I don’t eat beef very often. In fact, you may have noticed that there are no recipes featuring beef on my blog because it’s a protein I very rarely cook at home. But, every once in awhile I get a craving for a juicy medium rare dry-aged New York strip steak or hamburger smothered in cheese and mushrooms. Well, after making these cute little potato stacks last night, I’ve been completely dreaming of the former because I can just imagine them on the a la carte menu of a fancy steakhouse!

I decided to put some extra effort into our side dish last night and layered pan-fried potato slices with two of my very favorite ingredients – goat cheese and caramelized onions. I’m normally too impatient to wait for onions to caramelize but it was definitely worth doing so for these little guys. They are perfect for serving to guests and oh so tasty!

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Potato Stacks
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut into thin strips
2 large potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch thick round slices
6 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat in a large nonstick pan and cook onions for 30 to 40 minutes, or until caramelized, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, working in batches, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan and cook potato slices until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Mix goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and milk in a small bowl until smooth.

To assemble the potato stacks, top a potato slice with some goat cheese spread and caramelized onions. Do this two more times for each stack so that you have 10 stacks containing three potato slices each. Makes 5 servings of 2 stacks each.

Nutrition: 328 calories, 17.2g fat, 4.3g fiber, 12.5g protein per serving
Cost: $1.01 per serving

Thanks so much for all your kind words about my first 5K! It was beautiful here in Boston this weekend so Apolinaras and I went on a long bike ride and it was so warm that I was able to just wear just a tank top and capris – yay! Apolinaras has gotten really into biking and goes on 40 mile trail rides every weekend now. I hung on for 10 miles this time, but definitely want to get a more comfortable seat and start going with him more often! It’s a bit ironic, but the days that I have a tough workout, I also tend to cook more healthy meals because I don’t want to undo all my hard work. So when I was craving a rich potato gratin the other day, I decided to see if I could make something just as tasty but a bit lighter.

I had some organic sweet potatoes left from Eva’s farm share, and decided to layer them with an Indian-spiced chickpea mash. The flavors were inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry. Apolinaras complained that he missed the potatoes when they were all gone, so they were definitely a hit!  Also, I’m submitting this recipe to be included in Reeni’s March Side Dish Showdown!

Curried Chickpea Sweet Potato Squares
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (mine were 38 ounces peeled)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan and sauté onions for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cardamom, and sauté 1 additional minute. Place onion mixture in a food processor with the chickpeas, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil, and pulse for several minutes until smooth.

Layer half the sliced sweet potatoes in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Spread chickpea mixture evenly on top; layer the remaining sliced potatoes on top of the chickpea mash. Brush top layer of the potatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400˚F for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cut into squares. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 166 calories, 7.3g fat, 3.9g fat, 3.3g protein per serving
Cost: $0.53 per serving

Reeni, who writes one of my favorite blogs, Cinnamon, Spice, & Everything Nice, was recently musing about how side dishes are worthy of more attention, and I completely agree!  Side dishes can be an afterthought and our regular rotation includes couscous, quinoa, brown rice, and sweet potatoes. How boring – it’s definitely time to mix things up! I brainstormed for a bit and finally decided to create a mushroom and cheese tart with a mashed potato crust.

Now I’m not one to normally use potato flakes, and have actually given my mom a really hard time about using them in the past, but I decided it would be important to be able to control the amount of the moisture in the pie crust, so I picked up a box. I mixed the flakes with water, butter, and salt, and then pushed them up the sides of a tart pan. Then I baked the crust until it was golden brown and filled it with layers mushrooms, garlic, leeks, and gruyere. I couldn’t resist topping it off with some crumbled goat cheese (surprise, surprise!). The tart was a hit and a lovely way to spice up our side dish rotation!

Mushroom Tart with a Mashed Potato Crust
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups mashed potato flakes
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
24 ounces mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Mix potato flakes, water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until smooth. Press dough into a 10-inch greased tart pan with a removable bottom and bake at 350˚F for 40 to 45 minutes or until potato crust is golden brown and cooked through. Push down with the back of a spoon, if needed.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a very large nonstick skillet. Add leeks and mushrooms to the pan and sauté 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Heat oven broiler. Place half the mushroom mixture in the cooked potato tart crust, followed by the gruyere cheese, and remaining half of the mushroom mixture. Top evenly with crumbled goat cheese and rosemary. Broil for 2 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and tart is warmed through. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 255 calories, 17.0g fat, 2.4g fiber, 11.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.52 per serving

It snowed all weekend here in Boston, so I decided it was time to bake up some warm and comforting homemade bread! I was originally planning on tackling a recipe from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, but was out of yeast and not about to set out in the snow just to get one item from the store, so I decided to make a cheesy cornbread instead. I’ve seen a few recipes for Southwestern cornbread with cheddar cheese and jalapenos, but decided that a Mediterranean twist would also be delicious. I figured the flavor combo would work well since polenta is such a staple of Italian cuisine.

I stuffed the cornbread with caramelized shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta, and then put a bubbly layer of melted mozzarella goodness on top. Mmmm. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that we devoured 6 out of the 9 pieces the same day that it was made… There’s nothing wrong with cornbread for lunch, right? Good thing the gym is open again! Oh, and you definitely want to serve it warm!

p.s. I’m submitting this to 5 Star Foodie’s Cornbread Makeover!

Mediterranean Cornbread
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup feta
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet.  Sauté shallots for 15 to 17 minutes, stirring frequently, or until caramelized.

Meanwhile, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together butter, eggs, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until most of the lumps are dissolved. Stir in the caramelized shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta. Pour the batter into a greased 8×8-inch square pan. Bake at 350˚F for 23 to 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Preheat broiler. Evenly spread shredded mozzarella cheese over the cooked cornbread. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into 9 squares; serve warm. Makes 9 servings.

Nutrition: 331 calories, 19.1g fat, 1.7g fiber, 10.4g protein per serving
Cost: $0.58 per serving

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably already planned your menu, but I wanted to share this tasty mashed potato recipe just in case you’re still looking for a way to mix things up a bit! It was inspired by one of the TV shows both my hubby and I enjoy watching together – Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations on the Travel Channel. When Tony had a show on Chile a few months ago, he devoured mashed potatoes with pumpkin, celery, and spinach in wine country – yum! They sounded so tasty that I actually immediately grabbed my laptop and wrote down the flavor combination.

I was really pleased about how well they turned out and I will definitely be making them again! I’m not a huge celery fan, but I do like fennel and I think it’s a nice substitute for celery. The pumpkin flavor really came through, but wasn’t overpowering, and I love that the greens were mixed right in for a little added nutritional boost!

Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes with Fennel and Spinach
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
10 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 bulb fennel, trimmed and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce cans pure pumpkin puree
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, cooked and well drained
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat and boil potatoes for 18 to 22 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a medium skillet and saute fennel for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and saute one additional minute.

Mash potato chunks in the large bowl with a fork. Mix in fennel, pumpkin puree, spinach, buttermilk, and salt. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 228 calories, 1.7g fat, 8.6g fiber, 7.4g protein per serving
Cost: $1.05 per serving

Have I professed my love of feta yet? You can probably tell from my recipes that I’m completely obsessed with goat cheese, but feta is a close second. My hubby always wonders what I’m going to do with the one and a half pound tubs of crumbled feta we get from Costco, but it always disappears really quickly! I crave veggies more in the summer and recently decided to make a roasted veggie tart. Eggplant and zucchini just remind me of summer! And the feta adds another layer of flavor and richness to the dish.

I made another chickpea crust to keep things on the lighter side. But, I mixed in some herbs and lemon zest this time. This is a very tasty way to sneak your veggies in and is also pretty enough to serve to company!

Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Red Pepper Tart with Feta
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, cut into small cubes
3 medium zucchini, cut into small cubes
2 red peppers, cut into small chunks
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 400ºF. Toss eggplant, zucchini, and red peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread onto a large cookie sheet. Bake at 400ºF for 20 to 25 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Reduce oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pulse chickpeas, flour, lemon zest, oregano, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until soft dough forms. Spread dough evenly over the greased tart pan. Bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes at 350ºF or until light golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a medium skillet. Add red onions and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Remove from heat. Toss onions with other roasted veggies and feta cheese.

Bake at 350ºF for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is set. Cool for 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 242 calories, 12.5g fat, 6.6g fiber, 7.6g protein per serving
Cost: $1.98 per serving

Our friend Mick recently brought us a cute little jar of pure maple syrup from his family’s shop up in Vermont. I used some on pancakes and a little to make Ashley’s excellent Maple Almond Butter Cookies, but really wanted to do something savory with it as well. This quick and easy side dish is full of some of my favorite ingredients: whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe’s that takes under 10 minutes to prepare, delicious dried figs, and crunchy toasted walnuts. I will admit that turkey bacon isn’t as good as the real thing, but it’s a staple in our house since it’s so much lighter. Thanks Mick for the syrup – we’ve really been enjoying it!

Maple Fig Couscous with Toasted Walnuts and Bacon
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat couscous
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices turkey bacon, sliced into small pieces
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup chopped dried figs

Directions:
To prepare couscous, combine chicken stock and salt in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, pour in couscous, and stir well. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the walnuts in a dry skillet and heat over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirringly frequently until toasted (or you can bake them at 350ºF for 10 minutes). Remove toasted walnuts from the pan, and add the olive oil and chopped bacon, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until crispy. Remove skillet from the heat, and whisk in the maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, and figs.

Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in the maple vinaigrette mixture and toasted walnuts. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 320 calories, 14.0g fat, 6.2g fiber, 13.2g protein per serving
Cost: $0.66 per serving