Tag Archives: vegetarian

Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Beluga Lentils

9 May

Spaghetti-Squash-Pesto-1

via Green Kitchen app

This meal was the first time that I’ve had spaghetti squash and it definitely won’t be the last. It is a great alternative to pasta which can be so heavy. Michael didn’t love the squash but he said that it wasn’t horrible because of the pesto. I decided that I would use my pesto instead of the parsley pesto that the original recipe called for.

Spaghetti-Squash-Pesto-1

The one part of the meal that was surprisingly good were the lentils. I had never had beluga lentils before but they are really good. They are a bit firmer and a little stronger in flavor than other lentils. However, I felt they added a nice flavor and texture to what could have been an otherwise boring meal.

Spaghetti-Squash-Pesto-3

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Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower

12 Apr

Cauliflower-Mac-n-Cheese-Fork

Michael loves comfort food and loves pasta so I figured mac n’ cheese would make the perfect homecoming meal. I had previously made a modified version of the Mac-n-Cheese Style Cauliflower from Vegetarian Times and I loved it. The cauliflower made such a great change from traditional mac-n-cheese. I felt like it kept it much lighter but Michael felt like it was more of a side dish. This time around I decided to add pasta for Michael, while I ate most of the cauliflower.

Cauliflower-Mac-n-Chese-Close

This time around, I omitted the cayenne, eggs and didn’t bake the dish. I also used heavy cream because I needed to use it up and added about 1/4 package of pasta.

You can find the recipe on Vegetarian Times

Cauliflower-Mac-n-Chese-Close

As always, enjoy!

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Thin Mint Inspired Cookies

10 Apr

Homemade-Thin-Mints-Stacked

I finally realized that the best part about making your own Girl Scout cookies is that you can have them all year long! Amazing, right? My mom loves thin mints so I was inspired to try and make a healthier version of these cookies. Luckily these came much easer than the Do-Si-Dos.

I learned the microwave tempering technique on The Barefoot Contessa. It is so much easier than melting the chocolate over a double boiler and you don’t run the risk of burning the chocolate.

Homemade-Thin-Mints-Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp stevia
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp + 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 tbsp milk of choice (I used Almond Milk)
1/2 cup milk chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dark chocolate, melted

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325o.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, stevia, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
  3. Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl and mix well.
  4. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time and turn to medium speed for 3 minutes. The dough will begin to form a paste.
  5. Take one tablespoon of the dough and roll into a ball. Press the ball flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 25 minute, rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees half way through.
  6. While the cookies cool, break half the chocolate into pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 second and stir. Continue to microwave for 20 second increments and stir until the chocolate is melted. Add the rest of the chocolate and stir to melt. Microwave in 20 second increments, if necessary. Stir in 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract.
  7. Coat the cookies in the melted chocolate and place onto a plate lined with parchment paper. Once all the cookies are coated, refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.

Homemade-Thin-Mints-Plate

As always, enjoy!

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Creamy Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

9 Apr

Roasted-Red-Pepper-Asparagus-Pasta-Plate

I think I love this pasta so much because it has fresh mozzarella. I could eat this amazing cheese all day and never get sick of it. In order to prevent gorging myself on cheese, I don’t make this dish very often. Typically when I make this pasta I use Pacific Creamy Tomato Soup but this time I tried making my own version. It turned out really well but it’s not worth the hassle. Just use the pre-made soup.

Roasted-Red-Pepper-Asparagus-Pasta-Side

Just a warning, this makes a lot of sauce. But you can freeze the leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
4-6 roasted red peppers, cut into strips (you can use jarred roasted red peppers)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup fresh mozzarella, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 box Pacific Creamy Tomato Soup
1/2 cup fresh basil, julienned
1 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package.
  2. In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until clear.
  3. Add the asparagus and cook until easily pierced with a knife. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the soup and red peppers. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the peas. Simmer until the sauce is hot.
  5. Combine the sauce with the pasta. Mix in the diced mozzarella and basil. Season with salt and pepper.

As always, enjoy!

Roasted-Red-Pepper-Asparagus-Pasta-Top

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Creamy Farro with Mushrooms and Broccolette

4 Apr

Creamy-Farro-top

My first thought when I read this recipe in Whole Living was oh, this is gonna be good! And, it did not disappoint.

I changed it up a little and added broccolette instead of spinach. I’ve made it with the spinach before and it’s great, I just had a big bag of broccolette that I needed to use. I roasted the broccolette along with the mushrooms, but I recommend lowering the temperature to 350o. I also substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth and added some cubed tempeh.

You can find the original recipe on Whole Living

Creamy-Farro-Side

As always,enjoy!

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Tagliarelle with Pesto Sauce and Roasted Green Vegetables

2 Apr

Pesto-Vegetables-Side

This was my first attempt at making pesto and I totally lucked out that it worked! I haven’t had pesto in years and I had forgotten how much I like it. I made this dish two ways but forgot to take pictures of the first version which had cauliflower instead of pasta. The cauliflower version would also work well as a side dish.

Pesto

Ingredients:
2 cups basil leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 package pasta or 1 head cauliflower
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine the first five ingredients, salt and pepper in a blender.
  2. Blend until well combined.

For the Pasta Version:

  1. Cook the pasta according to package.
  2. Drain the cooked pasta and transfer the pasta to a bowl. Add the pesto and toss well.
  3. Sprinkle with parmesan and pine nuts and serve.

For the Cauliflower Version:

  1. Cut the cauliflower in florets.
  2. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the florets and cook until tender.
  3. Drain the cauliflower and toss with the pesto.
  4. Sprinkle with parmesan and pine nuts.

Pesto-Vegetables-Top

As always, enjoy!

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Roasted Root Vegetables topped with Baked Portobello Mushroom and Frisee

26 Mar

Roasted-Root-Vegetables-Baked-Portobello-Mushroom-Frisee-Salad-3

I saw a picture of a similar meal posted on Facebook and thought it looked delicious. I decided to try my hand at it and added more root vegetables, changed the salad to frisee and had to figure out what dressing would pair well with all the flavors. I almost used apple cider vinegar for the dressing, but made a game time decision and decided to go with champagne vinegar. Definitely the way to go. The champagne vinaigrette stood up really well to the bitterness of the frisee and the root vegetables really brought out the flavor of the vinegar. Michael’s only complaint was that there was only one of them!

Roasted-Root-Vegetables

Ingredients:
Serves 2
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed
1 large beet, peeled and cubed
2 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
Pizza Dough or puff pastry
2 cups frisee, washed and chopped
2 tbsp goat cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp german mustard
1/2 small shallot, minced
2 tbsp honey

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400o.
  2. Place the diced vegetables on a baking sheet and lightly toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until soft, about 30 minutes turning them half way through.
  3. On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough or puff pastry until 1/16 inch thick. Place the mushrooms on the dough and cut circles about an inch larger than the mushrooms. Wrap the edges around the mushrooms, place on a baking sheet and bake along with the vegetables.
  4. Wash the frisee, place in a large bowl and set aside.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot and honey. Pour the dressing over the frisee, add the goat cheese and toss well.
  6. Place the roasted vegetables on a plate, then the mushroom and top with the frisee salad.

As always, enjoy!

Roasted-Root-Vegetables-Baked-Portobello-Mushroom-Frisee-Salad-2

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Tempeh Marsala

22 Mar

Tempeh-Marsala-Side

Here is another household favorite, especially for Michael. He could eat this everyday of the week and be a very happy camper. Whenever I’m making the grocery list and ask him if he has any requests for the week, it’s always the same answer, Marsala.

This recipe was inspired by the recipe from 100 Days of Real Food. I altered the recipe long before we stopped eating meat because I didn’t feel like there was enough flavor. You can always substitute cubed chicken for the tempeh.

Tempeh-Marsala-Top

Ingredients:
Inspired by Chicken Marsala Pasta
1 lb whole wheat pasta, cooked according to the package
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 block tempeh, cubed and seasoned according to package
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
11/2 cup marsala wine
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
salt and pepper

For the Asparagus:
Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350o.
  2. Spread the asparagus out in baking dish and drizzle with olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Lightly toss the asparagus to coat well.
  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the asparagus is soft enough to pierce with a knife.

For the Marsala:
Directions:

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package
  2. Cut the tempeh into strips and lightly drizzle with olive oil. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and italian seasoning.
  3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Toss the oiled tempeh in the bread crumb mixture and add to the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
  4. Remove the tempeh from the pan, reduce the heat to low and add the marsala. Bring the heat back up to medium and slowly add the cream.
  5. Add the tempeh back into the sauce, reduce to low to keep warm.
  6. Toss the pasta with the sauce, plate with the asparagus on top.

As always, enjoy!

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Spanakopita

20 Mar

Spanakopita

While at the gym a while back the Barefoot Contessa was on one of the TVs and she was making individual spanakopitas. They looked delicious but I had completely forgotten about them by the time I got home. It dawned on me while planning my meals for the week, that I should make spanakopita. So, I powered up google, did a little research and came up with this amazing mess!

Ingredients:
11/2 lbs spinach
1 large onion, chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp nutmeg
8 oz crumbled feta cheese
24 sheets of phyllo dough (half for the top and half for the bottom)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375o.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until clear, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and spinach and saute until the spinach is wilted.
  3. In a bowl, beat the eggs and add the spinach mixture, feta cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well.
  4. Lay 1 of the phyllo sheets out on a flat surface and carefully brush olive oil across the top. Lay the sheet into the baking dish and repeat with the remaining 12 sheets.
  5. Pour the spinach mixture into the baking dish.
  6. Lay 1 sheet of the remaining phyllo dough on the flat surface and brush olive oil on the top of each sheet and layering them to form the top.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

As always, enjoy!

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