April Cooking

I did not discuss what was going on in my kitchen for much of April. I will pack the highlights into one meandering post.

Meat Reduction Project
I mentioned before (in the lentil loaf post, I think) that I am reducing my meat extravagance by indulging in vegetarian meals more often than I used to. My current favorite meal is a lazy one: black bean quesadillas. I have found some reduced-carb, multigrain, high fiber tortillas that I like, finally.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1/2-1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
Several glugs of hot sauce
Reduced-carb tortillas
Shredded cheese: pepper jack, sharp cheddar, or Mexican blend
Salsa

Instructions: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat. Sear onions and peppers until the edges are crispy and browned. Turn heat to low and add garlic and black beans. Season with cumin, coriander, and hot sauce. Simmer until warmed through. Lightly brush one side of tortilla with olive oil and place in oiled side down in skillet heated to medium-low. Sprinkle one side with cheese, a few spoonfuls of bean-pepper mixture, and more cheese. Fold over. Heat and flip until crispy and golden-brown on both sides. Top with salsa (and avocado, if available).


Another dish that I made in April was this lasagna, made with whole-wheat noodles, an abundance of spinach, and portobellos. It was not meatless, obviously. But I found that the portobellos tasted more beefy than the beef itself, so next time I will make it with no meat and more mushrooms. I made my own marinara sauce and added lots of red pepper flakes for zip.

The Mustard Project
Goal: find uses for the jalapeno mustard I got at the writing conference.

I found inspiration from my friend, code name: OTB, and made chicken wraps.

I tend to overcook chicken and make it nasty and rubbery, unless I use the yogurt secret. I cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, placed it into a bowl with plain yogurt, salt, pepper, and dried oregano, and let it sit for five minutes. Then I sauteed the pieces in olive oil until cooked through. The chicken stays tender no matter what, because of the yogurt's acid. I rolled the chicken in a reduced-carb tortilla with the jalapeno mustard, tomato, cucumber, and a handful of shredded cabbage for crunch. It was incredible.

(If I didn't have the jalapeno mustard, a cucumber-yogurt-dill sauce would have been a fine second choice. Or even better, a parsley-feta pesto.)

Low-Carb Desserts
Goal: reserve white flour and white sugar for special occasions.

I have been continuing my experiments with Splenda, ground flaxseeds, and whole-grain flours. The results have all been edible. Some have been more successful than others. I have lately gotten very excited about soy flour, which has a fraction of the carbs of wheat flour. I haven't actually made anything with it yet. But I will! Soon.

I made a satisfying batch of low-carb molasses chocolate chip cookies: chewy and nutty, heavily spiced with ginger and cinnamon, and supported with high-fiber ingredients. The cookies require no pre-meditation: softened butter is not needed. I mixed the batter by hand and did not find electric beaters to be necessary. The original recipe is here: Hodgson Mill's Spiced Bran Cookies. I made the following changes: Splenda instead of the sugar (same quantity), added 1 cup of 70% dark chocolate chips, and added 1/4 tsp of almond extract. I will be making them again.