Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

This is another recipe that I pulled out of the vault. It was recommended to me by my great friend KJ. I have made it once before. I try to cook (am not always successful) one meatless meal a week. Having made this recipe before and knowing the flavor combinations, I really didn't alter anything.

This recipe was taken from http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv87.htm.

Ingredients
5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola or other vegetable oil
3-1/2 cups diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tablespoon minced fresh green chile (I forgot to purchase, so I used canned chiles)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
4-1/2 cups cooked black beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt

8 eight-inch flour tortillas I made whole wheat tortillas instead

Fresh tomato salsa or jarred  (I meant to make salsa, but ran out of time, so served with avocado and sour cream instead)


Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chiles.  Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa

When I made the recipe this time, I combined the beans and potatoes in my food processor.  It combined them too much.  Next time, I will just mast with my potato masher, because the potatoes got lost in the mixture, and this really tastes better when the sweet comes through more.   This recipe is labor intensive and takes a while to prepare.  I also want to come up with a sauce to use as a topping, because there really isn't much purpose in baking them without a sauce to add a little moisture to the dish.  The salsa is a must even if you chose not to bake.


I will keep this recipe in the rotation, Price and I both liked it.  A friend of mine shared it with us for lunch and said it was good, but I think she was being nice. Don isn't crazy about it, but he's not usually a fan of burritos unless they weigh a pound and come from Moe's.

Kids Love It Casserole

This recipe was taken from my River Roads Recipes II cookbook.  This book originally belonged to my grandmother, O'Peg.  I've written about it before, but it is my favorite cookbook because every time I use it, I  feel connected to her and my family.  This particular recipe has no special significance to me (most of the recipes I use from this book do because they are so entwined with memories of family get togethers).  What I love most about this book (and its sister, the original River Roads Recipes) are the notes my grandmother made in the margins and the recipe cards that fall out with recipes and her plans for parties she was throwing.  Whenever I catch a glance of her beautiful handwriting, I feel like she is in the kitchen with me.

So, it comes as little surprise to me that even though this was a pretty plain recipe, it was our favorite of the week.  Good old comfort food...

The items in italics are mine :)

Kids Love It Casserole (contributed by Mrs. Neel Garland, p. 112 River Roads Recipes II)

1 to 1.5 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 tbsp salad oil (olive oil)
dry basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, red pepper to taste
1 ten ounce pkg, frozen chopped spinach
1 16 oz jar of spaghetti sauce with mushrooms (I used Ragu with a bunch of veggies in it)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 7 oz pkg shell macaroni, cooked according to directions on pkg (I used rotini instead of shells)
1 C. shredded sharp American cheese
1/2 C. soft bread crumbs (I was lazy and just used regular bread crumbs)
2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 C salad oil  (although the recipe called for it, I excluded from recipe, just added about a tbsp of olive oil to the pasta while boiling to keep it from sticking)


Brown beef, onion, garlic in oil.  Add spices to meat while browning (drain fat if necessary, I use super lean meat so I had didn't .  Meanwhile, cook spinach according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid (if necessary add water to make one cup).  Add liquid, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and tomato paste to meat, simmer for 10 minutes.  Combine spinach with macaroni, cheese, bread crumbs, eggs and salad oil.  Spread in 13x9x2 baking dish, cover with meat sauce.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Other than this being a good comfort food, it's really versatile.  You could totally make this meal with out the meat.  You could also cut out some of the steps and make it quicker- for instance, cook the spinach and the macaroni together.  Next time I make it, I am going to substitute ricotta for the cheddar and put mozzarella on top.  It also made A LOT!  I ended up throwing some of it out because after eating it for about 5 meals in a row (2 dinners and 3 lunches), we just couldn't handle it again.  but it's definitely a keeper.

Melissa D'Arabian's Flexible 4 Step Chicken and Five Minute Potato Gratins

This was my second time making this chicken recipe.  I originally saw it when Melissa won The Next Food Network Star.  I liked her throughout the competition and this recipe looked doable.  It was, it's actually a very simple dish to make, but looks like a lot of time and effort went into it.  I believe the reason flexible is in the title is because you can change up the seasoning quite easily.

As always, my editorial comments are in italics.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half crossways (butterflied, cut all the way through) (We cannot, no matter how many chickens I see running around this island on a daily basis, get fresh chicken here. And I'm not ready to go out and get my own, so I must settle for the almost dreadful frozen boneless, skinless breasts in a bag.  Since these aren't thick enough to slice, I thaw them, place them in a ziploc baggie and pound the hell out of them.  This helps relieve any pent up stress I may have as well as all of my frustration about being unable to get fresh chicken in Guam)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped (trying to economize and use ingredients needed in several recipes for the week, I substitued fresh basil, left over from the Pastina for the fresh thyme)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced (red onions were unavailable, so I used yellow- red is definitely better for this recipe)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine, optional (I buy the cheapo airplane bottles of wine, that way I don't have to open a big bottle,for such a small amount, I save the big bottles of the good stuff for when I'm cooking with friends, then it makes sense to open the big bottle so we can cook and drink)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 lemons, juiced (the first time I made this, I used 3 lemons, this time based on reviews, I used 2 lemons because I remembered the dish being VERY tangy the first time.  This time, it wasn't as tangy, even though I also added about a tsp of lemon zest)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.

Have I introduced you to the newest member of the family?  I am in LOVE!!!!!

In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme basil, garlic, lemon zest and cook until aromatic.

In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce. (I zoned out on this little piece and added each individually, starting with the wine.  Note to self- FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!!  It would have been much better and a true deglaze, getting all of the crumbly bits off the bottom of the pan, if I had combined all three liquids as instructed).

Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

I got distracted by this and forgot to take pictures of the rest of the process or the finished product...

Now for the potatoes....  

Recipe by Melissa D'Arabian, The Next Food Network Star Finale

5 Minute Potato Gratins

Ingredients

• Vegetable spray
• 2 large russet potatoes, roughly peeled and thinly sliced (do not use a food processor unless you have a super thin slicer attachment, which I DO NOT)
• 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream (common theme- no cream at the Commissary, so I had to make do.  Although, several trusted sources- both on-line and in cookbooks- stated that I could add melted butter to whole milk and get the same effect, it didn't really work out.  I got milky butter...)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 8 muffin tins with vegetable spray. Layer potato slices, cheese, and onions into each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper and top each gratin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the foil halfway through cooking time. Invert gratins onto plate and serve.

There is absolutely nothing 5 minute about this recipe, unless you take 5 minutes to peel the potatoes or 5 minutes to shred the cheese or 5 minutes to slice the potatoes or 5 minutes to assemble the gratins (you get my point right?).  Anyway, I tried to take a shortcut and used my food processor to slice the potatoes, they ended up being too thick to do in individual tins.  I had to make as one large dish in a pie plate.  I probably won't attempt this dish again... too much work, not enough flavor. However, be on the lookout for another potato au gratin recipe in the next month or so.  I love potatoes in any form, but especially when loaded with cheese and cream, I'll be searching for the perfect recipe to try (if you have one, post it to my comments).

Giada's Pastina with Peas and Carrots

I happened to be flipping channels one day and stumbled across Giada De Laurentiis making a kidcentric meal.  So, although she's not my favorite Food Network personality, I stopped to watch.  After all, I have a kid, I like to cook, and figured it would probably be a pretty simple recipe.  The fact that the ingredients are three of Price's favorite foods didn't hurt.

From Giada at Home, my adaptations/substitutions/reviews are in italics

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces) pastina or other small-shaped pasta, such as farfallini (guess what, the Commissary doesn't have teeny, tiny pasta, so I just used regular sized bow ties)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed (I just used regular peas too)
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (another thing I couldn't find, so I googled and found I could use sour cream)
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the carrots and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peas to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until the peas are warmed through and the carrots are tender. Stir in the cooked pasta. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheeses. Stir until the mixture is incorporated and forms a sauce. Season with salt, to taste. Transfer to a large serving bowl and garnish with chopped basil.

Overall, this recipe was just ok.  It took longer than I thought (because of poor planning and execution on my part- tried to make on a Sunday evening after returning from demoralizing trip to Commissary and with an impatient, cranky kiddo as my sous chef).  It really needs mascarpone cheese rather than sour cream, it was just kind of bland.  I also added some cooked chicken to the finished product, and neither hurt nor helped the taste.  This dish was actually better the second day for lunch.  I may make it again if I have the mascarpone cheese.

Houskeeping

Well, it's time for me to review my recipes from last week and share my menu for this week.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to do both of these things in a way that makes sense.  I also want the recipes/menus to be easy to access for all of my readers who I am sure are dying to see what I am cooking these days when I want to look back and create future menus or need reminders about recipes I want to try again.

The best way for me to do this (right now, according to my brain) is just to continue posting my menus every Sunday.  I will also (do my very best, but can't really guarantee) try to have all of my reviews up by Monday.  I'll post each recipe with review individually, but on the same day.  So, if cooking/menu planning isn't your thing, you can skip those posts.

Sorry for the boring post, but just wanted to let you know why there are so many new posts today.

In case you're wondering, this week's menu:

Sunday-  Beef  Ravioli (hold over from last week's menu)
Monday- Pepperoni & Pineapple Pizza on homemade whole wheat crust
Tuesday- Pulled Pork
Wednesday- leftovers
Thursday- Mole Rubbed Chicken with Mango/Avocado salsa

Hatchery

Yesterday evening, while cooking dinner, I felt warm.  I thought about it and realized I had been feeling hot all day.  Then I came to the conclusion that our AC must be on the fritz.  So I decided to open the windows and let the breeze in and cool down the house some.  I happened to glance down and see this...

No, those are not pearls.  Those my friends, are in fact, some type of reptile (probably gecko) egg. Empty, reptile eggs.  Laid in and apparently hatched from my window sill.

I closed the window and decided we could live without breeze.  I called Maintenance first thing this morning...

On the Menu

Grocery shopping is now one of my least favorite things to do.  I used to love it.  I would coupon clip, stalk sales and see how far our grocery budget could get us every month (I almost always had something left each month).  I also lived in the land of plenty where everything I wanted was readily available and if not at the original location, could be found at one of the other 30 grocery stores in my neighborhood, not to mention the specialty shops or  in the summer, my very favorite- Frank's Fruit Farm.

Now, I must battle a million people in a smallish store with aisles that would make a true claustrophobe cry.   I also have to try and schedule my shopping days against paydays and Sundays  because usually by the time I can get motivated enough to brave the Commissary, if I get there too late on the aforementioned days inevitably something that I want (meat, bread, butter, produce) will be gone.  Have I mentioned too that the store is closed on Mondays? And yes, I could shop on the economy, but the prices are way too high and even with COLA our grocery budget couldn't take that kind of hit, so I choose to be thankful that we are able to buy any groceries and just cross my fingers and try to avoid shopping on Sundays and pay days (unfortunately it doesn't always work out).

We've been here five months and I have only managed to stay within the constraints boundaries of the grocery budget once.  In all of the months we have lived here, I have been unable to make it more than 3 or 4 days at a time without having to go to the Commissary to get something that I needed for dinner.  So, I knew I needed to make a change and sat down and made a menu for the week.  I had been meaning to do this for some time, but just never got around to it.  My sister-in-law sent me an email from http://www.5dollardinners.com/.  I started looking around her site and got sucked into a few others (one of these days, I am going to post a list of all my favorite websites) and got serious about it.  Then, I found out my good buddy Rachel had taken on menu planning as one of her New Years Resolutions, so I felt even more motivated not just to give it a try but to keep up with it.  And guess what, it worked!  For the first time since moving to Guam, I came in under budget last month (by a whopping $7) and for the two weeks that I did menu planning, I only had to go to the store once a week.

I wish I could be as good as Rachel (who also started a cool group on Facebook for all of us meal planners to share recipe ideas, so I'm sure it'll be a great resource for me) and plan 13 meals at one time.  I also wish I had it in me to be like my friends Matt and Jenn and make all of my meals for the week in one day.  But then what I would do with my time?  Probably just sit around and eat bon-bons...

I've decided to start posting my menus here.  Although they aren't expensive, I'm not trying to make the world's cheapest dinner, and I can also promise they won't always be homemade (I heart Velveeta Shells and Cheese with a can of tuna and frozen peas tossed in).  And I'll be honest if something just doesn't work out.

This week's menu is:
Sunday- Pastina with Peas and Carrots
Monday-Flexible 4 Step Chicken (Rustic Chicken with Lemon and Onions), 5 Minute Individual Augratin and green beans of some sort
Tuesday- an old recipe I found in my River Roads cookbook- Casserole Kids Will Love (I'll let ya know if it works out)
Wednesday- leftovers, I am going out and leaving the boys at home
Thursday- supposed to be Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos with homemade tortillas and salsa (but the Comm didn't have sweet potatoes- they also didn't have bananas, which I must have.  So, I may go to the store to get bananas and pick up the sweet potatoes while I'm there.  So much for only going to the store once a week)
Friday or Saturday- Homemade beef ravioli with this incredibly, amazingly simple tomato sauce

So that's it, I'll review the recipes at the end of the week and let you know about any tweaks I make (for instance, the comm didn't have cream- do you see a trend- so for the potatoes au gratin, I had to make my own with milk and butter).