Squash Squares

Runner's World - Published 11/27/2007
Add this winter veggie to your postrun meal to help you rehydrate and fight injury


1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
21/4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dried cranberries or grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Toast pecans in ungreased skillet; stir to avoid burning. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low; saute onion and garlic until tender (15 minutes). Add squash, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still holding its shape (20 minutes). Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in half the pecans and half the parsley. Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with remaining pecans and parsley. Option: Sprinkle with cranberries or Parmesan. Serves 4.

Calories: 270 Fat: 15 g Protein: 5 g Carbs: 36 g

Enfrijoladas

Enfrijoladas
Recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid - Food Network
Mexican Made Easy - August 2010
Ingredients


4 cups cooked pinto beans, (Frijoles De La Olla, recipe follows) drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 plum tomato, roughly chopped
1 medium serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Manchego, Swiss or Monterrey Jack cheese
Mexican crema or regular sour cream, for drizzling
2 thin slices red onion, separated into rings

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the drained beans and chicken broth in a large bowl.

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, tomato, chile, and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Rub the oregano, between palms of your hands and sprinkle over the beans. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Add the beans and broth to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool the beans for about 5 minutes before putting them in the blender. Carefully, pour the mixture into a blender and puree. Return the pureed mixture to the pan and gently reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.

Warm tortillas in a towel in the microwave for 30-60 sec. Using tongs, pass the tortillas 1 by 1 through the refried bean sauce until they are somewhat softened and coated on both sides with the sauce. Set aside on a plate. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Fold in half and arrange them, overlapping, in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Top with an additional 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the bean sauce, just enough to cover the beans but allow the edges of the folded tortillas to show. Bake until cheese is melted about 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, drizzle with Mexican sour cream lengthwise in a 2-inch thick strip down the center of the dish. Top with 8 overlapping red onion rings.

Garlic-Parmesan Pita Chips

Garlic-Parmesan Pita Chips
Makes 32 chips
Desperation Dinners 30 Sept 2009, San Diego Union-Tribune
2 (7-8") whole wheat pita bread rounds
1 1/2t melted butter
2T grated parmesan cheese
1t garlic powder
1t dried Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with cooking oil spray and set aside.
2. Cut each pita round in half and, using fingers, separate each half into two thin pieces. Brush each side with melted butter, stack several on top of each other, and slice into 4 wedges using a pizza cutter. Place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with cheese, garlic, and seasoning.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 min until crisp and golden brown.
4. Remove from oven and let cool.

Chickpea Potato Curry

Chickpea Potato Curry
Published 06/03/2009 Running Magazine
From the cookbook Hands-Off Cooking: Low-Supervision, High-Flavor Meals for Busy People

Ingredients
2 1/2 c vegetable broth
2 - 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
14 1/2 oz can fire-roasted or stewed tomatoes with chiles*
6 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (~12 oz, quartered)
1 medium onion (~1 c, diced)
1 T unsalted butter
2 t minced ginger
1 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t cayenne pepper

*If you can't find canned tomatoes with chiles, add half a 4-ounce can of diced green Anaheim chiles to a 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes.
In a large pot, combine the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, butter, ginger, and spices. Stir to mix and nestle the potatoes into the liquid.
Set the pot, uncovered, over medium heat. Simmer vigorously for about 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add more salt to taste. Serve the curry in bowls over Jasmine rice.
4 servings

One Dish Wonder

ONE-DISH WONDERS

With a modest makeover, casseroles supply carbs, protein, and tons of vitamins-without the fat
Runner's World Magazine published 09/20/2006


A runner's casserole should have four standard components: a quality protein, a complex carbohydrate, vegetables, and a sauce. A topping is optional, but can add nutritional value. If you start with cooked ingredients, such as leftover cooked brown rice, the cooking time will be about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncooked ingredients, such as pasta, will need more moisture (water or vegetable stock) and can take up to 90 minutes to bake. Use a glass baking dish spritzed with canola or olive oil cooking spray and cover with foil for all but the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Create your own healthy casserole by picking one food from each category below (amounts are approximated for an eight-inch by 12-inch casserole dish).
Quality Protein:
12 oz canned salmon or tuna
2 c cooked chicken, turkey, or lean cubed ham
1 lb ground and browned lean beef
4 soy burgers crumbled

Carb Choices:
2 to 3 cups cooked wild or brown rice
2 to 3 cups cooked whole-grain pasta or mashed potatoes
1 tube polenta cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 1/2 cups steamed sweet potatoes

Veggie Options:
1 1/2 to 2 cups of precut, slightly thawed frozen:
broccoli
carrots
green beans
asparagus
stir-fry combination
okra

Sauces:
1 10-ounce can of condensed, reduced-fat cream of mushroom, celery, broccoli, or potato soup
Stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups salsa

Toppings:
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (reduced fat), part-skim mozzarella, or Parmesan
1/3 cup wheat germ or chopped nuts
1/2 cup whole-wheat seasoned bread crumbs

Sweet Potato Skillet

Sweet Potato Skillet
Post Workout Refuel by Amy Kabul, MS, RD, Paleo Dietitian - from TrainingBible Coaching, January 2010
The post-workout meal is the most important meal of the training day. Here is a great, easy recipe to help refuel those depleted glycogen stores. Add some high quality protein, like grilled chicken, salmon, beef or turkey and enjoy!
Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato or yam, diced into cubes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
2 tsp olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and 1 Tbsp of water.
3. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Turn and toss frequently to avoid burning.
4. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and serve.

Baked Vegetarian Casserole

Baked Vegetarian Casserole

By Marni Sumbal
usatriathlon.org
•Veggies - canned, fresh or frozen (if using canned, give a rinse before using) (I used fresh jalepenos, canned chickpeas, fresh chives, fresh whole mushrooms (sliced), fresh roma tomatoes (sliced), canned black beans, frozen corn and fresh onions.
•Veggie burger
•1/4 c cooked rice or pasta
•4 egg whites + 1 whole egg
•1/8 c skim milk
•1/3 c vegetarian stock (you could even use 1 can of vegetarian soup with vegetables if you'd like, instead of the vegetarian stock)
•1/8 c stuffing cubes or croutons
•Spices - pepper, paprika, garlic, and herb (or your favorite no salt seasoning)
•2-3 T. shredded cheese

Preparation:
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.In a non-stick loaf pan, sprayed lightly with non-stick spray, put all the veggies in the pan and mix. Add crumbled veggie burger (cook for about 1 minute in microwave to defrost).
3.Scramble eggs and milk. Add vegetarian stock and spices. Scramble again with fork.
4.Pour liquid mixture over veggies in loaf pan and press down veggies with a spatula.
5.Crush croutons or stuffing cubes either in baggy or between two plates.
6.Sprinkle croutons/stuffing over veggies.
7.Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.
8.Turn off oven. Place cheese evenly over crumbs and leave in oven until ready to eat (or until cheese is melted).

Serve with Asparagus:
While casserole is cooking, lightly coat asparagus with 2 tsp olive oil and lemon pepper seasoning. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is soft.