Going Veg*n

Sloppy Lentils

2009-07-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is courtesy of my friend, Amanda, who I've known seemingly forever. It's always nice to find people who I know and trust, yet had no idea they were vegetarian! lol Yes, I realize that's weird, but Amanda lives in Virginia. I don't see her very often!

Sloppy Lentils

1 tbsp oil
1 green bell pepper -diced (I use frozen because its cheaper)
1 medium onion- diced
2-4 cloves of garlic- minced (adjust to taste)
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2c dried lentils, rinsed and picked through
3c. water

14.5oz crushed tomatoes (can use diced w/ juice instead)
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Saute peppers, onion and garlic in oil. Add chili powder and cook one more minute, stirring frequently. Transfer to slow cooker and lentils and water. Cook on low for 7 hours. Add other ingredients and cook on high 1 hr. Serve on buns like Sloppy Joes or over rice/quinoa,etc.

Things I did differently: I used red bell peppers because I don't like green. I doubled the recipe (as per usual to feed my small army). The recipe didn't specify what color lentils to use, so I used red because I thought green might look unappetizing with all the tomato ingredients. It's also the kind I prefer and happened to have on hand. lol I used fire roasted diced tomatoes. I forgot to start dinner in the morning, so instead of cooking on low for 7 hours, I cooked on high for about 3 1/2 hours, added the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients and cooked another hour.



		Refused to eat it.

Veganomicon

2009-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's Veganomicon week at the Silva home. I wasn't feeling the desire to search online for vegetarian recipes, so I went purely from the cookbook for this week's menu.

Last night we had Broccoli Potato Soup. It was really hit and miss. I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't eat it, so I can't tell you what I thought of it. It's a pretty simple recipe with fresh herbs being the key ingredients. I have to say, my kitchen smelled DELICIOUS! Hubby thought it was pretty good. He had never had fresh dill before, so this was new, and welcomed! The kids ranged from "I LOVE IT!" to, "If I promise not to whine about being hungry, can I please not eat it?" The baby took one bite, spat it out and exclaimed "Yucky!" She eats things she finds on the floor, though...so I wouldn't really trust her opinion. The boys ate it by dipping garlic bread in it, so I don't know what they thought of the soup alone. They LOVE garlic bread though, so I imagine they didn't like the soup all that much if adding garlic bread only brought it up to a two and three. lol



	Fell asleep early	Refused to eat it.

Spinach Noodle Kugel

2009-04-11T01:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I had no idea what Kugel was, but the recipe sounded good! It's from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, so I can't share the recipe.

Oddly enough, I REALLY didn't like it. Why is that odd? Am I not allowed to not like things? No. It's because most of my kids LOVED it! How backwards is that? I'm usually the one eating while they complain that it doesn't taste very good. This time, I leaned over and whispered to my husband, "You don't have to eat it all...it doesn't taste very good. I'll go out and get more food later." Of course, I don't tell the kids this. They have to eat everything. lol He looked at me like I was strange and said, "It's not bad. It's not great, but it's certainly not bad." When you see the kid's scores, you'll see what they thought of it. Very strange. I really didn't like it.

It's made from frozen spinach, noodles (I used spinach noodles), tofu, vegetable broth, and some other stuff. :)

Veggie burgers, revisited

2009-04-11T01:01:00.001-07:00

So, last night I decided I was going to revisit the homemade veggie burger. As requested, I left out the barbecue sauce and just stuck to the tried and true...lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup and mustard. Oh my goodness, it was the BIGGEST hit! My kids scarfed them down, then asked for more!

Not only that, but I have to share a story that is very exciting to me. It's probably boring to you, but whatever...it's my blog. :)

I was just starting to make the veggie burgers. The very first part of the recipe calls for simmering green lentils and brown rice in vegetable broth. (By the way, this is the vegetable broth I use. It's awesome!) I hadn't added anything...not even the salt it called for. All that was in my pot were green lentils, brown rice, vegetable broth and water. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY CHILDREN, at one point or another came downstairs for no reason other to ask, "Wow, what's for dinner? That smells SO good!!!" What a HUGE step! My kids used to think that vegetarian cooking smelled so bland. To them, there was nothing like the smell of a good steak being cooked. Now, they are practically drooling over the smell of vegetable broth, brown rice and lentils!!! YAY!!!!

Moroccan Phyllo Rolls with Balsamic Maple Sauce

2009-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

These were SO much better than I expected them to be! The sauce totally made it for me. Hubby thought the sauce was pretty good, but didn't feel it was absolutely necessary. My most picky eater liked them the most, believe it or not!

Moroccan Phyllo Rolls with Balsamic Maple Sauce

Recipe from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan: Great Vegan Food for Special and Everyday Celebrations

Dreena’s Recipe Introduction: This recipe began as a more generic roasted vegetable roll. I needed more flavor, and remembered the flavors of Moroccan cuisine that I love so much – including cumin, cinnamon, and ginger. I changed a few elements, and the result was vegan magic! Serve as an elegant meal, drizzled with the Balsamic Maple Sauce (recipe below), and pair with a mixed green salad. Or, make smaller rolls and serve as very impressive appetizers (see notes below).

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS (OR MORE AS APPETIZERS)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups combination of yellow, red, and orange bell peppers, chopped
2½–3 cups zucchini or yellow squash, cubed
1–1¼ cups onion, chopped
1½–2 cups fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 medium bulb)
½ cup dried apricots (preferably unsulfured), chopped (or if in season, 1 cup fresh figs, stems removed, and halved)
5–6 large cloves garlic, minced
1½–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp cumin
¾ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp paprika
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup cooked chickpeas or white beans
½ cup (packed) fresh basil (or parsley) leaves, minced
8 to 12 sheets phyllo pastry sheets (see notes)
2½–3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (to brush phyllo)
1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds, lightly toasted (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Line a wide-rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bell peppers, zucchini, onion, fennel, apricots, and garlic on sheet, and toss with oil, cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven for 35–45 minutes, tossing once or twice, until veggies are caramelized in some spots and softened. Remove from oven, toss in chickpeas or white beans and basil, and let cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190ºC). Line a baking dish or sheet with parchment paper. Place a lightly dampened dish towel over phyllo sheets to keep moist while preparing rolls. Lightly brush top of one sheet with oil. Place another sheet (not brushed with oil) on top. Spread ¾–1 cup roasted veggie mixture (see note) down the center of top sheet, leaving 1–2-in (2½–5-cm) space from edges. Fold left side over filling and roll up, tucking in sides as you go. Brush with additional oil and place in lined baking dish or sheet. Repeat process until all phyllo and mixture are used; you will have 4–6 rolls (see note). Bake for 24–28 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm, drizzled with Balsamic Maple Sauce (recipe below), and garnished with almonds.

Cooking Notes:

1. For wheat-free option, use spelt phyllo pastry.
2. Use 8 sheets to make generously stuffed rolls or 12 sheets for smaller ones. If the roll is quite full, it may tear while baking. This of course won’t ruin them, but will affect the presentation (if that’s important to you).
3. As appetizers: Make smaller rolls or bite-sized phyllo triangles. For the latter, brush one sheet with oil. Then, with a sharp knife, cut 4 strips lengthwise down length of sheet. Place a small spoonful of filling at the base of one strip. Then, fold that corner over to form a triangle, and continue to fold back and forth until you reach the top. Repeat process until you have used up all the filling. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 15–20 minutes, until golden. Serve with Balsamic Maple Sauce (page 76) as a dip.

Balsamic Maple Sauce:

This tangy, sweet sauce will perk up any vegetable or grain, and… it’s a breeze to make! Serve warm over steamed green vegetables or baked sweet potatoes, or use for dipping tempeh, potstickers, spring rolls, and more! It’s also an absolute must to serve with the Moroccan Chickpea-Vegetable Phyllo Rolls (recipe above).

YIELD: 4–5 SERVINGS (ABOUT ½ CUP)

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp (rounded) sea salt
1 tsp arrowroot powder
3 tbsp tamari

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan on low heat, combine syrup, vinegar, Earth Balance spread, garlic, and salt, and heat for several minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine arrowroot and tamari, stirring through until well incorporated. Add tamari mixture to saucepan, whisk to combine, and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil, stirring continually. Let boil gently for 1 minute, then remove from heat and let cool slightly (the mixture will thicken more as it cools down).

Cooking Notes:

Leftovers can be refrigerated. This sauce is delicious chilled and drizzled over steamed or sautéed veggies or leafy greens, as a dipping sauce for pan-fried tempeh or tofu, tossed into whole grains or noodle dishes, or topped on sandwich ingredients.

The only thing that varied on was the chickpeas. I smashed them before adding them to the roasted veggies because my kids don't like whole chickpeas. Oh, and as usual, I doubled it.



	She was sick

Spinach Lingine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

2009-03-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

My first dish from Veganomicon!

Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVED this dish, as did my husband. SO good! It was kinda hit and miss with the kids, though. They were all willing to eat it (minus the artichoke hearts, which I figured, because they all hate artichoke hearts) but not all really wanted to. lol

It's pretty much as it says...spinach linguine with a basil and cilantro pesto. Of course, there was no cheese in this pesto. I need a better food processor. My pesto was a bit crunchy from the nuts in it. (It doesn't taste nutty, though, I promise!) It didn't make it bad, it just made it...different. lol The kids rated it based on the agreement that the artichoke hearts don't count towards the rating...otherwise it would have gotten a zero from all of them because artichoke hearts apparently make things inedible. (Crazy kids!)

Brussel Sprouts

2009-03-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, I had myself convinced that my kids loved these brussel sprouts that I made a while back, so I made them again tonight. Upon seeing them, pretty much every kid said, "Oh man, brussel sprouts again?!?!?!? I hate brussel sprouts!" I have only made brussel sprouts that one time, so they seem to remember not liking them. I remember them liking. I KNOW my brussel sprout hating husband liked them, and he remembered liking them, so at least that's good. In fact, my husband, who doesn't like veggies at all, told me that if he rated things, he'd give it a five, which is HUGE because he doesn't think anything I make is all that great. LOL

So, after the kids ate it tonight, it turns out I WAS RIGHT! HA! So THERE! Okay, so maybe I'm gloating a little. lol

Shmooed Food: Best Brussel Sprouts

The name says it all! These sweet-and-sour sprouts are wonderful hot or at room temperature.

serves 4

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half
2 TB olive oil (or 1 TB olive oil and 1 TB margarine)
salt to taste
¾ cup vegetable stock or water
2 TB sugar
2 TB apple cider vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil or oil and margarine in a sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are turning golden, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add ½ cup of the stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered with a lid left slightly ajar, until the Brussels sprouts are almost completely tender and the stock or water has been cooked away, about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the last ¼ cup of stock or water, the sugar, and the apple cider vinegar. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Look! New picture of the baby!

I'm so excited!!!

2009-03-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

Our state tax return came in th is past week. Yay! So, I went out and bought two cookbooks that I've been dying to get! I got Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook and Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock.

The good thing about this: I have lots of new recipes with amazing reviews to try!
The bad thing about this: Due to copyright, I won't be able to share the exact recipes with you.

Up until now, I've gotten all of my recipes from the internet, or just made them up, so I could share them with you. However, it's not cool to share recipes out of a cookbook without the author's permission. Doing so would take away the revenue they would earn from selling you their book. Why buy the book when you can get the recipes for free, right? So, I'll post the name of the recipe, what my kids thought of it, and if you think you're interested in enough of the recipes and want to try them out, go out and get the books!

I can't say if I recommend them yet or not because I haven't tried any of the recipes. From my first glance (well, reading them for about an hour last night during my girl's taekwondo classes) they seem well put together, friendly, and helpful. Isa (the author) speaks as though she's talking to a friend, hanging out in her kitchen with her. I've enjoyed reading just the introduction and some of her tips so far. If nothing else, I know they will be helpful because they include silly things that I never remember, like how to cook quinoa, how long to soak beans, etc. If, after trying a number of the recipes, I find that I really recommend the books, I'll post links on the sidebar so you can easily find them. :)

Baked Ziti

2009-03-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

From Vegan.com

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces whole grain ziti or other tube-shaped pasta of choice
8 ounces firm or extra-firm regular tofu
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons agave nectar or brown rice syrup
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
¾ teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon sea salt
¹/₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup stemmed and chopped spinach
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1½ cups bottled marinara sauce or other tomato sauce of choice
¼ cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese or other vegan cheese of choice

DIRECTIONS:
To cook the ziti, fill a large pot two-thirds full with filtered water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, according to the time on the package instructions or until tender.

Meanwhile, crumble the tofu into a large bowl using your fingers. Add the nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, agave nectar, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mash with a fork until completely smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking pan or casserole dish. Drain the ziti in a colander and add it to the tofu mixture along with the chopped spinach and parsley. Stir until well combined.

Place half of the ziti mixture into the prepared pan. Top it with half of the marinara sauce and half of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layering procedure with the remaining ziti, marinara sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle a little additional cheese or nutritional yeast flakes over the top, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned around the edges. Serve hot.

Tropical Veggie Burgers

2009-03-15T19:54:00.001-07:00

These were SO good! They were a little more soggy than I'm used to veggie burgers being, but they held together well. My husband refused to grill them, so I ended up frying them. Still delicious, though!

Tropical Veggie Burgers

These curry-spiced “burgers” are topped with grilled pineapple for a tropical twist on the classic veggie burger.

For the Veggie Burgers:
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup brown rice
2 cups vegetable broth
Water sufficient to cover the lentils and rice
Salt, to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. margarine
1 onion, chopped
4 tsp. curry powder
1/3 cup shredded carrot
2 Tbsp. Sauvignon Blanc
2 Tbsp. hot sauce
1/2-3/4 cup panko
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. cumin

• Put the lentils and rice in a saucepan with the vegetable broth, adding enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Season with the salt and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils and rice are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and place the lentils and rice in a large bowl. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, melt the margarine in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Cool slightly and then add to the lentils and rice.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients and season with the salt. Form into patties and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Grill for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, until grill marks appear and the patties are hot.

To Assemble:
1 can pineapple rings, drained
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. margarine
Kaiser rolls
Lettuce
Vegan mayonnaise

• Slice the pineapple rings in half to make a thinner ring. Grill until caramelized, about 5 minutes on each side.
• Grill the onion until lightly browned.
• Spread the margarine over the rolls and grill until lightly browned.
• Place the veggie burgers on the buns and top with the pineapple, onions, lettuce, and vegan mayonnaise.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

I did make a few changes. I added some steak seasoning to the patty mix to give it a bit more kick. Instead of hot sauce, I used buffalo wing sauce (because that's all I had. lol) and instead of the pinapple on top, I topped it with a bbq sauce pulsed with honey and pineapple.

Mocko Soup

2009-03-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Tonights dinner was a HUGE success. It's something I know my kids love, but I usually put ground turkey in it. This time, I put bulgur in it, which looks like ground meat when it's cooked up with a bunch of stuff, so they didn't even notice that this dish was vegan! They have been wanting to grade every meal lately, whether vegetarian or not. When it's not vegetarian, they ask, "Can we grade this?" because they know I'm not going to ask them for a score. Tonight, after only a few bites, they asked if they could grade it. I still haven't told them that it's vegan. They'll start pretending they don't like it. LOL

Mocko Soup

Ingredients:
1 C. bulgur
1 C. water
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes and green chilis
1 can corn

Directions:
Put bulgur, water and taco seasoning into a crock pot. Stir. Rinse and drain both types of beans. Add to crock pot. Add entire contents of tomatoes and corn cans. Stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4=5 hours.

Serve!

Whatever is in the fridge...pasta

2009-02-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

Yeah, still haven't been to the store or made up an actual menu plan, so today it's

Katie's Whatever is in the Fridge...Pasta

Ingredients:

1 package whole wheat pasta
1 large can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilis
2 zucchini, diced
2 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 portabello mushroom caps, degilled and diced
1 T oregano
2 T Italian Seasoning
2 C. water

Cook noodles according to instructions (unless it doesn't say add salt and olive oil to the water...in which case, I suggest you do that. lol) Drain noodles and return to pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve.

Whetever is in the fridge, curry

2009-02-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

So, a couple of nights ago, I didn't have anything really planned for dinner, so we had "Whatever is in the fridge...curry."

Katie's Whatever is in the fridge...curry

Ingredients:
2 cans coconut milk
1 can tomato sauce
3 T curry powder
1 can lentils
1 can garbanzo beans
1 large eggplant, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Pour coconut milk and tomato sauce into a large pan. Stir in curry powder. Add lentils and beans. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables, but not the cilantro. Stir. Simmer 20 minutes. Add cilantro. Simmer 5 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Too messy for her

Blueberry and Wild Rice Salad

2009-02-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

I was running out of time to make dinner, so I actually served this dish warm instead of cold. My kids don't really consider a meal "dinner" unless it's warm, so it worked out just fine. lol

From Vegcooking.com:

1 cup wild rice, washed
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup toasted, chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated lime peel
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup blueberries

• Combine the rice with the vegetable broth and enough water to cover by 1 inch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool. Stir in the pecans, cranberries, apricots, and red onion. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, agave nectar, ginger, and lime peel. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season with the salt and pepper.
• Pour over the rice and mix well. Gently fold in the blueberries. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

She took one bite and refused to eat anymore. She didn't like the wild rice. (Notice the new pic! She got her haircut, so I needed to update!)

She fell asleep before dinner

She fell asleep before dinner

Gross

2009-02-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

I swear, my kids like the grossest things. Again, I wasn't going to post what we had for dinner because...well, because I'm almost ashamed of what I feed my kids sometimes. LOL My husband is working late, so I don't have the motivation to cook a great meal. Plus, he's been working so late that I haven't gotten a chance to go to the semi local health food store, which is where I do the majority of my food shopping...because who really wants to take six kids shopping?

So, anyways, tonight's dinner...in all it's glory:

Mac and Cheese, Pasta and Peas

Two regular sized boxes Annie's Organic Mac and Cheese
1 bag organic spinach pasta noodles
1 cube organic butter
1 package organic ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup organic lowfat milk
1 med bag organic (do I really need to keep writing organic? I don't put organic in any of my other ingredient lists, when in reality, I use about 99% organic ingredients in everything I cook...but I guess I need to at least let you know that I'm feeding my kids organic crap, not just crap lol) peas

Boil the pasta in water for 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta, return it to the pan.
Add the cheese mix from the mac and cheese box, milk, butter, ranch dressing mix and peas.
Stir constantly while heating over medium low heat until everything is mixed together, butter is melted and peas are warmed through.

I told you it was a terrible meal. I tried to make myself feel better by adding the peas. LOL The spinach pasta was added in because I didn't have enough boxes of mac and cheese to feed the family. The ranch dressing mix was added in because I was afraid it would be too bland with extra pasta, but no extra cheese. All in all, it as actually pretty good. The kids loved it! lol

(He REALLY doesn't like peas!)

Not even fair

2009-01-29T18:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T20:43:00.000-08:00

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.

Ultimate Vegetarian Chili

2009-01-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, this was the BIGGEST hit in my house!!! RAVE reviews from EVERYONE! Can you believe it? Even my pickiest of picky eaters, my eldest, told me, "That was AMAZING!!!!" The best part, none of them had any idea it was vegan! They were SHOCKED! They thought for sure I had decided to end our "vegan week" a couple of days early. They thought the bulgar was ground beef. I have to admit, it really did look like it! I served it over brown rice. :)

Ultimate Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

3 tablespoon olive oil
3 chopped onions
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large can, undrained, of tomatoes, chopped
1 cup water
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1/2 cup bulgur
salt and pepper
cilantro (optional)

Directions:

In a large pan, saute the onions and spices. Add peppers and garlic for 1 min. Add cocoa, tomatoes, and water; bring to a boil. Add kidney and black beans, corn and bulgur. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 min. or until bulgur is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, sprinkle with cilantro.

An oh so creative name.,..

2009-01-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

So, today we had "Indian Bean and Potato Thing" from vegweb.com.

I was concerned it would be bland because there is very little seasoning in it, but it wasn't too bad...according to the kids. I didn't eat. Hubby thought it was pretty good. The kids ate it with tortillas.

We ate late. She went to bed early.

Last night's dinner

2009-01-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

The night before last, the kid's school had a fundraiser at a restaurant, so we ended up going out to eat, much to the joy of my children, who were not looking forward to vegan enchiladas.

So, that meant vegan enchiladas for the next night...which was last night. :)

These were really hit and miss. Some kids loved them, some HATED them. I don't think I'll be making them again because those who didn't like them, just simply refused to eat, which I'm never okay with because my kids are already skinny, so they certainly don't need to be skipping any meals!

Personally, I thought these were REALLY good. My husband ate them...after dumping a bunch of real cheese on top and sticking it back in the oven. lol He thought they were good that way. Well...duh!

West Coast Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 cans organic refried black beans
3 ripe avocadoes, mashed
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cups enchilada sauce or 1 1/2cups salsa mixed with 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
12 organic yellow corn tortillas

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400F.

2.Heat black beans slightly on stove, it makes them easier to work with.

3.Mash avocadoes in med. bowl, add diced tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, bell pepper.

4.Heat 1 cup enchilada sauce (or half the salsa/water mixture) in a saucepan. Soak each tortilla just until soft.

5.Layer each tortilla with 2 tablespoons each of beans and avocado mixture. Sprinkle with cashews and vegan cheese.

6.Assemble enchiladas into 2 9x11 baking dishes.(Each will hold 6 enchiladas). Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with extra vegan cheese if you like. (I do!)

7.Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops are slightly browned.

Enjoy! These are great for a dinner party and awesome as leftovers the next day!!

These are also great if you like to add extra chopped cashews on top during baking. YUM!!

Serves: 12 enchiladas

Preparation time: 15 min. assembling and 20 min. baking

She refused to eat it after taking a single bite. She gave it -26 stars LOL

She wouldn't eat it.

These were too messy to give to her

Carols Dal Curry

2009-01-12T20:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner was Carols Dal Curry from Vegweb.com. Hubby said it was delicious (he loves Indian food) and the curry was perfect, but he would have liked to have some chicken in it.

I only had a little bit of it, but it was really good. I'm currently on a low carb, low fat diet, so something with quite a bit of olive oil and a ton of coconut milk in it, over a bed of rice doesn't quite fit the bill. lol

I think I forgot to mention in my previous post that I double all recipes to feed my family of 8.

Carols Dal Curry

Ingredients:

2 cups lentils, stones picked out and boiled until soft
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, washe'd and well chopped
1 large tomato
1 can coconut milk
1 can tomato sauce - medium size
1 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
1-1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, a dash ground cloves
salt to taste

Directions:

Cover bottom of saucepan with vegetable oil. Fry onion about 5 minutes. Add cilantro and continue frying over medium heat, until onion is golden. Add tomato and let get a little soft. Add rest of ingredients, including spices (add spices according to your taste!) and let simmer for about 30 minutes. This is really tasty atop a bed of basmati rice.

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 1 hour

She wouldn't eat it.

I'm back!

2009-01-11T18:34:00.001-08:00

This blog has been SERIOUSLY neglected. Well, I'm back and this week is going to be a vegan week in my home!

Tonight's dinner was Extra Good Black Bean Burritos from Vegweb.com.

Ingredients:

2 cans organic black beans; splash of olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 or two big ol tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine (optional, but recommended) or vegan red wine vinegar
1 smallish onion
1-2 fresh jalepeno or habanero peppers
chili powder, cumin
sea salt
whole grain tortillas- 6 or twelve
chopped avocado
soy sour cream/ cheese

Directions:

Saute chopped onion in olive oil with minced garlic clove and jalepeno or habanero. Sprinkle in beans as onions soften. Continue to saute for a few minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, sea salt to taste. Pour in vegan wine or vinegar, lower heat, and simmer for additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat tortillas in 200 degree oven till warm. Serve beans in tortillas. Garnish with chopped tomato, avocado, and soy cheese or sourcream. Enjoy with friends and family!

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 30 min.

I was a little concerned because I used vegan sour cream for the first time and wasn't sure how the kids would respond to it. They actually liked it! I took a taste for myself and it really did taste like sour cream. Definitely a keeper! Each child had at least two burritos. A few even had three!

I've uploaded new pics for the blog since the old ones are so outdated. Kids grow entirely too fast, don't they? :( I've even added a new baby since the last post! Crazy!

Yummy!

2007-07-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday we had azuki bean stir fry over pasta. I thought it was really good. Drake said it was "edible." Emma ate it all and Caitlin, Cole, Ethan and Sera just ate the pasta.

Azuki Bean Stir Fry

Oriental Cooking spray
1 sm onion
1 med red bell pepper - sliced
2 C haved snow peas
2 t minced garlic
1 t minced ginger root
2 C cooked dried azuki beans
1 C water
2/3 C orange juice
2 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T honey
1/2 t chili paste
4 t cornstarch
3 C cooked brown rice or Chinese-style noodles

Spray wok or large skillet with cooiking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Stir-fry onion, bell pepper, show peas, garlic and ginger root for 5 minutes. Add beans and water and heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Heat mixture to bliling. Mix remaining ingreients, except rice; stir into wok. Boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve over rice or noodles.

That's the original recipe. I doubled it, but left out the snow peas, used one red bell pepper and one orange bell pepper and added a container of extra firm tofu (cut into 1 inch cubes). You can omit the honey or substitute something else for it to make the meal vegan.

Tonight's dinner was lacto-vegetarian enchiladas.

I don't really have a written out recipe for this. Basically, I just fry (but just until soft, not until crispy) some white corn tortillas in olive oil on a skillet. After I remove them from the skillet, I put some cheese in the center of each one along with three whole black olives. I roll them up, then place them in a 9x13 pan. When the pan is full, I pour a large can of enchilada sauce over them and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

It's quick, easy and a huge hit in my family!

I've been doing crockpot oatmeal and green smoothies for breakfast every morning. We've finally gotten to the point that there is more green in them than fruit and the kids don't complain at all! I'm absolutely thrilled about this! Here is what we used this morning:

Full blender of kale leaves
1/2 C almond milk
1 fuji apple
1 large carrot, peeled
7/8 orange, peeled
1/8 orange peel still on
4 T. flax meal
7 frozen strawberries
1/2 C frozen assorted b3erries
1 C frozen organic wild blueberries

Fill blender with kale leaves and almond milk. Blend until smooth. Add non frozen fruits and veggies and flax meal. Blend until smooth. Add frozen fruits. Blend until smooth. If at any point you can't blend it anymore, add more almond milk or water. Serve immediately.

If you don't serve it immediately, it kinda gels up at the top because of the fiber in the veggies. It's really gross when it does that. You can just mix it again though if that happens and it's fine. Tomorrow I'm doing a "red" smoothie and using beets as my secondary veggie instead of carrots. This morning's smoothie was a bit brown and I'm always afraid my kids won't drink it if it's not a "fruity" color. They don't like to know that they're drinking vegetables. lol

Pretty boring

2007-07-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

So, breakfast today consisted of crockpot oatmeal with ground flaxseed, fuji apple pieces and walnuts. Yummy! Lunch was a mocko salad. I think dinner is going to be steamed swiss chard, kale and zuchinni cooked with tomatoes and onions...and maybe another mocko salad if that isn't enough.

Yeah, pretty boring. lol

Back on track

2007-07-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

After a very indulgent pregnancy, I'm back on track! Veg*n, baby!

Thai pasta salad
(from vegweb)

4 ounces angel hair pasta (I used Barilla Plus. It has egg whites in it. I'm sure you can find a vegan pasta if you prefer)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon lemon peel seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, Optional

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Drain but don't rinse. Toss immediately with the 1 cup of coconut milk to prevent sticking. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve either hot or cold. Serves 3.

Caitlin and Emma are in Hawaii, so they didn't try it. Cole wasn't fond of the red cabbage. Truth be told, neither was I. I think I'll try green cabbage next time. Drake suggested wilting the cabbage a bit before adding it because he didn't like the texture. I think green cabbage will take care of that though because it's not as crunchy as red. Sera LOVED it. She had leftovers for breakfast AND lunch today! I'll get the pictures and stars up later :)

Split Pea Soup

2006-10-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

2 C. chopped onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 C. chopped carrots
2 C. chopped celery
1 lb. bag dried split peas
8 C. vegetable broth

Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery in water until onions are translucent. Add vegetable broth and split peas. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Cook until all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. (Approximately 2 hours) Blend or process soup with some water until it is the desired consistency.

Most of my kids LOVED this. Caitlin and...oddly enough, Sera...weren't all that fond of it. My husband took a couple of bites and was glad he picked up fast food on the way home from work.

A word to the wise

2006-10-28T02:52:00.000-07:00

Canned refried beans taste so much better than homemade...at least my homemade. Blech.

Tomato Soup

2006-10-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

OMG, I just made the YUMMIEST tomato soup! I'm not sharing with my kids. It would be wasted on them because they won't even like it. lol

1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
5 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch basil, chopped
1 bunch oregano, chopped

Fry onion and garlic with a small amount of water. Add the tomatoes and 6 cups of vegetable stock.

Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook on low utnil tomatoes have stewed. Add the chopped herbs.

Drain the tomatoes, but keep the liquid.

Puree the soup, adding liquid until desired consistency.

I got a recipe for a blended spinach salad off of Fat free Vegan that I made for breakfast this morning.

Blended Spinach Salad

1 C. pineapple
1 orange
1 pear
1 apple
1/8 slice lemon with peel
1 T. ground flaxseed
1 C. frozen blueberries
1 large handful spinach (8 oz)

Blend pineapple, orange, pear, apple, lemon and flax seed until liquidy. Add frozen blueberries and blend. Add spinach and blend for 20-30 seconds.

I used frozen strawberries instead of blueberries because that's what I had on hand. You could taste the spinach a little bit if you had a large amount of the smoothie. My kids gulped it down without a complaint though and my husband, who only had a sip, said he couldn't taste the spinach in the small sip he took. I think I may do it again tomorrow with romaine lettuce instead to see if I can find a leafy green that you can't taste at all.

Hot dogs and Mushrooms

2006-10-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

So, Ethan and Cole asked for a snack today. I was in the middle of making a mocko salad (I'm so addicted to those things lol) so I decided to spread some refried beans in the middle of a romaine lettuce leaf, then top it with some salsa and see if they would eat that. Ethan looked at it, exclaimed, "HOT DOG!!!" and gobbled it down. lol It did look a little like a hotdog...if you squinted your eyes, pretended the lettuce leaf was actually bread and really need your eyes checked. Cole, on the other hand, wasn't as anxious to eat it. He took a bite or two and asked, "If I promise not to complain about being hungry until dinner, can I not eat this?" So, Ethan ate Cole's...then had yet another hot dog. lol

Tonight, I made Florentine Stuffed Mushrooms. Drake ate like three of them, grimacing the whole time, then said, "Honey, I know this took you a long time to make, so I'm trying to eat them, but please never make this again. I have to admit...it wasn't all that good. It really lacked flavor.

Florentine Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large whitebutton mushrooms, (about 1 1/2" wide)
1 tsp water
3/4 C. minced onions
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/2C.finely chopped spinach
1/2 C. seeded and finely choppedd red bell pepper
1 T. fresh thyme
pinch of black pepper

Remove,trim andfinely chop mushroom stems

In a medium pot of boiling water, cookmushroomcaps for two minutes. Remove and run under cold water. Plce on paper towels, gill side down, to drain.

Lightly coat a medium size skillet with cookingspray. Add water and saute all veggies, including mushroom stems, for six minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat broiler or toaster oven.

Spoon mixture into mushroom caps. Broil until caps turn light brown, approximately three minutes.

I knew there was no way the kids would eat them, so I didn't even bother offering them any. I guess I'll have to figure out something to do with the leftovers. Stir fry, maybe?

Not very interesting

2006-10-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't really tried any interesting new foods lately. Every morning is still crockpot oatmeal because that's what the kids keep requesting, lunch is usually leftovers of dinner the night before, and dinner is just whatever easy thing I can throw together. Payday is tomorrow though, so I'll be able to actually go out and buy new fruits and veggies, so meals will be more interesting!

Last nights dinner was the vegan chili that we had had before. This time, though, I remembered to add the cilantro and added about two tablespoons of lemon juice and a large can of kidney beans. This chili got MUCH better reviews, so I think this is how I'll be making it from now on. I didn't do it in the crock pot, either, but I don't think that really made a difference...it just took less time and more effort. lol

I'm hoping to wake up in time to make it to the farmer's market on Saturday. It runs until noon, but the kids have tae kwon do from 9:30 on, so I really need to get there as soon as it opens (8:00) so I can get back and get everything put away with enough time left to get the kids ready for their classes.

Oh, and by the way,I had fresh pineapple for lunch today. It was SOOOOOO good. I love pineapple. I had a mocko salad for breakfast...tres yummy!

Mocko Salad

2006-10-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's not a taco salad without corn chips and ground beef with taco seasoning, so it's a "Mock"o Salad...and it was DELISH!!!!

Vegetarian refried beans makes the first layer (just spread it out on the plate)
Four romaine lettuce leaves, torn up, makes the next layer
Another layer of refried beans (because refried beans are tres yummy)
A layer of diced tomatoes
All topped with salsa

YUM! It was the largest salad I have EVER seen. I thought there was NO WAY I could finish it, but I knew I needed to attempt to get my one pound of raw veggies in, so I dug in...and finished it, while still wanting more! I've already made myself another one for dinner. It's calling me from the fridge. lol

I spent like three hours making this bean...thing...last night for lunch today. It didn't turn out anywhere near as good as I had hoped it would. :( I did eat it for breakfast though and sent some to work with Drake. I was going to have it for dinner, but I'm opting for the mocko salad again instead. I still need to figure out what the kids are having for lunch and dinner though. There's no way they'll touch a salad. lol

Still chugging along

2006-10-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

We haven't done any new foods recently. We've been having oatmeal for breakfast every morning, which is always a hit with everyone. I was feeling really lousy last night and didn't want to cook, so Drake somehow managed to convince me to fry up some burgers for him and the kids to eat. It was a lot less work than any veggie meal would have been, that's for sure. We told the kids they were tofu burgers so they wouldn't think that I was willing to cook them meat, and thusly, start asking for it again. lol They thought the tofu burgers were okay....not great...just okay. LOL If they knew they were actually meat, I'm sure they would have been raving about how wonderful it tasted and how they HAD to start eating meat again. lol They said they probably won't be asking for tofu burgers again. ;)

Tomorrow morning starts my new way of eating. I'm going to be following the "Eat to Live" program by Dr. Furhman. It's basically unlimited fruits, low starch veggies and beans. It's pretty much how I figured I'd be eating anyways. I need to stop with the bread and potatoes. lol I'll still be able to stick with my morning oatmeal though, which is good. I really need to incorporate more salad type veggies into my diet anyways.

So, that's about it from the veg*n homefront!

Artichoke hummus

2006-10-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1 medium clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

In food processor or blender, combine all artichoke spread ingredients and 2 Tbs. water. Process until mixture is almost smooth but retains some texture and is slightly thicker than hummus. If necessary, add water by teaspoonfuls to thin. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

I actually don't have a food processor or blender at the moment, so I smashed the chickpeas with a potato smasher, diced the artichoke hearts and blended it all together with the whisk beater on my KitchenAid. It's more the consistency of tuna salad than hummus, but still REALLY good. The boys and I had this for lunch. We dipped celery in it. The boys didn't want to save any for the girls, but they have, so I'll add the girl's rating when they get home from school and have it as an after school snack. The boys both LOVED it. Cole gave it a five and Ethan a four. I think Ethan is just fond of the number four today though. lol I have a heck of a time getting my boys to eat celery. They finished an entire bunch for lunch though, dipping it in this hummus!

Stuffed Shells

2006-10-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Shells

1 container extra firm tofu
5 T. nutritional yeast
dash of nutmeg
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 boxes frozen spinach
4 cloves of garlic (again, I used way more than this lol)
5 T. extra virgin olive oil
Marinara sauce (recipe to follow)
jumbo pasta shells
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil

Blend 3/4 of the tofu with 2 T. olive oil, nutmeg, yeast, 1/4 t. sea salt until smoothe. Mash the rest of the tofu into the smooth mixture. Preheat the oven to 350*. Saute onion in olive oil, add garlic. Defrost spinahc and squeeze out the water. Add spinach, onion and seasonings to the tofu mixture.

Cook shells acccording to the package directions. Place a layer of marinara on the bottom of a pan, stuff the shells with the tofu mixture, place stuffed shells on top of the marinara, then cover the shells with the rest of the marinara.

Marinara

2 1/2 cups tomatoes
2 sundried tomatoes, reconstituted
1/4 C. extra virginn olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 T. parsley
1/8 t. cayenne
1 t. sea salt

Mash tomatoes and mix with the rest of the ingredients. This was originally made as a "raw" marinara, but of course, when added to the stuffed shells, is cooked. It's very good raw though.

This meal was SO good! It definitely got 5 stars from me and my husband. Emma, my six year old, also gave it 5 stars. Caitlin liked it all except for the spinach, so it got 3 stars from her. Cole gave it a 2. He ate the shells, but left the stuffing. He did like the marinara though. Ethan gave it a 3. He ate the stuffing, but not the shells. Sera, of course, scarfed it all down. She gives pretty much ALL food 5 stars. lol

Lunch Time!

2006-10-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, we just finished off the potato kale soup. I thought it was DELICIOUS. In fact, I had seconds. This was my first venture into the world of kale and I can't say I was disappointed. It has a very mild flavor and really did add to the soup.

Potato Kale Soup

1 lg. onion, chopped
1/4 C. olive oil
2 lg cloves garlic (I used a lot more though..I LOVE garlic)
pinch of hot pepper flakes
4 medium potatoes, chopped into 1 1/2" pieces
2 vegetable bullion cubes
3/4 lb. kale
3 T. soy sauce
1/2 T. salt
dash of tobasco (I actually used red horseradish because I didn't have any tobasco)

Put onion in soup kettle. Add olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes and saute. Add potatoes with 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add bullion. Crush potatoes (how much depends on how chunky you want the soup) Destem the kale and shred. (Bunch the leaves together, then slice into thin strips with a knife) Add kale, soy sauce, salt and tobasco to the soup. Simmer until kale is wilted.

I give this dish 5 stars. I thought it was absolutely delicious. Hubby gives it 4 stars. He liked the potato soup, but just isn't fond of kale. He called me from work and told me, "I just wanted to let you know that I finished the soup. It was really good. Well, the potato part was, anyways." Later, he called me back and asked if we had the funds for him to pick up a sandwich at Subway. I guess it wasn't filling enough for him. Caitlin and Emma are eating lunch at school, so they didn't have any. Cole (age 4) gives it 4 stars. He said it was really good, but it wasn't as good as some other food. Ethan (age 3) gave it 1 star. He ate the potato part, but picked out the kale. It took him over an hour to finish a TINY bowl of the soup. He kept saying, "Mommy's soup is yucky!" I tried bribing him with orange juice and a banana, but he refused to eat the kale. It didn't go to waste though. Cole was more than happy to eat the kale that Ethan picked out. That's my boy!

So, an adult pleaser, but not necessarily a child pleaser. (Although, Cole is turning out to be quite the happy vegetarian!)

Crock Pot Oatmeal

2006-10-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

For the past two mornings we've had oatmeal for breakfast. (I recently had my cholesterol tested and it was EXTREMELY high and oatmeal is supposed to help lower it) It's SO easy to make. Before I go to bed at night, I just throw it in the crockpot, set it on low, then it's ready when we wake up.

Yesterday I added apples and walnuts. It was a hit. For this morning though, I used bananas. Caitlin and Drake thought it was gross. Of course, the bananas got all mushy and it made the oatmeal slimy. I still thought it was really good, as did Emma and the boys. Of course, Sera will eat anything, so she scarfed it down. It's now been requested that I stick to the apples and walnuts. I wasn't all that fond of the apples because I used granny smith and I thought they were a bit too tart for the oatmeal. I think I'll use gala next time.

So anyways, here's how you do it. Keep in mind, I have seven people in my family. If you have less, you won't want to make as much oatmeal. Just stick with the 2:1 ratio.

Crock Pot Oatmeal

4 C. oats (not instant or quick cooking)
8 C. water
Fruit of choice (as little or as much as you want. I used two diced apples the first day, and three sliced bananas the second)
handful of chopped walnuts

Put in the crockpot on low for 8 hours.

Later I'll review and post the recipe for the potato kale soup that I made for lunch! (Although, I already took a bite and can tell you it's VERY yum!)

Chocolate pudding and chili

2006-10-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

So, the chocolate pudding was a complete flop. We got a 0 stars from Caitlin, a 3 stars from Emma, a 2 stars from Cole and 1 star from Ethan. Sera ate it, but she eats everything.

Here's the recipeincase you think you'll like it more than they did. lol

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

3 small avacados
2 bananas
1 can coconut milk
cocoa
raw sugar to taste

Process all in a food processor until creamy. Refrigerate.

I don't know how much cocoa I used. I just kept adding it a little bit at a time until it was the flavor I wanted.

The chili was a bigger success:

Vegan Chili

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lrg. onion, chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 C. vegetable broth
1 1/2 C. lentils, rinsed and drained
1 lrg. red bell pepper
1 lrg. yellow bell pepper
1 4 1/2 oz. can green chilis, drained
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. finelt chopped cilantry

Put all together in a crock pot. Heat on low for 8 hours.

This dish got 3 stars across the board.

So...

2006-10-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Rather than fill up my other blog with random veggie posts, I decided to create this one. The plan, as of now, is to fill it with my day to day eating habits. Boring? Perhaps, but whatever. You don't really have to read it if you don't want to. :P Hopefully I'll be posting recipes, reviews, pictures (if I can get my digital camera working again *cue James Blunt, "Goodbye my Lover" music* )

So, a little bit of info about me, why I chose this way of eating and my struggles and triumphs so far:

My name is Katie. I'm a wife of 8.5 years and a stay at home mom of five spirited children. I recently decided to make a HUGE change in our lives. I decided we were going vegetarian. To say that this was met with apprehension from my children is an understatement. In fact, they were absolutely against it. When I told my older girls (ages 8 and 6) they literally CRIED in the grocery store...real tears and everything. "But what about McDonalds?!?!? What about ribs?!?!?!? What are we going to EAT?!???!!?" Everything I put in my cart was met with, "I don't like that. I won't eat that. That's gross. Can we have some salmon? I want steak for dinner. What the heck is THAT?!?!?!" You should have seen their faces when I told them we were also cutting dairy and eggs. "NO CHEESE?!?!?!?! But..but...but...THAT'S NOT MEAT!!!!! Can we have yogurt? Ice cream? Sour cream? WHAT?!?!?! NO WHIPPED CREAM!?!?!?!?!" LOL

So far I've convinced everyone but my eldest, Caitlin, that switching to vegetarian is a good idea. It just took a few good meals for them to decide that they really didn't need meat/eggs/dairy in their lives. Caitlin was on a hunger strike. She was refusing to eat until I cooked meat for her. That ended last night though because she got hungry. lol (She was still eating breakfast and lunch at school, so it's not like she wasn't eating at all...she was just refusing dinner at home) She did make sure to protest VERY loudly the entire time she ate last night. "I HATE tofu. Tofu is gross. What is this white thing?" "That's a potato, sweety...you like potatoes." "I think it got some tofu on it, it's gross. Do I have to eat this? Can I have some chicken? Chicken would be SO much better in this than tofu." and so on and so forth. She ate it though. (Well, minus the tofu, which she fed to the baby.)

So, we're just starting out on this journey. The family is more than welcome to eat whatever they want when they're not at home. Caitlin and Emma both choose to eat school breakfasts and lunches, so I know they're eating meat at school. Drake (my husband) still goes out to eat lunch almost everyday with coworkers, so I know he's eating meat then. They can decide what they want to eat. I'm not going to force this on anyone (except the younger three children, who rely on me 100% for everything they eat, but when they're older, they too will be able to choose to eat whatever they want when they're out).

So, what have we been eating lately? Saturday I made a decent bean soup. They all ate it, but it wasn't as filling as I had hoped it would be and it really could have used something to add some more flavor to it. It also wasn't very pretty. lol It was this murky green color and the kids were hesitant to eat it just because it didn't look horribly appetizing. Here's the recipe:

Bean and Zucchini Soup

4 C. vegetable broth
4 C. water
1 C. dried green split peas
2 C. dried 10 assorted bean mix
2 zucchini, chopped
1 t. garlic powder
salt, pepper and red pepper to taste

Rinse and drain all dried beans. Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot. Cook on high for 5 hours.

It really wasn't filling enough for dinner. It did make a decent breakfast the next morning though. All in all, I'd give it 3 stars (on a five star rating). Two kids gave it three stars, one gave it 2 stars. Caitlin didn't eat it.

For dinner last night, we had the MOST AMAZING curry. I dislike curry. I don't hate it, but I won't choose to eat it if I have other options. I know, however, that my husband loves curry. So, I decided to make curry for dinner last night. I honestly don't think I've ever tasted something so yummy in my life. I absolutely LOVED it! In fact, I had the leftovers for lunch today, and I'm SO not a leftovers type of person.

Tofu Curry

1 large Mayan sweet onion
4 potatoes
8 cloves of garlic, minced (I LOVE garlic, so I probably overdid it...change amount to suit your taste)
curry powder
1 can coconut millk
3 large tomatoes
1 package of firm tofu (drained and cut into 1 inch cubes)
salt

Sautee the onion, potatoes and tomatoes and garlic with olive oil. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add tofu, coconut milk, curry powder and salt to taste.

I served this over rice for my family and ate it plain myself. (I'm on a carb restricted diet, but splurged with the potatoes ;) ) A big thumbs up from everyone but Caitlin. I give it 5 stars, as do three of my children. Caitlin gave it 3 stars because it had tofu in it and that automatically downgrades it status by 2 stars. lol Drake gave it 4 stars because he felt the sauce was a little thicker and sparse than he would have liked it. This could have easily been remedied with more coconut milk.

Tonight we're having chili over rice for dinner. I'll post the recipe and reviews after we're finished eating it :D