WW Rosemary Bread + Black Bean Dip

I found this wonderful recipe for Rosemary Olive Oil Bread on Pinterest that I wanted to share. The recipe can be found on this lovely blog: http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2011/04/rosemary-olive-oil-bread.html. For those of you, like me, who don't have the best track record with making yeast breads, have hope! I found this recipe quite simply and the bread came out fabulous. Clay claims that it's one of the best breads he's ever had. Definitely a make again! Here's a pick of mine:

My version of the bread (this is what's left of the loaf after only two days).

If anyone living in the area wants any fresh rosemary, we have tons! Please let me know and I'll bring you some.

Just one of the rosemary bushes outside our house!

A grad school friend of mine gave me a wonderful (and super simple) recipe for a black bean that goes wonderfully with crudites or tortilla chips. As a heads up, I don't measure anything on this recipe; I just throw in the spices to the degree that I feel is appropriate. Here's the recipe:

Linden's Black Bean Dip

2 cans black beans (she starts with dried black beans which is healthier and more cost-effective but takes more time)

lime or lemon juice

cumin

chili powder

garlic powder or fresh garlic

cilantro (lots!)

red pepper flakes

hot sauce (if you prefer)

salt

olive oil

water (the water is added to change the consistency to your preference)

Mix everything together in a bowl. Process (in batches if needed) in a food processor.

 

And, just so you all don't think I eat sheet cake and cadberry eggs all the time. Here's what I'm having for lunch today: rosemary oo bread (with butter), strawberries, pineapple and kiwi, broccoli and cauliflower with black bean dip, about 1-2 ounces of cheddar cheese and a granola bar I recently made (oats, semi-sweet choc chips, raisins, coconut and peanut butter, quite tasty!)

-DB

Recipe of the Week - 9.2.11

Ain't Your Mama's Slaw
Kraft Foods Recipe


This recipe was given to me by a former client. I've brought it to a few picnics and BBQs and it's gotten lots of praise. Hope you enjoy it!


Ingredients

1 pkg. (12 oz.) broccoli slaw

1 cup red pepper strips

1 cup chopped fresh pineapple

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped red onions

1/3 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

1 tsp. brown sugar

1/3 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds, toasted

Directions

COMBINE first 5 ingredients in large bowl.

MIX dressing and sugar. Add to salad; toss to coat.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Add nuts; mix lightly.

Recipe of the Week - August 12, 2011

Hi all - Sorry for missing the recipe post last week and being a bit late this week!

This recipe is from my favorite cookbook!

Cumin-Seared Chicken with Pineapple-Mint Salsa
Ingredients
1 tsp. ground cumin (I used 2-3 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (I used 1/4 tsp.)
4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used tenderloins)
cooking spray
1.5 cups cubed pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbs. rice vinegar (I subbed apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger (I used 3-4 tsp.)

Directions
Combine cumin, salt and red pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken. Heat in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 7-8 minutes on each side or until done. While chicken cooks, combine pineapple and remaining ingredients; toss gently to blend. Serve with chicken.

TIPS: I used the food processor to chop the onions. You could also use it to chop the mint as well. For this recipe, it's worth it to buy fresh pineapple. It's a little more money and a bit more time to chop it up but it's well worth it. Plus, you'll have extra pineapple so you can eat the rest during the week as a snack.

Served this with...

Almond-Coconut Rice
Ingredients

1 (10-oz) pkg frozen whole-grain brown rice (I used regular brown rice)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (I used sliced almonds)
3 Tbs. flaked coconut
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
Cook rice. While rice cooks, heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high eat. Add almonds and coconut; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add rice, cumin and salt, stirring to blend.

TIPS: Be careful not to burn the coconut - it burns easily!

Rating
This recipe was amazing! 5 out of 5 Super easy and very tasty - an excellent blending of flavors. Definitely a make-again entree!

Recipe of the Week - July 22, 2011

Bean Lasagna

Source: Heart to Health Cookbook

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped  

½ - ¾ pound mushrooms, sliced

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon basil

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1 (16 oz) can kidney or pinto beans, drained

½ cup liquid drained from beans

1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, crushed

8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups low-fat cottage cheese

4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.      To make the sauce, sauté onions, garlic and mushrooms in oil with oregano, basil, parsley and salt.

2.      Stir often.

3.      When onions are clear, add the drained bean liquid and simmer 5 – 10 minutes.

4.      Add beans and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring often.

5.      While the sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Rinse in cold water to prevent sticking. Drain well.

6.      Assemble lasagna in a lightly oiled 9/13 inch dish using 1/3 sauce, 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cottage cheese and 1/3 mozzarella. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used.

7.      Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake.

8.      Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.

Rating and Tips

Stay Tuned!

Salad Dressing - Recipe 1

Had a request from a client to post some salad dressing recipes. Here's the first. More to come!

This is a great summer dressing. It's a modified version of a cooking light recipe.


Orange Poppy Seed Dressing

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup honey

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

Combine ingredients and process in a blender or food processor. Cover and refrigerate. You can adjust the orange juice, honey and olive oil ratio to fit your preferences.

Recipe of the Week - July 8, 2011

Beany Gazpacho
Source: Cook for Good (one of my favorite foodie bloggers!)

Makes 4 main-dish servings, 1 1/4 cup each.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained
1 green pepper
1/4 onion
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1.  Peel the garlic. Set up your food processor with the cutting blade or use a blender. Turn the machine on and drop the garlic in while the blade is turning. Turn the machine off after the garlic is minced, in just a second or two.
2. Decide if you want smooth soup or if you want to reserve some chopped vegetables and beans for garnish. If you do, dice and set aside about a quarter cup each of the tomatoes, onions, and green pepper in the following step. Also set aside a quarter cup of beans.
3. Cut stem and any bad spots from tomatoes. Cut into quarters and add to machine. Add beans. Peel onion and put 1/4 into machine, reserving rest for another use. Rinse pepper, remove stem end and seeds. Cut into about 8 pieces and add to machine. Add remaining ingredients except any garnish.
4. Process ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. For best taste, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
5. To serve, top with garnish if desired. Refrigerate for up to four days if not serving right away.

Tips and Notes (from the recipe author)

• This soup may also be heated on a stove or in a microwave and served hot.
• When tomatoes are not in season, use a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes in place of the fresh ones. The version made with canned tomatoes tastes best hot.

Rating and Tips

• 5 out of 5
• This was an excellent dish. Cool and refreshing - great in the middle of  heat wave!
• I added lots of hot sauce!
• We served it with some whole grain Italian bread.

Recipe of the Week - July 1, 2011

Baked Ziti and Summer Vegetables
Source: Cooking Light

Source: Cooking Light

 Click HERE to find the recipe.

Rating and Tips
3 out of 5

• The veggies held up very nicely - not soggy at all the first night. Reheating the next day was a different story however.
• I cut out the squash and added more zucchini and the onions I cut very coarsely.
• Cutting out some of the mozz and replacing it with some Romano or Parmesan gave it some kick.
• I couldn't find any whole wheat rigatoni so I settled for penne.

Not as pretty as the Cooking Light picture!

Recipe of the Week - July 24

Open-Faced Mushroom, Tomato, and Goat-Cheese Sandwich

Source: Cooking Light

Source: CookingLight.com

YIELD: 3 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Cooking spray

1 cup thinly sliced onion, separated into rings

1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

1 (6-ounce) package portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon capers

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 ounces goat cheese

3 (2-ounce) slices sourdough bread, toasted

9 (1/8-inch-thick) slices tomato

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes. Add mushroom caps, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove pan from heat. Stir in the vinegar, capers, salt, and black pepper.

Spread about 2 tablespoons cheese over each bread slice, and top each with 3 tomato slices and 2/3 cup mushroom mixture.

Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2003

Nutrition Information

Calories: 410

Calories from fat: 22%

Fat: 10.2g

Fiber: 6.4g

Sodium: 922mg

Rating & Tips 
4 out of 5 

• We used tomato basil bread from Panera which turned out to be an excellent substitution. No, it's not whole wheat, but it's a good every-now-and again treat.
• We used regular mushrooms instead of portobello caps.
• I sauteed the veggies in the vinegar for about 1-2 minutes before removing them from heat and went heavy on the black pepper.

Watermelon Spritzers

Found a wonderful recipe for a tasty summer beverage that I wanted to pass along:

Ingredients:
2 cups watermelon
2 cups ice
3-4 fresh mint leaves (more if desired)
1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe)
1/4 cup lime juice

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy! 
Makes 2 servings. We served it in mason jars.


Nutrition Information - Per Serving
Calories: 100
Fat: 0 grams
Total Carbohydrate: 27 grams
Sugars: 22 grams (keep in mind a lot is from the fruit)
Fiber: 0.7 grams

Protein: 1.1 grams

Heart Healthy Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods for a few very important reasons. First, it's fabulously healthy. My recipe includes oats (great source of fiber), walnuts and ground flax seeds (both great sources of Omega 3s), and dried fruit (added flavor, fiber vitamins and minerals). Second, oatmeal is FILLING; one serving can keep you full for at least a few hours. Third - it's cheap! Living on a student's salary you must be frugal of course. Making your own oatmeal--and avoiding the prepackaged kinds--will be a healthier alternative and save you money in the long run. Fourth - it's quick and easy to prepare. Here's how to make it:

HOMEMADE OATMEAL
Ingredients
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 Tbs. ground flax seed  (I use Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/8th cup walnuts
1/8th cup dried fruit (raisins or craisins work well)


Directions
Mix all ingredients together. Add 3/4 cup water (more or less depending upon desired consistency). Microwave on high for 1.5 - 2 minutes. Stir and enjoy!

TIP: It's helpful to make several batches up together at one time. I put individual servings in snack-size plastic baggies so they are easy to grab and go.