Category: Vegetarian

Noodle Bowl with Seasoned Egg & Pan Fried Tofu

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Have I said I’m obsessed with “Bowls”!?!?! Well I am…for the last year or so. My newest creation wasn’t ramen…or soup…or with rice. This had a creamy peanut sauce covering the noodles, topped with pan fried crispy tofu, roasted baby bok choy, fresh carrot sticks, chopped cilantro, green onions and pickled ginger. Oooohhhhhh the pickled ginger I absolutely love! It’s a must have on any Asian inspired bowl I make.

Some details in case you would like to make your own:

  • I cheated and bought the peanut sauce. It was a quality one but there are tons of recipes on Pinterest if you’d like to make your own. Use it to coat the noodles and marinate the tofu before pan frying.
  • Roast the baby bok choy with olive oil and salt and pepper until they’re soft. That’s all you need here!
  • Cut all you fresh veggies while you fry the tofu and cook the noodles.
  • Put all your toppings on the noodles and enjoy – and I added a little sesame seeds at the last minute ☺️

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    Earthy, Vegetarian Breakfast Wrap

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    What makes this earthy? The “sprouted lentils” is certainly it. I accidentally stumbled upon sprouted lentils when I realized I hydrated too many dried lentils for another recipe. I left them in the fridge and next thing I knew there were sprouts! They’ve lasted a couple weeks now. To keep them sprouted, I spray a bit of water and toss them a bit. 

    Sprouted Lentils

    Since I have no idea what to do with all these I’ve been using them in a variety of recipes as a test. I’ve read that, once sprouted, they are easier to digest because the complex sugars break down. 

    As for the breakfast wrap, it was pretty good. You be the judge. 

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1 small soft taco shell
    • 1 Tbls hummus
    • A sprinkle of sprouted lentils
    • Black beans
    • Spinach
    • Hot sauce, optional

    What to do:

    Late Night Snack

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    No words except, yum! The toddler was away and we didn’t feel like eating dinner, so this was our snack when we got hungry last night. 

    When you want to sit back, relax and watch a movie, this is where’s it at. The lights were a little dim so it looks gray in scale. The bread was homemade by my hubby. He MASTERED bread making after watching a Netflix series about the origins of cooking. The cheeses are two different kinds. On the left is a French cheese called Isigny Ste Mere: Mimolette Semi Vieille. It was amazing with the bread and my favorite combo. The one on the right was a mild NY cheddar. 

    It’s good to take a break and do something easy for a change!

    Breakfast!!! Whole Wheat Toast with Avocado Cream topped with a Poached Egg

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    Start the day off right with this easy, DELICIOUS breakfast. I just love breakfast…I really do. If I had to choose I’d say it’s my favorite meal of the day. This breakfast takes 5 minutes to make and is super easy. Don’t be  afraid of poaching an egg. Just simmer some water, add a tablespoon of vinegar, stir the water and gently place the egg in. Cook 2 – 3 minutes depending on how easy or hard boiled you like them. 

    Start by making the avocado cream and mash a ripe avocado in a small bowl:


    Add Greek yogurt and a dash of your favorite hot sauce, garlic powder and salt:


    Mix it all together and put it on your toast:


    Poach your egg and put it on top:


    Enjoy!

    Cast Iron Vegan Chili

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    I made this for all my vegan and vegetarian friends and family. Not all meals have to have meat and some taste even better without it. If you are a carnivore, just give this a try and you’ll realize what I mean.  Look at the vibrant colors! You see onions and red, yellow and purple bell peppers. 

    Add the carrots for some orange…

    Put everything together…

    I’m really enjoying a local farm stand this summer that’s right down the road from me. All ingredients came from there and I believe one of the reasons this dish tasted so delicious. The fresher the better! 

    Serves 8

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 cup each dry black and pinto beans, rehydrated according to the instructions (or use canned beans and will equal about 3 cups total after draining)
    • 2 ears corn (or 1 can of corn)
    • 2 carrots, diced
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped small
    • 3 bell peppers, largely diced 
    • 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
    • 13 oz can of diced tomatoes
    • 3 oz Tom paste
    • 28oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 tsp coriander
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp ground mustard
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 Tbls olive oil
    • Pink Himalayan Salt
    • Fresh ground black pepper
    • 2 jalapeños, roasted and diced small for garnish
    • red onion, diced small for garnish
    • cilantro or parsley, for garnish

    What to do:

    1. If you’re using the dried beans like I did, you’ll need to start this the night before or follow the instructions for the quick cook. 
    2. In a large cast iron Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium. 
    3. Sautée the onions and bell peppers with some salt and pepper about 5 minutes until slightly soft. 
    4. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the the carrots and garlic. Sautée another 5 minutes stirring frequently. 
    5. Add the fresh tomatoes, a little more salt and pepper, stir and simmer until you see the liquid expel from the tomatoes. 
    6. Boil the corn, let cool, slice off with a knife and add to the pot. 
    7. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and paste, stir until combined and add all the spices and nutritional yeast. Reduce the heat to low and stir again. 
    8. Simmer on the lowest heat for an hour to hour and a half stirring occasionally. 
    9. Serve in a bowl with the garnishes listed or whatever you choose. Feel free to add some hot sauce for some heat if you don’t do the jalapeños 😉

    Side note: You can roast your own jalapeños directly on your stove top. Be sure to char all sides, let cool, peel the char and diced away. Very simple and can be done with any kind of peppers. 

    Enjoy!

      Tomatillo Verde Sauce

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      Talk about a versatility…this sauce is the epitome of it. You can put this on top of tacos, eggs, salads as your dressing, dip, you name it. 

      What you see above is the Verde Sauce on top of a salad I threw together with the various things I had in my refrigerator. I also had left over shredded pork from pork tacos the night before (which also had verde on it 😉) that you see on top. 

      The pork tacos were quasi tacos because I’m really trying to cut carbs and sugar from my diet. I used Boston Bib lettuce for the wrap but a mini romaine lettuce would also be perfect. The recipe for the pork is here. I topped everything with tomatoes, avocado, red onion, fresh cilantro, carrots, and a little extra salt and pepper to the pork. 

      As for the Verde Sauce itself…

      What you’ll need (and remember I make in bulk to freeze some for future so feel free to cut it in half):

      • 18 Tomatillos 
      • 2 jalapeños 
      • 4 cloves of garlic
      • Juice of one lime
      • fresh cilantro to taste
      • S & P

      What to do:

      1. Boil a pot of water that will hold tomatillos and jalapeños. 
      2. Remove the husks off the tomatillos and run them under water until clean.  Also, clean the jalapeños.
      3. Boil the tomatillos and jalapeños for 10 minutes and strain. 
      4. Place them in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. 
      5. Pulse until smooth. 

      Use it for whatever you want and enjoy!

        Trottole Pasta Salad

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        I’m all about pasta this weekend! I used  Simply Balanced Organic Trottole Pasta for this recipe. It’s a fun shape and all the good stuff you add to a pasta salad incorporates well into it. You can pretty much use any type of pasta for this dish if you can’t find this type. Some good alternatives would be farfalle, penne or even multi colored radiatore! Remember to always salt your water when boiling pasta!!

        If you want to make this a vegan dish, use a vegan friendly pasta. 


        What you’ll need:

        • 16 oz Trottole pasta
        • 1 medium Eggplant, roasted and diced
        • 2 Carrots, chopped small (I used my Kitchen Aid Spiralizer if you have one)
        • 5 Kale leaves, chopped fine
        • 2 Green Onions, chopped into thin rings
        • 4 oz Tomatoes, grape or cherry, halved (optional)
        • Juice of 1 Lemon
        • 1 Tbls dried Thyme
        • 2 Tbls Garlic Powder
        • 1 small can of sliced black olives 
        • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
        • S & P

        What to do: 

        1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
        2. Begin to boil the water for the pasta. 
        3. Remove some of the skin on the eggplant with a peeler, dice and place on a sheet tray with olive oil and S & P. 
        4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until completely soft, remove and let cool. 
        5. Boil the pasta according to the instructions, drain and let cool. 
        6. Meanwhile, prepare the carrots, kale, onions, tomatoes and lemon juice and add all into a large bowl. 
        7. Add the eggplant, thyme, garlic powder, S & P to the mixture. Combine thoroughly. 
        8. Once the pasta has cooled, add it into the mixture with more olive oil and toss. Put in more or less oil and S & P to your taste. 

        Enjoy!!

            Feta and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

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            Well, it’s been a while since my last post. I guess I’ve been busy!!  I’m really glad summer is here. There are so many healthy and yummy things to eat this season. Here is one of them, although, I make them year round 🙂 This is great for vegetarians and could even be converted to […]

            Breakfast Soft Taco

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            I have to be honest, this was a throw together meal at the drop of a hat but it was awesome! Breakfast is so versatile and I wish I had more time to put into it some mornings. 

            Here is what you’ll need:

            • 3 large eggs
            • cheddar or jack cheese, shredded (I used organic Monterey Jack)
            • Splash of milk
            • garlic powder
            • cumin
            • coriander, ground
            • S & P
            • butter
            • 4 taco shells

            For topping:

            • salsa verde
            • avocado
            • scallions

            Here’s what to do:

            1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cheese, garlic powder, cumin, coriander and S & P. 
            2. lightly coat a small sautée pan with butter on medium heat. 
            3. add the egg mixture and stir continuously until eggs are cooked through completely.
            4. Heat the taco shells for 10 seconds in the microwave. 
            5. Add the eggs to the taco shells. 
            6. Top with the salsa, avocado and scallions. You can also use whatever other toppings you like to make it your own!

            Makes 4 tacos

            Enjoy!