Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew

Ethiopian food has always held a special place in my heart (or stomach). I've always thought going out for Ethiopian food was such a treat, but I never thought of ever cooking it myself until I stumbled upon this recipe. I was surprised how easy it was to throw together and how delicious it was.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (I used ground ginger)

1-2 tablespoons berbere spice blend (I found on Amazon)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups red lentils

14 oz can diced tomatoes

3 medium red potatoes

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat. Add onion and saute until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, the berbere spice and cayenne and saute for one additional minute.

Add the broth, lentils, tomatoes and potatoes. Stir a few times, raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow to cook until the lentils are very soft and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue to cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. 

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. For some extra tasty rice - add some turmeric and and a little bit of oil to the rice when cooking it.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

Michael and I are both huge fans of quiche. This quiche is a healthier version of the standard quiche but is so delicious if you like sweet potatoes. We will definitely be making this recipe again.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 (5 oz) bag baby spinach

1/2 cup milk (we used almond milk, but soy or regular milk can work as well)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes, into fairly thin slices. Coat a pie dish with cooking spay. Fill the bottom of the dish with a layer of sweet potatoes slices. Cut the sweet potato rounds in half and fill around the edges of the pie dish; round side facing up. 

Once the entire dish is filled, coat one more time with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine milk and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Arrange spinach mixture in the crust and pour the egg mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle with feta. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Corn and Chickpea Salad

This salad is such a great option when it's really hot outside and fresh corn is in season. It's really easy and quick to throw together.

Ingredients

4 ears fresh corn on the cob, cleaned and washed

1 10 oz package grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces

10 leaves fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the corn off the cob and place into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes and mozzarella and sprinkle with the basil.

In a small bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Enjoy!

Maple Glazed Tofu with Garlic Bok Choy

I am a huge fan of both tofu and bok choy, so it was no surprise when I saw this recipe I couldn't wait to give it a try.

Ingredients

6 baby bok choy (I just use a whole package of Trader Joe's bok choy)

1 12 oz package extra firm tofu

4 cloves garlic

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons pure maple sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

salt, to taste

Drain and pat dry the tofu. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Add the tofu and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Trim the ends of the bok choy and separate into leaves.

Peel and mince the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together half of the garlic (the rest is for the bok choy), soy sauce, maple syrup and rice vinegar.

Add the sauce to the tofu. Cook until the sauce thickens and coats tofu, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Transfer the tofu and sauce to a bowl or plate and return skillet to the stove. Add more oil, the remaining garlic and pepper and cook for about 15-30 seconds.

Add bok choy and soy sauce. Cook until the greens are wilted and the stalks are tender, 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Serve the tofy and bok choy in a bowl, over rice.

Enjoy!

Rice and Bean Casserole

I am always on the lookout for Mexican inspired dinner recipes that are also somewhat healthy. I found this recipe and thought it was a great combination of being healthy and tasty, but also easy to make. It was a hit with Michael and made great leftovers the next night.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

15 oz can kidney beans (can sub for another kind of bean)

2-3 large handfuls of spinach, shredded

2 cups frozen corn (or fresh if in season)

3 cups vegetable broth

Optional toppings:

shredded cheese

avocado

sour cream

fresh cilantro

Over medium heat, add olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until translucent and golden. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl add uncooked rice, tomato mixture, broth, beans, spinach, and mix until well combined. Pour into a lightly oiled 13x9 inch cooking dish.

Top with corn and shredded cheese, if desired. I tried adding black olives, but didn't really like the texture after they had been cooked for so long so I will omit next time.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the rice is tender.

Serve with any optional toppings.

Enjoy!

3 Berry Pie

To celebrate 4th of July, I wanted to bake a berry pie. We went to Trader Joe's today and they had beautiful blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I decided to find a recipe that I could modify to include all three. I've made berry pies in the past, but this is definitely my favorite so far. It was delicious and the perfect end to a nice holiday weekend.

Ingredients

2 unbaked pie crusts - see my favorite recipe here

4 1/2 cups of fresh berries; I used:

-2 cups blueberries

-1 cup blackberries

-1 cup raspberries

-1/2 cup mix of all 3 types of berries

1/2 cup white sugar

cinnamon (optional)

1/4 cup cornstarch

Line a pie dish with one of the unbaked crusts.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.

Add the berries and gently toss until the berries are well coated. Let stand for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven.

Pour the berry mixture into the pastry-lined pie pan. With the second unbaked pie crust, create a lattice crust on top of the berries.

Cover the edge of the pie with foil, to prevent the thicker crust from over browning. 

Bake in the preheated oven on the baking tray for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden.

Enjoy!