Category: Main Dishes

Lentil Curry Salad with Roasted Veggies & Lemon Vinaigrette

Greetings, and happy Friday! It’s been a whirlwind of a week! I feel like this time of year, right after back-to-school, when it’s darker out in the morning and pumpkin-spice themed things start popping up EVERY.WHERE., things just get so crazy! Between work, small groups starting again, and arranging travel plans for the holiday season, could there just be like, two more hours in the day?

Alas. There never are.

Which is why it’s so important to have recipes like THIS one up your sleeve! I’ve made a twist on this before (try my Chickpea Lentil Power Salad) but this time I used different beans, herbs and veggies. It always makes way more than I intended to… which is good in a way, because that means Ben and I can eat some today, bring some for lunch tomorrow, and use to supplement our meals all week (and then freeze some, give some away, and look- there’s still a ton left- why not just feed the dog, too?). But seriously. The trouble is real.

Lentil Curry Salad with Roasted Veggies & Lemon Vinaigrette
Lentil Curry Salad with Roasted Veggies & Lemon Vinaigrette

 

I love the combination of the curry powder (Fun fact: when I was writing this post I forgot to add curry powder into the ingredients list! It would’ve been pretty disappointing for everyone who read the title of this post to make this and not taste ANY curry!) with lemon and parsley. Plus, this recipe is loaded with staying power from lentils and white beans. I added roasted broccoli, cauliflower, beets, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms as well, with some fresh grape tomatoes. Brussels sprouts were also involved, but kept separately for my brussels sprouts hater of a husband. But I still love him. Which is why they are kept safely in a separate container and tucked away in the fridge for me to hide in his salad enjoy in mine whenever I want.

Anyway, here’s the recipe. Hope you enjoy it (for weeks!) 🙂

Lentil Curry Salad with Roasted Veggies & Lemon Vinaigrette
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16-20
Enjoy this power-packed salad as a main dish or a side. It goes great with spinach, feta, and pita bread! Also, a token dollop of Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 1 sweet potato, cubed into small pieces
  • zest of one lemon
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can cut beets, rinsed and drained
  • broccoli and cauliflower florets, chopped roughly (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
  • feta and spinach, for serving (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 deg.
  2. Prepare lentils according to package instructions, until al dente.
  3. Steam potatoes in a steamer basket over lentils while they’re cooking.
  4. Whisk together ingredients for vinaigrette (lemon zest through olive oil).
  5. Combine the white beans, beets, broccoli/cauliflower, and mushrooms. Add the sweet potatoes (they should be almost cooked through). When oven is preheated, pour half of the vinaigrette over the vegetables and spread on a Silpat- lined baking sheet. Cook 20-25 minutes or until tender.
  6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together lentils, red onion, tomatoes, and parsley. When veggies are done, allow to cool about 5 minutes and then combine with the lentil mixture. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the top and toss.
  7. Top with feta and serve over spinach, with a spoonful of Greek yogurt!
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!

ClaireLeave a comment

Fresh Corn & Tomato Basil Tortellini Salad

I REFUSE to admit that summer is almost over. Just because today is the 1st of September, there are still a ton of signs of summer around. Starting with the heat. I took Samoa for a walk tonight and despite the fact that it was past 7, I still came back drenched in sweat. The humidity here, y’all!

Heat aside, there are still a bounty of fresh veggies at the farmers’ market and grocery store, and I took advantage by making this super easy tortellini salad with some fresh corn, tomatoes, and basil from our herb garden. I tossed it with a bit of spinach, parmesan cheese, and homemade vinaigrette and called it a day. It was the perfect light supper for me, served with my leftover fish from Bleu Olive. Ben got steak. 🙂

Fresh Corn & Tomato Basil Tortellini Salad
Fresh Corn & Tomato Basil Tortellini Salad
Fresh Corn & Tomato Basil Tortellini Salad
Recipe Type: Salad, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
This easy, throw-together salad comes together in minutes. The longest step is waiting for the tortellini to cook! Toss it with a simple vinaigrette and call it a day.
Ingredients
  • 1 package tortellini (I used DeLallo Ricotta and Spinach)
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • corn from 2 fresh ears (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • sliced or spiralized zucchini (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • For the vinaigrette:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, about 13 minutes or until al dente. Drain in a colander.
  2. In a large bowl, combine remaining vegetable ingredients (except vinaigrette). Add the pasta and toss.
  3. Whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette. I used a mason jar to shake, shake, shake it up. Spoon over the salad and lightly toss. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and more spinach, if desired.

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Enjoy the last of summer’s best!

ClaireLeave a comment

Quick Tuesday Night Summer Veggie Stir Fry

Ok, so I promised to have this up by yesterday, but it never happened. My bad. I know all of you were waiting in absolute nail-biting anticipation of this quick and easy, throw-together stir fry recipe, so I apologize for your lack of sleep and constant refreshing of the webpage.

I am LOVING the abundance of fresh veggies this time of year. I didn’t make it to the Durham Farmers’ Market last Saturday, so I’ve had to do a bit of shopping at the (dare I say it out loud) grocery store to restock on some tomatoes and corn… luckily, our local Harris Teeter supports local farms and I was able to get most of my produce local (I think?). I also still had some leftover green beans, zucchini, and squash that I just chopped up and threw in the pan with the other veggies.

Plus my leftovers from Shiki Sushi from the other night. Ok, so this recipe had a lot of help. But isn’t that the beauty of throw-together, clean-out-the-fridge Tuesday suppers?

I always go stir-fry crazy (not to be confused with “stir-crazy”) and end up adding wayyyyy too many veggies to the pan. I also have this problem with pizza toppings. I think I have the mindset that the more you can throw in, the better. That’s how I get into trouble with crock-pot recipes that end up making enough servings to feed a small army, and pizza that sort of just, well- droops when you slice it because it’s so laden down with veggies.

But it all gets chopped up into a salad anyway, right? 🙂

Without further ado…

Quick Summer Veggie Stir-Fry
Quick Tuesday Night Summer Veggie Stir Fry
Recipe Type: Main, Side
Cuisine: Stir-Fry, Asian Fusion
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Shop your fridge with the latest of summer’s bounty vegetables! Perfect for using up leftovers and any other vegetables you have in the house. Experiment with the add-ins and spices!
Ingredients
  • 1 red pepper
  • 3 large carrots
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp each ground ginger, red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 small zucchini
  • 1 small squash
  • fresh or frozen green beans, with ends trimmed
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • frozen broccoli or stir fry mixture (I used a whole foods 365 blend that had frozen broccoli, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and green beans)
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • dash of hot sauce
  • drizzle of honey
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil and a few sprigs fresh rosemary
  • chopped kale (roughly 2 cups)
Instructions
  1. In a large wok or saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add red pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the ginger, oregano, curry powder, and garlic powder. Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Chop zucchini and squash. Add to same pan with the frozen veggies. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until tender but not cooked fully.
  3. Whisk together mustard, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce, and honey. Drizzle over stir fry vegetables, add the chopped fresh herbs, reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Return onion and pepper mixture to pan and top with kale. Cover and cook until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes.
  5. Serve over brown rice with protein of your choice. (leftover tofu for me, chicken for Ben!). Add more sauce if desired.
Cook up the carrots, onions, pepper and garlic.
Cook up the carrots, onions, pepper and garlic.
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Add spices.
Prep your chopped veggies. Pictured here is some leftover squash and zucchini from a friend's mother's farm! Yay Summer.
Prep your chopped veggies. Pictured here is some leftover squash and zucchini from a friend’s mother’s farm! Yay Summer.
I used some of this frozen stir-fry blend from Whole Foods to bulk up the dish a bit (I thought I wouldn't have enough...)
I used some of this frozen stir-fry blend from Whole Foods to bulk up the dish a bit (I thought I wouldn’t have enough…)
Return carrots to pan, cover and simmer until tender.
Return carrots to pan, cover and simmer until tender.
Add some kale and steam.
Add some kale and steam.
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Give it a stir to incorporate all the sauce.
Serve over rice with tofu or other protein of your choice!
Serve over rice with tofu or other protein of your choice!

***Disclaimer: Ben thought the sauce had a bit too much of a “kick” to it (that’s his way of saying he didn’t like it at all… he doesn’t really care for mustardy or vinegary things), so instead of watching him suffer finish just to please me, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

The solution? Peanut butter.

I whisked together about a tablespoon of PB, a bit of water, a drizzle of honey and some leftover apricot marmalade. Nuked it for 20 seconds or so and drizzled it over his remaining veggies. And you know what? He loved it! It was almost like a peanut butter soup… a little sweet and with more of that umami taste. I even spooned a bit of it over my own! Yum.

What’s your favorite go-to, shop-the-fridge dinner recipe?

ClaireLeave a comment

Quick Caprese Tuna Melts w/ Fontina Cheese

Need a quick lunch or snack idea to use up all of those farmers’ market tomatoes? Seriously, my kitchen is bursting with them! I need to make a big batch of marinara or something one of these days…

For anyone who likes caprese salad, this is a slight variation using leftover canned tuna and fontina cheese. Add a few sprigs of fresh basil and lunch is served!

Happy hump day!

Caprese Tuna Melts with Fontina Cheese
Caprese Tuna Melts with Fontina Cheese
Quick Caprese Tuna Melts w/ Fontina Cheese
Recipe Type: Salad, Lunch
Cuisine: Fresh, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Looking for a way to use up some of those fresh and juicy tomatoes? Look no further!
Ingredients
  • 1 beefsteak or large tomato, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup canned tuna (prepared with some parsley, mustard, and garlic powder)
  • 5 basil sprigs
  • 4 thin slices fontina cheese
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler to high.
  2. Prepare tomatoes by placing on a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray or oil.
  3. Top each tomato slice with a sprig of basil, 1 tbsp tuna, and a slice of cheese.
  4. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes until cheese begins to bubble.

What’s your favorite tomato recipe?

ClaireLeave a comment

Chiles Rellenos

Chili Rellenos are an easy and healthy recipe perfect for a weeknight in the summer! They are simple to throw together, perfectly preportioned, and just-fancy-enough to impress your dinner guests! You can fill them with the vegetarian option I describe below, or you can get creative and stuff with beef, chicken, or tofu! The sky’s the limit… just make sure to take the toothpicks out before you chow down!

Chilis Rellenos
Chilis Rellenos

Yay for sisters visiting! My oldest sister Bethany was staying for the night after driving from State College, PA. She and my bro-in-law, Ethan, are moving to Asheville! Yay! First, though, we girls decided it would be fun to fly to CA and road trip XC with my Californian surfer sister, Mary. She usually spends a few weeks on the East Coast every year to visit family/friends, and this year Bethany and I decided to join! We leave August 3rd and are staying in some pretty awesome places including Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Arapaho National Forest, and Nashville. You can follow our trip via my Instagram!

Bethany is going to a wedding in MN before flying to CA on Sunday, so I took the opportunity to spoil her with a home cooked dinner and some Durham “night life” (that is, ice cream at The Parlour) 🙂

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For dinner, stuffed poblanos, aka “Chiles Rellenos.” I got the idea for these from this month’s issue of Cooking Light, and modified the stuffing a little bit based on taste preference and on what I had in the house. They are slightly spicy (in the words of my sensitive-palated-husband: “those have got some KICK to them!” but less-so if you do a good job removing the seeds (which I apparently did not). I settled on quinoa and lentils for the grains (added the lentils only because I was short on quinoa by a half cup!), subbed black beans for pinto, and used red onion in place of celery. I also added a few more Mexican seasonings like cumin, chili powder, a dash of cayenne, and garlic.

I also didn’t grill them because our grill is out of gas. Which makes it harder to grill things. Surprise, surprise. 

Okay, so maybe this recipe is entirely different than the original. But I kept the lime juice and corn kernels! And the overall vegetarian-ness!

I’ve seen a lot of recipes that recommend broiling the peppers and steaming in a covered bowl for a while, and then rubbing the skins off, but I decided to stuff them before roasting because I was worried about them being harder to spoon the filling into after they had wilted down! This meant that I didn’t remove the blistered, wrinkly skins that you see in the picture above… so they aren’t the prettiest little things, but they do taste darn good!

As I mentioned earlier, I did keep these vegetarian, but for the meat-eaters out there, they would definitely be good filled with ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken. I would also love to try them with some smoked tofu next time! I served them to Bethany and Ben with BBQ chicken quesadillas, using leftover chicken from my Mole Chicken Tacos, so I didn’t feel the need to go on a meat craze. Amen.

Ok. Down to business. Start by making your filling and chopping off the tops of the peppers, discarding the spicy seeds and cores.

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If you have extra filling, it also makes a great salad for lunch the next day! Next, rub the peppers with oil and stuff them with the filling. Fasten stems back on with toothpicks. I just about poked myself about twelve times, so ten cuidado!

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Roast about 40 minutes or until charred. Cool slightly and serve with some greek yogurt, salad greens, or protein of your choice! Enjoy!

Chiles Rellenos
Chiles Rellenos
Chiles Rellenos
Recipe Type: Summer, Vegetarian
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
These easy stuffed peppers are healthy, protein-packed and vegetarian! Perfectly portioned and satisfying, you can customize the filling to meet your unique tastes- I loved them with the black bean, corn, and quinoa-lentil filling, but they’d also be great with beef or chicken.
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 1/4 cup red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa
  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh cut okra
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 8 medium-sized poblano peppers
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Rinse quinoa and lentils in a saucepan, then drain well. Add 1 1/4 cups salted water to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until al dente. Remove from heat.
  2. Stir in cilantro, onion, garlic, black beans, and lime juice. Add spices and stir. Allow mixture to cool in the saucepan.
  3. Pour mixture into a large bowl and stir in the salsa, corn, okra, and cheese.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Preheat oven to 375. Rinse peppers and pat dry. Rub the outsides with olive oil.
  6. Slice stem tops off of each pepper and remove seeds and core from the insides. (Make sure to keep track of which top goes with which pepper!)
  7. Stuff peppers with filling and secure stems back on top with two toothpicks.
  8. Layer peppers in a foil-lined pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spray tops of peppers with a little more cooking spray.
  9. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until charred. (The peppers will look brown and blistered… you can remove the outer skins but I decided that was too much work so I left them on!)
  10. Serve with greek yogurt and meat or greens of your choosing! I served them with BBQ chicken quesadillas and scrambled eggs- yum!

ClaireLeave a comment

Heirloom Tomato & Summer Squash Salad

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD
HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD

I got the inspiration for this light and lemony summer salad from a recent dinner at The Boot, a new Italian-American restaurant that just opened in Durham. The Boot prioritizes using fresh, local ingredients and features Italian classics like Spaghetti & Meatballs while infusing a little NC flair into other dishes like their “Linguine & NC Clams.” We went with some friends and ordered three appetizers: Fried Mozzarella, Mussels (shown below), and Herb & Garlic Fries. The variety of our appetizers alone speaks to the versatility and variety of this restaurant! Our waitress was also extremely helpful (she even told Ben not to order the lemonade because she didn’t think it was very good!) and accommodating: an extra loaf of bread for the table, patience when we took longer to decide what to order, and checking back frequently to refill waters and make sure we were all satisfied.

One of our Appetizers: Mussels at The Boot Durham
One of our Appetizers: Mussels at The Boot Durham

For my entree, I ordered their “Local Tomatoes,” a deliciously light and fresh vegetable salad with kalamata olives, basil and Italian parsley. I loved the dressing on it, too, which was a simple lemon-balsamic vinaigrette- perfectly soaked up by that extra ciabatta! I ordered a side of braised kale and white beans to supplement the salad. It ended up being just enough for an early dinner, and I even took home a few leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Local Tomatoes Salad at The Boot Durham
Local Tomatoes Salad at The Boot Durham

Anyway, this salad basically makes itself. When you have fresh, local ingredients that are this ripe and juicy, you really cannot go wrong. I used the same ingredients as the salad at The Boot, except without the basil and I added the white beans into the salad to begin with. I also added some squash and couscous to add some bulk and soak up the extra dressing. This could be enjoyed as a side or a main dish with some chicken on top (or poached egg, for vegetarians). I also recommend serving with feta and pita wedges!

Heirloom Tomato & Summer Squash Salad
Recipe Type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian, Healthy
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Summer is the absolute BEST time for tomatoes! Plump and juicy, with just the right amount of sweetness, I love this summer squash and tomato salad with Italian/Mediterranean-inspired flavors! Bright and fresh, this light summer salad is will last all week and can be served as a side or a main dish.
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 zucchini
  • 2 cucumbers, diced or sliced into ribbons
  • 3 large heirloom tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup golden cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 jar kalamata olives, halved and pitted
  • 1/3 cup red onion, sliced
  • 1 head Italian parsley, rinsed and chopped roughly
  • juice of 1 fresh lemon
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp Greek seasoning (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 can white beans, rinsed
  • Pita bread wedges and feta (optional)
  • Balsamic vinegar for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
  1. Spiralize yellow squash and zucchini. Dice cucumbers or slice into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
  2. Slice tomatoes into large chunks.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together veggies, olives, onion, and parsley.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Greek seasoning, S+P, and sugar. Pour over the salad and toss.
  5. Cook couscous according to package directions: add 1 cup hot water to 1 cup dry couscous). Stir in the sugar and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  6. Toss the warm couscous and white beans with the rest of the salad.
  7. Serve with pita bread, feta and drizzle of balsamic (if using).
HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD
HEIRLOOM TOMATO & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD

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ClaireLeave a comment