CEiMB: Five Layer Mexican Dip

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe pick, Five Layer Mexican Dip, comes from Mama Cooks. The recipe can be found below or on the Food Network's website.

Lucky for me, Tostitos always has the BAKED version of tortilla chips available in stores, including the SCOOPS. I am easily downing this entire 8x8 Pyrex of wonderful dip as I type.

It's happening slowly.......I continue to cover the dish with foil, put it in the fridge, and then walk away......and then 10 minutes later I am back uncovering it and dipping in.......=))

I added olives b/c we are big fans!

I think I miss the sour cream that is usually part of a Mexican layer Dip.......but that's why we love Ellie and her sneaky little tricks for making our favorite dishes a bit healthier!

Five Layer Mexican Dip

2007, Ellie Krieger All rights reserved

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can black beans, preferably low sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10 ounce box frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions ans cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth.

Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.

Ina small bowl, mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion, and jalapeno , if suing. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with the cheese. Serve with baked chips.

CEiMB: Arugula, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

O My.......The excitement that comes with having the pick of the week!

I finally took the time to take some nice photographs, I read through both Ellie Books for days, and I tried to cook to the EXACT recipe for this dish.......(something I never do).
There's also a lot of pressure in picking the right recipe.....I feel like this group is so creative and always picks dishes that i would never make. By taking these chances, my taste buds have evolved (thanks, CEiMB Bloggers!).

So here it is: Arugula, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza from page 173 of
The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. Recipe to follow.

And most of all...... I'm excited that my blog will get some traffic......I can't even explain how giddy I get when is see a comment......

I personally think onions are under-rated. Obviously it's the pungent smell and the bad breath for days and crying while chopping......but seriously I am in love with the onion. I love them raw on a cheeseburger hot off the grill........I love them sauteed with garlic and olive oil.......I love them with cheese on a hot dog........but most of all, I LOVE them caramelized in anything!

These pizzas were amazing .......I plan to try this topping on regular pizza dough this weekend for my family. I am in love with this combination of goat cheese, caramelized onion, and arugula......I think I may even try it on pasta!
All in all, a simple dish.....but oh so healthy, quick to prepare.......beautiful!
Kudos again and again to Ellie Krieger!!!!


Recipe follows pictures:

Arugula, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ellie Krieger, 2008

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
• 4 cups arugula washed, dried and coarsely chopped
• sat and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Four 6 inch diameter whole wheat tortilla
• 2 ounces fresh goat cheese, preferably reduced fat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden and the edges are browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until it is wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with the arugula mixture. Crumble the goat cheese over each and bake until the tortillas are crisp ans the cheese is slightly melted, about 10n minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut each pizza into 4 wedges ans serve.

Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup

This week's CEiMB (Craving Ellie in My Belly) recipe pick comes from Mary at PopsiclesandSandyFeet.
You will find the recipe for Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup on page 77 of The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger; as well as, at the bottom of this post.
Mary is not only a great cook but her blog is hysterical......she always manages to make me giggle out loud! (Not to mention, she has 2 ADORABLE little boys!)
Her stories are enjoyable and her whit is so apparent!
.......there's something 'bout Mary......
Check out Mary's blog.......and the above named book for some wonderful recipes that are delicious while still maintaining some healthy ideas.

I have a feverish four year old home with me today, so I decided to go with ingredients that I had on hand to make the soup.
I had no scallions on hand.
And I substituted lentils for the sweet potatoes.
Crazy, I know........and my picture, I'm sure, will look very different from the conventional recipe for this soup.......but the taste was there!
I loved my concoction!

The cayenne pepper mixed with the honey and peanut butter......it's amazing!

I saw a post about using CHUNKY peanut butter in this recipe, as well.......which I must try.
Chunky PB vs. creamy PB........no contest!



Sweet and Spicy Peanut Soup
Ellie Krieger, 2008

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
One 14.5 ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes, with their juices
2/3 creamy natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup chopped scallion greens (about 3)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cayenne, black pepper, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the sweet potatoes, broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or in a regular blender in 2 batches and return the soup to the pot. Add the peanut butter and honey and stir, over low heat, until the peanut butter melts. Serve warm, garnished with the scallions.

CEiMB: Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

This recipe promised to deliver.....and it DID!
Such simple ingredients and yet soooo much flavor!
Tessa from Handle The Heat chose this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe from page 212 of The Food You Crave.
The only change I made was to use chicken cutlets.
This recipe is easy and is loaded with flavor......enjoy!

Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

8 bone in chicken thighs, about 2 1/2 pounds
1/3 cup grainy French mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine the mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup in a a small bowl. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the mustard mixture evenly on top of each chicken thigh, being careful to cover as much of the surface as possible to form a crust. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large baking dish. Bake until the mustard mixture has formed a crust and is slightly hardened, and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced in the center, 45-50 minutes.

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Cream

What a delightful surprise in these potato skins! Once again Ellie has taught us how to take an old favorite, that wasn't so healthy, and turn it into a dish that we can be proud of!

Ellie, you're the best!

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe pick comes from Anne of the blog rainforestrecipes. She chose the Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Cream which is a web-based Food Network recipe.

You must read Anne's blog........she literally "cooks from the jungles of Guatemala".......her life is truly amazing and we are so lucky to have a glimpse into it.

Mil gracias, Ana.....

The avocado cream that one puts on top of these lovely little potatoes is so light and fluffy and just DELISH! I had to stop myself from eating it straight from the bowl!

OK, that's a lie, I DID eat it straight from the bowl and luckily had more avocados on hand for the rest of my family......=))

I have been known to drink homemade tomato sauce at times......so I'm not really bashful about these things. Although i will tell you, that admitting this kind of behavior is much easier when other cooking friends, like Popsiclesandsandyfeet admit that they drink Ina's turkey gravy straight!

Thank you, Mary!

Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Cream

2007, Ellie Krieger All Rights Reserved

Ingredients:

• 8 small Idaho potatoes (2 1/2 pounds) scrubbed and dried
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
• cooking spray
• 3 pieces Canadian bacon, finely diced
• 3/4 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar

Avocado Cream

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 medium avocado
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Pierce potatoes several times with a fork and wrap in paper towels. Microwave on high for 13-15 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through. Remove from microwave and cool until potatoes are easy to handle. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop all but 1/8 inch of the inside of the potato, leaving the skin intact. Reserve scooped flesh for another use.

Brush both inside and outside of the potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt. Place potatoes, skin side down, on baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the filling. Steam the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until crisp stirring often, about 3-4 minutes. Reserve.

To make avocado cream, combine the scallion whites, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and salt in a small bowl of a food processor and process on high until smooth. About 30 seconds.

Toss the broccoli with cheese filling evenly among potatoes. Lower the oven to 400 degrees and return potatoes to oven until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado cream on top of broccoli-filled potatoes, then top with scallion greens and 1 tablespoon crisped bacon bits.

CEiMB: Confetti Chili

This week's Craving Elly in My Belly recipe pick comes from Lauren and Paul of the culinary blog I'll Eat You. Confetti Chili, which is on page 187 of Ellie's book The Food You Crave, is such a nice pick for this first week of December!

The chipotle chile in adobo sauce is AMAZING and gives the dish (or any dish!) this slight heat with a side of smokiness......it's wonderful.

This chili recipe is so healthy and so not about the heat......almost like a stew for the winter w/o the competition of THE best chili in the local cook-off........=))

I'm all for chili competitions but, you know, not every day.......=))

I love the CONFETTI name......it explains the colors of the veggies and beans so nicely!

Here is the recipe:

Confetti Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium carrot, diced

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 pound lean ground beef

One 28 ounce can no salt added crushed tomatoes, with their juices

2 cups water

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce......seeded and minced, plus 2 teaspoons of the sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

One 15.5 ounce can black beans

One 15.5 ounce can kidney beans

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrot, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes.

Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes, until the chili is nicely thickened. Stir in the corn and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

CEiMB: Jewel Roasted Vegetables

Happy Thanksgiving, CEiMB bloggers!

This week our culinary group decided to cook an Ellie Krieger recipe of our choice to go with Thanksgiving dinner.
Since I pawned Thanksgiving dinner off on my little sister this year......I was very excited to have more time to dedicate to side dishes and appetizers. Having cooked the past 10 Thanksgiving dinners, I was happy to relax a bit, have dirty bathrooms, and meander through cook books at my leisure. It was a nice break this year.

I chose to make the Jewel Roasted Vegetables from page 244 of The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. This is by far one of the "prettiest" names for a recipe I have ever heard.......with a matching picture on page 245.
My photo above is how I roasted the veggies in my oven......a little reminiscent of a Cobb Salad we all made not so long ago. I still go a little OCD with my foods sometimes.
Though when served, I mixed all three of these vegetables into one bowl and the melding of flavors were wonderful.
My one change was to substitute butternut squash for the carrots.
I also bought some pre-cut beets which made the roasting process so much easier!

This dish was a big hit and I don't think people realized just how healthy they were eating!

Jewel Roasted Vegetables:

4 medium beets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds carrots
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
8 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put the beets into a small baking dish and rub them with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast for 30 minutes.
While the beets are roasting, peel, and cut the carrots into 1 inch thick rounds, and trim the Brussels sprouts and cut them lengthwise. Put the carrots, sprouts, and garlic cloves in a large baking dish and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
After the beets have been cooking for 30 minutes, add the large pan of vegetables to the oven separately, and cook everything for about 1 hour more, stirring the vegetables mixture once or twice.
Remove the beets from the oven and transfer them to a cutting board to cool. Stir the thyme into the carrot and Brussels sprout mixture and let it continue to cook for another 10 minutes while the beets are cooled and cut.
When the beets are cool enough to handle, after 5 minutes, peel, then cut them into 1 inch chunks. Remove the other vegetables from the oven, toss with the beets, season with salt and pepper and serve.