Tag Archives: vegetarian

May 6 2013

Cheddar & Apple Breakfast Panini

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I have a bit of a cookbook-buying problem. Especially when it comes to library sales. A few weeks ago, when at a library sale I picked up a 2005 Weight Watchers Five Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook. We were in the middle of a few really busy weeks so the quick and easy plug totally got me.

I really like the sandwich section of this book. There are a whole bunch on the to-make list. This is a riff on one that was in the book. I wasn’t sure how cheddar on cinnamon raisin bread, but it’s fantastic. These were a great, quick breakfast. I sliced up the rest of the apple each day to eat along with to round out the meal.

Cheddar & Apple Breakfast Panini
(adapted from Weight Watchers Five Ingredients 15 Minute Cookbook 2005)
Serves 1

2 slices cinnamon raisin bread
2 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
Cooking spray

Spray one side of each piece of bread with cooking spray. Place one slice of cheese on each non-sprayed side of bread.  Add apple slices on top of cheese. Sandwich together and toast in a panini press until the outside crust is golden.

Slice and serve immediately.

Apr 5 2013

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola Bars

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This week has felt kind of crazy.

I’m used to working from home three days a week. This week, I was in the office every day to help with some training. When you add up the one hour commute each way and the lunch hour I usually use to do housework, nine of my usual “doing stuff” hours have been chewed up. That’s like an extra day! Quite obviously, quick and easy has been the go-to for food this week.

I mixed these bars up over the weekend and they’ve been a great go-to for breakfast or a post-gym snack. Loaded with nuts and seeds, they’re quite filling – and since they’re no-bake, they only take about five minutes to prepare.

These can easily be made vegan – just use vegan chocolate chips – and gluten-free - just make sure you’re using gluten-free oats.

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Granola Bars
(slightly adapted from 86 Lemons)
Makes an 8×8 pan worth

1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. flax seed meal
1/8 c. chia seeds
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/3 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. cashews
1/2 c. almonds
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. agave nectar
3/4 c. natural peanut butter

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flax meal, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds and chocolate chips. Stir agave nectar in until evenly distributed. Stir in peanut butter until well combined throughout.

Press mixture into prepared pan. Freeze for 1 hour, then remove from pan and cut into bars. Store in freezer until ready to eat.

Mar 29 2013

Sweet & Spicy Green Beans

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I’ve been on a sides kick lately (have you noticed?) so when I was assigned Nichole’s blog for the latest blogger’s choice swap, I immediatedly went to see what kind of sides she had blogged.

Green beans are a favorite around here, so I knew these would be a big hit. We also always have the ingredients on hand so I’m sure this is a side that will make it into our regular rotation.

Sweet & Spicy Green Beans
(adapted from Cookaholic Wife)
Serves 2 as a side

1/2 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 T. olive oil
1 t. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 t. chile garlic sauce
1 tsp. honey
Pinch of sesame seeds, toasted

In a medium frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add green beans and cook until slightly browned and soft. Stir in soy sauce, chile garlic sauce and honey, tossing to coat.

Once the sauce has heated through, transfer beans to a serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

You can check out what the other bloggers in the swap chose to make below. Thanks, Sarah, for hosting!



Mar 29 2013

Potato Enchiladas

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I generally start my weekly meal plan by taking inventory of what I have on hand that needs to be used up. I had “tortillas” on the list and had written down bbq chicken quesadillas as a dinner option. I wanted another meatless meal on the menu, so I swapped the quesadillas for these enchiladas. Of course, one of the things that got lost in all that was that the tortillas were really huge burrito wraps – so instead of 6 normal-sized enchiladas, I ended up with 3 huge enchiladas (which got cut in half).

Oh well, they still tasted awesome! I was a little on the fence with the idea of mashed potatoes in enchiladas but these worked really well.

And, as today is Good Friday, it’s the finale for this year’s Meatless Lenten Fridays series. I hope you found it useful and that you’ll join me again for Lenten Fridays next year!

Potato Enchiladas
(adapted from Everyday Southwest)
Serves 6

1 T. vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion
3 c. mashed potatoes
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. shredded white cheddar
6 tortillas
2 c. green enchilada sauce
Salsa and sour cream, for serving

Heat oil over low heat in a small fry pan. Add onions and caramelize until a rich brown color.

Spread 1/2 c. of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×11 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Mix together mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and sour cream. Divide potato and onion mixture between tortillas. Top with cheese.  Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly.

Top with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Mar 27 2013

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Applesauce

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I first tried this recipe out when I wanted a sweet potato casserole but didn’t have the oven room for another dish. Using the slow cooker is the perfect solution. If you’re looking for another side to add to your Easter dinner, but don’t want something that will take a lot of effort, this is the dish to add to your menu. It takes minimal prep and then you just dump everything in the slow cooker – it couldn’t be easier.

This sweet side goes really well with ham.

 

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Applesauce
(slightly adapted from Betty Crocker)
Serves 6, as a side

2 lbs. sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
3 T. butter,  melted
1 t. ground cinnamon

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray and spread sweet potatoes over the bottom.

In a small bowl, mix together the applesauce, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Pour evenly over sweet potatoes.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours until potatoes are very tender.

Mar 25 2013

Honey-Glazed Carrots

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I love carrots. Mark likes carrots – as long as they’re raw. I almost never make cooked carrots because it’s a lot easier just to put a bowl of raw ones on the table.

I ended up with a lot of leftover carrots from another dish and decided to try out this recipe since I’d had it bookmarked forever. They were awesome and I had to stop myself from eating too many out of the pan before they were done.

Mark wouldn’t touch them but I’m okay with that – more for me.

Honey-Glazed Carrots
(from Martha Stewart)
Serves 6

1 T. vegetable oil
2 pounds carrots, thickly coin sliced
1 c. water
1/2 c. honey
2 T. red-wine vinegar
2 T. unsalted butter
Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes, until beginning to brown, turning once.

Add the water, honey and vinegar to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, cooking for 10 minutes. Remove cover and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the honey mixture is thick and syrupy.

Remove skillet from heat and add butter. Stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Mar 22 2013

Korean Vegetable Pancakes and Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

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Mark and I usually go out to dinner on Friday nights, but this is something we forego during Lent. It’s easier to make something vegetarian at home than to try to accommodate eating meatless at most restaurants. And even though all of the Lenten Friday recipes I’ve shared have been delicious, by this point in Lent it’s starting to wear on us a little bit. We miss our nights out.

I’ve been craving Chinese, so when I ran across this recipe I knew it would be a perfect dinner for us. I love making our own take-out.

Chock-full of vegetables, these are super filling and they reheat very well.

Korean Vegetable Pancakes and Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce
(from A Spicy Perspective)
Makes 4 12″ pancakes

For the pancakes
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. water
1 large egg
1 1/2 t. sea salt
2 c. shredded potatoes
1 c. shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced julienne
1 small zucchini, shredded
1 bunch green onions, cut in 1 in. sections
Pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for cooking

For the dipping sauce
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. water
1 T. rice vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 T. sesame oil
1 minced garlic clove
1 t. sesame seeds
1/4 t. crushed red pepper

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Whisk again and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the flour, water, egg and salt. Set the batter aside to rest.

Preheat two non-stick skillets to medium high heat. Slice all the vegetables and mix into the batter. Add pepper to taste. If the batter still seems very thick, after the veggies are mixed in, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix well.

Add a little oil to each skillet and swirl around. Ladle enough veggie batter into each skillet to completely cover the bottom. Fry for 4-5 minutes, per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.

Cut the pancakes into wedges and serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Mar 15 2013

Layered Vegetarian Tostadas

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At the beginning of Lent, I had a really ambitious list of vegetarian dinners for Fridays. And while most of the dishes still look appealing, a lot of them just seem too ambitious by the time I’m ready to cook.

Fast and easy? That’s a lot more appealing at 6 o’clock on a Friday night.

These tostadas fall into the fast and easy category. They were so good! I only toasted up half of the tortillas for dinner and then toasted the rest for lunch over the weekend.

Layered Vegetarian Tostadas
(from Kalyn’s Kitchen)
Approx. 8 tostadas

1 recipe refried beans
1 1/2 c. guacamole
1 c. light sour cream
1/2 t. taco seasoning
1 c. grated Mexican cheese
1 c. pico de gallo
1/2 cup sliced black olives
8 whole wheat flour tortillas, 6 or 8 inch inch size
Olive oil for greasing baking sheet, about 1 t.

Place a baking sheet inside the oven and let it get hot while you preheat oven to 450F degrees. Remove the baking sheet and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on it, spreading it around with a paper towel. Place the flour tortillas in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Toast the tortillas in the oven until they’re crisp and barely starting to brown, turning several times.
While tortillas are crisping, microwave the refried beans in a bowl until they’re hot.  Stir the taco seasoning into the sour cream.

Put crisped tortilla shell on a plate and top with a thin layer of refried beans, a thin layer of guacamole, a thin layer of seasoned sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese and sliced olives

Serve immediately.
Mar 8 2013

Pizza Cobbler

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Pizza is a Lenten Friday staple. Go into any pizza place around here and there will be a line of people picking up cheese pies.

Now, I love a good pizza but sometimes it’s also good to switch things up. This homey casserole tastes like pizza, but it easier to throw together than making a pizza at home – perfect for a Lenten Friday.

Pizza Cobbler
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)
Serves 6

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1   c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. sliced green peppers
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/2  c. sliced black olives
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (7 1/2 oz.) refrigerated biscuits, separated and cut into quarters

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees . In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green peppers and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives and bring to a simmer.

Grease a 2-quart baking dish and spread the sauce mixture in the bottom. Sprinkle the cheese over and then top with the biscuit pieces. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the biscuits are browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Mar 1 2013

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Citrus-Curry Dressing

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Today is recipe swap day! For the latest blogger’s choice swap, I had Jaida’s blog, Sweet Beginnings. I knew I wanted to make a meatless meal since today’s another Lenten Friday and Jaida had lots of great options to pick from.

I settled on this salad because I knew it’d be perfect as a dinner and also as an easy-to-pack lunch for work. Gosh, was this good. I’ve never been so happy that my husband doesn’t really like sweet potatoes – more for me!

 Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Citrus-Curry Dressing
(as seen on Sweet Beginnings, originally from Pampered Chef – Spin on Salads)
Serves 4 as a main dish

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. curry powder
1 t. orange zest
1 medium Red Delicious apple, cored and diced
1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions, with tops
1 package fresh baby greens

Preheat the oven to 450F degrees. Line a large backing sheet with foil.

Cut the sweet potatoes into large cubes and toss with olive oil to coat. Spread them in a single layer on the baking dish and roast for 22 minutes, turning halfway through. After roasting, set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, orange juice, mustard, curry powder and orange zest to make dressing. Set aside.

Combine cool sweet potatoes, apple, celery, green onions with 1/3 c. of the dressing and toss to coat.

Serve over baby greens.

You can check out what the other blogger chose to make below. Thanks to Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting!