Garlic Feta Burgers

 

Hey, everyone! How was your weekend? We had a wonderful weekend over here. My mom arrived on Friday night and stayed until Sunday after church. And she brought Nutmeg with her, too! I can't tell you how good it feels to be reunited with our little fur baby after two weeks without her. 

The weather in Iowa was absolutely unreal this weekend, too, so we made the most out of it by spending a lot of time outside. Tennis was played, more than one long walk was taken and we grilled out, too! Since we don't have a deck or much outdoor space in our apartment, Joe and I are stuck grilling on our little baby grill (pictured below), which I realize is incredibly lame. But I'm shocked at how well it works. I think it will have to do until we have a larger place to store a grill. 

I made these Garlic Feta Burgers for my mom and Joe on Saturday night and served myself a veggie burger. And we paired it with a fresh salad and steamed green beans. If the calendar didn't say it was March, I could swear that summer is already here. 

Back to the burgers...

Out of the pound of ground beef that I had on hand, I made three burgers. I seasoned the meat with Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper, then formed it into six small patties. For the filling, I combined chopped garlic, feta cheese and oregano for a little Mediterranean flair. Then the filling was placed in the center of three of the patties and topped with the remaining patties for a salty, juicy filling. Just be sure to seal the edges of the patties completely in order to be sure the cheese doesn't come in contact with the grill.

The burgers were a huge hit with my mom and Joe, and I enjoyed my veggie burger, too. ;) Now let's bring on summer!

Garlic Feta Burgers

Ingredients

*1 lb. ground beef

*1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

*2 ounces crumbled feta cheese 

*1 clove garlic, minced 

*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

*3 hamburger buns

Instructions

*In a bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt and ground black pepper. Stir until well combined. Form the meat mixture into six thin patties, about 4- to 5-inches in diameter.

*In a small bowl, combine the feta, garlic and oregano. Place some of the feta mixture into the center of three of the patties. Top each of the feta-topped patties with the remaining patties. Seal the edges tightly with your fingertips to completely cover the cheese. Form the patties into well-formed circles.

*Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill the burgers for eight to ten minutes, flipping once halfway through cooking. 

*Transfer cooked burgers to buns. Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Maple Glazed Grilled Chicken

Before Joe and I got married, one of my greatest stressors was what we were going to do career-wise. I was working (very happily I might add) in my current job in Des Moines and Joe was searching for a job back in Iowa (he was working in Illinois at the time). Knowing how much we both loved our jobs, I was worried about one of us having to sacrifice a career we loved.

Thankfully, Joe's company ended up giving him a work territory in eastern Iowa, meaning we could live halfway in between his territory and my work. And since that meant I would be over an hour from work, my company allowed me to work two days a week from home in order to save money and my sanity.

Initially, it was a little difficult to adjust to working at home. So many distractions, poor internet connection at home, you get the picture. Thankfully, Joe and I discovered that a building right across the street from our apartment rents out office cubicles. I can promise you that once we decided to rent out a space, my work situation improved immensely. It's so nice to be able to have a little work/life separation during the days I work from home, and I feel as if I get so much more accomplished.

Of course on the days I work from home, I have two extra hours on my hands (!!) In the morning, I use my extra hour to get caught up on blog work, do laundry or clean up around the house. And in the evening, I usually spend my extra hour preparing meals that are a little above and beyond what I would normally make on a weeknight.

This week I put my efforts into making this Maple Glazed Grilled Chicken for Joe*, paired with homemade mashed potatoes, which I never make. The sauce that goes atop these chicken breasts is incredibly easy to make and packed with flavor. If you have even more time to spare, I imagine that this sauce would make a great marinade for the chicken a couple hours before putting it on the grill. But, if you're anything like me, planning that far in advance is not going to happen. In that case, using it as a barbecue sauce (as in the recipe below) works out nicely, too.

*For those of you wondering, I made myself roasted kale and roasted sweet potato fries with cumin and ground mustard.

Maple Glazed Grilled Chicken
Loosely adapted from Cooking Light magazine 
Ingredients
*1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half width wise to make two thin chicken breasts
*Salt and ground black pepper
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
*2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 
*1 tsp. dried oregano
*1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
*2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
*1/2 tsp. Worcheshire sauce
*2 tablespoons ketchup

Instructions
*Preheat grill to medium high.
*Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside.
*In a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat, combine the maple syrup, chicken broth, garlic, oregano, Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently with a silicone pastry brush or rubber spatula. Add in the worcheshire sauce and ketchup and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced slightly and the mixture has thickened to resemble thin barbecue sauce. Remove from heat.
*Brush chicken breasts with some of the sauce. Lightly grease the rack of your grill with nonstick cooking spray.
*Place chicken breasts on grill and brush with some more of the sauce. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip chicken. Brush with some more of the sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through and no pink remains. Remove from grill. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

 
Hi again! How was your weekend? Joey and I spend a bunch of time watching football, like four games worth. Since it's the playoffs and all, we figure we're justified spending hours on the couch for the next few weekends knowing the dreadful stretch of football-less weekends is coming up quickly.

A tried and true Florida Gators fan, I am still basking in the glow of the Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers game and the glory that is watching Tim Tebow pass for 316 (!!) yards. Call me obsessed and color me blue and orange.

Since we were watching so much football and entirely too absorbed to cook real meals, I did a little dump-and-stir meal for Sunday lunch that actually turned out to taste fantastic. Or so says my husband, who ate it in front of the television. The chicken was fall-apart tender and the potatoes were soft and spicy. Just the way a no-fuss stew should be. 

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
*2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
*1 standard-size jar of medium salsa
*1 (8- to 9- ounce) cans corn kernels, drained
*1 large baking potato (russet) cut into cubes
*1/2 cup water
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. dried oregano
*Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
*Additional oregano (optional)

Instructions
*In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, combine all the above ingredients except for the cheese and additional dried oregano. Cook on low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken pulls apart easily with a fork and the potatoes are tender.
*Spoon mixture into bowls with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with shredded cheese and additional dried oregano, if desired.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Easy Three Bean Beef Chili

I can hardly believe that 2012 is already here and 2011 is just a memory. While I spent the most of last week and this past weekend sick with a killer cold, we did manage to have a little bit of fun ringing in the new year.

Joey's sister and brother-in-law, Amber and Jake, along with baby Baylen, as well as Joey's brother, Jason and his fiancé, Ali, all made the trip to Grinnell to stay with us for the long weekend. Since I was a slacker with my camera, I'll have to wait for Amber to send some photos my way before posting a recap of our weekend. Today, since I was still feeling pretty under the weather, we spent most of the day laying low and watching football. It's what Nutmeg does best...

Typically, when we have people over, I stress out about preparing meals. It's not the cooking that gets me worked up as much as the combination of cooking and enjoying myself in the process of it all. I'm a bit of a work in process where entertaining is concerned.

Joey, realizing this, said he wanted me to pick easy meals that didn't require much stressing about. And since I wasn't feeling like myself with this cold, I was more than happy to stick with quick and easy. French toast for breakfast, make your own sandwiches and fresh fruit for lunch, and my mom's chili with homemade cornbread for dinner on New Year's Eve.

Although my mom wouldn't brag about her chili, it really is something special. First, because it's thick, hearty and filling. Second, because it's unbelievably easy and comes together in under 30 minutes. It's easily adaptable for vegetarians, too, if you leave out the ground beef.

Of course, you can make this chili in advance and allow the flavors to meld together as the simmer on the stovetop, it's entirely up to you and when your company wants to eat.

Easy Three Bean Beef Chili
Ingredients
*2 lbs. lean ground beef or ground turkey
*1 large (30 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
*1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
*1 (30 oz.) can Mrs. Grimes Chili Beans, undrained
*1 (15 oz.) can black beans, undrained
*1 (15 oz.) can white kidney beans or white great northern beans, undrained
*2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on how hot you like your chili
*Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
*In a large stockpot over medium high heat, brown ground beef or ground turkey. Drain off fat.
*Add remaining ingredients to the stockpot. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Healthier Turkey Meatballs

First off, WOW! I'm trilled that so many of you entered the giveaway. Reading what everyone was thankful for was amazing and really pushed me to think more about what I'm thankful for. The winner of the giveaway is Star Van Gelder. Star, please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I'll work out the details to get you your knife!

 

One of Joey's all-time favorite meals is spaghetti and meatballs. And although I don't have even an ounce of Italian in me, I do think I make a pretty mean version. Growing up, my favorite meal was when my mom would make what we called porcupine meatballs. They were large meatballs filled with rice and baked in the oven. We actually ate our meatballs with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies instead of atop pasta and it was amazingly delicious.

For the past couple years I've been making meatballs simmered in marinara sauce for optimal flavor and to maintain moisture, which is especially important when you are cooking with something leaner such as ground turkey.

Healthier Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
*2 slices whole wheat bread
*1/3 cup skim or low-fat milk
*1 large egg, lightly beaten
*1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 lb. ground turkey
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 (28-ounce) jar tomato-basil marinara sauce or other preferred marinara sauce
*4 to 6 servings whole wheat angel hair pasta, prepared according to package instructions (optional)

Instructions
*In a large bowl, soak the whole wheat bread in the milk. Crumble up the bread with your fingers into small pieces. Add in the egg, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add in the turkey and work mixture together with your hands until evenly combined.
*Form turkey mixture into meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Set aside.
*In a very large skillet (that has a lid) heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meatballs to the oil in the pan. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes, flip, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Meatballs should have a crisp golden crust on both sides. Add the marinara sauce to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and no pink remains.
*Serve atop the whole wheat angel hair pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Happy Cooking!


Madison

You Should Roast a Chicken

Quite often when Joey and I don't feel like cooking (well, when I don't feel like cooking), we pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store and I made a bunch of steamed and roasted veggies for me to eat and for him to pair with his chicken. As someone who knows how easy it is to roast a chicken, buying a rotisserie chicken always kills me inside because I know I could do it better.

Well this past weekend, I finally got my butt to the store and picked up ingredients for a roasted chicken meal. You know the crazy part? I picked up a whole organic roasted chicken, a pound of green beans, two large russet potatoes and an onion for just NINE dollars. Crazy, right? Anyone who says you can't eat well on very little money, or who says that fast food is cheaper than real food, hasn't spent much time at the grocery store or in the kitchen.

Food prices aside, this meal was incredibly easy to make and would be impressive enough to serve for company, or in our case, on a casual Friday night in. Sure, you need a bit of time, but 90% of the time is hands-off. We actually got a workout in while our chicken was roasting, that's how easy it is.

One word to the wise: unless you feel like cleaning your chicken or making something with the giblets, I would recommend buying a chicken that says it is 'without neck and giblets' for the easiest (and much less gross) chicken roasting experience


Easy Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
*2 medium russet potatoes chopped into large bite-sized pieces
*1 tablespoon olive oil 
*1 medium-sized whole chicken without neck or giblets
*1/4 cup mayonnaise
*Salt and black pepper
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 medium onion, sliced
*Additional salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
*Place potatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper. Set aside.
*Rinse chicken thoroughly making sure to clean the inside cavity. Dry with paper towels and discard paper towels. Place chicken atop some of the potatoes. Rub chicken with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Top chicken with the minced garlic.
*Place chicken in the oven and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, adding the onions halfway through cooking. Chicken's juices should run clear when pierced with a fork, potatoes should be crispy brown and the skin of the chicken should be dark golden brown.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Crunchy Pesto Chicken with Caramelized Onions

Last week I came home with a bunch of great ingredients after a photo shoot at work. Any time I come home with food from a shoot it's inspiration for me to do a little cooking so food doesn't go to waste. And since we almost always have meat at the shoot, I make sure to snag some to take home so I can make a special meal for Joe.

I didn't really have a plan for the meal. Instead, I decided to just go with the flow and see what happened. Cooking without a plan or a deadline was so relaxing and so much fun, and I realized I don't do it nearly as often as I should.

Joey was blown away with the results. He kept raving about how this was the best meal I've ever made, and that the recipe was worthy enough to be on a restaurant menu. It's not as healthy as the recipes that I typically make, but for a fun, impressive dinner dish, this chicken totally comes through.

Crunchy Pesto Chicken with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
*1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
*3 tablespoons unsalted butter
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in half widthwise (to make four thin chicken breasts)
*1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
*1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese with Italian herbs
*1/2 cup olive oil
*1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
*Additional olive oil for frying
*1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mozzarella-cheddar mix)

Instructions
*In a large skillet over medium heat, melted the butter. Add in the onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan or line with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*With a small food processor, blend together the basil, feta cheese and 1/2 cup olive oil and process until mixture is nearly smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Place panko in a second shallow bowl.
*Dip chicken breasts in the basil mixture to coat both sides, followed by the panko.
*In a large nonstick stillet, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Place chicken breasts, two at a time, in the hot oil, cooking for 2 minutes per side. Chicken does not need to be cooked through. Transfer seared chicken breasts to the prepared baking pan. Top with some of the caramelized onions, followed by some of the shredded cheese.
*Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through and no pink remains.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Homemade Chicken Nuggets and a Winner

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the coffee maker giveaway! Every time I do a giveaway on Espresso and Cream, I'm blown away by the large number of responses, and I was so entertained reading each of your responses about why you need coffee. Glad to know I'm among a group of passionate coffee drinkers. The winner of the giveaway is Em who said:

Please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) with your address and I will get your coffee maker in the mail asap!

And in the kitchen today, I've got yet another chicken recipe for you! We cook a lot of chicken at our house since it's one of Joey's favorite types of meat and I actually don't mind cooking it one bit. Although I've been a vegetarian for almost two years, I still enjoy preparing meat-based recipes. Having a hubby who loves to eat meat doesn't hurt either.

Last week we had a bit of a kid-tastic meal when I prepared chicken nuggets for dinner. Of course, the idea of buying packaged chicken nuggets makes my skin crawl so I set out to make my own version with real, white meat chicken and easy-to-identify ingredients.

Since I wanted the chicken nuggets to be light and crunchy, I used Panko bread crumbs, which are a Japanese-style bread crumb that results in a much crunchier coating than traditional Italian-style bread crumbs. These turned out great and we so darn easy to make. Just a few minutes to dip and toss and less than 15 minutes in the oven leaves you with chicken nuggets you can feel good about feeding to your family.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets
*2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
*2 cups Panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
*1/2 teaspoon paprika
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 cup Egg Beaters (liquid egg replacement)
*Ketchup (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
*In a shallow bowl or large plate, combine the Panko, paprika, salt and black pepper. In a second shallow bowl place the Egg Beaters (you could substitute 3 large eggs beaten together if desired).
*Add chicken pieces to the Egg Beaters in the bowl. Piece by piece, add the egg-coated chicken pieces to the Panko. Toss gently to coat. Transfer coated pieces to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
*Bake chicken nuggets for 10 to 12 minutes, until Panko is browned and chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
*Serve chicken nuggets with ketchup, if desired. Serves 2.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesean

Typically, I don't set out with the intention of creating gluten-free recipes since I don't follow a gluten-free diet and neither do any of my family members. But as a food editor, I've seen a growing desire from our readers for more gluten-free recipes. Since I'm by no means an expert on the subject of gluten-free eating, it's a bit intimidating to attempt creating recipes that meet the parameters of avoiding all gluten.

In the future, I hope to be able to serve up more gluten-free recipes, since I know a number of Espresso and Cream readers are looking for more recipes of the sort. So when my cousin sent me a few bags of quinoa flour, which is gluten-free, I decided to get to work on playing around with recipes that could be easily adapted from their gluten-packed counterparts.

Chicken Parmesan to the rescue! Although you won't find me eating any chicken these days, Joey absolutely loved this dish. I served it with some veggies and pasta and it was a total hit: easy to prepare for me and super tasty and filling for him. That's a win-win in my book.


Also, if anyone has any good gluten-free text resources (ie: books, informative cookbooks, etc.) about gluten-free recipes and what ingredients contain gluten, please throw them my way. I'm looking for some good resources to add to my collection!

Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
*1 tablespoon canola oil 
*1 chicken breast, halved lengthwise into two thinner pieces
*2 heaping tablespoons quinoa flour (you may use all-purpose if you want but it won't be gluten-free)
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*Salt and black pepper
*1/3 cup liquid egg replacement such as Egg Beaters
*2/3 cup pasta sauce (for a list of pasta sauces and other products that are gluten-free and commercially available, I found this site helpful.)
*Additional Parmesan cheese
*1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan (I used an 9-inch round cake pan) with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet.
*Meanwhile in a shallow dish combine the quinoa flour, Parmesan cheese, and a dash of salt and black pepper. Pour the liquid egg replacement in a second shallow bowl. Dip the chicken breast halves into the egg mixture to coat on both sides. Transfer to the flour/Parmesan mixture and cover on both sides.
*Add chicken pieces to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side. Just enough to brown the chicken but not cook it completely through.
*Transfer chicken to the foil-lined baking pan. Top with the pasta sauce, spreading the sauce evenly atop the chicken. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until pasta sauce is bubbly and chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and top with additional Parmesan cheese and the dried Italian seasoning.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

Note: If you haven't gotten around to bidding on the amazing gift basket we are auctioning off, you can do so HERE. The proceeds go toward a great cause and the basket is amazing!

No, your eyes aren't fooling you. This is a picture, and a recipe for, chicken. But before you jump to conclusions, I should tell you that this chicken wasn't for me, but for my husband. You see, Joey has no intention of going vegetarian, so we've fallen into a pretty nice routine when it comes to our 'flexitrian' lifestyle. I plan meals that are either vegetarian by nature or could easily be vegetarian, then think about how I will add in the meat-based protein for Joey.

This week, our meals are planned out something like this:
Monday: Ate at Texas Road House since we were in Des Moines for an appointment. They have great steamed veggies (ask for them without the butter) and baked potatoes (ask for it with the butter and sour cream on the side)
Tuesday: Dinner-sized salads with crumbled feta cheese, chopped almonds, steamed broccoli and tossed with a mix of balsamic and poppy seed dressing. Topped with beer-poached salmon.
Wednesday: Fajita night! Whole wheat tortillas, sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms. Baked, sliced chicken breast simmered in taco seasoning. Chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Salsa.
Thursday: Burgers! Veggie burger for her and beef burger for him. Whole wheat buns and cheddar cheese. Steamed broccoli. Sun Chips for him.
Friday: Grub Plate: which will most likely consist of throwing together all the items we have in our fridge that didn't get eaten during the week: a bit of sliced cheese, some crackers, sliced veggies and small salads with the last of our lettuce

This recipe for Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken, courtesy of Jenna over at Eat Live Run, was a big hit last week and sure to be a staple when I'm preparing chicken in the future. Joey's a huge fan of Chinese food, particularly orange chicken, and said this tastes remarkably similar. The major differences between this and purchased orange chicken being that it's much healthier and a whole lot cheaper to make. It's a win-win, if you ask me!

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
Recipe from Eat Live Run 

Ingredients
*1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*Juice of one large lemon
*1 tablespoon lemon zest
*1 cup flour
*2 teaspoons paprika
*1 teaspoon sea salt
*1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
*2 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F.
*Using a meat mallet (or ice cream scoop), pound the chicken breasts thin. Set aside.
*Combine the flour, paprika and salt in a large shallow bowl and stir to combine. Dip the chicken breasts into the flour mixture to evenly coat.
*Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts, cooking two minutes per side. You are just browning the outsides, not cooking completely through. Remove from pan and set aside.
*Pour the lemon juice into the pan and stir to de-glaze the pan. Put chicken breast in a casserole dish and pour lemon juice mixture on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest. Bake for 30 minutes or until temperature reaches 165°F.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers for One (or more)

Thank you, truly, for all your sweet comments, Tweets, and e-mails about my meltdown! I'm so blessed to be able to share this little space on the web with you all and Espresso and Cream is a blessing to me even on my less than wonderful days.

Lately, I've been trying to make an effort to reduce food waste at my house. More often than not, I find myself bringing home new groceries only to throw away produce that didn't get eaten the previous week. And boy do I hate that.

Working on reducing food waste has helped me create more interesting meals on the weeknights, throwing together a random assortment of fruits, veggies and grains, and also results in Joey looking into my fridge and telling me there's nothing to eat.

Wednesday's nights dinner was a product of project no-food-left-behind. With one sweet pepper on its last leg, a small spear of cheese and a half-empty bottle or marinara sauce waiting to be used up, I knew I needed to come up with something fast.

And while I was wary of these peppers as I sat down to dinner (I'm not usually a stuffed pepper or tomato person), I was immediately sucked in upon first bite. The flavors were spot-on and the hefty dose of protein from the tofu and quinoa was just what I needed after a long run that morning. Bonus: these could easily be adapted for more people, and non vegetarians, too, by doubling or tripling the recipe and swapping ground beef or turkey in for the tofu. Take your pick!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers for One (or more)

Ingredients
*1 red, yellow or orange sweet pepper, top cut off and seeded 
*1 (3.5-ounce) block of pre-baked tofu (I get mine at Trader Joe's) or 1/2 cup ground beef, if making for someone who prefers a non-vegetarian meal (cough cough Joey)
*1/3 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
*3 Tablespoons marinara sauce
*1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
*In a small saucepan, bring two cups of water to boiling. Add the sweet pepper and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from water and dry the inside with a paper towel.
*Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, combine the tofu, cooked quinoa or rice, marinara sauce, salt, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and shredded cheddar cheese. Spoon into the center of the pepper. Top with the grated Parmesan cheese.
*Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven to 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and filling is hot. Serve immediately, or cool, cover with plastic wrap and re-heat in the microwave when ready to eat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Bean and Quinoa Enchiladas

There are a number of things I could have titled this post. The most appropriate one being "The week my computer decided it was just as tired as I am and quit working." Or perhaps "That time I walked out of the mall crying, with my mascara running all over my face while I had a wedding meltdown."

Both would be true, but neither very fun to talk about. Thank goodness I had a batch of these in the freezer to save me from having to make dinner last night because I just didn't have it in me.

The requests and e-mails just keep rolling in asking for more easy dinner ideas that can be prepared quickly or made ahead of time and frozen. To those of you wanting more dinner recipes, I have great news because these enchiladas fit the bill. 

I'll be the first to admit that I've been known to stock a freezer that contains its fair share of Trader Joe's frozen bean and cheese burritos. They're easy to pop in the microwave and relatively healthy, plus Joey ate one for dinner the other night and didn't even miss the meat. Major win-win.

My one complaint, however, is that they aren't made with whole wheat tortillas, which is typically a deal-breaker for me. That and the fact that they are more expensive to buy than make at home.

So when I sat out to make some of my own, I knew I wanted them to be healthier and heartier. Mission accomplished. Inside the whole wheat tortillas is a combination of fat-free refried beans, shredded cheese and, here's my favorite addition, cooked quinoa in place of rice. Not that I have anything against rice, it's just that I had quinoa on hand and it's absolutely packed with high-quality protein not normally found in other foods.

Plus, when wrapped up with beans and cheese, picky eaters will never notice it's not rice. That goes for future husbands, too. :)

Bean and Quinoa Enchiladas
Ingredients
*1 cup uncooked quinoa 
*4 whole wheat tortillas
*3/4 to 1 cup fat-free refried beans (vegetarian if you follow a veg diet) 
*1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
*1/4 to 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
*Additional shredded cheese

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. 
*Bring 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the quinoa to the saucepan. Reduce heat to low (simmer) and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from heat and toss lightly with butter.
*In the center of each tortilla, spread some of the refried beans and Mexican cheese blend. Spoon some of the quinoa into the center, atop the cheese (you will have leftover quinoa).
*Fold in the shorter ends of each tortilla first, then roll lengthwise to form tortilla 'pockets'. Place in a large baking dish. Top with the enchilada sauce and some additional shredded cheese.
*Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mixture on top is bubbly and cheese is melted.
*Make Ahead Tip: You can make these ahead of time. Just fill the tortillas as directed and place each tortilla in a zip-top bag. When you are ready to eat, top with the enchilada sauce and cheese and bake at 375°F until heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Unda-Style Avocado Quesadillas

 

Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic response to the 'healthified' recipe project! Between your comments and e-mails, I now have a full list of recipes to choose from. My plan is to slowly work through the recipes over the next couple months, but bear with me if I'm a little slow at getting to your recipe or suggestion. Things are a little crazy over here.

While I'm 100% over the moon about getting married, I've started to realize that it takes significantly more work to prepare dinner in a mixed veg-carnivore home. Because it takes a little more planning, and because we don't have a single, combined kitchen right now, Joey and I have defaulted to going out to eat on the weekends more times than I'd like to admit.

I'm not entirely sure what that has to do with these Unda-Style Avocado Quesadillas, inspired heavily by 101 Cookbooks. I guess it's just the fact that I'm now constantly thinking about how I would make the meals I eat into something Joey could get excited about, too. 

Take, for example, these quesadillas. Unda-style is a term used for when you cook an egg on one side of your flatbread, quesadilla, crepe...you name it. Basically it's code for pure flavor nirvana. I guess you could say it's the vegetarian's quivalent to an egg atop a juicy burger. 

My man-adaptation for this recipe would probably include a little bit of shredded chicken in between the layers of tortilla and egg, or perhaps a bit of ground beef tossed with some cumin and coriander for an extra kick of flavor. And if I were feeling ambitious, some flaked white fish would make a light and fresh addition. 

For me, they were perfect on their own. No addition of meat necessary. 

Those of you who are married or dating: Did you find it difficult to combine your eating style with your significant others'?

Unda-Style Avocado Quesadillas 

Ingredients

*1 large egg + 1 egg white

*Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

*1 whole wheat tortilla

*1/4 cup crumbled Cotija or feta cheese

*1/2 avocado, mashed

*1/3 cup marinara sauce or salsa 

Instructions

*In a small bowl, beat together the egg and egg white until very well combined. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. 

*Heat a small amount of butter or oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add egg to skillet and cook 2 minutes, until egg is set on the bottom but still soft on top. Place the whole wheat tortilla atop the soft egg in pan. Flip the egg and tortilla so the tortilla is on the bottom. 

*Fill with crumbled cheese and mashed avocado on one half of the egg. Fold in half. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.

*Top with the marinara sauce or salsa and additional salt and black pepper, if desired. 

Happy Cooking!

Madison 

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes for Two and a Winner!

First, I want to congratulate Laura who is the winner of the Crate and Barrel Giveaway. Laura said...

E-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) with your address and I'll get your gift card on it's merry way!

Secondly, thank you all SO much for your wonderful suggestions about what you would like to see more of on Espresso and Cream. It was helpful to hear directly from you about what types of recipes matter most in your daily lives instead of having to guess what I think you want more of.

The funny thing is, when I was looking over the content on my site while putting together my brand new Recipage (you should check it out!) I realized that without even trying, Espresso and Cream weighs heavily on the baking and desserts side. And although I love to bake desserts, it's hardly a reflection of what I actually eat on a regular basis or the healthy lifestyle I'm most passionate about.

With that said, I'm going to be making an effort to share more of my everyday passion for healthy, vegetarian meals, smart snacking strategies and the occasional desserts (some healthier than others). And, of course, snippets of my life, maybe even more than before, will continue to pop up as Joey and I march closer towards a wedding a beginning a life together.

Thanks again for inspiring me and helping make this site everything it can be. I'm excited for this mini re-launch! Now, on to dinner...

There are times as a vegetarian that I miss some of the foods I ate before the switch. And although I didn't eat many sloppy joes when I was little, I found myself with a deep craving for them last week. I absolutely had to have a sloppy joe. Thankfully, with all the sauce and spicy flavor it was a dish that could easily be veg-ified with chopped mushrooms and veggie crumbles.

I was trilled with the similarity in flavor of this sloppy joe compared to the original, and how easy it would be to make half vegetarian and the other half with ground beef or turkey, if desired. The only change in the recipe would be to divide the sauce mixture into two pans before adding the veggie crumbles. Then, you could toss ground meat into one and the veggie crumbles into the other.

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of relying heavily on vegetarian soy 'meat' products as a vegetarian. However, there are times, like with these sloppy joes, that they come in handy and oh-so-tasty, too.


Vegetarian Sloppy Joes for Two
I had a reader write and point out that worcestershire sauce isn't actually vegetarian because it contains small amounts of anchovies. If you are a stringent vegetarian, leave the worcestershire out or sub a little extra vinegar for it.

Ingredients
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 cup chopped mushrooms
*2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce (optional)
*1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
*1 tablespoon tomato paste
*1/3 cup water 
*1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
*1/4 cup ketchup (I've been using Simply Heintz, which is made without high-fructose corn syrup)
*1 cup Morningstar Meal Starters Veggie Crumbles
*Whole wheat hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls 

Instructions
*In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar water and ketchup. Stir to evenly combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add in the veggie crumbles.
*Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until veggie crumbles are heated through and mixture is hot.
*Serve mixture on toasted whole wheat hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls. Serves 2

Happy cooking!

Madison

Everyday Broccoli

Alright, I'll admit it. I don't eat broccoli every single day, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of a week in the past year that I didn't eat broccoli at least once. Call me crazy, but aside from fresh green beans, broccoli is my absolute favorite veggie.

So much so that I ate the entire four cups of Everyday Broccoli for dinner last night.

And if you are reading this thinking about how much you dislike broccoli, I will make you a bet that if you try broccoli my way, you'll change your mind.

Give it a try. I dare you.

Everyday Broccoli

*4 cups broccoli florets
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*Kosher salt
*1/4 cup grated Parmesean cheese
*Cracked black pepper

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 425°F. Place broccoli on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss slightly to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
*Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. During the last two minutes of cooking, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm.

Happy Cooking!


Madison

Brown Butter Angel Hair Pasta

Note: In light of the recent tragedies in Japan, I am thinking of putting together a virtual bake sale with the proceeds going to disaster relief. If this is something you would be interested in participating in, please send me an e-mail (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) so I can gauge interest. 

Daylight savings time and a hectic week are really cramping my photo schedule. So instead of bathing my recipes in morning light, I'm photographing my recipe under artificial light in my pajamas at 5:45 in the morning. It's a glamorous life, indeed.

But if you can manage to look past the bad lighting, this recipe is a true gem. Ever since reader Colleen said her favorite comfort food was spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, I had the idea for this pasta on my mind. Pasta, dressed with a delicate, savory browned butter sauce. Peppered with notes of sage and salty Parmesan cheese.

Health food? No. A divine indulgence? You better believe it.

Brown Butter Angel Hair Pasta
Be careful not to over brown the butter. A couple more minutes after the butter is melted should be enough to give you the flavor and color you're looking for. 

Ingredients 
*2 oz (1 serving) angel hair pasta
*3 Tbsp. salted butter
*Kosher salt
*1/8 tsp. rubbed sage
*Grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
*Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
*In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, continue to cook, swirling frequently, until butter begins to brown and turns a light amber color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt to taste, the sage and 1/2 tsp. Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
*Pour butter sauce over pasta and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and kosher salt, if desired.

Happy cooking!

Madison

A Day In The Life: Tuesday's Eats

It's been a while since I've shared a little look into what my daily eats look like. Between my six mile run yesterday, lifting and my five mile run today, I've been one hungry girl! Mornings start pretty early in my apartment (I'm usually up and making breakfast between 5 and 5:30) and I find myself needing to snack on something every couple of hours to prevent a total blood sugar crash.

Breakfast
*16 oz. water
*Cup of coffee with 2% milk and a tablespoon of International Delight Breve Creme
*2 slices whole wheat toast with butter
*Fage 2% Greek Yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries (so expensive right now!)

Lunch
*2/3 cup Kellogg's All Bran cereal (new favorite) with a cup of 2% milk
*Dannon Light & Fit yogurt with 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
*8 oz. water
*Cup of Trader Joe's Peppermint Tea 

Afternoon Snack
*Small apple
*Medium latte from Caribou Coffee (a treat from my awesome co-worker!)

Dinner
*Ran by Jimmy John's (which I rarely do during the week) and grabbed a #6 (vegetarian) sub without mayo and triple Dijon
*6 oz. Dannon Light & Fit yogurt with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and a tablespoon of ground flax seed
*Small apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter
*16 oz. water

Post-Workout Snack
*Smoothie made with vanilla whey protein powder, 2% milk, peanut butter and ice

Happy eating!

Madison

Freezer Lasagna for Two

Tonight I'm posting something unlike anything I've posted in the last 10 months. You see, as most of you know I have been a vegetarian for almost a year, meaning the recipes containing meat on Espresso and Cream have all but disappeared. What hasn't changed during this time is Joey's love for beef, chicken, pork and the like.

Most of the time when we're together, we find some sort of compromise. When we eat out, the places we frequent are those with options that are both friendly to my diet and appealing to him. Ethnic restaurants are great for that very reason. And when I cook for us, meat is usually a side-dish to whatever meal we are having. A few grilled chicken breasts here, some meat sauce there, a veggie burger for me - a real burger for him.

Fact: During our marriage counseling, when asked what type of food we would be eating as a married couple Joey responded (on his own prompting) "flexitarian." I was so proud.

So even though I may not be eating meat, it is most certainly being consumed by the man I love. That said, I thought that for my upcoming trip I'd fix him something special to keep in the freezer on the nights I'm not around. So, my friends, I give you Freezer Lasagna for Two (aka: Lasagna for Bachelors, Fiancées, and Helpless Husbands).

Freezer Lasagna for Two
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*1 tablespoon olive oil 
*2 shallots, chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 lb. ground pork or beef
*1 tsp. Italian seasoning
*Salt and ground black pepper 
*6 no-boil lasagna noodles
*1 (15-oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese
*1 large egg, lightly beaten
*1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
*1 1/2 to 2 cups marinara sauce

*2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
*Chopped fresh tomatoes (optional) 

Instructions
*In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add in the shallots and garlic. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in ground pork or beef and cook until browned, stirring frequently and breaking into small pieces. Remove from heat and stir in the Italian seasoning. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
*Lightly grease three miniature disposable loaf pans. Place 1 no-boil lasagna noodle in the bottom of each pan.
*In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese and egg until well combined. Spread some of the ricotta mixture atop each of the noodles in a thin even layer, followed by some of the zucchini, marinara sauce, pork mixture and cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients one more time.
*At this point, you can either cover the lasagnas with aluminum foil and freeze until ready to use. Or, preheat the oven to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and lasagna noodles are soft. Top with fresh tomatoes, if desired.
*If you do decide to freeze the lasagnas, thaw them in the refrigerator before use and cook as instructed above.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Asian-Sesame Fried Rice

 

THIS crazy kid is coming to visit me in less than 12 hours. And although I can't wait until the days that we no longer have to visit one another, there is something exciting about the anticipation of the weekend. Cleaning the house, putting makeup on and getting ready for him to arrive makes each and every weekend feel special. I love dating my fiancé, and I'm looking forward to dating my husband, too.

And until he arrives, I'll be eating fried rice. Sort of. Except way healthier than anything you might find at a restaurant. But before I get ahead of myself, I need to give some serious props and credit to my inspiration for this dish, Emily over at Daily Garnish. I've talked about Emily before, when her blog was still called The Front Burner. Now it has a pretty new name and design that's definitely worth checking out.

So when Emily posted a recipe a while back for fried rice, my taste buds started watering and I new I needed to come up with a version of my own. Since I am big on hearty, veggie-dense portions, I boosted the veggies in my fried rice with a combination of peas and edamame, and used a little bit of Trader Joe's Asian-Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette. The whole process was so super easy, it had me wondering why I hadn't tried something similar before.

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

Asian Sesame Fried Rice
(Printable Recipe)
Note: The recipe calls for edamame and peas, which I ended up adding in the second time I made this dish. Hence, the photo has no peas and edamame but the recipe does. Since the weather in the mornings around here has been dreadful and cloudy, getting a second shot at taking a photo worth sharing wasn't going to happen!

Ingredients
 *2 large eggs 
*2 Tbsp. light margarine (I used "I can't Believe It's Not Butter Light")
*2 cups brown rice, cooked
*1/2 cup shelled edamame
*1 cup sweet peas
*2 Tbsp. Asian-sesame sauce or teriyaki sauce (I like Trader Joe's Asian Sesame Soy Ginger Vinaigrette)
*Drizzle of soy sauce

Instructions
*In a small bowl, beat the two eggs until well-combined. Set aside. 
*In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter until melted, about 1 minute. Add in the brown rice, edamame, sweet peas and Asian-sesame sauce. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes more, until edamame and peas are heated through. 
*Slowly pour the eggs over the rice. Stir with a rubber spatula and continue to cook for 2 minutes more.
*Transfer the rice to two bowls and drizzle with soy sauce, if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Zucchini Spaghetti and a Winner

 

Happy Monday, everyone! First things first, let me say how much I loved hearing you all talk about what you're thankful for. Each and every time I read one of your comments it brought a smile to my face and made me think a little more about being thankful in my own life. I really do have the world's best readers. 

Secondly, a big congrats is due to Courtney Hughes, the winner of the Trader Joe's Peanut Flour giveaway! Courtney, I'll be getting you your gift over the holidays! :)

After last week's confession about how very little cooking I had been doing, I decided to get back in the kitchen and make myself something worth eating - and sharing. This meal actually graces my table quite often, when I am craving pasta but know I need to eat a few more servings of veggies. 

The key to making this dish is to have a julienne peeler. If you don't have one, it's pretty much the best $9 investment you could make and a great gift idea for the hard-to-shop-for cook in your life. And the zucchini? Pretty much the best veggie to put it to use on. In both taste and texture, it's amazing how similar the zucchini tastes to al dente pasta. 

Another bonus is the speed at which this dish comes together. For people like me, who are ravenous at the end of the day and can't wait for dinner, it's the perfect solution all around. Monday night dinner dilemma solved. 

Zucchini Spaghetti 

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

*2 medium zucchini, peeled into strips with a julienne peeler

*1/2 to 1 Tbsp. olive oil

*1/4 tsp. salt 

*1/4 tsp. black pepper

*1/2 cup marinara sauce 

*2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese or shredded cheese of choice 

Instructions

*In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the zucchini to pan along with the salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, until zucchini is soft but still has a bit of crunch. 

*Add in the marinara sauce and cook 1 minute more, until marinara sauce is heated through. 

*Transfer to bowl and top with cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 1 as a main dish serving or 2 as a side dish. 

Happy Cooking!

Madison