Tag Archives: eat vegetarian

Homemade Vegetarian Chili

This recipe came from from Cookie and Kate

Ingredients for Homemade Vegetarian Chilihomemade vegetarian chili

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 large can (28 ounces) or 2 small cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes*, with their juices
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups vegetable broth or water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice, to taste
  • Garnishes: chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream or crème fraîche, grated cheddar cheese, etc.

Directions for Homemade Vegetarian Chili

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika (go easy on the paprika if you’re sensitive to spice) and oregano. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the drained black beans and pinto beans, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine and let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, for 30 minutes. Remove the chili from heat.

For the best texture and flavor, transfer 1 ½ cups of the chili to a blender and blend until smooth, then pour the blended mixture back into the pot. (Or, you can blend the chili briefly with an immersion blender, or mash the chili with a potato masher until it reaches a thicker, more chili-like consistency.)

Add the chopped cilantro, stir to blend, and then mix in the vinegar, to taste. Add salt to taste, too—I added ¼ teaspoon more at this point. Divide the mixture into individual bowls and serve with garnishes of your choice. This chili will keep well in the refrigerator for about 4 days

MAYAN HARVEST BAKE

MAYAN HARVEST BAKE INGREDIENTSMAYAN HARVEST BAKE

  • 2 sweet potatoes, washed and diced into 1/4 inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 1 ripe plantain, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes**
  • 2 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
  • 1 Tablespoon ground ancho chile powder/pepper (or regular chili powder)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 cups finely chopped kale ( I have used spinach  and also baby kale leaves)
  • 1 15 oz. can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 18 oz tube polenta, sliced into 1/4 inch slices

OPTIONAL toppings 1/4 cup roasted pepitas, sliced avocado, sour cream

MAYAN HARVEST BAKE DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400° degrees.

Toss chopped sweet potatoes and plantains cubes in 1 Tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and spread onto a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes and plantains are roasting, heat remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, water, chile powder, coconut sugar, paprika, sea salt and cinnamon into the skillet and let sauce simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add black beans and kale into the skillet. Stir kale into the sauce, allowing it to wilt. Once kale/spinach has wilted down, remove sauce from the heat.

Meanwhile, spray a 9×13 or 11×7 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the dish with polenta slices, overlapping if needed. Top with the cooked quinoa. Then add the roasted sweet potatoes and plantains. Pour the saucy black bean and kale mixture over everything and use a spoon to create an even top layer. Bake casserole in the 400° oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle pepitas over the bake and serve warm. Top each portion with sliced avocado

** The plantain should be very ripe — yellow and covered with large black spots. Mine had a ton of black spots and worked great.

FALL VEGETABLE CURRY

Ingredients for Fall Vegetable Curryfall vegetable curry

  •  1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
  •  1 cup small cauliflower florets
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
  •  2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
  • 1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

Directions for Fall Vegetable Curry

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.
This one-dish vegetarian main hits all the right notes: warm, hearty, and (perhaps best of all) ready in under 30 minutes. If Indian curries seem out of reach, start here. Earthy and fragrant, Madras curry powder is the only spice you need. While you could incorporate several vegetables into the curry, we find that the sweet potato, cauliflower, and tomato combo creates the perfect balance. For a richer, creamier curry, stir in about 1/4 cup light coconut milk just as the curry finishes cooking. If you’d like a little heat, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper with the curry powder.

Chickpea Panzanella Salad

From Jessica in the Kitchen.com Chickpea Panzanella Salad

3 main salads, 6-7 side servings

PANZANELLA SALAD

  • 3 1/2 cups gluten free crusty bread, chopped into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 large red onion, sliced
  • 1 cup cubed English cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons basil, julienned
  • 1 can (about 1 1/2 cups) cooked chickpeas, washed and drained

MUSTARD BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • pinch salt and ground black pepper

MUSTARD BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE:
Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette while the bread is toasting so that the mustard can emulsify.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Add the bread cubes to a silicone mat on a baking sheet or a baking sheet prepared with parchment paper or foil.
Drizzle the bread with the extra virgin olive oil and toss to ensure all the cubes are covered with oil.
Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add the toasted bread, the cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumber cubes, chickpeas and basil. Toss until combined.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss again to combine.
Cover the salad and let sit for 30 minutes to up to an hour so that all the ingredients are completely soaked in and the flavors combined. Serve and enjoy!

Naked Spinach Quinoa Lasagna Casserole

Spinach Quinoa Lasagna Casserole

  • 1.5 cups  Sprouted Quinoa (Meijer carries this in the rice aisle)
  • 2.5 cups mushrooms, diced
  • 4 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced

MARINARA MIXTURE

FOR THE TOP

  • 4 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF and spray your casserole dish with coconut oil cooking spray (be generous!).
  2. Next, prep veggies by chopping the mushrooms and finely dicing the onions. Place the veggies (including the spinach) into the greased casserole dish.
  3. Next, add Sprouted Quinoa into the casserole dish. Set aside.
  4. In a medium size bowl, mix together all ingredients for the marinara mixture.
  5. Add the marinara mixture to the casserole dish. Use a large spoon to mix all ingredients together, making sure everything is (mostly) covered.
  6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove and stir. It will still be a little soupy, but don’t worry this is how it’s supposed to be! Place back in oven for 30 minutes, covered.
  7. Remove, add sliced tomatoes and mozzarella to the top and place it back in the oven for 2 minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh basil and a glass of red wine for best results

YUMMMYYYYY!!!

Cranberry Lentil and Quinoa Salad

Serves 4cranberry quinoa salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 2 bay leaves, divided (optional)
  • water to cover
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup quinoa

Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 small green onion, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Place lentils and 1 bay leaf in a saucepan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes; drain and discard bay leaf. Rinse with cold water until lentils cool and transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Bring 2 cups water, quinoa, and remaining bay leaf to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse quinoa with cold water until cool, discarding bay leaf. Stir quinoa into lentils.
  3. Heat lemon juice in a microwave-safe bowl in a microwave until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir honey into juice until dissolved. Add vinegar and salt; whisk in olive oil and season with black pepper. Pour lemon juice mixture into lentils and quinoa.
  4. Mix walnuts, cranberries, feta cheese, and green onion into lentil and quinoa salad. Toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Potato Salad with Green Beans and Salsa Verde

From FoodandWine.com

Serves 6-8

A terrific salsa verde makes this velvety potato salad extraordinary. Here the salsa is made with parsley and chives; try making it with other summer herbs, like tarragon or basil, as well.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup minced chives
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • Salt
  • 1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
  • Chive blossoms, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil with the chives, parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic and season with salt. Let the salsa verde stand at room temperature for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water, add a large pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes over moderately high heat until just tender, about 8 minutes; drain and return them to the saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and toss to coat. Season with salt.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, 4 minutes; drain. Return the beans to the pot and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Season with salt.
  4. Add half of the salsa verde to the potatoes and half to the beans, stirring to coat. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl. Top with the potatoes, garnish with the chive blossoms and serve right away.

Springtime Veggie Pasta Primavera

Serves 6-8vegan recipes

1 lb small pasta of your choice…rotini, penne or oriochetti…use whole wheat where possible

  • 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 2 cups asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-in pieces
  • 1 large sweet pepper, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute broccoli, asparagus, pepper, onion, and garlic in olive oil until veggies are just tender, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in spinach, peas, and cherries tomatoes and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes.
  3. Remove cooked veggies from heat and stir in cooked pasta, 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water, lemon juice, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top pasta primavera with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Pan-Roasted Cauliflower With Garlic, Parsley and Rosemary

serves 4-6Low-Carb Cauliflower Creamed Spinach

  • 2 medium cauliflower heads (about 2 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon grated or finely minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
  • ½ cup roughly chopped parsley
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ¼ cup roasted salted almonds (homemade or store bought), roughly chopped
  • 1 red fresno chile, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  1. Cut each cauliflower in quarters and remove the core. Cut quarters into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Chop down wider slices so all are approximately the same jagged size.
  2. Heat olive oil in a heavy wide skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add cauliflower and toss to coat using a metal spatula or flat wooden spoon. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  3. Keeping heat brisk, repeatedly turn the cauliflower, letting the slices brown as they cook. Adjust heat as necessary to keep them sizzling nicely but not scorching. Continue to stir and flip the cauliflower until it is tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
  4. Add crushed red pepper, garlic, rosemary, parsley and lemon zest. Stir well to coat and cook 1 minute more. Check seasoning, then transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with almonds and fresno chile, if using, and serve with lemon wedges.

Lentil & Mushroom Ragu

 from Foxeslovelemons.com

serves 3-4

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked through
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 box (16 ounces) spaghetti or whatever pasta you prefer
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

In large saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, carrot, bell pepper and onion. Cook until vegetables are very brown and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add wine; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Use wooden spoon to scrape browned bits from bottom of pan.

Stir in bay leaf, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, water, lentils, oregano, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water, as needed, if ragu gets too thick. Remove bay leaf and stir in basil.

Meanwhile, prepare spaghetti according to package directions. (I served ours over Spaghetti Squash)

Serve ragu over spaghetti. Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese.