Quinoa Veggie Bowl

Joe and I recently visited a new neighborhood restaurant that focuses on organic and locally grown veggies and meat. I ended up super happy with my meal choice, and had to try something similar at home! Three easy steps to a yummy meal!

Ingredients
(choose the quantities to your liking)
Olive oil
Garlic clove, diced
Cauliflower florets
Broccoli
Summer squash, chopped
Zucchini, chopped
Asparagus tops
Sun-dried tomatoes
1/2" tofu slices (or chicken for you carnivores)
1 cup quinoa
Salsa

1. In olive oil on a stovetop pan, lightly brown the garlic. Add the veggies and tofu and saute until browned. 2. Prep quinoa according to package directions. Mix in a few tablespoons of salsa. 3. Mix veggies into the quinoa and serve.

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:

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)

Sweet Potato Quinoa Loaf

With Labor Day over, that means it's officially autumn, right? So time for those autumn veggies!

A tasty meatloaf alternative from Hope for Healing.

Rather than topping with tomatoes and the glaze as per this recipe, I made it a bit more Italian. I filled the loaf pan halfway with the mix. I topped it with mozzarella cheese, then added the rest of the mix. More mozzarella was added on top of the loaf, then some spaghetti sauce (and a little more cheese sprinkled on top).

Mexicali Burgers

A friend of mine told me about this recipe years ago, but I never got around to making it until recently. Big mistake. Instead of making sliders, I made big burgers, because I had big burger buns and it just made more sense. And I skipped the Spicy Mango Sauce, because I hate both mangoes and spicy food. And in the salsa I used my new favorite salsa, Trader Joe's Organic Tomatillo & Roasted Yellow Chili Salsa.

Chef Chloe's Mexicali Sliders

Summer Series: Too Hot to Cook - Part 1: Panzanella & BBQ Tofu

I'm attempting a summer-long series inspired by my lack of desire to do lots of prep work or stand over a hot stove as temperatures hover in the 90s.

Last night, I made a Panzanella salad and BBQ tofu strips (which I just called "BBQ strips" until my 3-year-old declared them a winner) with a side of sliced avocado. Simple, not a lot of prep and perfect for a hot summer evening. Honestly, I would eat just the salad for dinner with some sliced avocado, but for the kid's sake, I wanted to round the meal out.

For the BBQ tofu, I followed this recipe from my BBQ Tofu Sandwiches.

Panzanella Salad
Ingredients:
(all vegetables are approximate)
5 nice-sized tomatoes, cut into a large dice
1 English cucumber, cut into a large dice
1/2 red onion sliced thinly
1 loaf of yummy bread (ideally getting stale, but if it's not, that's okay!), cubed - I used ciabatta
1/4 cup vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (small) clove garlic, minced or grated on the microplane
salt & pepper to taste
1 handful basil, chiffonaded

Directions:
If your bread isn't stale, set your oven to 200 and put the cubes on a cookie sheet and let them dry out for about 40 minutes. Once that is done, continue with the recipe.

In a measuring cup, measure out the vinegar and oil, add the garlic and salt & pepper and mix together.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Add the dressing and toss and toss and toss. Then refrigerate for at least an hour to let the dressing soak into the bread.

Add basil and toss again just before serving.

Mexi-Salad

Need an easy, affordable, yet filling meal? Nothing better than a Mexican salad!

Mix together:
Lettuce
Sliced bell peppers - red, orange, yellow
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen sweet corn
Shredded Mexican mix cheese
Salsa of choice

In a large pan in 2 tbsp olive, heat up the veggies and beans. Mix with other ingredients and serve!

I had my pinto bean queso as a side with homemade tortilla chips.

Chickpea Broccoli Casserole

A friend told me about this recipe years ago, but I never made it until recently. Big mistake! It's simple, but yummy. From Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Three 16-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
3 large carrots, grated (about 2 cups)
1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1/2 cup bread crumbs (preferably whole wheat)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas well, using a potato masher or firm fork. It takes about 2 minutes to get the right consistency. Add the vegetables and mix well. Add the bread crumbs and mix; then add the oil, and mix again. Finally, add the vegetable broth and salt, and mix one last time.

Transfer all ingredients to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish (preferably glass or ceramic). Press the mixture firmly into the casserole. Cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

Roasted Corn, Black Bean, and Mango Burritos

I'm always seeing black beans and mangoes together. I couldn't help but want to try a recipe for my bean and mango loving husband and kid. I adapted this recipe for a salad into a burrito recipe by (dush) putting it on a tortilla and also made some changes to make it more friendly to my family. It's also incredibly easy and takes less than 20 minutes INCLUDING chopping all of the veggies if you do your chopping and lime-squeezing while the corn is cooking.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups corn kernels (frozen or about 6 ears, fresh)
• 2 cups diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 pounds)
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 drained canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped (optional, I didn't use them because of the spice-averse baby and it was super tasty anyway)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained or 3 cups cooked beans (I only had 2 cups on hand and it was great anyway)
• Tortillas

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in corn; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add beans and warm through. While corn is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl (I kept mangoes on the side). When everything is ready, add corn and beans to the veggies & seasonings and mix well. This is when I took a big scoop out, because I do not like mangoes. Then add mangoes in and mix well again. Scoop a nice spoonful onto a tortilla for each person and enjoy. Would be nice garnished with avocado or sour cream.
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3. Place corn mixture in a large bowl. Add mango and remaining ingredients except greens; stir well. Arrange 1 cup greens on each of 8 plates. Spoon onto tortillas.

Spaghetti & Bok Choy

An interesting mix of Italian and Asian from Vegetarian Times.


Here's the yummy recipe, with a few of my tweaks:
Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
Bunch of bok choy, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup veggie broth
4 large eggs
1 leek, sliced
1/2 lb wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. In a pan, heat the oil and add the bok choy and bell pepper for 10 minutes. Add garlic and broth. Simmer for 3 minutes.

2. Fill another pan with 2 inches of water. Crack eggs into pan and poach for 5 minutes.

3. Cook pasta according to instructions. Add cooked pasta to veggie pan and toss.

4. Serve pasta mix on plates. Top with eggs, leeks, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Southern style salad and hush puppies

A tasty combo, and easy and quick to make! These were in the January/February issue of Vegetarian Times.

The salad is just canned black-eyed peas, chopped onion, diced carrots, diced green peppers, sliced green onions, chopped tomatoes, apple cider vinegar. How to make? Just throw it all together in a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour.

The hush puppies recipe is very similar to this one from TasteofHome.com, but they are baked for about 10 minutes rather than deep frying.

Lima Beans You Will LOVE

I'm not kidding. I love them. My husband loves them. My kid loves them. I make it as a main dish with rice and greens on the side, but would work as a side dish just as well. I usually use baby lima beans, which are for some reason easier for me to find. This recipe is originally from Veganomicon.

Mediterranean Lima Beans

Loaded Pasta

This started off as ziti, but I didn't have any ziti. And I wanted to add some "meaty" tempeh. And spinach. All amounts are approximate, because I didn't measure anything

1 recipe of cashew ricotta
2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 lb pasta, any short shape (I used fusilli)
1/2 recipe of tempeh from here, minus the fennel & red pepper flakes
1/4 cup frozen spinach, defrosted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Cook pasta according to instructions (I had it going while I cooked the temeph to save time). A little at a time, incorporate all ingredients into a large casserole dish until it looks yummy and delicious.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is nice and crunchy.

Serve with kale chips or any other delicious greens you have on hand.

Winter Stuffed Squash

I had the ingredients, but nothing to do with them. That's when you make something up! Here's a yummy and filling recipe full of winter vegetables and Thanksgiving ingredient leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 yam, chopped in 1/2" pieces
1 large carrot, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
1/2 leek, sliced
1 cup fresh kale
1/2 cup cooked lentils
Olive oil
Thyme & savory
Leftover T-giving gravy

1. Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Spray a cooking sheet with oil, and bake face down at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Go do something productive. 2. About 30 minutes in, cook the rest of the veggies and seasonings in an oiled pan for 15 minutes, or until softened. 3. Remove squash from oven. Scoop out the meat of the squash and mix with the veggies. Fill each squash half with veggie mixture. Drizzle gravy on top. 4. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees. Bake stuffed halves for about 10 minutes and serve.

Squash and Bean Bolognese

A different take on regular spaghetti...
I found the bean mixture recipe at EatingWell.com.

Then, rather than using regular ol' noodles, I used spaghetti squash - almost as easy to make as regular spaghetti!
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place face down in a baking dish in 1 inch of water.
2. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
3. Stand one half on its end. Take a fork and scoop out the pulp and seeds gently and trash it.
4. With the fork, scour the inside of the squash - it comes out in noodly strips!

Pumpkin stew

I saw this recipe from October issue of Vegetarian Times and wanted to try it.  A hearty fall meal!


I didn't have all the ingredients they called for on hand, so I devised my own filler:
2 small pie pumpkins
2 cups wild rice, cooked
1 carrot, diced
2 cups frozen sweet corn
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup spinach
2 cups pecans, chopped

1. Heat carrot, corn, onion, and garlic in olive oil in a skillet.  Cook until soften.
2. Carve off top of pumpkins and pull out the guts (save the seeds to roast!)
3. Combine rice, spinach, pecans, and carrot mix and fill each pumpkin.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes with pumpkin lids on.  Remove lids and cook for another 20 minutes.
5. Serve in pumpkins!

I really liked this meal, but I think next time I'll add a little cheese to the mix.  And possibly some peppers to give it a little kick.

A taste of New Orleans

Mmmm...Fall veggie jambalaya from Vegetarian Times

Instead of sausage or seafood, this recipe calls for scrumptious fall root vegetables.

I also made my Creole stuffed peppers as a sidedish.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

I love fall produce! Here's a really tasty pasta made with a creamy butternut squash, from Better Homes and Gardens:

And if you're looking for a spooky pairing in time for Halloween, be sure to check out Joe's Halloween Wine recommendations!

Shepherd's Pie - Fall edition

I'm sooo loving autumn dishes this year!
Just recently, I revamped one of my fall favorites, my shepherd's pie.

Instead of plain potatoes, I used solely mashed sweet potatoes with a bit of almond milk. I also topped the pie with some pepitas and cayenne to give it a little crunch and kick.

I didn't use any gravy this time around because the frozen veggie pack I used was already in a butter sauce - didn't want to over sauce it.

Quinoa with Italian Veggies

Need a big dose of veggies? This meal is it! Packed with protein from the quinoa and vitamins from the veggies, it's a healthy bowl of goodness.

Ingredients
2 Green zucchini
2 Summer squash
2 Carrots
1 cup quinoa, dry
Olive oil
Italian dressing
Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc)

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. 2. Chop the veggies into large chunks. Cook in a few tbsp of olive oil on a stovetop about 20 minutes, or until softened. 3. Top veggies with seasoning. Mix in quinoa, add dressing and serve.

Baked Polenta with (vegan) sausage and artichoke hearts

A very friendly cashier at Trader Joe's suggested this recipe to me. I made a few adjustments, to suit my taste, and it was great!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 vegan sausages (I like Tofurkey's Italian flavor), chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tube (18 ounces) prepared polenta, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional), coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, until heated through. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and stir in artichokes; season with salt and pepper.
2. In an 8x8 baking dish, layer polenta rounds and spoonfuls of sausage mixture. Pour stock over top and bake until bubbling and polenta is pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.