Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Applesauce Oat muffins

I tried this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and I am definitely going to make it more often.

muffins

I did make a few edits though to veganize it:
Ground flax seed instead of egg
Coconut oil instead of butter

I had also used homemade applesauce I made last fall from freshly picked apples and canned for days like this!

A tasty healthy breakfast treat.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Spicy tomato soup

I recently tried this recipe from Vegetarian Times but made a few tweaks to the recipe.

Spicy tomato soup

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste or sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, diced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 15-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh basil
  • 2 heaping tbsp cornstarch
  • Vegetable broth

    1. In a medium pot, saute onion for a few minutes in a few tablespoons of olive oil, then add tomato paste, garlic, and sugar.
    2. Add tomatoes, vinegar, water, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, the cover and simmer at a low temp for about 15 minutes.
    3. With am immersion blender, process until smooth. 4. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and a few tablespoons of broth. Add to pot. Stir, let sit for 5 minutes to thicken, and serve.

  • Thursday, January 16, 2014

    Black Bean and Sausage Stew

     I recently ran across an old issue of Family Circle with some great soup recipes. I made this black bean and sausage stew, and loved it!

    1 lb black beans (soaked overnight)
    1 tsp vegetable oil
    1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed, if any)
    1 large onion, chopped
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
    2 cups water
    1 tsp chili powder
    1 tsp dried oregano
    1 tsp cumin
    1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
    Chopped cilantro, avocado, and tomato for garnish (optional)
    Or chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and sour cream for garnish (optional) <- my="" p="" personal="" suggestion="">

    1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    2. Add onion and garlic. Cook five minutes, stirring occasionally.
    3. Stir in broth, water, soaked beans, chili powder, oregano and cumin.
    4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 60 minutes or so until beans are tender. Add red pepper during last few minutes of cooking.
    5. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to blender and puree, return to pot. (I skipped this step).
    6. Garnish each serving as desired.

    Tuesday, January 7, 2014

    Squash Cassarole

    Happy New Year!

    This holiday, I wanted to start the year loading up on veggies. So I grabbed whatever squash and root veggies I had and put them all together for this tasty meal:

    Squash Cassarole

    Ingredients
    2 zucchini
    2 summer squash
    2 carrots
    1 turnip
    2 russet potatoes
    2 eggs
    1/2 cup breadcrumbs
    Shredded mozzarella Grated Parmesan Olive oil

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray casserole dish with olive oil. 2. Slice all veggies about 1/4" thick. Mix veggies in a bowl with about 2 tbsp olive oil and mozzarella (about 1/4 cup). 3. Pour veggies into casserole dish. 4. In a small bowl mix eggs, breadcrumbs and parmesan (a few tbsps). Pour over veggies. 5. Bake for about 30 minutes and serve! (Top with more parmesan if desired)