Sweet Dumpling Squash Stuffed with Lemon-Herb Rice

One of my favorite ways to cook winter squash is to roast it simply with lemon, salt, and pepper. So when I brought home these beautiful sweet dumpling squash and started thinking about how to use them, my first impulse was toward the simple lemon treatment. But these little cuties are just the perfect size for stuffing, and it would have been a shame not to take advantage of that. I decided to combine the two impulses and stuff them with a old favorite—lemon-herb rice.

The absence of a high-protein ingredient makes these stuffed squash a side rather than an main dish, perfect for serving alongside tofu or seitan. But if you'd like to make them the centerpiece of a meal, try sautéing cubes of lemon-marinated tempeh along with the onion and increase the amount of soy sauce and herbs a little. If you're preparing them for your holiday meal, they can be made ahead of time: After you fill the cooked squash with the rice mixture, cover them tightly and refrigerate. Put them into the oven about a half hour before serving.



Sweet Dumpling Squash Stuffed with Lemon-Herb Rice
(printer-friendly version)

If you want to make the rice look more lemony, add a little turmeric with the lemon juice.

3 Sweet Dumpling or other small winter squash
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup water
juice of 1/2 large lemon (such as Meyer)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 cup minced fresh parsley
1/8 cup minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh, minced)
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds and strings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place face-down on an oiled baking sheet (I used a silicone sheet liner). Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender. (Different types of squash will take different lengths of time. Test by piercing with a fork in thickest areas.) Remove from oven but keep oven turned on.

While the squash are cooking, prepare the lemon-herbed rice. Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil, heat, and sauté the onion until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the rice, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice and zest, soy sauce, and herbs. Stir well, cover, and cook on low heat just until warm. Add the toasted pine nuts and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Stuff the rice into the cavities of the squash. Place them upright in a baking dish and drizzle about a teaspoon of water over each. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until hot throughout. Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh herbs, if desired.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 161 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (13% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 177mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: Core / 3 Points.

Apple-Pumpkin Delight

What if you love pie but don't like crust? Strange as it sounds to me, I have a daughter who doesn't like crust--on bread, on pizza, or on pie. Her aversion is not a big deal because she can always eat around it, but since I have my own reasons for avoiding pie crust, I like to make desserts that taste like pie but don't have a crust...at least not a traditional crust. So here's a dessert that makes use of the apples and winter squash that are in season now and tastes like a crustless apple pie.

Every year at this time, I go kind of crazy buying lots of different types of pumpkins and squash, often more than I can actually use. I just like winter squash. Here's a shot of E posing with a portion of this year's bounty:

The pumpkin she's snuggling up to is the one I used for this recipe. Actually, it's a 10+ pound cushaw, rather than a pumpkin, and though it's milder and sweeter in taste, the main difference between it and your traditional orange pumpkin is that it is much easier to peel because it's smooth rather than ridged. You probably won't be able to find cushaws outside of the South, but if you do, be sure to grab one, or if you're into gardening, think about buying some cushaw seeds online and growing some in your area. It's a shame that they're available almost exclusively in roadside stands and private gardens in the South.

Since this cushaw was so huge, I used only half of the neck section for this dessert. I have a feeling I'm in for a pumpkin butter-making session later this week. Don't tell my extended family, but they will probably be getting jars of homemade pumpkin butter for Christmas.

After cutting off the "neck," I halved it, stood the halves upright, and peeled them with a sharp chef's knife. The skin is very tough, so it's much easier to peel with a knife than with a peeler. I then cut the halves in half and sliced the squash very thinly. No matter what kind of squash you use, you'll find that the thinner you cut it, the better.

Next, I peeled some Granny Smith apples, sliced them a little thicker than the pumpkin, and layered them and the pumpkin in a casserole dish with spiced sugar in between. If you make the mistake I did and use a dish that's too small, you'll have to heap the apples up a bit. But don't worry...

...it reduces as it cooks, so it doesn't overflow the dish. It will leave your dish looking pretty messy, though, so plan to transfer it to some nice dessert dishes before serving.

Apple-Pumpkin Delight
(printer-friendly version)

1 pound pumpkin, cushaw, or any sweet winter squash
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 large apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apples and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and sprinkle with about 1/4 of the sugar mixture; arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin and sprinkle with a quarter of the sugar mixture. Repeat pumpkin and sugar and arrange the final layer of apples on top, heaping slightly in the center if necessary; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 152 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 3 Points.

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Stop the presses! Just a few minutes ago I made another one of these, a 2-serving size without sugar. Honestly, I was prepared for it to be not that good, but it came out surprisingly delicious. I used KAL-brand stevia for sweetening, but it should work with any sweetener that can be cooked. It is a little dry on top, however, so if you're not averse to a little sugar, try drizzling some agave nectar over the top after cooking.



Sugar-Free Apple-Pumpkin Delight
(printer-friendly version)

4 ounces pumpkin
1 Granny Smith apple
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup apple juice
no-calorie sweetener of your choice

Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apple and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Add the apple juice and sweetener and mix until well-blended. (Aim for the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Taste the mixture--it should be sweeter than you'd want to drink.)

Oil a small casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin. Repeat layers, heaping slightly in the center if necessary. Pour the apple juice mixture over all.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 2 servings. Per serving: 72 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium; 2g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 1 Point.

White Bean Chili

No, this photo wasn't torn out of an old newspaper, though that was the effect I was going for. Sometimes when I don't like the way a photo comes out, I imagine how it would look in some different era, such as the 70's. Dark, washed out colors and a grainy texture can hide a multitude of photographic sins. Or maybe not. (Click on that link, take the tour, and come back here when you've finished laughing. I'll wait for you....Okay, you're back? Good. See, my photo's not so bad after all!)

I've been playing around with this chili recipe for a couple of weeks now, trying it in two old-fashioned appliances that are becoming popular all over again, the crockpot and the pressure cooker. My crockpot had been sitting unused on my shelf for at least a year, so I decided to give it one more try... and that's when I remembered why I'd much rather use a pressure cooker than a slow cooker.

Certainly there are some dishes that taste better with long, slow cooking, but most of the time I find that drawing out the time it takes to cook something doesn't improve the flavor and actually hurts in recipes where ingredients should be added at different stages of the cooking process. Plus, I'm never completely sure when the beans that I start in the crockpot in the morning will be done. Every time I've used my crockpot, I've wound up adding more time or increasing the heat in an effort to make sure my beans are well-cooked. The pressure cooker, on the other hand, cooks time-consuming foods like dried beans so quickly that there's time to spare for adding ingredients in stages and allowing them to blend together. And if more cooking is needed to soften up tough beans, it's as easy as replacing the lid and bringing the cooker back up to pressure for a minute.

But I know there are people who love their slow cookers, so I've included crockpot instructions just for you--as well as stove top directions for those of you who use neither appliance. However you cook it, this white bean chili is truly delicious, if I do say so. Mildly seasoned (unless you opt to add more pepper), its flavor is made richer and deeper by caramelized onions, while masa harina added near the end thickens it and adds mellowness. Read the recipe carefully to learn my amazing, patented (not really) secret for speeding up the browning of onions.



White Bean Chili
(printer-friendly version)

2 cups dried great northern beans
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, finely minced (optional)
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons oregano (Mexican, if available)
1/4 teaspoon white or red pepper (add more if you like it hot)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons mild chili powder (such as ancho)
2 onions, diced
1-2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted taste best)
1-2 tablespoons masa harina (optional)

Soak the beans overnight or use a quick-soak method*. Drain the beans and put them into a pressure cooker, crockpot, or large chili pot. Add the vegetable broth (5 cups for pressure cooking, 6 for crockpot and stove) and all ingredients through chili powder. Begin heating over high heat.

Spray a non-stick skillet with canola oil and heat it. Once it's hot, add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until onion is golden brown. (Tip: Add a couple of pinches of baking soda to speed up the caramelization.) Add the onion to the beans.

For pressure cooking: Seal the cooker and bring to high pressure. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally. Check to make sure beans are soft, and if they aren't, return to high pressure for another minute. Once the beans are soft, add the salt and tomatoes and taste for seasoning. If necessary, add more cumin, pepper, and chili powder. Simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, add masa harina; stir well and simmer for at least 5 minutes to thicken.

For crockpot: Cook until beans are completely soft, on high for at least 6 hours or on low for at least 8 hours (crockpots vary, so adjust times as necessary). Add the salt and tomatoes, check seasonings, and cook for at least another hour. Add the masa and cook another 10 minutes.

For stovetop: Cover and cook on low heat until beans are completely tender, about 1 1/2 hours, adding water as necessary. Add the salt and tomatoes, check the seasonings, and cook for at least 20 minutes. Just before serving, add masa harina, if necessary to thicken; stir well and simmer for at least 5 minutes.

*To quick-soak beans in the pressure cooker, cover with two inches of water and bring to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute, remove from heat, and allow pressure to come down naturally before draining and using beans. To quick-soak without a pressure cooker, cover beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Cover and let stand for 1 hour before draining and using beans.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 259 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 748mg Sodium; 15g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 4 Points.

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My other crockpot recipes:

Chinese Barbequed Tofu and Vegetables
Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Garbanzo Beans

A few of my pressure cooker recipes:

Quick and Delicious Collards
Thick and Hearty Split Pea Soup
Creole Black-eyed Peas
Yellow Split-Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale
Dal Bhaji
Collard Greens and White Bean Soup

Scrambled Tofu with Porcini Mushrooms

Scrambled tofu is one of my family's favorite breakfasts, but I think we enjoy it even more for dinner. There's something comforting about coming home at the end of a long Autumn day to a plate piled high with scrambled tofu, toast, and possibly some creamy grits and vegan sausage. It's the kind of soothing meal I like to fortify myself with before a nerve-wracking night watching election returns.

My scrambled tofu tends to contain about as much vegetables as tofu, making it a great way to get my daughter to eat her veggies without complaint. Everyone in the family has a favorite ingredient: my daughter insists that I add frozen peas to her portion, and my husband often requests artichoke hearts and tomatoes. But we all agree that it isn't scrambled tofu without mushrooms. Recently, when we were all in a scrambled tofu mood but there were no mushrooms in the house, I got the bright idea to add some rehydrated porcini mushrooms and balance out the woodsy taste with some fresh basil. I wasn't trying to be all fancy-schmancy, just get a comfort-meal on the table, but those ingredients, along with a few drops of truffle oil, really take scrambled bean curd to gourmet heights.



Scrambled Tofu with Porcini Mushrooms
(printer-friendly version)

If you'd like to use fresh mushrooms instead of dried, add about 4-8 ounces of sliced mushrooms when you add the zucchini. You can also substitute other vegetables for the zucchini and add a half cup of frozen peas along with the tofu. On nights when I'm running short on time, I've been known to skip the chopping and add a 1-pound bag of frozen vegetables to my tofu (Italian blend with broccoli, zucchini, and peppers is our favorite).

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 bell pepper (red, green, or combination)
2 medium zucchini
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces extra-firm tofu (water-packed, not silken)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, packed (or add 1 tsp. dried to seasoning mix)
3-4 drops truffle oil mixed with two tbsp. water OR 2 tbsp. water

Seasoning mix:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon chipotle or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch black salt (optional; adds an eggy taste but use sparingly)

Put the dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Allow them to soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Pour soaking liquid through a coffee filter and save it for another use. Remove mushrooms from filter, rinse, and chop into bite-sized pieces.

While the mushrooms are soaking, chop the bell pepper and cut the zucchini into cubes. Mix the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the tofu with a potato masher.

Spray a large skillet lightly with canola or olive oil. Heat it over medium-high, and add the green peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté for another minute. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and cook until the zucchini is softened, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, tofu, and seasoning mix and stir well. Add the truffle oil/water mixture or plain water. Stir well, turn heat to low, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Test seasonings, adding more salt if necessary. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 176 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 472mg Sodium; 6g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 3 Points.

Spooky Black Bean Hummus

I have two standard Halloween recipes in my, ahhem, repertoire. One of them involves baking the equivalent of a 4-layer chocolate cake in the shape of a pumpkin; it contains a gazillion calories and takes most of an afternoon to make. As you can probably guess, I don't make that one very often. When I need a Halloween-themed food for a party, I'm much more likely to whip up this black bean dip, which takes about 10 minutes and, if you scoop it up with carrot sticks or rice crackers, is one of the lighter dishes you'll find at most parties.

I vary the ingredients every time I make it. Sometimes I treat it as a regular hummus, with lemon juice and a pinch of paprika; other times it's more of a Southwestern bean dip, with chili powder and even tomatoes. I took the middle road this time and used lime juice instead of lemon and chipotle pepper instead of paprika. Unfortunately, I went a little overboard and added too much chipotle, resulting in a dip that was overly smoky and too spicy to serve to unsuspecting party-goers. To balance out the heat and smokiness I started adding soy yogurt by the tablespoon. As it turns out, I like the creaminess the yogurt imparts, so I'm leaving it in the recipe. My advice is to add the chipotle a little at a time; if you add too much, its smoky flavor borders on bitter.



Spooky Black Bean Hummus
(printer-friendly version)

2 cloves garlic
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons tahini
3 to 4 tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper -- to taste
3 tablespoons soy yogurt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
For Design: additional soy yogurt or tahini

With food processor running, drop in the garlic cloves and process until finely chopped. Add the black beans, and process until pureed. Add the remaining ingredients (use the lesser amounts) and process until smooth. Taste and correct seasonings, adding more as needed.

Spoon the hummus into a serving dish, smoothing the top. Using a pastry bag and either soy yogurt or thinned tahini, pipe on the design. Place a plastic spider into the web, or make one yourself from black olives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 10 servings. Per serving: 96 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (22% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 373mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 1 Point.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Casserole

I'd like to begin this pumpkin recipe with an unintentionally Halloweenish photo:

Look closely. I was trying to take a basic photo of our homegrown pumpkin--the accidental result of tossing last year's seeds into the compost pile--when someone decided that she would make a better subject. So what you see here is an accidental photo of an accidental pumpkin. There's probably a moral here somewhere, something like "the best things happen by accident," but I prefer to think of the photo and the pumpkin as representative of the way I work: throw enough scraps into the compost, photos onto the memory card, or ingredients into the pot, and I'll eventually come up with something worth growing, viewing, or eating.

And this little pumpkin was definitely worth growing and eating. When D and I first noticed a pale green and white, oval-shaped fruit hanging from a thick vine, we didn't know what it was. Gradually it took on a more traditional pumpkin shape and color, and when it stopped getting any larger, I decided that it was the offspring of one of last year's pie pumpkins. Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, it probably would have been just the right size for a pumpkin pie, but I decided to do something a little less traditional with it.

My idea was to make a layered casserole, sort of like Mexican Lasagna, but with slices of pumpkin instead of tortillas. The resulting casserole didn't come out looking quite so neatly layered, but I think it fits my "toss enough ingredients" theme just about perfectly. It won't win any beauty contests, but who cares? It's all about the flavor, and in this case, melt-in-your-mouth slices of pumpkin plus cumin-kissed black beans and a creamy, cheesy-tasting sauce equal a real winner!


This dish is actually uglier than it appears in this photo! Consider yourself warned.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Casserole
(printer-friendly version)

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or one can, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder (or other mild chili powder)
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (to taste)
15 ounces canned tomatoes, drained and liquid reserved*

1 pound pumpkin (about 1/2 one small pumpkin) or any winter squash (butternut, acorn, etc.)

3/4 cup soymilk or other non-dairy milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon tahini (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the black beans with the next 8 ingredients and set aside.

Cut the pumpkin in half. Set aside one half for another use and peel the other half. Cut it into very thin slices about 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches long.

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with canola oil. Lay one-third of the pumpkin slices in the bottom of the dish, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the bean mixture. Repeat layers with another third of the pumpkin and the remainder of the beans. Finish with the final third of the pumpkin slices.

In a blender, combine the reserved *tomato liquid (about 1/2 cup) with the soymilk and remaining ingredients. Blend well and pour over the pumpkin. Cover tightly, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 20-30 minutes, until sauce is thick and bubbly and pumpkin is tender.

*If you prefer to use fresh tomatoes, use one cup of chopped tomatoes and substitute 1/2 cup of water for tomato juice in the sauce recipe.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 296 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (11% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 53g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 463mg Sodium; 13g Fiber. Weight Watchers 5 Points / Core (without tahini).

Roasted Vegetables with Tomato Charmoula and Quinoa

After months of oppressive, energy-sapping, hot dogbreath-in-your-face heat and humidity, it's an absolute joy to be able to throw open the windows to the outside air or take a walk around the neighborhood. And it's such a surprise; normally, Mississippi doesn't experience fall weather until sometime around...oh...winter. Comfortable, sunny yet cool weather is not something we take for granted around here, so when it comes for an all too brief visit, you're more likely to find me puttering around the garden or sitting on the porch watching for hummingbirds than standing over a stove.

But we must eat, and with the lows in the 60's, I finally feel like turning on the oven and roasting some vegetables again. Besides, roasted vegetables are perfect for those times when I'd rather be doing something else; I just stick them in the oven while I go back to watering my garden or scouting for hummingbirds, and they cook on their own, without my having to watch over them constantly. I like to add some beans and serve them over a whole grain for a simple all-in-one meal. (See the end of this post for links to more roasted vegetable recipes.)

This time around, I've taken the Moroccan marinade charmoula and substituted crushed tomatoes for the usual olive oil, tossed it with the vegetables, and added some cooked chickpeas near the end of roasting. Normally, a Moroccan-seasoned dish like this would be served with couscous, but instead I used quinoa--a whole grain, and healthier in my opinion than couscous--adding a pinch of saffron and some raisins for a hint of sweetness. Oh my dog! You would have thought I'd invented bread by the reaction of my husband. He couldn't get enough of it and actually mmmmm-ed when he saw the photo below. E was less enthusiastic; she liked the vegetables but thought the "couscous" needed more seasoning (she assumed it was couscous and I didn't tell her because she thinks she hates quinoa). I'll happily throw in more seasonings the next time I make this, which will probably be this weekend, if my husband has his way.



Roasted Vegetables with Tomato Charmoula
(printer-friendly version)

Charmoula:
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted)
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced ginger root (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes (peeling optional)
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth

Combine the charmoula ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Preheat oven to 400F and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the vegetables in the dish, add the sauce, and toss well to coat. Roast until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Remove the vegetables from the oven. Bring 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to a boil, and add it to the vegetable pan, stirring and scraping the pan well to incorporate all of the seasonings. Serve immediately over couscous, quinoa, or other whole grain.

Serves 6. Per serving: 124 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 396mg Sodium; 7g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.


Quinoa "Couscous"

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
1/8 teaspoon saffron, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons raisins, optional

Rinse the quinoa well. Put it in a medium-sized saucepan along with the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until all water is absorbed and grain is tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 116 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (12% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 7mg Sodium; 2g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core (without raisins) / 2 Points.

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More roasted vegetables...

...from this blog:

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and White Bean Pesto
Roasted Vegetable Napoleons
Roasted Ratatouille
Roasted Asparagus and Portabella Mushrooms with Horseradish Sauce

...and from other great blogs:

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetable Soup
Dijon Roasted Potatoes
Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetables in a Nest
Citrus Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Smoked Paprika

I love fingerling potatoes. Their small size and elongated shape just scream cute, and since their skin is thin and tender, they look and taste great in dishes that use them whole. But besides being adorable, they cook up soft and creamy, without falling apart or splitting like new potatoes or Yukon golds, in less time than it takes to cook most other potatoes.

Fingerlings make great oven fries--just cut them in half lengthwise, arrange them on a baking sheet spritzed with canola oil, and bake them at 400F until they're done--but I've found that braising in a seasoned broth works really well with them; they seem to suck the flavors right up, resulting in potatoes that are seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.

In this side dish, I braised the fingerlings in a broth flavored lightly with tomato and saffron and heavily with smoked paprika. (Saffron is expensive, and since it lends a very light taste to this dish, you can leave it out or, if you like, reduce the paprika to about half, allowing the saffron a little more room to shine.) Once the potatoes were done, I let the broth cook down to a delicious, thick sauce that's punctuated by the flavor of fresh oregano.

Served with sundried tomato and basil omelettes (made easily in my new George Foreman grill) and a crisp, green salad, these rich-tasting potatoes were absolutely delicious. E declared them "kid-friendly, even if they're not French fries."



Fingerling Potatoes Braised with Smoked Paprika
(printer-friendly version)

I buy fingerlings in bags that are made up of several different varieties and sizes, some two or three times larger than the smallest ones. To make sure they cook in the same length of time, I cut the largest ones in half width-wise.

olive oil spray
1 small red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I used double-strength, but regular will do)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch saffron (optional)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes (or small red potatoes)
3 cups vegetable broth (Imagine No-Chicken preferred)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Wash the potatoes and cut in half any that are larger than the others.

Spray a Dutch oven lightly with olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the red onion for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, spices, and potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in the vegetable broth, add salt to taste, and cover. Cook on low for about 25 - 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the broth has cooked down to a thick sauce. Add the oregano and toss the potatoes to coat with sauce. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 160 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 311mg Sodium; 4g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.

Healthy Crunchy: Three Guilt-Free Snacks You Can Make at Home

When I snack, I try to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, but sometimes I want something with crunch, not the moist crunch of a carrot but the carb-filled crunch of a potato chip. When I get really desperate for a treat, I leave the pre-packaged snacks--with their fat, chemicals, and processed ingredients--on the grocery store shelves and make my own healthy snacks using natural ingredients that I usually have in my pantry.

My taste in snacks runs from the very simple (baked tortilla chips) to the unusual (roasted okra). But my very favorite, the one crunchy snack that almost everyone loves, is also the easiest to make: microwave potato chips. I've been making these for years, and I even bought this totally unnecessary gadget, which I used exactly once. (You're supposed to stand the potato slices in this piece of slotted, circular plastic from which, once they are cooked, it will take a bipartisan act of congress to get them unstuck. If you see one for sale, please don't waste your money.) After dozens of under- and over-cooked batches of microwave chips, I've found that the best gadget for making chips is simply the glass tray in my microwave. I've also discovered that the way to get the chips crispy without burning is to stop the cooking just as they begin to brown, let them sit in the microwave for a minute, and then finish the cooking. I'm pretty confident that if you follow the instructions below, your potato chips will come out golden and delicious every time.



Microwave Potato Chips
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1 medium russet potato
parchment paper
salt
optional seasonings: chili powder, Creole seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, etc.

Using a mandolin or v-slicer, slice one medium russet potato (peeled, if you like) as thinly as possible, taking care that all slices are the same thickness. Line the turntable tray of your microwave with parchment paper and place the potato slices on it without overlapping. Salt lightly and sprinkle with your choice of seasonings.

Microwave at full power--watching closely--until spots of brown begin to appear, about 4-6 minutes. Turn off the microwave for 1 minute. Microwave again at full power until the slices are golden brown. (Be very careful not to over-brown or they will taste burned.) Remove from the microwave and allow to cool. Repeat until all potato slices are cooked.

Salt and Vinegar Chips:

Dip each potato slice into cider vinegar before putting it on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt before microwaving.

Makes two servings. Per serving: 30 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 0 Points.

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My favorite spur-of-the-moment snack is simple: rinsed, canned chickpeas sprinkled with Creole seasoning. It's hardly a crunchy snack, but it does satisfy the craving for salty foods. The problem for me is that it's all too easy to over-eat chickpeas when they take so little effort to chew. That's where roasted chickpeas come in: they satisfy the urge to crunch, and a few go a long way. There are recipes all over the internet for roasted chickpeas, some using soaked dried beans and others using pre-cooked beans. I recently did a little experiment to see which kind I prefer. I made two batches, one using dried chickpeas and one using canned. I flavored the dried with lime and chili powder and the canned with curry. Overall, I preferred the canned--the texture was lighter and less hard than the dried version. Plus, they're quicker to make, so they're better in the case of a snack emergency. Both versions are below, so you can conduct your own experiment.



Roasted Chickpeas Two Ways
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You can use different spices in both of these recipes or leave out the seasoning altogether.

Chili Roasted Chickpeas from Dried Beans

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon lime juice

Pick over and rinse the chickpeas. Cover them with water 2 inches above the level of the beans and let soak overnight.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chili powder and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Place in a bowl and toss with the lime juice..

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lift the chickpeas out of the bowl with a slotted spoon and place them in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Stir after 15 minutes, brushing them with the lime juice remaining in the bowl. Repeat three times, the last time sprinkling them with the remaining chili powder and salt. When they are golden brown and crispy (about 50-60 minutes in total) remove from the oven . Cool completely before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 125 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (15% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 549mg Sodium; 7g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.

Curry Roasted Chickpeas from Canned Beans

1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Spray a baking sheet with canola oil and spread chickpeas out in a single layer. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy, about 45-50 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 72 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (8% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 180mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 1 Point.

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This week I finally got around to trying a healthy snack that so many bloggers have said that they love. Kale chips sounded perfect--a green leafy vegetable magically transformed into a snack. Unfortunately, my family and I seem to lack the "kale chip gene." Even after I baked them perfectly--not burned like my first batch or chewy/underdone like my second--we just don't like them. Perhaps my kale was just overly bitter; if you give them a try, please let me know your opinion.



Kale Chips
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Timing is crucial for these chips: too long and they taste burned, two short and they are chewy rather than crispy.

4 large leaves kale
olive oil spray (optional)
salt

Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash kale and cut into two-inch pieces. (Try to make the pieces all the same size or they will not cook at the same rate.) Spray a baking sheet with oil and place the pieces of kale on it in a single layer. Spray lightly with oil, if desired, and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 7 minutes. Turn the chips over and bake for 3-7 more minutes, until crispy and edges just beginning to brown. Cool and eat.

Makes 2 servings. Per serving: 25 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (10% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 22mg Sodium; 1g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 0 Points.

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Ooops--Serene's comment below reminded me to add this photo of one of my favorite summertime snacks, frozen grapes. I keep a bunch in the freezer so that it's easy to grab a few when I'm hungry or hot or both!

What's your favorite low-fat snack? I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a recipe or link to it in the comments section.

Vadouvan: A Delectable Seasoning and Two Recipes

You may not have heard of vadouvan, but I'm predicting it will be the next trendy ingredient. It's been popping up on restaurant menus a lot lately and caused a bit of web chatter when Ruth Reichl, editor of Gourmet, mentioned trying it a few months ago, but now that Gourmet has published a recipe for it in this month's issue--as well as on its site--I'm sure that soon everyone will be making this formerly hard to procure seasoning.

So what is it, and is there any reason other than trendiness to try it? The short answers are 1) a Frenchified version of a south Indian seasoning and 2) Yes.

According to Gourmet, vadouvan originated around the French settlement of Pondicherry in southern India. It appears to me to be a version of the Tamil Nadu seasoning vadagam or vadakam, which is made by combining onions, dal, cumin, curry leaves, and other spices, shaping the mixture into balls, and drying them in the sun to be stored for later use. In the Gourmet version, shallots are added to the mixture, which is roasted in the oven until practically dry, giving it a deep, smoky taste.

Since, as you know, I'm crazy for anything smoky or cuminy, I just had to try this recipe. It took a while, and it required me to heat up my oven and to hover nearby for frequent stirrings. And once I made it, my kitchen smelled like onion and curry for days, though perhaps turning on a vent fan would have helped, something I realized after the fact. But now that I've got it made and safely stashed in my freezer, I'm thrilled that I'll be able to add this savory, oniony, lightly-curry-scented flavor to anything quickly and easily with just a couple of tablespoonfuls.

Of course I adapted the recipe. The original made twice as much, and I was unwilling to commit so many pounds of shallots and onions to an untried recipe. It also called for frying in oil, though not a huge amount considering how much it makes, but I wanted to be able to add the seasoning freely without worrying about how much added fat it contained, so I reduced the oil to just a few quick sprays to keep it from sticking or burning. I altered the ingredient amounts just a little, adding a touch more cumin and mustard seed just because I like them. And finally, I used fresh hot chile peppers because I've got more of them than I can use in my garden.



Vadouvan
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3 small hot chili peppers (or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 large onions (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into eighths
1/2 pound shallots, peeled and halved
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek (or whole fenugreek ground in coffee mill)
1/2 tablespoon curry leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Remove the stems from the peppers, place them in a food processor with the garlic, and process until minced. Add half of the onions and pulse to chop coarsely. Remove from the processor and repeat with remaining onions and shallots until all are coarsely chopped.

Spray a large skillet with canola oil and heat on medium-high. Add the chopped vegetables. (Turn your face away as you do this because the fumes will cause you to tear up!) Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until onions begin to brown, about 15-20 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.

Preheat oven to 350. Cover a 4-sided baking pan with parchment paper, spray the paper lightly with canola oil, and transfer the onion mixture to it, spreading it out as thinly as possible:

Spray the top of the mixture lightly with canola oil. Bake until browned and most moisture is gone, 1 to 1 1/4 hours, stirring regularly to break up the onions as best you can. Be careful not to burn!

Cool, break up any large clumps, and store in the refrigerator up to one month or the freezer up to six months.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Entire recipe provides 386 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (7% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 84g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 3255mg Sodium; 8g Fiber.

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I didn't want to give you this long-cooking recipe without also showing you a couple of ways to use it. For my first use of vadouvan, I went with something simple, something that adapts easily to different seasonings, something using Indian ingredients, and something my family always likes: red lentil soup. Cooking the lentils with vadouvan gave them an indescribably smoky, sensual flavor. The curry flavor is there, in the background, but the pungency of the roasted onions and shallots wins out. It was a taste that my whole family loved.



Red Lentil Soup with Vadouvan
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1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups masoor dal or small red lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups water
1/3 cup Vadouvan
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
3-4 cups baby spinach

Spray a large pot lightly with oil and heat it over high heat. When hot, add the cumin and mustard seed; cook for 1 minute or until seeds begin to pop. Immediately add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, water, vadouvan, garlic, and coriander. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, covered, until lentils are completely soft, about 20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Simmer, uncovered, adding more water if necessary, for about 20 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted but still bright green.

Makes 4-6 servings. At 4 large servings, each provides 306 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 372mg Sodium; 25f Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 5 Points.

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The vadouvan-cashew cream sauce in the recipe below may be the single greatest reason you should take the time to whip up a batch of vadouvan. I made this for lunch today, eating two of the four servings, and I could easily go back and eat the whole batch. The sauce makes the recipe and would be wonderful on tofu, tempeh, seitan, baked potatoes--anywhere you want a rich, oniony, almost meaty taste. Someday soon I'm going to be simmering chunks of tofu and sliced mushrooms in this sauce and serving it over rice.



Grilled Eggplant with Vadouvan-Cashew Cream Sauce
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I used small white eggplants from my garden, but any kind of small eggplant will do.

2 small eggplants
2/3 cup plain soy milk
1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cashews
1 tablespoon Vadouvan
1 large tomato
1/2 small green chile, seeds removed and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Cut off the tops and bottoms of the eggplants and slice them into 1/2-inch slices. If you like, you may salt the eggplants and allow them to "weep" for half an hour before rinsing and proceeding with the recipe; I did not bother with this.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook on a well-oiled grill pan until browned on both sides and soft in the middle. (You may also broil or bake the eggplant.)

While the eggplants are cooking, make the sauce by blending the soymilk, nutritional yeast, cashews, and vadouvan in a small blender. Pour into a saucepan, add salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Turn down to very low and keep warm until eggplants are ready.

Chop the tomato and add the garlic, chile pepper, and vinegar. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Assemble on appetizer plates by layering a spoonful of sauce followed by three slices of eggplant with a little sauce between each slice. Top with the tomato mixture and enjoy.

Makes 4 appetizer-sized servings. Per serving: 99 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (18% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 48mg Sodium; 7g Fiber. Weight Watchers 1 Point.

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More vadouvan goodness:

Another vadouvan recipe.
Vendaya Keerai-Kathrikai Kaozumbu (traditional Tamil Nadu vegetable gravy served with rice)
Cauliflower in Cast Iron Pot (veganizable!)

Random Act of Quinoa Salad

It's lunchtime, and true to form, I haven't eaten breakfast. I know, I know--most important meal of the day, keeps metabolism burning, aids in weight loss, yada yada. I'm sorry but I just forget to eat breakfast. I'm working on it, except when I forget to work on it. Anyway, lunch time rolls around and I'm getting pretty hungry until I remember something else I forgot, that we're all out of lettuce and tomatoes. Calamity! Another habit I'm trying to develop is eating a big raw salad for lunch. And it was going so well until today.

But there are vegetables in the fridge--cauliflower, zucchini, and 4-count 'em-4 colors of bell pepper. I could chop them up and have them as a salad, but it occurs to me that a little quinoa would make this a much more filling meal. Quinoa just so happens to be one of the grains you can eat more than once a day on Weight Watchers' Core program, which, yes, I'm trying to remember to follow.*

So I make up this salad that's mostly vegetables, mostly raw, and very random; if there'd been other vegetables in my refrigerator, I'd have used them instead of the ones you see here. Something about this combination just cried out to me "curry dressing" and then the curry dressing shouted "Add a mango!" So I did. See? Completely random.

Feel free to get random with it yourself. Use the veggies you have on-hand and substitute your favorite salad dressing. The Orange-Curry Dressing really hit the spot, but that was my spot--your spot may be crying out for sesame-orange dressing or tahini goddess dressing or even some bottled Italian dressing. Some legumes would be a tasty addition, too; I meant to add some chickpeas but, naturally, I forgot!



Random Act of Quinoa Salad