Thai-Style Vegetable Rice

This was an amazing meal (if you like coconut and curry). The fact that it was made in the crock pot was a bonus as well. I cooked mine on low heat.

Thai-Style Vegetable Rice

4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups frozen shelled sweet soybeans (edamame)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots (3 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups uncooked instant brown rice
3/4 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
3 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped cashews

1. In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker combine broth, edamame, sweet potatoes carrots, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and ginger.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 1/2 or 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Stir in the uncooked rice. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in coconut milk and cilantro. Sprinkle each serving with cashews.

Sweet Potato-Rice Casserole

I think I was most nervous to make this recipe. I was totally unsure how the sage and sweet potato was going to mix with the chile peppers and black beans and other Mexican-type ingredients. I'm so glad I didn't allow my doubt steer me away from making this. It was so good. It was creamy and filling and was full of flavor.

Sweet Potato-Rice Casserole

2 cups water
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled sweet potato (1 large)
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 15-ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled sweet soybeans (edamame), thawed
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces)
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, undrained
1/4 cup chopped green onions (2)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sniffed fresh sage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan bring the water to boiling. Stir in sweet potato, rice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine drained black beans, soybeans, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the sour cream, undrained chile peppers, green onion, flour sage, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in cooked rice mixture.

3. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until heated through. If desired, sprinkle each serving with pumpkin seeds.



Eat well, Live well, Enjoy life!

Vegetable Flatbreads with Goat Cheese

Another super-yummy meal. This will also be another good one to make throughout the summer because it is not a heavy dish. I made my flatbreads on whole wheat pitas instead of focaccia bread.

I think next time I make this I may try some modifications. For instance - I may add portobellos or change the cheese. Maybe feta or smoked Gouda. I may also add basil or oregano. I don't know. We will see how the mood strikes me next time.

Vegetable Flatbreads with Goat Cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)

1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)

1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small)

1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 small)

1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets

1/2 of a small red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup chopped roma tomatoes (2 medium)

12 pimento-stuffed green olives, halved

1 tablespoon olive liquid from jar

4 6- to 7 1/2-inch individual Italian flatbreads (focaccia)

2 cups crumbled goat cheese (chevre) (8 ounces)
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat broiler. In an extra large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add squash, carrot, sweet peppers, broccoli, red onion, and garlic. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, and olive liquid. Cook about 2 minutes more or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Lightly brush both sides of flat breads with some of the remaining oil. Place on an ungreased extra-large baking sheet. If necessary, divide flatbreads between 2 ungreased baking sheets and broil in batches. Broil about 4 inches from the heat for 2 to 4 minutes or until lightlybrowned, turning once halfway through broiling. Remove from broiler.

3. Using a slotted spoon, divide vegetable mixture among flatbreads; sprinkle with cheese. Broil about 2 minutes more or until cheese is softened. Drizzle with any remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Eat well, Live well, Enjoy life!

Nutty Gorgonzola Roll-Ups

I think this dinner is my favorite so far. As the roll-ups baked, the cheeses blended together and the gorgonzola became less sharp. It actually turned out to be quite smooth. I substituted whole wheat lasagna noodles instead of regular noodles and we all agreed we liked it better than we think we would have liked regular noodles. Also, I was able to spread the filling over 10 noodles as opposed to the 8 that the recipe calls for.

Nutty Gorgonzola Roll-Ups

8 dried lasagna noodles
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 ounces)
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese (4 ounces)
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
1 26-ounce jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
Shredded fresh basil (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
6 cups shredded fresh spinach leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Place noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, Italian cheese, Gorgonzola cheese, 3/4 cup of the walnuts, and the snipped or dried basil. Spread cheese mixture evenly over lasagna noodles. Roll up each noodle into a spiral.

3. Place lasagna rolls, seam sides down, in an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Top with pasta sauce. Bake, covered, about 40 minutes or until heated through.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts. If desired, sprinkle with shredded basil and pepper. Serve lasagna rolls on spinach, spooning sauce in dish over rolls.

Eat well, Live well, Enjoy life!

Grain-Vegetable Medley

Another good recipe. This was light - a good spring/summer recipe. The lemon juice was very refreshing and the green beans right now have a nice green color and are very crisp. It helps that it is a one-pot meal, so cleanup is a snap. I couldn't find chicken-flavored vegetable broth (I didn't look that hard, either). I used just plain vegetable broth and it was very good. Also, I made 1 1/2 recipes for my family. The recipe below makes 4 servings.

Grain-Vegetable Medley

2 cups chicken-flavor vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2/3 cup quick-cooking barley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
4 cups coarsely shredded fresh spinach
1/4 cup green onions (2)
1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
Lemon wedges (optional)

Eat well, Live well, Enjoy life!

Inside-Out Veggie Burgers

Another good recipe. The chickpea patties were a little dens and dry. I did, however, forget to brush them with the oil. I don't know if contributed to the texture or not. I will make this again. I might reduce the amount of crackers some to see if that helps to make them a little less dense.

Inside-Out Veggie Burgers

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

3/4 cup finely crushed shredded wheat crackers

1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

1 small yellow or red tomato, sliced

2 roasted red sweet peppers, drained and halved crosswise

1 recipe Yogurt Sauce

1. For patties, in a large bowl mash drained garbanzo beans, eggs, and onion together with a potato masher until a coarse paste forms. (Or place beans, eggs, and onion in a food processor; cover and process with on/off turns until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a large bowl.) Add crackers, cilantro, lemon peel, and salt; stir until combined.

2. With wet hands, shape mixture into eight 1/2-inch-thick patties. Brush both sides of patties with olive oil. Place patties on a tray; cover and chill at least 30 minutes before grilling.

3. For a charcoal grill, grill patties on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over meduim coals for 10 to 12 minutes or until brown, turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on a greased grill rack. Cover and grill as above.)

4. To serve, arrange avocado slices, tomato slices, and red peppers on half of the burgers. Add Yogurt Sauce and top with remaining burgers.

Yogurt Sauce

In a small bowl stir together 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Eat well, Live well, Enjoy life!

Vegetable Two-Grain Casserole

My first vegetarian meal was such a success, I have to admit I was a little nervous to make dinner last night. Below is the recipe for my second Vegetarian attempt. We had a Vegetable Two-Grain Casserole. I was so worried that is was going to be bland and dry and tasting a lot like cardboard. I'm happy to say I was very wrong. It was wonderful. My whole family enjoyed it and once again, there were very little leftovers. An added bonus - it was TOTALLY easy - just dump, stir, and bake. If all vegetarian meals are as good as the two I have made so far, then we are in for a great adventure! My goal for next time: to take pictures of what I make. I meant to take pictures last night, but got caught up in anticipating trying the food and completely forgot.


Vegetable Two-Grain Casserole

1 19-ounce can ready-to-serve lentil soup
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cmall fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sliced carrots (2 medium)
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup regular barley
1/3 cup bulgur
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (2 ounces)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an ungreased 2-quart casserole combine soup, drained beans, mushrooms, carrots, corn, the water, barley, bulgur, onion, pepper, and salt.

2. Bake, covered, about 1 1/4 hours or until barley and bulgur are tender, stirring twice. Stir again; sprinkle with cheese. Let stand, covered, about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.



Eat well, live well, enjoy life!

A New Adventure

As many know I love to cook and I love to try and make healthy, satisfying meals that my whole family enjoys. Luckily, I have three children and a husband that like food as much as I do and will eat just about anything that I make.

Not long ago, my husband and I decided that while we feel we eat with fairly healthy habits, there is always room for improvement. Part of our improvement plan is to include eating a more vegetarian diet. In doing so, we hope to lower cholesterol, lose weight, and generally be healthier.

After our decision was made I ran to the bookstore and bought The Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Beginner's Guide and Better Homes and Gardens 365 Vegetarian Meals. The first book was a very easy read. I think I read it in 2 days, which is saying a lot since I have 3 kids and the oldest is only 2 1/2. The information was put in a very plain language that was easy to understand. So, I read the first book and then dove into the second ready to plan my meals for the week. I was so excited to go grocery shopping last week.

For right now, our commitment is to eat vegetarian 4 days per week. In time we will see whether we decide to increase that or stay the same.

Tonight was our first night in this new adventure. The menu - Veggie-Stuffed Pasta Shells from the Better Homes and Gardens 365 Vegetarian Meals page 150. I slightly modified the recipe. The original recipe calls to cook the stuffed shells in sauce in a pan on the stove. Instead, I put the the shells in a 9x13 pan, poured sauce over, and baked it. Then added cheese on top and baked it again until the cheese melted. Below is the original recipe. You can do with it as you please.

Veggie-Stuffed Pasta Shells

Serves - 4

12 packaged dried jumbo shell macaroni

1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded fresh carrots

1 1/3 cups shredded zucchini (1 medium)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 small)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 of a 15-ounce carton ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (6 ounces)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 14- to 16-ounce jar pasta sauce

1. Cook pasta in boiling, lightly salted water according to package directions; drain in colander. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook carrots, zucchini, and onion in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in spinach; cook and stir for 1 minute. Transfer spinach mixture to a large bowl.

3. Stir ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Italian cheese blend, salt, and cayenned pepper into vegetable micture. Spoon a rounded 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pasta shell. Pour pasta sauce into skillet; place filled shells in sauce.

4. Cook shells and sauce, covered, over medium heat about 10 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

And if you were wondering how it went over with my family? I doubled the recipe and there are not a lot of leftovers =) I didn't take pictures of the meal - that will be something I will try to do in the future, but I did get the reactions of my kids.

Eat well, Live well, Enjoy life!