Category Archives: Vegetarian

September 19, 2011 · 11:28 am

Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

If this doesn’t say fall, then I don’t know what does. It’s like having a pumpkin pie cheesecake and spreading it on graham crackers, bagels and waffles. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, pumpkin and sugar until smooth. (You could also use an immersion blender or wooden spoon.)

Add the pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

What did the family think? Only two of us have tried it so far and we LOVED it.

Where did this recipe come from? Ezra Pound Cake

photo from Pinch My Salt

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

September 16, 2011 · 9:11 am

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

You may be wondering why I have am putting up all of these quinoa recipes all of the sudden. Well, it was on super duper sale at the grocery store, so now I have a bunch of it we need to use up. These cookies were described as “awesome” by my oldest child, so don’t let the quinoa scare you away.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-Purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Parchment paper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, grind the quinoa and oatmeal. I gave it a couple of pulses and called it good. Add quinoa and oats to a bowl, then add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

Cream together oil and sugars. Add in flax seeds, milk and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to the wet, in batches, stirring the mixture to incorporate the dry ingredients. You may need to add a splash of milk at this point to get everything to mix together.

Add in the chocolate chips and mix.

Drop by the spoonful on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes.

What did the family think? Yummy goodness all the way around.

Where did this recipe come from? Vegweb

photo from Multiply Delicious

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

September 15, 2011 · 9:14 am

Hot Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

If you like to have oatmeal on a chilly fall morning, then this is right up your alley.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup apples, thinly sliced
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
milk or cream
honey or brown sugar

Instructions:
Rinse quinoa and add to water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for about 5 minutes. Add apples, raisins and cinnamon; simmer until water is absorbed (about 8 more minutes).

Serve with milk or cream and sweeten to taste with honey or brown sugar.

What did the family think? I am the only one who had this since I usually eat breakfast after I get the kids to school, but it was fantastic and made the house smell like fall.

Where did this recipe come from? CD Kitchen

Photo from Cooking Books

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Vegetarian

September 14, 2011 · 8:59 am

Back to School Cookies

To start off the school year I wanted to make some cookies that were tasty, but also had a little bit of healthy thrown in there too. These cookies turned out great and have been a hit for after school snacks as well as lunchbox desserts. (They are also good with a big glass of milk when the kids are in bed and I finally get a chance to sit down.)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 T milk
1 cup flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, whatever you have)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup uncooked quick rolled oats
2 T wheat germ
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
Parchment paper

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the sugars in an electric mixer.

Cream the sugars with the softened butter.

Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Cream until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add slowly to the wet mixture until incorporated.

Once smooth, stir in the oats, wheat germ, chocolate chips, and sunflower seeds.

Using a cereal spoon, drop rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Makes around 2 dozen (depending on the size of your cookies).

Did I change anything? The recipe above is my version of one that I found on-line and tweaked a bit…less sugar and I added the wheat germ and sunflower seeds.

What did the family think? Everyone LOVED them!

Where did this recipe come from? A Dash of Sass (and then I changed it up a bit)

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

September 12, 2011 · 10:27 am

Tropical Coconut and Pineapple Smoothie

The day before school started last week we ventured out to our local science museum and ended up eating lunch there as well. Since our house has turned into a smoothie shop, my oldest made a beeline for their smoothies that were all lined up and packed in ice on the counter next to the stir-fry line. I am so glad I let him get it. Not only was it super tasty, but there was enough for all of us to share.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 T honey
1 cup vanilla yogurt

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from? It was inspired by the coconut smoothie we had at our local science museum.

photo from Make and Takes

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

September 8, 2011 · 9:12 am

Back to School Zucchini Bread

My husband and kids absolutely LOVE zucchini bread and I haven’t made it in a very long time. It turns out that making some zucchini bread this week was a great idea because we have had some for breakfast, packed it in lunch boxes and packed it for the kids to take for snacks at school AND it freezes up beautifully if you want to save a loaf for later since this recipe makes two loaves.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans.

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

Beat eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini 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 reduced the amount of oil and added applesauce. I reduced the amount of sugar. I left out the walnuts completely and I didn’t sift anything. All of the changes I made from the original recipe are reflected in the recipe above.

What did the family think? They fought over the last piece.

Where did the recipe come from? Allrecipes

photo from allrecipes.com

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

August 31, 2011 · 8:12 am

Tomatoes and Cottage Cheese

I know this isn’t really a recipe, but it is comfort food to me. Every time I make this I am taken back to my grandma’s kitchen…with her old yellow linoleum floors that slope ever so slightly, her butter churn in the corner that sits next to the potato box and the colander full of tomatoes fresh from the garden. This is the perfect way (in my opinion) to get through some of those garden tomatoes you don’t know what to do with.

Ingredients:
1 small tomato
About 1 cup cottage cheese
A dash of salt (optional)
A pinch of pepper (optional)

Instructions:
Chop tomato into bite-sized pieces. Mix with the remainder of the ingredients in a bowl. Enjoy!

What did the family think? I am the only one who eats this in my house.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from my grandma and she probably got it from her grandma.

photo from Foods We Love

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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

August 30, 2011 · 9:51 am

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

The boys have been asking me to make this for a while, so last night was the night. They lapped it up and asked for more…I love dinners like that. Another thing I love about this recipe is that you can make it ahead of time, stick it in the frig and then pop it in the oven when you are ready to bake it.

Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
15 ounces ricotta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce (1 jar + a little more)
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well blended.

Place about 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9×13-inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom.

Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides. (Or you can use a spoon. Spoon it in with the spoon part of the spoon and stuff it in there with the handle…very messy…but it worked.) Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells, until you run out of shells and filling. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells- if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra.

Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately.

Bake, covered with foil, 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

What did the family think? Yum, yum and more yum.

Where did this recipe come from? Recipe Girl

photo from Recipe Girl

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Not so Easy, Vegetarian

August 29, 2011 · 8:42 am

Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Granola

This is my second attempt at homemade granola. The first recipe I tried was fantastic! I loved it, but I ate it all and wanted to try a new recipe, so I gave this one a whirl. This one is great too, but has a whole different taste than the first recipe I made. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweeteend
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup mixed nuts, chopped (I used almonds)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used raisins)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the dried fruit. Stir well to incorporate.

Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the depth of goldenness you’re looking for), stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and and cool completely, in its pan, on a wire wrack. Once the granola is cool, mix in the dried fruit.

Did I change anything? This recipe called for sesame seeds which I left out because I didn’t have any. I also didn’t put in as much fruit…I don’t like my granola to be too fruity. I put in about 3/4 cup raisins.

What did the family think? I had a bowl of it with some milk last night and loved it. I think it would also be good mixed in with some yogurt. Our youngest also had some last night. Surprisingly, he liked it, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Our Kitchen Sink

Photo by Me

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

August 28, 2011 · 4:29 pm

Blueberry Smoothie

MommaCooks it starting to turn into the the smoothie/breakfast blog…we’ve been making a lot of smoothies around here this week. The boys had this one for a before bed snack last night and for breakfast this morning.

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 single-serving containers yogurt (we used blueberry one time and orange passion fruit the next)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup oatmeal

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

What did the family think? Yum. (Except for all the blueberry pieces that got stuck in their teeth.)

Where did this recipe come from? The boys wanted smoothies and the cupboard was getting bare. I threw in the oatmeal because Jaime Oliver has a smoothie recipe that includes oatmeal.

photo from CCRecipe

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