Lovely Appetizer Idea

Last night for dinner I had to come up with something yummy and different.  DH is working awfully hard lately and he had a particularly difficult day yesterday and I wanted to give him a meal that would warm his belly and heart.

Yesterday I made a Costco run.  Costco sells seafood salads by GulfCoast foods and we enjoy the Maine Lobster Spread a lot.  My boys love it so I decided it was what we would have for dinner.

I created this recipe on my own although I am sure someone out there has thought of the same idea.

Lobster Bites - serves 4

1 container GulfCoast Maine Lobster Salad Spread
3 eggroll wrappers (cut them into four pieces per wrapper)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 green onion, chopped

* Turn oven on to broil (if you have two settings on your oven use low setting).  Spray 12 cup muffin pan with not stick spray
* Take one square of your eggroll wrappers that you cut and put it in the muffin tin and create a little bowl.  Repeat with the other 11 squares and tins (my three year old thought this was a lot of fun)
* Put one tbsp of salad in each cup and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over tins
* Put pan into oven and watch it closely.  I waited for the wrappers to brown, to see the cheese had melted, and to see if the salad was hot and bubbly.  (DO NOT WALK AWAY on this step)
* Take out the pan sprinkle green onions on top and enjoy.

It was absolutely divine!!!

Vegetable "Beef" Soup

It has been bitterly cold here this week.  We have had 25+ mph winds and most of that is sustained.  With temps in the high 30s/low 40s soup was what we needed to warm up.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups green cabbage, chopped (you can leave this out if you wish)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 cups tomato juice
3 cups water
2 cups frozen green beans
1 cup diced potato
1 cup frozen corn
2 tsp better than boullion no beef base

2 tbsp oil/margarine

* place oil/margarine in large stock pot and saute carrots and onions
* add tomato juice and water
* add in all other vegetables and seasonings and bring to a boil
* simmer at least 45 minutes

Please note that the boullion is easier to put in the soup when it has come to a boil. 

Serve with warm rolls or oyster crackers

Tacos during a fast???

Oh yes it can be done.

Fatastic Foods taco filling is something I have wanted to try for a while.  Last week I found the taco filling at my local grocery store and purchased it to give it a try.  I was very happy to have purchased this product.

Just follow the directions on the package and serve just like you would a regular taco with meat filling.  My children even enjoyed the filling and thought is was especially good with their cheese and sour cream (we don't deprive them of dairy at this time).  It did not disappoint and I will be happy to serve again.

Next on the agenda is their Falafel mix.

ChickPea Salad

We had this salad during coffee hour this past week at church.  Easy, yummy, and filling.

1 can chick peas (rinsed and drained)
1 cup pico de gallo (pick it up at the salad counter in your grocery store to save time/money)
1/4 diced red onion (only if it is not in your pico de gallo and if you want it)

Place chick peas in a bowl and mash with a fork.  Add pico de gallo (red onion also if you are adding) and mix together.  Serve on crackers, or bread.

NO idea what to do for lunch...

so took the boys to run some errands this morning.  As they were happily playing with some new toys I hear "mommy, I'm hungry."  Well I had NO idea what to serve them.  PB&J just didn't seem like a good choice today, it's chilly and blustery and I wanted them to eat something warm.  I check my favorite go to kids meal site and UREKA!!  Homemade Spaghetti O's were born.

I found the following recipe for Baby Bolognese and realized I had letter pasta and half a jar of crushed tomatoes frozen from the other night.  I immediately went to work.  As the sauce and the noodles were cooking I wondered is there an online recipe for homemade spaghetti o's so off I went to google.  SCORE!!!  Another post on the topic to help my endeavor.  You can find the recipe here Homemade Spaghetti O's.

So here is my version of Homemade Pspaghetti O's

1  16oz can crushed tomatoes (small can, although I used half of a large can that was frozen in my freezer)
1/4 onion chopped
6 baby carrots, diced
1 tbsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp Herbs de Provence
1 cup ABC pasta (i used Manischewitz)
1/2 to 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs milk

1. place crushed tomatoes, onion, and carrots in sauce pot, bring to boil
2. prepare pasta as directed
3. after sauce comes to boil add in garlic, salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence
4. simmer sauce while pasta is cooking
5. once pasta is cooked, drain and add to sauce (reserve your pasta water)
6. add cheese, milk, and a little pasta water to sauce pot
7. serve and enjoy

Now I have to say, I've tried to have my boys eat spaghetti o's from a can before and they NEVER eat it.  Today they ate over half of what I gave them.  Oh and I had some too and it was really tasty.  I will be making this again, maybe even double the recipe so I can freeze some when I really need a quick lunch.

If you try this recipe please let me know how you liked it.

I know it's been too long

Sorry for the lack of postings.  So much going on these days.  With the Nativity season approaching I will be trying to add some recipes...and hopefully staying on top of things.

A wonderful Giveaway

I frequently read cooking blogs.  What can I say, I love food and love finding new recipes for my family.

The cooking couple,  Brooks and Lindsay, over at Our Family Treat are running a give away too cute to not share. 

From the Kidorable company...check this out.   We love the pirate and dinosaur umbrellas..super cute.  Rainy days would definitely be fun with this rain gear!!!

Because we do eat meat...

Oh the joy of grilling season.  Our garden is planted and we are patiently waiting for freshly grown crops.  In the mean time we enjoy the opportunity to grill a variety of meats. 


The other night...Tequila Lime Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 c. tequila
3 c. margarita mix

marinade the chicken thighs for two hours or over night.  We use our vacuum sealer attachment to marinade our meat.

Grill 4-5 minutes on each side.  We had this with a corn and black bean salad.  Super tasty.

Great Black Eyed Peas

This recipe comes to you from the cookbook "Taste and See: American Orthodox Cooking"

This is one of two Lenten recipe books that I own.  It is one that I go to for quick and super easy meals when in a pinch.  Most of the time I have the things in my pantry so I do not have to stress over making dinner at the 11th hour.

Great Black-Eyed Peas

black-eyed peas (I used 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
chopped tomatoes, 1 can
onion, I used 1/2 chopped

Put black-eyed peas, tomato, and onion into sauce pan and simmer.  I simmered mine for about 20 minutes.  I also added garlic powder, pepper, and a little salt.

In the meantime, I cooked some basmati rice so I could serve the peas over something.

I was not sure how this was going to taste but it came out really yummy, serve a salad on the side and dinner is served.

Oh and it tastes better the next day :-)

Ever wonder....

where in the world can I eat out when I need to eat vegan????

Often I find myself during a fast or on a fasting day with an urge to eat out.  What do I eat besides a salad or steamed veggies and rice???  I would love pizza but most of it has real cheese (so at times even I succumb to the real deal when I shouldn't). 

Along comes the new pizza place zpizza....ever heard of them???  check out their website

www.zpizza.com

This is a for sure item for those who need to eat or are choosing to eat vegan.

This is their Berkeley Vegan:  Ingredients are daiya cheese shreds, gardein crumbles, marinara sauce, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers.

Plus any pizza on the menu can be altered for those with a vegan lifestyle.  Enjoy...we did

Pasta, Chickpeas, and Pesto

Just a few simple ingredients and dinner or lunch is served.

Box of pasta...choose any kind you like, we had ziti.
Can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
Store bought pesto.

Cook pasta according to directions (as much as needed for your family), when cooked and drained add in chickpeas, add as much pesto as you like and stir.  Serve with mozzarella cheese or any kind you like.

Quick, easy, and super yummy!!!

Butternut Squash Ravioli

recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis adapted by Me

I don't know why but I have been craving butternut squash.  There is something warm and comforting about fresh butternut squash.  Top it with lasagna noodles and OMG instant satisfaction.

Found this recipe on foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

I did not use the cookies in the puree, instead I used cinnamon.  Also I did not use basil and let me just say I could have eaten most of the lasagna myself.  It was so good and a definite keeper recipe.

Birthday Party was saved!!!

So as we are in Lent and the boys have a friend with dairy and nut allergies I found myself in a pickle. How can I have yummy cupcakes that are safe for their little buddy and yet taste yummy? Well thanks to a good mommy friend we used a fantastic packaged product.

Cherrybrook Kitchen has awesome mixes for those that are restricted to certain diets for health reasons or for those who eat a certain way by choice.  I made the yellow and chocolate mix as well as the vanilla and chocolate icings.  YUMMY!!!  The texture was a little different but the taste was awesome!!!  I did add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to both mixes but I often do that with other cake mixes so nothing out of the ordinary.  Taking a page out of Sandra Lee's Semi-homemade book.

I totally recommend this product and let me know if you try it and how you like it.

Lunchtime Tip...Eureka!!

I have been researching a lot of new recipes lately. Seems like my kiddos are in a funk, granted I love PB&J but they need more variety. Well when hubby and I got married we got a mini food processor. I have only used it a handful of times. After seeing recipes for different meat salads I thought hmmm....idea.

Why not process the chicken or ham salads in the mini food processor? It makes it smooth and creamy and more appealing to my kiddos. The boys took turns pushing the button. (what a great way for kids to be involved in meal time)


Today I made them chicken salad.

1 can of chicken
1 tbsp sweet relish (one that I canned myself)
1 to 2 tbsp mayo
pepper and curry powder to taste

Puree to your liking.

This was wonderful. Easy on their palate as there was not a lot of chewing and they got to use my cool snowman spreaders to put the salad on crackers.

Next up, leftover filling and wonton wrappers. Yumm-oh!!!

"Beef" Stew Recipe Review

If you have ever started researching vegan foods you will find there are products on the market that are meat replacers.  Recently I found a product called gardein.  I was super excited to try the "beef" stew recipe so last week I bought all that we needed for the recipe in hopes for success.

Here is the recipe:

Gardein Beefless Stew

Ingredients:
gardein beefless tips - 1 package
vegetable oil - 3 tbsp
pearl onions - 10 oz package
garlic, minced - 2 cloves
celery stalks, thinly sliced - 2
carrots, 1/2 inch dice - 2
dried thyme - 1/2 tsp
dried rosemary - 1/2 tsp
flour - 3 tbsp
vegan "beef" stock - 3 cups
dry red wine - 1 cup
medium potatoes, 1/2 inch dice - 2
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat, add beefless tips and brown on all sides. Remove from saucepan and set aside. 

Add pearl onions, garlic and celery to saucepan and cook for 3 minutes. Add carrots, thyme, and rosemary and continue to cook for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle in flour, then slowly add broth and wine while stirring.

Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add beefless tips back in and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

VERDICT - Thumbs down if you include the meat :-(

I was very pleased with the beef flavor that came from the vegan beef stock.  The stew itself without the meat is very appealing to the palate and would satisfy any meat eaters craving in a no meat world.  The vegan beef stock is a product I am likely to use over and over in dishes where I want the taste but can't have the real thing.

I do have a few more gardein products that I will need to try as they were already purchased although now I'm a little apprehensive.

MMMmmm Banana Bread

So I read a rave review about Matushka Emily's recipe.  I gave it a try and it is absolutely wonderful.  Perfect for a snack or a yummy breakfast..Try It, you'll be so happy you did.

Vegan Banana Bread


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup almond milk
1 t. apple cider vinegar
2 cups mashed banana, from about 4 large very ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
1 t. vanilla extract
cinnamon sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9"x5" loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk and cider vinegar and let stand for 2 minutes. Add the mashed banana (I've used a food mill with great results), canola oil, and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined (do not over-mix!). Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top (it makes a lovely crust for the bread). Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Allow the bread to cool on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Breakfast tip...

so how do you enjoy breakfast when you are giving up dairy???

well it's easier said than done.  It is also a experiment that does not take easy to your pocket book.  You will notice many things vegan cost more. 

This morning I had a mini bagel with Tofutti Cream Cheese.  I had the "plain" version and it obviously doesn't taste like cream cheese.  My suggestion, if you have some chives or scallions on hand stir them together if your grocery store doesn't carry the other flavors. Maybe you could even try some canned pumpkin and cinnamon.  Mmmm....might have to try that myself.

Enjoy!!!

Hello and welcome

Hello all of you and welcome.  

So what is the purpose of this blog anyway?  Well, being that we are an Orthodox Christian family we spend much of our year fasting for different feasts.  It has been a challenge for our family to find vegan/vegetarian recipes that actually taste good and yet maintain simplicity.  I have been asked to share recipes and meal ideas many times so the idea of this blog was born.

My goal is to share all things domestic.  So pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy.