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.

Spicy Curried Butternut Red Lentil Soup

     I may regret (or even deny) ever saying this, but I really would love to have just a little bit of that snow that other people are getting. Just a little bit, mind you. Not this much. Enough to be able to enjoy a day of being snowed in, but not enough to make my driveway impassable. Is that asking too much?

     I'm pretty sure I'd make soup. Maybe this one. Just spicy enough, with tender little chunks of butternut squash that create bursts of sweetness as they melt in your mouth. Perfect for a day of staying inside and looking out. I'll be flushing some ice cubes and wearing my jammies inside out and backwards tonight. Think that'll work?


Spicy Curried Butternut Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive or coconut oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped (small dice)
1 Tablespoon ginger root, grated or diced (Freeze your ginger root, and it grates beautifully.)
1 butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cubed (smallish cubes, about the size you'd cut potatoes for potato salad) My butternut squash was about 2 pounds.
1 can light coconut milk
2 cups dried red lentils, washed
1 quart broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Directions
Heat oil (medium heat) in large soup pot.  Add onions and ginger and cook until onions are translucent.
Add curry powder and cayenne, and cook a few seconds until fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until lentils and squash are tender.  If, during cooking, soup gets too thick, add water or broth as needed. (Check often to make sure the lentils are not sticking to the bottom of your pan.)
If you prefer a smooth soup, use a blender (careful- it's hot!) to puree. I usually blend about 3/4 of the soup, and then add it back to the rest. That way there are still some chunks of sweet butternut in the soup.

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

Peach Confetti Salsa, and a Shake, Rattle and Roll!

     An earthquake? Seriously? C'mon now, we're on the east coast! Thankfully, there was not much damage here- some broken china and ceramic chickies- but it was kinda scary while it was happening. Earthquake veterans might be rolling their eyes about now, but I'm new to this. The last significant earthquake in Virginia was back in 1897, before my time, so I haven't had any experience with this sort of thing. I sure hope everyone else is okay!

     And this salsa? This salsa is definitely okay. It's made by my sister's recipe, with a rainbow of veggies and fruit from my brother's vegetable stand. The sweet peaches and spicy peppers blend together to make a mouthwatering combination, and make the perfect healthful dip for your chips. (This would also be wonderful on grilled chicken, or even on a hotdog!) I love a snack I can eat without feeling pangs of guilt and regret, don't you?

Peach Confetti Salsa- from my sister's recipe
2 sweet, ripe peaches, diced
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 medium sized Roma tomatoes, diced (I used one red and one yellow)
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (very small dice)
1/4 cup sweet pepper, diced (I used a mixture of red and banana pepper.)
1 Tablespoon of sweet onion, diced (I used a little more than this.)
1 teaspoon diced basil (or cilantro if you prefer) (I used a little more of this, too)
2 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste (I use less salt than most people would, so I hesitate to put an amount.)
Mix all ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl. Taste for seasoning. If you like your salsa hotter, add a little more jalapeno. (This is a mildly spicy salsa the way it is written.) If you like your salsa sweeter, add more sugar. I found that the addition of the sugar brought out the flavor of the peaches more. If you have really ripe, sweet peaches you might not need as much. Let the salsa sit for at least an hour before serving, to give the flavors a chance to mingle. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the refrigerator.

This post is linked to These Chicks Cooked link party ,

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.

Upland Cress- When You Just Need Something Green

   This weekend my mom mentioned to me that the lemons  in my previous post were very pretty, but she was a little tired of looking at them. I guess it has been a while since I last posted. Hopefully I'm over my late-winter slump and along with the promise of spring and warmer weather will come bounds of energy and inspiration. One inspiring thing that I did find this weekend were these gorgeous cresses.

     If you're from the south, you're probably no stranger to upland or field cress, sometimes known as "creasy greens."  A harbinger of spring, cress is usually one of the first things to appear in the garden. With rosettes of tender green leaves and a peppery flavor, I've always considered them a spring tonic. They are what first comes to mind when I'm craving something fresh and green this time of year! They're chock full of phytonutrients, have three times the vitamin C of oranges and twice as much vitamin A as broccoli!

    I cooked this "mess of greens" the good old southern way, which means I boiled them until tender with a ham hock in enough water to cover them, added a bit of salt and pepper, and served them with cornbread.  Since I had nearly a bushel of them, I also cooked some in an omelet, sauteed some with a little garlic and olive oil, and tossed some with some homemade pasta with a creamy ricotta sauce. The raw peppery leaves are also a great flavorful addition to a salad, as long as your cress is fresh and tender.

    I remember when I was young my dad would pick cresses in corn fields where they grew wild. With the advent of weed killers being used in corn fields though, wild cress has almost disappeared. Thankfully the seed is available and easily grown. I raided my brother's field for this beautiful basketful, but if you're not lucky enough to have a brother with a field of cress they will most likely be found in your early spring CSA box or at a local farmer's market. I hope you find some!

     This post is being shared with Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

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.

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