14 Oct
Black Bean Mushroom Burgers
Posted by Michelle as Beans and Grains, Vegetarian Entrees | 34 Comments
Bizarre seeing a healthy recipe on a dessert website, isn’t it? Well, the truth of the matter is that I do need to eat “regular” meals or else I would end up in a sugar coma. When I whip up something that I think is great, I want to share it with all of you. After all, I’m pretty certain you need more than dessert to survive as well, right? 
These “burgers” are full of flavor and deliciously hearty. Mushrooms and onions are sauteed with seasoning before being combined with the beans, which imparts much more flavor than I have found in more bland black bean burgers. This was also my first time making homemade bread crumbs (can you believe it?!) and I loved it! They were so much fresher than store-bought.
27 Sep
Italian Sausage, Red Pepper and Mushroom Risotto
Posted by Michelle as Beans and Grains | 27 Comments
This risotto dish is one of the very first meals that I taught myself how to cook and it quickly became a favorite with my family. Yesterday was my mom’s birthday and I offered to make her dinner and told her to pick the menu and I’d make whatever she wanted. It took her all of about 30 seconds to decide that this risotto is what she wanted for dinner, and she chose Dark Chocolate Chip Scones for dessert. In addition to all of the creamy goodness that is risotto, this recipe includes Italian sausage, red pepper and mushrooms that add a tremendous hearty flavor. This should definitely be served as a main dish and goes great with Italian bread and a salad. Definitely plan on something light for dessert!
10 Aug
Arancini: Italian Rice Balls
Posted by Michelle as Beans and Grains | 35 Comments
You all may remember back when I made pizzelles earlier this summer that I had found the recipe in a book, Always on Sunday, written about Italian family traditions. As it turns out, the author’s daughter came across her mom’s recipe here on Brown Eyed Baker, shared it with her mom, who then emailed me to see if she could send me a copy of her book and the new accompanying cookbook that she just had printed. I was so excited to hear from her and imagine my surprise when we realized that we lived ten minutes from each other! Instead of shipping the books we decided to meet at a local Starbucks to chit chat. Marcia is such a lovely woman who is passionate about cooking and wanting to share her heritage with others. She was so kind in giving me signed copies of her books and we enjoyed a great visit about cooking, baking, and Italian families.
30 Aug
Black Bean "Burgers"
Posted by Michelle as Beans and Grains, Vegetarian Entrees | 5 Comments
I have had these on my “to make” list for quite some time, but had never gotten the opportunity to try them. Today I was looking for something healthy for lunch since I usually just snack on whatever I can find, and I remembered I had wanted to try these.
These patties were very tasty and dredging them in cornmeal gave them a great crisp exterior. I ate my “burger” with brown rice and salsa and sour cream on the side. I will be keeping this recipe as it’s perfect for quick, healthy lunches! The recipe below reflects the changes that I made from the original.
Black Bean Patties
(Adapted from Cooking Light)
2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans, divided
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
Cooking spray
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
Preparation
Place 1 1/2 cups beans, garlic, and salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place 1/2 cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. Divide bean mixture into four equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.
Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Top each patty with 1 tablespoon sour cream and extra cheese if desired.
09 Aug
Parmesan Chicken & Rice
Posted by Michelle as Beans and Grains, Poultry | 0 Comments
This is a nice light version of the typical Italian dish, risotto. I came across this lighter adaptation on Cooking Light and only made a couple of slight modifications on the original recipe.
There are no leftovers to speak of, so you know it was a hit! This was also a great clean-up meal since you only need to use one pot! I served this with a side salad – it was a very filling meal!
Parmesan Chicken and Rice (adapted from Cooking Light)
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked instant rice (in my pantry was Uncle Ben’s Fast & Healthy Brown Rice)
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and mushrooms; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
2. Add chicken; saute 4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned.
3. Add wine, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.
4. Stir in rice and broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Stir in cheese and parsley.
**Note: The original recipe only called for 1 cup of chicken broth but I had to add an additional 1/2 cup because the rice was not yet cooked after cooking through the first cup of broth.
10 Mar
Mexican Rice
Posted by Michelle as Beans and Grains | 5 Comments
Last week I was in the mood for something a little different. I had never made fajitas at home before so I grilled up chicken, onions and peppers and had all the fixings on the side. To go with it I made a Mexican-style rice. I loved it so I’ll definitely be keeping the recipe!
Mexican Rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth
(A lot of the recipes I saw called for cumin or other spices, but I chose to omit them.)
1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with garlic salt.
2. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
