Lentil & Quinoa Soup

Recently I was in the mood for lentil soup. I looked online site for recipes and found several good ones. I wanted to use my Instant Pot, so I followed this recipe with some adaptation: 
 
https://profusioncurry.com/lentil-quinoa-soup-instantpot/?fbclid=IwAR3T2x7z4ANRczVvcXYAWvUyURKlMLYWYigYeZ1wXteu4SYtWmYQ_tH-aJI
 
In bold are my additions/changes
 
1 cup dry brown or green lentils washed and rinsed
1/2 cup quinoa rinsed
4 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water or broth [I used low fat, low sodium chicken broth]
Added 1 can of diced tomatoes with the juices
Splash of dry white wine (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Umami Seasoning Blend (optional ) [I didn’t have this so I added a bunch of mushrooms, sliced, along with a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard, some red pepper flakes, and dried thyme]
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Stir.

Close the lid. Switch the vent to "sealing". Choose MANUAL ( Pressure cook) mode, choose High Pressure and adjust the time to 12 minutes. It will take around 10 minutes to get up to pressure.

When the InstantPot beeps after cooking, wait on KEEP WARM timer for 5 minutes. Then move the valve to "venting". After the pressure is released, and pin is down, carefully open the lid.

Give the soup a good stir. Adjust the seasoning. Squeeze a quarter of lemon or stir in lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning. Add some fresh cracked black pepper on top and garnish with fresh herbs.
 
I topped the soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Scallops with Pesto Sauce

 

I made a pesto pasta with scallops and vegetables for dinner one night. It was pretty simple to prepare and just something I tossed together.
This is a serving for one.
 
5 scallops (rinse, pat dry, and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper)
3 large mushrooms, sliced
Red bell pepper, sliced (about 1/5th of a pepper)
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
About 3 T. pesto (I make my own)
Olive oil
2 oz. pasta (I bought the Barilla Thin Spaghetti Protein+ pasta)
 
In a large pot, bring water to a boil with some salt and a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the pasta when ready. It took about 6-7 minutes to cook.
 
Meanwhile, in a large pan, fry the garlic, mushrooms, and bell pepper in olive oil. Move the vegetables to the side of the pan, and add a tablespoon of olive oil and pan fry the scallops. Cook about 4 minutes on each side.
 
Drain the pasta and add the pesto; mix in. Plate the pasta and top with the scallops and vegetables. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves. Eat and enjoy!
 
You can add more vegetables if you'd like. I would have liked more mushrooms because they cooked down quite a bit.

Mushroom Tortellini

 

Mushrooms tortellini with vegetables and a red pesto sauce.

Serves 1
 
I boiled water in a medium pot and cooked the tortellini with some salt.
 
Meanwhile, I sautéed one chopped garlic, some red onion, a few quartered cherry tomatoes and diced yellow pepper in a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Once cooked, I turned off the heat.
 
I drained the pasta and placed it into a bowl.
 
I added the vegetables and 1 tablespoon of red pesto sauce (store bought) and tossed to coat the tortellini. I topped with a little Feta cheese and Parmesan cheese; and fresh basil.

Egg Salad Sandwich

 

Just a simple sandwich for lunch.

1 Hard-boiled Egg

1/2 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. or so of Hellmann's Mayonnaise (adjust quantity to your liking)

1 t. Chopped onion

Dried dill

Dash of Cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine the above ingredients. Refrigerate to chill.

Top the bread with lettuce, then the egg salad. Add some sliced avocado.

Serve with baby carrots on the side.

Shrimp Salad

I had left-over shrimp from a party, so I made this delicious salad.

I included avocado, lettuce, chopped baby carrots, diced orange bell pepper, Feta cheese, and Kalamata olives.

I topped it with Balsamic vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice.

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

This is my version of a healthy and tasty dish. Instead of deep frying, I baked the eggplant before assembling the dish.

Serves: 4

1 large eggplant, sliced thin into rounds
Salt
1 large egg, beaten
Black pepper
1/2 cup of Italian Breadcrumbs
Olive Oil
1 cup Rao’s Tomato Sauce
Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus some for a garnish)
4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (or a little more if needed)
 
Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with some salt, cover with paper towels and set aside for 30 minutes to drain the liquid.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Rub some olive oil onto a baking sheet.

Place the breadcrumbs onto a large plate; and the beaten egg in a bowl.

Dip each eggplant slice in the egg and then into the breadcrumb, turn to coat both sides. Place onto the oiled baking sheet. More breadcrumbs may be needed.

Bake the eggplants for about 18 to 20 (half way through, turn the slices over) until they are browned. Remove from oven, and let cool for 10 minutes.
 
Reduce the oven to 325°F.

In a 9 x 12 glass baking dish, spread some tomato sauce on the bottom and add a layer of the eggplant. Top with the grated parmesan cheese, basil and mozzarella. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper to taste. Repeat this layer until all eggplant has been used. The final top should be a layer of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. This should yield two layers of eggplant. If you want three layers, use a 8 x 8 pan.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. 

Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes before serving. Top with the fresh basil.

Serve with your favorite pasta. 

 

22 June 2022:

I'm still enjoying this recipe. I made it last night and layered it (3 layers).  I diced the cheese.  

Homemade Hummus

Hummus Recipe Using Dried Chickpeas

My recipe, adapted from a few other recipes found online

8 oz dried Chickpeas, rinsed and sorted through to pick out any bad ones
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Ice cubes
1/4 cup Tahini (I use the Trader Joe’s brand)
3 T Extra virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper
 
Garnishes: Cooked reserved Chickpeas, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac.
 
Warm pita bread, cut into wedges and/or fresh vegetables (sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, etc)
 
Directions:
 
Soak the chickpeas overnight in a pot that’s filled about 2” above the chickpeas (at least 12 hours).
 
The next day, strain the chickpeas in a colander; rinse well. Add fresh water to the pot, covering 2” above the chickpeas. Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, until tender. (The last time I made this, I had to simmer for 2.5 hours – it just depends on the age of the dried chickpeas).
 
Rinse and cool the chickpeas (reserve about a cup of the simmered liquid).  Set aside a handful of the chickpeas to use as a garnish.
 
Remove the outer skin. This is time-consuming but this what makes the hummus creamy. If you leave the skin on, you’ll end up with a grainy texture. When the chickpeas are simmering, some of the skins will float to the top, so you can take them out with a strainer.  
 
Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the garlic, ice cubes, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and process until smooth. You may need to use a spoon to scrape down the sides. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If it’s too thick for your liking add some of the reserved liquid.
 
Serve:
 
Place in a bowl and either serve right away; or refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) until ready to serve.
 
When serving, top the hummus with the reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac, and the pita bread and/or vegetable.
 
Note:
 
You can use canned chickpeas, but you need to simmer them for about 20-30 minutes.  Then continue the recipe, to include removing the outer skin.

Flatbread Pizza

 

Flatbread pizza! OMG, so good!

I used an Aldi Flatbread.

I brushed the flatbread with a little olive oil and topped it with the following ingredients:

Rao's Tomato Sauce
Turkey Italian sausage (cooked, then crumbled into small pieces
Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh baby spinach leaves
Kalamata olives, chopped
Baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
Grated Parmesan cheese

Baked for 10-12 minutes right on the rack at 425 degrees.

Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche

 

16 September 2020

This is my version, in which I adapted from these two recipes:
https://www.thekitchn.com/ceviche-recipe-22902965?fbclid=IwAR0jwL203YcfdRSOrJOioQQHuiVDGcVr8saK_b9TzbL5OVgcFbuKIM_8ItE
http://www.eatingwell.com/video/6984/how-to-make-shrimp-ceviche/

Serves: 1

5-6 peeled and deveined raw shrimp (purchased from Costco, frozen and thawed)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
Freshly squeezed lime juice (1/3 lime)
Freshly squeezed orange juice (1/4 of an orange) 
4-5 grape tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 T. red onion, sliced small
1  jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 small avocado
1 T cilantro leaves chopped, for garnish
 
1/4 cup (dry measurement) Whole wheat couscous

Cook the couscous according to directions; then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Bring a pot of water, salted, to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat and add the shrimp. Let the shrimp cook about 3 minutes until just done. Drain and rinse the shrimp in cold water; place on a plate and refrigerate for about 15 minutes to cool.
 
Chop the shrimp and place in a nonreactive bowl. Add the lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, cucumber and salt; toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
 
Just before serving, dice the avocado and add to the ceviche mixture. Toss gently to combine.
 
To serve, place the couscous and top with the ceviche and all of the liquid. Top with the chopped cilantro.