Pages

Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe. Show all posts

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe is so simple but so, so tasty! It makes a wonderful appetizer or even meal (if you're like me and are totally obsessed with mushrooms!). 


  • 8 oz whole mushrooms, stems removed
  • 1 T fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 T onion, finely chopped
  • 1 t fresh minced garlic
  • pinch of salt
  • 1-2 T vegan butter (Earth Balance; or you could use your preferred oil)
  • optional: cheese of choice

vegan stuffed mushroom recipevegan stuffed mushroom recipe

  1.  Finely chop the mushroom stems.
  2. Melt butter over medium heat in small saucepan.
  3. Combine the chopped stems, onions, parsley, salt, and garlic with butter and sauté for five to ten minutes, until mixture is well cooked.
  4. Spoon mixture into mushrooms. Place on baking sheet.
  5. Bake mushrooms for 15 to 20 minutes at 350. (If you choose to add cheese, add it at the 15 minute mark and remove mushrooms after five minutes.)


Monday, April 14, 2014

Chickpea + Potato Curry

Some nights call for curry and tonight was one of those nights. This recipe is super easy and not at all complicated. It's one that you can put on the stove pretty quickly and do other things as it cooks--a necessary trait for parents! It's also great for people who aren't too confident in their cooking abilities because it really is simple! 

chickpea potato curryI like to make a big batch of rice or quinoa and store it in the fridge for the week. This curry can easily be prepared ahead of time or right before serving, so you can just pour it over leftover rice and have a pretty delicious meal without requiring a ton of time. 

Ingredients:
½ medium onion, diced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well
1 can light coconut milk
1 t oil
1 t minced garlic
1 1/2 t curry
1/8 t cayenne
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t salt



Method:
1. Saute the diced onion and minced garlic in the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
2. As the onion is cooking, peel and chop your potatoes. 
3. Once the onion is translucent, add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
4. Lower heat and cover. Stir occasionally. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender. 
5. Once potatoes are done, remove cover and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes until it thickens. Serve over rice or quinoa. 

chickpea potato curry
Notes:
  • You can substitute the potatoes for your favorite veggies and serve over baked potatoes instead!
  • If you want to speed up the process, boil the potatoes in a separate pot of water for a few minutes, then drain well and add to the pan with the rest of the ingredients. 

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Christmas Dinner

So, before I post about pregnancy this week (36-weeks!!!), I figured I'd share our Christmas dinner. Everything here is gluten-free and vegan and beyond delicious!

Only one of the recipes is an original, and I'll post that recipe later. For now, though, enjoy links to the other pages and their scrumptious recipes and gorgeous pictures (because I took none… hey, I'm 9 months pregnant ;)).

Appetizer:
Almond Feta Cheese (When I make this, I double the fresh herbs, but keep everything else the same. I served with Mary's Gone Crackers Original crackers.)

Main:
Walnut Lentil Loaf (I didn't have apple butter for the sauce, so I just omitted it. I also used one celery stalk, as well as one scallion.)

Sides:
Mashed Potatoes (Just use the potato layer recipe and cut way back on the salt!)
Green Bean Casserole (This is my original recipe that I will post in the next couple weeks--hopefully.)

I know it's way late and you can't use this for your dinner, but hopefully you can try out these recipes on regular days and come back to them for your next special occasion if you decide to!


If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Shepherd's Pie with Garlic-Kale Mashed Potatoes

It has been waaay too long since I posted a recipe. Oops! But I think the wait was worth it, because this one really is good. (Quality>quantity, I say!)

This is a pretty excellent recipe to help with those Meatless Mondays a lot of people try to achieve. It's also a great way to save some money, because meat=expensive and lentils are dirt cheap. And delicious. And versatile. And so healthy! (Can you tell I love me some lentils?!)

This is also a really great way to sneak in veggies, especially kale. 

Poor kale, so many people judge it without giving it a fair chance. I promise, it's yummy if you prepare it the right way. This is one of those "right ways" that you can use to improve the nutrition density of a simple meal.

Plus, it's an all-in-one dish. No need for sides. 

Did I mention it's delicious? Because it definitely is.

Happy cooking!


1-IMG_7256_2_addtext-001

Ingredients (4 servings):
For the potatoes
- 5 or 6 medium sized russet potatoes
- 2 stems of kale
- 1/2 C milk
- 1/4 butter
- 2 T cream cheese
- 1 t minced garlic
- pinch salt

For the bottom layer
- 1/2 C lentils, cooked in 2 C vegetable broth
- 1/3 - 1/2 C diced onion
- 1/2 - 1 full C your choice of frozen vegetables (peas and corn are good!)
- 1 T soy sauce/Braggs aminos
- black and cayenne peppers, paprika

Directions:
1. Start preparing lentils first by bringing them to a boil in two cups of broth, them turn down to simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Peel and chop your potatoes. Place in large pot and cover with cool, salted water. Bring to boil and allow to cook.

3. Take kale and remove leaves from stems. Then, slice leaves into very thin pieces (mine were as thin as I could cut them). Then, cut them going the opposite way to make the pieces nice and tiny. Set aside.

4. Saute the diced onion in about a teaspoon oil or broth over medium heat for about five minutes, then add frozen vegetables.

5. Once potatoes are almost tender, add in kale and stir. Allow this to continue cooking for about 5 more minutes.

6. Once the lentils have finished cooking, strain them to remove the excess broth and add lentils to onion/veggie mixture. Stir well to combine and add in a few grinds of black pepper, a dash or two of cayenne, and a few sprinkles of paprika. Stir in soy sauce/aminos. 

7. Drain potato/kale mixture and try to press out as much water from the kale as possible. Place into large bowl with remaining ingredients (from the first list). Mash, mash, mash!

8. Pour lentil/veggie mixture into a prepared casserole dish and spread it out to cover the bottom of the dish. Add potatoes on top and spread to cover. (If your potatoes seem a little thick, you can spray a little cooking oil on top.) 

9. Cook at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to slightly brown.

10. Serve hot! Especially good with a little Sriracha sauce on top. :) Enjoy!


1-IMG_7257_2_addtext



If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Friday, September 13, 2013

Sweet Potato Tacos

I love tacos. Really just Mexican food in general. 

I usually do black beans and quinoa and leave it at that, but I've been on a bit of a sweet potato kick lately, so I thought today, "OMG! Sweet potato tacos!" And then I just had to make them, or else obsess over potential recipes all weekend.

IMG_7300

These are quite easy to prepare and don't take too long. The potatoes themselves cook 30 minutes, which means you can pop them in the oven and prepare whatever other taco fixin's you'd like. (We used quinoa and black beans... Still.)

They have a little bit of a kick to them, so if you have little ones, you may want to dial back the cayenne a little, but for everyone else they should be fine.

The sweetness of the potato, plus the spice of seasonings, plus the taco shell and whatever else you add on there, all combine and make something pretty special.

You could also just put these on the side of whatever Mexican fare you are serving.

Yummmm.

IMG_7301

Sweet Potato Tacos

Ingredients (serves two people, about 6 hard tacos):
     1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
     1 T + 1 t oil
     1 t Mexican hot sauce (I used Valentina)
     1/2 t garlic powder
     1/2 chili powder
     1/8 t cayenne pepper
     1/8 t cumin
     (+ Whatever you plan to serve them on and with, 
      such as hard or soft shells, quinoa, black beans, etc.)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Prepare your sweet potato(es) and put pieces into a medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl, then toss over the sweet potatoes.
4. Stir well, making sure each piece is well covered in oil/spice mixture.
5. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and spread out.
6. Cook 15 minutes, then flip each piece, and cook for another 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

IMG_7304



If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Sexy Sweet Potatoes

Few veggies say "fall" like sweet potatoes... And since I've been on such a fall food kick lately, it's little surprise that I set my heart on making some sweet potatoes.

I'm not a huge fan of them normally, and I don't really care for them baked. But they are so darn good for you, I decided I needed to find a good way to cook them, without covering them in butter and marshmallows. Mission accomplished.



IMG_7280

Sexy, right? (Drew thinks it's weird that I'm referring to food as sexy, but I just can't help it. These babies are hot!) 



IMG_7279

Sweet, glazed perfection. Did I mention not too shabby health-wise? What about super easy?

Seriously... 

Sexy Sweet Potatoes

* Use about one medium sweet potato per person. The following serves two.

Ingredients:
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into similarly sized bites
  • 2 T oil of your preference (I like light EVOO, but anything will work)
  • 2 T light brown sugar
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • Dash of salt
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Peel and chop sweet potatoes.

IMG_7195

3.  Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl.


IMG_7194

4. Combine glaze with sweet potatoes. Make sure that each piece is covered in the glaze.

IMG_7196

IMG_7198

5. Pour potatoes onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure that each piece has as much space as possible.

IMG_7199

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip each piece. (Again, make sure they're all laying flat and have as much space as possible. 

IMG_7261

7. Put back into oven for another 15-20 minutes. (Baking time will vary by size of pieces, how much you're cooking, how much space they have, etc. So just keep an eye out!)

IMG_7274

8. All done! Enjoy. :)


IMG_7278

Monday, September 2, 2013

Vegetarian/Vegan Chili

I've yet to actually have any "cravings," which is not something I expected. Most of what I'd heard about pregnancy prior to becoming pregnant was all about crazy cravings that have to be met immediately. So far, though, that has not been at all how I've felt. I get into moods for certain foods, but that's totally normal for me. 

Lately, the main food that I've been wanting... CHILI. 

I don't know why, either. It's still warm here, but I guess I am just totally in fall mode. Soups, chili, etc. So needless to say, I've been eating a lot of chili. And I love it! 


This recipe is super basic, making it great for customizing or eating a lot of (it's hard to get sick of it!). 

It's so easy and doesn't involve a seasoning packet, which is awesome! A lot of seasoning packets are super high in sodium, have a lot of extra and unnecessary additives, and even contain gluten a lot of the time! No thanks! 


Simple Vegetarian/Vegan Chili

Ingredients:

  • Approx. 1/2 T oil
  • 1/2 of a medium onion, diced
  • 2 cans each of dark red kidney beans and black beans, drained and well rinsed
  • 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 C vegetable broth (or 1 C broth and 1 C water)
  • 2 T chili powder
  • 1/2 - 2/3 t salt
  • 3/4 t garlic powder
  • 1/4 - 1/2 t cayenne pepper


Directions:
1. Dice your onion and then saute it in the oil over medium/high heat in a large pot.


2. Drain and rinse (well) all the beans. 



3. Once the onion has become pretty translucent, add in the beans, tomatoes, broth, and spices. Stir well.



4. Allow chili to come to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 30 minutes (uncovered).




Notes:
- If you prefer a thicker chili, boil the chili for several minutes to allow more liquid to evaporate.
- Try serving over a bed of pasta (I prefer Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta).
- Top with your favorite cheese, sour cream, avocado, or chopped onions. YUM! So many options! 

So good! What are your favorite fall foods?

If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Friday, April 12, 2013

Pre-birthday Quesadillas

In 3 weeks, I will be completely done with my course work for my final semester of my undergraduate degree!! Can I just take a minute to say: WOOHOOO!! It has only taken me 2 extra years! Jeez!

That said, things have been pretty hectic. Go figure! I have a big chunk of school work I'm slowly picking away at... Slowly but surely! We're getting there! :)

Anyway, spring time is officially here in GA. It's so nice out! Staying in and doing school work is rough. Just check out these gorgeous flowers.
So lovely! 

As I'm sure you can imagine, little cooking has been happening--at least for me. My wonderful husband has taken my stress and busyness in stride by doing a bunch of the house stuff I usually do (cooking and cleaning and laundry--oh my!). He has, though, cooked up some pretty excellent stuff lately. Last night in particular he made me one of my all time favorite meals: quesadillas! 

The recipe is not an original. You can find it here, courtesy of The Tolerant Vegan. We make a couple [simple] changes, though. We substitute black beans (one can, drained and rinsed), use Follow Your Heart cheeses, and add in extra cilantro (you can never have enough!!). Then, we put it on gluten-free tortillas and cook 'em up on the griddle. 

Look at that magic! YUM!

They are so great. If you don't care for vegan cheese or cream cheese, just try this recipe out! Everyone loves this one. :)

Well, I gotta whole lot to do this weekend (plus, tomorrow's my birthday!) so I'll catch you later.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

My very favorite recipe: Enchiladas

It's been awhile. Things have been getting progressively crazier as of late. But I have a really fantastic recipe to share, so I thought I'd pop on in! I have a few other things to talk about, but we'll save that for a little later. 

Don't be fooled by the number of ingredients. This recipe is super easy and amazingly delicious. It has quickly become my favorite at the top of the weekly rotation!


Creamy Enchiladas 
Filling:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful red bell pepper, chopped
2 handfuls onion, chopped
oil
minced garlic (about 1/2-1 tsp)
sprinkle of salt
* about 8 corn tortillas 
Sauce:
1.5 c dairy free milk (I prefer almond)
1.5 t powdered garlic
1 t paprika
1/4 cayenne
1.5 t chili powder
sprinkle of salt 
2 T butter
3 T flour 
1/2 c sour cream (I use Tofutti)
1/2 c green salsa, salsa verde
1/2 jalapeño (optional)
For garnish (if you want): cilantro, scallions, onion, red pepper, or whatever :)  
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Sauté the onion and red pepper in oil and garlic for about 10 minutes, until they are cooked to your personal liking.
3. Once they're done, mix in a bowl with the drained black beans and a little salt and set aside.
4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the first group of ingredients for the sauce (from the milk to the salt).




5. In a saucepan (I use the same one I sautéed the onion and pepper in), heat the butter on low until it melts. Then whisk in the flour. Once thoroughly combined, add in the milk mixture and raise heat to medium/high.
6. Continue whisking and whisking until it gets thick, as shown in picture. Then turn off heat and add in the sour cream and green salsa (and jalapeño, if you would like).
7. Set aside. Pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Create the enchiladas by preparing tortillas as per package instructions (usually microwaving a few in between damp paper towels for 30-45 seconds), spooning the bean/onion/pepper mixture into them, wrapping them up, and putting them fold down in the dish. Pour sauce over the enchiladas and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Once out of the oven, top with fresh cilantro, chopped scallions, whatever you'd like! Enjoy! :)



A few more pictures: 


IMG_7484

IMG_7475


If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Tomato Soup

It has been a rather crazy semester so far. I have not been posting as much as I would like because school has been running my life lately. It's been eye-opening, though, which is a silver lining. Before, I used to have this crazy idea in my head that I wanted to be a crazy career woman. I could work 60 hour work weeks and be completely happy. All of this time away from home and things that are important to me has shown me that I like to have time to myself, time at home, and plenty of time to do the things that are important to me (time with family, time for cooking and healthy activities, etc.). 

All that to say, I cannot wait for this semester to be done. It has been miserable. This is easily the very worst semester of my college career. I hate it.

But enough about all of that! I know why you're here! How about a recipe?

I have a couple up my sleeve. New, personal favorites that I have been waiting to share.

Here is a quick, pictureless recipe for some scrumptious tomato soup!

Quick & Easy Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
2 C milk (I use almond)
4 C original v8 juice
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1 t vegetable bouillon
3 T butter
4 T flour (I use gluten-free bisquick)
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
a dash of cayenne and smoked paprika 
Combine the first five ingredients in a large pot over medium/high heat. Mix and bring to a boil.
Whisk in the butter and flour. You'll need to continuously whisk and keep the heat up high. Keep whisking until the soup gets thick. 
Then toss in the peppers and paprika.  
Serve and enjoy. :)  
This makes about two large servings. It only takes about ten minutes to prepare and only one pot, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner (quick and little clean-up).


If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Caramelized Onions

Onions are my absolute favorite vegetable. I know that many people probably consider that weird, but holy moly--do I adore them! I love them in practically everything! I especially love to caramelize them. They shrink down really small and get so delightfully sweet. Truly spectacular.

It's really easy to prepare them. You just need butter (or oil), an onion, and about an hour! They are definitely time consuming, but once you do this one time, you won't care! You'll make them all the time, too. :) 

Simply slice an onion nice and thin (as thin and uniform as possible). Then add to a frying pan with a two or three tablespoons of butter (or oil). Heat over medium-high. Stir and cook for about ten minutes until the onion turns translucent. Then, lower heat all the way down to low. Continue cooking and stirring. Do this for about an hour or so. If it seems to get too dry in the pan, add another little dollop of butter. 

The onion will shrink down and begin to get brown. This is good! Just beware not to let it burn. You want to be close to the stove the whole cook-time, just to be sure it isn't burning. If you'd like, you can cook them down to be little crispy straws (by cooking longer), or keep them soft (less time on the stove). Either way, they are wonderful--the perfect addition to tacos, enchiladas, potatoes, and any vegetable!

Enjoy!

Roasted Green Beans

These are a wonderful substitute for french fries or any other starchy, fried deliciousness you oft crave. I also have it on good authority that people who typically loathe veggies actually enjoy these. Shh, don't tell! 

It is yet another non-recipe. It's entirely up to your own tastes and preferences! 

Ingredients:  
  • A few handfuls of fresh green beans (I get mine in bags in the produce section) 
  • Olive oil (a couple tablespoons)
  • Coarse salt
  • Seasoning salt
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 425F.


IMG_7197


In a large bowl, drizzle about two tablespoons of oil over the green beans. Use a hand to mix. 


IMG_7203

Sprinkle a little of each spice over the green beans, then mix more with hand. Continue until it seems as though every green bean has gotten a good amount of seasoning. (I typically do a couple pinches of salt, a lot of garlic powder, a couple sprinkles of cayenne, and small sprinkles of the other seasonings each time I stir the beans).


IMG_7237

IMG_7241
(If your hand looks like this when you're done, you did it right!)

Once everything is good and mixed and the oven is heated, pour onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. 


IMG_7255

Bake for 20 minutes, then flip. 


IMG_7262

Continue cooking for about 15 more minutes, until they are nice and brown looking. 


IMG_7272

Try to get these to your plate before finishing them off...

IMG_7275

Drew and I always end up eating them all straight from the oven, standing at the stove. They make a pretty excellent appetizer.



Enjoy! 


If you like what you just read please click to send a quick vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs- The best mommy blog directory featuring top mom bloggers