I was craving muffins… Luckily I had saved some ripened bananas in my freezer. When the bananas start to turn black just throw them in the freezer with the peel on and use them later. They defrost quickly and taste great in breads or muffins.
Tag Archives: vegetarian
Meatless Monday is Back Again!
Oven baked risotto. This is an easy hearty dish that can be served as a side or main dish. Almost any veggie will work in this dish. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup white wine (optional)
- 2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatos, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese
- handful fresh basil and parsley (can sprinkle in dried if you do not have fresh)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof dutch oven or large saucepan. If you do not have an oven proof pan, cook as directed and transfer to a baking dish. Heat oil and saute onion until translucent. About 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring until covered with oil, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the wine and cook until completely evaporated. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water. the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and add spinach, sun dried tomatos, and fresh herbs. Cook until spinach is wilted. Cover, and transfer to oven and bake until most of the liquid it absorbed by the rice, 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water until the risotto is nice and creamy. Stir in cheese. Serve immediately. This recipe would be great with just about any veggie you have on hand. Mushrooms, asparagus, peppers, fresh tomato, zucchini, anything really!
Fresh Mozzarella & Pesto Sandwich
Switching up the traditional New Years pork and kraut meal with a fresh mozzarella, pesto and tomato sandwich. Toasted sourdough bread from the local bakery adds a nice crunch and soaks up the juices of the tomatoes and pesto.
Happy New Years everyone!
Pomegranate & Walnut Salad with Feta Cheese
Tired of the same old salad? Using seasonal fruits is a nice way to change it up. The pomegranate seeds add a nice texture and flavor. This salad also makes a delicious and healthy side dish to any holiday meal.
Ingredients
- Spring mix lettuce
- Dried cranberries
- Apple
- Pomegranate seeds
- Walnuts
- Feta cheese
- Your favorite dressing
Directions
- In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. Add dressing to each serving, I like Brianna’s blush wine vinaigrette.
Asiago Bacon Potato Au Gratin
Looking for a lighter side dish for the holidays? I made these delicious potatoes for my neighborhood holiday party. I made one with bacon and the other without. They were a hit!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, leaving skins on
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 1% low-fat milk or almond milk, divided
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Sprinkle potatoes evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside and keep warm.
- Heat a medium saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle flour over shallots. Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups mik, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat 9 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, Asiago, chives, pepper, and bacon.
- Arrange half of potato slices in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of cheese sauce over potato slices. Top with remaining potato slices and cheese sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Black Bean Soup
If you love hearty soups, I think you’ll really enjoy this dish. High in fiber, folate, protein, and antioxidants, black beans are a great, healthy main ingredient to make a soup a meal.
Ingredients
- 3 cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 14oz can vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cup canned tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 of lime juice
- handful of fresh cilantro, picked from stems
- greek yogurt, for topping
- cheddar cheese, for topping
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Put half of the soup in a food processor or blender and puree. Mix back together in large pot. Serve with the garnishes.
Enjoy!
Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
Don’t let being a vegetarian keep you from eating chili this winter. Quinoa is a great healthy alternative.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3/4 cup of corn
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño, carrot, celery, peppers, and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Simmer chili on low for about 30 minutes. Top with cheese, cilantro, greek yogurt, or avocado slices.
Inspired by Two Peas & Their Pod.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Get your Thanksgiving started right with sweet chocolate chip and pumpkin pancakes. The Chia seeds gives is a nice crunch and adds nutritional value.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- 1/4 cup ground chia seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1 and 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions
- In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, stir together milk, pumpkin puree, oil, and egg.
- Fold wet mixture into dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips.
- Heat skillet over medium, pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side.
- Serve with maple syrup.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Crustless Crab & Spinach Quiche
Extra veggies…Why not make a quiche? You can use almost any veggies you have on hand and skipping the crust is an easy way to lower the calories.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
- 8 oz lump crab meat drained
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- 4 cups of coarsely chopped fresh spinach
- 1/8 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/8 tsp Old Bay
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup egg substitute
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Spray pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add crab meat and top with shredded cheese.
- Heat a tblsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, saute and then add garlic, spinach, and next 4 ingredients. Cook until spinach is wilted. Arrange spinach over crab. I also added some sliced tomato on top (optional).
- Combine milk and egg substitute. Pour milk mixture over spinach and crab. Bake for about 45 minutes.
Pumpkin Soup
Hot pumpkin soup with a hint of spice makes the perfect meal to warm you up on a chilly fall day.
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 tsp curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1.5 cups of evaporated milk (I used almond milk for less calories)
- 1 15oz can of pumpkin puree
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot.
- Saute onions and garlic
- Add the curry powder, salt and pepper to the pot
- Add the chicken broth and pumpkin to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes
- Put batches in food processor or blender and puree
- Pour back into the pot and add the milk of your choice
Enjoy!