Spring Pasta Salad

I made this colorful pasta salad for Easter dinner. My mother and my sister both are vegetarian now, so this recipe would be a good compliment to a dinner with meat or on it's own since it has beans in it. Delicious!

 

Spring Pasta Salad

Makes 8 1-cup servings

 

Ingredients:

2 cups dry pasta spirals
6 sun-dried tomatoes 

1/2 cup boiling water 

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions 

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered 

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 15-ounce can dark kidney beans, drained
1 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing

 

 

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and place in a large bowl. Soften tomatoes by soaking them in 1/2 cup boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and chop. Add to pasta along with remaining ingredients. Toss to mix.

Note: I used rice pasta instead of wheat, and used the whole 12-oz bag. I used the whole red pepper, since it was a smaller one, and used a little bit more of the parsley and basil. Instead of fat free dressing, I used the whole foods brand organic Italian dressing. It tasted very fresh! =) 

Bok Choy Skillet Supper

This is a lovely, fresh dinner for a spring night! It came out very tasty =) This recipe is from Vegetarian Times.

 

Bok Choy Supper Skillet

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tsp garlic-flavored olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)

8 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 shallots, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

1 cup bulgur

1 cup mushroom broth

1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, divided

4 small bok choy, halved

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tsp garlic oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to plate. Add tomatoes to skillet cut-side down, and cook 2 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to plate.

 

2. Add remaining 1 tsp garlic oil to skillet. Stir in shallots, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in bulgur until grains are coated with oil. Add broth, thyme sprig, and 1 1/2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes.

 

3. Arrange bok choy halves on top of bulgur with leaves pointing outward (like spokes in a wheel). Sprinkle mushrooms and tomatoes between bok choy halves. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, and drizzle with garlic oil.

Per 1 1/2-cup serving: 202 cal; 8g prot; 6g total fat (<1 sat fat); 34g carb; 0mg chol; 217mg sod; 9g fiber; 3g sugar.

Note: We used baby bella mushrooms instead of button and grape tomatoes. Since I decided to try gluten free again, we precooked 1 cup (dry) of brown rice in place of the bulgur. We followed the directions the same, except used only 1/2 cup of water, and it seemed to be about perfect with the 1 cup of broth, which we used vegetable. The only mushroom broth we can find is non low sodium, so we stick with our low-sodium vegetable broth as much as we can. Also, we put the thyme leaves in before we steamed everything together to give the bok choy a nice flavor!

Vegan and Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

So, this was our first attempt at vegan macaroni and cheese. Overall, I was very happy with it. It didn't quite taste like the regular mac and cheese, because, obviously, it's not. But it's a great substitute. And it tasted great with some vegan parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. This recipe is from Karmachow.com.

 Vegan and Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli 

Ingredients:

1/2 pound gluten free brown rice elbows

Blend together:

1-1/2 cups plain, unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk or Almond Milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoons tahini
black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp brown rice flour
1-2 Tbsp olive oil or Earth Balance (soy free)

1 - 2 c. broccoli florets (depending on how much you like)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp. olive oil

 Directions:

1. Prepare pasta to al dente. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute garlic until tender. Add broccoli and a splash of water, cover and steam until tender.  In the meantime, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender except for olive oil and brown rice flour. When pasta is done, drain and rinse and set aside.

 2.  Over medium heat, add olive oil or Earth Balance to a sauce pan and heat. Add brown rice flour and stir to make a roux. Add sauce mixture and pasta and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. If sauce is too thick, add more coconut milk, if too thin, add a little more rice flour. Add in cooked broccoli and stir to combine. If the sauce needs a touch more flavor, add more mustard and onion or garlic powder. Top with a dash of smoked paprika and serve immediately!

 

Note: As you can see, we decided to use broccoli and cauliflower. We didn't have to add anything extra since the consistency was just right. We used regular paprika and it was wonderful =)

Spring Garden!

It's finally that time of year again! We made our trip to home depot and the garden center yesterday and bought all the herbs we could ever need or want!

Of course, Tyson is helping me again =)

 

Another pretty flower pot like we planted last year.

 

Lamb's ear, marigolds with snap pea plants, rosemary, catnip, strawberries, and curly parsley.

 

 Sage and cilantro.

 

German thyme, English thyme, and aloe.

 

 The hen and chicks I planted last year, going strong, with the wildflowers that came back again.

 

 

Peppermint. They got their own big pot this year since it grew like weeds last year.

 

The oregano that came back in the big long pot on the left. In the first pot is some chili and jalapeño peppers, and basil behind that.

 

 The aloe from last year that has gotten huge!

 

Our cute little seed pots we got from Target =)

Rustic Pasta

I really like this pasta dish. It doesn't call for very much pasta because the cabbage takes the place of a lot of the noodles. It's different from your normal spaghetti dish, but very good. This is from The Kind Diet.

Rustic Pasta

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/4 lb pasta, long or short shape, as you prefer

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, diced or thinly sliced on a diagonal

1/4 cup shoyu

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced

5-6 Tbsp marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and add the pasta; cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta well.

 

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes longer, until the onions are transparent and turning golden.

 

3. Add the celery to the skillet and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the shoyu, salt, and garlic powder, then add the cabbage; sauté for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer. 

 

4. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss together. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two and serve.

Note: The first time we made this recipe it was extremely salty, so this time we cut the shoyu in half and only used 1/8 cup. We used regular shoyu, so it might not be as salty if you use low-sodium.

Potato and Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe is by far one of the best we have made yet. It was so simple and so delicious. We had it with a giant artichoke on the side which made a perfect meal. This recipe is from the 1000 Vegan Recipe book.

 

Potato and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 Tbsp vegan margarine

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 1 1/2 cups canned or cooked frozen artichoke hearts

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

4 large portobello mushroom caps, lightly rinsed and patted dry

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

 

Directions:

1. Steam the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the steamed potatoes to a large bowl. Add the margarine, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well. Finely chop the cooked or canned artichoke hearts and add them to the potatoes. Stir to combine and set aside. 

 2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, uncovered, 1 minute longer. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir the onion mixture into the potato mixture and mix until well blended. 

3.  Use the edge of a teaspoon to scrape out and discard the brown gills from the undersides of the mushroom caps. Carefully spoon the stuffing mixture into the mushroom caps, packing them tightly and smoothing the tops. 

 

4. Transfer the stuffed mushrooms to the prepared baking pan and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle with paprika, cover tightly with foil, and bake until the mushrooms have softened and the stuffing is hot, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until the stuffing is lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately. 

 

Note: We used canned artichoke hearts, fresh thyme and regular paprika. Spectacular! =)

Cornbread

We made these into muffins instead of regular cornbread. They were insanely delicious, and went so well with the sweet potato lentil stew!!

Cornbread

serves 12

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sorghum or maple syrup

1 1/4 cups soy milk (or soy/rice blnd)

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil a 9"x9" (or similar size) baking dish or 12-cup muffin tin. Combine the sorghum, soy milk, and oil in a medium bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and mix just until well combined. 

 

2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread or a muffin comes out clean. They will be golden brown when done.

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

Wow. Amazing. This is definitely one of the best lentil dishes we have made yet. Extremely flavorful and very filling. It can be served alone as a stew, over rice or couscous, or with the delicious corn muffins we made to go with it. The sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes was complimented perfectly by the corn muffins. Both recipes are out of Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet.

 

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne

fine sea salt

2-3 medium swet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes

7 cups vegetable broth

1 cup brown lentils

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and a small pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then taste for seasonings; try to use only enough salt to heighten the flavors. 

 

2. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft. 

 

Note: We used grape tomatoes that we already had in the fridge instead of regular sized tomatoes. We also used green lentils and left out the coriander, since it's not my favorite spice, and added fresh parsley for a substitute.We didn't skin the potatoes either.

Vegan Cardamon Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies

I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing these cookies are. The flavor of cardamon and cinnamon along with the coconut oil are sinfully delicious! This recipe is from karmachow.com, Tony Horton's chef's website.

 

Vegan Cardamon Scented Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups spelt or oat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
2/3 cup agave nectar
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

2.  Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add wet mixture to dry and stir together with a wooden spoon until combined. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

3. Place by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

 

Note: I used oat flour insead of spelt. I haven't used spelt before, but I really like the nutty flavor that oat flour has. I used coconut milk instead of soy milk and actually didn't have enough agave to fill the 2/3 cup measure, so I substituted maple syrup for the rest, and they came out wonderful!! =)