Category Archives: Recipe

Vegetarians Know How To Grill

Posted on May 31, 2011 | 2 Comments

Vegetarian Grilling

Vegetarian Grilling

Yesterday was Memorial Day and I hope you all had a chance to remember and honor those who have died in our nation’s service as well as a chance to spend some time with loved ones and enjoy good food. I had a chance to do some grilling last night. I made vegetarian kabobs with onions and red, green and yellow peppers and Tofurky® Italian Sausage (a great meat alternative that is really well seasoned and has a great texture….my roommate who’s not vegetarian ate them!). Also on the grill were some yellow squash and zucchini that I cut lengthwise and coated with olive oil and salt and pepper. Pretty basic, but still quite tasty.

The food took about 20 minutes to cook and turned out pretty good. I’d change a few things (I overcooked the kabobs a bit), but overall a success. I just had the leftovers for lunch…even better the second day! Oh…and another huge plus, because we weren’t grilling meat and there wasn’t grease everywhere, the grill was super easy to clean!

What foods have you been grilling lately?

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Meatless Monday: Risotto with Asparagus & Peas

Posted on May 15, 2011 | Leave a comment

Risotto

Risotto

RisottoI’ve been missing in action for a few months, but am going to try to get back into blogging. With that said, here’s a simple and tasty recipe for Risotto with Asparagus & Risotto that I want to share with you. OK, I have to admit….I love risotto. It’s one of those easy meals to make, that looks impressive. Good for dinner guests and it couldn’t be simpler to make. This recipe is from Vegetarian Times Fast & Easy:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large leek or 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
  • 4 cups veggie broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I used a blend of Parmesan, Asiago & Romano cheese)
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I added more, so add to taste)
  • pinch of nutmeg (my addition)
  • ground pepper (my addition)

Directions

Saute the onions in the olive oil until transparent. Then add the wine and rice and turn the heat up until the wine evaporates. Then add the salt and 1/4 of the broth. Stir the rice and add more broth as it is absorbed. Keep stirring. After about 20-25 minutes when the rice is almost done cooking add the peas and asparagus. Cook until asparagus is crisp. Then stir in pepper, nutmeg, vinegar, cheese and parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Risotto also makes great leftovers and you can pretty much use any vegetables you like to make it: mushrooms, red peppers, broccoli, arugula and any of your other favorites!

Do you have a favorite risotto recipe?

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Meatless Monday: Anything Goes Burritos

Posted on January 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

burrito

burrito

Why go out and get a mediocre burrito when you can make a tasty one at home? This burrito was fantastic and simple to make. In time it would take you to start the car and drive to a Mexican chain restaurant, you could be making these delicious and HEALTHY burritos in the comfort of your own home. Don’t be stupid! Make the right decision and give these a try!

Below are the ingredients my boyfriend and I used to make our burritos. The best thing is that you can use what you have on hand and be creative with your burrito ingredients.

  • whole wheat wraps
  • black beans
  • guacamole
  • tomatoes
  • red onions
  • rice
  • lettuce
  • cilantro
  • sautéed red, yellow and green peppers
  • salsa or pico de gallo
  • pineapple
  • lime
  • cumin
  • cayenne
  • red pepper flakes
  • hot sauce
  • chili powder
  • salt & pepper

We put everything out on the table and made gigantic, delicious burritos. So good! You could add other vegetables, different beans, tofu etc.—the options are endless!

What do you like to put on your burritos? Do you have any favorite combinations? Share with us below!

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Meatless Monday: French Country Stew

Posted on January 16, 2011 | 2 Comments

French Country Stew

French Country Stew

My new favorite vegan cookbook is The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, MD and Robyn Webb. The recipes contain lots of colors and flavors and are very low fat. They use a wide variety of ingredients in each recipe—ingredients that you can find at almost any grocery store. So, I wanted to share this French Country Stew recipe with you, since its perfect for cold winter days.

Here’s what you need (makes four 1-cup servings):

  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cups green cabbage
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (I bought the pre-packaged kind at the grocery store to save myself a little time)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 (16-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
  • salt
  • pepper

To make the soup, in a large saucepan saute the onion and garlic in 1/4 cup broth for 5 minutes, then add everything but the beans and tomatoes. Cook until the squash is tender (about 30 minutes). Then, add the beans and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 more minutes. Add salt and pepper and you’re ready to eat!

I tried this soup because I wanted to give cabbage a try. Cabbage isn’t my favorite vegetable, but when mixed with the squash and beans, I really enjoyed it. I added a little too much thyme to my recipe, so be careful to add what the recipe calls for (or even a little less) and taste to see if you need more. Thyme has a very strong, over powering flavor.

What I also liked about this soup is that it has less than one gram of fat, around 200 calories per serving, 11 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber. It’s health and nutrient packed!

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Meatless Monday: Grown Up Mac & Cheese with Tomatoes

Posted on January 10, 2011 | 4 Comments

Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese

I grew up with macaroni and cheese being one of my absolute favorite foods, so when my boyfriend suggested that we make it, I didn’t object. We made a recipe from Food Network called Grown Up Mac & Cheese. We didn’t use bacon or blue cheese. Instead of the blue cheese we substituted a little ricotta (I’m just not a blue cheese fan). We also added tomato slices on top to add a little more flavor to the dish. The result was delicious! I’d definitely make this again and maybe even incorporate some broccoli next time.

Do you have a favorite mac & cheese recipe? What do you like to put in your mac & cheese?

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Guilt-free Apple Bake

Posted on January 5, 2011 | 2 Comments

Apple Bake
Apple Bake This is an easy recipe that’s perfect as a healthy dessert or as a side dish to accompany dinner. Here’s what I use in this apple bake:

- Apples (your favorite kind), peeled and sliced thinly
- Raisins (or currants, cranberries, etc.) You can also soak the raisins in rum for a kick.
- Cinnamon stick
- Ground cinnamon (or cloves, nutmeg, etc.)
- Apple juice (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

All you need to do is combine all the ingredients in a baking pan and bake in a 350º oven until the apples are soft. You can add orange or lemon juice for a more complex flavor or add sugar if you want the apples sweeter.

If you want to make more of a cobbler you can add oatmeal, butter (or margarine) and extra sweetener.

You could also use pears in this recipe instead of apples or do a combination. This is an easy, delicious and very flexible recipe.

How do you like to use up left over apples or fruit? Do you have any easy recipes?

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Meatless Monday: Super Easy Dinner—Pesto Pasta & Veggies

Posted on December 20, 2010 | 2 Comments

Pesto Pasta and Veggies

Pesto Pasta and Veggies

This week I wanted to post something that is so easy to make and perfect for the busy holiday season. Pesto pasta and sautéed veggies makes for a delicious quick meal. Here’s what you need:

  • Whole wheat pasta
  • Store-bought pesto
  • Garlic
  • Red onion
  • Frozen bell peppers
  • Olive oil
  • Any other veggies you want (tomatoes, zucchini, etc.)
  • Salt & pepper

All you need to do for the pasta is cook it and then combine with the pesto. For the veggies, add the olive oil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and any veggies you want (I used frozen bell peppers) and cook until soft and slightly browned. Then, just combine everything on a plate and enjoy!

It’s very easy and flavorful! Do you have any quick go-to meals when you’re having a busy week?

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Meatless Monday: Very Gingery Pear & Sweet Potato Soup

Posted on December 13, 2010 | 4 Comments

Ginger, Pear and Sweet Potato Soup

Ginger, Pear & Sweet Potato Soup

This week the weather has been very chilly and all I can think about is eating a warm bowl of soup. So, I got this great book from the library called The Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook and made Very Gingery Pear and Sweet Potato Soup. It is very easy to make and has a sweet and savory flavor. It’s amazing. Here’s what you need to make it:

  • 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 Bosc or d’Anjou pears (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2 tbsp crystallized ginger
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger
  • 4 cups veggie broth
  • Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions
  1. Put the sweet potatoes and pears in a large saucepan and cover with water and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft.
  2. While the potatoes and pears are cooking, coat a skillet with the olive oil spray and add the onions and cook for about four minutes.
  3. Then, in a food processor add the onions, drained potatoes and pears, and all the ginger. Purée until smooth, using some of the broth if needed.
  4. Then, add the mixture back into the saucepan add the broth, salt, pepper and lime juice.
  5. Cook for about 15 minutes and then ladle the soup into bowls and top with scallions and pears.

This soup is delicious and classy. Great for dinner parties or a nice dinner at home!

Do you have a favorite soup you eat when the weather is cold? Share with us!

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Meatless Monday: Mmmm…Vegan Pot Pie

Posted on December 6, 2010 | 3 Comments

Vegan Pot Pie

Vegan Pot Pie

Vegan Pot Pie

I’ve been wanting to make a homemade vegan pot pie for sooo long now. One of my favorite foods growing up were those horrible-for-you frozen pot pies (I liked the beef one). So, I found a super easy recipe on VegWeb that I modified slightly:

  • two 9″ whole wheat pie crusts (one for the top, one for the bottom)
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 small white potato
  • a few button mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 8-ounce package seitan , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I bought pre-cooked – its in the refrigerated section)
  • 1 envelope vegan gravy mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, ground in a mortar and pestle
  • chives (I used freeze-dried instead of fresh)
  • fresh parsley
  • pepper
  • sage
  • thyme
  • white cooking wine
  • olive oil

All I did was combine all of the veggies and spices into a pan with olive oil and cooking wine and cooked until the veggies were soft. Then, I stirred in the seitan and parsley and cooked a little longer. Meanwhile, I made the gravy in another sauce pan. Finally, I added the gravy to the pie filling and then added everything into the pie crust. Then, I put the other pie crust on top and put a little bit of Earth Balance on top to make the crust crispy. You’ll notice I left on the second crust (it’s not the most beautiful looking pie, but hey, I love crust!).  Then, I cooked it for about an hour or until the top was slightly brown. And…that’s it!

I thought the pot pie turned out very tasty! If I were to make it again, I would add more gravy to get more of a creamy filling, but otherwise the pie had a GREAT flavor. Even my sister’s husband (a die-hard meat lover) ate this pie and actually liked it. It was a proud moment for me. :)

If you’re looking for a simple to make comfort food, this is the perfect recipe! Seriously, so good!

Have you ever made pot pie before? How did it go? Share your tips with us!

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Meatless Monday: Asian Tofu Wrap

Posted on November 29, 2010 | 4 Comments

Asian Tofu Wrap

Asian Tofu Wrap

Asian Tofu Wrap

I had been craving a tofu wrap for weeks and I finally got a chance to make one the other day. I wanted to share this simple recipe with you. It is based off of from a recipe from Chew Bite. Here’s the ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 orange bell pepper
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 6 scallions
  • 1 can chopped water chestnuts
  • 1 package of extra firm tofu, pressed and sliced
  • tamari or soy sauce to taste
  • white cooking wine
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • chili oil, to taste
  • boston lettuce
  • whole grain tortilla wraps
  • s + p

First, I pressed the tofu and baked it in the oven with some soy sauce, making sure to cook evenly on both sides. Then, I added the garlic, ginger, pepper, chestnuts, carrots, olive oil, sesame oil, tamari and cooking wine to a pan and began sautéing. Add as much of the tamari and cooking wine as you would like to coat the vegetables. Add chili oil to taste. Once the veggies are done cooking, stir in the scallions and the cilantro. Next, pile the veggie mixture, lettuce and the slices of tofu onto a wrap. Add sesame seeds or more tamari if you’d like.

This turned out tasty! It was pretty easy to make and is a great way to use up some veggies that I had in the fridge. Give it a try!

Do you have a favorite wrap recipe? Share with us below!

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