Posts tagged vegetables

Saw this (From  in the freezer at one of my natural food stores and thought I should try it.  Made it for dinner last night and it was a HIT! 

It’s so easy to make and it was really good!  The texture of the “chick’n” was really amazing! It really had a good chew to it!  The best part is, you make it yours by adding in whatever veggies you want.  I used what I had on hand and it was great!

1 yellow squash, medium diced

4 scallions, cut 1/2 in long on the bias

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 cup carrot chips (the carrots cut into medallions with a crinkle cut like a chip)

1/4 cup mushrooms chopped

Stir fry the veggies for only a minute or two (they will keep cooking when they are in the sauce with the “chicken” you don’t want them too soggy).  Set aside.  Follow the directions on the box as to how you want to cook your kung pao.  Add in the veggies and make sure to coat them with the sauce.  Serve on top of rice

Side Note:  The box suggests adding peanuts to the mix.  I didn’t have any peanuts but I did have about 10 raw cashews.. I chopped em up and toasted them in a dry pan for a few min (till they are fragrant).  Stirred them into the stir-fry and yumm! I wish I’d had more cashews… but like I said… I used what I had!

I definitely recommend this if you’ve recently become vegan and miss eating kung pao chicken from your local Chinese Take out Place! 

Happy and Healthy Eating!

(PS.  This weekend, some changes coming to the menu calendar… Homemade veggie sushi, and some other Asian yummies!)

Recently I was introduced to a Caribbean restaurant in Florida called Pollo Tropical.  I scanned the web prior to dining to see what they had on the menu that was vegan.  They don’t have much, all I could find was the vegetarian “Tropi-Chop”  a bowl of rice (or lettuce or 1/2 and 1/2) topped with peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, and black beans. (PETA’s website lists the corn as vegan but Pollo Tropical’s website says the corn contains dairy… make my version and you can keep the dairy out!)

Well, I needed a side for the tacos and I’m kinda in love with the Tropi-Chop so thought I’d recreate it!

You need…

Brown Rice

Black Beans (DON’T DRAIN THEM!! IF YOU DO.. I’M GONNA HAVE TO HUNT YOU DOWN!)

1 of each, Red and Green Bell Peppers, sliced

1 Med White Onion, sliced

Broccoli Florets, steamed

Frozen Corn, cooked and drained

Carrots (I buy the pre-cut carrots that are wave cut), steamed

Tabasco sauce

Saute the peppers and onion.  Warm the black beans and add Tabasco sauce to you’re desired degree of heat. 

In a bowl, put rice on the bottom followed by the beans (adding some of their liquid) then top with peppers and onions, steamed broccoli and carrots, then the corn!

Yumm-o! So good! Try it for a side or for a lunch or light dinner!

Happy and Healthy Eating!

Hi, I’m Kaiti, and I’m a Food Network JUNKIE… haha no but seriously, I kinda am.  Food Network is pretty much always on my TV, even at work (I’m a nanny for a 6 month old… #winning)

So the other day I was watching the woman I would love to be related to but bless her heart, woman uses so much butter, cream and bacon… I couldn’t share a kitchen with her.  I’m talking of course about Paula Deen!  Well she made an amazing looking Panzanella (bread salad) that was completely vegetarian… which makes my job of vegan-izing SOOOOOO Much easier!!!  Well, I made it tonight… And GOLLY GOSH GEE WHIZ WOW IT’S SOOOO YUMMY!!!!!  I L-O-V-E grilled veggies so this was definitely huge hit!

I could care less if you try my other recipes but you HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS ONE!

**quick side note: I used 1-pkg of Bob’s Red Mill Cornbread mix.  (be careful choosing you cornbread mix as some have buttermilk or lard in them!) The recipe says to use a 9x9 but my cornbread came out too thick so next time I’ll use a 13x9 so that my chunks are a little smaller.  Mmkay GET COOKING!**

    2 (6-ounce) packages cornbread mix

    4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

    1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings

    1 red bell pepper, cut into wedges, seeds and membranes removed

    1 green bell pepper, cut into wedges, seeds and membranes removed

    1 yellow bell pepper, cut into wedges, seeds and membranes removed

    2 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch-thick slices

    1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

    3 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

    Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

    Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 by 9-inch baking pan.

Prepare the cornbread mixes according to package directions. Pour the combined batter into the prepared pan. Bake according to the directions on the box or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Invert the cornbread onto a cutting board. Cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch cubes and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter, tossing gently to coat. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the cornbread is toasted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Combine the onion, peppers, squash, and zucchini in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the onion slices on the preheated grill, cover with the grill lid, and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove the onions from the grill, chop and set aside. 

(aww look who joined me in the kitchen!)

Arrange the pepper wedges on the grill, cover with the grill lid, and cook for 8 minutes per side. Chop the peppers, and set aside. Arrange the squash and zucchini on the grill, cover with the grill lid, and cook for 2 minutes per side. Chop the squash, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the chopped vegetables, tomatoes, and cornbread squares, Add the Lemon Vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve immediately.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

    1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

    2 tablespoons vegannaise

    1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, parsley, mustard, mayonnaise, pepper, and salt. Gradually whisk in the oil until combined. Cover and chill until ready to use.

***Side Note Number 2: I also diced some avocado to put on top, it was really yummy**

How yummy does that look? And that’s just the grilled veggies!!

Happy and Healthy (wow with a PD recipe?!) Eating!!

My boyfriend and I go through salsa like… (I can’t believe I’m going to admit this for everyone to see…) we go through an entire container in less than 2 hrs.  Hi I’m Kaiti and I’m a “salsa-holic”.  I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner… But I believe I have come up with a cheap staple salsa that makes a whole lot more salsa than I can buy at the store…

1-14 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes, drained

1 Jalapeno, halved and seeded (save the seeds to add extra heat later if you want)

1/2 Onion, quartered (I used a red onion but you could use a white one)

1/2 small can of roasted green chilies

Juice of 1 Lime

1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Put Onion and Jalapeno in a food processor and pulse to a “dice” add in lime juice, fire roasted tomatoes, green chilies and vinegar. Continue to pulse until the salsa reaches the consistency you like.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put in a sealed container and refrigerate.

That’s it.  No seriously! COULD IT BE ANY EASIER!? Serve with chips of your choice. 

Happy and Healthy (and Easy) Eating!

Sooo My life has become a complete whirlwind this month so I’m really sorry for not posting in a while.  I got to take my first vacation in almost a year and then came home to find out that someone had dropped out of my studio’s end-of-the-year recital, and I got put in their place… first ballet solo (in pointe shoes) since… umm like high school!

But anyway…  I do have a recipe to share with you.  I got it from Gardein’s website (yes I’m obsessed with gardein and still promoting them!)  I changed it up a little too but it’s one of those things that you can add things you like and take out things you don’t like… for example, one day I planned on making this recipe for dinner and came home to find that I was out of Gardein chick’n scallopini… so I just made it with extra veggies and it was still AMAZING!

So what is this versatile recipe you might ask..?  VEGAN PAD THAI!!!!!! Yummm yumm yumm yumm!  No kidding I probably make this like 2xs per week.

1 pkg gardein scallopini, cut into strips or 1 pkg gardein chick’n strips

for the noodles…

8 oz  rice noodles (pad thai)

4 cup water (boiling)

for the sauce…

4 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp molasses, unsulfured

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp  cayenne (or use sriracha to taste.. I like mine kinda spicy)

for the stirfry…

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp garlic, minced

3 cups bean sprouts

4 scallions, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 1” lengths

4 tbs  peanuts, crushed and unsalted

1/4 cup cilantro chopped

2 limes, cut into wedges for serving

**I like to add more veggies so I stir-fry up some zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper and red onion**

for the noodles…
cover pad thai noodles in boiling water for 5-7 minutes until just soft, drain, rinse in cold water and set aside.

for the sauce….
whisk together soy sauce, molasses, rice vinegar, ketchup, ginger, salt and cayenne(sriracha)

for the pad thai…
heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large non stick fry pan over medium heat and panfry the chick’n for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. (If adding veggies remove the chick’n and stirfry the veggies until tender then add the chick’n back in before proceeding)

add the garlic, stir and then immediately add the soy sauce-molasses mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir to combine and add the bean sprouts and green onion, cook until bean sprouts start to wilt (approx 1 minute), add pad thai noodles toss to combine.

garnish with peanuts ,chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.

NOM NOM NOM!

Try it and you’ll be so happy!

Happy and Healthy Eating! <3

Okay so if you haven’t been following, I’m on a huge burrito kick right now.  I went to a bunch of different burrito joints in a weeks time and my wallet started to feel it.  So I set out on mission to find recipes that were similar to some of the things I got when out at the burrito joints.   I decided I needed to find the best recipes for guacamole, fajita style veggies, salsa*, and some sort of rice recipe (growing up we never put rice in our burritos at home… Every burrito joint I went to put rice in their burritos… Therfore, I’ve decided that its really good!!)

*I am still looking for a great pico de gallo recipe and didn’t find one when I made my burritos so I just used a fresh Medium spice pico de gallo that I can find in my grocery store.

So here they are… The recipes many people have been waiting for!  Lets start with the guacamole:

2 Hass Avocados

1/2 of a Jalapeno pepper, seeded, and minced (for more heat leave the seeds)

1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped

2 heaping Tablespoons of Cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 of a lime, juiced

1/4 of a lemon, juiced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut avocados in half, remove pit, scrape out the good stuff.

Mash avocados in large mixing bowl. You don’t have to get it to the final consistency yet, but it’s easier if they’re at least partially mashed at this point.

Add the other ingredients, and continue mashing until smooth.

When you go to store the guac, put a layer of plastic wrap directly on the guac and squeeze the air out, then put another layer of plastic over whatever container you’re using. This keeps the guac from oxidizing and turning all brown. Depending on how long you keep it in the fridge, the top might turn brown anyway, so just skim off the top layer before serving.

Onto some salsa.  I love Chipotle’s corn salsa

6 Ears Sweet Yellow Corn (Or use a bag and a half of frozen sweet corn)
2 Poblano Chilies
1/2 Red Onion, diced
2 Jalapenos, diced (because this is normally a Medium spiced salsa, don’t seed)
1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro
1 1/2 TBSP Lime Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Roast the corn and Poblano chilies on a grill or BBQ and let cool. Cut the corn off the cob.(Or roast frozen corn and chilies in 2 saute pans each with 2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  This helps to control how brown the corn and chilies get.) Dice the Poblano chilies. Combine all the ingredients and season to taste.

Fajita Veggies are really simple… I pulled some veggies out of one of my Chipotle burritos to analyze it… I mean I really don’t think it could be easier.

1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced

1/2 Red Onion, sliced

(I also added some sliced Portabello Mushroom caps)

Use 1/2 TBSP of vegetable oil per vegetable (you really should saute these separately so they still have a little crunch. (as they all have different cooking times)  While the veggies are cooking, add about 4 shakes of dried oregano.  That’s it. TAH-DAH!!! Fajita Veggies!

Now… Rice… I experienced it at 3 different restaurants and none of them had the same kind of rice.  2 places had the “traditional” Mexi-rice that was made with tomato sauce. One had cilantro and lime mixed in.  Well growing up in our house, cilantro was like a 4 letter word because mom hates it… she thinks it tastes like soap.  She now only likes it in Chipotle’s rice.  Therefore with her opinion in mind I decided to see if I could replicate the cilantro lime rice.

1 tbsp oil (canola/vegetable)

2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 lemon, juiced

½ tsp salt (kosher or sea salt)

1 cup long grain white rice (or basmati, if you can bear the funky smell)

2 cups water

Sautee the rice in oil until almost translucent (as if you are making a risotto).

Add water, bring to a boil.  As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the heat down low.

Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.

Turn off heat. DON’T PEEK. LEAVE IT COVERED for 30 minutes (this makes the rice super fluffy).  You won’t be happy with yourself if you don’t do this. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Remove lid, let some of the steam out. It may be helpful to transfer rice into a mixing bowl for the next step.

Mix salt and juice of key lime together until salt is dissolved.  Pour it over rice, fluff with a fork.   Sprinkle in cilantro, and toss well to evenly coat with cilantro and lime mixture.

And there you have it.  Your own home made “Chipotle”.  (glad I could post this in time for you to read and maybe use some of these recipes for CINCO DE MAYO! —its on Thursday)

Happy and Healthy Eating!

Okay so first a quick review… If you’ve never had them, you need to try Rising Moon vegan raviolis… Find them in the freezer section.  YUMMM!! Last night we had the garlic and roasted vegetable ravioli. Topped it off with some spaghetti sauce and (my favorite product…) gardein!!! I took the beef-less tips, let them thaw, then shaped them (as best I could) into balls.  Browned them up and threw them in the sauce.. TAH-DAH Quick pasta with “meat”balls.  TRY IT!

Okay soo I titled this blog review and repeat because I’m re-posting a recipe that I did a while ago: The Mac and 4 Cheeze!

If you didn’t try it when I first posted it… then you’ve got to try it! it’s something everyone will love especially the kids!! Not only is it made with vegan cheeze… but it also has a hidden vegetable in it.  Another thing you could do with this is to add a little bit of steamed broccoli… then you’ve got 2 veggies and what’s better than broccoli with cheeze?! Yummm

1 TBSP refined coconut oil, melted, or safflower oil, plus more for the casserole dish

About 2 TBSP fine sea salt

1 lb. whole wheat or brown rice elbow macaroni

2 (10-oz) packages frozen pureed winter squash

2 cups soy or rice milk, unflavored

4 oz vegan cheddar cheeze, shredded

2 oz vegan Jack cheeze, shredded

4 oz vegan cream cheeze

1 1/2 tsp powdered mustard

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

2 TBSP vegan Parmesan cheeze

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 2-qt casserole dish; set aside.

In a 4- to 6-qt stockpot over high heat, combine 3 qt water with about 1 1/2 TBSP salt.  Bring the water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a 3- to 4-qt saucepan over medium heat, combine the squash and milk, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon until the squash is defrosted.  Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and whisk in the cheddar, Jack, cream cheeze, mustard, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 TBSP of salt.

When the pasta is done, drain it and return it to the pot.  Stir in the cheeze sauce.  Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking pan.  In a medium bowl combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and the 1 TBSP of oil  Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheeze.  Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

Happy and Healthy Eating!

I made this for dinner last night.  It was really good and a pretty light Pasta meal.  I highly recommend chopping all of the veggies before you start anything.  Really fresh and a great alternative to the normal pasta with spaghetti sauce. I will post a picture later.

3 qt water

About 2 tsp fine sea salt

8 oz whole wheat or brown rice linguini or fettuccini

1/4 cup refined coconut oil

6 shallots, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp pepper

2 lbs tomatoes, seeded and cut into course 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

2 TBS chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1-2 TBS vegan Parmesan cheese

Bring the water and 1 1/2 tsp of salt to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium high heat.  Add the shallots and cook stirring occasionally, for 3 min.  Add the zucchini, squash, garlic, pepper, and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and cook stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 2 min.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, basil, and oregano, stirring until the tomatoes are heated through, about 2 min.

When the pasta is done, drain it.  Transfer the pasta to plates or a platter and top it with the vegetable mixture. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

YUMMM!

side notes: 

• I like to break my pasta in half before I cook it
• I added a splash of Chardonnay to the veggies when I added the tomatoes
• I had lots of veggies leftover and can use them again later or stuff some shells with it

Hope you’ll try this alternative to the regular spaghetti dinner. 

Happy and Healthy Eating!

Okay so I was raised in a house that was very superstitious about the new year. Every New Years Day my mom would prepare hoppin’ John to bring our family good luck and a prosperous year.

Well I looked for weeks leading up to the new year and couldn’t find a vegan/vegetarian recipe for hoppin’ John that would taste like the kind I grew up with! So I pretty much came up with my own recipe and it was perfect!

So I thought I’d write it down not only for everyone to use but so I know where to find it next year!

2 cans of black-eyed peas, in liquid

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 tomato, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Hot sauce to taste

Heat 1 tbsp of refined coconut oil in a medium to large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until almost translucent, stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and continue cooking until soft.

Reduce heat and add garlic and tomato, cooking until heated through.

Meanwhile, drain the cans of black-eyed peas, reserving the liquid. Add black-eyed peas to the pan, adding some reserved liquid and liquid smoke. (you want to add enough liquid to make it a little soupy, it will cook down and thicken) heat through and hot sauce to taste. Serve over brown rice.

I hope you try this recipe. It’s so yummy and high in protein and it is said to bring good luck and finances throughout the year.

Happy and Healthy Eating!

Holy moley! 

Who would have known you can get all the flavor of beef stew, without the beef!?!?!  The stew “broth” was absolutely wonderful.  May even try something similar for gravy for mashed potatoes later on.  The veggies were yummy as always.  (They were my favorite part when I was eating real beef stew anyway.)  The only thing I would change about the recipe… the tofu. 

It wasn’t bad but… it didn’t really add anything to the taste or texture of the stew. I think next time I make this.. I will omit the tofu.  It was a whole lot of work to make a replacement for something I wouldn’t have missed either way.  It took me almost 3 hours to get all the tofu dried out, and 15 minutes to chop the veggies and throw everything else in the slow cooker… slow cookers are supposed to help with convenience, but when you have to go cook something for 3 hours before you can turn the slow cooker on… seems kinda pointless.  Next time, I will add some more veggies, Celery and more carrots and potatoes.  The tofu won’t be missed.

Hope you try this recipe… It’s definitely a good home cooked meal that keeps you warm and sticks to your ribs!

Happy and Healthy Eating!!