Category Archives: Vegetarian

January 1, 2012 · 11:39 am

New Year’s Morning Brunch Buttermilk Waffles

These were a great addition to our New Year’s morning brunch. They are crispy and buttery with just a hint of vanilla…so good!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (shake before pouring into measuring cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat waffle iron.

Melt the stick of butter in a heat-proof measuring cup. Set aside to cool. You might even want to stick it in the freezer of refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.

In a large batter bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt, stirring well to combine ingredients. Create a depression in the center of the dry ingredients for the buttermilk mixture.

Beat the eggs in a medium-sized mixing bowl until frothy and well-combined. Add the vanilla extract, buttermilk and cooled butter. Beat until well-combined.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredient’s depression and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Using the wooden spoon, push 1/4 to 1/5 of the batter onto your waffle iron and bake until steam stops rising from the waffle iron or your personal degree of doneness is achieved.

What did the family think? Thumbs up!

Where did this recipe come from? Food. com

photo from Becoming Lola

Leave a Comment

Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

December 19, 2011 · 11:40 am

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

This is the only recipe on this whole blog that I have not personally tasted, but it didn’t make a ton of cookies and I was making them for the teachers at the kids’ school. So I just crossed my fingers and hoped they were good. They must have been because my cookie tray was returned to me with a post-it on it that said “Delicious!”. Not only are they delicious, but they are also very festive since they’re red.

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 box red velvet cake mix
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cheesecake filling:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the white chocolate drizzle:
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, melted

Instructions:
To make cookies, in a large bowl combine cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. The dough will be oily. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

While the dough is in the frig, make the cheesecake filling since it needs to hang out in the freezer for a while. To make the cheesecake filling, using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have 10. Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. To assemble the cookies, take about 1/4 cup of red velvet cookie dough and flatten in your hands. Place a teaspoon of cheesecake filling in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Scoop onto lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Only bake 3 cookies at a time. The cookies are large and will spread. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies begin to crackle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or over a double-boiler. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cooled cookies. Let the cookies set until the chocolate hardens. Serve and enjoy!

Did I change anything? No, but take note that these cookies take a while to make. If I had read the whole recipe ahead of time I would have noticed that they have to sit for two hours before you can actually bake them.

What did the family think? No one here got to eat any, but the teachers thought they were great. 🙂

Where did this recipe come from? Two Peas and their Pod

2 Comments

Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Vegetarian

December 18, 2011 · 11:39 am

Cinnamon Apple Granola

Now that I’ve discovered that granola is actually very easy to make, I have been trying all kinds of different varieties and variations. I made this one yesterday and it turned out great.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
2 medium apples , chopped
1 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 8×10 pan with aluminum foil and lightly oil.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Evenly spread oat mixture on pan.

Bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

If you like crunchier granola, cook an extra 5 minutes.

Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and the flax seed. Those can be left out if you don’t have them.

What did the family think? No one eat the granola in this house except me.

Where did this recipe come from? Adapted from a recipe from Food.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Vegetarian

December 14, 2011 · 9:14 am

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Waffles

We had breakfast for dinner last night and these were a HUGE hit!

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 egg, separated
1/2 cup plain pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl, combine milk, egg yolk, pumpkin, vanilla, oil and brown sugar together.

Pour in remaining dry ingredients to the wet and slowly incorporate.

Spray waffle iron with non stick cooking spray. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter onto waffle iron. Close the top slowly. Cook about 2 minutes or until waffles are crispy.

Did I change anything? Well, since I didn’t read the whole recipe through before I started cooking, I put in the egg yolk and tossed the egg white before realizing I was supposed to beat the egg white to stiff peaks and then fold it in. So, I skipped that whole step and the waffles turned out just fine which is why I didn’t include it in the recipe above.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? The Spiffy Cookie

Leave a Comment

Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

December 13, 2011 · 8:51 am

Creamy Green Chile Soup

My husband isn’t always a big soup fan and was complaining just a teensy weensy bit when he realized we were having soup for dinner. I think it was at around the third bite when he said, “Wow, this is really good.”

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large ribs celery, diced
1-7 oz. can whole fire roasted green chiles, drained & diced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2 cups diced, roasted chicken {optional}
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup all purpose flour {optional}
grated cheddar cheese (garnish)
chopped cilantro (garnish)
broken tortilla chips (garnish)

Instructions:
Heat large pot over medium heat. Melt butter and saute onions and celery until onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and green chiles and saute 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Cover pot with well fitting lid and reduce to simmer. Simmer soup 10-15 minutes and then remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup and return to heat. Stir in carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn and chicken.

Place flour into small bowl and slowly whisk in cream to prevent lumps. {If there seems to be lumps, you can always pour it through a strainer first!} Pour this mixture into hot soup and cook until it thickens slightly. Taste and readjust seasonings adding more salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve hot with any desired toppings.

We had this with some fresh pineapple.

Did I change anything? No, but I was thinking the next time I make this that I could add some lentils instead of chicken. The lentils would thicken it up a little more and add protein.

What did the family think? The boys didn’t eat this, but hubby and I did and we REALLY liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? Lauren’s Latest

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Lent, Mexican, Stew/Soup, Vegetarian

November 30, 2011 · 8:54 am

Waffle Iron French Toast

Not only does this turn out amazing, but it so much easier to make it this way. We had this for dinner last night with eggs, bacon and fruit salad and it was a HUGE hit! I made extra so we would have some for breakfast the next day, too. If you are wondering what kind of bread to use, I ended up using some cinnamon bread I had purchased that turned out to be kind of dry and no one would eat it, but it was the perfect bread for this recipe since it already had a little cinnamon in it.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoons brown sugar
10-12 slices bread

Instructions:
Preheat the waffle iron and spray the surface with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then add the remaining ingredients and whisk until mixed.

Dip 1 slice of bread into mixture, covering both sides. Place in the waffle maker.

Repeat with whatever number of slices will fit in the waffle iron.

Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Did I change anything? I reduced the amount of brown sugar. The original recipe called for 2 T.

What did the family think? Thumbs up…way up! They asked for seconds and then went back for thirds. We had it for breakfast this morning, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Group Recipes

Leave a Comment

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

November 28, 2011 · 2:45 pm

Cinnamon Almond Granola

We are back from our trip to Kansas for Thanksgiving and started today with a trip to the doctor’s office for a cast for our youngest who broke his arm while practicing tae kwon do with his older brother…never a dull moment. Before we went to the doctor, however, I sat down and ate a tasty bowl of this very yummy granola cereal.

Ingredients:
3 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1 cup Shredded Coconut
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cups Butter
1/4 cups Honey
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
1 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Pour oats, coconut, almonds, wheat germs and flax seed into a large bowl.

In small bowl, mix butter, honey and brown sugar together. Microwave on high for about 1 minute or until sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour ingredients from small bowl into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Spread granola mixture evenly on tray and bake 40 minutes stirring every 20 minutes.

Cool on sheet tray and store in air tight containers.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and flax seed. If you don’t have those just use four cups of oats instead.

What did the family think? This is for me only. 🙂 They did comment on how good it smelled though.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe at Lauren’s Latest

1 Comment

Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Vegetarian

November 11, 2011 · 7:09 pm

Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Cream Cheese Glaze

We had these with our breakfast for dinner last night. They were good last night, but they were even better as leftovers for breakfast today.

Ingredients:
Filling
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Dough
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (4 1/8 oz) whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled, divided

Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 oz light cream cheese
1 tbsp buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

Prepare the filling. Whisk together all filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all purpose flour, whole what flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Add in buttermilk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter and mix until dough starts to come together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes, until dough begins to look smooth and can be handled easily.

Place dough on a floured surface and press or roll out into a 9×12-inch rectangle. Take remaining tablespoon of melted butter and brush over dough rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with filling mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around each edge. Roll the dough up into a tight spiral. Pinch seam to seal.

Use a serrated knife to cut dough into 9 even pieces. Gently flatten each of the rolls before placing them in the prepared pan, to even them out if they were misshaped when sliced.

Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 minutes covered, then uncover the rolls and bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown. Use the foil to lift the rolls out of the baking pan and place them on a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients together with a hand mixer until very smooth. Drizzle over slightly cooled rolls and serve.

Store leftovers (if you have any, which I doubt you will) in an airtight container after they have completely cooled.

What did the family think? They were so good that hubby couldn’t believe I made them. I will just go ahead and take that as a compliment.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Handle the Heat. They got it from America’s Test Kitchens.

photo from Handle the Heat

Leave a Comment

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

November 10, 2011 · 8:35 am

Braided Spaghetti Bread

This looks like it’s hard to make. It’s not, but let your family think you worked for hours in the kitchen whipping up this fancy looking dinner that tastes great and will make your house smell fantastic.

Ingredients:
1 Loaf Rhodesâ„¢ Bread Dough or 12 Rhodesâ„¢ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
6 ounces spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
Melted Butter
Garlic Powder
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes
Parchment paper (not necessary, but will make things a lot easier)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray or use parchment paper (I highly recommend using parchment paper for when you have to transfer this to the baking sheet). Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes.

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly.

Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese.

Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid. Lift braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet. (If you used parchment paper just transfer everything onto the backing sheet.)

Brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and parsley.

Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Did I change anything? I added garlic powder and brushed it with butter since a friend of mine had made this earlier in the week and thought it would taste better that way.

What did the family think? Yum! Everyone had seconds.

Where did this recipe come from? Rhodes Bread

photo from Rhodes Bread

1 Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Vegetarian

November 8, 2011 · 10:08 am

Baked Acorn Squash

It’s that time of year, when the grocery store aisle is full of a variety of squash and I ask myself, “Do I really want to cook one of those things? They are a pain in the tush to cut open and they take forever to cook.” But then I remember how good they taste and I put a couple in my cart.

Ingredients:
1-2 acorn squash
a few dabs of butter
maple syrup
salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut acorn squash open from stem to bottom and scoop out all of the seeds.

Pour a small amount of water in the bottom of a cookie sheet or casserole dish..about 1/4 in. deep.

Place the squash cut side up on the cookie sheet/casserole dish.

Put a little dab (1/2 tsp) of butter in each half.

Pour about a tsp of maple syrup in each half.

Sprinkle a dash of salt in each half.

Score the inside of each half with a sharp knife a few times.

Cook for about an hour.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU OPEN THE OVEN. It will be steamy in there from the water you put in the bottom of the pan.

Let cool for a few minutes. Enjoy.

What did the family think? Turns out I am the only person in my house that likes acorn squash. They have no idea. It’s super tasty and super duper good for you.

Where did this recipe come from? This is basically how my mom always cooked it. I think she may have used brown sugar instead of syrup though.

photo from Big Oven

1 Comment

Filed under Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian