EasyVeg

I found this ‘meaty’ Shepherd’s Pie recipe from the VegCooking.com website. It’s a wonderful alternative to a regular Shepherd’s Pie that will satisfy the staunchest meat-eater - like my father-in-law. He’s a meat n’ potatoes kind of guy if ever you’ve met one, but he still requests this dish from me just about every time I see him. Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 medium potatoes, diced
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/4 cup soy milk or liquid nondairy creamer
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. faux ground beef-style crumbles (try Yves® Veggie Ground Round)
1 10.5-oz. can Campbells mushroom gravy (or 1 1/4 cups prepared vegetarian gravy of your choice)
1 6-oz. can mixed peas and carrots, drained
Salt, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne, to taste

Directions
• Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with the margarine and soy milk or nondairy creamer. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a medium pan, sauté the onion in the oil until translucent.
• In a medium bowl, mix the cooked onions, faux beef crumbles, mushroom gravy, peas and carrots, and spices. Pour into a pie pan. Top the crumble mixture with the potatoes, spreading to the edges.
• Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are browned and the crumble mixture bubbles out the edges.

Tip
Make the whole recipe even if you’re just feeding a few, or just yourself! Leftovers are just as good, and you’ll be glad you have some the next day.

Try this recipe from Vegan With a Vengeance and you will thank me. I can almost guarantee it. Don’t be intimidated by the amount of ingredients. You will have to do a bit of chopping, but once you’ve done that, essentially you just throw everything into your pot and let it simmer together. Get yourself a box of quick cooking couscous (isn’t it all quick cooking?) and serve this stew over it. As always, my additions, omissions, and substitutions will be in parentheses.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, quartered and sliced thin
1 cup baby carrots, quartered and sliced thin (regular carrots work just as well)
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (1 Tbsp ground ginger)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric (couldn’t find it, didn’t use it)
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water (I used just over 2 cups, and it was really thick, but I liked it that way)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1 cup dried red lentils, washed (I could only find green/brown?, so I used those.)
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4″ thick
1 cup green beans, cut to 1″ pieces
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp salt
1 bunch - about 4 cups - spinach, torn into pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mint
Lemon wedges to serve (omitted)

Directions
In a stockpot, sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and chile and sauté 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger; sauté for 2 minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, and coriander, and mix. Add the stock, water, tomato paste, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, black pepper, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.
Add the veggies (except the spinach) and raisins and salt, simmer 15 more minutes. Add the spinach, cilantro, and mint; stir well. When the spinach has wilted completely (about 1 minute) turn the heat off. Let the stew sit for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Serve over couscous with lemon wedges to squeeze in.

The hardest part will be waiting to eat it. Enjoy!

I’ve been absent for a while. I apologize. How about I give you a recipe that I LOVE, and I’m pretty sure you will too. It’s from Rachael Ray, as you probably guessed. She uses it over noodles with veggies, which is good. You can also use it over stir-fried veggies and rice. Or as a dipping sauce. Or you can eat it with a spoon because it’s just heavenly!

Ingredients
1/4 cup Tamari dark soy
1/4 rounded cup smooth peanut butter, softened in microwave 15 seconds on high
2 tablespoons cider or rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons hot sauce

Directions
Put all those ingredients in a small bowl, whisk them together, and EAT!

It really is that simple, and it will add tons of flavor to you meal. It will only take a few minutes and virtually no effort , but it will taste like you put a lot of though and hard work into it. No one has to know how easy it was, though. I won’t tell if you won’t!

I’ve just started picking my way through Quick-Fix Vegetarian, also by Robin Robertson. Some of these recipes are ridiculously quick and easy. Like this one:

Ingredients
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, chopped
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1.5 Tbsp Madras curry powder, plus additional to taste (or use whatever curry powder you have on hand)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 (16oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1.5 cups quick-cooking couscous
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cups chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring for 1 minute to soften.
Add the zucchini, cover, and cook for 2 minutes to soften sightly.
Stir in the curry powder.
Add the peas, chickpeas, and water and bring to a boil.
Stir in the couscous and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you like it spicier, add more curry powder to taste.
Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
To serve, fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle with the parsley.

I’ve learned something new about myself over the past year or so. I love curry. I LOVE it! For years I thought I didn’t like it, but I was either being an idiot and thinking I didn’t like curry without trying it, or I had some less than savory curry at some point and swore it off. Either way, I’m glad I gave it another go because now I just can’t get enough. Here is an easy recipe from One-Dish Vegetarian Meals that had me drooling before the dish was even done! It’s that good. Oh yeah. And it’s vegan. Bonus!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp safflower oil (I used olive oil; you use whatever you want)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 Tbsp hot curry paste, or to taste (use mild or medium instead, if you don’t like it too hot)
1 - 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1.5 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1.5 cups is about 1 can)
1/2 cup soft or silken tofu
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb fettuccine
8 oz green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic and curry paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to blend. Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the chickpeas and keep warm over low heat.
In a food processor or blender, combine the tofu with the coconut milk, and add salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.Stir the tofu mixture into the vegetable mixture and keep warm over low heat.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. When pasta has cooked about 3 minutes, add the green beans. When pasta is al dente, drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the curried vegetables and toss to combine.
Eat!

Tips
Wait until nearly the end to add your pasta to boiling water. Even though cooking the pasta is just about the last step, out of habit, I cooked it first, and it was done way before the curried veggies were. My pasta ended up a little dried out because of it.
Try this dish without adding the coconut milk and tofu mixture. The curried tomatoes and chickpea combo is great on it’s own!

I’m still working my way through Vegan With a Vengeance, but I must say that I’m enjoying it very much. I came upon this simple, absolutely yummy side dish, and just had to share it.

Ingredients
3 medium potobello caps, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Directions
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat for a bout 2 minutes.
Toss the mushrooms with the olive oil until coated. Place in pan in single layer. Let cook for 5 minutes, until they start releasing moisture. Turn over and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the vinegar and salt; sauté for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 more minutes.

It’s easy. It’s yummy. It’s good hot or cold. It’s good in salads or sandwiches. Aren’t you glad I decided to share that one?

You’re welcome.

I’ve been testing out recipes from One-Dish Vegetarian Meals almost daily since I first laid my hands on the book. So far, my absolute favorite, hands down, has been the Hot Thai Soup. Some of the ingredients are a little different. I hadn’t used them before in my cooking, anyway. And I did have to do some very careful searching of the grocery store aisles to find a few of the items. However, I was able to find almost everything I needed at my local grocery store - not a specialty market. (I’ll note any changes I made to the recipe in parentheses.)

Ingredients
6 cups water (6 cups vegetable broth - I think it adds more flavor)
1 tsp. salt (omitted because I used veggie broth)
3 lemongrass stalks, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
1 tsp. slivered fresh ginger (1/2 tsp. dry, ground ginger)
1 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained (I used the whole can)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 Tbsp. Tamari
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Thai basil, for garnish (omitted because I couldn’t find it)

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the water, salt, lemongrass, chiles, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain the broth through a sieve (I used a slotted spoon to remove the lemongrass stalks and chiles because I don’t have a sieve), return it to the saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add bamboo shoots, coconut milk, tamari and lime juice. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Place 1/2 cup of rice in the bottom of each bowl, ladle the soup over the rice, sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve hot.

Tip
Tamari is just a richer kind of soy sauce. If you can’t find it, or you already have soy sauce on hand, you can use regular soy sauce in its place.

Try this quick and easy recipe from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. All the ingredients come right out of your pantry, so you don’t have to worry about slicing and chopping ingredients or making sure to use produce before it goes bad. Make it even quicker by using Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice. Just pop it in the microwave for a minute and a half, and add it when the recipe dictates. It even comes in the amount required by the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups instant brown rice
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can white or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11-ounce) can corn, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and set pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until rice is cooked. Fold in rice and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Could that be any easier?

Nobody cooks quite like mom. Whenever I visit home, I always request my mom’s calebacitas. It’s a vegetable side dish that can be paired with any Mexican entrée, or if you like it as much as I do, you can just eat a heaping serving as a meal. Here is my take on my mom’s dish.

Ingredients
4-6 Zucchini
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
1 medium onion, diced
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions
Slice zucchini into 1/4″ or 1/2″ rounds. Place in a pot, and add water until zucchini are just covered. Cook over med-high heat until zucchini are tender and centers become slightly translucent. Drain and set zucchini aside.
Re-heat pot over med-high heat, and add olive oil. Add onions and stir frequently until onions are tender.
Reduce heat to med-low. Add cooked zucchini, corn kernels, and tomato sauce. Stir gently to blend ingredients.
Fold in cheese little by little, until all ingredients are mixed together.
Eat!

Tips
Don’t over cook the zucchini, as they will break apart and become mushy.

This is a recipe from New Vegetarian Cuisine. It was so quick, easy, and tasty, I found absolutely no reason to tweak it or change it in anyway. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups cooked orzo
1.25 cups chopped tomatoes
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
0.5 cup chopped scallions
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp nonfat sour cream
4 sweet red peppers

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9″x9″ baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and membranes. If necessary, slice a small amount off the bottom of the peppers so they are able to stand upright.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the orzo, tomatoes, spinach, scallions, feta, mint, and sour cream.
4. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers, and place peppers upright into baking dish.
5. Bake peppers for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Eat warm or cold.