Slow-roasted Tomato, Cucumber, and Hummus Sandwich

Recipe and Image From: http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2011/07/slow-roasted-tomato-cucumber-and-hummus.html

Slow-roasted Tomato, Cucumber, and Hummus Sandwich

INGREDIENTS
whole wheat or multi-grain bread, toasted
hummus

carrot, grated

red onion, thinly sliced

sprouts

slow-roasted tomatoes (recipe below) or tomato, thinly sliced and seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
cucumber, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
1. Spread hummus over two slices of bread. On one slice layer grated carrots, red onion, sprouts, tomatoes, and cucumber. Top with the second slice of bread and serve.

Slow-roasted Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
cherry, grape, or small Roma tomatoes, halved
whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh herbs (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 225 F. Arrange tomato halves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and herbs, if using.

2. Bake in preheated oven for about 3 hours (depending on the size of the tomatoes), until the tomatoes are shriveled and almost dry (with a little juice still left inside). Use right away or cool and store in the refrigerator covered in a little olive oil.

(Sow-roasted tomatoes adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Creamy Shrimp Rolls

Recipe and Image from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/creamy-shrimp-rolls-00000000000684/index.html

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 10m| Total Time: 10m

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 1/2  pounds  cooked medium shrimp, cut in half crosswise
• 2  stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4  cup  sliced chives (optional)
• 4  hot dog buns
• 1  small head butter lettuce, torn into pieces
• 1  5-ounce bag potato chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Fold in the shrimp, celery, and chives, if desired.
3. Line the buns with the lettuce and fill with the shrimp mixture. Serve with the potato chips.

By Sara Quessenberry and Kate Merker , August, 2008

Shrimp and Sausage with Polenta

Recipe from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/shrimp-with-polenta-00100000076771/index.html

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m| Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1/2  pound  andouille sausage, sliced
• 1  pound  peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1  bell pepper, sliced
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4  tablespoons  unsalted butter
• 1  cup  instant polenta (just use cornmeal)
• 1/2  teaspoon  chopped fresh oregano

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp, bell pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until the shrimp are opaque, 3 to 4 minutes more. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and cook until melted.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook, whisking, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Serve with the shrimp mixture and sprinkle with the oregano.

By Sue Li , March, 2012

Creamed Polenta with White Beans and Spinach

Recipe and Image from http://www.makeandtakes.com/creamed-polenta-with-white-beans-and-spinach

Creamed Polenta with White Beans and Spinach

adapted from delightful delicacies
makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For polenta:
4 cups water, plus more if necessary (can use 2 cups milk for part of the water)
1 cup instant polenta* (just use corn meal)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. butter, or olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
2-4 Tbsp.  heavy cream

For white beans:
2 cups cooked (or canned) white beans, drained
1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbsp. chopped black olives (about 8 large)
1 Tbsp. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds (optional)
1/4 tsp. each: dried rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (kale, chard, or collards)
Water

Heather's note: THIS NEEDS BACON! Crumble some on top and you'll be happy you did.

Instructions:

For polenta:
Bring the water (and any milk, if using) to a simmer in a 3 quart saucepan or pot. Add the salt and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened and starts coming away from the side. (If you like a thinner, soupier polenta, add more water or extra milk.)

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the butter, nutritional yeast or cheese, coconut or heavy cream, and taste. Add more salt if needed. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm until ready to serve.

For beans:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fennel seeds, and dried herbs. Continue cooking for a few minutes until onions are completely cooked and the flavors have melded. Add the beans and bring to a simmer. If the skillet is too dry, add a little water. Right before serving, remove the skillet from the heat and add the spinach. (You don’t want to overcook the spinach, just wilt it. If you’re using another heartier green, then cook for a few minutes until the greens are tender.)

To serve:
Spoon some of the polenta into a shallow bowl. Top with the beans and spinach. Serve hot.

Rice and mushroom casserole

Image and recipe from http://www.everyday-reading.com/2011/11/vegetarian-recipe-9-rice-and-mushroom.html

Rice and Mushroom Casserole

(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Serves 6

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

1 TB olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms (brown or white) cleaned and roughly chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 bunch spinach or chard, roughly chopped (if using chard, separate the stems from the leaves and chop the stems like onions)

2 eggs

1 cup crumbled queso fresco (you could use another semi-soft cheese like feta or even fresh mozzarella or goat cheese)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt (if you're using feta, you may want to skip the salt entirely)

1/2 tsp pepper  

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Put both rices in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook about 45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a baking dish (somewhere in the 9x9 range is a good size. I use an oval pan that's about 6 x 12).

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and stir every few minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are slightly brown. Add onions (and chard stems if using them) and cook for another 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook for 1 more minute and remove pan from heat.Add spinach or chard leaves and cook 2-4 minutes until wilted. 

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, queso fresco, sour cream, salt (if you're using it) and pepper.

Add the cooked rice and the mushroom/onion mix and stir until well combined. Spread half of this mixture into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese over the rice mixture and then pour the rest of the rice mixture on top of that. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese and finish it off with the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes more.

Serve hot. 

Savory Mustard Chicken Thighs

Recipe and photo from here: http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/

preheat your oven to 450ºF

mix together:
1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 
1/4 cup of maple syrup, 
1 tablespoon of rice/rice wine vinegar. 

Salt and pepper 1.5 lbs chicken thighs

Then pour the mustard/syrup mix over the chicken in a foil-lined baking dish

Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary.

We served this with some seasoned brown rice and vegetables.