Vegetarian Patties

We are making these vegetarian patties tonight. I hope they taste good.  Cooking vegetarian is definitely an adventure.  There is a lot that goes into the preparation.  This recipe calls for 3 types of beans,  and plenty of spices.  I am excited to try these, with some lettuce and tomatoes.  Hope you get adventurous too, and give them a try.

2 ounces olive oil 3 tablespoons red onion, diced 2 tablespoons black oliive, diced 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced 1 ½ tablespoons garlic, minced 4 ounces black beans, drained 4 ounces garbanzo beans, drained 4 ounces white beans, drained 6 ounces rolled oats ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon parsley, fresh, chopped ½ teaspoon red chili flakes ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon celery salt ¼ teaspoon ground sage 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, seasoned 1 egg

1.In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1-ounce olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Saute until translucent. Remove and cool.

2.Add: veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3.Saute': pan add 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side.

All the spices

and the beans

Strawberry Coconut Chia Seed Banana Bread

This is my favorite of the breads I baked today. Probably because I love strawberries, and coconut. The flakes on top make the bread. I am surprised by the lack of fat (butter, oil etc) how moist and delicious this bread is. Definitely a new favorite of mine for breakfast!

1 ¾ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup banana, mashed 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted and cooled ⅓ cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 egg ¼ cup greek yogurt 2 tablespoons almond milk, coconut, or skim also work) ¾ cup strawberries, diced ¼ cup raspberries, diced ½ cup coconut flakes, plus 3 tablespoons for topping (sweetened is fine, too) 2 tablespoons chia seeds 2-4 strawberries, sliced for topping

1.Preheat: oven to 350 F. Grease 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. (I love Trader Joe's Coconut Oil spray.)

2.Whish: together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3.In a seperate large bowl, beat together banana, brown sugar, egg, coconut oil vanilla, yogurt, and almond milk until smooth and creamy.

4.Add: dry mixture to wet ingredients, and mix until combined. Gently fold strawberries, raspberries, coconut and chia seeds into the batter.

5.Place: batter in prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle top evenly with 3 tablespoons of coconut. Place sliced strawberries over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and return to wire rack to finish cooling.

6.Bread is even better the next day (they always are). Bread will stay fresh for a few days when wrapped tightly. I love this bread with strawberry jam and peanut butter.

Servings/Yield: Servings: 16 | Yield: 1 loaf  • Source: Ambitious Kitchen

Skinny Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Banana Bread

 Another recipe I got from Ambitious Kitchen.  This is so excellent.  The chocolate is perfect for satisfying those cravings.  The denseness of the oatmeal makes this bread a special treat.  

1 ½ cups flour ¾ cups oatmeal 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon 3 medium banana, mashed ½ cup brown sugar 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 large egg whites ½ cup coconut milk ¼ cup greek yogury, plain ½ cup coconut , flakes ½ cup chocolate chips extra coconut flakes and chocolate chips, for sprinkling

1.Preheat: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2.Whish: together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3.Beat: together mashed bananas, dark brown sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg whites until well combined. Stir in greek yogurt and coconut milk.

4.Add: dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until just combined. Gently fold in coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two or chocolate chips and coconut on top of the bread, if desired. (I love it because the coconut gets toasted when you bake it.)

5.Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until knife comes out nearly clean with a few crumbs attached. Cut into slices, so delicious

Carrot Banana Bread

I have really been researching clean eating.  So far I think it's a mind set, that I feel better.  I am sure it will kick in for reals soon.  I am starting to crave more natural things.  My morning ritual for a while has been 2-3 cups of toffee coffee.  Lately that has been way to sweet. I haven't even wanted Starbucks (which was every Saturday morning for me)   Even the jam on my toast has been too sweet.  This bread is perfect.  Great texture, full of whole grain goodness.  No solid fats.  Even though it has a small amount of coconut oil in it, the taste really pops.  I found this recipe from "Ambitious Living".  I plan to get more recipes from her site.

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup oatmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 2 banana, mashed ½ cup brown sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg white 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon coconut oil 3 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened 1 cup carrots, shredded ⅓ cup almond milk ¼ cup walnuts, chopped

1.Preheat : oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2.Whisk: together flour, quick oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

3.Mix: together mashed banana, brown sugar, egg, egg white, and vanilla until well combined and creamy. Add in coconut oil, applesauce and almond milk, then fold in carrots.

4.Add: wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in 1/4 cup of pecans.

5.Pour: into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.

6.Remove: from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan and place on wire rack to finish cooling.

7.Frosting: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together on medium speed for a minute or until smooth. Spread over cooled bread. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped pecans. Cut and enjoy!

Quinoa with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

To make it easy on myself I make the side dish Vegetarian friendly.  Well, actually that really isn't that easy.   Finding a balance that my family will like that contains the necessary nutrients for the two vegetarians.  High on the list for the top 20 or so mainstays~ that a vegetarian needs to have is Quinoa. I've heard it's like rice. Not really though, it's really light, very yummy.  I am once again pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture.  I made some artichokes to go along with this meal.  I was surprised how much protein is in this little vegetable.  As well as potassium.  It really is amazing what mother nature has provided for us that I've never given a thought to.  For the meat eaters, I just made some meatballs in spaghetti sauce and garlic toast.  Everyone seemed to happy and satisfied.  YAY MOM!

1 ¾ cups quinoa, uncooked 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided 3 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups water ⅓ cup white wine ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup Cherries, tart, dried, dried, sweet, chopped ½ cup pistachio nuts, dry roasted, chopped ¼ cup mint leaves, fresh, chopped ¼ cup parsley, fresh, chopped

1.Rinse and Drain: quinoa.  2.Heat: 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until tender.  3.Add: 2 cups water, wine, and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Add quinoa; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.  4.Remove: from heat; set aside, and cool slightly. 5.Combine: remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add quinoa, cherries, and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine. Servings/Yield: 8 servings

meatballs for the meat eaters

Navajo Tacos

This is actually one of our families favorite dinners.  We've served it at many a birthday party.  I cheat by using canned chili.  Nalley's Vegetarian I think is pretty good.  I've actually been feeding this to my kids long before the switch to a veggie diet.  Luckily my daughter is use to this one.  You could also cheat and buy prepared rolls.  I do not, I have a bread maker, that is much cheaper and pretty simple.  When I get more into the research of this new lifestyle.  I hope to make the scones more beneficial.  Using more whole grain, tonight I used plain old refined white flour.  Baby steps guys, baby steps.

Here is my white bread recipe if you'd like to modify or use as is.  It's a great simple recipe.  I do use honey instead of sugar, and butter not margarine, so that's a start right.

1 ⅛ cups water, room temperature 2 tablespoons butter, room temp 2 ¼ teaspoons honey 1 ⅛ teaspoons salt 3 cups bread flour 3 tablespoons dry milk 1 ½ teaspoons yeast, active dry, instant, or bread machine

1.Place ingredients in the bread pan in the order listed.

2.Select: Basic/White option  Select: Loaf size   (just use dough option here) Select: Crust color

3.When cycle has completed remove to wire rack to cool completely. Then slice. (When cycle completes, shape into circles and fry until desired doneness Top with chili and other taco like condiments.)

Tofurky

So far we have tried three "Tofurky" items.  Here is our review of them.....

The first one we tried was on our boating trip.  I mean you can't have a trip to the lake without chips, dip and sandwiches.  It was the "Tofurky" hickory smoked deli slices.  These are pretty spot on.  We both like the texture and the taste.  Plus you get so much more for the calories.  Just watch your carb intake.   And the dip~ one of my all time favorites is still veggie friendly.  Cottage cheese and ranch mix.  So much better for you than the store bought dips.

We also tried the Italian lunch meat.  I loved this one, tastes like salami.  Has a great texture.
I liked it much more than my daughter.  Who is originally a go to bologna eater.  Gotta give the girl props for trying all this new stuff.

Just when we were thinking Tofurky was the bomb. We tried their bacon.  Our warning~ stay away from this product.  The smell is amazing, the texture is horrifying and the flavor~ Well I won't buy it again.  This is where it ended up after our one and only taste test.

Well there you have our take on these veggie meats.  I will definitely enjoy my sandwiches again.  However, onward goes the search for a better bacon!

Happy Veggin' to ya!




 

Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna

I really liked this.  I've never had eggplant before.  Why didn't anyone tell me it tastes like squash, with the texture of a mushroom?  My daughter however, did not like this, for the same reasons I did.  I found the original recipe online, I changed it so much I have decided to claim this recipe.  It is time consuming as most lasagna recipes are.  I think it was worth it.  I had it the next day for lunch.  I also fed it to my children that I watch.  It was about 1/2 that liked it.  I didn't tell them what was in it.  Just that is was lasagna.  We have a family of 5 usually, sometimes more sometimes less.  Only two of us are vegetarian.  To make this not so rough on me, I have decided to make our dinner the side dish and serve it with a traditional meat.  My husband and 2 other children had porkchops as their main dish.  I will let you know how this works out.

Have a great day.. Remember eat your veggies!

1 tablespoons salt, or as needed 627 grams eggplant, sliced 1 large egg ½ cup water 1 cup bread crumbs 6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 cup pasta sauce 2 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly sliced 7 ounces ricotta cheese 3 ounces olives, canned

1.Slice Eggplant and sprinkle salt over eggplant slices.                                                   Let rest for 30 minutes and allow eggplant to release extra liquid.

2.Whisk egg and water in a bowl. Measure bread crumbs into  a separate shallow bowl. Dip eggplant slices into egg  mixture and then press both sides into bread crumbs.  Set aside.

3.Mix remaining egg and ricotta together, set aside.

4.Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat; cook and stir onion, red bell pepper, and mushrooms in hot oil until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.  (this is where I sampled my first taste of Eggplant.  YUM!)

5.Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same frying pan over medium heat. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the pan and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook other side until browned, about 3 minutes, adding more olive oil as needed.

6.Spread 1/2 cup of tomato basil sauce in bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place a layer of cooked eggplant on  top of pasta sauce. Cover eggplant layer with half of ricotta mixture, then mushroom mixture. Repeat. Lay final layer of  eggplant on top cover with 1/2 cup of sauce, mozzarella cheese, and olives.

7.Cover with aluminum foil, bake at 350 F for 35 - 40 minutes.  
Let rest 15 minutes, before serving.