Lemon Tahini Dressing with The Camper's Special (aka Bean and Grain Burger)

    

 I have no idea why this is called a Camper's Special, but I do know it's pretty special and I'm a happy camper when I eat it. It's my favorite thing to order at one of my favorite restaurants, Sammy T.'s, and I've been ordering it for years. What makes it special? Well there's the bean and grain burger smothered with grilled peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions. And then there's the Chi-Chi dip (AKA hummus) hiding inside the cheese (mozzarella and cheddar) covered wrap. But really what I love is the Lemon Tahini Dressing that's served on the side. I wish they'd bring it in a vat.

     I looked far and wide for a Lemon Tahini good enough to enjoy with my Camper's Special at home, and made countless batches from countless recipes. None were what I was looking for. But then I had dinner with a dear friend and there it was, hiding in plain sight on her salad- the elusive, delicious Lemon Tahini Dressing.  Just what I needed to go with my homemade Camper's Special.

     Even if you don't have a Camper's Special to eat with it, this Lemon Tahini is fabulous for pouring over your salads or drizzling on your stuffed pita sandwiches or for dunking your veggies. Please excuse me while I go make a vat of it.

Lemon Tahini Dressing
Arthur Gordon, Irregardless Cafe, Raleigh N.C.
Ingredients:
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. tamari
1/4 c. onion, minced
2 Tbs. green pepper, minced (My dressing looks a little pink in the photo- I used a red pepper)
1  stalk celery, minced
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 c. light olive or grapeseed oil
Directions:
2 Tablespoons water (I omit this, because I prefer a thicker dressing)
Blend (or process) the tahini, tamari, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Puree well if you want a smooth texture. Process in lemon juice and white pepper. With motor running, add oil and then enough water to get desired consistency. I prefer it a little on the thick side but that's just a matter of taste.

Camper's Special Top your Bean and Grain Burger (recipe follows) with hummus, sauteed onions, green pepper, tomato and mushrooms. Wrap it in a grilled flour tortilla and top it with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Heat at 350F until cheese is melted. Serve warm with lemon tahini dressing. Yum.

Bean and Grain Burgers

Recipe adapted from Sammy T's  Published in The Best in the World: Fast, Healthful Recipes from Exclusive and Out-of-the-Way Restaurants

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1tablespoon olive oil

1 (19 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and ground or coarsely chopped

3 slices whole wheat bread, blended in food processor

1/4 cup sesame tahini

1/4 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/3 cup raw wheat germ

Gently saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are slightly browned. Mix onions together with remainder of ingredients EXCEPT the wheat germ. Form mixture into 8-10 patties. Coat each patty in raw wheat germ and grill on a non-stick surface until heated through and gently browned.

Paula's Meatless (but you'd never know it) Chili

     Did you know that your heart beats about 100,000 times a day? That's about 35 million beats a year, and over two and a half billion beats in the average lifetime. Did you know that even at rest, your heart muscles work hard? Twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting! In one day, your heart pumps your blood a total of 12,000 miles- four times the distance across the US from coast to coast. That makes me tired just thinking about all of the work my heart is doing! (Heart facts from NOVA online.)

      This month, National Heart Month, is a good time to take a look at what you're doing to keep your hard working heart happy. One way to show your heart some love for all it does for you is to eat a heart healthy diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, a heart healthy diet limits unhealthy fats and sodium, includes low fat protein sources and is rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains. This has been near and dear to me ever since hubby's heart attack and bypass surgery-  I'm always on the lookout for tasty recipes that fit the bill.

     Standing in the grocery checkout line, I saw this crockpot chili on the cover of a recent Woman's Day magazine. I had to have it. I even went back into the store and bought the ingredients I needed for it. I made it the first chance I had, and I have to say that it's a keeper. It's a low fat, meatless chili, full of beans, flavorful veggies and whole grains- wheat berries. I reduced the salt from the original recipe to make it even more heart friendly, and topped it with avocado.    

   This is the perfect vegetarian chili for a "dyed in the wool" meat eater. The wheat berries give it a toothsome texture, and if you didn't know better, you might even argue that a bit of burger was in there. Your heart will know it's not, though. The corn adds a little sweetness and a little pop of color, and the chipotle adds a smoky element.  Avocado is a great topper too, with healthy fats your heart will love.

     With the exception of soaking the wheat berries overnight, all you have to do is throw all of the ingredients into your crock pot, turn it on, and go about your business of the day. When dinner time rolls around, the intoxicating aroma of hearty chili welcomes you to sit down to a bowl of spicy goodness.You can heat it up as much as you want with extra hot sauce or even a couple of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo. I hope you get the chance to try this one- your heart will thank you!

You can find the recipe at the link below:
Paula's Meatless (but you'd never know it) Chili
Recipe from Paula Zsiray, Woman's Day magazine, February 2012
I made it mostly as written, but made the following changes:

• used fresh oregano instead of dried (because that's what I had!)
• used low/no sodium canned tomatoes and beans
• used diced tomatoes instead of puree (because that's what I had!)
• did not add any additional salt
• added a chopped chipotle pepper
• garnished with avocado

The recipe also says to wait until five minutes before serving to add in the beans, corn, pepper and hot sauce. I added everything in at the beginning and it turned out just fine. :)
I will definitely make this again!
Each serving has 360 calories, 2 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein.

Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset

Split Pea Soup with Celeriac

    
     The excesses of Thanksgiving are behind me (literally as well as figuratively, I'm afraid), and now simple hearty fare like this split pea soup is what I'm craving. It's a great way to use up the leftovers from your holiday ham or you could opt for a vegetarian version. I love the humble celery root in this recipe. It won't win any beauty contests, but it imparts a subtle celery flavor and adds body and texture to the soup. Some pumpernickel croutons or a nice slice of crusty bread make a perfect accompaniment. Make some for now and freeze some for later- it'll come in handy when you need a quick meal on a cold evening!

Split Pea Soup with Celeriac and Ham
Ingredients
1 ham bone with the fat trimmed off OR 1 Tablespoon Better Than Boullion Ham Base  OR a smoked ham hock. For a vegetarian/vegan option, use water or vegetable broth instead.
1 lb. dried split peas
1 small/medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery root, peeled and finely diced
1 leek, thoroughly washed and finely sliced (optional- if you don't use it though, add a bit more onion)
1/2 lb. cubed cooked ham -or however much you like in your soup (optional)
A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Directions

•  Rinse split peas in a colander, and go through them to make sure there are no rocks. (Yes, I've found them before in bags of beans!)
• Put all ingredients except cubed ham, salt and pepper in large soup pot with 1 1/2-2 qts. water.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1-2 hours, or until peas and vegetables are very tender.
• Remove ham bone. If you prefer your soup smooth, use a stick blender to puree it. Add cubed ham (and any ham remaining on soup bone) and season to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes more to warm the ham through. 
• Serve with pumpernickel croutons if desired. This soup will thicken more as it cools. To reheat, you may need to add water.

White Chicken Chili

    
     Who says chili has to be red? Not me. One of my favorite kinds of chili is this white chicken one, which really hits the spot when the weather starts getting cooler. Several years ago I was unable to eat tomatoes in any form, so this chili was  the one I turned to. I can eat tomatoes now but I still love this as a change of pace from the beefy tomato based ones usually associated with the name.  

     This is a heart healthy recipe, especially if you stick to low sodium chicken broth and beans. If you can only find regular beans, rinsing and draining them helps to remove excess sodium. (Another option would be to use dried beans that you've pre-soaked.) A heart healthy topping would be avocado, one of my favorites with any kind of chili. Spice it up with peppers and salsa, and it'll keep you warm from the inside out!

White Chicken Chili
3 chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lbs.) cut into small cubes*
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1 qt. chicken broth (homemade or canned)
2 small cans chopped green chiles (I used some Hatch chiles that I'd roasted and frozen- yum!)
1 bag frozen white corn (or canned)
3 cans white beans, drained**
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
cayenne or white pepper to taste (I love the spiciness that the white pepper gives it.)
For garnish:
shredded pepper-jack cheese
low fat sour cream
fresh cilantro
chopped avocado
salsa or hot sauce, green or red

• Saute chicken, onions and garlic in olive oil and spices.
• Add rest of ingredients (except cheese and other garnishes) and simmer on low for about an hour, or until flavors have blended well.
• Serve with shredded cheese.
• Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa or chopped avocado if desired.

*If you prefer, you can use cooked chopped chicken (a rotisserie would be handy) and add it when you add the beans.
**You can use any combination of beans you like. Great Northern are my favorites for this, but I've also used them in combination with Cannelini, Chickpeas, and even black eyed peas. Hominy is good in this also!

Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Sweet Corn Salsa

     Ole! Can you pretend it's Cinco de Mayo? I can if these tasty enchiladas are concerned. They're filled with creamy cheese and black beans, and spiced up with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Nestled in homemade salsa verde made from roast poblanos and tomatillos, they're baked with queso fresco and then topped with sweet corn salsa.

     Full of fresh flavor, these enchiladas are simple enough for a family dinner, but impressive enough for company. Pair them with a nice salad and some chips for dipping into either of the two fresh salsas, and you have a feast. Or should I say fiesta?

Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Sweet Corn Salsa
slightly adapted from Cuisine at Home, April 2004
2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano (use fresh if you have it)
1 chipotle pepper, in adobo sauce
1 Tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
1/2 cup asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 six-inch corn tortillas
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Salsa Verde (recipe follows)
1/2 cup queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled

• Preheat oven to 400F. Saute onion for 3 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and saute one minute more. 
• Puree half of the beans, the chipotle, the adobo sauce and the salt in a food processor. 
• Combine the onion mixture, the remaining whole beans, the broth and shredded cheese with the bean puree.
• Assemble enchiladas: Put one cup of Salsa Verde in the bottom of a casserole dish. Fry tortillas in oil until flexible. Dip one side of each tortilla into the sauce in the bottom of the dish. Fill tortilla (un-dipped side) with a generous 1/3 cup of bean mixture, roll up and place into casserole dish seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. 
• Top filled tortillas with an additional cup of Salsa Verde and the crumbled cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with Sweet Corn Salsa (recipe follows.)

Salsa Verde (This is also great with chips!)
1 lb. tomatillos, husked and halved
2 poblano chiles, halved and seeded
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used vegetable broth.)
Place prepared poblano chiles and tomatillos on baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes. The skin of the peppers will blister and blacken. Remove the peppers to a resealable plastic bag immediately after broiling. Let them steam in the bag for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from the bag and peel off the skin.
Meanwhile, saute onions in olive oil for three minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Place tomatillos, peeled poblanos, sauteed onions and garlic into food processor and pulse until chopped. Add herbs, lime juice and salt. Gradually add broth and process until smooth.

Sweet Corn Salsa
1 cup sweet corn kernels (canned, frozen will work fine)
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 tsp. jalapeno pepper, minced (Use less if you don't like your salsa spicy!)
1small handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Mix all ingredients, and serve with black bean enchiladas. (It's great with chips too!)




This post is linked to Savory Sunday at Eating in Winnipeg.

Easy Lentil Soup

  Can you believe that the school year is half over? It seems to me that it just started, but our new semester began today. Last Friday was a work day for teachers, and also the day of our second annual Soup Swap/ Luncheon.  All morning you could smell  simmering goodness coming from crock-pots plugged in throughout the building. It made doing report cards just a little bit easier knowing that the aromas wafting through the halls were previews of what was to come once lunchtime rolled around! While we watched the snow coming down outside, we relaxed and enjoyed a wonderfully diverse assortment of delectable soups, breads and desserts.

 My contribution this year was a Hearty Lentil Soup. Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, packing 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber in just one cup! There's less than one gram of fat per serving and absolutely no cholesterol in this heart healthy legume. What I really love about lentils is that they don't need to soak before cooking, which makes them a great choice for dinner when you haven't planned ahead of time. (Not that I'd know anything about that.) Most of your "hands on" time is just a bit of chopping, and then you can sit back and relax while the lentils simmer. Or you could use that time to make some homemade tortillas-a perfect accompaniment to this dish that's as easy on your heart as it is on your pocketbook. :)


Lentil Soup
recipe adapted slightly from Alton Brown
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used less than this.)
1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed-I used the regular brown lentils for this soup
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes (I used 1 can of diced tomatoes.)
2 quarts broth, vegetable or chicken (I used low sodium)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise- I did not have this spice, but I substituted a mixture of black pepper, cardamom and ginger.
Directions

• Heat olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven, over medium heat. 
• Add onions, carrot, celery and salt and "sweat" until the onions are translucent, about 6-7 minutes.
• Add spices and cook one more minute, stirring
• Add lentils, tomatoes and broth and stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 35-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• Use a stick blender and puree to desired consistency.

I'm sharing this post with:

Rustic Cabbage Soup and New Year's Intentions

  I've made many New Year's resolutions in my lifetime, all with good intentions. A few I've kept, but most I've unfortunately abandoned before the paint was dry on the brand new year.  So this year I've decided to make intentions rather than resolutions. I don't know if they'll stick any better but it certainly won't hurt to try.

  A New Year's Intention to use up food that I have in my freezer/ refrigerator/ pantry before I buy more led to this rustic soup. Another New Year's Intention- to eat more vegetables- fueled my search at 101 Cookbooks, a favorite website of one of my sons. I had cabbage that my brother had given me, curiously pink potatoes from the grocery store, and way too many cans of beans in the pantry.

 All of these made up into a hearty "peasant" soup loaded with veggies. I topped it with a drizzle of good olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (which you could leave off if you'd rather go the vegetarian route.) Some good crusty bread and a green salad rounded out a delectable (if not photogenic) supper for the two of us.

  Contrary to what it may look like here recently, I have not totally given up meat. I've just put it on the "back burner" for a while, so to speak. I definitely haven't given up on treats either- just trying to eat my veggies first like my mama always told me. :)

Rustic Cabbage Soup
slightly adapted from this recipe from 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt (I used only a small pinch- feel free to use more if you aren't on a salt restricted diet.)
1/2 to 3/4 lb. potatoes, skins on, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced or chopped
4-5 cups stock (your favorite)
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or a can of white beans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
optional
2-3 dried red chili peppers
good quality olive oil for drizzling over top
grated Parmesan cheese
freshly grated black pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat 1 Tblsp. olive oil in a soup pot. Stir in pinch of salt and potatoes. Cook with the lid on until potatoes are beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes, stirring every once in a while to keep them from sticking.
•  Add onions and garlic. Cook another few minutes until onions are translucent.
• Add the stock and beans and bring to a simmer. (Add chili peppers if desired.)
• Add the cabbage and cook another few minutes until the cabbage is tender.
• Adjust the seasonings. Add salt and pepper if needed.
• Remove hot peppers and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan (if desired.)

This post has been added to the  Hearth 'n Soul Blog Hop at girlichef.