As I'm sure you noticed, my blog got a face-lift today! I was feeling a little "blah" about my blog, but I was getting pestered about updating...so I decided to go for a new look. Like it?
I've been really into beans these days (and therefore, the husband and I have had stomach aches for quite some time), so I apologize if the posts are a little bean-heavy. Now let me try and recall what I've been making...
3-Bean Salad
Ingredients:
15 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. canned small cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. canned chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, minced
2 stalks celery, minced
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients. Let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to combine. Serve cold.
Serves 6.
Slow-Cooked Red Beans and Barley
Ingredients:
1 c. barley, rinsed, uncooked (not pearled barley)
1 small red onion, diced
2 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
15 oz. canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3 c. vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in the order they are listed in the slow-cooker. Do not stir.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours. Stir and serve.
Serves 6.
Mini Chocolate Meringues
Ingredients:
5 large egg whites
1/4 c. cocoa, unsweetened
2. Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cocoa, unsweetened
1/8 tsp. cinnamon, ground
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with wax paper (or parchment paper); set aside.
2. Combine 1 egg white, 1/4 cup of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and extract in a large bowl.
3. Beat remaining 4 egg whites and salt with an electric mixer (a stand mixer is best) just until soft peaks form; add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating, until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Fold the egg whites (eeeek...my least favorite part...I get nervous that the egg whites will collapse) into the chocolate mixture in 2 batches.
4. Fill a plastic ZipLock bag with the mixture. Cut a hole in the corner of the bag and pipe out the cookies onto the cookie sheets (mine ended up looking like tiny doodies). Each cookie should be about 1-inch wide.
5. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes until a dried texture.
6. Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of cocoa an cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot cookies. Let cool completely on wire racks before removing from wax paper.
Yields 10 servings.
12 cookies per serving.
Polenta Parmesan
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 log pre-made polenta, sliced into 15 rounds
15 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 c. ricotta, fat-free
3/4 c. mozzarella, reduced-fat, shredded
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, reduced-fat, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Season both sides of polenta rounds with salt and pepper. Spray hot skillet with cooking spray. Sear polenta rounds until browned on both sides.
3. Cover bottom of 9X9 baking dish with 1/4 cup of tomato sauce. Place 5 polenta rounds on top of sauce. Combine remaining sauce with ricotta. Spoon 1/3 of ricotta mixture on top of polenta rounds. Place another round on top of ricotta mixture. Continue layering until you have 5 stacks of 2 rounds topped with ricotta mixture.
4. Sprinkle rounds with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool 3-5 minutes.
Serves 5 (or fewer because it is SOOOOO yummy!).
I went to Borders the other day because they are going out of business and I had a gift card. I don't typically buy books anymore (love my Kindle!), so I headed over to the cookbooks. I bought one that looks really awesome! It is written by the author of The Biggest Loser Cookbook and it seems very similar to the Hungry Girl cookbooks.
I can't wait to try some of the recipes. Here is what is on tap...
Mini Frittatas with Herbed Goat Cheese
Blue Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burger (can't wait for summer!!!)
Grilled Chicken & Caramelized Onion Flatbread with Blue Cheese
Buff-Corn (Buffalo Popcorn...YUM!)
Chicken Breasts with Goat Cheese and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
Penne and Asparagus with Ricotta Cheese
Tuscan Pizza
Buffalo Mashed Potatoes
Powerhouse Polenta Fries
Mexican Mac & Cheese
Cinnamon Sugar Triangles
My mouth is watering now.
