Guacamole Tacos!

I'm sure this idea is out there somewhere in the inter-webs, but my husband felt pretty genius when he came up with it on a night we were set to have boring soft guacamole tacos. I'm so glad he decided to be adventurous because these are amazing! They remind me a bit of the nacho cheese chalupa that Taco Bell sells. Before caring about where my meat came from, I happily devoured many nacho cheese chalupas! I am glad to have a yummy home alternative that is even better for me! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, golden, warm and comforting- it doesn't get any better than that!

Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil over medium heat. Fold a small flour tortilla in half and place in oil. Use a fork to prevent the tortilla from opening if it starts to bubble over. After 30-45 seconds, flip to the other side and allow to become golden brown. Remove carefully and place standing up on a paper towel or napkin, allowing to drain any excess oil. If you have a cooling rack, that might work better. Fill with guacamole, tomatoes and lettuce. Enjoy!

Mushroom Spinach Alfredo Lasagna

I love white sauce lasagna's and this one is my new favorite! Hope you like it as much as we did!


Mushroom Spinach Alfredo Lasagna
inspired by this recipe

Ingredients:


6 oz fresh spinach, chopped (or you can thaw frozen and pat dry)
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt (this makes it pretty flavorful, use less if desired)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 jar of Alfredo sauce, divided (Newman's Own is our favorite)
1/2 box lasagna noodles
1 egg


Directions:


Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions for al dente preparation- be sure not to overcook them. Add some vegetable oil to your boiling water to prevent sticking. 

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper in large bowl; set aside.

• Spread 1 cup Alfredo sauce in 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle extra cheese if desired. 

• Layer 4 lasagna noodles, then 1 cup Alfredo sauce and 1/2 the ricotta mixture; repeat. Top with remaining 4 noodles and Alfredo Sauce, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

You can double this recipe and use a  9 x 13- inch pan as well. Enjoy!

Blue Kalamata Pizza

This is my favorite pizza recipe. It's cheesy, tart, zesty and downright delicious! It's super light compared with it's saucy counterparts and I love the thin crust with these toppings.

Blue Kalamata Pizza

Ingredients:

Mozzarella cheese, shredded (1.5-2 cups)
Blue cheese, crumbled (1/4-1/2 cup)
Kalamata olives, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Purple onion, sliced
Olive oil
Pizza Crust

Cover your hands in olive oil and knead your pizza dough. Spread it out on your pizza pan and add the mozzarella cheese, blue cheese crumbles, olives, mushrooms and onion. Bake at 375 F until golden brown. Does it get any easier!? Share and enjoy with a yummy white wine!

French Onion Soup

The arrival of Autumn has also meant the arrival of some of our favorite warm comfort foods. As the temperatures have cooled, we have begun reintegrating cheese into back our diet and are enjoying the savory and creamy addition it brings to our meals, especially in soups~!

One of my very favorite soups is French onion. There really is no proper way to do a vegan French onion soup since the cheese is one of the best parts, so find some ethically made cheese and enjoy!

French Onion Soup

Recipe credit: The Vegetarian Cookbook by Nicola Graimes

Ingredients:

1 pound yellow onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, 3 chopped and 1 peeled but kept whole
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 teaspoons thyme
2 tablespoons white flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 cups vegetable broth (I used Pacific Natural Foods found at Target)
French bread slices
10 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated (I used Sargento Swiss)

Directions:

Thinly slice the onions. Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom pan over medium-low heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until they are just beginning to brown. Stir in the chopped garlic, sugar and chopped thyme, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.

Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the wine. Gradually stir in the stock and bring to a boil, skimming off any froth that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler on high. Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler, then rub the toast with the whole garlic clove.

Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls set on a baking sheet. Place a slice or two of french bread in each bowl and divide the grated cheese between them. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with thyme, serve immediately and enjoy!

Vegan Dinner in a Pumpkin

My sister posted a recipe for a dinner in a pumpkin last Autumn and I never got around to making it. This year, being a Vegan didn't stop me from making it, but I did have to more or less come up with a new (& healthier) recipe! Both my husband and I loved it, and I'm looking forward to trying different variations for more pumpkin goodness! Did you know how good pumpkin is for you? Read all about it at World's Healthiest Foods. Knowing how nutritious they are, I can't believe that most pumpkins are used for decoration and then smashed and trashed! Well not anymore in our home! Make sure that you use the smaller pumpkins known as sugar or pie pumpkins for this recipe. Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, so before anything else, start your rice! 

 
 Wash your pumpkins. Dry thoroughly, making sure that the bottoms are completely dry. To remove the tops, use a sharp serrated knife and cut into the top at a 45° angle to ensure the top can be placed back on without falling through. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers gently with a spoon. Preheat oven to 350°.

Vegan Dinner in a Pumpkin 

Ingredients:

Two 2 1/2-3 lb pumpkins or One 5 1/2-6 lb pumpkin  (we liked having our own)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bouillon cubes
4 ounces mushrooms, minced or sliced (we minced, but next time I'll slice for more variety in texture)
1/2 cup milk (we used original Silk)
1 can lentils (and liquid)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
parsley, for garnish

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden brown. Add 2 bouillon cubes, 1/2 cup milk, mushrooms, and lentils. Add both black and white pepper, thyme, cumin, parsley and sea salt and mix well. Turn heat down to low and allow to simmer while rice cooks. Stir every 5 minutes. Cook rice according to package directions. Once cooked, add rice to the lentil mixture and mix well. Fill pumpkins with lentil and rice mixture, then sprinkle with parsley and place the tops on.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the pumpkin is easily pierced with a sharp knife. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before eating!

 Enjoy!

PS.
When you're done eating, remove any leftover filling and scrape out the remaining pumpkin. You'll be amazed at how much will be left after you've stuffed yourself. We got about 2 cups of pumpkin from each one, and that was after we ate until we were stuffed!

Simple Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

We love chili. Before we became Vegetarians, I would use only two cans of beans and one pound of ground beef cow in this recipe. I prefer beans to ground beef, so to me, this is the perfect chili.
Kidney beans are a fantastic meat replacer as far as protein and iron are concerned, and they have the added benefit of being packed with fiber, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol. Read here to learn about why kidney beans are so good for you.

Simple Three Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, diced, to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, minced, to taste
1 brown onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
3-6 ounces can tomato paste
1 packet McCormick Chili seasoning, mild or hot
4 cans of your favorite chili beans
Heat the oil in your chili pot over medium high heat and add your onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft and golden brown.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, prepare your peppers. It is up to you to determine how much jalapeno you want to add. One word of caution: the seeds are HOT. Be careful not to add them unless you want fire hot chili! This is the amount of each pepper I used:

about a third of the jalapeno, half of the poblano and one whole bell.

Add to the onion and garlic mixture.

Then, add the diced tomatoes and stir well.

Add your chili seasoning.

And stir it all up.

Now it's time to add the beans! I used one can of white kidney beans (AKA Cannellini), one can of light red kidney beans and 2 cans of dark red kidney beans. I added the whole can, liquid and all.

It's up to you to decide when you add the tomato paste, if at all.  I added 1/2 the can of paste just before serving to take the edge off because ours came out pretty spicy for my taste. It also added a subtle hint of sweet tomato flavor and thickened it up a bit. If you're not sure whether you want to add it or not, wait until just before serving and do a taste test. Adjust accordingly!

After adding the beans, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 45 minutes, the longer the better.

You can keep it Vegan by enjoying it as is. I will admit that in a former stage of life, I would add a dollop of Daisy and a handful or two of cheese, but this way is much healthier and you actually taste the flavor of the chili, not the added dairy. Give it a try and see what you think!

Serve with Blue Ribbon Cornbread and enjoy!

A French Culinary Delight

I usually don't make dishes I can't pronounce, so the first thing I did when I found this recipe was to find out how to say the French word, Gougere (listen here). A Gougere is a French puff pastry stuffed with cheese. Sound good? Then you're going to love this recipe! Oh, and don't be scared away by the fancy name, this is easier to make than icing a cake!

Mushroom Gougere
 recipe from The Vegetarian Cookbook

Ingredients:

Choux Pastry

1/2 cup white bread flour (I used Organic white flour and it worked well)
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance)
2/3 cup water
2 eggs
2 ounces Emmental cheese, grated (I used Swiss-it's less expensive)

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon white flour
2/3 cup vegetable stock
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley (fresh or dried)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. To make the pastry, combine the flour and the salt and mix well. Melt the butter with the water in a saucepan over medium heat, but do not let the mixture boil. Add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and comes away from the side of the pan. Remove from heat, let cool for 10 minutes, (while the pastry cools, prepare your vegetables) then gradually beat in the eggs until smooth and glossy. Beat in the cheese. Grease a round dish (pie plates work well) and spoon the pastry around the side. 

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large, heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the chopped walnuts, and stir the remainder into the mushroom mixture with the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into the center of the dish and sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the filling.  

Bake for 40 minutes, or until pastry is risen and golden. Serve immediately. I served this with sundried tomato couscous. 

My pastry was nice and fluffy when I pulled it out of the oven, but it sunk down (as you see above) after it cooled slightly. I think it's because I used sliced Swiss cheese that I cut into shreds, so I recommend that you use finely shredded Swiss instead. 
One thing I would change about this recipe is that I would spread the pastry across the bottom of the dish as well, to make it more like a pie or quiche. I may try that next time, and if I do, I'll post about how it comes out. 


Hope you enjoy this Autumn dish!

Late Summer Vegetable Tian

A tian is traditionally served as a side dish for grilled meats, but it also shines like a star in its role as main course. Served alongside a hearty whole grain, this makes a light but satisfying dinner, the kind that are best served on warm Summer evenings. Enjoy with a chilled white wine for a refreshing experience. :)

Late Summer Vegetable Tian

recipe adapted from Vegetarian Suppers by Deborah Madison (I highly recommend this cookbook!)

Ingredients You'll Need:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 bell peppers, preferably red, orange and yellow, sliced in strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup sherry or dry white wine
6 plum tomatoes
1 medium sized eggplant, skin removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 green zucchinis, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs of thyme
1/4 lemon, seeds removed, sliced
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Oil a shallow gratin dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide skillet. Add the peppers, onion and 2 thyme sprigs. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a little pepper and cook over medium high heat until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Work in the tomato paste, then add the wine, mix well (Be careful with the wine vapors over the high heat- they can be incapacitating!) and allow to simmer until a syrupy sauce forms. Meanwhile, fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. You will also need to fill a small bowl with cold water, then set it next to the boiling pot. Spread the vegetable mixture into the oiled dish. 
2. Drop the tomatoes two at a time into the pot of boiling water for 15-30 seconds or so, then drop them into the bowl of cold water. After 10 seconds or so, pick one up, slip off the skin (you may need to start the peeling process with the edge of a sharp knife) and continue until all the tomatoes have been peeled. Then, slice them and set aside.
3. Arrange the sliced tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and squash over the pepper mixture, overlapping them either carefully or haphazardly, whichever is your style, making a fairly uniform layer in either case. Tuck the remaining thyme sprigs, lemon slices and minced garlic among the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with remaining olive oil. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.

I served this with a mixture of brown rice and barley to round out all the veggies.

Hope you have fun using fresh summer veggies and enjoy this late summer dish!

Vegetarian Sushi

I decided to try my hand at making sushi since our Target sushi habit was starting to cost more than we were willing to spend but we were hooked on sushi itself. I'm so glad we tried because we succeeded and not only is it so much cheaper than buying it pre-made, it tastes so fresh and it's hand made with lots of love too! Don't be intimidated, contrary to what the fancy sushi restaurants want you to think, it is super easy and takes very little time.

Vegetarian Sushi

Ingredients:

Vegetables of choice:

Cucumber, halved and sliced into thin strips
Avocado, halved, peeled and sliced into thin strips
Carrot, sliced into thin strips (I used matchstick carrots)
Sesame seeds

Sushi Rice:

2 cups warm cooked white rice mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar or rice syrup and 2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 sheets Nori (dried seaweed)



First, spoon 1/4 cup rice onto Nori and spread evenly up to 1 inch away from the top. This makes it possible to seal the roll and prevent the rice and filling from falling out. Sprinkle sesame seeds over rice, if desired.

Starting about an inch from the bottom, place a strip of cucumber, avocado slices, and carrots evenly.





Roll tightly like a burrito, being careful not to tear the Nori. If your rice is warm, it should help the Nori soften and become easier to roll.


Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each roll into 6-8 rolls, depending on your size preference.


Serve with wasabi paste, pickled ginger and soy sauce and enjoy!


Read more about the health benefits of Nori here.

3 Cheese Monte Cristo

As a result of my Disney blog posts, David and I daydreamed and reminisced about our favorite parts of our time together at Disneyland. One of them was discovering the 3 Cheese Monte Cristo at Cafe Orleans. You see, David and I ate at Blue Bayou the last two times we had been to Disneyland, and we both ordered the original Monte Cristo (made with swiss cheese and ham). David and I at Blue Bayou in September 2008:
Being vegetarian, we were depressed at the thought of missing out on such a yummy tradition over a piece of ham. While we were perusing various menus looking for something to equally satisfy, we stopped at Cafe Orleans and discovered that not only did they carry the original Monte Cristo (for $10 less than Blue Bayou, no less!), but they also carried a vegetarian friendly 3 Cheese Monte Cristo! We jubilantly put our name in for a table and waited as patiently as we could. For pictures and details of our meal, go to our family blog and scroll down.

When we returned home to Louisiana after our trip to Disneyland in 2008, we made the traditional version (with ham) based on the recipe here, which is what I have saved in my recipe binder, and was the foundation for our recipe below. David and I made our own version of the 3 Cheese Monte Cristo last night and we were quite happy with the way it turned out! Even if you are not a vegetarian, if you love cheese (like we do!) try the 3 Cheese version- you won't be disappointed!


3 Cheese Monte Cristo

For the Batter:::

In separate bowls,

whisk together:
1 egg
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk (we did a 1/4 cup of each)

combine:
2/3 cup flour
1 3/4 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Then whisk flour combination slowly into the egg mixture and set aside.

Bread:::
I used Earth Grains Potato, but any white sandwich bread will do. (I left the crust on).

Cheese Filling:::

Swiss
Brie
Mozzarella


This is tricky to describe. Basically, you want to make a grilled cheese sandwich with all 3 cheeses. Use as much or as little of each as you wish. My only advice is to lay the brie in between the mozzarella and the swiss, since it's the softest cheese, it will hold it all together.

Make your sandwiches*, and cut into quarters. Secure with a toothpick in the middle of each quarter. Cover with batter liberally and gently lift with fingers and carefully drop into the oil. It should be golden brown within 45 seconds. Allow the oil to drip off (I left it on the slotted metal spoon over a bowl) until the next one is ready to come out, then place on paper towels and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Allow to cool slightly before sprinkling for better presentation, otherwise the sugar will melt.


*About halfway through your sandwich prep, heat 2-4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan (unless you have a deep fryer) over medium heat. Test the temperature by dropping a teaspoon of batter into the oil- it should turn golden brown within 10 seconds and not burn within 20 seconds.


Remove toothpicks and serve with fruit, warm blackberry sauce (or your favorite fruit compote) and Disney music! Let me know how you like it!




James ate half of a sandwich dipped in blackberry sauce!

He loves berries!

David, thoroughly enjoying himself!


P.S.
I enjoyed this guy's review of the Monte Cristo sandwich and whole-heartedly agree with his analysis concluding that this is a very dessert like dinner. It reminds me very much of typical Southern cuisine (fried) and closely resembles beignets, but that's for another post!

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

I made this for dinner tonight and both David and I loved it. Definitely comfort food!

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

What you'll need:

Mashed Potatoes

6 large russet potatoes; peeled, cubed and boiled
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix together to make mashed potatoes.

Lentil Filling

1 can of lentils or 1 lb faux ground beef (I used lentils)
2 cups assorted vegetables such as peas, carrots, corn and green beans (I used frozen but would recommend fresh or canned)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
vegetable bouillon (1 cube)

Mix the cream of mushroom soup, water, and vegetable bouillon together in a pot. Add vegetables and lentils and heat through.

Shred 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese.

Spoon vegetable mixture into an 8x8 pan, cover with mashed potatoes and top with cheddar cheese.

Bake @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

(picture next time!)

Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna