch and the quickest of the variations I like to make are these black bean tacos because all the ingredients come straight from the pantry and my freezer.

Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup of onion, diced (yes, I have diced onions in my freezer)
1/4 cup of red/yellow/green bell pepper, diced (again, I keep a bag of peppers in my freezer)
1/4 cup of salsa or tomatoes, diced (I had leftover diced tomatoes with jalapenos in the fridge from a can opened earlier in the week)
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
splash of water (veggie stock or tomato juice works well here)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika (sweet or smoked, whatever you have on hand)
1/4 cup sweet corn (yes, from the freezer again)
salt & pepper to taste
splash of lime juice
soft flour tortillas (I prefer the smaller taco size, but these can just as easily be made into larger burritos)

Directions:
Cook the onion, peppers, and tomatoes in olive oil over medium-low heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the beans, splash of water, and all spices. Using a fork, lightly mash some of the beans to release their starch, leaving most of the beans whole. Simmer until the beans are warmed through and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 3-5 minutes, before adding in the corn. Finish with a squirt of lime juice and build your tacos however you want. Today, I kept things simple and just spread a smear of sour cream on the tortilla, added a sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese, and topped it with the bean mixture.

Enjoy!

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb and vegetables in gravy, topped with mashed potatoes. (Shepherds herd sheep... makes sense, right?) What I grew up eating was made with ground beef instead of lamb, which is actually called Cottage Pie, even though it is still commonly referred to as Shepherd's Pie and I daresay that's what most people think of when Shepherd's Pie is mentioned. When I started making the dish for myself, it was always with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and the mashed potatoes frequently had parsnips, turnips, or cauliflower mixed in. Delicious, yes. But in the last few years, I've discovered just how easy it is to translate this dish into a vegetarian one, both as a single size casserole like today's recipe, or a larger casserole to feed a crowd as I've brought to work several times to share with the techs. Either way, it measures up to the traditional recipe, and it's incredibly easy to throw together since it's made with ingredients I always have in my pantry and fridge/freezer.

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced (I was out of shallots which would've been my go-to, so I used frozen instead)

eggplant, diced (I had some leftover in the freezer)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 sun dried tomatoes, diced (I like the sweetness these add)

1 small zucchini, diced (fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch of dill

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. AP flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 ounces of tofu, previously baked (I had some leftover in the fridge, otherwise I probably would've left this out)

1/4 cup sweet corn (I always have this in the freezer)

1/4 cup peas (again, always in the freezer)

dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces butternut squash, diced (I had a bag in the freezer which made it super easy)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion, eggplant, carrot, tomatoes, zucchini, and all spices (except nutmeg) in olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until slightly softened. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to coat the vegetables, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes before adding the vegetable stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a bubble, stirring for 3-5 minutes until "gravy" has thickened. Add in the tofu, corn, peas, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then turn off the heat and allow everything to come together.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the butternut squash in a small amount of water (omit water if using frozen like I did) until heated through and soft enough to mash, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash with a fork, and stir in the nutmeg.

Pour the veggie mixture into an individual size casserole dish and top with the mashed butternut squash. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before diving in.

Enjoy!

Black Bean & Corn Salad

Black Bean & Corn Salad

Ingredients:
black beans, drained and rinsed
sweet corn
tomatoes, diced
roasted red peppers, diced
red onion, diced
orzo pasta
assorted spices: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro, salt & pepper
lime juice

Directions:
While the orzo is cooking to al dente (just about 8-9 minutes), in a separate pan, saute all other ingredients except the lime juice. Drain the orzo (reserving some of the cooking liquid) before adding to the rest of the ingredients, and splash in enough of the reserved cooking liquid to keep things nice and moist. Finish with a squirt of lime juice.

Okay, so notice how I didn't give any measurements? That's because it should ALL be done to taste. Today, I just made enough to pack for dinner tonight, but it also translates well into a larger quantity to feed a crowd.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Tofu Chili & Cornbread

Vegetarian Tofu Chili

Ingredients:
1 sweet onion, diced (preferably vidalia)
1 bell pepper, diced (preferably red, yellow, or orange)
3 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes (with or without green chilies or jalapenos... dealer's choice)
3 (15.5 ounce) cans of beans (light or dark kidney, black, cannelini, navy... dealer's choice)
1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
1 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. chili powder
3 Tbs. cumin, divided
1 Tbs. paprika (sweet or smoked)
1 Tbs. red pepper flakes
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of oregano
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. cilantro
salt & pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 (14 ounce) package of extra firm tofu, drained, crumbled, and patted dry

Directions: (The method I use is stupidly simple and beyond easy.)
*Step one: Plug in a large crock pot.
*Step two: Dump in all ingredients except the tofu and 1 Tbs. of the cumin.
*Step three: Set crock pot to LOW for 6 to 8 hours and forget about it. This is best when done overnight.
*Step four: When the chili has been cooking for at least 6 hours, take the drained/dried tofu and spread it out on a baking sheet (lightly sprayed with cooking spray), sprinkle on the remaining 1 Tbs. of cumin, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Why do this extra step? The texture of the tofu changes and becomes "meatier" which holds up better in the chili. After the tofu has baked to desired texture, stir into chili base and unplug the crock pot. Let the chili set for at least an hour (though longer is better) to allow the tofu to fully absorb the spicy goodness.

Not-So-Crumbly Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 (8.5 ounce) boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup of milk
1 (14.7 ounce) can of cream style sweet corn

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a lightly greased/buttered baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Country Hash In The City

So this is my version of a country hash recipe I saw on Food Network last week. Many of my favorite dishes are inspired by something I've seen on Food Network or in any number of foodie magazines I read each week/month. In this case, I made it my own with what I had on hand in my fridge and pantry. Y'all know how much I love a good breakfast/brunch, and this was certainly no exception. It's Sunday after all, so what better day to enjoy it?

Ingredients:

2 red potatoes, diced

mixed veg (I always have a huge selection of frozen veg on hand so this mix included red peppers, corn, and broccoli)

chicken breast, diced (like I've said before, those prepackaged chicken strips are amazingly versatile!)

1 egg, fried or poached (dealer's choice on the preparation, I went with the classic fried egg)

thyme (dried works as well as fresh here)

salt and pepper to taste

I used the same short cut that the semi-homemaker on Food Network used with her potatoes: In a microwave safe bowl covered by a damp paper towel, microwave the diced potatoes for 3 minutes or until barely fork tender. Now, you could of course use left over potatoes if you've got them, but I didn't so I started from fresh. Once the potatoes reach the desired texture, transfer them to a large skillet with some olive oil, and cook over medium-high heat for several minutes until golden brown. Toss in the mixed veg, chicken breast, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the rest of ingredients are heated through. Serve with the egg on top and a big glass of iced coffee on the side.

Enjoy!