lime – Page 5 – The Pajama Chef

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

November 13, 2013November 13, 2013 Sarah

How many new foods have you tried because you read about them on a blog? For me, it’s probably been a lot–namely a lot of veggies I didn’t grow up eating and/or didn’t know how to prepare, cheeses, grains, etc. I’ve never really been a picky eater, but reading blogs and cookbooks certainly have revealed gaps in my foodie education. Since I’ve been reading blogs, one of my favorite new foods has been butternut squash. Sure, it’s a pain to cut, but it’s just. so. tasty! And it makes this quinoa–one of my favorite foods ever, btw–an essential dish for your fall cooking season. Period.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy butternut squash is roasted and tossed in a salad, particularly this quinoa salad. I made this several times last winter and just never got around to sharing it here, so I was so happy when I realized this week that it was finally butternut squash season again! What makes this salad so good is the always delightful pairing of sweet and spicy seasonings, some strong cheese, and some salty meat. Molasses! Lime juice! Feta! Canadian bacon! All the good things, huh?! 🙂

One of the key flavors here in this nutty salad is the molasses. It does a double duty as a marinade for the roasted squash, and as a dressing for the salad itself. Molasses is totally underrated, but it lends such rich flavor and subtle sweetness to this dish. It’s such a great fall flavor that I want to play with more! In the meantime, enjoy it on this fabulous side dish or light lunch. I can’t wait to make this many more times this fall and winter, and hope you try it out too! 🙂

one year ago: Carnitas
two years ago: Thai Seared Shrimp with Tomato, Basil, & Coconut
three years ago: Apple City Barbecue Sauce

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
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Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, cubed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
juice of 1/2 a lime
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup quinoa
2 cups broth [chicken or vegetable, as desired]
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped and soaked in 1 cup of water for 10 minutes then drained and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons molasses
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 cup canadian bacon, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and cut a large butternut squash into 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, molasses, chili powder, lime juice, and a generous amount of black pepper. Add cubed butternut squash, then toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on two large rimmed baking sheets, then bake for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

Meanwhile, cook quinoa in broth according to package directions. Stir in soaked and dried red onion, molasses, lime juice, crumbled feta, and chopped canadian bacon. Fold in cubed butternut squash, then season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 4-5 servings.

Linked up with: What’s Cookin’ Wednesday.

Beans, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces

Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce

August 9, 2013January 5, 2017 Sarah

We eat a lot of black beans around here–as a simple side with tacos, on salads, with rice. For some reason though, it’s rare that the black beans themselves are the star of the meal. And why not? They are so good and so filling! These Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce are the perfect example of that.

I honestly wasn’t expecting much of this meal, but it was so phenomenal that I just had to share. Quinoa and black beans are a natural combination, and when flavored with garlic and taco seasoning, are pretty amazing. I also added some cheese because duh. Cheese. It’s all melty and wonderful. You could certainly add the cheese separately to the burrito, but I kinda liked the gooey factor when it was stirred in with everything else.

As good as the burrito filling is, adding some guacamole and a quick Southwest Sauce makes this burrito. For sure. The sauce’s intriguing ingredients–salsa, mayo, lime juice, maple syrup, and spices–sound a bit off, but trust me. It totally works! This sauce is tangy, sweet, and has a tiny kick–but no real heat. You could spice this up if you wanted though! These Quinoa Black Bean Burritos make a wonderfully easy vegetarian weeknight dinner, and the leftovers last for days. Serve it with a side salad and chips and salsa for a complete meal. My kind of recipe! You can bet this will be part of our regular rotation from now on. Enjoy!

a year ago… Summery Squash & Chicken Lasagna
two years ago… Watermelon Coolers
three years ago… OTT: Brown Sugar Bacon Twists

Quinoa Black Bean Burritos with Southwest Sauce

Servings: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
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adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed [I used 1/2 cup each red and white quinoa]
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups black beans [or a 15 ounce can], drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
flour tortillas
chopped avocados or guacamole [I made a simple guac–1 mashed avocado, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, pepper]

for Southwest Sauce

1/2 cup salsa
1 tablespoon mayonnaise [I think sour cream or plain yogurt could be substituted too]
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Place quinoa and broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook at a simmer until all liquid has been absorbed–about 12 to 15 minutes. Then, add black beans, garlic, cheese, and taco seasoning and stir until cheese has melted. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.

Meanwhile, prepare Southwest Sauce. Whisk together salsa, mayonnaise, maple syrup, cumin, lime juice, and chili powder. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If salsa is chunky, you may want to smooth sauce by pureeing in a blender or food processor.

Serve by spooning quinoa black bean mixture in a large flour tortilla. Top with avocados or guacamole, then roll shut. Drizzle Southwest Sauce on top immediately before serving.

Linked up with Foodie Friday and Weekend Potluck.

Recipes, Rice, Sides

Mexican Rice

May 28, 2013May 31, 2013 Sarah

Oh my goodness. This RICE! Normally, rice is Ben’s obsession, but this time, it’s mine. This Mexican Rice is seriously amazing. It’s the closest restaurant-style replica recipe that I have ever successfully made. Ben agreed, and thought this was better than something you could get at a restaurant. And for a guy who likes to eat out, that’s saying something!! So many recipes online or in cookbooks claim to be restaurant-worthy, but most of the time, they’re lying. Well this one? Not so much. It’s just like the rice you’d get at your favorite local hole in the wall Mexican place.

When I first saw that the recipe called for three jalapenos, I have to admit that I was a little nervous [even considering my recent love of spice]. But really, I needn’t have been afraid–this rice had the perfect amount of kick. Not too spicy, not too bland. Stirring in cilantro at the end and adding a squeeze of lime juice to each serving definitely balanced out the flavors and gave the rice a little something special.

At first glance, this Mexican Rice recipe might look a bit intimidating. Even if it has good flavor, isn’t it a bit overkill to go through all these steps of rinsing and sautéing the rice, then cooking it on the stove and in the oven? NO! Not at all. Don’t skip a step–each is necessary to make this light and fluffy without a bit of gloopy, gloppiness that can all too easily happen when a bunch of stuff is added to rice. The texture isn’t sticky or mushy. It’s just perfect. And when paired with homemade tacos and refried beans, well, it’s just like eating at a restaurant But at home, for a fraction of the cost… and with all the leftovers you could want. 🙂 I know I’ll be making this rice over and over again for many tacos nights in our future, and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

Mexican Rice [from Food.com]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes [15 ounces]
1 medium onion [yellow or white]
2 cups long grain white rice
1/4 cup canola oil
3 medium jalapenos, minced and divided [deseed as desired–I deseeded two]
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, wedged

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor or blender, combine tomatoes and onion. Puree until smooth, then pour into a measuring cup and reserve 2 cups. Discard excess [or save for something else, like salsa, or eat with a spoon…].

Add oil to a large [10-12 inch] straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven [with a tight fitting lid] and set over medium-high heat. While oil is heating up, place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for about 2 minutes or until water runs clear. This is similar to rinsing quinoa–it removes the starch from the rice to make it nice and fluffy. Do not omit this step! Shake rice to remove excess water.

Next, drop a few grains of rice in the oil. If they sizzle it is ready. Add rice to oil and cook for 6-8 minutes, constantly stirring, until rice is lightly golden and translucent. Reduce heat a little if the oil starts to splatter, and add up to another 2 tablespoons of oil if it seems too dry.

Reduce heat to medium, then add 2 jalapenos and garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in pureed tomatoes and onions and chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove and stir well. Return to oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven and stir in remaining jalapeno and cilantro. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze on each serving before enjoying.

Time: 55 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Notes: You can use 12 ounces fresh ripe tomatoes but since I made this before tomato season, I opted for canned. If you use fresh tomatoes, the recipe recommends supplementing with salsa if you need to get up to 2 cups AND to add 1 tablespoon tomato paste to the mix as well.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Chipotle Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream

March 6, 2013March 9, 2013 Sarah

I am SO ready for spring. It’s been cold all week, and then last night we got several inches of snow. Not as much as some parts of the country, but still… I am over winter. Entirely. My sister thinks winter is the greatest, and even planned her wedding for December hoping for snow [and there was… see!]. In that case, snow was cute and pretty and fun. In this case, in March, snow is not fun. In my opinion, the only good part about this sort of weather is that it is perfectly aceptable to wear cozy warm sweaters, ridiculously old and soft sweatpants, and boots everyday. Not necessarily altogether now, but you get my drift. And for dinner, it is perfectly acceptable to have soup almost every night. At least, until your husband tires of it. Thankfully, he didn’t tire of soup before we enjoyed this fabulous Chipotle Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream created by Joanne. I already have one black bean soup recipe that I adore… now I have two! One vegetarian, one meatatarian.

My go-to black bean soup is thick and chunky with black beans, onion, and spinach, and gets most of its flavors from a variety of spices and chicken broth. This recipe is much simpler, and, as the name implies, heavy on the chipotle flavor. Heavy on the awesomeness, more likely. The actual soup recipe only has six ingredients: chorizo, carrots, onions, chipotle peppers, vegetable broth, and black beans, so the chipotle flavor really does dominate. Chorizo and chipotle peppers are a fabulous combo, but I wasn’t initially sure how the carrots would work in the mix, but it turns out that carrots with a bit of spice are pretty phenomenal.

What really makes this soup pop though is the avocado cream. It’s like a creamy guacamole… but is all in all pretty healthy since the cream comes from avocado and Greek yogurt. It’s jazzed up with lime juice and cilantro, and I added a dash of crushed red pepper. Umm, yum. The whole soup, avocado cream and all, is pretty spicy but nothing I couldn’t handle. I thought it got even better, and almost a little sweeter as it sat in the fridge for a couple days. Like many dishes, the flavors improved over time. I wish I could have had a big bowl for dinner last night in the snow, but alas… I had to settle for Panera instead [tomato soup + fuji apple chicken salad!]. Panera’s good, but homemade’s better. Enjoy!

Chipotle Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream [adapted from Eats Well With Others]
click to print

Ingredients:

10 ounces chorizo
4 large carrots, diced
2 large onions, diced [I used 1 red and 1 white]
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked black beans

for the avocado cream

1 small ripe avocado, cut in half and pit removed
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice
crushed red pepper

Directions:

Heat a large [4+ quart] saucepan over medium heat, then add chorizo to the pot. Break it up with a wooden spoon, then cook through. If the pan looks really greasy, wipe out some of the grease with a paper towel, then add carrots and onions, and cook until soft. Stir occasionally. Stir in the peppers, then cook for a minute until fragrant.

Add the vegetable broth and black beans to the pot, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, then simmer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare avocado cream by combining the avocado, Greek yogurt, cilantro, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Season with crushed red pepper as desired.

Puree about 1/3 of the soup with an immersion blender if desired [I forgot to do this], then serve soup topped with avocado cream.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 servings.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

October 18, 2012October 23, 2015 Sarah

So, Thursdays are always really busy evenings for us. Ben and I usually get home around 5:20, 5:30ish and then it’s rush rush rush to eat dinner, clean up, play with the cats a bit, and make it to our church small group at 7. [Well, 7ish… I’m naturally a pretty punctual person, but sometimes make it a habit to be places late when I know everyone else is going to be late and it’s awkward to be early. Know what I mean?] Basically this means we need to leave by 6:45 at the latest to be there relatively on time, thanks to the massive amounts of road construction in Bloomington right now.

Lots to do in an hour or so. That’s our Thursday. You can probably relate, yes?

Our routine used to be that Thursdays were leftover nights. I’m not sure where that got derailed, but it did, and so that left us with a gaping hole in the fridge [and our stomachs] last Thursday. Fortunately, I was able to whip up this incredible soup to fill the gap!

I know Chicken Tortilla Soup is nothing original, but I was proud of myself for a) making this recipe up as I went along [after perusing a few recipes online earlier in the week, and no, I don’t have a photographic memory], and more importantly, b) making this WHOLE SOUP in under 30 minutes!! Yes, the whole soup… chopping, cooking, and all. All I did was let the chicken and [homemade] chicken broth defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then when it came time to make the soup, I started preheating the stockpot as I chopped the onion and minced the garlic, then cut up the chicken as the onion and garlic were cooking. As the chicken was cooking, I measured out the rest of the ingredients in assembly line fashion, added them when appropriate, and was ladling up this spicy, aromatic soup by 6 pm! I was quite pleased with myself for this timely performance.

And boy, was I even more pleased once I took the first bite of this Chicken Tortilla Soup! The broth is spicy, but not too hot–you can really taste the different flavors and the subtle heat that comes from paprika versus cumin versus chili powder. Nothing too intense, but it blends nicely with the chicken that is cooked with a dose of taco seasoning. Then, accompanying the chicken in the broth is corn and two kinds of beans; my favorite black beans and also another Mexi-food staple: pinto beans. Rounding out the soup is a bit of fresh cilantro and lime, as well as some cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. Then you can top the soup with whatever toppings you desire. I liked the combination of chopped tomatoes, avocado, and tortilla chips the best. Oh! And cheese and more cilantro. Just too many to remember, I guess. It was just so good…

There’s no doubt that this Chicken Tortilla Soup requires a speedy, dedicated-to-cooking 30 minutes, that’s for sure, but it has a tasty result at the end so I suggest you give it a try next time you need a hearty dinner in a hurry! The leftovers ain’t bad either–this is definitely a soup that improves with age. Off to my busy Thursday–wish I had everything to make this soup again for dinner tonight. 🙂

30 Minute Chicken Tortilla Soup

Servings: 6
Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons taco seasoning [this is my go-to]
6 cups chicken broth
15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corn
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in just enough warm water to be pourable
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
toppings: salsa, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, green onions, tomato

Directions:

In a large stockpot set over medium heat, saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until soft. Add chicken and taco seasoning to the pot, then stir to coat. Cook for another 5-6 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Pour in chicken broth, then stir in beans, corn, paprika, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cornstarch, lime juice, and cilantro, then season with black pepper to taste.

Serve with toppings as desired.