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Curried Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Dip

January 21, 2011 by Lindsay 7 Comments

This whole thing started while I was thinking about making some more Sweet Potato Hummus. Since I’ve been looking for ways to use up the plain Chobani that I have left in my fridge, I contemplated mixing that in. Then I thought that sounded pretty gross. I like the idea of mixing in guacamole but hummus? Not so much. But I really wanted the sweet potato.

Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I’m addicted to sweet potatoes.

I started thinking about what I could mix with the sweet potato and Greek yogurt and I settled on a red pepper. They were on sale for $1 each at the grocery store a couple weeks ago and I may or may not have bought 10 a few. I decided roasting the red pepper was in order so into the oven it went. I poked some holes in a sweet potato and stuck it in the microwave for 6 minutes.

Then into the food processor it went. I added about half a container of the yogurt…and then I got a little crazy and just dumped the whole thing in.

After the first mixing, I added the juice from one lemon, some paprika and some cayenne pepper.

Then, as usual, I added more cayenne pepper.

Then I started thinking hmm…these ingredients are suspiciously similar to what I use to make my curried roasted sweet potatoes. Except the curry powder was noticeably absent. Not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about what that would do to my lovely dip, so I scooped out a little bit (so I wouldn’t potentially ruin the whole batch), dumped in some curry powder and gave it a whirl. AND IT ROCKED.

The sweet potato and roasted red pepper and pretty sweet. If you like sweet, you could definitely leave the curry powder out and enjoy it. HOWEVER, the curry powder really takes it up a notch. It helps cut the sweetness and gives it some heat. AND, it tastes just like my roasted sweet potatoes.

Here’s the recipe. Give it a try!

Curried Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Dip

by Lindsay L

Keywords: food processor appetizer snack healthy vegetarian sweet potato greek yogurt

Ingredients (approx 1 cup)

1 medium sweet potato
1 red bell pepper
1 lemon
6 oz plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp paprika
1-2 tsp curry powder
1/2 -1 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place red pepper on a baking tray and roast until the skin is blackened and blistered, about 40 minutes.

Allow it to cool and remove the outer skin, stem and seeds.

Poke holes in the sweet potato with a fork. Microwave on high for 6 minutes, turning once half way through.

Slice the sweet potato open and scoop out the cooked potato.

Place the red pepper and sweet potato in a small food processor.

Add the greek yogurt and combine until smooth.

Add the juice from the lemon, and the spices to your desired taste and mix again.

Chill until cold, then serve with crackers or raw veggies.

So tell me, what’s your favorite kind of dip?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Simple For Scotty: Hot Meat & Broccoli Bake

January 19, 2011 by Lindsay 17 Comments

After college, when I moved out of my parents house for good, my dad gave me a stack of index cards held by a rubber band that was so old it was practically disintegrating. The cards were his recipe collection from way back when he was living on his own.

I love looking through them and thinking about my dad cooking some of these meals on his own so many years ago. Especially since my mom was always the one that did the cooking while I was growing up. (Except when my dad made waffles for dinner as a special treat!)

Since my mother-in-law has been asking me to post some recipes that are easy enough for my father-in-law to put together on nights that she’s working late, I thought these recipes would be a perfect place to start!

Enter Scott. Scott is my father-in-law. I love him to death, but he’s not what one would call proficient in the kitchen. In fact, I’ve never actually seen him do anything in the kitchen besides open a beer! Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that….I’m just trying to give you a clear picture of what we’re working with here.

This first recipe has a limited number of ingredients and doesn’t involve anything more complicated than boiling water so it seemed like a good place to start! Here’s the original recipe:

Here is what I did, and what you can do to make it even easier:

Turn the oven on and set it to 350 degrees. Consult your oven’s manual for step-by-step directions.

Take some frozen, pre-cooked meat out of the freezer, because we don’t want to push the limits by actually requiring any cooking yet. In my case, it was pork tenderloin. Usually it would be chicken. Most people probably have some sort of pre-cooked meat in the freezer. If not, next time you cook some, throw in a little extra and freeze it for occasions such as this.

Next, I steamed some broccoli. Don’t panic, Scott. All that involves is tossing some pre-cut broccoli in a tupperware container, adding a little water and putting it in the microwave for 3 minutes. OR just use a bag of frozen broccoli.

Finally, the most complicated part…the onion. I’d bet that most people have a partial onion in their fridge. I almost never use all of one at one time. So all this requires is taking it out of it’s container and roughly chopping it with a big knife a few times. YOU CAN DO IT!!

Put these three things in a small baking dish:

I opted to leave out the celery because the hubby doesn’t like it. I also opted to skip cooking the onion “in a small amount of cooking fat” as the recipe says, because you’re going to bake it anyways so who cares.

Next, open a can of cream of something soup. I chose to use cream of mushroom soup (healthy request) because I was using pork instead of chicken…but either would be fine. You could also use cream of celery or something. Pour that on top of everything else.

Here’s where I changed it up a little bit. I realized I didn’t have any cheddar cheese soup on hand. I’m not sure if they even make that anymore? I contemplated mixing in some shredded cheese, but opted to just open a can of cream of chicken soup (healthy request) and mix that in too. I also opted to leave out the can of water. If you want your sauce a little runnier, all that would entail would be filling up the can that the cream of mushroom soup came out of with water and pouring it into the dish. Then mix everything together. You could add some spices here if you want to get fancy, like black pepper or cayenne pepper…If you’re a fan of rice, pull out an Uncle Ben’s 90 sec rice, tear each edge at the top, microwave for 90 seconds and dump the rice into the dish too. If you’d rather have pasta, follow the instructions below.

Put it in the oven for 1 hour until hot and bubbly.

Meanwhile, fill a big pot with water and put it on the stove. Turn the burner on high and when the water starts boiling (that means big bubbles will be steadily forming), add some noodles 🙂 Cook for the amount of time stated on the bag/box of noodles.

When everything is done, put some noodles on a plate and top with the meat and broccoli mixture!

Congrats, Scotty…you just made your first meal 🙂

Enjoy!!! (and then put your dishes in the dishwasher)

So tell me, have your significant other learned to help you out in the kitchen? What’s the first thing you taught them?

–Lindsay–

Meatloaf with Cajun Spices

January 13, 2011 by Lindsay 6 Comments

Tonight I have another family recipe for you! My mom used to make this meatloaf all the time when I was growing up. I never ate it. BUT, it wasn’t because it wasn’t good. I was just picky and hated pretty much everything that wasn’t Cheerios 🙂

My sister loves this meatloaf. My parents love it. My husband loves it. I, in my wise older years, have come to like it. Trust me, it’s a good one! While we were visiting my parents for Christmas, my dad suggested that I put it on the blog so that all of you could enjoy it to!

*If you’ve looked at my last few posts, you’ll notice I’ve started putting a printable recipe at the bottom. This was a reader request and I’m doing my best. As you know, I don’t usually measure things…so please understand that some of the recipes are not set in stone, I’m just giving you my best estimation on how much of each ingredient I used. Feel free to adjust as necessary. (Eventually I’ll hopefully add printable recipes to everything I’ve posted so far…but it might take a while).

That being said, this is the only meatloaf that I make where I actually follow the recipe!

So here we go!

Dice your veggies and saute in butter. Add the spices, Tabasco and Worcestershire.

Next, add the ketchup and evaporated milk and cook for another two minutes:

Transfer the veggies to a bowl and let them cool. Once they’ve cooled, add the meat (I used 1 lb ground pork and 1 lb ground turkey), 2 eggs and breadcrumbs. You can either mix everything together right on the pan, or in a bowl. Then form the mixture into a loaf (or two).

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

This is one of those recipes that I can never make quite as well as my mom did, so my loaves were a little loose, but after I let them rest, they were sliceable!

Cajun Meatloaf

by Lindsay L

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 bay leaves (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green or red pepper, chopped
1/4 c green onion
2 Tbsp Tabasco
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 lb ground pork
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter in a large pan. Add onions, celery, peppers, green onion, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and seasonings.

3. Saute until soft, then stir in milk and ketchup. Cook 2 min more.

4. Remove from heat and cool to room temp.

5. Put meat in bowl or pan. Add eggs, breadcrumbs and vegetables (take out bay leaves if using).

6. Shape into one large loaf or two smaller loaves.

7. Bake 25-30 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

8. Let rest 10 minutes, slice and serve!

So tell me, do you like meatloaf?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Lindsay’s Lunchbox: Part 1

January 7, 2011 by Lindsay 6 Comments

Happy Friday, friends! Today I’m going to start something new.

One of the biggest requests I got when I asked readers what they wanted to see on The Lean Green Bean in 2011 was suggestions for packed lunches. (**Sidenote, my new lunch box for this year is a Fit N Fresh and has all of those cool containers pictured above in it…it’s awesome!) As many of you know, I’m currently a student. I have class every day of the week. I’m taking classes at two schools. Most days I’m gone 7-5, just like a normal work day. While I don’t exactly get a lunch break, unless you count sitting in my car, cramming food in my mouth in the school parking lot, all the while looking over my shoulder to make sure I don’t miss the bus a lunch break. But I do pack my lunch….and I eat it when I can 🙂

SO, from now on I’m going to use Fridays to share some lunch ideas with you! Many of them will be cold lunches, since I don’t have access to a microwave most days, but some will be hot (I do get to eat lunch at home a couple days a week)! And many can be altered or added to if you want to heat them up.

Are you ready? Here we go!

The best advice I can give my fellow lunch-packers is to start early. I usually start getting my lunch components ready on Sunday.

For example, this past Sunday I:

-made a batch of Sweet Potato Hummus
-threw some chicken breasts in the crockpot when I woke up with some broth and let them cook all day. When they were done, I shredded them and made a big batch of chicken salad
-washed a bunch of spinach and sliced some red onions to be used for spinach salad
-made a batch of roasted chickpeas

This makes it a lot easier when you actually get ready to pack your lunch each night. (Please do it at night. You’re WAY more likely to actually pack it. If you wait until morning, before you know it you’ll wake up late and find yourself running out the door with no lunch!

Here are my suggestions for this week:

1) Hummus.
Easy to make, keeps well in the fridge and the lunch box, cheap! And it’s versatile. Eat it with crackers, pita chips, bagel chips (my new favorite-lower sodium than pita chips) or fresh veggies. Currently loving sweet potato hummus.

2) Chicken Salad.
Shredding your own chicken cuts down on the sodium vs. canned. You can make a big batch of plain chicken, turn some into salad and freeze some for another week. Or, turn half into salad and store the other half in the fridge. After a few days, decide whether or not you’re sick of it. If you are, put the rest in the freezer. If not, make another batch of chicken salad. I like to eat mine using crackers as a scoop. You can also put it on a sandwich.

All I do when I make chicken salad is add a little (emphasis on little) bit of light mayo OR some plain greek yogurt to the chicken, top with lots of curry powder and cayenne pepper, toss in some green onions and stir to combine. Super easy and super tasty!

3) Spinach salad.
You can buy big bags of baby spinach at the grocery store for pretty cheap. Prep a big tupperware of the staples (for me, spinach and red onion), then just take some out each day to pack in your lunch. You’re more likely to eat it if it’s already ready to go.

Add the other toppings the night before. This week I liked sliced apples and pomegranate…deeeelicious!

If you want to add dressing, put it on the bottom of your tupperware so all the spinach doesn’t get soggy, then mix it around before eating. Just don’t forget your fork, or you’ll be eating with your fingers like I did. Don’t judge me!

4) Fruit and yogurt.
This is my go-to lunch. I could eat it every day. Put some chopped fruit in a container, pack some yogurt and then mix it all together at lunch time. More apples and pomegranate arils!

With Chobani. YUM! Speaking of Chobani…i just may have a little Chobani giveaway going on next week for you guys!!! You’ll have to stay tuned 🙂 Greek yogurt is a GREAT way to get some protein at lunch time!

5) Oatmeal bowls
If you have access to a microwave then this one’s for you! Make a packet of plain instant oatmeal. Push the oatmeal to one side. Put half a container of greek yogurt (I had some Peach Chobani) on the other side. Top with some fruit (you guessed it, apples and pomegranates) and a bunch of cinnamon. Mix it all together and get some of everything in each bite! Other add-in suggestions include raisins, bananas, peanut butter, chocolate chips, granola, cereal, grapes….the list goes on!

What’s your favorite packed lunch? Send me your ideas and I can include them on future Fridays!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Stock Your Pantry with The Staples

January 2, 2011 by Lindsay 13 Comments

Happy New Year my friends! A few weeks ago, I asked for reader requests to kick off 2011! Well, it’s here now and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick it off then to go back to the basics.

When my lovely cousin asked me to do an article about pantry staples, I immediately started writing it in my head. I think it’s important for anyone, no matter what your living situation, to have most of these staples on hand. People often ask me how I have enough time to cook at home so often instead of going out. The answer is a well-stocked pantry. I usually have over half the ingredients a dish requires at home already and I try to use my grocery store trips to get fresh foods and replenish these staples when they run out.

Having a well-stocked pantry also allows you to whip up an easy meal in a hurry if you have no other ideas. I was going to wait until after I go to the grocery store tomorrow, but then I thought wait! if this is about pantry staples…then I should have all this stuff on hand even though I haven’t cooked in my own kitchen in almost 2 weeks!

I vividly remember the first time I really stocked my pantry. I guess I must have done it somewhat during my senior year of college when I lived in an apartment…but I was living with 3 other girls and let’s be honest, I was in college and I didn’t really eat that well. A couple months after we graduated, the hubby and I moved into our first apartment. During the move, I was horribly sick with a high fever and was having an allergic reaction to the medicine the doctor gave me. The whole thing was quite miserable…HOWEVER, not even all of that yuck could detract from my excitement for going to the grocery store the first time. Armed with a list similar to the one I’m about to give you, we headed to Wal-Mart and loaded up. By the time we were done, our cart was practically overflowing and the check-out lady was looking at us as if we were slightly crazy. I quickly explained that we were building a pantry so she would quit judging us!

If the thought of building a pantry from scratch seems daunting, take comfort in the fact that many of you reading this are not going to be starting at the very beginning. You probably already have a lot of these things on hand and after reading the list, you can just fill in the gaps. If you are starting from the beginning, yes it is expensive, yes it takes a while, and yes- it’s almost impossible to find enough cupboard space to store everything….but it’s worth it! If you want to eat healthy, stocking your pantry with healthy foods and time-savers is a great way to get started.

So here we go! I’ve organized this list the way my kitchen is organized because it was the easiest way for me to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. I have a cupboard right by my stove, a little area of the counter and a drawer where I store a lot of my spices and condiments. It looks like this:

Then I have a walk-in pantry where I store the rest of the stuff.

And finally, I added a little list of some of my fridge and freezer staples.

Here’s the list! I debated for a while about whether to write little asides about each thing..I feel like some of you will only want the list, while others want to glean as much info as possible…so the list is big and bold, but my thoughts are also included 🙂 I didn’t want to bore you with pictures of every single thing, but I tried to give you the general idea…don’t judge me by my messy cupboards!

Pantry cupboard

Kosher salt– I rarely add salt when cooking but when I do, I use a pinch of this.

Peppercorns– Freshly ground pepper is so much better than pre-ground. If you don’t have one of these Graviti pepper grinders I highly recommend getting one. I got one from my mother-in-law a couple years ago and have since given them as gifts to several people. Just stick in some batteries, fill with peppercorns and when you turn it upside down over your food, it automatically grinds the pepper for you!

Spices– I started by buying a set of jarred spices, and then built on my collection by adding ones that weren’t included in the set. However, there are several in my set that I never use, so if I were doing it again, I would probably just buy empty jars and fill them with spices I know that I use. Some of my most commonly used spices are: cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, dry mustard, cinnamon, curry powder, chili powder and thyme. I also keep sesame seeds, poppy seeds and salt-free seasoning mixes on hand, as well as garlic powder to use in a pinch if I run out of fresh garlic!

Extra virgin olive oil– a healthy fat that I use in most of my cooking

Balsamic vinegar– great to have on hand to make salad dressing or pour over roasted vegetables

Decaffeinated tea– for when you’re feeling sick, cold or nostalgic 🙂

Honey– I love the honey bear but I suppose any shaped bottle will suffice…remember these little guys?

White wine for cooking– You can find this specifically designed to keep in your pantry cupboard for cooking, but a regular bottle of white wine will also work!

Pam cooking spray– I don’t use this often since I use Silpats, but every once and a while it comes in handy, especially for loaf pans and muffin tins!

Molasses

Worcestershire sauce– great to add a few dashes to meatloaf or stir-fry

Tabasco-especially if your hubby is obsessed with hot sauces like mine is…see below

Chalula

Sriracha

Baking supplies

Vanilla extract-100% pure please!

All-purpose flour

Whte whole wheat flour– a great way to make your baked goods a little healthier!

Baking powder

Baking soda

White sugar

Brown sugar

Chocolate chips

Powdered sugar

Pantry Staples-Liquids

Canola oil– another healthier fat that you can use to replace butter

Regular vinegar– use it to make your own buttermilk!

Red wine vinegar

Low sodium chicken broth– Imagine is by far the best brand I’ve found as far as low sodium content. As you know, now I make my own veggie broth and freeze it, but it’s always a good idea to have some store-bought on hand!

Pantry Staples-Cans

Canned beans (no salt added)– make sure to rinse them even if they don’t have salt added. Use in a pinch when you run out of dried or don’t have time to make them.

Tomato paste (check sodium content)– most recipes only call for a Tbsp or two of tomato paste. Scoop the rest out of the can and into a ziploc bag. Press to flatten and freeze. When you need some more, just break off a chunk.

Spaghetti sauce (check sodium content)– read the labels to find the one with the lowest sodium content. Use when you don’t have time to make your own.

Diced tomatoes (no salt added)

Crushed tomatoes (no salt added)– use to make your own spaghetti sauce

Dried beans– one of the cheapest forms of protein, easy to make a big batch, freeze and pull out when needed!

Tuna– I get the kind packed in water. Great way to add protein to salads or casseroles

Chickpeas– another inexpensive protein source. Add to pasta dishes and salads or roast them for a snack!

Cream of chicken/mushroom soups (Healthy Request)– can be used to make enchiladas, crockpot dishes and even gravy in a pinch

Evaporated milk (Skim)– I don’t use this often but occasionally a recipe calls for it and it’s nice to have on hand

Pantry Staples-Veggies

Garlic– While buying the pre-minced kind in the jar is convenient, make sure you look at the label to see what else is in that liquid. I opt for fresh cloves of garlic and mince them up right along with my vegetables or use a garlic press:

Onions– I keep both red and white in stock. I seem to buy at least one onion every time I’m at the store, even if I don’t need them…I’m not sure why

Sweet potatoes

Potatoes

Dried chili peppers– they come in big bags, last forever, and are a great way to add some heat to your favorite dishes like Clam Spaghetti

Pantry Staples-Grains

Brown Rice- uncooked or low sodium instant– just check the sodium content. I love Uncle Ben’s 90 second brown rice, but some of their varieties are really high in sodium

Bread crumbs– I usually buy unseasoned and then add the spices myself, or you can make your own with some stale bread!

Cornstarch– Great for thickening sauces and soups

Cornmeal– great to make muffins, cornbread and sprinkle under your homemade pizza dough to keep it from sticking to your pizza stone

Quaker oats– add them to cookies and baked goods to make them healthier or use them to make homemade granola

Panko Breadcrumbs– I use these to bread my fish and chicken

Pasta– I always keep several boxes on hand, including spaghetti noodles, lasagna noodles, bowties and elbows

Cereal– Healthy cereals like Cheerios and Kix are a great way to start your day

Instant oatmeal– Watch the sugar content. I love the pre-packaged fruit flavored ones, but they can be high in added sugars. I’ve started buying plain and adding in my own mix-ins like pumpkin cinnamon or strawberry banana

Crackers– check the labels. Look for whole grain, low-fat, low sodium and low sugar. I like Kashi Original 7 Grain

Macaroni and cheese– a childhood favorite in the blue box. I usually have one box on hand for emergencies 🙂

Bisquick– great for pancakes, waffles and biscuits or cornbread in a pinch

Other Pantry Staples

Smart Balance peanut butter

Raisins

Mixed nuts– great to pack for a morning or afternoon snack. Mix with dried fruit and cereal or crackers to make your own trail mix.

Granola bars– check the labels!

Fridge Staples Condiments

Syrup– also look for alternatives like yogurt to dip your pancakes in instead

Teriyaki sauce– look for low sodium

Dijon mustard

BBQ Sauce– check the sugar content or make your own

Low-sodium soy sauce– still use sparingly…even the low sodium kind is high in salt!

Ketchup

Low-fat salad dressing– I love Newman’s Sesame Ginger or even better make your own!

Rice vinegar

More Fridge Staples

Stick butter– unsalted please!

Tub Butter– I like Brummel and Brown Yogurt Spread

Milk– Skim!!!!

Eggs

Vanilla yogurt– I put it in scones and other baked goods!

Parmesan cheese– lasts for a long time and you can use sparingly

Lemons-use for the zest or juice to help brighten the flavor of dishes

Carrots

Celery

Ground coffee

Whole wheat tortillas– check the sodium content and make sure the ingredient lists whole wheat first!

Low-fat string cheese– great for snacking…takes you back to childhood!

Turkey bacon

Low-fat Mozzarella cheese

Low-fat Mexican cheese

Salsa

Freezer Staples

Chopped spinach– great to add to lasagna or other pasta dishes

Sandwich bread– look for 100% whole wheat, low sodium and high fiber

Steamfresh veggies– good to use when your favorite is not in season.

Chicken

Ground turkey

Fish

Frozen fruit– great to have on hand to whip up smoothies!

Ginger– store in a ziploc bag and grate with the microplaner when needed

So there you go, my friends. Hope this helps get your New Year off to a great (and organized) start!!

I’ll leave you with this image that the hubby noticed in his beer while we were eating dinner today…do you see the bird on the branch?

So tell me…what’s on your pantry staple list that I forgot to mention?!

–Lindsay–

Curried Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

December 10, 2010 by Lindsay 12 Comments

These Curried Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos make a hearty meatless meal any taco lover will adore!

Hi Friends!

I’ve got a good one for you tonight, my friends! As you may know, I have a plethora of sweet potatoes in my pantry right now. I also have a large stock of frozen black beans in the freezer. The two go well together, as they did in our dinner tonight. I was originally inspired by these sweet potato enchiladas but they just weren’t quite what I was in the mood for, so I did my own thing. Here’s who to do it my way:

First, dice up a sweet potato (skin on please!), season it with curry powder and red pepper, and throw it in the oven to roast at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. I used about 3/4 tsp curry powder and 1/4 tsp red pepper.

These Curried Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos make a hearty meatless meal any taco lover will adore!

Meanwhile, add a little olive oil to a pan and saute 1/4 c onion. If your black beans are frozen, add them at the beginning so they can thaw. If they’re not, add them after a few minutes.

When the potatoes are roasted to your satisfaction, remove them from the oven and add them to the bean and onion mixture.

Portion into whole wheat tortillas and top with diced tomato and a sprinkle of low-fat Mexican cheese. You could also add other toppings like ground meat, salsa or spinach!

Curried Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

by Lindsay L

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Keywords: roast saute entree healthy vegetarian black beans tomato sweet potato Mexican

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 large sweet potato, diced
3/4 tsp curry powder, or to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 c black beans
1/4 c onion, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
4 whole wheat tortillas
low-fat Mexican cheese

Instructions

1. Dice sweet potato, with skin on, and mist with olive oil. Sprinkle spices and stir to coat.

2. Roast at 425 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

3. Saute the onion in a pan over medium heat, adding the black beans at the beginning if frozen and at the end if not.

4. Add the sweet potato to the bean and onion mixture.

5. Portion on to tortillas and top with tomatoes and cheese.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Turkey Dumpling Soup

November 26, 2010 by Lindsay 13 Comments

This Turkey Dumpling Soup is the perfect day after Thanksgiving meal. Use your turkey bones to make homemade broth, then add veggies, leftover turkey and dumplings for a warm, hearty meal!

**Post and photos updated 12/8/15*

Hi Friends!

This soup is my grandma’s recipe. Every year while I was growing up, my grandparents used to make the drive from Minnesota to Kansas to spend Thanksgiving with us. I loved helping my mom and grandma make all the traditional Thanksgiving foods, but my favorite part of the weekend was the day after Thanksgiving, when my grandma would make this soup. The dumplings are by far the best part. Note that I like my dumplings pretty firm so I only use 1 tsp baking powder. If you’re looking for a softer dumpling, try 2-3 tsp baking powder.

Older kids might enjoy helping you plop the dumplings into the pot…just be mindful that the liquid might splash.

This Turkey Dumpling Soup is nothing fancy, but it’s a great way to get an extra bang for your turkey buck by using the bones to make homemade broth, and it’s an easy way to transform some of your leftover turkey into a new meal.

Here’s how you make it:

Turkey Dumpling Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

The perfect way to transform your leftover turkey.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: serves 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup onion, diced
2–3 cups leftover turkey, chopped
4–6 cups broth
1 egg + enough milk to make 1 cup
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add celery, onion and carrots to a large pan and saute for 5 minutes.
Add turkey and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Put the milk and egg mixture in a bowl.
Add the flour, salt and baking powder.
Drop by the spoonful into simmering soup. (They will EXPAND so start small)
Let them simmer for 10 minutes, then put the lid on and let them simmer 10-20 minutes more.
Serve warm.

Notes

Add seasonings as desired. I like mine with just a little salt and pepper but you could try adding some cayenne pepper for an extra kick or some herbs like a bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, etc!

This Turkey Dumpling Soup is the perfect day after Thanksgiving meal. Use your turkey bones to make homemade broth, then add veggies, leftover turkey and dumplings for a warm, hearty meal!

It just doesn’t feel like Black Friday without a bowl of this soup and now that my grandma is gone, I’ll continue to honor her by making it for my own family every year!

[Tweet “Transform your leftover turkey into this Turkey Dumpling Soup via @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

Grandma’s Jello

November 26, 2010 by Lindsay 4 Comments

Hello My Friends!

As promised, here is the recipe for Grandma’s Jello!

This is probably the best jello you will ever make…so prepare yourselves. SO GOOD! And so easy. It has been a Thanksgiving staple in our house for as long as I can remember.

To begin, purchase strawberry jello. I chose sugar free but you can use regular. You need two of the big boxes. It’s that good. Just trust me.

Then gather your supplies. Here’s what you need:

Grandma’s Strawberry Jello

by Lindsay L

Keywords: side jello strawberry

Ingredients (1 big bowl)

2 large packages strawberry jello (regular or sugar free)
1 c coolwhip, thawed (fat free)
2 c sliced frozen strawberries, thawed (no sugar added)

Instructions

1. Prepare the jello according to the package directions.

2. Once the jello has set, add the cool whip and beat using a hand mixed until well combined.

3. Stir in the strawberries and serve!

Do yourself a favor and make sure the bowl is big enough…I cut it close as you can see.

While the jello is setting, move your cool whip and strawberries to the fridge to thaw. I used fat-free coolwhip but any kind will do. Usually I buy a container of pre-cut strawberries from the store, but this year I happened to have a GIANT bag of frozen strawberries in the freezer so I just thawed some out and cut them up. Your choice.

When the jello is set and the coolwhip is thawed, mix up the jello and then scoop the cool whip into the jello (I usually use about 1/3 of the container). Insert the mixer and blend away:

Stir in the strawberries and consume:

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

Mimi’s Cornbread

November 25, 2010 by Lindsay 3 Comments

Here’s a secret family recipe for you- my Mimi’s cornbread. So delicious.

I made a half batch for just the hubby and I, but I’ll give you the full quantities to make a 9×13 pan.

Mimi’s Cornbread

by Lindsay L

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Keywords: bake side cornmeal Thanksgiving fall winter

Ingredients (9×13 pan)

1/2 c melted butter
1 jar baby food prunes
3 c Bisquick
1 c sugar
3 large eggs
6 Tbsp yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c milk

Instructions

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Add the wet ingredients. Stir to combine.

3. Pour into greased 9×13 pan.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

P.S. I also made a small batch of this but shhhh, don’t tell…I didn’t follow the directions. I just mixed the squash, cranberries and apple together, added a tsp of butter, cubed and a tsp of sugar and threw it in the oven with the cornbread. Sometimes you gotta cut corners when it’s 10pm and you haven’t eaten yet 😉

Clam Spaghetti

November 10, 2010 by Lindsay 2 Comments

Hi Friends-

Let me start this post by saying two things:
1) I have been looking forward to making this dish since Sunday, when I decided to make it. Now that I’ve had it, I’m already looking forward to eating it tomorrow. Once it’s gone, I will begin to look forward to the next time I make it. I LOVE IT.
2) This dish is not for everyone.

Ok, so I know that was more than two things…but sometimes I just can’t help but get carried away! This is one of the two things I requested that my mom immediately make every single time I came home from college. It’s an old family recipe…and by that I mean both the recipe itself and the recipe card:

It’s wrinkled and stained and edited and has probably been made a thousand times in several different kitchens. And I’m so lucky to have the actual recipe card in my possession. Some day, just for kicks, I’m going to follow this recipe exactly…just to see how much it actually makes. I have a hard time even envisioning it. To start with, the recipe calls for 4 large onions, chopped. This is one of the very few recipes where I even use one whole onion, let alone four. I don’t think I have a cutting board big enough for four of them! So, I scale things back a bit, but this is still a recipe of lots. Lots of everything…So let’s begin shall we?

Chop up an onion (yes a whole onion) and lots of garlic. Saute them over low heat in a big pan with some olive oil and some dried chilies.

Leave the seeds in for a kick like I do, or take them out.

Saute over low heat, until the onions become translucent. Now is also the time to start heating some water for the spaghetti.

Add one tablespoon of basil and one tablespoon of oregano (seems like a lot, but trust me)

Then add the juice from one can of minced clams and 1/2 a cup of white wine. *Now pay attention here…this is the most important part. The recipe SPECIFICALLY says that the cook may drink the wine instead. I do both 🙂

When your water is ready, add the spaghetti and cook as directed. Add some green onions, some fresh parsley, some pimentos, two cans of diced clams and one can of baby shrimp to the onion mixture. I usually rinse the canned stuff to get rid of most of the salt. Also, for the record, I have no idea what pimentos are, or really even what they taste like, or what else you would ever use them for except stuffing olives…but for as long as I can remember, my mom has been buying them in their little glass jar at the grocery store. So I buy them too.

It looks like Christmas doesn’t it?! Finally, mix in the spaghetti, toss and serve.

You can top with Parmesan cheese if you want to. SO GOOD!

Clam Spaghetti

by Lindsay L

Keywords: saute entree clams spaghetti Italian

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 dried red peppers, minced
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 cans chopped clams, reserve juice from one
1/2 c white wine
1 can baby shrimp
1/2 box spaghetti
1 jar pimentos
4 green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Add the onion and garlic to a large pan with some EVOO and saute over LOW heat until onions are translucent (about 30 minutes).

2. Add the dried basil, oregano and red peppers and saute for 2 more minutes.

3. Add the juice from one can of clams, the wine, the clams, shrimp and fresh parsley. Let simmer while you cook the pasta according to package directions.

4. When the pasta is done, add the pimentos, green onions and spaghetti to the pan and toss to combine.

5. Serve warm and top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

November 8, 2010 by Lindsay 27 Comments

Small ingredient list, big flavor. This Curried Sweet Potato Soup is perfect for a vegetarian dinner on a cold fall evening. Make a double batch and freeze some for a busy week!

**Note- This blog post and photos were updated 10/12/15.**

I used to hate this soup.

My mom made it all the time when we were growing up. I remember the smell of it, and watching her set up the blender right next to the stove so she could puree batches at a time. Some always spilled!

Now I love it. It’s hearty and spicy and it makes a great dinner side or appetizer.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Warm, hearty and full of spice this soup makes a great appetizer or meal of its own!

Author: Lindsay L
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 Tbsp unsalted butter or oil
4 small leeks, chopped
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp curry powder
4 cups veggie broth
1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Plain yogurt and cilantro to garnish (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a large pot melt butter. Add leeks and ginger and saute for 5-7 minutes over medium high heat.
Add sweet potatoes, curry, pepper and 3 cups broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15-20 min).
Puree the soup in batches in blender or using an immersion blender.
Add remaining cup of broth if you want a thinner soup. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

[Tweet “Small ingredient list, big flavor. Try this Curried Sweet Potato Soup from @leangrnbeanblog!”]

Enjoy!

–Lindsay–

Pumpkin Mini Donuts w/ Cinnamon Glaze

October 30, 2010 by Lindsay 6 Comments

Good news friends! These donuts were waaaay more successful than my last batch!

Here’s the original recipe…I didn’t really change anything.

Pumpkin Mini Donuts

by Lindsay L

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 6-8 min

Keywords: bake breakfast donuts pumpkin summer fall winter

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 Tbl. milk
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbl. milk
½ tsp. cinnamon

Instructions

For the donuts

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Cream together the brown sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, milk, butter and vanilla extract until the butter is well incorporated.

3. With your mixer on medium low speed, slowly add the dry sifted ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until just barely combined. Be careful of over mixing.

4. Spray the donut pan with cooking spray and fill each donut mold halfway with the pumpkin batter. (I spooned the batter into a ziploc bag and piped it into the rings.)

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 – 8 minutes or until the exterior springs back when touched.

Cinnamon Glaze

Mix until smooth and creamy. The glaze should pour easily from a spoon. You may need to add additional milk or powder sugar to get the right consistency.

The pumpkin makes these darker so they look more like fried donuts and the consistency is more like a cake donut than the last batch. YUMMY!!!

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Hello, Hello!

August 26, 2010 by Lindsay 4 Comments

Hi friends-

Starting a food blog is something I’ve been thinking about doing for a long time. I’ve been avoiding it because I am lazy, scared and pretty much unconvinced that there’s anyone out there that would actually care enough to read it. But I finally got tired of people telling me to start one, so here goes.

Let me start by saying a few things:
1) I picked blogger.com for no good reason other than the fact that I recognized the bright orange “B” logo that goes along with it from some of the other blogs I have read in the past.
2) I started by googling “how to start a food blog”…the results were a little overwhelming and all I really found were lots of instructions telling me to “do this” and “don’t do that”…After reading a few of these sites, I decided that I don’t really care if I make the same “mistakes” that other beginning bloggers did, so I quit wasting my time reading the “how-to’s” and just dove right in.
3) A lot of the things I make don’t have recipes…I’ll do my best to tell you how much of each ingredient I put in, but if you require exact measurements…you may get somewhat frustrated with me! And I’m ok with that…no one is making you read this!
4) Some of the things I make don’t turn out well…that’s not going to stop me from posting them. In fact, I consider those the greatest opportunity aspect of this blog…those are the recipes where I need suggestions from you! Read what I did, and then tell me what you would do differently…one of us with eventually get it right!
5) I’m not here to impress anyone. If you get bored reading my blog, quit reading it…you won’t hurt my feelings.
6) I’m not making any promises about how often I will make new posts…I’ll get to it when I get to it…and if I don’t, well then this blog will probably come to an end 🙂

As many of you know, I’ve been posting food pics on facebook for a while now. My first few posts will probably be me trying to figure out how to get those pictures onto here, and then seeing if I can remember the recipes. We’ll see how it goes!

–Lindsay–

Welcome to the Blog

August 25, 2010 by Lindsay 2 Comments

Hi friends-

–Lindsay–

Curried Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Dip

Simple For Scotty: Hot Meat & Broccoli Bake

Meatloaf with Cajun Spices

Lindsay’s Lunchbox: Part 1

Stock Your Pantry with The Staples

Curried Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Turkey Dumpling Soup

Turkey Dumpling Soup

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Grandma’s Jello

Mimi’s Cornbread

Clam Spaghetti

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

Instructions

Pumpkin Mini Donuts w/ Cinnamon Glaze

Hello, Hello!

Welcome to the Blog

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