Beans

Spinach and Lentil Soup with Cheese and Basil

I filled my refrigerator with fruits and vegetables yesterday and am trying, really trying, to eat better.  After all, summer will be here before I know it and I’m nowhere near ready for shorts and tank tops, let alone a swim suit.  Soups are such a great way to eat lots of vegetables, fill up without feeling deprived, and also easy to make so you can control the salt and calories.  Soups are also great to make over the weekend and reheat later.  Portion out servings ahead of time and you’ll have something quick to grab for lunch on your way to work.

This Spinach and Lentil Soup with Cheese and Basil is loaded with veggies like celery, carrot, onion, and spinach, layered with flavors such as thyme, bay, and basil, and satisfying due to the hearty lentils.  I don’t particularly like canned lentil soup but everytime I make my own soup with lentils, I’m completely happy.  The lentils here are earthy, rustic, warm and homey and they don’t leave me feeling unsatisfied.  This soup can also easily be made vegetarian by leaving out the pancetta and using vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.  I left out the pancetta but I’m sure leaving it in only adds another layer of flavor and depth to this soup so leave it in if you choose.

The ingredients:

Cook onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil with fresh thyme and a bay leaf for 8 minutes until tender.

Add in the lentils, broth, and water.

Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat, simmering for 40 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Scoop two cups of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour pureed soup back into the pan and stir.

Add baby spinach, basil, cheese, and lemon juice.

Serve warm.

Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Pancetta

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

 

 

Layered Bean Dip

Dips are usually a necessity for game day and in the middle of winter, what’s better than a baked, warm dip? This Layered Bean Dip will appeal to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. It has layers of refried beans, black beans, sour cream, salsa, and Mexican cheese and baked until bubbly. This recipe calls for reduced-fat cream cheese, sour cream and cheddar cheese but obviously you can use whatever full-fat ingredients you want (I mean, at a party, who cares?!).

If you are heading to a friend’s house, this is an easy dip to assemble at home and bake later. Serve this with corn chips, tortilla chips, baked chips or pita chips (I made my own pita chips out of leftover whole wheat pitas cut into small wedges and baked for 10 minutes at 375°F). Kids will surely love this too!

The ingredients:

Mix the refried beans and drained black beans in a bowl.

Spread bean mixture at the bottom of an 8×8 or 8x6x2 baking dish.

Top bean mixture with sour cream.

Layer on a cup of your favorite salsa.

Sprinkle Mexican cheese over the salsa and cover in foil.

Bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite chips.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Spicy Chickpea Samosas

When it comes to spicy food, lately I can’t get enough. If my tongue or the back of my throat doesn’t burn just a touch from whatever it is that I’m eating, I’m just not satisfied. Usually I can get my kick by adding a little bit of cayenne pepper here and there so when I come across a recipe with “spicy” in the title…I may as well melt!

These Spicy Chickpea Samosas not only have a slight kick but they are full of other delicious flavors like garlic, ginger, cilantro, and scallions. Samosas are a typical Indian street food which are fried but here they are baked which makes them a healthy appetizer, snack or light lunch. These are made with phyllo dough which usually uses tons of butter to make them flaky and decadent but the dough here is sprayed with non-stick spray which lightens it up while still keeping the layers crispy and flaky. I love the fact that these are vegetarian, as most traditional samosas are, but feel free to swap out the chickpeas with ground meat if you choose. This chickpea mixture is so good by itself, I could just sit and eat it with a spoon!

I served my samosas with a side of sweet, tangy mango chutney but this recipe has instructions to make a cucumber raita that can be made which will help tame that spicy heat. But I say bring that heat on!

The ingredients:

In a large skillet, cook carrots in canola oil for 3 minutes until carrots are slightly softened.

Add in scallion, ginger, and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add in tomato paste, cumin, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook for 1 minute.

Stir in peas, water, and chickpeas. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add in cilantro and lemon juice. Allow mixture to cool.

Unroll the thawed phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel or paper towel to keep it from drying out. Take one layer of the phyllo, lay it on a flat surface and spray with non-stick spray. Carefully place another layer of phyllo on top of the first one and spray with non-stick spray as well.

Fold phyllo dough layers in half lengthwise and flatten with your hand. Place a spoonful of the chickpea mixture at one end of the dough. Carefully fold one corner of the phyllo over the mixture into a triangle.

Continue folding the dough in triangles until you reach the end. Place on a baking sheet and brush with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray and keep covered with a damp towel. Repeat with remaining layers of phyllo.

Bake the triangles in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes.

Additions: None

Omissions:

  • Butter (I used non-stick spray instead)

Substitutions:

  • Ground cumin for cumin seeds
  • Dry mustard for brown mustard seeds

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

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