Last Minute Vegetable Chili-ish

This freakishly cold Mid-West weather has me craving comfort food at it's finest; specifically hearty chill with cheese and sour cream. Usually when I have a craving, I won't stop until its fulfilled; but there was no way I was venturing out into the cold after just walking in to my warm(ish) home when the chili craving hit. So instead, I raided my pantry, freezer, and fridge for items I could throw together to make a hearty vegetable chili. My freezer provided me with frozen corn kernels, frozen peas, previously cooked and frozen black beans, and Boca veggie crumbles. I had some canned diced tomatoes in the pantry, some vegetable broth in the fridge along with cheddar cheese and plain greek yogurt. Now I could get this chili party started. I added some beans, corn, and peas to a pot with vegetable broth and water and cooked until no longer frozen. In a separate pan I cooked the veggie crumbles until done. I then added the cooked veggie crumbles and a can of my diced tomatoes and seasonings to the pan with vegetables and let simmer until warm. And Voila! a vegetable chili was born.


Recipe:

1/2 cup previously cooked and frozen black beans
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup Boca veggie crumbles
1 can diced tomatoes without salt
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth depending on the consistency you like your chili/soup
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a pan cook the Boca veggie crumbles according to directions on bag.
2. In a separate pot combine the beans, corn, and peas with the vegetable broth and cook until no longer frozen.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, seasonings, and cooked Boca crumbles and simmer until warm.
4. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and a tbsp of greek yogurt (a good substitute for sour cream) for an extra umph!

Vegetarian Friendly Taco Bake

Recently, my fiance and I had family staying with us for my future brother-in-law's wedding. Often during their stay, we would naturally have impromptu visits from other family members. Now, whenever my fiance and I have planned get togethers, I always have an initial panic attack about what food to serve; and as you can only imagine these impromptu visits sent me into slight overdrive. Luckily, I find myself buying extra staple items at the grocery store that can usually be thrown together to make a casserole. As I ransacked my fridge, freezer, and pantry I found all the necessary ingredients to make one yummy (and health friendly) vegetarian taco bake that allowed me to breathe easy for at least another night.

Vegetarian Taco Bake

1 package frozen vegetarian ground meat (I typically like to choose soy free veggie options)
Corn tortillas
1 can low sodium diced tomatoes
1 package cheddar cheese
2 cups spinach
1 can mushrooms or about 1 cup fresh cooked mushrooms
1tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 in casserole dish.
2. Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat and add frozen veggie meat. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook thoroughly and add mushrooms until cooked.
3. Meanwhile spread thin layer of diced tomatoes in casserole dish and top with enough corn tortillas to cover the bottom of the dish (you may need to break some in half to fit)
4. Top tortillas with 1/2 veg taco meat with mushrooms, 1 cup spinach and 1/2 container cheddar cheese. Repeat the once more ending with cheese on the top.
5. Cover the casserole dish with foil and put into the oven for approximately 30 minutes; remove foil and cook another 10 minutes until cheese is browning and bubbly.
6. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing. Enjoy!

I have made this recipe before and like that it is so easily adapted to whatever you have in your pantry or fridge. I have found myself using salsa or red enchilada sauce in place on the diced tomatoes, adding fresh or canned corn, and adding black beans; so play around with the recipe!

Strawberry, Spinach, and Camembert Cheese Pizza

Not long ago, I had my mother and future mother-in-law over for Mother's day brunch. As I was getting ready for brunch, I was racking my brain for ideas that didn't include an egg casserole or french toast when I cam across strawberry brushetta that catapulted my idea for a strawberry and camembert cheese toast with a balsamic drizzle. The toast was a huge hit with the Mom's, so I pondered the idea of expanding this combination onto a pizza. I was a little nervous about heating the strawberries in the oven, but it actually turned out to be a very light and refreshing dinner. I again only made half the pizza with my combination for my fiance's sake ;)

Recipe (double toppings for whole pizza):
1 container refrigerated whole wheat crust (I used the Pillsbury whole wheat crust again because I really like the texture and flavor)
1/4 c sliced strawberries
1 heaping handful spinach, washed and dried
1tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp honey
1 pinch stevia
1/4 c toasted almonds (optional)
1/4 container camembert cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Roll out pizza crust onto greased cookie sheet and poke with fork to ensure even cooking (I did not do this last time and trust me it helped this time!) Follow cooking instructions on packaging.
3. Mix balsamic vinegar, honey, and stevia and using pastry brush, brush onto cooked crust and add onion powder.
4. Top with sliced strawberries, sliced camembert chest, and spinach.
5. Drizzle additional balsamic and honey mixture on top.
6. Place into oven and cook until cheese is melted; approximately 7-10 minutes.
7. Top with toasted almonds (optional) and dried basil leaves.

Quinoa Veggie Salad

So I know I've been slacking but I do have a new salad recipe! Since I don't eat meat, I am always looking for ways to increase my protein intake, and quinoa has been a good addition to my life. Quinoa is a good staple to have in your pantry because it can be used as a substitute for rice in casseroles but it can also be mixed with chocolate, fruit, or added to protein bars. I made this salad a couple of weeks ago ( and forgot to take the picture! so one will be coming soon) as a way to clean out my fridge ( I have a slight obsession with not wasting food) and have something that I could pack for lunch the remainder of the week. The great thing about most of these past salad recipes are that they can all be easily modified to fit your tastes. I've recently added a greek vinaigrette to the salad for an added twist. I love making my own salad dressing because not only is it easy and full of flavor but you control the ingredients which is always an added bonus.

Quinoa Veggie Salad

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup red bell peppers
1/4 cup cucumbers
1/4 cup red onions
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 avocado chopped (add a squeeze of lemon juice to keep avocados from turning brown so quickly)
1 container crumbled fat free feta

1. Add all ingredients into large bowl and top with 1 tbsp lemon juice.

**You can keep the salad like this or go on to add the following greek vinaigrette for added flavor and good fats ;)

Greek Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 shallots finely chopped (could also use 3 gloves garlic minced)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
few shakes crushed red pepper
3 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients in bowl and slowly whisk in oil until blended. Refrigerate up to 1 week.