Moroccan Chickpeas & Zucchini

Moroccan Chickpeas & Zucchini (page 249)
served with quinoa and green salad

Another winner from Appetite for Reduction! I enjoyed this a lot. It had a nice flavor, with a comforting blend of spices. I always love chickpeas, so I'm already biased there. As a bonus, this recipe makes a huge pot-ful, and I was able to freeze several portions for El Hombre to have on hand when the girls and I will be traveling for a couple of weeks.

I wasn't sure the girls would like this recipe, since the spices are on the exotic side, and it has cooked zucchini, which is usually not a favorite. So, I tried to bill this as a cultural experience for them: we got out the globe to find Morocco, we played some Moroccan music during dinner, we looked at pictures of traditional Moroccan dress, etc. Did it work? Well, they both said they liked it, but neither ate a whole lot, so I'm not sure.

Instead of the suggested couscous, I served this with quinoa, which I thought made a nice alternative.

Tempeh Helper, take 2

Tempeh Helper (page 171) with Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce (page 173)
substituting zucchini for green peas

My first attempt at the Tempeh Helper was a real disappointment. We all found the natural bitterness of the tempeh too overwhelming for the dish, and it just really wasn't even palatable. Blech. I concluded that pre-steaming the tempeh would probably be a good idea, which is exactly what I did last night. It adds an extra step, but the recipe is simple enough that it's still pretty fast to get on the table. I simply used the microwave to steam it in a dish with a little water while I began the "Easy Breezy Cheezy Sauce."

I also got a great tip from Lazy Smurf in the comments from the last Tempeh Helper post: apparently, Wheatsville carries a locally made tempeh that isn't as bitter tasting. I had the opportunity to swing by Wheatsville the other day (not my usual part of town), so I picked some up. This stuff is great! Made by The Hearty Vegan, it is flavorful, yet mild. (I also picked up a package of their tempeh sausage patties, and those are awesome, too!)

I switched up the pasta this time, using whole-wheat elbow macaroni instead of tiny quinoa shells. And, I diced up a zucchini and tossed that in the pot instead of using frozen green peas.

So, in conclusion - the change in tempeh protocol and brand made a huge difference in this recipe for this family. The kids liked it a lot, and so did El Hombre. Me? I thought it was okay. I've never been a huge fan of dinner-from-a-box style foods, and of course, this recipe is modeled after Hamburger Helper. I'm not sure if I'll ever make it again, but if this kind of food is your thing, it certainly is a fast, easy weeknight meal.

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili

Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili, page 236

Another guest post from El Hombre, since he was in charge of getting food on the table tonight!

Tonight's dinner was very much true to the recipe. The Classic Black Bean & Veggie Chili is delicious and easy to fix. Thirty minutes is all you need to from start to finish. Basically, you chop up your onions, garlic and veggies add the broth and seasonings and you are set.

After things were nicely simmering, I reduced the heat and focused on fixing some yummy cornbread to go with dinner. I used the cornbread recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking and baked the batter in a funky little cast iron corn stick pan that la Mujer (Julie) fancies as an awesome thrift store find.

As expected, the girls were less than enthusiastic, with SweetPotato saying it was a bit "spicy." I think it was my liberal use of chili powder that got to her.

I stuck with the recipe since it was my first time fixing it, but I feel really confident about adjusting seasonings and adding a variety of different veggies. Next time, I think I'll use eggplant along with the zucchini that was called for, and I would also enjoy adding mushrooms!

Overall, a great easy to fix dinner, and you can't beat that!

Black Bean, Zucchini, and Olive Tacos

Black Bean, Zucchini, and Olive Tacos, page 131

The addition of kalamata olives to tacos is something I never would have thought of, but the idea is genius. The olives give this taco filling a sharp, salty kick that totally works.

These tacos almost didn't get made: after a day of redecorating and furniture rearranging with the help of my good friend, Anne, we were just about out of oomph and seriously contemplating ordering some take-out. But we sat and rested for a spell, viewing the results of our hard work while sipping a well-earned glass of wine, and then we rallied in the kitchen and made these tacos happen. And I'm so glad we did - the tacos were completely satisfying.

Instead of serving with the suggested Garlic-Lemon Yogurt, I whipped up my usual garlic sauce: silken tofu, garlic, lemon juice, and salt whirred together in the food processor. So, similar, but not the same. I'm not really a fan of soy yogurt. And, we included chopped cilantro to top off our tacos. You can't have tacos without cilantro in this house.

I thought the girls wouldn't like this at all, but they surprised me! They even enjoyed them again the next day as leftovers for lunch. I'm pretty sure the olives were the magic ingredient.

Chipotle Lentil Burgers

Chipotle Lentil Burgers, page 123
with oven baked potato wedges

I've been meaning to make these for a while now, and I figured this was a good chance to try them, while my Dad is here visiting. We were out all day, and I was tired and not really in the mood to cook by the time we got home, but the burgers actually came together pretty quickly. Dinner was on the table in less than an hour. That is one of the things I've come to really appreciate about this cookbook: most recipes are simple, straightforward, and ready to eat with loads of flavor but not much fuss.

Isa takes an unusually stern tone with this recipe, warning the cook that you must follow the recipe to the letter - otherwise, the texture might not come out right. I used store-bought bread crumbs and canned lentils as she said to, even though it seemed like it probably wasn't that necessary, but I did deviate slightly with the chipotles. I knew these burgers would be too spicy for my kids with the chipotle peppers, so I mixed all the ingredients together, per the recipe instructions, except for the chipotles. I made two patties chipotle-less, and then I mixed some finely minced chipotles into the rest of the mixture and made four more patties.

The end result was pleasing to everyone except SweetPotato - she is not a fan of bean-based burgers, and this proved to be no exception. Everyone else loved it! El Hombre's reaction upon taking his first bite was, "Ooooooh, mmmmmmmm." My Dad nodded his head in approval and said, "It's good, Julie." Later, he admitted being pleasantly surprised at how good it was, and he went back and ate the sixth burger. SweetPea devoured her burger, and part of her sister's. I thought they were really good, too. The texture was nice - crusty on the outside with a softer interior, and the flavor was just right. They reminded me of one of my favorite recipes from Rick Bayless, his Crusty Lentil Cakes from his cookbook, Mexican Kitchen.

Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup

Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup, page 198
with a whole-wheat Carrot Spice Muffin

This was one of those really easy throw-stuff-in-a-pot-and-call-it-soup recipes. I love those kinds of recipes. Especially when they turn out yummy.

Now, I've made my fair share of lentil soup before. Who hasn't? But this recipe is different from my standard lentil soup fare for a couple of reasons. First, it calls for French, or du Puy lentils, which I had never cooked with before until I made the Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie. These lentils are different from regular ol' lentils; they are a bit firmer, and they don't cook down to mush quite as quickly. The texture is good and hearty. Also, Isa calls for tarragon in this soup recipe, which is an ingredient I don't normally keep stocked in my pantry. The tarragon is nice, though; it adds a different dimension to lentil soup that I haven't quite had before this recipe.

While the soup simmered away on top of the stove, I had time to whip up some whole-wheat Carrot Spice Muffins from the FatFree Vegan Kitchen, which were the perfect complement to the soup.

I also loved all the veggies in the "Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup." In addition to the amount of zucchini called for, I used an extra zucchini squash that was hanging out in my refrigerator. The more the merrier, as they say!

All-in-all, a superb soup, and a recipe worth hanging on to for another day.

Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who is stopping by for a visit here. This project is only two weeks old, and already I can feel your support. So, thank you!

Also, I wanted to give a little update on my progress in the weight-loss department. I'm down about 3 more pounds over the last two weeks. Yay me! Since the end of January, however, I've lost a total of about 13 pounds, so there's definitely a downward trend here.

I've been getting better at getting regular exercise and workouts in. I think I'm feeling a little more muscle tone here and there, and it's not my imagination. The dog and I are getting in some good walks together. I've been kicking my own butt doing cardio-strength drills with the Nike Training Club app. But food-wise, I need to focus a little more on Fuhrman's "basic skeleton plan" (fruit for breakfast, salad topped with beans for lunch, and more salad plus cooked vegetables along with the cup of whole grains/starchy vegetable for dinner), and make sure I'm fitting the AFR recipes into that framework, as much as possible. And I just need to remember to be patient with myself. It'll happen; I'll reach my goals.

But now, onto the recipe of the day:

Upside-Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie, pg 117

Isa, you win: I ate the mushrooms, and I liked it.

I mentioned already that I'm not really a fan of mushrooms, but somehow this worked for me. Was it the variety (shitake - not cheap, by the way)? Was it the way they were chopped up (pretty small - I was scared of ending up with big chunks)? Or was it the delicious combination of the other vegetables, spices, and seasonings (the Worcestershire here definitely gave it that "somethin' somethin'"), lusciously ladled over the cauliflower mashed potatoes?

I don't know. But I liked it, and I'd eat this again. Even with the mushrooms. Who am I?!??

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma

2nd Avenue Vegetable Korma, with chickpeas
and brown basmati rice

Another delicious dish from AFR - and this one was so easy, too! Quick and simple to make at the end of a busy day, with flavorful and satisfying results. The most difficult part of the entire recipe was chopping up the vegetables, and that wasn't hard at all. I swapped out half of the cauliflower for some broccoli, and added some chickpeas to bulk this up for a main dish.

Vegetable korma is a type of Indian stew of vegetables in a mild, creamy curry sauce. This sauce had just the right balance of creaminess, spice, and sweetness. For me, there was just enough heat to warm things up without overpowering all the fab flavor. El Hombre went ahead and christened his plate with some extra red chili flakes and cumin, but he has asbestos mouth and likes to sweat when he eats.

There are leftovers in the refrigerator - I look forward to having more of this with lunch tomorrow!

Fusilli Roasted Veggie Primavera

Fusilli (actually, Gemelli) Roasted Veggie Primavera, pg. 167
and mixed romaine salad with oranges and red onions

We all enjoyed this very much.

I couldn't fine whole wheat fusilli at my grocery store, so I substituted whole wheat gemelli. "Gemelli" is just as fun to say as "fusilli," anyway, right?

The roasted veggies were sweet and super delicious. I did bump up the oven temperature about 25 degrees during the last half of the roasting, because I wasn't sure they would get done otherwise. It probably would have been fine.

El Hombre commented that mushrooms would have been a nice addition here. Of course he did, the silly mushroom-lover that he is. I think the "optional" fresh basil garnish was just the right thing to finish it off, in term of taste. You can't beat fresh basil.

Overall, a very nice dish. It was a very easy and forgiving recipe (For example, I didn't a have pound each of zucchini and yellow squash - it was more zucchini and less yellow squash. Who cares, right?). I've never been very enthusiastic about pasta primavera dishes in the past - usually, they seem a little boring and bland to me. But this was definitely not boring, and I'd definitely make it again.