Tomato Pinto Bean Gratin

Before it went in the oven

There was a large can of tomato puree sitting in my fridge for a couple of weeks after I opened it to use in a recipe and then decided against using it and I wanted to use it up before I was forced to toss it. As luck would have it I happened to be reading Feministe, a feminist blog, and the main author, Jill, posted an article about healthy eating with a link to NYT's "Recipes for Health." I decided to check it out and see if there were any recipes using tomatoes that I could follow to use up the puree in the fridge and I found this recipe for Provencal Tomato and Bean Gratin; it sounded good and called for ingredients that I mostly had on hand so I decided to try it. I am glad that I did, because it was very tasty and different from anything I have ever made using pinto beans.

I made a few alterations to the original recipe including using dried spices instead of fresh, because that was what I had available, and I also upped the spiciness of the dish. One of the best things about this meal is that the ingredients are so cheap and it is also a filling one dish meal that doesn't use meat. It is a little time consuming to put together (30-45 minutes) because there is some stove-top time and then time in the oven but none of the steps are difficult and the beans can be made in advance to speed the process along.

Below is the recipe, Enjoy!

Tomato Pinto Bean Gratin
1 lb. dried Pinto Beans
2 teaspoons Parsley
2 teaspoons Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon Thyme
1 Parmesan Cheese Rind
1 28 oz can Tomato Puree (or sauce)
1 15 oz can diced Tomatoes
2 Onions chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Cayenne
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Sugar
Salt to taste
Butter or oil for frying
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
Cover pinto beans with water in a large pot and let soak overnight (this allows the beans to absorb moisture and cuts down on cook time). The next day drain the beans and refill the pot with fresh water until the bean are a little more than covered with water. Bundle parsley, oregano, thyme, and parmesan rind together in piece of cheese cloth and put the cheese cloth in with the beans along with some salt. Begin cooking over medium heat and cook until beans are tender (about 2 hours).

Pretty much all the juice cooked off my pot of beans

Most of the bean broth should have cooked down but if not discard most of it leaving just a little broth.

Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium heat saute chopped onions in oil or butter for about 4 minutes then add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes then pull off of heat and transfer to a large Pot.

Add the tomatoes, puree, cayenne, paprika, and sugar to the pot with the onions and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes then add in the beans and a little of the bean broth and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour bean and tomato mixture into a 13x9 inch greased baking pan and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until cheese has started to brown and the gratin is bubbling.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Makes about 6-8 servings.

Yogurt Barbecued Turkey Breast

Giant turkey breast

I've always made and used tomato based barbeque sauces but I've read about ones that have different bases and seen chefs make different types on cooking shows. Probably on the food network but I have no idea whose show because I don't have cable and just watch it whenever I am visiting someone who does. Anyway, I thought a yogurt base would be good, tangy, and also tenderizing. This turkey breast came out amazing but the spices weren't super strong, so after I had deboned and shredded the breast I added in some more seasoning.

spices mixed together

Feel free to make your own modifications. I threw this together on a whim after reading about paprika in a cookbook while I was browsing Barns & Noble.

The finished product!

Yogurt Barbecued Turkey Breast
3 1/2 teaspoons Paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons Chili Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Greek Yogurt (I wouldn't recommend using regular yogurt for this unless you strain it because it will be too watery)
6 lb Turkey Breast
Mix together spices with yogurt and rub all over the turkey breast. Make sure to separate the skin on the turkey breast and rub the spices under it otherwise you will just be flavoring the skin which doesn't do much good. Bake in a large pot or roasting pan, covered, for about 3 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the turkey breast reads about 170 degrees. Let the turkey cool down (don't wait until it is is really cold though because that makes it harder to debone) and then debone and shred the meat and mix it back in this it's own juices. Use it for whatever recipes you want. I made a casserole, and a pasta salad with mine. The turkey also freezes well so you can save some for future use.

Stuffed Zucchini and Squash Shells

Ready to bake

I found this recipe a while ago on Annie's Eats when I was looking for recipes that used fresh rosemary, but at the time I didn't have the other ingredients so I didn't end up making it. However, this week I decided I wanted to try it so I got the few extra things I needed, put on a movie, and started cooking. I changed a few things in the recipe, to make it more my style, namely adding in cayenne pepper to give the filling a little extra kick. I also put in crushed croutons because I needed to use them up and I added in sage because it seemed like it would pair well with the other flavors, I was right - I really loved the spice combo in this filling.

All done and ready to consume

These were a little time consuming to make because of all the chopping (having a kitchen helper would have made this go a lot faster) but they were so yummy!

Definitely try these when you get a chance!


Stuffed Zucchini and Squash Shells (adapted from Annie's Eats recipe)
1 lb. Ground Turkey
3 Zucchini (medium sized)
2 Yellow Squash (medium sized)
1 Onion diced
2 tablespoons Garlic chopped (I always buy the jarred minced garlic packed in water, it's quick and I can't tell the difference)
1 8 oz container Portabella Mushrooms diced
3-4 Tomatoes diced
2-3 tablespoons fresh Basil coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary chopped
1-2 teaspoons Sage
1 teaspoon ground Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
fresh ground Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons White Wine optional (this was in the original recipe but I really don't see why, if you don't have any don't worry about it)
2 Eggs
1/2 cup (approx) smashed up Croutons (or bread crumbs)
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
Olive Oil
Peel and dice up one of the zucchinis and set aside. Slice remaining zucchini and squash in half and scoop out the insides leaving about a 1/4 inch of flesh (so they don't fall apart when stuffed and baking). Dice up the insides and set aside with the other diced zucchini.

The fresh stuff all chopped up!

Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil for about 5-7 minutes then add in the diced zucchini, zucchini and squash insides, mushrooms, ground turkey, and spices; saute until turkey has browned. Add in the tomatoes and wine and cook for another few minutes.

Cooked up filling mixure

Set aside and cool slightly. Once the mixture has cooled down some mix in the eggs, croutons, and parmesan cheese. Spoon mixture into the halved zucchini and squash shells and place them on a large cookie sheet.

Uncooked stuffed shells

Pour water into the cookie sheet until the water just covers the entire surface (this helps the squash and zucchini not dry out when baking) and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note: There will be a significant amount of leftover filling and you can just bake that in a pie plate right along with the stuffed squashes. I added about half a bag of spinach to the leftover filling because I needed to get rid of it and it tasted really good. (This would probably be pretty good served over toast for breakfast).

Simple Moong Dal with Plantains

My partner is a huge fan of dal but until today I hadn't actually made it before; however, I had a bag of dal on hand and the bf decided today was the day to make some dal. (Our plans to bike 40 miles never materialized because it rained all day, so cooking seemed like a good substitute). He found this recipe from Group Recipes for dal and we decided to make that (with a few modifications). This dal is absolutely delicious and I will definitely be making it again. Also, it is quite healthy and sure to please everyone, even vegans. :)

Enjoy!

Simple Moong Dal with Plantains
5 cups Moong Dal rinsed and drained (or other type of dal, whatever you have on hand)
12 cups or more Water
5-8 Tomatoes diced (can used canned if you want)
3 Onions chopped fine
3-4 tablespoons minced Garlic
4 teaspoons Coriander
3-4 teaspoons Turmeric
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons Cayenne
3-4 teaspoons Cumin
4 teaspoons Salt (at least)
Olive oil
2 Plantains optional
Put dal and water into a very large pot with the diced tomatoes and salt and cook (covered) on high until boiling then reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered. Meanwhile in a frying pan heat olive oil and add in the onions and garlic, cook until the onions are beginning to get translucent then add in all of the spices, continue to fry for a few more minutes then add the onion mixture to the dal. If desired slice up 2 plantains into half inch pieces and fry on medium-high heat until browned on both sides and add to the dal. Continue cooking dal on medium stirring about every 5-10 minutes until dal has started to break up and form a thick soup. Once the dal has reached the desired thickness turn off heat and serve. FYI, it takes about 40-60 minutes for the dal to cook down. This makes a huge pot of dal, probably at least 15 servings. Calorie count for the entire pot approx: 5446 (about 360 calories per serving)

Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash Linguine

I had never had butternut squash in pasta before, but I was browsing the great internet after I bought some butternut squash that was on sale and found a recipe on the New York Times website for a butternut squash pasta that inspired me to create my own.  

I love to pair spicy with sweet, as you may have noticed, and this pasta is no exception. I baked the squash with cayenne, cinnamon, and brown sugar for a little bit of a flavor twist and I have to say the results were outstanding. Also the tangy asiago cheese offsets the sweetness of the butternut squash just right. 

On a practical note if you roast the squash in advance this could be a pretty simple and quick meal to throw together. 

Enjoy!

Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash Linguine

1 Butternut Squash

½ lb. Whole Wheat Linguine (Ronzoni’s brand is the best I have tried so far)

2-3 tablespoons Brown Sugar divided

3/4 teas. Cayenne divided

1 teas. Cinnamon divided

½ teas. Nutmeg

1-2 tablespoons Butter

1 cup (approx) Chicken Broth (could easily use vegetable broth or white wine)

Asiago Cheese grated

Slice butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Brush is melted butter and sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg onto the butternut squash and bake at 350 for about an hour or until the squash is soft enough to mash up. Once the squash is done cooking scoop it out and mash it into a paste (this should be easily done with a spoon since it is already so soft) in a bowl then heat a 12 inch skillet on medium and add a tablespoon or so of butter to the skillet. Put the squash into the pan with the rest of the spices and sugar and add in chicken broth slowly to make a very thick sauce for the pasta (it should not be soupy at all, just loose enough to coat the pasta easily). Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions and toss into the skillet with the butternut squash mixture. Grate asiago cheese over it and serve.