Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative aimed at encouraging people to give up meat one day a week. Going meatless, even just on Mondays, is better for your health and better for the environment. If you need inspiration, go to the Meatless Monday website for all kinds of great recipes.
I also like to bring you my readers' suggestions whenever I can. Here are two ideas for easy meatless meals:
First, Alea at Premeditated Leftovers suggested Swiss Chard and Garbanzo Bean Soup from the blog Dandelionheart. Alea says it's her favorite kind of recipe because it's flexible and it comes together fast. That's my favorite kind too, plus it sounds delicious. As a matter of fact, I've got some swiss chard I need to use up and this is a healthier recipe than the Guadalajaran Swiss Chard Quesadillas I was planning on. I'll let you know if I try it tonight.
Coupon Challenged says that even though her kids are true carnivores, they've been eating meatless meals at least once a week for years. Some of their favorites are guacamole or potato tacos, and veggie lasagna and veggie soups in the winter. I'm a big fan of vegetarian tacos, and when you have delicious ingredients like guacamole or potatoes, or beans, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa, why would you even want the meat?
Thanks for those great ideas! Readers, what are your favorite easy meatless meals? Please leave your recipes in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday recipes post.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
July 5, 2010
June 21, 2010
Meatless Monday recipes: Puttanesca sauce
It's been over a year since we've been going meatless on Monday, and I have barely made a dent in the delicious meatless recipes I've gotten on the Meatless Monday website and from my readers. Going meatless just one day a week is great for your health and the environment. And as an added bonus, it will probably save you money as well.
This week, I thought I'd tell you about one of our favorite staples. It's easy and uses only a few ingredients that you can keep in the pantry. My husband loves this dish, and often cooks it himself.
PUTTANESCA SAUCE
olive oil (optional)
1 large can tomatoes
pitted and chopped kalamata olives
capers
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
In a large pan, saute tomatoes in a little bit of olive oil in their own juice. You can use chopped tomatoes, or if they're whole you'll want to chop them so they don't take as long to cook down. The olive oil is good for you, but optional. Cook on medium heat for 15-2o minutes, stirring occasionally. Put garlic through a presser and add to the tomatoes and continue cooking. When the sauce starts to thicken, add about 1/3 of a small jar of capers and about half a can or jar of pitted and chopped kalamata olives and cook another 10 minutes or so. Trader Joe's sells pitted kalamata olives, which saves a lot of time. Although you can also be pitting them while the sauce is cooking.
The key is to cook long enough for the sauce to thicken and get flavorful. You have to keep an eye on it to stir occasionally, but there isn't much danger of it burning if you keep the heat on medium.
Serve over any kind of pasta or polenta and a side salad. Our favorite with this sauce is angel hair pasta.
The name "puttanesca" comes from the root "puta" which is Italian for prostitute. The dish got it's name because it's cheap and easy. It traditionally includes anchovies, but this is my vegetarian version I've been cooking for almost 20 years.
Do you go meatless on Mondays? Please share your favorite simple meatless meals and I'll include them as part of the next Meatless Mondays post. Click here to check out all the previous meatless monday recipe posts.
This week, I thought I'd tell you about one of our favorite staples. It's easy and uses only a few ingredients that you can keep in the pantry. My husband loves this dish, and often cooks it himself.
PUTTANESCA SAUCE
olive oil (optional)
1 large can tomatoes
pitted and chopped kalamata olives
capers
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
In a large pan, saute tomatoes in a little bit of olive oil in their own juice. You can use chopped tomatoes, or if they're whole you'll want to chop them so they don't take as long to cook down. The olive oil is good for you, but optional. Cook on medium heat for 15-2o minutes, stirring occasionally. Put garlic through a presser and add to the tomatoes and continue cooking. When the sauce starts to thicken, add about 1/3 of a small jar of capers and about half a can or jar of pitted and chopped kalamata olives and cook another 10 minutes or so. Trader Joe's sells pitted kalamata olives, which saves a lot of time. Although you can also be pitting them while the sauce is cooking.
The key is to cook long enough for the sauce to thicken and get flavorful. You have to keep an eye on it to stir occasionally, but there isn't much danger of it burning if you keep the heat on medium.
Serve over any kind of pasta or polenta and a side salad. Our favorite with this sauce is angel hair pasta.
The name "puttanesca" comes from the root "puta" which is Italian for prostitute. The dish got it's name because it's cheap and easy. It traditionally includes anchovies, but this is my vegetarian version I've been cooking for almost 20 years.
Do you go meatless on Mondays? Please share your favorite simple meatless meals and I'll include them as part of the next Meatless Mondays post. Click here to check out all the previous meatless monday recipe posts.
May 17, 2010
Meatless Monday Recipes: Mexican edition
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative aimed at encouraging people to go meatless one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. If you haven't heard about it, click here to find out more about the campaign. If you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll receive a weekly email packed with delicious recipes.
That's the secret of going meatless: having lots of terrific vegetarian alternatives. The criteria for the recipes I post here are that they be quick, easy, and delicious. Most of the time, since they're meatless, they're healthy and frugal as well. I think that's a win/win/win/win/win. Wow.
My readers came through again with some super ideas that I can't wait to try.
First, Betsy from Married with Luggage says these black bean quesadillas, which are part of the Omega diet plan for healthy hearts, are delicious. Saute one small diced onion, one grated carrot, and 1/2 cup chopped purple cabbage in a small amount of canola oil for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups cooked spinach, 3 T chopped cilantro, 1 can of drained black beans, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp. cumin, and 1/2 tsp. chili powder and cook until the spinach is wilted. Heat tortillas until crisp, add filling to each, top with 1 T cheese, and fold over. Serve with salsa.
Next, Alea from Premeditated Leftovers suggests Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos. Visit her blog to get the details. I really can't wait to try this delicious combination of sweet potatoes, beans, spices, and cheese.
Around our house, we always like to have the ingredients on hand for an impromptu taco or burrito meal. Just combine any or all of the following for a quick and tasty option: corn or flour tortillas, black or refried beans, salsa, cilantro, cheddar or swiss cheese, avocado or guacamole, peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream.
Thanks for your Mexican-inspired ideas! Readers, please share your favorite meatless recipes in the Comments section, and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday recipes post. And click here to check out previous Meatless Monday installments for other terrific reader suggestions.
That's the secret of going meatless: having lots of terrific vegetarian alternatives. The criteria for the recipes I post here are that they be quick, easy, and delicious. Most of the time, since they're meatless, they're healthy and frugal as well. I think that's a win/win/win/win/win. Wow.
My readers came through again with some super ideas that I can't wait to try.
First, Betsy from Married with Luggage says these black bean quesadillas, which are part of the Omega diet plan for healthy hearts, are delicious. Saute one small diced onion, one grated carrot, and 1/2 cup chopped purple cabbage in a small amount of canola oil for 3 minutes. Add 2 cups cooked spinach, 3 T chopped cilantro, 1 can of drained black beans, salt to taste, 1/2 tsp. cumin, and 1/2 tsp. chili powder and cook until the spinach is wilted. Heat tortillas until crisp, add filling to each, top with 1 T cheese, and fold over. Serve with salsa.
Next, Alea from Premeditated Leftovers suggests Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos. Visit her blog to get the details. I really can't wait to try this delicious combination of sweet potatoes, beans, spices, and cheese.
Around our house, we always like to have the ingredients on hand for an impromptu taco or burrito meal. Just combine any or all of the following for a quick and tasty option: corn or flour tortillas, black or refried beans, salsa, cilantro, cheddar or swiss cheese, avocado or guacamole, peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream.
Thanks for your Mexican-inspired ideas! Readers, please share your favorite meatless recipes in the Comments section, and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday recipes post. And click here to check out previous Meatless Monday installments for other terrific reader suggestions.
May 3, 2010
Meatless Monday: Broccoli/Potato Soup
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative that encourages people to go meatless one day a week. It's good for the environment, good for your health, and good for your wallet: a perfect win/win/win.
Here's just one statistic about the impact of going meatless: if everyone went vegetarian for just ONE DAY, the United States would save 100 billion gallons of water. If you can't wrap your head around that number, it's enough to supply all the homes in New England for four months.
Click here to find out more about the Meatless Monday campaign. When you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll receive a weekly email full of delicious recipes. To me, that's the heart of going without meat: having so many delicious alternatives that you don't feel deprived.
Today I want to share an easy new recipe I got from a good friend. I've been making it a lot lately, because it's so simple and delicious. Plus, it only uses a few ingredients.
BROCCOLI/POTATO SOUP
2 leeks
1 lb. peeled and cubed potatoes
1 lb. broccoli florets
2 16 oz. cans broth
2 tsp. dill
salt and pepper
Slice leeks and saute in olive oil until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add potatoes and saute a few more minutes. Add broccoli, dill, and broth, and season with salt and lots of black pepper.
Cook in a pressure cooker for 6 minutes, or in a regular pot on medium high for about 25 minutes, until broccoli is soft and falling apart. Puree in a blender or with an immersion mixer until smooth, but not too long or the potato will become gluey. Add broth or water as needed for consistency.
Delicious as a first course or with fresh bread as a light dinner.
This soup reminds me of something they would serve at the elegant French restaurant in our neighborhood. It's perfect any time of year.
Please share your favorite meatless recipes in the Comments section, and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday recipes post. And click here to check out previous Meatless Monday installments for lots of fantastic reader suggestions.
Here's just one statistic about the impact of going meatless: if everyone went vegetarian for just ONE DAY, the United States would save 100 billion gallons of water. If you can't wrap your head around that number, it's enough to supply all the homes in New England for four months.
Click here to find out more about the Meatless Monday campaign. When you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll receive a weekly email full of delicious recipes. To me, that's the heart of going without meat: having so many delicious alternatives that you don't feel deprived.
Today I want to share an easy new recipe I got from a good friend. I've been making it a lot lately, because it's so simple and delicious. Plus, it only uses a few ingredients.
BROCCOLI/POTATO SOUP
2 leeks
1 lb. peeled and cubed potatoes
1 lb. broccoli florets
2 16 oz. cans broth
2 tsp. dill
salt and pepper
Slice leeks and saute in olive oil until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add potatoes and saute a few more minutes. Add broccoli, dill, and broth, and season with salt and lots of black pepper.
Cook in a pressure cooker for 6 minutes, or in a regular pot on medium high for about 25 minutes, until broccoli is soft and falling apart. Puree in a blender or with an immersion mixer until smooth, but not too long or the potato will become gluey. Add broth or water as needed for consistency.
Delicious as a first course or with fresh bread as a light dinner.
This soup reminds me of something they would serve at the elegant French restaurant in our neighborhood. It's perfect any time of year.
Please share your favorite meatless recipes in the Comments section, and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday recipes post. And click here to check out previous Meatless Monday installments for lots of fantastic reader suggestions.
April 12, 2010
Meatless Monday Recipes
It's Monday, time to share readers' favorite meatless recipes.
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit organization that encourages people to eat less meat, for their own health and the health of the planet. According to their website, "Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save fresh resources like fresh water and fossil fuel."
Click here to learn more about the movement, and if you sign up to go meatless on Mondays, they'll send you a weekly email packed with delicious meatless recipes.
And now for some reader suggestions:
Frugal Gravy like canned beans, diced tomatoes, corn, spices and Mexican hot sauce on Navajo tortillas. That's a super-easy suggestion that you can whip up in no time.
Simple in France recommends crepes filled with spinach and mushrooms, quinoa salad with apples, carrots and raisins, or sourdough pancakes. All great ideas! I think I'll try a simple crepe recipe and post about it here.
Ellen at Within My Means loves potato bars, and suggests mixing it up by doing sweet potatoes instead of regular ones. That's right up my alley, because I LOVE sweet potatoes. I usually eat the dark orange ones, which I think are actually yams.
I also got a couple of great ideas for using up greens on my CSA post last week that are definitely meatless, like this recipe for Spaghetti and Greens from Laura at Thinner and Wiser. Laura says they eat a lot of greens and it's one of their favorites.
And Magdalena offers this simple soup that she made for Easter: Take 4 cups of broth and heat to simmering. Add 3 cups of any kind of chopped green and simmer about 3 minutes. Have ready a cup of freshly grated parmesan or other hard cheese, a Tablespoon of flour, and one egg, all blended together with a fork. Turn up the heat under the broth, and as it comes to boiling, stir in the cheese/egg mixture. It will separate into little flakes, like egg drop soup. Add 1/4 cup chives or other mild leafy herb, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve immediately with good homebaked bread. Magdalena says it makes an excellent lunch or first course. That sounds delicious!
Thanks readers for all your terrific ideas! If YOU have a simple meatless recipe you'd like to share, please tell us about it in the Comments section and I'll include it in the next Meatless Monday post. And click here if you want to peruse the recipes in previous posts.
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit organization that encourages people to eat less meat, for their own health and the health of the planet. According to their website, "Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save fresh resources like fresh water and fossil fuel."
Click here to learn more about the movement, and if you sign up to go meatless on Mondays, they'll send you a weekly email packed with delicious meatless recipes.
And now for some reader suggestions:
Frugal Gravy like canned beans, diced tomatoes, corn, spices and Mexican hot sauce on Navajo tortillas. That's a super-easy suggestion that you can whip up in no time.
Simple in France recommends crepes filled with spinach and mushrooms, quinoa salad with apples, carrots and raisins, or sourdough pancakes. All great ideas! I think I'll try a simple crepe recipe and post about it here.
Ellen at Within My Means loves potato bars, and suggests mixing it up by doing sweet potatoes instead of regular ones. That's right up my alley, because I LOVE sweet potatoes. I usually eat the dark orange ones, which I think are actually yams.
I also got a couple of great ideas for using up greens on my CSA post last week that are definitely meatless, like this recipe for Spaghetti and Greens from Laura at Thinner and Wiser. Laura says they eat a lot of greens and it's one of their favorites.
And Magdalena offers this simple soup that she made for Easter: Take 4 cups of broth and heat to simmering. Add 3 cups of any kind of chopped green and simmer about 3 minutes. Have ready a cup of freshly grated parmesan or other hard cheese, a Tablespoon of flour, and one egg, all blended together with a fork. Turn up the heat under the broth, and as it comes to boiling, stir in the cheese/egg mixture. It will separate into little flakes, like egg drop soup. Add 1/4 cup chives or other mild leafy herb, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt. Serve immediately with good homebaked bread. Magdalena says it makes an excellent lunch or first course. That sounds delicious!
Thanks readers for all your terrific ideas! If YOU have a simple meatless recipe you'd like to share, please tell us about it in the Comments section and I'll include it in the next Meatless Monday post. And click here if you want to peruse the recipes in previous posts.
March 29, 2010
Meatless Monday Recipes
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit organization that's committed to encouraging people to give up meat one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. Click here to find out what it's all about. If you sign up to participate in Meatless Monday, you'll receive a weekly email packed with recipes that might make you consider going meatless even more often. It's a lot easier to eat less meat when you know how to cook easy and delicious vegetarian meals.
I've got some great reader recipes for you today:
First, Amanda from Sweet Madeline recommends this pizza dough recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Amanda says they eat a veggie pizza at least once a week with either Follow Your Heart or Daiya (faux cheese), and it's an easy recipe that always garners compliments. That sounds like a great vegan alternative.
Next, "gteamhj" says she's rediscovered the joys of canned beans with a dinner of red rice, black beans, red pepper, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce on corn and flour tortillas. I second the excellence of beans, canned or dried. I love just about any of them.
Alea from Premeditated Leftovers suggests a baked potato bar for Meatless Monday. She tops hers with leftover cooked vegetables. She also shares this pasta recipe for an easy lunch to serve with a salad. Alea says the recipe is very flexible, and she likes to change the veggies depending on what's in season.
Beth at Saving Money While Eating Clean says one of her favorite meatless meals is lentil soup and she offers this recipe. I agree that lentil soup is a delicious and inexpensive meal, and it's also easy to make.
And finally, Frugal Kiwi believes there are a world of vegetarian options available, and one of her faves is Sweet Corn Chickpea Fritters, which is gluten-free since it uses chickpea flour instead of wheat flour. I know some of you will be happy about that option. Yum.
Thanks readers for all your terrific ideas! Pretty soon we won't be eating meat at all, since I'm collecting so many great meatless recipes. If YOU have an easy meatless recipe you'd like to share, please tell us about it in the Comments section and I'll include it in the next Meatless Monday recipe post.
I've got some great reader recipes for you today:
First, Amanda from Sweet Madeline recommends this pizza dough recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Amanda says they eat a veggie pizza at least once a week with either Follow Your Heart or Daiya (faux cheese), and it's an easy recipe that always garners compliments. That sounds like a great vegan alternative.
Next, "gteamhj" says she's rediscovered the joys of canned beans with a dinner of red rice, black beans, red pepper, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce on corn and flour tortillas. I second the excellence of beans, canned or dried. I love just about any of them.
Alea from Premeditated Leftovers suggests a baked potato bar for Meatless Monday. She tops hers with leftover cooked vegetables. She also shares this pasta recipe for an easy lunch to serve with a salad. Alea says the recipe is very flexible, and she likes to change the veggies depending on what's in season.
Beth at Saving Money While Eating Clean says one of her favorite meatless meals is lentil soup and she offers this recipe. I agree that lentil soup is a delicious and inexpensive meal, and it's also easy to make.
And finally, Frugal Kiwi believes there are a world of vegetarian options available, and one of her faves is Sweet Corn Chickpea Fritters, which is gluten-free since it uses chickpea flour instead of wheat flour. I know some of you will be happy about that option. Yum.
Thanks readers for all your terrific ideas! Pretty soon we won't be eating meat at all, since I'm collecting so many great meatless recipes. If YOU have an easy meatless recipe you'd like to share, please tell us about it in the Comments section and I'll include it in the next Meatless Monday recipe post.
March 15, 2010
Meatless Monday recipes
The following is a reprint of a previously published post, my very first "Meatless Mondays recipes," where I offer our favorite easy meatless meals.
A few months ago, I signed up for Meatless Mondays. You can read all about the worldwide movement by clicking here. Why go meatless? According to the website, "Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel."
That sounds like a great win/win to me, and when you add in the fact that you'll probably save money too, the whole Meatless Monday idea becomes a win/win/win... what Katy over at The Non-Consumer Advocate calls a trifecta.
For me, signing up was absolutely no sacrifice. To give you an idea of how much it has changed our lifestyle, I don't think I've ever mentioned it to my husband. That's because we already go meatless several nights a week. We don't even think of it as "going meatless" because it's just the way we already eat.
In fact, it's almost incomprehensible to me that people would have trouble coming up with ideas for meatless meals. Forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but I will never forget something I saw on the news during the riots in Los Angeles in 1992, after the infamous Rodney King verdict. A woman was being interviewed in a supermarket where they'd run out of meat. And she said, "What am I supposed to feed my kids, beans on toast?" The fact that she had no other ideas boggled my mind.
If you sign up for Meatless Mondays, you get an email every Monday with related news of the week, plus some great recipes. But I thought I'd offer up some of our favorite meals, everyday stuff we enjoy that's quick and easy and delicious. And this is still leaving out tons of things we eat regularly, like veggie burgers, main dish salads, and stir frys.
1. Pizza- My husband's specialty, he usually adds mushrooms, but the possibilities are endless.
2. Pasta- His other specialty, again the possibilities are endless. One favorite is a version of puttanesca: cooked tomatoes, garlic, capers, and kalamata olives.
3. Soup- I love to make soup. Some of our favorites are lentil, vegetable, carrot, tomato, and minestrone. All vegetarian.
4. Tofu/Spinach- This is an easy staple we love. Saute tofu, spinach, and garlic in olive oil next to each other in a large pan. Drizzle with a mixture of soy sauce and hot chili oil.
5. Egg scramble- One of our favorites is "Mexican" style with onions and cheese, served with salsa, guacamole, and black beans. A tortilla on the side is great, but it's also good with toast if you don't have it.
6. Risotto- We love it with tomatoes, basil, garlic, and mushrooms, but you can make risotto with almost anything. Get creative. Mastering risotto will make you feel like you're eating in a gourmet restaurant. I'll do a post on my method soon.
7. Stuffed potato- Top a baked potato with a stir-fry of your favorite veggies.
8. Burritos or wraps- Again, the possibilities are endless. Wrap your favorite cheese and vegetables or start with beans and add cheese, avocado, peppers, and salsa.
9. Vegetable curry. Click here for my crockpot recipe.
10. Mjederah lentils. Click here to try this super-easy meal.
Those are just a few of the dinners we eat regularly. I think the key is to get away from the whole concept that you're trying to "replace" meat. Don't worry too much about not getting enough protein, especially if you're only doing this once or twice a week. And if you add more lentils, beans, chickpeas, and grains to your diet, you probably won't have to worry at all about a protein deficit.
What are your favorite meatless recipes? Please share them in the Comments section.
A few months ago, I signed up for Meatless Mondays. You can read all about the worldwide movement by clicking here. Why go meatless? According to the website, "Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel."
That sounds like a great win/win to me, and when you add in the fact that you'll probably save money too, the whole Meatless Monday idea becomes a win/win/win... what Katy over at The Non-Consumer Advocate calls a trifecta.
For me, signing up was absolutely no sacrifice. To give you an idea of how much it has changed our lifestyle, I don't think I've ever mentioned it to my husband. That's because we already go meatless several nights a week. We don't even think of it as "going meatless" because it's just the way we already eat.
In fact, it's almost incomprehensible to me that people would have trouble coming up with ideas for meatless meals. Forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but I will never forget something I saw on the news during the riots in Los Angeles in 1992, after the infamous Rodney King verdict. A woman was being interviewed in a supermarket where they'd run out of meat. And she said, "What am I supposed to feed my kids, beans on toast?" The fact that she had no other ideas boggled my mind.
If you sign up for Meatless Mondays, you get an email every Monday with related news of the week, plus some great recipes. But I thought I'd offer up some of our favorite meals, everyday stuff we enjoy that's quick and easy and delicious. And this is still leaving out tons of things we eat regularly, like veggie burgers, main dish salads, and stir frys.
1. Pizza- My husband's specialty, he usually adds mushrooms, but the possibilities are endless.
2. Pasta- His other specialty, again the possibilities are endless. One favorite is a version of puttanesca: cooked tomatoes, garlic, capers, and kalamata olives.
3. Soup- I love to make soup. Some of our favorites are lentil, vegetable, carrot, tomato, and minestrone. All vegetarian.
4. Tofu/Spinach- This is an easy staple we love. Saute tofu, spinach, and garlic in olive oil next to each other in a large pan. Drizzle with a mixture of soy sauce and hot chili oil.
5. Egg scramble- One of our favorites is "Mexican" style with onions and cheese, served with salsa, guacamole, and black beans. A tortilla on the side is great, but it's also good with toast if you don't have it.
6. Risotto- We love it with tomatoes, basil, garlic, and mushrooms, but you can make risotto with almost anything. Get creative. Mastering risotto will make you feel like you're eating in a gourmet restaurant. I'll do a post on my method soon.
7. Stuffed potato- Top a baked potato with a stir-fry of your favorite veggies.
8. Burritos or wraps- Again, the possibilities are endless. Wrap your favorite cheese and vegetables or start with beans and add cheese, avocado, peppers, and salsa.
9. Vegetable curry. Click here for my crockpot recipe.
10. Mjederah lentils. Click here to try this super-easy meal.
Those are just a few of the dinners we eat regularly. I think the key is to get away from the whole concept that you're trying to "replace" meat. Don't worry too much about not getting enough protein, especially if you're only doing this once or twice a week. And if you add more lentils, beans, chickpeas, and grains to your diet, you probably won't have to worry at all about a protein deficit.
What are your favorite meatless recipes? Please share them in the Comments section.
March 8, 2010
Meatless Monday recipes
It's Monday, time to share readers' favorite meatless recipes.
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative whose aim is to get people to give up meat one day a week, for their own health and the health of the planet. Click here to find out more about it. If you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll get a weekly email packed with recipes and news in the world of food.
It's easy to go meatless when you know how to cook easy and delicious meatless meals. And who doesn't like macaroni and cheese?
Today's first reader suggestion is from Catherine at The Vegan Good Life, who offers this vegan spin on the old favorite. I'm going to have to try this one, because I can't imagine mac & cheese without cheese!
Catherine also shares this Lentil Shepherd's Pie as the "ultimate comfort food on a cold blustery night." I'm sure we've got a few more of those before spring is here, and I have been loving lentil recipes lately, not to mention anything with potatoes.
And this Winter Vegetable Pot Pie comes from Emily via Good Housekeeping. Emily says it's super tasty and while it uses chicken broth, you could easily substitute vegetable broth. This recipe highlights some of my favorite winter root vegetables like sweet potatoes, and it's topped with a biscuit.
All of these sound so delicious that I'm going to try to make them all this week. Can you see how it's easy for us to go meatless nearly every night these days, between the gorgeous produce in our CSA delivery and these amazing recipes? Seriously, who needs meat?
Thanks readers for all of your fantastic suggestions! If you have a favorite meatless meal, please tell us about it in the Comments section and I'll share it in the next Meatless Mondays post.
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative whose aim is to get people to give up meat one day a week, for their own health and the health of the planet. Click here to find out more about it. If you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll get a weekly email packed with recipes and news in the world of food.
It's easy to go meatless when you know how to cook easy and delicious meatless meals. And who doesn't like macaroni and cheese?
Today's first reader suggestion is from Catherine at The Vegan Good Life, who offers this vegan spin on the old favorite. I'm going to have to try this one, because I can't imagine mac & cheese without cheese!
Catherine also shares this Lentil Shepherd's Pie as the "ultimate comfort food on a cold blustery night." I'm sure we've got a few more of those before spring is here, and I have been loving lentil recipes lately, not to mention anything with potatoes.
And this Winter Vegetable Pot Pie comes from Emily via Good Housekeeping. Emily says it's super tasty and while it uses chicken broth, you could easily substitute vegetable broth. This recipe highlights some of my favorite winter root vegetables like sweet potatoes, and it's topped with a biscuit.
All of these sound so delicious that I'm going to try to make them all this week. Can you see how it's easy for us to go meatless nearly every night these days, between the gorgeous produce in our CSA delivery and these amazing recipes? Seriously, who needs meat?
Thanks readers for all of your fantastic suggestions! If you have a favorite meatless meal, please tell us about it in the Comments section and I'll share it in the next Meatless Mondays post.
March 3, 2010
Canned Tomatoes: Recipes
When I did a giveaway last week of this kit of canned tomatoes from Muir Glen, I asked readers to submit tips and recipes in the Comments section in order to be eligible. I'd like to share some of those great ideas here. Anywhere in the U.S.A., we've got at least a few months to wait for fresh ripe tomatoes, so this canned organic variety is a great alternative in the meantime.
Catherine at The Vegan Good Life says she loves Rachael Ray's tomato and spinach soup.
Angela from Delightful Doings likes to mix Muir Glen tomatoes with a little garlic, dill and feta and serve them over pasta. It's a fast and easy dinner.
Kristen at The Frugal Girl uses canned tomatoes to make a pink sauce, which is a creamy tomato sauce. That's a favorite of mine as well, and one that goes well with added peas and sauteed mushrooms.
And a few of you asked about this fire roasted tomato soup from the recipe book in the kit. My husband and I both loved it. It's super simple, and super delicious.
Click here for a bunch of other Muir Glen recipes.
Melonie: I'd love to post your recipe for Bison Tomato Sauce, but I couldn't find it on your blog! Please leave it in a Comment if you're reading this.
Thanks again for all your ideas! Readers, feel free to chime in with your favorite recipes for canned tomatoes in the Comments section. In my opinion, in the winter, canned Muir Glen tomatoes are better than fresh, non-local supermarket tomatoes any day.
Catherine at The Vegan Good Life says she loves Rachael Ray's tomato and spinach soup.
Angela from Delightful Doings likes to mix Muir Glen tomatoes with a little garlic, dill and feta and serve them over pasta. It's a fast and easy dinner.
Kristen at The Frugal Girl uses canned tomatoes to make a pink sauce, which is a creamy tomato sauce. That's a favorite of mine as well, and one that goes well with added peas and sauteed mushrooms.
And a few of you asked about this fire roasted tomato soup from the recipe book in the kit. My husband and I both loved it. It's super simple, and super delicious.
Click here for a bunch of other Muir Glen recipes.
Melonie: I'd love to post your recipe for Bison Tomato Sauce, but I couldn't find it on your blog! Please leave it in a Comment if you're reading this.
Thanks again for all your ideas! Readers, feel free to chime in with your favorite recipes for canned tomatoes in the Comments section. In my opinion, in the winter, canned Muir Glen tomatoes are better than fresh, non-local supermarket tomatoes any day.
February 22, 2010
Meatless Monday recipe: Vegetable Pie
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative whose aim is to encourage people to go meatless one day a week, for their health and the health of the environment. Click here to find out all about it and to pledge to go meatless on Mondays. When you sign up, you'll receive a weekly email of delicious meatless recipes.
Today I'm going to share one of my favorite winter meatless meals. It comes from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, and when you're looking for vegetarian comfort food, this recipe fits the bill. I recently made it for a friend's birthday with our fresh CSA vegetables, and it was even more delicious than the original recipe.
Old Country Pie
serves 4
1 unbaked 9- or 10-inch pie crust
1 Tbsp. butter or oil
1 1/2 cups minced onion
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. mushroom, chopped or sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium stalk broccoli, chopped
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
2 tsp. dill
lots of black pepper
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup cottage cheese (lowfat ok)
2 eggs
2 medium scallions, finely minced
optional: 3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt; paprika
1) Prepare pie crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Melt butter (or heat oil) in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion, caraway, and salt, and saute over medium heat until the onions begin to brown (10 to 15 minutes).
3) Add mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, carrot, and dill, and saute until everything is just tender- about 8 more minutes.
4) Stir in black pepper, garlic, and flour, and cook, stirring, for just a few minutes more. Remove from heat.
5) Beat together cottage cheese and eggs. Add this to the saute along with the scallions and mix well.
6) Spread into the unbaked crust and, if desired, top with a layer of sour cream or yogurt. Sprinkle with paprika, and bake for 40 minutes or until set. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
This last time I used what I had from the CSA, so I left out the mushrooms and cabbage, and used 3 carrots, 2 stalks of broccoli, and about half a bunch of kale. The colors were gorgeous and the flavor was fantastic. I covered the top with a light layer of sour cream and sprinkled with paprika. I think you could use just about any vegetables you like, but don't leave out the caraway seeds or the dill, they're what give the dish its distinctive taste.
What are your favorite meatless comfort foods? Please leave your ideas in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post.
Today I'm going to share one of my favorite winter meatless meals. It comes from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, and when you're looking for vegetarian comfort food, this recipe fits the bill. I recently made it for a friend's birthday with our fresh CSA vegetables, and it was even more delicious than the original recipe.
Old Country Pie
serves 4
1 unbaked 9- or 10-inch pie crust
1 Tbsp. butter or oil
1 1/2 cups minced onion
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. mushroom, chopped or sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 medium stalk broccoli, chopped
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
2 tsp. dill
lots of black pepper
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup cottage cheese (lowfat ok)
2 eggs
2 medium scallions, finely minced
optional: 3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt; paprika
1) Prepare pie crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Melt butter (or heat oil) in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion, caraway, and salt, and saute over medium heat until the onions begin to brown (10 to 15 minutes).
3) Add mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, carrot, and dill, and saute until everything is just tender- about 8 more minutes.
4) Stir in black pepper, garlic, and flour, and cook, stirring, for just a few minutes more. Remove from heat.
5) Beat together cottage cheese and eggs. Add this to the saute along with the scallions and mix well.
6) Spread into the unbaked crust and, if desired, top with a layer of sour cream or yogurt. Sprinkle with paprika, and bake for 40 minutes or until set. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
This last time I used what I had from the CSA, so I left out the mushrooms and cabbage, and used 3 carrots, 2 stalks of broccoli, and about half a bunch of kale. The colors were gorgeous and the flavor was fantastic. I covered the top with a light layer of sour cream and sprinkled with paprika. I think you could use just about any vegetables you like, but don't leave out the caraway seeds or the dill, they're what give the dish its distinctive taste.
What are your favorite meatless comfort foods? Please leave your ideas in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post.
February 15, 2010
Recipe: Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
Courtesy of The Hillside Produce Cooperative.
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
grated zest and juice of a lemon
1/2 cup regular or extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves stripped off and chopped
a couple more sprigs of rosemary to decorate the top (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, beat eggs for about a minute until forthy. Add sugar and beat for a few minutes until mixture is thick and pale. Add lemon zest, juice, and olive oil and beat again. Combine flour, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in another bowl, then add to egg mixture. Stir by hand until just combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan (sprayed or lined with parchment). Lay decorative rosemary on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden.
This would make a lovely gift. I can't wait to try it, since it's an easy quickbread and I've got all the ingredients (thanks to Hynden).
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
grated zest and juice of a lemon
1/2 cup regular or extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves stripped off and chopped
a couple more sprigs of rosemary to decorate the top (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, beat eggs for about a minute until forthy. Add sugar and beat for a few minutes until mixture is thick and pale. Add lemon zest, juice, and olive oil and beat again. Combine flour, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in another bowl, then add to egg mixture. Stir by hand until just combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan (sprayed or lined with parchment). Lay decorative rosemary on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden.
This would make a lovely gift. I can't wait to try it, since it's an easy quickbread and I've got all the ingredients (thanks to Hynden).
February 6, 2010
My favorite new recipe from the blogs
Welcome to an occasional segment where I tell you about a great new recipe I've gotten from another blogger.This easy triple chocolate cake is from Alea at Premeditated Leftovers. She's always posting great recipes, and when I needed to come up with a quick yet inspired dessert, this fit the bill. It starts with a boxed mix, but you add a lot to it so it doesn't have that "fake" taste.
I made this cake for a small New Year's Eve dinner party, and it passed muster with not only my husband, but the amateur gourmet chefs who fixed the fabulous dinner. Everyone had seconds and the rest was eaten the next day for breakfast.
This cake is full of chocolatey goodness, and would be a great choice for Valentine's Day. I don't usually celebrate that holiday, and gave my husband a free pass on it the first year we were together (provided he fulfill my requirements for being romantic year-round instead, and he does), but I sometimes bake him a cake if I have time.
Please leave your favorite V Day or anytime baking ideas in the Comments section.
February 1, 2010
Meatless Monday Recipes
It's Meatless Monday, and I've got some great reader recipes to share with you!
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative whose aim is to encourage people to go meatless one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. Click here to visit their website and find out all about it. If you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll get an email packed with delicious meatless recipes that will make it easier than ever to give up meat as often as you like.
We generally eat meatless several times a week, especially since we've been getting the delicious produce in our CSA deliveries. I confess I never really cooked meat that much in the first place. But these recipes make it even easier by having so many tasty options to choose from.
Here are some reader favorites for easy meatless meals:
1. Alea at Premeditated Leftovers enjoys this broccoli with penne dish, which is easily modified with whatever vegetables you have on hand. She usually adds extra veggies like carrots and snow peas, and replaces the hot pepper flakes with chopped peppers and/or onions.
2. Julia at Color Me Green suggests hearty one-pot dishes with beans, whole grains, sauteed greens or roasted winter root vegetables, plus cheese and salsa or hot sauce for flavor.
3. Carmen at Life Blessons offers one of her favorite winter meals, sweet potato and black bean chili. She says it's easy to make and she loves the unexpected flavors of the recipe.
4. Diane at Tomato Soup Cake says they eat meatless quite a bit and one of their current favorites is this black bean soup.
5. Cate from Budget Confessions loves black bean soup and black bean salsa wraps (recipes on her blog), pizza, soups, and rice and beans with seasonings.
What great suggestions this week! I can't wait to try all of them. I'll have to start cooking more. I recently started making black beans in the crockpot and not only are they delicious, they're so versatile: beans for burritos or a side dish, soup, chili, and Katy's black bean burgers. It's a good thing we like black beans!
Thanks for all your suggestions! Readers, please send in your favorite easy meatless recipes and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post in two weeks.
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative whose aim is to encourage people to go meatless one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. Click here to visit their website and find out all about it. If you pledge to go meatless on Mondays, you'll get an email packed with delicious meatless recipes that will make it easier than ever to give up meat as often as you like.
We generally eat meatless several times a week, especially since we've been getting the delicious produce in our CSA deliveries. I confess I never really cooked meat that much in the first place. But these recipes make it even easier by having so many tasty options to choose from.
Here are some reader favorites for easy meatless meals:
1. Alea at Premeditated Leftovers enjoys this broccoli with penne dish, which is easily modified with whatever vegetables you have on hand. She usually adds extra veggies like carrots and snow peas, and replaces the hot pepper flakes with chopped peppers and/or onions.
2. Julia at Color Me Green suggests hearty one-pot dishes with beans, whole grains, sauteed greens or roasted winter root vegetables, plus cheese and salsa or hot sauce for flavor.
3. Carmen at Life Blessons offers one of her favorite winter meals, sweet potato and black bean chili. She says it's easy to make and she loves the unexpected flavors of the recipe.
4. Diane at Tomato Soup Cake says they eat meatless quite a bit and one of their current favorites is this black bean soup.
5. Cate from Budget Confessions loves black bean soup and black bean salsa wraps (recipes on her blog), pizza, soups, and rice and beans with seasonings.
What great suggestions this week! I can't wait to try all of them. I'll have to start cooking more. I recently started making black beans in the crockpot and not only are they delicious, they're so versatile: beans for burritos or a side dish, soup, chili, and Katy's black bean burgers. It's a good thing we like black beans!
Thanks for all your suggestions! Readers, please send in your favorite easy meatless recipes and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post in two weeks.
January 4, 2010
Meatless Monday: Risotto
Meatless Monday is a nonprofit initiative that encourages people to cut out meat one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. It's easy for us to do because we were already going meatless several days a week, and it's been even easier since we started getting CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery. Click here to find out more about Meatless Monday and sign up for their weekly email, which is filled with delicious meatless recipes.I think the best way to incorporate meatless meals into your schedule is to have delicious options that you love and crave. That way you're not focused on the "giving up" part, as in the meat. You don't miss it because you love the meal. Think about your favorite pasta dish: I'll bet it doesn't have meat. And I'll bet you don't care one bit.
One of our favorite meals, meatless or otherwise, is risotto. My mother learned how to make it years ago from an Italian friend and she taught me the method. I think this recipe is as good as (or better!) than any I've had a restaurant, and it's one of my husband's absolute favorite dinners. So I thought I'd tell you how I make it, instead of just providing the recipe. It's not hard, but there is a method that needs to be closely followed.
First, get out your favorite large saute pan and saute your vegetables in olive oil. The options are endless, but our favorite is garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, and basil. Saute the garlic and mushrooms first, add the fresh tomatoes for a few minutes, and then the fresh basil last. Put the vegetables aside. Asparagus and mushrooms are another great combination.
In the same pan, without rinsing, add more olive oil and the arborio rice. I use the brand in the photo, which is available at World Market, but I hear you can get arborio rice in almost any supermarket these days. However, I don't know if it is all the same quality. This brand is very good and the best I've found.
I never measure any of this, but let's say you add about a cup of the arborio rice to a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Saute for a few minutes or until the rice starts to become translucent. DO NOT let the rice burn or even get browned. If it starts getting brown, it's time to add the liquid.
All of this should be done over medium heat. That's probably the most important thing I can tell you. If the heat is too high, the risotto will cook too fast and be hard in the middle and if the heat is too low it will be mushy.
When the rice is translucent but not brown, add about a cup or two of liquid. I usually alternate between broth and white wine. The quality of your broth is going to make a big difference in how the risotto comes out, so make sure it's flavorful. The quality of the wine probably doesn't matter that much, you don't want to spend a fortune on wine for cooking. We generally use any kind of white wine that's not too sweet.
This is where you'll want to put on some music, maybe opera to get you in the mood, and stay by the stove. You can set the table, make a salad, etc. but do not leave the kitchen. You must keep your eye on this, like a protective mother. You need to always be adding liquid, but there should never be too much. As it cooks and evaporates, you'll add another cup or so of broth or wine. If you don't have broth or wine, water will do, but I don't think I would try it with only water. It will be difficult to get a richness of flavor.
After about 20-30 minutes, you'll notice the consistency of the rice change and it is near ready. Cook until the last of the liquid is absorbed and add 1/2 cup milk or cream. Cook a few more minutes until it is creamy and then add back the vegetables for another few minutes.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan and a green salad.
There are a couple of great bonuses to this meal, on top of being meatless: it all cooks in one pan so there's less clean up, and it's a frugal option as long as you don't use expensive, out of season vegetables.
Do you make risotto at home? What are your favorite vegetables to cook in risotto? Please share your thoughts in the Comments section.
December 7, 2009
Meatless Mondays recipes
I pledged to go meatless on Mondays about six months ago, and it has been so easy we've barely noticed it. We generally eat vegetarian meals several nights a week anyway, so it hasn't been any sacrifice for us. But what HAS changed is that I'm getting so many great recipe ideas from the Meatless Monday website, and from my readers! And that makes it easier than ever, and a lot more fun!
If you haven't heard of Meatless Monday, click here to find out more about it. It's a non-profit initiative to encourage people to give up meat one day a week for their health and the health of the planet. If you sign up, you'll receive a weekly email packed with delicious recipes. I can't find the time to make all the ones I've saved!
Here are this week's reader suggestions:
1) Kate from Creating A Life I Love says this recipe is simple and satisfying: scoop fresh cooked Basmati rice into individual bowls, squeeze half a lime over the rice plus soy sauce and sliced avocado. Serve with steamed or stir-fried veggies and a green salad, and you have a quick and healthy meal.
2) Julie adds to the rice theme with this suggestion: brown rice topped with stir-fried onions, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, sugar snap peas and Trader Joe's veggie birds' nests on the side. She says she was busy and let the onions cook so long they carmelized and it was heavenly.
I love carmelized onions. They're such a great addition to any veggie stir fry. Julie's recipe is almost exactly like my old college standby, except for the addition of the Trader Joe's birds' nests. I can't wait to try them. Julie says they're in the frozen foods section.
On the rice theme, this recipe for vegetable curry is one of our staples. It's a crockpot dish, and for me it's comfort food over rice. Plus curry is SO good for you.
Readers, please share your favorite super-simple meatless meals in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post in two weeks. Next Monday I'll have a CSA delivery photo and post for you and we'll be back on our regular schedule.
Have you signed up for Meatless Mondays yet? Click here to check out previous meatless monday recipes posts.
If you haven't heard of Meatless Monday, click here to find out more about it. It's a non-profit initiative to encourage people to give up meat one day a week for their health and the health of the planet. If you sign up, you'll receive a weekly email packed with delicious recipes. I can't find the time to make all the ones I've saved!
Here are this week's reader suggestions:
1) Kate from Creating A Life I Love says this recipe is simple and satisfying: scoop fresh cooked Basmati rice into individual bowls, squeeze half a lime over the rice plus soy sauce and sliced avocado. Serve with steamed or stir-fried veggies and a green salad, and you have a quick and healthy meal.
2) Julie adds to the rice theme with this suggestion: brown rice topped with stir-fried onions, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, sugar snap peas and Trader Joe's veggie birds' nests on the side. She says she was busy and let the onions cook so long they carmelized and it was heavenly.
I love carmelized onions. They're such a great addition to any veggie stir fry. Julie's recipe is almost exactly like my old college standby, except for the addition of the Trader Joe's birds' nests. I can't wait to try them. Julie says they're in the frozen foods section.
On the rice theme, this recipe for vegetable curry is one of our staples. It's a crockpot dish, and for me it's comfort food over rice. Plus curry is SO good for you.
Readers, please share your favorite super-simple meatless meals in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Monday post in two weeks. Next Monday I'll have a CSA delivery photo and post for you and we'll be back on our regular schedule.
Have you signed up for Meatless Mondays yet? Click here to check out previous meatless monday recipes posts.
November 30, 2009
Meatless Monday recipes
The Meatless Monday campaign is an effort to get people to give up meat one day a week, for their health and the health of the planet. Click here to go to their website and read all about it.
This week I've got some great reader suggestions for simple meatless meals.
1) Tom says he's mostly vegan and for people new to vegetarianism he suggests pasta meals as an easy option. One of his favorites is Trader Joe's rice noodles, sliced olives, cut small tomatoes, and minced onion. Sprinkle with vegan cheese and olive oil for a simple vegan meal. I agree with Tom that pasta is one of the easiest ways to make a meal so delicious you won't miss the meat.
2) Carla says her family eats meatless most days of the week even though they're not vegetarians. Most of their meatless meals revolve around legumes and grains in some form with added green and yellow vegetables. It's hearty and sustaining food, on top of being delicious.
3) Castal says one of her favorite meatless meals is a big pot of veggie and bean chili with a cast iron skillet of corn bread, served with either cheese or sour cream. Or just plain, because it's tasty as is. Castal says they eat meatless several times a week in order to use up their CSA box of fruits and vegetables. That's true in our house as well. We're eating less meat since we've been getting the CSA delivery.
4) Emily says Manicotti with Three Cheeses is a favorite at their house. Here's the simple (5 ingredients!) recipe: 12 manicotti shells, 4 cups shredded mozzarella, 8 oz. soft cream cheese with onion and chives, 3 cups marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Cook manicotti according to package instructions. Grease a baking dish. Mix 3 cups of the mozzarella with the cream cheese, stuff the manicotti and place it in the baking dish. Top with marinara sauce, sprinkle with remaining mozarella, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake 10 more minutes. I'm going to make that on the next cold day, it sounds like great comfort food. And I can tell you right now it's going to be a favorite at our house as well.
5) And finally, Catherine at Vegan Good Life offers this recipe for portabella with vegan gravy. Scroll down the page for the recipe. She also brings up a great point: olive oil, shallots, and spices like rosemary and thyme do wonders for vegetables. I agree. Roasted with olive oil and spices is my favorite way to make veggies.
Thanks readers for all your great ideas!
What are your favorite meatless meals? Please share them in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Mondays recipes post. And click here if you want to check out previous Meatless Monday recipes.
This week I've got some great reader suggestions for simple meatless meals.
1) Tom says he's mostly vegan and for people new to vegetarianism he suggests pasta meals as an easy option. One of his favorites is Trader Joe's rice noodles, sliced olives, cut small tomatoes, and minced onion. Sprinkle with vegan cheese and olive oil for a simple vegan meal. I agree with Tom that pasta is one of the easiest ways to make a meal so delicious you won't miss the meat.
2) Carla says her family eats meatless most days of the week even though they're not vegetarians. Most of their meatless meals revolve around legumes and grains in some form with added green and yellow vegetables. It's hearty and sustaining food, on top of being delicious.
3) Castal says one of her favorite meatless meals is a big pot of veggie and bean chili with a cast iron skillet of corn bread, served with either cheese or sour cream. Or just plain, because it's tasty as is. Castal says they eat meatless several times a week in order to use up their CSA box of fruits and vegetables. That's true in our house as well. We're eating less meat since we've been getting the CSA delivery.
4) Emily says Manicotti with Three Cheeses is a favorite at their house. Here's the simple (5 ingredients!) recipe: 12 manicotti shells, 4 cups shredded mozzarella, 8 oz. soft cream cheese with onion and chives, 3 cups marinara sauce, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Cook manicotti according to package instructions. Grease a baking dish. Mix 3 cups of the mozzarella with the cream cheese, stuff the manicotti and place it in the baking dish. Top with marinara sauce, sprinkle with remaining mozarella, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake 10 more minutes. I'm going to make that on the next cold day, it sounds like great comfort food. And I can tell you right now it's going to be a favorite at our house as well.
5) And finally, Catherine at Vegan Good Life offers this recipe for portabella with vegan gravy. Scroll down the page for the recipe. She also brings up a great point: olive oil, shallots, and spices like rosemary and thyme do wonders for vegetables. I agree. Roasted with olive oil and spices is my favorite way to make veggies.
Thanks readers for all your great ideas!
What are your favorite meatless meals? Please share them in the Comments section and I'll include them in the next Meatless Mondays recipes post. And click here if you want to check out previous Meatless Monday recipes.
November 9, 2009
Meatless Monday recipes
Every Monday, I write about food. I didn't plan it that way, but first we started getting a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery of fresh organic produce back in May, and I started taking photos and telling you about what we got. Then, I signed up for Meatless Mondays in June and I'm so supportive of their cause I started writing about it. And I got such good feedback on the meatless recipes I posted, I decided to make it a regular feature by using reader's suggestions.
There are SO MANY delicious vegetarian recipes these days that it gets easier and easier to go meatless. We go meatless several times a week in our house. There are just so many things we love to eat that don't include meat.
If you haven't heard of Meatless Mondays, click here to read all about it. It's a nonprofit initiative that aims to encourage people to go meatless on Mondays, for their health and the health of the planet. If you go to their site and pledge to go meatless, they'll send you a weekly email that's filled with delicious recipes, along with news in the world of food. I already have a backlog of recipes I can't wait to try, and several have quickly become staples.
Meatless Mondays has gotten a lot of press lately because the Baltimore school system was inspired to go meatless on Mondays and the news covered it. Not everyone thinks that teaching children to eat less meat is a good thing, some people will PROTECT THEIR RIGHT TO EAT STEAK at all costs. Click here to see Glenn Beck's take on the subject, which is either insane, farfetched, unhinged, wrongheaded, bizarrely self-centered, hilarious, or all of the above. Sorry to offend any GB fans, but I have a hard time believing anyone who watches him for anything more than entertainment value would be reading my blog. It's unclear who's trying to take his steak away: Al Gore? Paul McCartney? Obama?
Now for some recipes:
Ellen from Within My Means shares this recipe for Squash Casserole, which looks easy and doesn't use a lot of ingredients. One thing it does use is Cream of Mushroom soup, so if you don't like the canned version, I thought I'd share this recipe from Alea at Premeditated Leftovers for a homemade version (which has got to be healthier!)
This easy-sounding recipe for Italian Spinach Pie comes from Reader's Digest. I haven't tried it yet, but I will as soon as I get spinach and leeks in the same CSA delivery. According to RD, you should eat plenty of spinach to keep your heart in tip-top shape with vitamins A and C and folate. Also, when I make it I'll add a pinch of nutmeg which is delicious in any spinach recipe.
And one of my old standbys: Arugula/mushroom salad. I think this recipe was on the back of a bag of arugula at Trader Joe's and I made it and loved it. Now I make it all the time, sometimes for lunch, sometimes for dinner as a side, or as a main dish if I'm really feeling starved for greens. Saute garlic and mushrooms or a shallot and mushrooms in olive oil, and pour it over the arugula. It should wilt the greens a bit. Add salt, toasted pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, and a little crumbled feta or goat cheese.
What do you think about going meatless? To me, it's a win/win/win: healthy, green, and frugal. I love that. Please share your favorite meatless meals in the Comments section, and I'll use them in the next Meatless Mondays post.
There are SO MANY delicious vegetarian recipes these days that it gets easier and easier to go meatless. We go meatless several times a week in our house. There are just so many things we love to eat that don't include meat.
If you haven't heard of Meatless Mondays, click here to read all about it. It's a nonprofit initiative that aims to encourage people to go meatless on Mondays, for their health and the health of the planet. If you go to their site and pledge to go meatless, they'll send you a weekly email that's filled with delicious recipes, along with news in the world of food. I already have a backlog of recipes I can't wait to try, and several have quickly become staples.
Meatless Mondays has gotten a lot of press lately because the Baltimore school system was inspired to go meatless on Mondays and the news covered it. Not everyone thinks that teaching children to eat less meat is a good thing, some people will PROTECT THEIR RIGHT TO EAT STEAK at all costs. Click here to see Glenn Beck's take on the subject, which is either insane, farfetched, unhinged, wrongheaded, bizarrely self-centered, hilarious, or all of the above. Sorry to offend any GB fans, but I have a hard time believing anyone who watches him for anything more than entertainment value would be reading my blog. It's unclear who's trying to take his steak away: Al Gore? Paul McCartney? Obama?
Now for some recipes:
Ellen from Within My Means shares this recipe for Squash Casserole, which looks easy and doesn't use a lot of ingredients. One thing it does use is Cream of Mushroom soup, so if you don't like the canned version, I thought I'd share this recipe from Alea at Premeditated Leftovers for a homemade version (which has got to be healthier!)
This easy-sounding recipe for Italian Spinach Pie comes from Reader's Digest. I haven't tried it yet, but I will as soon as I get spinach and leeks in the same CSA delivery. According to RD, you should eat plenty of spinach to keep your heart in tip-top shape with vitamins A and C and folate. Also, when I make it I'll add a pinch of nutmeg which is delicious in any spinach recipe.
And one of my old standbys: Arugula/mushroom salad. I think this recipe was on the back of a bag of arugula at Trader Joe's and I made it and loved it. Now I make it all the time, sometimes for lunch, sometimes for dinner as a side, or as a main dish if I'm really feeling starved for greens. Saute garlic and mushrooms or a shallot and mushrooms in olive oil, and pour it over the arugula. It should wilt the greens a bit. Add salt, toasted pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, and a little crumbled feta or goat cheese.
What do you think about going meatless? To me, it's a win/win/win: healthy, green, and frugal. I love that. Please share your favorite meatless meals in the Comments section, and I'll use them in the next Meatless Mondays post.
November 5, 2009
Carrot Cake recipe
I do have a Thrifty Threads post ready, but the blog that it links to is having server problems, and we don't know when they'll be fixed, so I'm disappointed but it will have to be put off. If I can post it tomorrow, I will. Otherwise, it will have to wait until next Thursday. So since I can't give you Thrifty Threads, I'll give you a recipe instead.
A few weeks ago I had some carrots that were getting a bit limp, so I acted like a housewife and cooked them, mashed them up, and baked some carrot cake. See what I mean by acted like a housewife? I acted resourcefully, I think. The carrots were about to go bad, so I thought of another use for them.
One of my readers asked me to post the recipe, so here goes. I used one of my favorite cookbooks, The Silver Palate, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, but mine is a plainer version of theirs. It's like a super simple quickbread.
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 T baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1 1/2 cups corn oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T vanilla
1 1/3 cups pureed cooked carrots
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans (loaf pan, mini-loaves, or layer cake)
2. Sift dry ingredients and add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Fold in carrots.
3. Pour into pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool on a rack for 3 hours and frost with cream cheese frosting.
To make cream cheese frosting, cream together 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature and 1/2 cup butter. Slowly sift in 3 cups confectioner's sugar and keep beating until free of lumps. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla, and juice of 1/2 lemon(optional).
The recipe in the book calls for 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, 3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple, and 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut to be mixed into the batter. That sounded like a little too much for our taste, so I left those ingredients out. I might try the coconut next time though.
My husband scarfed this down, after first telling me he didn't really like carrot cake. Hmmm.
A few weeks ago I had some carrots that were getting a bit limp, so I acted like a housewife and cooked them, mashed them up, and baked some carrot cake. See what I mean by acted like a housewife? I acted resourcefully, I think. The carrots were about to go bad, so I thought of another use for them.
One of my readers asked me to post the recipe, so here goes. I used one of my favorite cookbooks, The Silver Palate, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, but mine is a plainer version of theirs. It's like a super simple quickbread.
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 T baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1 1/2 cups corn oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T vanilla
1 1/3 cups pureed cooked carrots
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans (loaf pan, mini-loaves, or layer cake)
2. Sift dry ingredients and add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Fold in carrots.
3. Pour into pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool on a rack for 3 hours and frost with cream cheese frosting.
To make cream cheese frosting, cream together 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature and 1/2 cup butter. Slowly sift in 3 cups confectioner's sugar and keep beating until free of lumps. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla, and juice of 1/2 lemon(optional).
The recipe in the book calls for 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, 3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple, and 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut to be mixed into the batter. That sounded like a little too much for our taste, so I left those ingredients out. I might try the coconut next time though.
My husband scarfed this down, after first telling me he didn't really like carrot cake. Hmmm.
November 2, 2009
Delicata Squash Bisque
I think this recipe for Delicata Squash Bisque looks quite delicious. It's vegetarian, and uses cashew cream in place of dairy. I'm going to make it later this week. If you try it, let me know what you think in a Comment.
October 21, 2009
Tomato/Mushroom/Leek Quiche
Sorry about the pink edges on the photo, my camera is dying a slow death!The photo doesn't really do justice to the yumminess of this quiche. It has a couple of ingredients that make it particularly tangy and satisfying. I used a recipe I got from Ellen at Within My Means, with a few alterations.
Preheat oven to 425F.
1 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups milk
5 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
about 10 sliced mushrooms
1 leek
about 20 small cherry tomatoes, slightly frozen
Saute mushrooms with leeks in butter and set aside. Combine milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add cheese, mushrooms and leeks, and tomatoes. Ellen gave me the tip to put the cherry tomatoes in the freezer for an hour or two before baking, and I think that helped them keep their shape and give a burst of flavor when eaten.
Pour mixture into pie shell (I use Pillsbury roll outs, Ellen uses Marie Callendar's) and bake 15 minutes at 425. Lower oven to 350 degrees, cover pie edges with tinfoil so they don't burn, and bake another 30-35 minutes.
Super easy, super delicious. Everyone loved it. The cheddar and the nutmeg give it an extra zing.
Have you ever made quiche? What are your favorite additions? Let us know in a Comment.
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