Crab & Cheese Stuffed Mini-Peppers

I made these for a party last night, and MAN, were they good!  Not that hard to make either - the toughest part was slicing & de-seeding all the little peppers.  I did these with dairy-free Boursin cheese, which was kind to my lactose-intolerant guests and had the bonus of giving the peppers a nice roasted garlic flavor.  I might add either a little tabasco to the filling or top the peppers with parmesan before cooking them next time - those feel like they could be fun experiments.  I suspect these will not reheat well, but I'll letcha know because they will be part of dinner tonight.  I'll make these appetizers again for sure.

Ingredients:

• 12-14 sweet mini-peppers
• 1 TB olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 5 oz scallion or garden flavored cream cheese
• 8 oz lump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• Cut the peppers lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and ribs. If needed, trim a small amount off the bottom of each pepper half so that it will lie flat when cut-side up (making them steady is important so the filling stays intact during baking). Chop the trimmings into small pieces and set aside.  
• Toss the pepper halves in a medium bowl with the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Set aside. 
• Stir together the softened cream cheese and reserved pepper trimmings in another medium bowl until smooth. Gently fold in the crabmeat and season with salt and pepper.
• Fill each pepper half with about 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture so it comes over the top of the pepper slightly. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the filling is beginning to brown, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.  

Serves 6 - 173 cal, 13g fat, 600 mg sodium, 6 g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g sugar, 9g protein

 Chipotle Beef Portobello Mushrooms

This is another Ellie Krieber recipe and, like her others, this is easy, uses easy-to-find ingredients and is really, really good.  It’s just a little bit spicy/tangy but not crazy and all the vegetables in it means it’s pretty low calorie.  It takes less than 30 minutes to cook, and stores & reheats really well.  

Ingredients:

• 4 large portobello mushroom caps (about ¼ pound each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• ½ small canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1 pound ground beef (90% lean or higher)
• One 14-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• One 8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 2/3 cup corn kernels, from 1 ear fresh or thawed frozen corn
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 thin slices extra-sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces total)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Brush the mushroom caps lightly with oil, using 1 tablespoon of the oil total, then sprinkle with a total of ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet, gill side up, and cook until tender and juicy, 7 to 8 minutes. When the mushrooms are done, remove them from the oven, keeping them on the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and finely mince the garlic and canned chipotle chile. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking the meat up with the spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, corn, chipotle, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 6 minutes. While the mixture is simmering, chop the cilantro.

Preheat the broiler to high.

Stir the cilantro into the beef mixture, then fill each mushroom cap with about 1 cup of it. Top each with a slice of cheese, then broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat source until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 1 stuffed mushroom cap

Calories 430; Total Fat 24g (Sat Fat 8g, Mono Fat 9.5g, Poly Fat 2.7g); Protein 31g; Carb 23g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 500mg

Carrot-Ginger Vegan Soup with Roast Veggies

I have a friend who is vegan - we all have at least one, right?  And, every time I have him over, I struggle with what to make that is not going to drive me around the bend with complexity or weird ingredients.  This vegan soup is delicious, colorful, healthy, and relatively easy.  And, when I'm not among vegans, I miiiiiiight throw some sausage in there.  Even my picky son went back for seconds when I made this last night - not a vegan in sight, but it felt like great cold weather food.  It's that good.  Thanks Food Network!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling or spraying
• 2 scallions, sliced (this works with shallots too, if you have those)
• 2 TB peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
• 5 whole carrots or 25-ish baby carrots, chopped
• salt and peper
• 1x 14 oz can light coconut milk
• 1x 15 oz can cannellini beans, undrained
• 3c of water or veggie broth
• 1 tray full of veggies you like to roast, cut into 1" chunks or florets - they recommend acorn squash, but I usually do broccoli & cauliflower, and that's great
• 2 slices crusty bread, cut into 1-in cubes, and more bread to serve with the soup

Put roasting veggies on a cookie tray, spray or drizzle with olive oil, then add salt & pepper.  Put in the oven at 425, and set a timer for 15 min.  Every 15 min, check them and turn them over.  Assume they'll need to cook 45 min, or until they are soft and the edges are a little crispy.  When you hit what will be the last 10-15 min, add the bread cubes, spray with olive oil again, and roast them with the veggies.

Meanwhile, coat the bottom of a dutch oven with the 3 TB olive oil.  Put in scallions / shallots, and cook for a minute, then add garlic & ginger and cook for another minute.  This may spit a little, so be careful.  Then, add the carrots, coconut milk, beans (including bean goo), and water / broth.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 min, or until carrots are soft enough to be cut easily with a fork.  

Take an immersion blender and blend this mixture thoroughly, until there are no more carrot chunks in it.  Put in the roasted veggies and bread cubes, and serve.  Yesssss! 🙌🏽

Thai Sautéed Tofu

Tofu can be challenging to cook.  One of the more amusing moments of my adult life was watching a group of native Texans try to describe tofu in a game of charades.  There was a lot of simulated vomiting, let’s just say.  But, if you make it the right way, IT IS LIFE CHANGING.  And, this recipe is one of the all time best I’ve ever had.  It takes some time to prepare, but get ready to change someone’s mind about tofu...

Ingredients:

• 3/4lb. Firm or extra-firm tofu, drained
• 2 TB fresh lime juice
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 1 TB chili garlic sauce (Lee Kum Kee)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TB peanut oil

Directions:

• Cut tofu into 3/4 inch thick slices.  Arrange several layers of paper towels on a plate.  Put tofu on top of paper towels in a single layer.  Put several more layers of paper towels on top of the tofu.  Put something heavy, like a cast iron skillet or a heavy book, on top of the top layer of towels.  Let stand at least 30 min, to drain the water out of the tofu.
• Remove tofu from towels, cut into 3/4” cubes.  Add all other ingredients but peanut oil into a ziplock bag.  Add tofu, seal, and marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours, turning occasionally to coat all sides.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add peanut oil to pan.  Remove tofu from bag, discard all marinade.  Add tofu to pan, and use a set of tongs to gently turn each cube until all sides get crisp and brown.  Remove from heat and serve.

I often serve this with noodles - you can do rice vermicelli with cilantro and fish sauce or green onions and carrots.  Or, you can eat this by itself - it’s that good!  I don’t have calories on this because it’s part of a larger recipe for a noodle salad that I think is unnecessarily complicated and not all that good.

Hummus with Spiced Ground Beef & Pine Nuts

I know I haven't posted any new recipes for a while, but welcome to COVID cooking!  I've not only been making a lot of my old favorites from here, but have been inspired (or forced? LOL) to branch out and try some new stuff.  This recipe from Ellie Krieger's Whole In One cookbook is great.  My son didn't love it, but it's a little off the beaten track (sort of a Moroccan flavor) and he is not super tolerant of foods that wander outside his normal taste profile.  I, on the other hand, was totally into it!  The combination of the sweetly spiced meat with the crunchy pine nuts and smooth hummus was just awesome.  Leftovers have to be separated out into components, since some are hot and others cold.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. pine nuts
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin (Ellie recommends fewer spices but I think it needed more flavor)
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 12 oz lean ground beef
• 1 1/3 c hummus
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 c fresh parsley or cilantro
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

Toast the pine nuts in a medium skillet over med-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown and fragrant.  2-3 min.  Transfer these to a small dish.  Add the oil to the skillet and heat, then add onions and cook until softened.  Stir in the garlic and other spices, cook for 30 sec, to release the aromas.  Add the meat, and brown it, breaking it up.  

To serve, spread 1/3 c. hummus on each plate.  Mound 1/2c meat on top of that, then sprinkle with tomatoes, greens, and pine nuts.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Serve with pita bread.

Makes 4 servings.  Each serving (without pita bread) 430 cal, 27 g fat, 26 g protein, 23 g. carbs, 7g fiber, 55 mg cholesterol

Erica's Infamous Pecan Pie *not a healthy recipe*

I know, I know, it's hard to find good low-calorie dessert recipes at Thanksgiving.  But, this is not going to be one of them, unfortunately.  Check out my post on Chocolate Toffee Mousse for that - it's a family favorite!  Anyway, this IS a healthy recipe for me, because I don't like to eat pecan pie.  Yes, I apparently make it well and so I get asked to make it every year, therefore I figured I'd better digitize the recipe before my cookbook disintegrates.  But, I still won't eat it myself.   Anyway, it's a very simple, classic recipe, from my 50s-fabulous Culinary Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook.  If you have one you like better, let me know.

Pie Crust Recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 4-6 tablespoons cold water

Put flour and salt in a bowl, then cut in shortening with a pastry blender.  Add water a couple of TB at a time, until mixture holds together but is not wet.  Be careful not to over-mix.  Divide dough into 2 balls.  Roll each ball out on a floured surface to desired width.  Fold in quarters to transfer to your pie plate, then unfold.  Recipe makes two pie crusts.  (Or, if you're making a fruit pie, you may choose to use the second crust as a "top" for one pie.)

Pecan Pie Recipe:

• 1/4c butter
• 2/3c brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c dark corn syrup
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c pecan pieces
• About 20 pecan halves, preferably well-formed
• 1 uncooked pie crust (note that the crust recipe makes 2 crusts, so you may decide to double the quantity on this filling recipe)

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add salt, corn syrup, eggs, pecan pieces, and vanilla, mix.  Pour into pie crust.  Bake in a hot oven (450) for 10 minutes.  You should have a hard crust on top of the pie.  Place pecan halves in two concentric circles on the top of the pie.  If you need to break through the crust slightly with the pecan to let the liquid filling help hold the pecan in place, that is appropriate.  Reduce oven temperature to 350, and bake another 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.  FYI, I find this quite often takes more than 35 minutes, so let the pie tell you when it is done.  Makes 1x 8" pie.

No-Bread Meatloaf

Currently, I'm doing a low carb diet and really trying to stay away from all forms of carbs.  Even though it doesn't have a ton, most meatloaf has some bread crumbs, and sugary ketchup, which are enough to add unnecessary carbs to my day.  This recipe uses no carbey items and tastes AWESOME.  The key is cooking the veggies before putting them in the loaf - adds an extra pan, but YUM.
Ingredients:
 2

2 finely chopped green onions

1⁄2 cup finely chopped green pepper

1⁄3 cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 

1⁄4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper

1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg 

2 bay leaves 

1⁄2 cup tomato sauce, with no sugar or wine in it (I used a little more than called for, and like Michael's of Brooklyn tomato basil sauce)

1⁄2 cup low fat half-and-half

2 lbs ground beef (or mix with part veal or pork or beef) - I mixed with veal

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1⁄2 teaspoons red pepper / tobasco sauce

Olive oil spray

1. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil spray.  Add the green onions, green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook until softened.
2. Stir in salt, cumin, peppers, nutmeg, and bayleaves and cook 1 minute.
3. Stir in ketchup and half and half and simmer 2 minutes.
4. Cool and remove bay leaves.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Combine meat, eggs (lightly beaten), worcestershire, red pepper sauce in large bowl.
7. Stir vegeable mixture into meat mixture unil well blended.
8. Spoon mixture evenly into a 9 x 5 pan or freeform the mixture 
9. Bake 70 minutes or until temperature of meat registers 160 degrees.  Add a layer of extra tomato sauce to the top part way through cooking.
10. Cool in pan 5 minutes (at least) and drain and unmold onto serving platter.