Tag Archives: vegetarian

TUSCAN VEGETABLE PASTA

 Serves: 6 

Ingredients

Mix together:

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms  
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 cup tightly packed spinach
  •  2 red bell peppers, julienned,
  • 1 large onion, chopped 
  1. Spread on baking sheet drizzle with 1T Olive oil and 2 Tbs herbes de provence/Italian herbs. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.  
  2. Cook 2/3lb penne pasta and then mix with 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 cup tomato sauce and the baked veg and transfer to a casserole. 
  3. Top with a drizzle of Olive oil and 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese at 450 for 20 mins till bubbly.

      cheese-casserole-283271_1280

 

Enchilada Lasagna

This is looks like a lot of work but it actually comes together very quickly,  Dr.C.

For the Base:

    • 3 medium sweet potatoes, diced                                         
    • 1/2 large onion, diced
    • 1 red pepper, diced                                                             
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained                 
    • 1 lime, juiced
    • 2 green onions, sliced
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder                                                    
    • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 bag spinach, chopped                                                        
    • A handful cilantro, chopped
    • 3 cups  cheese, (vegan if preferred) shredded                       
    • 12-15 corn tortillas

 

For the Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil                                                         
  • 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup tomato paste                                        
  • 2 tablespoons cumin                     
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder                                                    
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder    
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder                                                   
  • 4 cups vegetable broth

 

To Make the Enchilada Sauce:

  1. Heat the olive oil.Add all spices and toast them for about 1 minute.
  2. Whisk in the tomato paste.
  3. Finally, whisk in the flour. It will form a ball. Let cook for about 1 more minute.
  4. Slowly add the broth, whisking as you add it, until you get a smooth consistency.
  5. Bring sauce to a boil until it thickens. Set it aside.

To Make the Base:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Toss the sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper and place them on a baking sheet.
  3. Roast them for 20-25 minutes.
  4. In a large pan, sauté the onion and pepper in a little bit of olive oil until they’re soft.
  5. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and cumin.
  6. Cook this for about 2 more minutes.
  7. Add in the spinach and cook it until just wilted.
  8. Remove this from the heat and place the mixture in a bowl
  9. Add the black beans, green onion, lime juice, and cilantro.
  10. Mix this well.
  11. When sweet potatoes are done, add them to this mixture as well and mix it to combine.
  12. Assemble the lasagna in a 9×13 pan.
  13. Cut each corn tortilla in half.
  14. Add 1 cup of sauce to the pan and move it around to cover the bottom.
  15. Place the flat side of the tortillas in the pan so they are flush with the sides of the pan, essentially creating a rectangle with 2 tortillas.
  16. Cover the bottom with tortillas.
  17. Add 1/2 of the sweet potato mixture, 1 cup of cheese, and 1 more cup of enchilada sauce.
  18. Start the layer again with corn tortillas, the rest of the sweet potato mixture, cheese, and sauce.
  19. Finish the dish with a layer of tortillas, cover with the rest of the sauce, and top with the rest of the cheese.
  20. Bake lasagna for 20 minutes, then broil the top until golden brown.
  21. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

This is from one of my fave sites One Green Planet

VEGAN IRISH STEW

   From “It doesn’t taste like Chicken”

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oilIrish stew
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 – 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 can (473ml) vegan stout beer (I used Guinness…YUM!)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 1/2 cups baby potatoes, halved (or about 2 regular potatoes and cut into chunks)
  • 1/2 cup tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and when hot add in the celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and just begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle in the flour. Stir well to coat the veggies, and cook for another minute to heat up the flour. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan with your spoon to get any bits off the bottom.
  3. Add in the beer, all of the remaining veggies, tomato paste, and spices. The beer will foam up, but that’s ok, the bubbles and alcohol will cook right out. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the veggies are fork-tender, but not mushy. The stew will be very thick! If you prefer a thinner stew, feel free to thin it out to taste with 1 to 2 more cups of vegetable broth. Remove bay leaves before serving, and serve hot.

Made this many times… LOVE it…great stick to your ribs food!

Irish Stew

30-Minute Quinoa Enchilada Skillet

For Crazy School Nights…..very yummy!!!!! Serves 6-8

 This entire quinoa skillet dish is cooked from start to finish in 30 minutes, all in ONE pot! It’s a healthy, nutritious & flavorful family-friendly dish!

Ingredients:quinoa

  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup enchilada sauce
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 ¼ cup shredded cheese
  • Optional toppings: avocados, sour cream/Greek yogurt on top, parsley for garnish

Directions:

  1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of oil (I used coconut oil, you can use the oil of your choice) over medium heat and add the sweet potato and garlic, stirring together with the oil to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring and watching the garlic so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Add the quinoa, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika and chili powder and stir to combine.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature to a simmer, cover, and continue to simmer to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa and the quinoa has popped and begins to look fluffy.
  4. Add the enchilada sauce, black beans, corn kernels, and diced tomatoes. Stir in and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through.
  5. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the dish and cover the skillet so that the cheese melts.
  6. Serve with optional garnishes such as parsley, avocados and sour cream/Greek yogurt on top. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. This dish freezes well, but I would not add the cheese if I was freezing. After thawing, add the cheese when reheating the dish.
    2. This dish tastes even better as leftovers!
    3. Feel free to add in your own ingredients. This is a great dish to add vegetables that are perhaps a little past their prime!

Sheet Pan Dinners

SHEET PAN DINNERS: THIS IS MY NEW FAVE WAY TO COOK SUPPER!

I mean, what’s not to like? They’re easy and quick to prepare; they’re a one pot (or, in this case, sheet pan ) meal and they’re incredibly versatile.

The steps are quite simple, and you can use your favorite ingredient combinations:sheet pan dinner

  • First, choose your veggies : we always recommend going with what’s in season. So, during the fall, you could go with pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potatoes… For winter Kale, chard, cauliflower, parsnips…For spring, you can choose asparagus, beets, fresh peas… And corn, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes for summer.
  • Next, choose your protein:  we go for vegan and vegetarian options, such as  tofu, tempeh, chickpeas, vegetarian sausages, veggie chicken, seitan, etc. For this recipe, we used canned chickpeas.
  • Then, select a flavor profile: In the mood for Mexican? Try chili powder, cumin, chili lime or taco seasoning. Love Middle Eastern flavors? You’ll love using za’atar, sumac.  For a Moroccan flare, go with harissa, cumin and turmeric. Asian? Use Teriyaki sauce, ginger and soy.
  • Next step, choose your liquid: we love adding balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for a touch of acidity, and soy sauce and coconut aminos for a balance of sweetness and saltiness. These liquids will also add moisture and help  infuse flavor into the veggies as they cook..
  • After you have chosen all your ingredients,  place the veggies and protein on a sheet pan, lined with parchment.
  • Combine your salt (as much or as little as you want), seasoning and liquid, pour it on the veggies, and toss everything together.
  • And for the final step, bake at 400F for 30 minutes.

London Curried Shepherd’s Pie

London Curried Shepherd’s Pie  4-6 servingsshepards pie

  • 3 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast                         
  • 1 cup vegetable stock (or water)
  • 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1⁄4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
  • 6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1⁄2-inch segments (about 1 cup)
  • 6 medium garlic gloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder                            
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (about 11⁄2 cups)
  • 1/2 head cauliflower (about 12 ounces), cut into 1⁄2-inch florets
  • 1 cup vegetable stock (or water)                 
  • 2 tablespoons oat flour (or whole-wheat flour)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice                     
  • salt and pepper as needed

Preheat the oven to 400°F.      

To make the mashed potatoes, place a steamer basket in a medium saucepan and add 1 to 2 inches of water to the pan. Bring the water to a simmer over medium- high heat. Place the potatoes in the steamer, cover, and steam until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a large bowl. Add the nutritional yeast and stock. Mash with a potato masher until creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

To make the filling, combine the onion, carrots, green beans, garlic, curry powder, and cayenne pepper in a large sauté pan. Add 1⁄4 cup water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans and cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, or until the cauliflower begins to soften.

Combine the stock and flour in a small bowl and whisk until no lumps remain. (This mixture is called a slurry.) Pour the slurry into the pan with the vegetables and mix well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste and stir to combine.Transfer the vegetables to a 7-by-11-inch (or similar size) baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes in an even layer over the vegetables.Put the baking dish on a baking sheet to capture any drippings and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set the pie aside to cool slightly before serving

This recipe is from darshanaskitchen.com

WINTER SPINACH SALAD

This cheery spinach salad is perfect for chasing the winter blues away…with leafy green spinach!

Makes enough for 1-2

Ingredients for Winter Spinach Saladspinach salad

  • 1 ripe, but firm pear, peeled, cored, and sliced into wedges
  •  2 cups fresh spinach
  •  Salt and freshly ground black pepper                                          
  •  1/4 cup blue cheese                                                                    
  •  1 small handful almonds
  •  Dijon Vinaigrette
  • 2 slices sourdough bread
  •  olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl toss the pears with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until pears are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, spread the blue cheese evenly on the bread. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted about 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the spinach with the cooled pears, almonds, and vinaigrette. Serve the salad immediately along side the blue cheese toasts.

Enjoy!

MUSHROOM WELLINGTON

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp of avocado oil
  • 1 large leek – chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery – chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of sliced carrots – sliced like coins
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon – minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup of toasted chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
  • 12 sheets of phyllo dough
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the leeks, celery, and carrots and cook for 4 minutes. Add the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the broth to deglaze the pan. Add the walnuts and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat.
  3. Take your dough out and lay it flat. Cover it with a damp towel to keep the dough moist. If it dries out it will get crumbly.
  4. Stack two pieces of phyllo dough on top of a piece of parchment paper and gently brush the top layer with a thin layer of olive oil. Add a thin line of filling on the side of the dough lengthwise, leaving a two inch border. Roll the filling and set aside.
  5. Stack two pieces of dough, brush a thin layer of oil on the top piece and add a thin line of filling on the side of the dough lengthwise, leave a two inch border. Roll the dough once over the filling and set the already rolled filling next to it and continue rolling. Continue the process until you have two sheets of dough left.
  6. Layer the two sheets of dough to make an extra-long sheet. Brush with olive oil and add the large finished rolled dough on the edge and roll it up. Slice three to six vents on the top with a sharp knife. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
  7. Let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

 

MUSHROOM SWEET POTATO POT PIE

A NEW TWIST ON AN OLD FAVE  mushrooms-3765555_1280

SERVES 2-3

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
  • 5 cups mushrooms of choice (e.g. cremini, Portobello, shiitake), fresh, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup stout or dark beer
  • 1/4 cup leeks, white part only
  • 1/4 cup shallot, diced
  • 2 tablespoons Kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon flour, whole wheat or gluten-free
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon tamari, low sodium
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, fresh, minced
  • 1 teaspoon parsley, fresh, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh
  • Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. In a large pot, sauté shallots over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes, adding a drop or two of water as needed if sticking occurs.
  3. Add leeks and 3/4 teaspoon thyme and cook 2 minutes.
  4. Stir in minced garlic and tomato paste and sauté another minute.
  5. Add mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes, stirring regularly and adding water if needed.
  6. Sprinkle flour in the pot. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  7. Add stout, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and stir in olives, parsley, and black pepper.
  9. Spoon mushroom mixture into ramekins then layer sliced sweet potatoes on top, overlapping so the mushrooms are covered with two layers of sweet potato. Season with 1/4 teaspoon thyme and black pepper.
  10. Bake 30-35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are browned and crispy and mushroom gravy is bubbling. Serve.

The Perfect Vegetarian Holiday Meal

This menu us perfect for any

Ok so this is a questions we get often as to what we, as vegetarians/vegans eat on this two major feast days. The quick answer might be everything but the meat…but that leaves some people confused. So here is a rundown on some of the choices we have made over the past 30 years or so.

vegetarian holiday meals

Stuffed pumpkin/butternut/squash…stuffed with a mix of mushrooms, rice, nuts, tomatoes and garlic.

 

Mushroom/spinach strudel with filo dough which is not hard to work with at all!

 

A 16 layer lasagna…..many layers of different  roasted veggies.

 

Mushroom Wellington in flaky pastry.

 

Sides include :

  • Family faves such as Hasselback potatoes
  • Maple syrup roasted Brussel sprouts
  • Garlic mashed potatoes
  • A fresh salad including homegrown microgreens and fruit.

We are not really big on desserts (who needs that after a big meal) but we have one traditional South African dessert we “must” always make which is Melktert…(Milk custard made with English custard powder).

And possibly some chocolate dessert.

What are some of your favorite traditional vegetarian/vegan dishes?