Tag Archives: vegetarian

Taco Night Popcorn

Who doesn’t love a really simple snack recipe? Popcorn, in general, is a simple and low calorie snack but sometimes it can just be so stinking boring. I go in waves with popcorn where I’ll eat a portion-controlled bag each and every night and then when I run out, I’ll buy another box that will sit, unopened, in my cabinet and go well past the expiration date. Sometimes it tastes good and sometimes I can’t fathom the thought of it. But I came across a bunch of recipes for flavored popcorn and decided I had everything to make this Taco Night Popcorn. With a frosty beer and a good movie, this is an addicting and not boring popcorn snack.

Olive oil, chili powder, lime zest, cumin and garlic powder are mixed together and tossed over basic microwaved popcorn and pieces of tortilla chips (I used these chips – my favorite!) making this a flavorful snack that really does make you think of tacos. I combined the oil and spices together and dumped the mixture into a zip-top storage bag then added the popcorn and chips and shook it all up. It really seemed to coat the popcorn well, without too much of any oil or spices ending up in random clumps. I know adding olive oil to a healthy snack like popcorn isn’t necessary what you want to do when you are trying to be good but a little goes a long way and this is a great snack for those nights when you just can’t have plain old popcorn yet again.

Like this? Also check out Chili and Spice Popcorn and Buffalo Popcorn!

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Mix olive oil, chili powder, grated lime peel, cumin, and garlic powder; toss with 1 bag microwave popcorn, popped, and tortilla chip pieces.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Good Housekeeping magazine

Lime-Spiked Black Bean Dip

It’s Cinco de Mayo so what are you planning on eating today?  Burritos?  Enchiladas?  Fajitas?  Tacos?  Mexican food is so good but can be really terrible for you, especially because so much of the Americanized Mexican food available to us is loaded with ooey gooey melted cheese.  But the good thing is, Mexican food can easily be made low-fat at home by substituting low-fat cheese, low-fat sour cream, healthy beans and lots of veggies.  As tempted as I was to make a big Mexican meal, I decided to keep things a little simple with an easy bold and healthy dip.  This Lime-Spiked Black Bean Dip is a healthy way to enjoy some Mexican food on this Cinco de Mayo without a)breaking the bank or b)spending hours on the elliptical machine working it off.

Canned black beans are whirled in a food processor until smooth (but not too smooth – chunks of beans make for awesome texture) and combined with grated carrots, fresh lime juice, scallions, garlic, and cilantro.  A little salt and cayenne pepper add seasoning to beans which can typically be pretty bland (I used low-sodium black beans so I could control the salt content).  I really love the addition of the grated carrot because it provides a fat-free crunch while the scallion gives a fantastic mild onion flavor.  And the lime – it really brings this dip to life.  This is a thick dip, especially if it’s been in the refrigerator for a bit so add a little water or black bean juice if you ‘d prefer it to be more “dippy”.  If you don’t like cilantro, you can leave it out but it provides an herby flavor that is so good in Mexican food.  Serve with tortilla chips and you’ve got a healthy vegetarian snack or appetizer than would also be great folded into a tortilla for a light lunch.

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Place beans in a food processor, and pulse until almost smooth.

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Combine the beans, carrot, and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until well blended. Let stand 30 minutes.

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Serve with baked tortilla chips.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

 

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs

I have to rant a little bit.  I don’t care what people say about potatoes, I don’t think they are terrible for you.  I feel like anything that is provided by the Earth can’t be that bad and I think potatoes get a bad rap.  Sure, my favorite food ever is French fries, but that doesn’t mean that the only thing way to eat potatoes is cut them up and fry them.  As long as we don’t eat potatoes all the time, it’s okay to eat them in moderation, like everything else, right?  Well, these Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs are baked and packed with flavor so there is no reason to feel guilty.

Baby potatoes are tossed with garlic, olive oil, and herbes de Provence and roasted until soft and tender.  This is a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis who is the person who first introduced me to herbes de Provence many years ago.  Since that day, I always have the herbs on hand and toss it with my chicken, veggies and almost always with my eggs.  They are simple, fragrant and mildly floral which really works with these rustic potatoes, which are slightly chewy on the outside but perfectly creamy on the inside.  I literally used a fraction of the amount of olive oil than what was called for here, just enough to lightly coat the potatoes, and they were still plenty flavorful so use your judgment.  These garlicky potatoes were an amazing side dish and unbelievably simple.

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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the potatoes into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the herbs, garlic, and oil together until blended, and then pour over the potatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

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Transfer the potatoes to a heavy large baking dish, spacing them evenly apart.

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Roast the potatoes until they are tender and golden, turning them occasionally with tongs, about 1 hour. Serve hot or warm.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • White potatoes (I used all red potatoes)

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Food Network

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