Category Archives: Vegetarian

October 6, 2010 · 9:38 pm

Zucchini Noodles

I have wanted to try this recipe since May when I read A Homemade Life. The only problem was I needed a mandoline to slice the noodles/zucchini the right way and I didn’t have one. My dear sweet generous MIL bought me one a week or so ago just for the heck of it.

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, trimmed
3 T olive oil
3/4 lb. dry spaghetti
Spaghetti sauce

Instructions:
Put a large pot of water over high heat and cook the pasta per the directions on the box. DO NOT DRAIN.

While the water heats, prepare the zucchini. Using a mandoline slicer fitted with the julienne blade, carefully slice the zucchini into long, skinny noodles, each about the width of a strand of spaghetti.

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini “noodles” and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy.

When the pasta is done, use tongs to transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add zucchini to bowl and toss to mix.

Serve with spaghetti sauce and parmesan.

We had this with some meatballs (which I had made ahead of time…I just put them in the pot of spaghetti sauce and while the spaghetti sauce warmed up on the stove, the meatballs warmed up, too) and some grapes.

Did I change anything? I made this pretty much the way the recipe calls for. You can, however, completely leave out the pasta, and just serve the zucchini noodles. My favorite Italian restaurant has this on their menu and I order it almost every time.

What did the family think? You won’t even know there is zucchini in there. It is SO good and such a neat way to get some extra veggies in there as well.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

October 4, 2010 · 2:20 pm

Zucchini Bread

Our oldest has been asking me for quite some time to make some zucchini bread, so I figured I had put it off long enough.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil OR 1 cup applesauce (for lower fat content)
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil/applesauce, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well.

Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Did I change anything? I didn’t add the nuts because I know our family likes it better without. Also, I used the applesauce instead of the oil, but I think the texture of the bread is better when you use the oil.

What did the family think? They love zucchini bread and it’s great for breakfast, snacks and dessert. Also, since this makes two loaves…this bread freezes really well.

from allrecipes.com

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

October 2, 2010 · 8:11 am

Brownies Not From a Box

I got this recipe from my good friend, Janelle. They are as good as she said they were and they are easy. You don’t have to get a bunch of dishes dirty to make them and you probably already have everything you need to make these…I love it when that happens.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave for about 1 minute. Add cocoa powder, stir and continue to microwave until butter is melted. Add both sugars to the butter/cocoa mixture. Stir. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir. Lastly add flour. Stir. Put in a greased “one size smaller than a 9×13″ pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Try not to eat them all at once.

What did the family think? My oldest had a friend over after school and both of them gave these brownies two thumbs up. Then my hubby had some and while he was walking around the kitchen eating them, he was singing about how good they are.

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

October 1, 2010 · 12:43 pm

Sweet Potato Fries

You can either buy whole sweet potatoes for this, or cheat and save yourself some prep time and use
pre-cut sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
12 oz. of Pre-cut sweet potatoes or 3-4 sweet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
If you are using whole potatoes, peel and cut them into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick sticks. If any of the “sticks” are pointy at the end, chop the pointy part off as it will cook too quickly and burn. You want them all to be uniform in thickness. If you are using pre-cut potatoes, skip this step and move on to the next step.

Next, evenly coat the sweet potatoes with olive oil by placing potatoes in a bowl and drizzling olive oil over them. Toss to coat.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss again.

Spread them out evenly on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes over and cook for another 10 minutes or until crispy and browned. Enjoy!

What did the family think? Hubby and I could have eaten about six more servings of these. My kids don’t know a good thing when they taste it. They ate them, but they certainly didn’t like them. Weirdos. 🙂

adapted from Trader Joe’s recipe

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

September 27, 2010 · 11:43 am

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Muffins

Yes, they are as good as they sound and since it’s a muffin you don’t have to feel guilty about eating it like you might if it was a cookie.:)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
2 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper cups.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely and then cook – the butter will foam and start to crackle. Continue cooking, keeping a close eye on the pan, until the crackling subsides and little brown bits appear in the bottom of the pan when you swirl it. Remove from heat as soon as the butter solids have browned and it smells rich and nutty. Pour butter, including the browned bits, into a heat-proof bowl and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined then stir in oats. In a separate bowl, whisk together browned butter, eggs, buttermilk, and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla extract.

Add the butter mixture all at once to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until just combined (make sure to scrape up all the flour from the bottom of the bowl). Fold in raisins and nuts.

Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or a large spoon, divide batter between the 12 muffin cups (the cups should be mostly full).

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 – 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

from Pinch My Salt

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

September 26, 2010 · 9:49 am

Banana Peanut Butter and Honey Panini

Our oldest gets the Food Network magazine form the mail and I find it in his room; I haven’t even had a chance to look at it yet. After reading it cover to cover, this is what he asked me to make for him.

Ingredients:
2 slices cinnamon swirl bread
Peanut butter
Honey
1 Banana

Instructions:
Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread. Spread a thin layer of honey on the other slice of bread. Place banana slices on top of peanut butter. Put the piece of bread with honey on top of the bananas to make a sandwich. If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What did the family think? Our oldest loved it. Our youngest liked it, but after tasting it, he had me take the bananas off. He’s not a big banana fan to begin with.

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Filed under After School Snacks, Easy, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

September 23, 2010 · 10:52 pm

Mexican Rice

I love it when I realize that I need a side dish in the middle of making the main dish, scramble to figure out what that might be and then am able to throw something together out of what’s already in the pantry.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Minute Rice
7 oz salsa verde
8 oz tomato sauce

Instructions:
Heat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onions. When onions begin to soften, add garlic. After a few minutes add rice, salsa verde and tomato sauce. Stir to combine, cover and simmer for about five minutes, you may want to add more rice to make the mixture thicker. Remove from heat and let sit for about five minutes.

What did the family think? I don’t think they boys ate it, but Sean and I both liked it. I was impressed that I had everything in the pantry to throw this together.

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Filed under Easy, Mexican, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Spicy, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

September 22, 2010 · 2:28 pm

Spinach Tortilla Bake with Ricotta Cheese and Salsa Verde

We have been eating a lot of spinach around here. It’s in season right now so now’s the best time.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
4 chicken breasts (about 1 pound) OR 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 large flour tortillas
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then shred the meat and place in a bowl to the side.

In the same skillet, heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for a few minutes and then add spinach until onions are soft and spinach is wilted.

In a small bowl, whisk together ricotta and salsa verde.

In a greased pie pan or 9-inch square baking dish, pour 1/3 of the salsa mixture in the bottom of the pie pan or baking dish. Next, place one tortilla on top. Next, 1/2 of the chicken, then half of the spinach mixture and then 1/2 the cheese. Repeat with salsa mixture, tortilla, chicken, spinach, cheese, tortilla. Top with remaining salsa mixture.

We had this with mexican rice and strawberries.

Did I change anything? The directions for this recipe were really confusing. I hope they are a little bit clearer now. Also, I cooked and shredded the chicken ahead of time for a quicker assembly and since the chicken had been sitting in the frig, I threw it in with the onion and spinach mixture to warm it up since it was already cooked.

What did the family think? Everyone really liked it. I think next time I make it I will switch out the chicken with some beans to make it vegetarian and maybe use pepper jack to give it some more spice. Also, I used a pizza cutter to cut this up…worked like a charm. 🙂

from Rachel Ray

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Filed under Chicken, Everybody Ate It, Mexican, Vegetarian

September 21, 2010 · 2:36 pm

Veggie Burger

This whole recipe about fell apart when I couldn’t get my food processor to work. I had the wrong lid on it and it wouldn’t spin…go figure.

Ingredients:
14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 T chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
1 T olive oil

Instructions:
Place the beans, onion, oats, chili powder, salt, pepper and egg in a food processor. Pulse until chunky, not pureed. Let mixture sit in the frig for about ten minutes.

WITH WET HANDS, shape into patties; refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the patties and cook until nicely browned on one side; turn carefully and cook another five minutes on the other side.

Serve on buns with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mayo and mustard. Add some cheese, too, if you’d like veggie cheeseburgers.

What did the family think? Three out of four isn’t bad, right? Our oldest wasn’t really into these; he likes bison burgers and this was just not the same thing. Everyone else liked it though. If your family is used to eating “real” hamburgers, the condiments are a must for these, not because they are needed to cover up the taste, but just to make it seem more like a hamburger.

from Parents magazine

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Filed under Lent, Sandwich, Vegetarian

September 20, 2010 · 12:07 pm

Honey Lemon Olive Oil Muffins with Lemon Glaze

From one of my favorite cooking websites, Pinch My Salt.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey (preferably local)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick baking spray or line with paper cups (spray the inside of the cups with baking spray to prevent muffins from sticking to the paper).

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, combine honey, sugar, olive oil, buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk together until well combined.

Pour liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until all of the flour is incorporated. Don’t overmix. Divide batter between muffin cups using a large spoon or mechanical ice cream scoop – the cups should be mostly full.

Bake for 17 – 21 minutes or until the center of a muffin springs back lightly to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Check early and watch carefully, they will brown fast.

While muffins are baking, make glaze.

Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack. Brush the tops of the muffins with glaze while they are still warm. Let cool completely.

from Pinch My Salt

What did the family think? Our oldest and I really like them. These seem to me to be the kind of muffins that are best with a cup of coffee or hot tea.

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Vegetarian