Not even fair

So, it's really not even fair posting this today, but I'm doing it anyways because my kids INSISTED I just HAD to let you all know how they felt about tonight's dinner. Hubby wasn't home and I didn't feel like cooking. SO not a balanced meal, but whatever. lol

Again, not vegan, but what most would call vegetarian:

Annie's Organic Shells and White Cheddar, Family Size (2 boxes)
Sourdough bread with butter and McCormick's Salad Supreme on top, baked at 350* for 15 minutes

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the stars are going to be a BIG surprise LOL

Spaghetti

Pretty simple tonight. :)

Whole wheat spaghetti topped with jarred organic heirloom tomato sauce. When heating up the sauce, I added a diced zucchini and a diced green bell pepper to get some more veggies into my kids. :)

Lacto Veg

This meal wasn't vegan. It was, however, what most people would consider vegetarian. There was some cheese in it...and maybe some egg in the lasagna noodles...I don't know. I didn't check. I probably should.

Anyways, I made up this recipe, so I don't have exact measurements.

It's just your typical veggie lasagna. I was going to use Ricotta cheese, but found out that the container I had in the fridge expired yesterday, so I substituted tofu for the Ricotta. I normally don't use soy for anything. With growing kids, I'm concerned about the amount of phytoestrogen that enters their bodies. I figure every once in a great while is okay, though.

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat lasagne noodles
2 jars pasta sauce
1 tub extra firm tofu
2 C. chopped spinach (I pulsed it in the food processor)
1 zucchini (pureed in the food processor)
1 T sea salt
1 T. Italian seasoning
Shredded Mozarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375*
Boil the lasagne noodles according to instructions. In a medium sized mixing bowl, crumble the drained tofu. Mix tofu with spinach, zucchini, sea salt and Italian seasoning.

Arrange lasagne in layers:
1st layer: Pasta Sauce
2nd layer: lasagne noodles, in a single layer
3rd layer: Some of the tofu mixture
4th layer: Small amount of Mozarella cheese

Repeat layers, ending with layer #2. Top with pasta sauce and mozarella cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Another hit!

Everyone in my family loved this one! Yay!

From VeggieMama:


1.5 cups dry pasta (farfalle works nicely)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
6 large green olives (preferably garlic-stuffed), halved
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
4 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp olive oil

Cook pasta. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Toss with tomatoes in a medium bowl.

Pulse olives, capers, garlic, and basil in food processor until coarsely chopped. Add olive mixture and olive oil to pasta, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

(taken from the April 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times)

I added artichoke hearts to mine, but not to the kids because they don't like artichoke hearts.

Red Lentil Dahl

I thought this was delicious. The kids and the husband...not so much.

From The Post Punk Kitchen:

Red Lentil Dhal

prep time: 15 minutes | cooking time: 50 minutes | makes 6-8 servings
Toasting and grinding your seeds is so worth the effort, and doesn't take long at all. Serve this dhal as a main dish with rice or as a side dish. It is aromtaic, rich and delicious.
Equipment:
Coffe grinder or spice millor mortar and pestle, saute pan, large, soup pot

Ingredients
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried red lentils
2 tablespoon tomato paste
4-5 cups water or veg broth
5 plum tomatoes, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 cup lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro

Spice blend
2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 whole cloves
4 cardomom pods

2 dried red chilis (seeds removed)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a saute pan over medium heat, toast the seeds (but not the dried red chili) for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from pan and let cool. Transfer to coffee grinder, aling with the dried red chili and cinnamon, and grind to a fine powder.

Over medium-high heat oil a soup pot, add onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute 5 more minutes. Add spices and salt, saute 5 minutes more.

Add 4 cups of water and stir to deglaze the pot. Add tomato paste and lentils. Bring to a boil then lower the heat a bit and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro and more water if it looks to thick. Simmer 10 more minutes, or until lentils are completely tender.