VEGETARIAN | Kitchenbelle

Avocado, Corn, and Tomato Salsa

Posted on July 5, 2009 by kitchenbelle

This salsa is a delicious addition to any cookout! The flavors are so fresh. It is a nice alternative to traditional chips and dip. I like to serve it with assorted colored tortilla chips because it makes for a pretty presentation, however, traditional corn chips work just as well.

Avocado, Corn, and Tomato Salsa:

2 avocados, diced into small cubes
4-5 vine ripe tomatoes, diced into small cubes (seeds removed)
4 cobs of corn cooked and then kernels removed or 2 cups frozen corn
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine avocado, tomato and corn in one bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients (dressing) in another bowl. Pour dressing over salsa and use a spoon to toss to combine. Serve with chips.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: Appetizer, corn, tomato, VEGETARIAN | Leave a comment »

Sweet Chile Roasted Vegetables

Posted on June 23, 2009 by kitchenbelle

june 23 010

This recipe is perfect for jazzing up your weeknight vegetables! Fresh asparagus, sweet grape or cherry tomatoes, and cauliflower are the perfect combination for roasting. Though this marinade isn’t an exact replication of the sweet chili sauce sold in bottles, it has some heat that is balanced nicely by the agave nectar. (Agave nectar is a natural sweetener derived from the agave plant. It has become popular as a replacement for other sweeteners, like granulated sugar, because of its low glycemic index.) If you don’t have agave nectar on hand, you can use honey as a substitute in this recipe. However, I suggest you give agave nectar a try. It is a nice alternative to sugar, honey, or syrup in baking, coffee, and savory dishes.

Sweet Chile Roasted Vegetables:

2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 medium head of cauliflower
24 pieces asparagus, ends trimmed and then cut into 2- inch pieces
1 pint grape (or cherry) tomatoes, cut lengthwise

Preheat oven to 415 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk all ingredients together except for vegetables. Set aside.

Cut cauliflower into florets. Place florets into a large mixing bowl and add half of marinade mixture. Toss well until evenly coated. Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on baking sheet. Add the asparagus and tomatoes to the marinade and toss to evenly coat vegetables. Arrange asparagus and tomatoes on the second baking sheet.

Place both baking sheets in oven and roast vegetables for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Clean Eating magazine.

Filed under: agave nectar, asparagus, cauliflower, tomato, VEGETARIAN | 2 Comments »

POM-gria

Posted on June 13, 2009 by kitchenbelle

The very generous folks from POM Wonderful sent me several bottles of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice. They also sent a very informative fact sheet containing some interesting information about pomegranate juice and the health benefits of drinking it. Here are a couple of points that I found particularly interesting:

“Wonderful” is actually a variety of pomegranates known for its “unique combination of superior antioxidants, delicious taste, and deep crimson color.” I found this interesting because I thought “POM Wonderful” was just the name of the company! I had no idea it referred to a type of pomegranate.
Pomegranate juice is often referred to as “the most potent antioxidant in nature” and is linked to improved cardiovascular and prostate health.

POM Wonderful is 100% juice and does not contain any added sugar. Each 8 ounce bottle contains 150 calories. I have been sipping on these adorable little bottles of juice for a few weeks now (in fact I think I can credit them with nursing me back to health during a nasty flu virus).

Boston weather this week was much less than desirable, but suddenly, on Friday afternoon the sun came out! I immediately determined it was SANGRIA time. What better way to kick off a beautiful weekend than with a batch of fresh sangria!? I had a few bottles of POM Wonderful remaining and I knew they would make the perfect addition to my concoction!

POM-gria is not only delicious, but it is probably the most nutritious a cocktail could possibly be! The health benefits of red wine have been bludgeoned into our heads—right? Take that wine and add “the most potent antioxidant in nature” (POM Wonderful juice), raspberries (also touted for their high level of antioxidants), orange and peach slices (hello Vitamin C), and there you have a cocktail worthy of every sip.

POM-gria (Sangria):

1 12-ounce bottle of red wine
3 oranges, sliced with skin still on
2 peaches, sliced with skin still on
1-2 cups raspberries, frozen or fresh
the juice of two limes
2 8-ounce bottles of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice
1/2 liter of Pomegranate flavored seltzer (Polar is great)

Put the orange slices, peach slices, and raspberries into a pitcher or container. Pour wine, lime juice, and POM Wonderful juice over all of the fruit. Let it sit for at least an hour. (Over night is best.) Just before serving add seltzer. Serve chilled.

Eating the wine-soaked fruit is the best part!

Filed under: beverage, orange, raspberry, Uncategorized, VEGETARIAN | 3 Comments »

Polenta Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Posted on May 14, 2009 by kitchenbelle

Something about the photo of this recipe in Rachel Ray’s magazine caught my eye. The fact that I had a half of bag of leftover polenta on hand sealed the deal. My husband has been craving fish quite a bit lately. (My mom always taught us that if you are craving something it is your body telling you that you need it! I have been diligently quenching my cravings for as long as I can remember. I love when my husband mentions his cravings because I love finding new recipes to satisfy them.) I decided these peppers would be a perfect accompaniment to some baked fish. I was right! The polenta was just fantastic—creamy and flavorful (not bland at all due to the nice bite and freshness provided by the scallions) and the corn kernels added some always-welcomed crunch. I served these peppers with Cajun-Baked Tilapia. (Recipe to come!)

One note:

I could not find peppers labeled “Poblano” in my grocery store. However, the produce manager assured me Pasilla peppers were the same as Poblano. According to this article, that is not true, however, for the purpose of this recipe they were just fine. They had a nice warm flavor–not as acidic as typical green peppers, not nearly as punchy as jalepenos, and not as sweet as red peppers. They were an enjoyable contrast to the creamy polenta.

Something else I wanted to mention: Technically, today is this blog’s one year anniversary! The reason I say “technically” is because I started writing this blog in May 2008, however, I didn’t make it live until July 2008. It has been a wonderful year of fun in the kitchen—I have discovered so many wonderful recipes from a variety of sources. Sources that have ranged from the expected to the unexpected! (One source I am currently addicted to is myrecipes.com. More on that in future posts!) I continue to adore researching, discovering, trying, and sharing new recipes with you. I hope you’ll continue to visit kitchenbelle.com for inspiration, information, and fun.

Polenta Stuffed Poblano Peppers:

4 plum tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut into wedges (I forgot to get an onion so I substituted 5 whole cloves of garlic)
4 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup instant polenta
1 10 ounce package frozen corn
1/4 cup soft goat cheese
4 scallions, sliced

Heat broiler. On a baking sheet toss the tomatoes, onion (or garlic in my case) and oil. Turn the tomatoes so that they are cut side down and place them on one end of the baking sheet. On the other end of the baking sheet place the peppers cut side down. Broil the vegetables until they are charred, about 5-10 minutes. Flip the tomatoes and peppers over halfway through. Remove from oven. Set peppers aside. Place tomatoes and onions in a blender or food processor.

Heat oven to 400 F. Add the cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the tomatoes and onions in the blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Spread half of this sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Place the peppers (cut side up) on top of the sauce.

In a medium sauce pan bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Do not stop whisking, about 3-4 minutes, until the polenta is thick. Stir in the corn, goat cheese, and all but 2 tablespoons of the slice scallions.

Spoon the polenta mixture into the peppers. Drizzle with the remaining sauce. Bake in the 400 F oven until heated through, about 5-10 minutes. Top with remaining scallions.

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray June/July 2009 issue.

Filed under: cheese, corn, Main Dish, peppers, polenta, Side, tomato, VEGETARIAN | 2 Comments »

Soba Noodle Salad

Posted on April 20, 2009 by kitchenbelle

Have you seen the “Going Going Gone” episode of Barefoot Contessa? In it she makes Crunchy Noodle Salad, Asian Grilled Salmon, and Lemon Yogurt Cake with Blueberry Sauce. This episode really makes me want to jump into her kitchen. (She is my favorite—isn’t her kitchen such a peaceful place?) I have had this episode saved on my DVR for weeks now because I have been dying to make the Crunchy Noodle Salad. It is just so appealing! Well I finally made it!

I made some adjustments:

Instead of spaghetti, as Ina suggests, I used soba noodles. Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour. The texture of these noodles is fantastic!
I had some black sesame seeds on hand so I used those instead of white sesame seeds.
I only used one red bell pepper instead of two.
I contemplated replacing the vegetable oil with olive oil. I don’t like cooking with vegetable oil but I feared the olive oil flavor would be too powerful and offset the wonderful flavors of salad so I stuck with the vegetable oil.
One adjustment I didn’t make this time but that I will make next time is to use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth. I think the crunch of the peanut butter will add to the great textures of this dish.
I think julienned carrots would be an excellent addition to boost the crunch factor.

The verdict: FANTASTIC!

I am not kidding. This is one of the best dishes! It is ABSOLUTELY delicious. The fresh flavors and combination of textures really make this dish wonderful. I served it with teriyaki-seared scallops; however, it would be a perfect accompaniment to steaks, salmon, or any other grilled protein. Furthermore, this is a perfect dish to bring to a picnic, cookout, or potluck. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Barefoot Contessa’s Crunchy Soba Noodle Salad:

1/2 pound soba noodles

1 pound sugar snap peas

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced

4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.

For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the noodles, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and toss together.