Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Free Bites Create (or Pilfer) a Really Good Recipe, Win a Whole Foods Gift Card
Posted by Nicki Wood on Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 5:25 AM
- From yummly.com
It's late January, no time to slack on a resolution to eat healthy. It doesn't have to be misery — last week's creamy vegan tomato soup is luxurious.
Whole Foods offered a starter pantry list to to supply the raw materials.
1 pound black beans
1 pound lentils
1 pound quinoa
2 pounds brown rice
3 (32-ounce) boxes vegetable broth
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
1 pound rolled oats
2 cans cannellini beans
2 pounds pasta
1 can black beans
1 jar unsweetened applesauce
1 (32 ounce) box nondairy beverage
1 (32 ounce) box almond milk
1 (5-ounce) can tuna
3 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 package no-oil sun-dried tomatoes
1 jar pasta sauce
Starting with the list, select at least three of the ingredients and create a satisfying, healthful dish and submit it to be eligible to win a $50 gift card from Whole Foods. Submit in the comments or link to your blog.
This week's recipe uses lentils, barley and canned tomatoes from the list.
Lentil Pottage started with a "pottage" recipe on food.com. It's not a soup, not even quite a stew. The beans, rice and barley absorb all the liquid, so it's closer to a casserole. Nutritional yeast and tamari sauce give it umami, so it's more flavorful and satisfying than expected for a bean-and-grain mixture. The pottage freezes well. And look: no onions to chop.
Lentil Pottage
8 ounces lentils, rinsed
4 ounces pearl barley
4 ounces brown rice
1 (14- 16-ounce) can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Pepper to taste
Combine the lentils, barley, rice and tomatoes (with juice) in a saucepan. Add about 5 cups water. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 1 hour. Add the salt, yeast, tamari, onion powder and pepper.
(To use a slow cooker, combine the first four ingredients plus water and simmer for several hours. Add the remaining ingredients.)
(Or about 22 minutes in a pressure cooker.)
Makes about 6 cups.
Comments (11)
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That's not a recipe, that's the list of foods supplied for the starter pantry. And the vegan soup is the link from last week. The recipe doesn't have to be vegan, just "healthful."
@Local Foodie. The list is healthy but not vegan--the post does not say it's vegan. The tomato soup is vegan. And the lentil pottage is vegan. You are welcome here, but please don't bring vegan attitude without reading. Because I'm not in the mood, can I get an amen?
I found this on the Cooking Light website --
Polenta with Tomato-Braised Beans (adapted from Cooking Light)
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarse yellow dry polenta
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsley and garlic to pan; saut้ 1 minute. Add sage and tomatoes; cook 12 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and beans to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Bring 4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add polenta in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 5 minutes; uncover and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve polenta with bean mixture.
Chipotle Chili
1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 14-1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 whole chipotle peppers, chopped
1 8oz. can tomato sauce, no salt added
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1 14oz. can creamed corn, no salt added
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Saute the onions until lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and sweet potato and cook for an additional 3 -4 minutes or until the sweet potatoes get lightly browned (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the chili powder, cumin and chipotle powder and cook for an additional 2 -3 minutes (stir frequently). Add the chicken broth (scrape up any little browned bits on the bottom of the pan I just learned that these are called fond and they are full of flavor). Turn up the heat to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are just getting soft (you dont want them to be completely cooked). Add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, tomato sauce Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Simmer for 10 12 minutes or until it begins to thicken slightly. Add the corn an beans. Mix well and let cook for an additional 5 minutes or so.
Pasta e fagioli/Pasta Fazool
8 ounces dried small-ish pasta (elbow, rotini, ditalini, small shells)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 T minced garlic
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
grated parmigiano-reggiano for garnish
Prepare pasta according to directions and set aside in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet on medium. Add rosemary and garlic and saute until lightly browned and fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add basil and oregano and simmer until tomatoes soften, stirring occasionally while breaking up the tomatoes with your spoon (about 15 minutes).
Add beans and cook until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce and beans over and mix. Garnish with cheese to serve.
African Chickpea Stew
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
1-1/2 lbs. uncooked sweet potato, diced
1-1/2 cups carrots, diced
2-1/2 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 15 oz. can no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can low-salt chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Spicy Sauce
2 bags Success brown rice, cooked according to package directions and drained
Spicy Sauce
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 Tablespoon All Natural Peanut Butter
1 6 oz. can no-salt added tomato paste
1/2 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend into a smooth, thick pasty sauce.
Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the garlic and onion. Saute until the onion is slightly soft (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the sweet potato and carrots; season with a little black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until the potatoes and carrots are done to your liking). Add the Spicy Sauce and blend well. Mix in the diced tomatoes and chickpeas; cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the cooked rice, mix well and enjoy!
Also, Cuban Black Beans & Rice is very healthy and easy to make according to this Betty Crocker recipe:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-c…
Though I would probably substitute Ro-Tel for the diced tomatoes + chopped jalapenos. Nice little shortcut. And I'd get rid of the bell pepper altogether (blech!). And use brown rice, of course!
I loves me some cannellini beans, and there's a simple cannellini/tuna salad idea that I first tried from a cookbook that I have, The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes. The flavors are bright, which is especially nice when it's so gloomy outside. I've never added sun-dried tomatoes, but a similar recipe (which seems to be from Leslie Revsin's The Simpler the Better [http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/tuna-sun-dr…]) throws them in the mix, and it sounds like a really good addition.
Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
one (5-ounce) can water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
one (19-ounce) can cannellini beans (or about 2 1/3 cups), rinsed and drained
1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
1/3 cup sliced red onion rings
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (or I just use 1/8 tsp garlic powder, making sure that it's distributed well)
2 tbsp chopped parsley or basil
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 c red wine vinaigrette or Italian dressing
Combine the tuna, beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley or basil, and ground pepper.
Mix in the dressing and toss to combine; chill. Goes well with leafy greens or flatbread.
