Mexican Pizza ~ 10.1.11

I've been declaring my love for *Pinterest* on my other blog, but really, it has provided the Crafty Cafe patrons a wonderful assortment of good eats over the past 2 months!

Lately, I've been craving Mexican-inspired foods. I haven't stepped foot in or driven through a Taco Bell drive thru in over 5 years and suddenly.... the bean burrito is my new best friend! LOL
So, when I saw this recipe for Mexican pizza using ingredients I almost ALWAYS have on hand... I was sold and knew it would make the list of recipes to try immediately!

But first, a good salsa is not a bad thing to have in your fridge and this homemade restaurant-style version from Ree is a winner! It's been on my to-try list for awhile, anyway, so Mexican pizza and the fact that I didn't have a jar of salsa on hand at all were the perfect reasons to give it a go!

It comes together super-duper fast, if you have a food processor. And Thankfully, I do! But if you don't, I bet a blender would do the trick.

PW's Restaurant Style Salsa

And that wonderful creation goes beautifully inside this next recipe for Mexican Pizza.

Here's the original post that I saw and my take on the recipe! I don't have exact amts b/c it all depends on how many you're making it for. I usually get all the ingredients ready so that throughout the week, I can have mexican pizza whenever I want it!

Mexican Pizza
my version

tortillas- I like whole wheat
1 can refried beans- I choose the one with least amt of sodium and opt for vegetarian - we are going to doctor these up!

couple green onions- chopped
salsa of your choice
couple tomatoes- chopped
shredded cheese- colby jack is good
optional: onion, jalapeno, sour cream, taco sauce

Preheat your oven and line a pan with foil.
Take 2 tortillas and brush them with a little canola oil.
Place in oven for about 10 min.
While the tortillas as warming/crisping-- heat your refried beans in a small saucepan. Add in a 1/4 cup water,  couple Tbs chopped onion (no, thank you), 1 tsp taco seasoning (if none, use a little cumin and chili powder and garlic powder), I added some of my fave- Adobo seasoning and a couple turns of freshly gr black pepper.
Let the beans heat on the stovetop, on low, careful not to burn.
Chop your veggies and grate your cheese- some tomato, green onions and if you'd like more heat- jalapeno

Take the tortillas out and build your pizza!
1. spread a good amt of beans on one tortilla. Add a dollop of salsa- not too much.
2. top with second tortilla and spread a dollop of salsa on that and add some chopped veggies: tomato, green onion and jalapeno
3. Top it all with cheese and put it back in the oven for about 12 min.

Remove from oven, slice and serve! Ole!

Middle Eastern delights ~ 6.9.11

{corn and black bean salsa (with edamame), falafel and hummus}

Would you take a look at that plate! I mean, wow! Doesn't it all look so delicious? Okay, I'm a total food freak, I know. Who else takes pictures of their lunch? Well, I know a few more.... but still, I had to take a picture so that I could share these fabulous foods with YOU!

The recipes I'm sharing today all hail from Lucinda Scala Quinn's show, Mad Hungry on The Hallmark Channel. I have a link to the blog over there on my sidebar, do take a look. I have another handful of recipes to share with you that I've made in the past few weeks and they are ALL from her SHOW! I made all of the recipes on her Israeli Cooking show: Hummus, Falafel and Israeli Salad. I'm sharing 2 out of 3 of those recipes with you today. That last recipe was eaten so fast I didn't have time to photograph it!

Both of these recipes today start with a bag of dried chickpeas. Sometimes they can be hard to find. I didn't find them with the other dried beans/legumes in the grocery store. Instead, they were in the International food aisle, in the Mexican section. They're my new pantry staple.

I know I've posted a great hummus recipe in the past, but this one takes the cake. The former is great if you're short on time, but if you prep your chickpeas in advance, go with this recipe made from dried chickpeas. WOW. The creamy texture was so amazing and the flavor is subtle perfection.

Mad Hungry Hummus

3 1/2 cups cooked dried  chickpeas ** recipe to follow** or 2 15.5 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs tahini paste (I love Kyros)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil

In bowl of food processor, combine chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt. Pulse to a thick paste. With motor running, slowly add water, then oil in a steady stream. Taste and add more salt if needed (mine needed a tad bit more).

Serve with pita, chips, veggies or spread on a sandwich!


This next recipe was not a hit with the family, but I LOVED them!

Falafel
these are fried vegetarian patties. You can eat them alone or on a pita, served as a sandwich. Drizzle a little tahini over them if you'd like

1 3/4 cup cooked dried chickpeas, or 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup parsley
2 Tbs mint
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted (I left those out)
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
For serving: pita, sliced tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, tahini

Place half of chickpeas in food processor and pulse a few times until chopped, transfer to large bowl.

Place remaining chickpeas in processor with garlic, onion, herbs, spices, baking soda, salt and lemon juice. Pulse to a thick, chunky paste, about 30 sec. Transfer to bowl with chopped chickpeas.

Add egg and sesame seeds to bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill batter for 30 minutes. (I left mine in the fridge 2 days before frying)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Form batter into 2 inch wide patties (I got about 10 patties in total). Place in hot oil and gently flatten. Cook, turning once, after the first side is a nice golden brown- about 4-5 minutes total. Transfer to paper towel (or bag) lined plate to drain.

Serve with pita bread, tomato slices, lettuce and red onion. Drizzle with tahini.

Cooked Dried Chickpeas
from Martha Stewart dot com


1 pound bag of chickpeas
water
1 Tbs baking soda

Soak the chickpeas in water with baking soda for 8 hours (aka overnight!). Drain and rinse. Place chickpeas in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, simmer and cook until softened (about 2 hours). Rinse the chickpeas and use as desired.

One bag of chickpeas is enough for both of the above recipes!

Spinach Pie (Byrek Mi Spinaq) ~ 5.25.11

{my first albanian spinach pie- the edges got a bit crispy, but not a problem, just cut them off!}

So, maybe I've talked about my love for a show on the Hallmark channel called Mad Hungry. Lucinda Scala Quinn, a dear friend of Martha's, hosts this amazing little show. that I DVR everyday. What is it about this show that I love? Maybe it's the presentation, the approachable recipes, the unique flavors she presents, the excitement of guests in the kitchen (love the Albanian recipes show!) or Calder, her son, joining her in the kitchen. Well, it's all of these. Lucinda presents recipes in a simple, straightforward manner. You feel like you're in the kitchen with her and you cannot wait to see what she's cooking on the next show. 

Add to all of that, the fact that my 4 year olds LOVE the show-- especially, Zach. They say things like "mmmm, can you make that sometime?" and "can we watch "the" cooking show?" I know just the one that they're talking about.

 Check this out- she has a cookbook (or two)- thanks Lucinda!

Yet, maybe the best part is that so many of these recipes are REAL, passed down from family and then shared with us. I think that's the part I can relate to the most (that and Lucinda's love for salty pork products ;)). I love hearing the stories behind recipes and seeing the family cooking together- loved when her brother came on and made deep dish pizza dough and light and fluffy meatballs. After that show aired, I knew exactly what I was making for dinner THAT weekend (look for those recipes to come Friday)!

On this particular episode, Lucinda invited her son's friend, Milot, to come into the kitchen and share his family's Albanian Spinach Pie (Byrek Mi Spinaq). I knew I had to make it asap. I even had all the ingredients in my fridge! I had just bought 3 bags of spinach on sale that week and just needed a little yogurt and whipped butter to make this recipe. I even had the phyllo dough in the freezer leftover from the last Spanokopita I had made. Perfect reason to make this recipe and they made it look doable on a weeknight!

Oh and if you're like me and are a bit fearful of working with filo I say, pshaaaw! DO NOT be afraid! It couldn't be simpler, as long as you watch to keep it covered so it doesn't dry out while you work! It's extremely forgiving: read- even if it does try out, just butter it up and piece the broken pieces together, it's all good in the end.

My kids LOVE this recipe, so there's a little butter involved, at least they're eating spinach!!

Now, onto the recipe:

Spinach Pie

(adapted from Mad Hungry, May 2011)

1 8 oz container of whipped butter

1/2 cup canola oil

3 bunches of spinach, stemmed and chopped (I used 3 bags)

1/2 small onion, chopped as fine as you like it

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbs plain yogurt

1 tsp salt

2 Tbs of butter and oil mixture, as per directions

20 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed if frozen (I made it with 1/2 of a box of filo and it worked out just fine- that's what I had on hand!)

optional: a little feta- not true to the Albanian version, but I had a little to use up- so in it went!

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degreees

2. Combine butter and canola oil in a saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Stir to combine. Reserve two tablespoons for the filling

3. For the filling: In a VERY large bowl (get out the biggest one you have), combine the spinach, onion, egg, sour cream, yogurt, salt and 2 Tbs of butter/oil mixture and mix it all well- use your hands if needed. Set aside

4. Using a large rimmed sheet pan, butter the bottom and sides of the baking sheet and lay down 2 sheets of phyllo so that the edges overlap in the middle. Brush with butter. Continue this process for 9 more sheets of phyllo making sure to butter each sheet and the parts that overlap- the butter helps everything to adhere and get flaky and delicious!

[ As a side note, the recipe says to use one sheet, but it barely covered the bottom of the baking sheet, so I adapted and laid the sheets side by side. Once you unroll your phyllo and size up your sheetpan, you'll have an idea of how you need to lay out the phyllo, too]

5. After your 10th sheet is laid down on the baking sheet, top the buttered phyllo with your spinach mixture. Even it out with a spatula. Repeat the phyllo layering process with 10 more sheets of phyllo- don't forget to butter every layer. Butter, butter, butter!

6. Turn up the edges to seal- folding them over towards the top is just fine. Nothing fancy. Think RUSTIC.

7. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until top is golden brown. Use a knife to check the bottom to make sure it, too, is nice and crispy. Let cool for 15 minutes (if you can wait!). Slice however you like and serve.

The spinach filling really cooks down!

A Lentil soup twofer ~ 3.26.11

I happened upon this next recipe way back in 2006 in the pages of Real Simple magazine. I thought it sounded so different with the combination of sweet potatoes and kale and lentils! I knew I had to give it a try.

Happy to report that I've been making this recipe regularly ever since. I don't often use kale because I seem to think of this recipe when I have leftover fresh spinach to use up from my fridge. I also decreased the amount of leeks as 4 seemed a bit much and 2 works out perfectly. I've taken some pictures of the process of adding the ingredients for you b/c all those veggies are just so beautiful as you add them to the soup and they were just begging for their photograph! ;)

The original recipe...

Winter Lentil Soup

2 leeks, white and green parts only (see recipe for how to wash leeks properly)
1 bag of spinach (or kale)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 Tbs fresh thyme
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 fresh basil leaves (optional, but oh, do they add an amazing dimension)
1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional)

Instructions:
1. Begin by prepping all your veggies: slice your leeks, lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/4 inch half moons. Place in a large bowl filled with water and swish to remove grit. Lift leeks out and repeat. Drain them on a towel and pat dry (I use my Softworks salad spinner to dry them). Remove any thick stems from the spinach (or kale). Stack the leaves and slice them into strips (Actually, I don't even do THAT... I just throw them in the pot!). Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into chunks.

2.Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with the juice (don't throw the can out yet!) and break up the tomatoes with the spoon or slice them with your kitchen shears in the pot. Cook about 5 minutes more.

3. Use your tomato can and add a whole can of water (about 2-2 1/2) cups. Then add 4 more cups of water and bring to a boil. Using the can helps to clean it out and you add any juices you left in there when you dumped in the tomatoes! Now recycle it or sit it by the pot and stick your wooden spoon in it, like I do.

4. Add your sweet potatoes...

your lentils and thyme

And your spinach, salt and pepper and the basil, if using (throw the stems your chopped off in there, too, you can fish them out later- add GREAT flavor!)

5. Simmer all of this until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. I leave the lid on and cracked just a bit to let some steam out, but check to make sure too much liquid doesn't evaporate!

6. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

I highly recommend you have some crusty bread on hand to eat with your delicious soup!

Here's another favorite lentil soup for you to try from the pgs of Martha Stewart everyday food.


Lentil Soup

ingredients:
3 strips of bacon (or use reserved bacon grease from your fridge!)
1 lg onion, chopped
3 med carrots, peeled and cut into half moons
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs tomato paste (I use the squeeze tube, but whatever)
1 1/2 c lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tsp fresh chopped)
2 cans reduced sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
S &  P


directions:
1. In a large pot, cook bacon over med/low heat until browned and crisp (8-10 min). Pour off all but 1 Tbs fat (if you have your bacon grease, obviously skip this step and proceed to #2)
2. Add onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 min. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 sec. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 min.
3. Add lentils, thyme, broth AND 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender 30-45 minutes.
4. Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Taste and season again if needed. Serve immediately! Can freeze.

I like mine with a nice loaf of crusty bread and sprinkled with parmesan cheese on top! (hmmmm... that sounds familiar)

Creamy mushroom toasts ~ 11.10.10

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

oh good grief, can you tell I'm a mom of 4 boys?

Let me start over...

A long ways back, I happened upon this simple little recipe. It is just the perfect little treat for a late dinner or when you need a comforting happy belly sort of lunch.

It's quick to throw together and forgiving in that as long as you use the main ingredients of mushrooms, cream and toast... you're golden.

I'm eating it right now and had to pour myself a glass of wine (b/c I'm cooking something with it and well, Julia Child would do that, right?) to go along with it. It's a classy yet simple kind of meal.

Buon Appetit!

Creamy Mushroom Toasts
adapted from Angry Chicken
Like I said up above, this is forgiving, so if you don't have shallots, don't fret, I've made it without them. And if you don't have fresh herbs, use a little dried. Just stick to the main stuff: mushrooms, butter, cream, good crusty bread. You'll thank me.

8oz button mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp or so of butter
fresh herbs chopped: I like thyme and parsley
half a shallot, minced fine
S & P
heavy cream- couple Tbsp's
crusty bread
optional: Adobo seasoning (I just have to put it on everything!)

Heat a saute pan and get your butter in there and melted. (if you're using shallots, add them at this point and saute until translucent- I didn't have them today) Add the sliced mushrooms and don't crowd the pan or mess with them too much. You want them to get good and toasty on one side before you push them around. After about 5 minutes or so, stir the mushrooms around and season with S & P and some Adobo seasoning, if you'd like. S&P is just fine, too. Now, add some chopped herbs and a couple Tbs of cream. I do not measure this, just eyeball it a bit and add some till my mushrooms are swimming in a pool of cream and happy as can be. Happy mushrooms = Happy Crafty. Cream = Very happy Crafty!

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Slice your bread and toast to perfection.

Serve your creamy mushrooms alongside the toast and pour yourself a glass of wine. Enjoy!

The Essential Summertime (Anytime) Salsa ~ 5.9.10

Time to depart from all the desserts and make something fresh and delicious.


I originally posted this recipe way back in 2006 on She's a Crafty Pumpkin. It has become my "go-to" recipe for family gatherings- it's a cinch to make and EVERYONE seems to love it! The original recipe hails from here and I'm forever indebted to her for posting that- hope you're as happy with it, too!

If you don't have cilantro, but say, have basil- try that instead. I did that once and was not at all disappointed! WOW! Flavor punch and a party in my mouth! You'll see in the ingredients that I often will leave out certain "unessential" ingredients- feel free to try that for yourself. A recipe is only a guideline, you decide what goes in or doesn't- make it yours!

I love to serve this with Target's Archer Farms Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips- say that five times fast!

Black Bean Salsa


2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears corn, either boiled or roasted (I use frozen, too- toast it in a dry pan on the stovetop)
2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, cut into small chunks and drained- Romas are great
2 firm-ripe avocados, cut into medium chunks
1 red onion, diced small - I often leave this out
3 garlic cloves, minced - I've left this out before, too
2-3 limes
1 bunch of cilantro
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper


Place the black beans into a large serving bowl. After the corn has cooled, cut the kernels off the cob and add to the black beans, along with the tomatoes, red onion, and garlic. Toss to combine.

Drizzle the mixture with olive oil and about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, or to taste. Squeeze the limes over the mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit for about fifteen minutes before tasting for seasonings again.

You can wait until just before serving to add the avocado chunks and chopped cilantro, but we add it all at once - after awhile the avocado will start to break down, but it usually last a full day or two before that happens.

Hearty Mixed Grain Medley ~ 3.8.10

I happened upon this recipe over at Stacy J's place and thought it would be a perfect Lenten meal. I wasn't all that concerned about feeding it to the family as I didn't really care what they thought- I knew I'd love it! Am I the only one who does that?

It was simple to throw together and I've been eating it for meals, snacks and today.... breakfast! So filling and I feel like it's really good for me as it fills me up and looks amazing in a bowl. And when food looks pretty, that just makes me happier to eat it all up! Plus, there's simply no butter or oil used in it, so that has to be a check in the "better for you" column, right?

When you make this recipe, feel free to throw in things that you have... the original recipe calls for things I didn't have in my fridge/pantry that day and that's okay. When you're looking at a recipe, think about what you like about it and what sounds good. Feel free to ad-lib a little with ingredients that are similiar to the ones listed and you may find that you're making dishes "your own" a lot more. That's only really happened for me in the past couple of years. I've been getting braver with experimentation and have liked most of the results!

I did think ahead and buy pearl barley, but that was about the only thing I bought for the recipe. Everything else was a pantry staple for me!

Hearty Mixed Grain Medley
adapted from Stacy Julian's mixed grain casserole

3 medium carrots, chopped (I love carrots and will add one more next time)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, quartered (didn't have these this time, but will add them next time)
1 can black beans, drained + rinsed
1 can corn (or 1 cup frozen)
1 cup broth (I used chicken)
½ cup pearl barley
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup bulgar - (no bulgar this time)
¼ onion chopped
¼ tsp garlic salt

Combine all ingredients
Bake covered 350 degrees for 60 minutes
Stir once at 30 minutes

I added a sprinkle of Goya adobo seasoning on mine at the end, but it tastes just perfect without it, too.
You can also add a bit of cheese (cheddar would be good) on your bowl and pop it in the microwave to melt just before serving.

Welcome Lent ~ Homemade Macaroni and Cheese ~ 2.17.10

Another family favorite!

Today being Ash Wednesday, we are abstaining from meat. I think most of us who remember the lents of our childhood will recall that there was certainly a lot of Macaroni and Cheese, Pizza and Fish Sticks consumed. We try to mix it up a bit over at the Costain house with our Sweet Potato Burritos, pasta dishes and few other faves but macaroni and cheese will always find its way on our lenten menu.

While I do like the convenience of a boxed mac 'n cheese for those emergency situations (by the way, we prefer Annie's), there's just nothing like homemade.

Tonight I did a hybrid of Pioneer Woman's mac 'n cheese (from her new cookbook) and my old faithful America's Test Kitchen recipe (which follows). I think I'll stick to old faithful though. While her sauce sure was cheesy deliciousness, I like the fact that I don't need to whisk too much and I can just throw it all in the pot and voila... mac 'n cheese. I still used evaporated milk even though her recipe calles for whole milk and I added a little onion powder to the pot as well.

This recipe is quick and convenient and worth the few extra minutes it takes to make. I serve mine up with peas- gosh I love the little burst of green sweetness with each cheesy pasta bite. I hope you enjoy this, too.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

A heavy-bottomed pot that distributes heat evenly is essential here. If you're in a hurry or prefer to sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers (saltines aren't bad either), you can skip the bread crumbs.

Serves four as a main course or six to eight as a side dish

Toasted Bread Crumbs

1 cup fresh bread crumbs from French or Italian bread

Pinch of salt

1-1/2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I always use a pound- way too cheesy for me)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp Wisconsin cheddar, American, or Monterey
Jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups) ( I like a combo- depends on what I have on hands, too)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bread crumb ingredients (crumbs, salt, and melted butter) well in small baking pan. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and mustard mixture in small bowl; set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Add remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and macaroni; cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butter; toss to melt.

4. Pour egg mixture over buttered macaroni along with three-quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining evaporated milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy,

Farmer's Market Chili ~ 9.28.09

One of my favorite places to hunt down recipes has always been the newspaper. Funny though because I don't even subscribe! Yet, I know every Thursday, the food section will be in the Post Gazette and if I don't clip it from my parent's stash of papers (which they drop off to me so that I can recycle them at our school) then I can simply go online to find some inspiration.


This recipe appeared a several weeks back when zucchini were abundant and taking over everyone's garden. Unfortunately, by the time I got around to trying this recipe... zucchinis were non-existent at our farmer's market. Not even ONE zucchini was left to sell! I had to trek to the grocery store to buy mine, but it was well worth the price.

I've adapted this recipe that was submitted by Lori of McMurray, Pa and renamed it to make it more appealing to my very discriminating in-house critics (aka my children).

One of the ingredients to this Farmer's Market Chili -that I've only recently starting using in the past year or so -is this Adobo seasoning with pepper (I buy the red capped bottle).

It has appeared in at least a handful of my favorite recipes and I added it to this one as well. You'll be surprised how much you use it once you've tasted it! I promise to post my favorite Mushroom and Artichoke Pasta that incorporates this seasoning very soon- I've been craving it anyway.

You'll notice my chili sits atop a fluffy cloud of homemade mashed potatoes. I never ate chili any other way growing up and thought everyone else did the same, until I got married! The night I made this I offered the kids a choice of baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. They all chose baked! The best part was that 3 out of 4 of them gobbled this up and declared it "DELICIOUS!" I'll add this to the running list of "ways I got my kids to eat vegetables".

Farmer's Market Chili

2 Tbs canola/vegetable oil

2-3 onions, small, chopped

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Adobo seasoning with peppers, optional

1-2 Tbs chili powder- I used 1, but may go 1 1/2 next time

1/4 tsp dried basil- I opted for the frozen cubes of basil from Trader Joe's in my freezer

1/2 tsp cumin

2 cups zucchini, diced- I used a combo of summer squash and zucchini

3-4 carrots, peeled and diced

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes- I used crushed b/c that's what I had

1 15 oz can white beans- cannelini, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can water

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion until soft and tender. Add carrots and saute until softened (I did not do this the first go of the recipe and it took the carrots FOREVER to tenderize- so I'll try this the next time). Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer 35 minutes. (I let my simmer much longer, as a good chili should) Taste and adjust the seasonings- I added more Adobo to mine.

If the chili is too thick for your preference, you can add a can of tomato sauce and a small amount of water towards the end of the cook time.

The original recipe says this yields 6 servings. I filled three yogurt quart containers!

Serve a la your favorite way to eat chili... mine is pictured up at the top!

Sweet Potato Burritos! Ole~ 4.24.09

Now with PICTURES!

I've had this recipe dog-eared to try for a LONG time, but I could never justify making it b/c I figured I would be the only one eating it. It does sound like a strange combination, but trust me, it is so darn good! I've made them twice now since the first attempt and may try sticking to the recipe a bit more. I would say I'm often "inspired" more by recipes lately, than I am at making them verbatim. Nothing wrong with that, it helps me be more creative in the kitchen!

I made these along with another recipe from the same cookbook for Z & D's second birthday a few weeks back. A good crowd pleaser and 5 thumbs up from me! It does help if you like sweet potatoes b/c they are the star ingredient!

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos
inspired by Allrecipes dinner tonight cookbook, pg. 163

1 can refried black beans
2 large sweet potatoes (or more depending on who you're feeding)
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
10-12 burrito size tortillas- the whole wheat ones were great for this!

1. Roast your sweet pototoes until they start to ooze, split open and are easily pierced with a knife. Peel and mash up those potatoes until nice and smooth. Get a baking sheet ready with foil and a little cooking spray on it. (NOTE: since this step takes a good hour +, I often do it ahead of time, say, the night before when I'm making dinner. I just throw the taters in while I'm cooking something else!)

2. Get your ingredients ready assembly line style: refried beans and spreader, mashed sweets, shredded cheese, tortillas.

3. Heat up a couple tortillas in the microwave to help make them soft and malleable- spread on a little refried beans- keep them away from the edges. I usually spread enough to make an oval shape in the middle of my tortilla- remember you're rolling them up and you don't want them to ooze out on the baking sheet. Then spoon a couple tablespoons of sweet potatoes. Lastly, sprinkle on some monterey jack cheese.


4. Roll 'em up and line 'em up on your baking sheet. Keep going until you have enough or you're out of ingredients.

5. Bake at 375 until hot- about 12-15 minutes. I rub a little olive oil on top of the tortillas to crisp them up and b/c it tastes good!

Serve with chips and salsa or my favorite Black Bean Salsa!

But today, I had mine with Our Best Bites Lime Cilantro Rice with Pineapple... c'mon, you know this is good stuff!

I think I'll start adding who in the house likes the recipe I write up, so that I can have a good reference when I'm searching for something to make.

Mr. Crafty hasn't tried these yet... somehow, they're always gone before he gets to them.
G gobbled them up with me.
The other three are a mixed bag- depends on the day, the hour, the moon's phase and the weather.

I'll also try and get some pics up a bit later so you can see the finished product...