It’s funny to me that the term my dad coined when I was wee lass to get us excited about victuals is now a popular reference for a niche of folks. For the record, whenever I say foodies it’s with wide-eyed glee and a funny voice, and makes me think of my overzealous, hilarious dad in his t-shaped afro days.
This is the same excitement I get about healthy cooking now… And I’ve got to share the glory. In the last post (http://tinawatkins.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/get-in-my-belly/) I gave up a few goodies with the promise of more: Stuffed peppers, spicy tomato soup, 4 variations of breakfast potatoes, and fruit salad… Then made some crunk-tacularly spiffy lasagna… So ya gets that too. 
Stuffed peppers
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup each of finely chopped potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, cranberries, zucchini, mushrooms
- 1/2 cup of corn
Set oven to 350.
In a saucepan set to medium heat, heat two tablespoons olive oil, add crushed garlic, cranberries, onion and potatoes until potatoes soften. Add 1 tbsp basil, tomato paste, other veggies and stir until coated. Remove from heat.
Chop tops off of two bell peppers, hollow and clean inside. Cut tips off bottom of pepper to balance so it stands upright. Spoon veggies inside, pressing to fill.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Spicy tomato soup: This is partly stolen from my man… But until he gets his own blog I post.
Boil 4 cups water in a large saucepan. Lower heat to slow boil, add 1tbsp garlic, 1 small can tomato paste, stirring frequently. Season with basil, Chachere’s to taste. Chop onion, add to soup. Add corn, beans, squash, broccoli. Lower heat, cover and let cook until onion softens.
Mix ‘n’ match potatoes
- 2 cups potatoes, cleaned and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 red or white onion diced
- 1/2 red or green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup chopped Broccoli
- 5-7 Mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 can tomato paste
- Fresh cilantro
- Corn
Potato Var 1: Use only onion, tomato, mushrooms. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 1 tsp basil, stirring to coat before adding tomato and mushrooms.
Potato Var 2: Use onion, corn, bell pepper, cilantro and cumin.
Potato Var 3: Use all veggies, basil, oregano.
Potato Var 4: Use only onion and thyme.
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil, add 1 tbsp garlic and chopped onions, cook to soften.
Add potatoes, season to taste with Chachere’s and 1 tsp. of herb of choice.
Add veggies when potatoes are cooked. Veggies should be cooked just until heated.
Fruit salad
Chop 1 cup each of strawberries, plums, peaches and place in a bowl. Squeeze 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, add mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger to taste. Finely chop 1/2 apple, add to lemon mix and microwave 1 minute. Pour lemon mix into a martini shaker with ice, shake until chilled. Slice 1 cup apples add to bowl with fruit. Add 1 cup raspberries, blackberries. Strain chilled lemon mix over salad, stir to coat. Serve chilled.
Leftover Lasagna: We got a little extra creative with some leftover meats, but you can do a veggie version without the asterisk marked items.
- 1/2 package of lasagna noodles
- Your favorite marinara sauce (however you get it.)
- Barbecue sauce
- Your favorite Sesame salad dressing (however you get it)
- 1/2 cup potatoes
- Crushed garlic
- Onion
- Tomato paste
- *2-3 turkey or chicken legs, skin on
- *Shrimp
- Corn
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Tomato
- 1 cup asiago cheese, grated
Mmmm… Mix equal parts of your fave store-bought veggie marinara, barbecue, and sesame salad dressing with garlic and basil in a small bowl and microwave as a marinade. *Thanksgiving turkey was one of the staples here but any white meat will do. Baste meat, skin on, and bake 15 minutes on 350 degrees.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan. Chop 1/2 cup potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks. Sautee potatoes, 1 tbsp crushed garlic and 2 tbsp finely chopped onion until softened. Add 1 cup of marinara, one small can tomato paste and two tbsp sesame dressing. Cover and set to low heat.
Add marinade.
*Remove meat from oven, separate meat and skin. Chop skin finely and add to sauce.
*Chop meat into 1/2 inch chunks. Season fresh, tail-off and cleaned shrimp with a light dusting of Chachere’s and garlic, mix with meat, refrigerate.
Boil water for lasagna: Remove from heat and drain when noodles soften.
Add vegetables to sauce, cooking each until warm in this order: 1/2 cup Corn, spinach, broccoli, tomato chunks. Turn off heat.
In a large casserole dish, pour one ladle of sauce to coat bottom evenly. Lay 3 or 4 noodles in dish to cover the bottom. Layer with vegetables, meat, sauce, cheese spreading each evenly. Cover with more noodles, layer again with vegetables, meat, sauce and cheese. Dust with basil and oregano. Put in oven (still at 350) and bake until bottom layers bubble.
Remove, add remaining cheese and return to oven until melted.
