Category Archives: Vegetarian

Soup, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Thai Lemongrass and Chile Soup

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Thai Lemongrass and Chile Soup

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Ingredients:
Servings: 4
Units: US | Metric

4 cups vegetable broth
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and cut into 4 inch piece
3 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional) I used lime zest
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon peeled minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons roasted chili paste
1 1/2 cups chopped oyster mushrooms or 1 1/2 cups white mushrooms (I used baby portabellas)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce or 2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
2 -3 small hot green chili peppers, seeded and halved (optional)
rice noodles

**Also added shredded green cabbage, bamboo shoots and extra firm tofu


Directions:

1
In medium saucepan, heat vegetable broth to a simmer with lemongrass and lime leaves if desired.
2
In small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
3
Add garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring often, about 30 seconds.
4
When broth has simmered for 5 minutes, remove lemongrass and lime leaves and discard.
5
Add cooked garlic and ginger to broth.
6
Return broth to a boil, and stir in chile paste and mushrooms.
7
Cook until mushrooms have wilted, about 30 seconds, then stir in lime juice and fish sauce.
8
Remove from heat, and ladle soup into small bowls along with your favorite rice noodles.
9
Top each bowl with chopped tomatoes, cilantro and a pinch of hot green chiles if you want it really really spicy.
10
Alternatively, tomatoes and chiles can be mixed together and placed in small serving bowl for people to help themselves (this way people can make it as spicy as they want).
11
For Vegetarian/Vegan omit the fish sauce and use the soy.

Ref: Food.com

Pasta, pinterest, Vegetarian

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

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 Ingredients

  1. 1 pound asparagus
  2. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  3. 2 teaspoons salt
  4. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  5. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  6. 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
  7. 1 pound penne
  8. 1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
  9. 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  1. Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
  3. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.
NotesVariations:
• Penne with Roasted Broccoli and Balsamic Butter When asparagus is not in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes. Continue with step 2.
• Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Toasted Nuts, and Balsamic Butter Toss in 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts at the end with either asparagus or broccoli.

Ref: Food and Wine via Pinterest

pinterest, Sides, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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Whole Living

 

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 2 red Bartlett pears, cored and cut into wedges
  • 6 shallots, quartered
  • 10 fresh thy me sprigs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On two large rimmed baking sheets, toss Brussels sprouts, pears, shallots, thyme, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Roast until Brussels sprouts are tender and browned, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Toss with lemon juice and serve warm.

    Ref: Whole Living

    I made this as my side to the quinoa crusted chicken breasts and I LOVED it. Amy never had brussel sprouts before and Mike had previously expressed his dislike for them earlier but I made them anyway. And you know what? They both liked it! I’ll admit I also threw in some roasted red potatoes to this mix just in case my brussel sprout rebellion backfired. Since I didn’t have thyme on hand I used my Herbs de Provence spices which has thyme in it. 😀 But the pears really gave it that something extra, that sweet to the bitter taste of the brussel sprouts. It was so good!

Dessert, Halloween, Vegetarian

Snack-o-Lantern

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Snack-o-Lantern
Originally uploaded by jamileslie

Ingredients

* Navel orange
* Canned or fresh fruit salad

Instructions

1. To make one lantern, use a small knife to slice the top off a navel orange and cut around its interior to hollow it out. Scoop out the orange segments, chop them, and mix them with canned or fresh fruit salad.
2. Carve small facial features in one side of the orange, then cut a slit in the lid to accommodate the handle of a green plastic spoon. Fill the lantern with fruit salad. Insert the spoon and set the lid in place.

Ref: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/snack-o-lantern-784940/


So I didn’t have time to actually make this but I LOVED the idea and wanted to share in my blog. Love the healthy twist on a Halloween treat! Next year for sure!!

Soup, Vegetarian

Lemongrass Coconut Soup

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Ingredients

  • lemongrass
  • coconut milk
  • vegetable stock
  • basil
  • sriracha chili sauce
  • corn starch
  • snow peas
  • red bell peppers
  • baby corn
  • cauliflower
  • carrots
  • peas
  • sweet corn
  • green onions
  • celery
  • water chestnuts
  • olive oil
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • fish sauce
  • birds eye Thai chili’s
  • red Thai curry paste
  • lime juice

(I don’t use measurements so you decide for yourselves): steep lemongrass (use more than you think you need – bundle it before you steep) in 2/3 coconut milk and 1/3 vegetable stock (go easy on the amount of salt you add if you’re using pre-packaged veggie stock)… bring to a boil, stir it frequently, and simmer. Add basil, sriracha, and corn starch (slurry it with water before you add it or you’ll get lumps). Broth should be opaque, and basil will float to the top.

Saute your choice of vegetables (I used snow peas, red bells, baby corn, cauliflower, carrots, peas, sweet corn, green onions, celery, and water chestnuts) in olive oil, minced garlic and ginger (lots of both), fish sauce, sriracha, Thai chili’s (birds eye), a little red Thai curry, lime juice, and a little bit of coconut milk (the fatty part)…salt and pepper aren’t really necessary, there’s a lot of flavor in there! Don’t add veggies to the broth till just before you serve, and garnish with fresh chopped basil…enjoy :)

Ref: Veronica Hart


I’ve been pouty and sick with a stupid sinus cold this weekend which ultimately leaves me craving soup. A friend left her recipe for a fantastic lemongrass coconut soup. Gave me plenty of motivation to get my butt out of bed and to the grocery store. Um Veronica, your “I don’t use measurements” quite frankly scared the crap out of me, but I was dying to try this. What I found is I made more veggies than broth (oops) and I made it hot as hell. It had such a kick I’m pretty sure it kicked my cold right out of my system. And I may have botched the “slurry” instructions, haha. But bottom line I LOVED it and will play with ingredient ratios the next time, like more broth. lol I also didn’t use ANY salt or pepper, she was right, totally didn’t need it. For your reference I used 2 cups coconut milk to 1 cup of veggie broth and it made about 2 servings. Thanks Veronica! Amazing recipe!

Vegetarian

Pineapple & Black Bean Enchiladas

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Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1/3 cup pineapple juice, reserved
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans progresso black beans drained, rinsed
  • 1 (4 1/2 ounce) can old el paso chopped green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 cups shredded low fat cheddar cheese (12 oz)
  • 1 (10 ounce) can Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce
  • 8 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch)
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
  • 8 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • few cloves of minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tsp of chile powder
  • 1 tsp of cumin

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles and salt (and the garlic, chili powder and cumin). Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese.

Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in baking dish.

In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon cilantro.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 40-45 minutes, removing foil during last 5 – 10 minutes of baking.

Ref: Pillsbury.com

OLE!! Healthy, Low Fat, High Fiber, Vegetarian, & Easy to make. Totally random flavors but really good! I followed the advice of the reviews and added garlic, chile powder, and cumin to the mixture. I like the kick. I might play around with more spices next time, I found right out of the oven it was good, but the next day, after the seasonings soaked in, it was even better! Maybe let the mixture sit for a bit next time to really let the flavors set in. :) Now for those of you weirdos who have an issue with warm fruit, (ie: pineapple on pizza, etc) get over it, this is totally different and that was confirmed by my best friend who isn’t a fan of warm pineapple generally but LOVED the enchiladas! Me gusto mucho!!

Sides, Vegetable, Vegetarian

Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

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Ingredients

  • 2 heads of broccoli
  • 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp of sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp of ground pepper
  • 1 clove o minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp of lemon juice

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
In a large bowl, toss broccoli with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet
Bake 15-20 minutes till tender, the squeeze lemon over before serving

Pasta, Vegetarian

Penne with Asparagus, Sage, & Peas

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound penne
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound thick asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups (10 ounces) shelled English peas or frozen baby peas, thawed
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and asparagus and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and boil over high heat until reduced by half and the asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the peas and cream to the skillet and boil over high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the penne and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, sage and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve right away, passing additional cheese at the table.

Ref: Food and Wine Magazine