Thursday, December 9, 2010

Mealplan 12/9

I've been a terrible blogger! So much for my weekly postings w/ a full menu! Life has been a bit too hectic!

Anyways, here's a few more meals to give you some ideas :)

Stirfry over rice (beans for protein)-I haven't been much into tofu these days.
Black beans and Rice in tortilla
Pizza-homemade with veggie toppings (I think we have a green pepper and some onions in our fridge!)
Grilled cheese
Pizza Bagels, green beans
Baked Ziti (I have one frozen from last time-yum & easy!)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

More Meals :)

So I'm kinda slacking this week! I've been so exhausted and we had a nice time enjoying our long Thanksgiving weekend :).

Here are a few meals that we had this week. Since tomorrow is payday (yay!) I'll be making new meals for then :). I'm trying to make them a bit more simple these days!

Pizza Bagels (veggie & cheese), green beans
Fake "Chick'n" sandwiches with cheese, roasted butterling potatoes, salad
Fettetuni Alfredo with broccoli (homemade sauce), garlic bread
Spaghetti Squash Mexicana (Vegan), green beans

The Spaghetti Squash recipe is from Veganomican which is an amazing cookbook! Everything is amazing :).

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Meal Plan beginning 11/21/2010

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! We're celebrating with a friend and making some of the dishes (all vegetarian of course).

We ate leftovers a couple of times (we had so many!!) so we have two leftover recipes, but I'm just going to take the French toast one off, so we have one repeat from last week. Oh and LOTS of salad. I ordered 2 heads lettuce in my co-op and they're HUGE!

Meals for this week:
Greek Stuffed Zucchini, Green beans with lemon and garlic
Vegan Fajitas, salad (vegan)
Broccoli Tortellini Casserole, salad
Eggs with toast, fruit salad
Thanksgiving
Leftovers (Thanksgiving)
Leftovers (Thanksgiving) or something light like grilled cheese, cereal, etc.

For Thanksgiving this year I'm making:
Veggie Meatloaf (cook lentils according to package instructions... I always use more too)
Cheesy Potatoes (altered to be veggie)
Veggie Gravy (I have packets from another co-op I'm in)
Rolls (breadmaker)
Cranberry stuff
Stuffing (just using veggie stock instead of chicken stock)
Pumpkin Pie
Sparkling Cider

Appetizer: Cheeseball and crackers

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Meal Plan beginning 11/14/2010

Well we didn't get to two of our meals from last week so they're on the menu for this week :).

This weeks meals:
French toast with fresh fruit topping (your choice), eggs (optional)
Baked ziti with roasted peppers, lettuce salad with homemade croutons
Greek stuffed zucchini, fresh cucumber slices
Chickpea veggie burgers, homemade potato wedges
Leek and bean cassoulet with biscuits
Baked Potatoes topped with baked beans, sour cream, cheese, butter, etc., big salad
Sweet potato curry over rice, green beans with lemon and garlic

Just as a note: there are a bunch of shortcuts you can take with some of these recipes. You don't have to make tomato sauces for the ziti or stuffed zucchini. You can use store bought croutons. You can also just buy french fries or something along those lines with the burgers :).

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can chickpeas
3 eggs
salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
Other seasonings if you wish (like chili, oregano, etc.)
Veggie-anything you like

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F

Put the chickpeas and eggs in a bowl and mash them together. Season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings (if desired).

Add breadcrumbs and mix them in.

Add any veggie you like (ie shredded carrots, zucchini, etc.)

Form the mixture into patties: roll into balls and squash flat with hand.

Put patties on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Put baked burgers on buns. Serve with ketchup, mustard, etc.

*The more veggies you add, the more burgers it makes.

Greek Stuffed Zucchini

Greek Stuffed Zucchini

Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics

Ingredients:

Zucchini:
2 Zucchini (10 inches long)
1/4 cup dry sherry

Cinnamon tomato sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes with juice (28 oz can)
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 to 4 tablespoons dry sherry
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Filling:
1 cup chopped onions
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 to 1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup currants
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups cooked brown rice

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (optional)
dash of olive oil (optional)
grated feta cheese
fresh oregano leaves (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil a baking sheet

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a paring knife, score the flesh about 1/2 inch deep. Place the cut sides down on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the sherry and cover with foil. Bake for about 20 minutes, until yielding but still firm.

While the zucchini bakes, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions and garlic, and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon, and sherry. Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

While the sauce simmers, prepare the filling. Saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. In a bowl, combine the sauteed onions with the walnuts, feta, currants, and lemon juice. Stir in the rice.

When the zucchini is tender, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a thin 1/4 inch shell. Chop the flesh and add it to the filling. Mound the filling in the shells and sprinkle with sauteed bread crumbs and olive oil, if desired. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until hot.

To serve, ladle some of the tomato sauce onto each plate. Place a stuffed zucchini on the sauce and top with grated feta. Garnish, if you wish, with oregano leaves.

Baked Ziti with Roasted Peppers

Baked Ziti with Roasted Peppers

Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics

Ingredients:

Tomato mushroom sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black peper
4 cups chopped mushrooms
3 cups undrained canned tomatoes chopped (28 oz can)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into long strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound penne or other pasta
1 cup goat cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups grated provolone cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano

In a saucepan, warm the oil and saute the onions, garlic, salt, and black pepper on medium heat until the onions are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until juicy, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Add the basil just before assembling the ziti.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch non reactive baking pan. Bring a large, covered pot of salted water to a boil.

In a bowl, toss the bell peppers with the oil. Spread them on a baking tray and broil for about 10 minutes, until softened and slightly browned. Set aside and lower the oven temperature to 350F.

When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. While the pasta cooks, stir together the three cheeses, the garlic, basil, and oregano. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and stir it into the cheese mixture.

To assemble, spread 2 cups of the tomato sauce in the baking pan. Layer on the pasta and cheese, the roasted peppers, and finally cover with ther est of the tomato sauce. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until piping hot.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Pizza Dough Recipe

Here's my favorite pizza dough recipe!!

Dough:
1 package dry yeast (I buy in bulk, so I just use the equivalent)
1/2 cup water
1 cup warm milk (I use almond milk)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Add milk and stir.
Add salt, sugar, and oil. Stir well.
Add flour and mix completely.
Cover and let rise until double, about 45 minutes.

Shape pizza in pan (I typically use a large cookie sheet) and let rise 10-20 minutes.

Top with desired toppings and bake 425F oven for about 20 minutes.

**You can also make 4 individual pizzas or a couple round ones. If you make them thin, bake at a higher temp (try 475) for a shorter amount of time (8-9 min).

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Lemony Roasted Potatoes

Lemony Roasted Potatoes

Veganomicon


Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (medium to small potatoes work best)
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup veggie broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more than 3/4-inch thick.
2. In a large, deep baking pan or casserole dish (at least 10x17 in or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of casserole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir in the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.
3. Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.

Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

Leek and Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

Veganomicon


INGREDIENTS:

    Stew:

  • 2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 3 c. vegetable broth

  • 3 T. cornstarch

  • 2 T. olive oil

  • 2 leeks, washed well and sliced thinly (about 2 c.)

  • 1 small onion, cut into medium-size dice

  • 1.5 c. carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 heaping Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish

  • Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 t. salt (more or less depending on how salty your broth is, so taste it first)

  • 3/4 c. frozen peas

  • 1 15-oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed


  • Biscuits:

  • 3/4 c. plain almond milk

  • 1 t. apple cider vinegar

  • 1.5 c. all-purpose flour

  • 2 t. baking powder

  • 1/4 t. salt

  • 1/4 c. nonhydrogenated vegan shortening (like Earth Balance or Spectrum)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender enough to be pierced with a fork. Drain immediately so they do not overcook. While they are boiling, you can prep the rest of the veggies and start preparing the biscuits - the potatoes should definitely be done by the time you are.

Now, prepare everything for the biscuits. You're not going to make them yet, but it's good to have everything ready when it comes time to top the stew. Add the vinegar to the almond milk in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

Now leave that alone and start the stew. Mix the cornstarch into the vegetable stock until dissolved.

Preheat an oven-safe skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Saute in the oil the leeks, onions, and carrots until very soft and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Keep the heat moderate so that they don't burn.

Add the garlic, thyme, freshly ground black pepper and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Add the cooked potatoes and frozen peas, then pour in the vegetable stock mixture. Raise the heat just a bit; it will take a few minutes but the liquid will start simmering. Once it does, lower the heat again. Let it simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, but no longer than that. If you need more time for the biscuits, then turn off the heat under the stew.

Back to the biscuits: Add the shortening to the flour in small slivers and work it into the dough with a fork or with your fingers until large crumbs form. You don't want to cream it in; there should be clumps. Drizzle in the soy milk and mix with a fork until everything is moistened (some dry parts are okay).

Wash and dry your hands, then lightly flour them and get them dirty again. Gently knead the dough about ten times right in the bowl, just so that it is holding together and not very sticky. If it seems sticky, as in sticking to your fingers, then gently work in a little more flour. Set that aside and check on your stew.

The stew should be simmering and slightly thickened. Mix in the beans.

At this point, if you're using a casserole dish (or more than one casserole dish), you'll want to transfer the stew from your skillet into your casserole dishes.

Now, let's add the biscuits. Pull off chunks of dough that are about slightly larger than golf balls. Gently roll them into balls and flatten a bit; they do not have to be perfectly round. Add them to the top of the stew, placed an inch or so apart.

Transfer the whole megillah to the preheated oven. If you are worried about spillover, place it on a rimmed baking sheet, but we've never had that problem. Bake for about 15 minutes. The biscuits should be just slightly browned and firm to the touch. (If you use two casserole dishes, you'll probably want to add on a few minutes, until the biscuits are slightly golden.)

Remove from the oven and use a large serving spoon to place some of the stew and a biscuit in each shallow, individual bowl. Sprinkle with a little chopped, fresh thyme.

Serve at last! Especially yummy when you break up your biscuit and mix it in a bit with your stew.

Carmelized Onions and Parmesan cheese Pizza

Carmelized Onions and Parmesan Cheese Pizza

Moosewood Restaurant New Classics


Yields enough for two 14-inch pizzas

Ingredients:
Your favorite pizza dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
6 cups thinly sliced onions
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. In a heavy skillet, combine the oil, garlic, onions, and salt and ocok on medium heat until the onions are browned, 10 to 12 minutes. If sticking becomes a problem, add a little water. Let the onions cool a bit before spreading them on the pizza crust. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top, if using, and bake according to the pizza crust directions.

Mexican Tofu Scramble

Mexican Tofu Scramble

Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics

Serves 3

Ingredients:
6 small flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup chopped green or yellow bell peppers
1 fresh green chile, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
16 oz soft tofu, pressed (press between 2 plates to drain water)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups salsa (your choice)

Instructions:
1. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in a 300F oven for 10-15 minutes.
2. In a wok or heavy skillet on medium heat, warm the oil. Saute the onions for about 5 minuts, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, bell peppers, chili, cumin, coriander, and salt and saute another 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Crumble the pressed tofu into the vegetables and stir gently until well mixed. Cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes without stirring until the moisture evaporates. Gently turn over the scramble and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Remove the tortillas from the oven, and fill each one with a generous mound of scramble topped with fresh cilantro. Roll up the tortillas and place them in a baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven for up to 20 minutes, until ready to serve. Top each serving with 1/2 cup of salsa.

Per 17 oz serving: 397 calories, 16.2 G protein, 17.3 G fat, 49.9 G carbs, 3.4 G saturated fatty acids, 0 MG cholesterol, 1367.4 MG sodium, 6.8 total dietary fiber

Mexican Rice

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 cups veggie broth

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and taco seasoning.
  2. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and veggie broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

(Veganomicon)

Serves 4 – 6


Ingredients
Enchilada Chile Sauce:
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
1 onion, diced (as with all our cooking we substituted the onion for leek)
3 large green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped coarsely
2 – 3 teaspoons chile powder (we made our own by grinding up Ancho chillies and Chipotle chillies)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon marjoram or mexican oregano
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons salt
Potato and Kale Filling:
1 pound waxy potatoes
1/2 pound kale washed, trimmed and chopped finely
3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup toasted pepitas
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 – 14 corn tortillas

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375F and have ready a shallow casserole dish.

Prepare the enchilada sauce first: In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in oil for 4 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Puree with a blender until the mixture is smooth and even


Prepare the filling: Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil them until tender. Drain and set aside. Cook the oil and minced garlic over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is slightly browned. Add the kale, sprinkle with salt and raise the heat to medium stirring constantly to cover the kale with oil and garlic.

Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted – 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, vegetable stock, lime juice, pumpkin seeds and salt. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes. Cook for another 3 – 4 minutes.

Ladle a small amount of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish. Heat a corn tortilla (30 seconds in a fry pan) dip the tortilla in the enchilada sauce so that it is covered in the sauce.

Place the soaked tortilla on a plate and place some potato mixture inside. Roll it up and put it in the casserole dish. Repeat with each of the enchiladas until you have lined them all up in the dish. Cover with enchilada sauce (saving some for topping) and cover with foil, place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Top individual servings with the remainder of the enchilada sauce once cooked.

Meal plan beginning 11/7/10

I got a new cookbook this week for my birthday and am loving it! Its called Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics. I'm sure I'll be trying out some new recipes from it over the next few weeks.

Meals:
French toast, fresh fruit topping--your choice
Angel hair pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce (without the meat substitute), fresh homemade bread (vegan)
Potato and Kale Enchiladas, Mexican Rice (vegan)
Carmelized Onions and Parmesan cheese pizza
Black beans and rice
Leek and bean cassoulet with biscuits (vegan)
Mexican Tofu Scramble, Lemony Roasted Potatoes (vegan)

Recipes should all be linked. Let me know if you have any problems :)

A little bit about me and this blog :)

Hi! I'm Anna, 25 years old, and a vegetarian. I decided to start this blog in hopes that it would help people like me who never know what to eat! Every week I sit down to make a menu and it typically takes a couple hours once I get find meals and make a grocery list. I've used meal planning websites, but vegetarian ones are few and far between, and the ones I have found are either for families (4-6 people) or have a lot of processed "crap."

This blog will feature a weekly meal plan as well as recipes. I have no idea where it will go from there, but I'm always open to suggestions :).

For those wondering this will be a lacto-ovo vegetarian plan, though I do make it a point to eat vegan some weeks and we always have a few vegan meals anyways :). There will be no fish or meat in the meal plans.

A little more about me... I've been vegetarian on and off for a while, but I haven't eaten meat for a year and a half. I have a 2 year old daughter who has been raised vegetarian as well. I'm currently 30 weeks pregnant (due in January 2011) so bear with me if I get a little behind around then. I decided to become vegetarian after being pregnant with my daughter. During the pregnancy I couldn't stand the thought, sight, or smell of meat. Prior to being pregnant, I didn't really enjoy it. I also can't stand the way they treat animals. For a while we bought only organic meats but this was very expensive and I wasn't really enjoying eating meats. The transition was a little rough. We'd do great some weeks and then awful others. One day I finally said enough is enough and I haven't touched meat from that day forward.

A little about our diet... we don't drink cows milk. I typically buy "original" almond milk because its what I like :). I also never ate eggs, unless I put them in cookies or something. However, since being pregnant this time around I've either been craving them or hating them. We'll see what happens after. Otherwise we are your pretty typical vegetarians :).

I'm always open to suggestions and comments. I looove getting comments, its so nice to know people are reading you blog :).