Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts

Baked Veggies and Goat Cheese

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My first clean meal! Exciting right? Actually, this is a meal I have made many times and in many different ways, but this was the first time I made it Clean. It is quite delicious and very simple. You could use all sorts of vegetables, I used what I had on hand.

According to the research I have done, clean eating is all about balance. Combine a carb and a protein with some vegetables and you are set!

Vegetable: Broccoli, bell pepper, leek, carrot
Carb: Potato
Protein: Cheese


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 3 people

Ingredients:
  • 4 small red potatoes chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/4 cup bell peppers
  • 2 small leeks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons died basil
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine potatoes, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and leeks in a square baking dish.
  3. Add olive oil and stir to coat the veggies.
  4. Add dried basil and pepper.
  5. Mix everything together well.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, until veggies are tender
  7. Enjoy!


Here is something new I will be doing with my recipes, providing nutritional facts using www.caloriecount.com.




Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Sandwich

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For my birthday I received a new Sandwich Press/Waffle Maker. It is pretty wonderful. It has inserts that detach from the machine, allowing it to be extra fabulous and useful for more than one thing!

Of course, I could not wait to use this new addition to my kitchen and I knew exactly what I was going to make, a Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Sandwich! I found the idea for this sandwich somewhere online, probably Pinterest, and have been wanting to make it ever since. The following recipe is what I decided to do with ingredients I had on hand. I have added notes throughout the recipe, on how the sandwich could be improved, it is mostly about the cheese! :)


 Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Sandwich

 Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes (it takes closer to 10 without a sandwich press)
Serves: 3 people


 Ingredients:
  • 2-3oz of marinated artichoke hearts
  • 3 small handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 tablespoon, plain low-fat yogurt
  • 6 slices of bread (some sort of flavored bread. I used Potato Rosemary Bread)
  • Cheese (I used fresh mozzarella and cheddar. I think Havarti, Gouda, or Aged Cheddar would have made this sandwich even better!)

Directions:
This is about the size the artichoke and spinach should be.

  1. Chop the artichoke hearts into small pieces
  2. Chop the spinach leaves into small pieces
  3. Combine artichoke pieces and spinach in a small bowl
  4. Add the 1 tablespoon of yogurt and mix
  5. Take one slice of the bread and place 1/2 of the cheese on it
  6. Spread 1/3 of the artichoke and spinach mixture over the whole piece of bread
  7. Place the other 1/2 of the cheese on top of the artichoke and spinach mixture
  8. Place in the sandwich press and cook for about 3-5 minutes

  9. If you do not have a sandwich press, spray a medium size pan with cooking spray, add the sandwich, and cook the one side for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Re-spray the pan lightly and flip the sandwich over and cook the other side for another 3-5 minutes.

ENJOY!

Black Bean and Veggie Enchiladas

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This is a recipe that I came up with about 9 or so years ago and have been perfecting ever since. I had just moved into my own apartment at the prime age of 18 and I was learning how to cook for myself. I was trying to learn to eat like a healthy vegetarian, and in my 18 year old mind, that meant eating veggies and some sort of protein, in this case corn and black beans. The large amount of cheese and the use of white tortillas did not even phase me...it was a start, but I had no idea what I was doing.

Well the recipe has progressed quite a bit. It is a favorite among my friends and family, although my dad still prefers to add chicken. In all fairness, he will not eat a meal that does not have meat protein in it. Still, everyone who tries them, loves them, and they reheat VERY well, so they make great lunches the next day. I have still not managed to make these enchiladas completely healthy, as cheese tends to detract from healthy eating, but they are much healthier than when I invented them 9 years ago.








Black Bean and Veggie Enchiladas

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 people (2 enchiladas each)

Ingredients:
  • Seasonal veggies (it changes each time I make them)
    • This time I used:
      • A heaping handful of chopped broccoli 
      • A heaping handful of chopped carrots
      • A heaping handful of chopped fresh green beans
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 can corn
  • 6-8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8 tortillas (I used a corn and wheat blend)
  • 1 can/bottle of enchilada sauce

Directions:
  1. Wash and cut the fresh veggies into 1 inch sized pieces
  2. Pre-heat the oven at 350 degrees
  3. Steam the fresh veggies for 5 minutes, or until they just begin to tender
  4. Strain the can of corn and can of black beans in a strainer
  5. Add the steamed fresh veggies
  6. Mix them together in the strainer
  7. Take one tortilla and add some shredded cheese, and a heaping amount of the veggie black bean mixture
Roll up step one: Fold in top and bottom



8.   Roll it up (see pictures to the left for an example) and place in a 9 X 11 baking dish seam side down
9.   Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have all 8 enchiladas completed (I often do not have room in one baking dish for all 8 enchiladas and use a second, smaller one, for 2-3 of them. So do not be alarmed if they do not all fit. Just use a second dish.) :)
Roll up step two: Fold both side in







Pre-baking enchiladas






10.   Cover the completed enchiladas with the enchilada sauce
11.   Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas
12.   Cover the baking dish(s) with tin foil
13.   Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is beginning to boil
Finished Product! Enjoy!




Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bites

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I was supposed to feel the earth between my fingers and the feeling of creating new life as I put in my garden this afternoon, but was unable to do so. This left me a little bummed out and for some reason craving some sort of melted chocolate and peanut butter concoction. I decided to give into my craving and the following VERY yummy, easy and healthy recipe is what I came up with. I am quite happy with the result. Let me know what you think!

The yummy end product! I really like melted chocolate apparently...






The Ingredients. Sorry for the poor picture quality.
Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bites:

 Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 5-8 minutes
Total Time: 10-13 minutes

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Stir together the peanut butter, honey and oats in a medium bowl
  3. Mix in the chocolate chips
  4. Roll the mixture into one inch balls and place them 1 inch apart on a wax paper covered baking sheet
  5. Bake for 5-8 minutes
  6. Enjoy!

The bites prior to baking. I spaced them about 2 inches apart,
but 1 inch is sufficient. They do not spread at all.

These bites taste the best when they are warm and the chocolate is melty. This may just be because I was craving some melted chocolate and peanut butter though. They definitely hit the spot!

Very Easy Spanish Rice Recipe

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Once upon a time, I used to spend a couple of hours making Spanish rice every time I had a craving for it. Of course it was amazing and I very much enjoyed eating it, but I seldom have that kind of time for dinner any more. The good news is, my mother-in-law is a wonderful cook and she let me in on a little secret, Spanish rice can be made simply, from scratch, and without much effort on the cooks part.

Seriously. The following recipe rocked my world!










The Rice Cooker Recipe:

Prep Time: Less than 2 minutes 
Cook Time: About 45 minutes to an hour
Serves: 4-6 people


Yep! Only two ingredients!
Ingredients:
  • 1 16oz jar of salsa (I use chunky because I like my Spanish rice to have chunks of yummy veggies in it)
  • 1 1/2 cups of rice (I use brown rice, but white rice works too)
  • Water
Directions:
  1. Get out the rice cooker
  2. Add the 1 1/2 cups of rice to the cooker
  3. Add the whole 16 ounce jar of salsa to the cooker
  4. Fill the rice cooker with water to the 3 line
  5. Turn it on and let it cook until it lets you know it is done
  6. Enjoy!
                                                                                                          
The Stove Top Recipe:

 Prep Time: Less than 2 minutes 
Cook Time: About 45 minutes to an hour
Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:
  • 1 16oz jar of salsa (I use chunky because I like my Spanish rice to have chunks of yummy veggies in it)
  • 1 1/2 cups of rice (I use brown rice, but white rice works too)
  • 2 cups water (you may need more)
Directions:
  1. Get out a large sauce pan
  2. Add the 1 1/2 cups of rice to the sauce pan
  3. Add the whole 16 ounce jar of salsa to the sauce pan
  4. Add the 2 cups of water to the sauce pan
  5. Cook for 30 minutes
  6. Test the rice. If it is almost done and there is still a little water, great. If it is not almost done and there is a little water, add a bit more water and give it another 15-20 minutes before checking it again.
  7. Enjoy!









Yummy Pesto Bread

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In the mood for Pesto, but looking for something different from your everyday pesto pasta? This happens to me often, and I think I have found a solution, Pesto Bread!

Yummy fresh pesto bread!
I stumbled upon this wonderful idea on Pinterest several months ago and forgot about it until today. I was searching through my previous pins to see if anything caught my eye and sure enough there was the pesto bread. I clicked on it and to my dismay the recipe was in Turkish. Google has a decent translator, but not good enough to convey Pelin Chef's ingredients properly. I have made enough quick breads to know the basics, but I am never confident enough to just go with my gut. So, I did a quick Google search and found a great recipe at JasonandShawnda.com, which I took and adapted to agree with my taste buds.

I apologize in advance for not having any pictures of the process. I was almost done with the whole process before I thought to take pictures. If you would like them let me know. Until then, JasonandShawnda.com has a pretty good picture tutorial. I did, however, change the last few steps, so the two will look different when completed.

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4-6 people

 Ingredients:
  • 1 cup of warm water
  • 2 teaspoons of instant yeast
  • 2 1/2 cups of wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (I used Annie's Naturals Roasted Garlic Olive Oil)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup pesto (about 6 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
The dough wreath covered in Parmesan
Directions:
  1. Measure out the 1 cup of warm water and keep it in the measuring cup
  2. Add the 2 teaspoons of instant yeast to the warm water and stir them together. Allow the yeast to sit for 10 minutes. It should foam, or swell, during this time. If it does not, your yeast is probably bad
  3. Combine the 2 1/2 cups of wheat pastry flour with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the 1 teaspoon of salt in a stand mixer
  4. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture
  5. Attach the kneading hook to the mixture and knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
  6. Roll the dough into a ball, grease the mixer bowl, put the dough back in the bowl and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size
  7. Flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a 18x12 inch rectangle
  8. Spread the 1/2 cup of pesto on the top of dough rectangle, leaving about 1/2 inch to a 1 inch border
  9. Roll it up, like you would a sleeping bag (it will be long and cylinder like when you are done)
  10. Take the cylinder and create a circle/wreath, attaching the two ends together
  11. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over the top of the dough wreath
  12. Preheat oven to 425
  13. Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes
  14. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the top browns
  15. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, slice it, and serve

Enjoy the yumminess!!

Gorgonzola and Fuji Apple Salad

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I had some very odd cravings today, which caused me to pair foods I would not typically think to do. I decided early on that I was going to make some amazing Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I also thought adding a salad would make for a fantastic dinner. The only problem is I really wanted the mimic the Gorgonzola and apple salad I get when I eat at Burgers and Brew. It is really one of my favorite salads and once I got it in my head that I could have it for dinner, there was no getting it out.

I have not eaten at Burgers and Brew for several months, but I think this salad rivals their salads yumminess!

So easy and so delicious!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients:
  • 3 large handfuls of mixed greens (I use prepackaged organic baby greens)
  • 1 large Fuji apple
  • 4 tablespoons of crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
  • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing to taste 
Directions:
  1. Dice the apple into one inch size pieces
  2. Mix the mixed greens, apple pieces and Gorgonzola cheese together
  3. Add the balsamic vinaigrette to taste, mix to coat the rest of the salad and serve
Enjoy!



Delicious Broccoli Cheddar Soup

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This morning I woke up with a hankering for some broccoli cheddar soup. There were two problems with this abnormal craving. First, I did not have time to make it for breakfast, or I might have done so, and thoroughly enjoyed an odd start to the day. Second, because I did not have time this morning, I would have to wait until dinner to appease my stomach's desires.

Now, I do not have a go to recipe for this soup, as the few times I have made it in the past it never lived up to its potential. Well, the morning craving stayed with me the entire day, keeping my slower moments at work occupied with sifting through a variety of recipes before attempting to create my own.

By the end of the work day, I had managed to find a couple recipes that sounded wonderful. I ended up picking and choosing elements from both The Comfort of Cooking and The Way to His Heart Blog's recipes. Both are very similar, but I added a little twist to it and  made it my own.
I paired the soup with some delicious Pesto Bread and
a Gorgonzola and Fuji Apple Salad. There were a lot of
competing flavors, but still good.

First, as a vegetarian I do not understand why most soup recipe call for chicken stock, especially a vegetarian soup, like this one. I used vegetable stock with very good results.

Second, I chose to add fresh minced garlic, largely because I absolutely love garlic. I can never get enough! But I also feel that garlic powder, as The Comfort of Cooking's recipe calls for, does not give way to the stronger flavor that I feel is needed in soups.

And finally, third, The Way to His Heart Blog calls for the soup to be pureed before adding the cheese. I chose to eliminate this step, and instead chop the broccoli into small pieces, for a couple of reasons. One, I am not usually fond of pureed soups. And Two, typically the broccoli in broccoli cheese soup is cooked into a very, very tender state, giving the soup a thickish consistency. I was not at all disappointed and I do not think you will be either!

Please enjoy, I know I did.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 - 5 people

 Ingredients:
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 heaping cup flour
  • 7 ounces of Half and Half
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • 1 pound fresh broccoli florets chopped into very small pieces (including the upper stem)
  • 1 1/4 cups of finely shredded carrots (about two medium sized carrots)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Directions:
Yep! This soup is full of broccoli!!
  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter on medium high heat and saute onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until onion is tender.
  2. Add the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter and allow it to melt, stirring often. 
  3. Add the 1/4 cup of flour and stir constantly for about 5 minutes and try to make a roux. (I have seen this a ton of times in recipes and can never get my flour and butter to become a roux and I am not sure it makes that much of a difference. So, do not fret if you are like me, a roux rookie.)
  4. Add the 7 ounces of Half and Half and the 4 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Allow soup to simmer on low heat for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
  5. Add the finely chopped broccoli florets, shredded carrots, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
  6. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and serve warm.
Yummy!













With this delicious soup I also made a Gorgonzola and Fuji Apple Salad and a great Yummy Pesto Bread. It made for a great, albeit strong arrangement of flavors.


Wonderfully Amazing Vegetarian Tacos

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Growing up tacos were probably one of my favorite meals. I have very fond memories revolving around the smell of the taco seasoning, the look and taste of melted cheese, and the texture of the crunchy tortillas, because my dad always cooked them too long.

As an adult and vegetarian of about 16 years, I still absolutely love tacos, but mine vary a great deal from the traditional tacos my mom and dad used to make. My husband and I have been perfecting the following recipe for the last couple of years. We never make them exactly the same way, but the basics are always there.
Vegetarian Tacos
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 people 

The ingredients, minus the taco seasoning.
Ingredients:

  • 2 leaves Romaine lettuce
  • 1 tomato
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 1/2 bell pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil (I used Annie's Naturals Roasted Garlic Olive Oil because my husband and I love garlic, it tastes amazing, and you can get a large bottle for pretty cheap at Costco)
  • A large handful of mushrooms
  • 1/2 of a 12oz package of soy ground beef (beefless beef)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of taco seasoning
  • 4 tortillas (I used a corn and wheat tortilla hybrid from Trader Joe's because my husband and I disagree over whether corn or wheat tortillas are best, heh)


Directions:
Prepared tomatoes and lettuce
  1. Wash your veggies
  2. Prepare your tomato and lettuce for tacos - dice tomatoes and cut lettuce into squares or strips depending on preference
  3. Shred 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese (use more if you like a lot of a cheese)
  4. Cut the 1/2 onion and the 1/2 bell pepper into 1/2 inch size pieces and saute in the 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium sized pan for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat, until the onions begin to look translucent.
  5. Mince the mushrooms and add to the onion and bell pepper and cook for an additional 2 minutes
  6. Add the 1/2 package of the beefless beef and 1 1/2 teaspoons of taco seasoning and cook until warm, about 3-5 minutes on low heat - use low heat and use this time to heat the tortillas up while it cooks
  7. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add one tortilla and heat for about 30 - 45 seconds and flip it over and heat for additional 30 seconds. Repeat for each of the 4 tortillas.
  8. Put your tacos together and ENJOY!

Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms Grilled Cheese

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As a vegetarian living in a rural college town I find that it is virtually impossible to find a decent vegetarian meal at our local restaurants. That is not to say that most restaurants don't try, they do, but they usually do so by offering a grilled veggie and cheese sandwich. I am a connoisseur of grilled cheeses, so this particular trend does not bother me in the slightest. In fact, I am delighted when I see it on a menu. What does bother me is when the local restaurants decide it is a good idea to take the lonely vegetarian option away and replace it with a grilled meat and cheese variety. This happened to me just last month at the new pub in town, The Handlebar. They not only have a very limited vegetarian menu (consisting of literally beer and their fabulous beer cheese and pretzels), but they also had the nerve to offer a caramelized onion grilled cheese sandwich with BACON. And if you do not want bacon, guess what? You cannot have the caramelized onions either, because they are cooked together. *sigh*

Tonight as I was rummaging through my refrigerator trying to figure out what my husband and I were going to have for dinner, I realized that I had the perfect ingredients to make a vegetarian friendly caramelized onion grilled cheese sandwich. The following recipe is what I concocted. Enjoy.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 2 people


Ingredients:
  • A large handful of mushrooms
  • Half of a small onion
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Swiss cheese
  • Butter
  • Four pieces of sourdough bread (I used multi grain sourdough because I think it tastes fabulous)

Directions:

 1.   Heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a small pan.
2.   Slice the mushrooms and the half onion (keep the onion slices on the larger side)
3.   Put the sliced mushrooms and onion in the pan with the olive oil and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat. Cook until the onions brown, turning every couple of minutes.






(They should look something like this, when they are done.)











4.   Assemble your grilled cheese sandwich, adding the cooked caramelized onions and mushrooms to the sandwich. (I put the caramelized onions and mushrooms between the cheeses because the melted cheese on both sides will help keep the onions and mushrooms from falling out while you are eating it.)
5.   Cook the grilled cheese sandwich.
6.   Heat some tomato soup.
7.   Enjoy!















Enjoy, I know I did!

Edit: Based on reader response, I have a couple of suggestions for those of you who do not like mushrooms, or as someone put it, think they are out to kill you.

  1. You could replace the mushrooms with bell pepper
  2. You could leave the mushroom out all together and add a tomato when you cook the grilled cheese
  3. OR, if you like mushrooms, you could choose to add the bell pepper and tomato and make an even tastier grilled cheese





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