Cornmeal-Crusted Haddock and Black Bean Corn Saute

I don't know if I shared this before, but I was an extremely picky eater growing up.

My go-to meal at every restaurant was chicken tenders and fries.  I judged restaurants solely on the quality of their chicken tenders.  I lived off of the same six or seven meals for over a decade, because that was what I liked and was what I would eat.  Chocolate, my first love, was always allowed.  As were pancakes.

As for the list of things I wouldn't eat?  It was much longer.

Condiments?  Evil.  Most vegetables?  Disgusting.  Exceptions: corn, carrots, green beans, peas, mushrooms, and lima beans.  I know, the lima beans thing is totally weird, but whatever.  Cheese on anything but pizza or grilled cheese?  Gross!  Eggs any other way than scrambled?  No way.  I ate exactly three kinds of nuts, and they were never allowed in my brownies, or without M&Ms breaking them up.  Beans?  Looked like poop.  And I did not eat poop.  And?  I ate all my food in separate parts.  Sauces didn't touch anything I ate for years, nor were different food groups allowed to touch on a plate, much less be consumed together!  Thus, sandwiches, other than grilled cheese, were not to be touched, and burgers were eaten completely naked with a fork and knife.  I'd only eat the bun at Fuddrucker's.

And fish?  The penultimate "EWWW!"
I ate fish sticks until I was 4.  Then I decided they were gross and refused to touch seafood until college.

Yeah.  That long.

But when I got to school, I no longer had the option of those same seven meals.  I had to find new things to eat.  And the dining hall at my college didn't serve meat on Fridays: every Friday was Fish Fry-day.  Eventually, I decided to give it a try again.  After all, I kept hearing that fish was good for you.  And nothing deep-fried could be that bad, right?

Right.  It was delicious!  After that, I was way more adventurous with food, seafood in particular.  And, to my shock, I discovered that I loved so many foods that I had turned up my nose at for years!

The meal I'm about to share with you is something I never would have eaten four years ago, but am SO glad that I can cook and enjoy for myself now.  Fresh haddock fillets are dredged in milk and a spiced cornmeal crust, then baked, and served with a saute of black beans (yep, "poop" no more), corn, peppers, and zucchini.  The combination is absolutely delicious, and it makes fabulous leftovers!  Two words: fish tacos.  Add some cubes of avocado, fresh spinach leaves, and warm corn tortillas, and life is wonderful.  Cinco de Mayo, anyone?

Whether or not you're a reformed picky eater like me, give this a shot!  It's nutrient rich, comes together super quickly, and makes a truly delicious weeknight meal!

Quick recipe note: This recipe was...well, completely eyeballed.  I'm guessing at approximate amounts here, so feel free to adjust seasonings and proportions at will!

Cornmeal Crusted Haddock
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs fresh haddock fillets (or another firm white fish) - 4-6 pieces
1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal 
1 tsp chili powder 
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
salt & black pepper to taste
3/4 cup milk
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500˚F.  Lightly grease a 9x13" glass baking dish and set aside.
Pour the milk into a wide, shallow bowl.  On a piece of wax paper, combine cornmeal, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.  (Word of advice - don't go too easy on the salt!) Toss together gently with your hands until the spices appear evenly distributed in the mixture.
Dredge each piece of fish in the milk, then coat thoroughly with the cornmeal mixture.  Place the fillets in the prepared baking dish and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Bake on the top rack of the oven for about 15 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.  Serve immediately as is or flake over warmed tortillas for tacos.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Corn Saute
Source: inspired by Melissa D'Arabian

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium zucchini, cut into quartered rounds
1-1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1-1/2 cups frozen diced red & green bell peppers
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
salt & black pepper, to taste

Directions:
 Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the zucchini and saute until it starts to become tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add the frozen corn and diced peppers and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add the black beans and stir in until the whole mixture is heated through.  Season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve with the fish on its own or in tacos.  Enjoy!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili [Holiday Recipe Exchange]

 Since I may have helped you pack on a couple pounds with my last few recipes, here's one that should help take them off again: vegetarian chili!

Thanks to my insane schedule (school + three shows + wedding planning + attempts to eat and sleep), I'm always on the hunt for one-pot meals that keep me going off of leftovers for long periods of time.  I also love sweet potatoes (if you couldn't tell from the pancakes) and I'm always looking for new ways to use them.  The idea of combining black beans - another favorite - and sweet potatoes in a simple, healthy, long-lasting vegan chili sounded right up my alley!  Thus, this chili.

I started with a recipe and modified it as I went based on what I had in the apartment, then served it topped with a Mexican cheese blend.  Considering it was something I totally threw together, I was happy with how it turned out!  The only thing that would've made it better is corn...or cornbread :)

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Exchange sponsored by Le Creuset!  You could win a fantastic French Oven with which to make some chili of your own :)

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

Source: inspired by and heavily adapted from GoodLife {Eats}

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced and deseeded if desired
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 29-oz can crushed tomatoes
8 oz vegetable broth
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 15.5-oz cans of black beans, drained but not rinsed
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 tsp cornstarch
Mexican cheese blend (for topping)


Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the diced onion and saute for 5 minutes, until tender and golden. Add the garlic and the jalapeño pepper and saute for another minute, until fragrant. Add the cumin and chili powder and saute for about another 2 minutes.
Lower heat to medium-low and stir in the crushed tomatoes and broth, reserve 1/4 cup of broth for later use.  Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits stuck there and add that tasty flavor back in. Add the remaining ingredients except the cornstarch and toppings.
In a small bowl whisk together the reserved 1/4 cup of broth and the cornstarch until smooth. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the chili pot. Stir until well mixed. Bring chili to a boil for about 2 minutes and then lower heat to low. Simmer over low heat uncovered (or covered with a splatter shield) for one hour, then cover the pot with a lid and simmer for another 30 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve topped with the Mexican cheese blend.  Enjoy!

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

This, my friends, is my go-to I-have-zero-time-to-cook-this-week recipe.

Bonus?  It's totally healthy.

Extra huge bonus?  It's really tasty.

Thanks to my first week of rehearsals every night, I needed a quick and easy meal that would take a short time to put together, would fill me up enough to make it through long rehearsals, and would last as leftovers for a few days.  When I first found this soup over on Annie's Eats I immediately added it to my menu plan for that week.

When it only took 15 minutes to get it on the table, it became a standby.

This was the perfect dinner for my crazy week - healthy, hearty, spicy, and comforting.  Served with steamed cauliflower and Southern-style skillet cornbread (recipe coming soon!), it made for a delicious well-rounded meal.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa
1 tsp cumin
Mexican cheese (for topping)

Directions:
Place the beans, broth, salsa, and cumin in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the mixture is fairly smooth - I like my soup to have quite a bit of texture, so I don't process it very long, but do it according to your tastes.  Transfer the soup to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it is hot through.  Serve immediately in bowls topped with Mexican cheese - whole grain tortillas or cornbread are also fantastic additions.  Enjoy the meal - and how quickly you made it!

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

I've been doing this thing lately where I crave some kind of burger weekly, if not multiple times a week.  Maybe it's because it's summer, maybe because I finally started eating them with toppings in the bun, or maybe it's just because they're delicious, but my burger cravings have increased exponentially over the last few months.

This is weird for me.

Not a bad weird, but weird, since I used to be able to go for months without a burger.

Thanks to these increased cravings, I've had to figure out some good hamburger alternatives.  I try to alternate animal-based meals with plant-based meals - it's cheaper and healthier - and having multiple burger cravings a week tends to mess with that.  There are times when there's absolutely no substitute for a gigantic beef-based bacon cheeseburger, but most of the time, I do really well with turkey, bison, or a veggie burger.

And let me tell you, I've become a total veggie burger convert.  And these black bean burgers kick-started my conversion.

Black beans are chopped up with brown rice, sweet onion, jalapeño peppers, garlic, and chili powder, blended with some lime juice, then mixed with whole wheat breadcrumbs and formed into patties.  They're cooked up for less than 10 minutes in a skillet and layered on a toasted whole wheat bun with some lettuce and salsa, making me a happy happy camper.  They are spicy, tender, wholesome, and filling - always a plus for a vegetarian meal!  And it's vegan if you don't use cheese!

...but why wouldn't you use cheese?  That would be delicious...

Anyway.  If you're veggie, if you're a health nut, or if you just like spicy things, make these and be happy :)

Spicy Black Bean Burgers
Source: adapted from Cookin' Canuck's recipe on CuisineNie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive or canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeds & membranes removed if you don't want heat)
1 tsp chili powder
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/4 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs, more if needed

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until it softens.  Add the garlic, jalapeño, and chili powder and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
Scrape the mixture into a food processor.  Add the black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt and pepper and pulse until the beans are chopped - not pureed.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs with a wooden spoon.  Form into 4-5 equal-sized patties with your hands, adding more breadcrumbs if necessary.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes on a baking sheet or plate lined with plastic wrap.
To cook the burgers, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the patties for approximately 4 minutes on each side.  Serve on toasted whole wheat buns with your toppings of choice.  Enjoy!