Category Archives: Vegetarian

August 23, 2010 · 10:50 pm

Banana Bread

This is the version of banana bread my kids love the most.

Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree
1/2 cup squash puree (I use baby food for this part)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in egg whites, bananas, squash and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.

Did I change anything? I added the squash. The original recipe suggest adding cauliflower puree, but I am too lazy to buy it, so I add squash puree and just use baby food. Also, I had substituted applesauce for the oil in this recipe before, but it doesn’t turn out as good; the applesauce makes it too sweet.

What does the family think? I made a loaf today at about 4:00p.m. and it was almost gone by 8:30p.m. I’d say they like it.

from Deceptively Delicious

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

· 10:38 pm

Black Bean and Tomato Couscous

A perfect summertime salad to take on a picnic…

Ingredients:
2 tsp grated lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T melted butter
1 T vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp sugar
1 cup couscous
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Crushed red pepper, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Cook couscous according to package directions. Fluff with a fork when done.

Whisk together lime zest, lime juice, butter, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Add couscous to dressing, add remaining ingredients, stir. Chill in frig before serving for best results.

We had this with cheeseburgers from the grill and watermelon….a great summer meal.

Did I change anything? I added the green pepper and the crushed red pepper to the recipe. Also, this was supposed to be made with quinoa, but I didn’t have any, so I made it with couscous.

What did the family think? Hubby LOVED it! I liked it, too. Our oldest ate some, but I think it had too much cilantro for him and our youngest spied the beans and wouldn’t touch it.

from Epicurious.com

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Filed under Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

August 19, 2010 · 11:11 pm

Pesto, Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Appetizer

This is SOOOO good. I try not to even eat it because if I take one bite…it’s all over. I can’t just have one bite!

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese block, softened
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup pesto
1/4 cup chopped artichokes (from a jar)
1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
Triscuit Thin Crisps

Instructions:
Mix cream cheese and mayo together. Spread on a dinner plate or serving platter.

Spread pesto on top. Top pesto with artichoke hearts and top artichoke hearts with roasted red peppers.

Serve with Triscuit Thin Crisps.

Did I change anything? The recipe calls for adding mozzarella on the top. Sometimes I add it, sometimes I don’t. It’s good either way.

What does the family think? Every time we have a gathering (family or friends) this stuff is gone in a heartbeat.

from Kraft Foods

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

· 10:51 pm

Egg Salad Sandwich

Sometimes the simplest easiest things are the best.

Ingredients:
6 eggs, hard-boiled and cooled
1-2 T mayo (more of less to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste
A tiny squeeze of lemon
2 celery stalks, washed and chopped
2 tsp dijon mustard (more of less to taste)
2 T chives, chopped
Lettuce, Garnish
Good bread, toasted (or not)

Instructions:
Crack and peel each egg. Place eggs in a medium bowl with mayo, mustard and salt and pepper. Mash eggs with a fork, but not too much. You still want them a little chunky.

Stir in celery, chives and lemon juice.

Toast the bread-or don’t.

Assemble sandwich with egg salad, lettuce and a thin layer of mayo on the toast/bread. Enjoy!

Did I change anything? I added the mustard. It gives it a bit more flavor than just having mayo. I have been told this sandwich is good with some bacon in it.

What did the family think? My husband has been taking these sandwiches to work lately and he really likes them. I love them and so do my parents who are here visiting and did a taste test for MommaCooks today.

from 101 Cookbooks

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Lent, Sandwich, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

August 14, 2010 · 8:42 am

Parmesan-Crumb Broccoli

In an attempt to get my children to eat broccoli…

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 lb.), cut into small pieces
1 slice whole wheat bread, ground in food processor (about 1 cup)
2 T butter
1 T fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:
Cook the broccoli in lightly salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2-4 minutes. Drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbs and thyme. Toast until golden and then remove from heat.

Put the broccoli in a serving bowl. Toss in the breadcrumb mixture. Let cool for a couple of minutes or so and then toss in Parmesan.

Did I change anything? Yes, I changed the instructions a little bit. The original instructions had me tossing the Parmesan in while everything else was still really hot, it melted and we ended up with big glops of breading that weren’t coating the broccoli at all. Hopefully by letting things cool down a bit first, that won’t happen.

What did the family think? Thumbs up from everyone but the youngest. Surprised? 🙂

from Real Simple

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Filed under Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

August 10, 2010 · 10:08 pm

Cheesy Potato and Rosemary Scones

Sweet or savory…I love scones!

Ingredients:
2 cup flour
1 1/2 c. mashed potatoes
2 T chopped rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese, divided
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 T butter, melted
Parchment paper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, rosemary, garlic and 1/2 cheese.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Mix together egg and milk in a separate bowl and then pour into the well. Mix well. Add potatoes. Mix again.

Transfer dough to a floured board and knead (just a little) with floured hands. Flatten dough to about 1.5 cm in height and cut into about 8 triangles.

Transfer triangles to prepared baking pan, being sure to spread triangles out a bit. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

Serve warm.

We had these with a simple summer salad of chicken, greens and heirloom tomatoes and some blueberries.

Did I change anything? I didn’t add the rosemary into the batter, I just sprinkled it on top of a couple of the scones since I wasn’t sure if everyone would like the rosemary or not. Then I added the cheese on top of that. I didn’t brush the tops with melted butter, but I wish I would have and that’s why I added it to the recipe.

What did the family think? Hubby liked them, our oldest LOVED them (as I knew he would) and I thought they were just okay. I am going to make these again and add the butter; I think it will make a world of difference.

from Sunita’s World

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Filed under Bread, Definitely Making it Again, Vegetarian

August 1, 2010 · 9:43 pm

Creole Potato Salad

This is in the top two potato salads I have ever eaten. SO good! That little bottle of creole mustard makes ALL the difference.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. new potatoes (peel on or off, your choice) scrubbed clean and cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks
6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 T cider vinegar
1 tspn. sugar
1/2 cup Creole mustard
3/4 cup mayonnaise (more or less, however you like it)
Salt
Cajun seasoning, for garnish

Instructions:
Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water. If you need to hard boil the eggs, put those in there too and they can cook along with the potatoes. Bring to a boil, add about a tsp. of salt, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook about ten minutes and drain in a colander.

While potatoes are boiling, mix the sugar, vinegar, mayo and mustard in with the celery, peppers and onion in a large bowl.

While the potatoes are still warm, gently mixing them in with the dressing allowing the potatoes to soak in some of the flavor from the seasonings better.

Gently fold the chopped hard-boiled eggs into the mixture until well combined. Put the potato salad in the frig to cool for about an hour before serving.

Serve chilled and garnish with paprika or Cajun seasoning.

We had this with Polenta-Crusted Baked Chicken and watermelon.

Did I change anything? I didn’t, but if I were to make it again (which I will because it was awesome) I would only make half as much. This was a good amount if you were going to a potluck or something, but for a family of four, it was a bit much.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought it was DIVINE! Kids didn’t think do, but I knew that when I was making it. This potato salad has some serious flavor. Make it, your family will thank you.

from Simply Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Make Ahead of Time, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

July 28, 2010 · 10:40 pm

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

This is a very tasty and very versatile sauce and a great way to use some of those summer blueberries…

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon

Instructions:
Wash blueberries, place in pan and crush them with the back of a spoon. Add sugar, lemon juice and salt to pan, mix well and bring blueberry mixture to a boil. Boil for one minute. Add vanilla and cinnamon, chill and serve over ice cream, waffles or pancakes.

What did the family think? Our oldest and I LOVE this is. It is so yummy and so easy to make. We first had it as a sample at our grocery store. Our favorite way to eat it is mixed with just a little bit of vanilla yogurt and then using a graham cracker to spoon it into our mouths. Summer goodness!

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

July 26, 2010 · 11:07 pm

Deli-style Pasta Salad

We love cheese tortellini around here…

Ingredients:
8 oz. cheese-filled tortellini
1 1/2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tspn. dried Italian seasoning
1 tspn. Dijon mustard
1/4 tspn black pepper
1/8 tspn garlic powder
1 bell pepper, chopped

Instructions:
In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions omitting any oil or salt. Add broccoli and carrot the last three minutes of cooking. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

For dressing, is a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, Italian seasoning, mustard, black pepper, and garlic powder.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, bell pepper and dressing. Toss gently to coat.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it. It’s a nice summer side salad. The boys liked the pasta part of the dish, but weren’t too keen on the dressing.

from grouprecipes.com

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Filed under Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

July 24, 2010 · 11:30 pm

Mango Lassi

A year or so ago, I had some leftover frozen mangoes in my freezer and I was trying to figure out what to do with them….

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen or fresh mango chunks
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 T sugar (more or less to taste)

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

What did the family think? I don’t know because I didn’t share with them. 🙂 Okay, I did let my hubby have a sip and he liked it and our oldest likes mango juice, so I am sure he would like this, too. I usually make these after the kids have gone to bed.

from bigoven.com

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