Biscuits and Lentil Gravy

One thing that I love and miss about eating meat are biscuits and sausage gravy. That was something that I could eat for every meal of the day and have no regrets. Actually, when the Mister and I were traveling across the country, every hotel we stopped at had biscuits and gravy as one of their complementary breakfast items. I won't lie to you guys, I may or may not have chosen the hotels we stopped at for the night based on their breakfast options.

So, I was really excited when I saw a recipe for this in my copy of Thug Kitchen, a vegan cookbook. I've tried a few recipes from this book and honestly, they've not been that great. There's always something that doesn't work out or I end up feeling like it needs more or different spices from what the recipe calls for. Basically, the recipes end up being a bit bland. However, that didn't deter me from trying this recipe. Of course, the one thing that did not work for me were the vegan biscuits. They were awful. They were so hard and tough. No amount of gravy made them palatable. I would up throwing them out to the birds to eat. Thankfully, the gravy turned out amazing. So, after we choked down the first round, I went out and bought a tube of buttermilk biscuits to use for the leftovers. Once I made the change, these biscuits and gravy were golden.

• 1 ½ cups of green or brown lentils
• 5 cups of water
• salt
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• black pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
•  1 tube of biscuit dough or one batch of homemade biscuits

1. Bake biscuits according to package.
2. Bring the lentils, water, and a little bit of salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer for 40 minutes to cook the lentils until they are falling apart.
3. In a small skillet, heat up the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until it starts to brown (3 minutes), add the thyme, garlic, and some black pepper and cook for another 30 seconds. Take off the heat.
4. When the lentils are cooked, drain the excess water and put the lentils back into the pot.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and the broth. Add the broth mix into the lentils along with the onion, soy sauce, paprika, and vinegar.
6. Use an immersion blender or a normal blender to blend the gravy to a smooth consistency.
7. Heat the gravy up again and simmer in the saucepan to thicken, 2-3 minutes.

Hawaiian Sloppy Joes

I love sloppy joes. It's one of my childhood favorites that has become a staple in this house as an adult. They are so easy to make, you can customize them with ingredients you like, and you can tweak the sauce to get a completely different tasting dish every time. Plus, they pair really well with tater tots or cauliflower tots.

One of my go-to dishes is my unsloppy joes. I've been making them for years and I love them, but I wanted to try something a little different. When I came across these Hawaiian sloppy joes, I knew I had found a winner.  I loved the sweetness that the pineapple adds to the sauce. I couldn't find any fresh pineapple at my grocery store so I bought a can of sliced pineapple instead. I will go ahead and say that fresh is definitely better in this but canned works in a pinch. It's not that the canned pineapple was bad but I think the fresh would have not only held up it's shape better but given the dish a more pineapple flavor. 

Recipe adapted from Vodka & Biscuits

• olive oil as needed
• 1 yellow onion, small dice
• 1 green bell pepper, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup button mushrooms, finely chopped in food processor
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 cup cooked lentils
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 14 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 pack hamburger rolls

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until onions are translucent and peppers are soft, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
3. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms become soft, another 5-6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook an additional minute or two to let the flavors mingle.
4. Stir in the lentils, pineapple, soy sauce, brown sugar. Mix until incorporated. Add the tomato sauce and vinegar and mix. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving on rolls.

Three Bean Slow Cooker Chili

We've been experiencing a very wet and cold winter here in SoCal. So, I've been breaking out all my favorite winter recipes lately. One thing I love to make on a cold miserable day is chili. I don't know why those two things go together but they do. It's kind of like being sick and having soup. However, chili takes a lot of time to make, and depending on the style of chili you make, it can also be time consuming to prep. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a lazy cook. I don't like to spend a ton of time in the kitchen slaving away. Which is why this slow cooker chili is my favorite. It's bursting with flavor, takes minimal time to prep, and the slow cooker does all the cooking for you.

I usually always make my chili in the slow cooker just because chili needs to simmer low and slow for some hours in order to really develop flavor. I don't know about you, but I don't hours to spend stirring a pot of chili making sure it doesn't burn or bubble over. I can put it all in the slow cooker and go to work, run errands, clean the house, read a book, binge watch my favorite shows and not have to worry about dinner. I love it! I used to soak and cook my beans before putting them in the slow cooker but I've recently discovered that you don't have to do that. You just have to rinse the beans to clean them, and then you just pour them in the slow cooker with your ingredients and extra broth to cook them. Making chili has never been easier than this. Now, I don't eat meat so this is for a vegetarian three bean chili. However, if you would like meat, I would brown a pound of ground beef and add it to the rest of the ingredients already listed.

• 1 large carrot (about 2 cups), peeled and grated
• 1 large zucchini (about 1 cup), grated
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 c. dried kidney beans
• 1 c. dried black beans
• 1/2 c. dried garbanzo beans
• 1.5 c. frozen corn
• 2 Tbsp. hot sauce
• 1 packet low-sodium chili seasoning mix
• 7 c. vegetable broth

1. Rinse beans and make sure there are no rocks or debris mixed in.
2. Add all the ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on high for at least 8 hours or until the beans are tender and the flavor has come together. 
3. Top chili with toppings of choice (shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, chopped onion, or corn chips)

Sweet Potato Caribbean Curry

Usually when I make curry, it's an Indian curry. However, when I came across this recipe I had to know what a Caribbean curry was. I liked that all the ingredient were items that I either had on hand, or would find a use for down the road. I hate it when a recipe calls for some fancy ingredient that you only use one. Like the saffron that's been sitting in my cabinet for 4 years now. >.<

One thing I loved about this curry is that you serve it over polenta. I usually serve my curry over rice and had thought to do so with this but changed my mind and decided to make polenta instead. I'm so glad I did because the polenta definitely adds an extra layer to this curry that you wouldn't have gotten with rice. Plus, depending on your tastes, you can doctor the polenta up with curry spices, hot sauce, or mix in some herbs to give it more flavor. Definitely make your own polenta versus buying that pre-made stuff in the grocery store. It's really easy to make and like I said, you can modify it and add spices and seasonings to bring a whole new level to this curry dish.

recipe adapted from Connoisseurus Veg

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk
• 1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), diced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• salt to taste
• creamy polenta or cooked rice
• lime wedges (garnish)
• fresh cilantro (garnish)
• chopped scallions (garnish)

1. Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and place over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
2. Add coconut milk, sweet potato, cumin, coriander, turmeric, thyme, allspice, pepper, cinnamon, jalapeno, and cayenne. Stir a few times, raise heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to cook until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and peas. Allow to cook just until heated throughout, 1-2 minutes more. Season with salt to taste.
3. Divide rice or polenta onto plates and top with curry. Sprinkle with cilantro and scallions, then season with a squeeze of lime juice, to taste.

Polenta recipe

• 4 cups water 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (not cornbread mix) 
• 1-3 tablespoons butter/margarine

1. Bring the water to a boil. Bring the water to a brisk boil over medium-high heat. Add the salt.
2. Pour the polenta into the boiling water. While whisking gently, pour the polenta into the boiling water in a steady stream.
3. Continue whisking until polenta is thickened. Turn down the heat to low and continue whisking until the polenta has thickened enough that it doesn't settle back on the bottom of the pan when you stop stirring.
4. Cook the polenta 30-40 minutes. Cover the polenta and continue cooking. Stir vigorously every 10 minutes or so, making sure to scrape the sides, bottom, and corners of the pan. Cook 30 minutes for softer porridge-like polenta or 40 minutes for thicker polenta.
5. Stir in butter. Stir the cheese and butter into the polenta, if using. Serve immediately.

Gnocchi, white bean, and sun-dried tomato skillet

Sorry for the lull in posts. We recently moved and I was a little busy packing up the house and moving. I still tried to make new dishes throughout the process so that I would have something to share when we got settled into our new place. This is a recipe that I found online. It's easy, quick to make, and doesn't take much prep work.

I love gnocchi. I used to make my own a lot but, well, when you're in the process of moving, the last thing you have time and energy for is making things from scratch. This recipe is pretty much the easiest recipe I've ever done. I used a can of beans, Julienne sun-dried tomatoes, and even used packaged frozen spinach. The only thing I really did was slice mushrooms and then cook everything. I will admit that I did forget a lot of ingredients when making this though. I blame the move. You will see in the pictures that they are not all the same. I was picking at the dinner as it was cooking (I found out that sauteed gnocchi with a little salt and pepper is DELICIOUS!) and I think, to me, it tasted great, and then I plated it. It wasn't until a few bites in that I realized it was missing the beans. Then I saw the package of sundried tomatoes sitting on the counter and quickly added those too. So, I suppose if you don't have everything on hand and still want to make this, you can. I think as long as you have the gnocchi, you will be good.  ;)

Aside from forgetting to add all the ingredients to the dish on the first go, this was a no-brainer. There's no fancy cooking involved and it was hearty and delicious, which was exactly what we needed after a day of extreme packing. The only downside to this dish is that it's not that great warmed up the next day. I mean, when you first make it, the gnocchi is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. However, once it's sat in the refrigerator, it looses that crispiness. So, it wasn't that it tasted bad the next day, it just didn't have the same texture it did when it was fresh. I still enjoyed the leftovers but missed the crispiness of the gnocchi.

recipe adapted from Sweet Peas and Saffron


18 oz packaged gnocchi
1-2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper
¼-1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
4 cups loosely packed spinach [I used 1 (10 oz) packed of frozen spinach, thawed]
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
 Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. 
2. Add the gnocchi and separate them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and slightly crispy. 
3.  Remove from pan. 
4. Add the mushrooms, and cook for 3 or so minutes until soft (add additional olive oil if needed). Return the gnocchi to the pan and add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and white beans. Stir until spinach is wilted and everything is heated through. 
5. Add additional salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. 
6. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

BBQ Pulled Sweet Potato Sandwiches

I need to be honest here. I cannot believe that I'm still a vegetarian. I've always wanted to try it since I was a little girl but could never manage to actually do it. I just loved my meat too much... I just didn't like thinking about the animals themselves. So, I'm shocked that after 2 years, I've stuck with it. It hasn't been easy though. There have been a few times where I've gone to parties, events, even restaurants, and my choice of a meal is pretty much carrots and ranch dressing. It made me very aware of the fact that we focus a lot on meat. That also includes myself as well. I have thrown parties and events where the only non-meat item was the dip, potato salad, and the dessert. Now, it seems like I can't even eat a deviled egg without there being bacon in it. And boy, let me tell you, when the warmer weather starts kicking in I miss a good BBQ. I'm sorry but tofu dogs and bean burgers just don't compare to good ol BBQ. Which is why I just about peed my pants in excitement when I made this recipe and realized that it was almost as good as a pulled pork sandwich. I mean, it's missing that greasy pork quality but then again... it's missing that greasy pork quality. Which, I'm sorry to say, is not exactly a bad thing.

 

This is a super easy recipe to make. The most difficult part was grating the sweet potato. For some reason, the grater and I just don't get along and I always end up fighting with it... and losing. Which is why I usually enlist the help of the Mr. when it comes time to grate anything. Aside from my struggles with the grater, this was almost as easy as making pulled... which is usually just a -plop-everything-into-the-crockpot sort of thing. I'm really happy with this recipe. It will definitely be my go-to for this summer.

 recipe adapted from Yup... It's Vegan

• 1 medium-large sweet potato (about 2.5 cups grated)
• 1 tsp. oil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/2 c. BBQ sauce of choice
• buns
• coleslaw

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet. When hot, add the grated sweet potato and quickly stir to distribute the oil. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring and flipping the sweet potato several times.
3. Once the sweet potato is starting to dry out and is browned in several places, add the BBQ sauce and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sweet potato is cooked to your preference.
4. Serve a big scoop of the BBQ pulled sweet potato on a toasted bun with coleslaw.

Slow cooker Mexican quinoa

I can't believe I have not put this recipe up on the blog yet. It's one of my favorite go-to recipes for a big potluck. It's really cheap to make, it's vegetarian and vegan friendly, and it's super simple to make. You just dump everything into the slow cooker and walk away.

The most tedious part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the butternut squash. I've made this a handful of times and have made it with canned enchilada sauce (not a huge fan of the canned, there's just no flavor), homemade enchilada sauce (highly recommended), butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. So, if you aren't a fan of having to peel and cut a squash, then go with the sweet potatoes instead. Personally, I like it both ways.

The only thing you will need for this is a 5-6 qt slow cooker. When I first started making this I only had a 2 qt slow cooker and a small one Let's just say it was a mess. I found myself mixing it together in a massive bowl, and then trying to pour the mixture between two separate slow cookers equally. Which, didn't always happen. So yeah, you are going to want a big slow cooker for this recipe.

Enchilada sauce 
recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup chili powder
2 cups vegetable stock
12 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings.

 Quinoa
recipe adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron 

• 1.5 pounds  butternut squash, about 4 cups
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, about 1.5 cups cooked beans
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted petite diced tomatoes
• 1 small jalapeno, optional
•  enchilada sauce
• 1 cup vegetable
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, fresh lime juice, sour cream, chopped cilantro

1. Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray.
2. Peel and scoop the seeds out of the butternut squash. Cut it into cubes and place in the slow cooker.
3. Add in the corn, drained and rinsed black beans, rinsed quinoa (I rinse mine in a fine mesh sieve), minced garlic, undrained fire-roasted petite diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno, the enchilada sauce, the vegetable broth, and the packet of taco seasoning.
4. Give everything a really good stir, cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the quinoa is cooked and the butternut squash is tender.
5. Remove the lid and stir everything together really well. Allow the liquid to absorb while on low for another 30 minutes or until mostly absorbed.
6. Season with any additional spices and/or salt and pepper if desired.
7. Top bowls with optional toppings.

Spicy Nut Brittle

There's something about peanut brittle that makes me automatically think of the holidays. I really don't know why. Maybe an aunt used to make it for the family's annual Christmas eve party? Maybe I saw it in a movie once? I mean, it's not like my family ever made it. We were more of the anise cookie kind of people. So, when I was flipping though the Franks cookbook last year and saw a recipe for the brittle, I knew I had to make it. Which I did... and then I made them again this year to send to family and friends. Oh yes, they are that good.

One of the things I love about this brittle is that it's not sweet. So, if you are looking for a sweet brittle, this is not the brittle for you. I, personally, don't have a sweet tooth unless it's a baked good. So, I loved that these weren't sweet. In fact, they are like the brittle version of spicy nuts. The Frank balances out the sugar perfectly and then you get the nuts in there and it's just amazing. These are really easy to make, too. One piece of advice though, if you don't have a candy thermometer and you do the water test, make sure the candy that comes out of the water is really and truly hard and brittle and not of caramel consistency. I did just that and took it off the heat too early and the brittle wouldn't harden up. If that happens to you, just cut up the brittle and melt it back down and cook it longer.

adapted from Cooking with Franks RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups shopped nuts*
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 8 Tbsp. butter, cubed
• 2 Tbsp. Franks RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place the nuts in a medium-sized dry skillet. Toast the nuts over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat but keep the nuts in the pan.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup, butter, and Franks to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the candy reaches 300°F or until the mixture darkens and a dollop of the mixture dropped into a cup of cold water hardens instantly. This should take about 10 minutes. 
4. Stir in the baking soda. Fold in the nuts. Immediately pour the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and use a spoon to create a layer between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thick. Allow to cool completely. Break into bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container.

*Unsalted peanuts, almonds, and pecans are great nuts for this brittle.
*If you want even more spice, add 1/4 tsp. of ground cayenne to the mixture when you add the nuts.

Quinoa with Moroccan winter squash and carrot stew

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. I don't know about you but I was ready to pull my hair out by the time Thanksgiving rolled around. So, needless to say, there were a handful of days where our dinners were either leftovers or burgers. I just did not want to cook anymore. However, after a three day break from cooking I decided to refresh reboot my love of cooking with this recipe. I had actually purchased everything to make it before the holidays but considering I had a three day cooking and baking extravaganza, I didn't get around to making it until now. I really wish I had the energy to make it before because it's delicious and oh so perfect for these colder nights we've been getting here.

The only "hard" part about this recipe is all the peeling and chopping you have to do. However, if you are lucky enough to have an awesome husband like me, then they will see how stressed you are, hand you a glass of wine, and will peel and chop those veggies for you. Once all the tedious stuff is out of the way, the recipe is super simple. Just like with any stew, you throw it all in a pot and let it cook. Granted, I let mine cook a lot longer than it should have (if you couldn't tell by the look of mushy squash). I thought I had turned off the burner when it was all done. Apparently I did not. So, for the 30 minutes to an hour that the Mister and I watched television and unwound from the day, the stew was still cooking away. Whooops! I'm not complaining though. The consistency of the squash reminded me of when I'd make beef stew and the chunks of meat would just fall apart and melt in your mouth. So, while the dinner didn't look as pretty as it should have, it tasted phenomenal.

adapted from Bon Appétit



Stew

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 cup water
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from 1 1/2 pound squash)
• 2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled carrots

Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2tsp  salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 2 tsp chopped fresh mint, divided

Stew

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients (all of the spices). Add 1 cup water, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Quinoa

1. Rinse quinoa; drain. Melt butter with oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; sauté 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Plating

1. Stir in half of cilantro and half of mint into the stew. Spoon quinoa onto platter, forming a well in the center. Spoon stew into the well. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs.

 

Thai-inspired Butternut Squash Soup

Even though it's still a little warm here, I've decided I've waited long enough to start enjoying some fall dishes. I've had this recipe sitting on stand-by just waiting for it to get cool enough to make. While, that moment hasn't come yet which means I made it anyways. The perfect thing about this recipe is that it can be made in your crock-pot. Meaning, I don't have to heat up my whole house to make it!

This will definitely be a recipe that I will make again. It was amazing. It was creamy, spicy (when I added the Sriracha), hearty, and it just screamed fall. Which was exactly what I was looking for. I loved it so much that instead of freezing the leftovers for later (like I'd originally planned) I ate the leftovers that week. It was an easy recipe to make and you can make it even more so by using pre-cut squash. I, however, bought a fresh squash and peeled and cubed it. While it wasn't hard, I could see the appeal of buying pre-cut squash if you just don't feel like messing with it. Unfortunately for me, my grocery store didn't have any pre-cut squash at the time.

The one downside to making this dish is that you can't just toss it in your slow cooker before heading to work. There is a step where you need to cook the squash in the slow cooker and blend it to make the base for the soup before adding all the other ingredients. So, I suppose if you wanted to, you could cook the squash and vegetables the night before, store it in the refrigerator, and then the morning of just dump it into the slow cooker and let it do it's thing on low until you get back.

recipe adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

• 2 lbs. peeled and cubed butternut squash 
• 1 cup vegetable stock (vegetable broth in a can is fine) 
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
• 2 tsp. olive oil 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (minced garlic from a jar is fine) 
• 1 tsp. minced ginger root (pureed ginger from a jar is fine) 
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped 
• 1 can (14 oz.) light Thai Coconut Milk 
• 4 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste 
• 1/4cup natural peanut butter (without added sugar) 
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
• 1 fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro 
• Sriracha Rooster Sauce for serving 

1. Peel the butternut squash and cut into cubes. Put the squash and vegetable stock into the slow cooker, season squash generously with fresh-ground black pepper, and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the squash is soft enough to mash easily.  When it's soft, use a food processor, blender, or immersion blender to puree the squash, being careful with the hot food.
2. Add the coconut milk, Thai Red Curry Paste, brown sugar (if using) and peanut butter to the slow cooker and blend until incorporated. 
3. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and diced red bell pepper and saute about a minute more.  
4. Stir the vegetable mixture into the pureed squash, turn slow cooker to low and cook for 1 hour more (I left mine on low for a few hours while I ran errands)
5. Stir in the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice and cook about 15 minutes more.
6. Serve hot, garnished with more chopped cilantro if desired.  For a little spice, drizzle Sriracha Sauce on top.

Green Pea and Garbanzo Bean Dip

I don't know about you, but The Mister and I love chips and dip. We eat it just about every weekend. I use to only make it when we'd go to a party. I'd always make a different dip every time and it sort of turned into a, "What will she make next" game with our friends. I saw a post from Thug Kitchen a while back about their green pea and garbanzo dip and I knew I had to try it. It was weird and wacky enough that it would be unlike anything we'd ever had before but it still had components that we love to eat. We also had everything on hand which is always a huge plus in my book. I don't know about you but I hate running to the store for last minute things.

Let me just say that this dip is delicious. I'm not going to fool you and say that it was love at first bite because it wasn't. I mean c'mon, it's green, lumpy, and made with peas. This is not your typical heavy, cheese laden dip. In fact, it's vegan! There's no dairy in this what-so-ever. So, instead of your typical party dip, this is light and refreshing. It took us a few minutes to figure out which chips worked with the dip. Tortillas were out of the question. There was just something about them that didn't work. They were too thin and didn't have enough bite to them. So, I rummaged around in the pantry and found a bag of bagel chips that were sitting unopened in the back. I mean, it's kind of hard to find things that go with bagel chips. Lo and behold bagel chips are perfect for this dip. Once we figured out the missing piece, the dip was gone in a couple of hours. My family had a field day with our late night snack. We were playing Scattergories via Skype with them and they not only questioned the bowl of green goop but made fun of how loud our crunching was because of the bagel chips. In all honestly, I think they were just jealous. ;)

recipe adapted from Thug Kitchen

• 2 cups frozen green peas; thawed
• 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans 
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 
• ¼ cup chopped green onions 
•  2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice 
• 3 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar 
• ¼ tsp salt 

1. Throw everything in a food processor or blender blend until smooth. Taste the dip and add more seasonings or lemon juice if needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*This is best served at room temperature.

Spicy Italian Sausage (Vegan)

I'm not going to lie. One of the things I miss about not eating meat is barbequing. There's nothing better than sitting out in the sun with family and friends, barbequing up a whole slew of goodies. I'm sorry but slapping on a Boca burger just doesn't cut it for me and my homemade burger would fall right through the grate. So I needed to come up with something else for this summer - and boy did I find it.

I LOVE these sausages. They are a little time consuming to make considering you cook the beans (or you can buy canned and save some time), cook the vegetables, mix it all together, shape them into logs, wrap them in foil, steam them, and then put them in the refrigerator overnight to firm up. Let me tell you though, it is worth it. I have made these sausage twice now. The first time I made a small batch (one listed below) but we ate though them way too fast. So the second time I made them I tripled the batch and stuck them in the freezer. I figured if I'm going to go through all the trouble of making them, I might as well make enough to last a while.

These are delicious. The fennel seeds definitely give them that distinct sausage flavor. They hold together beautifully on the grill. We have both done them at home on the grill and in a pan, as well as bringing them to a party where the grill master there grilled them up. They neither stuck nor fell apart. I no longer feel left out at barbeques and I feel a heck of a lot healthier knowing I'm not eating mystery meat. I always, ALWAYS, got that one sausage that had cartilage in it. I've gotten it with hot dogs, too. I guess I was always the lucky winner. Thankfully, that will no longer be the case. Even though my one year of being a vegetarian was up a couple of weeks ago, I will still pass up on the burgers and sausage and instead grill up these babies.

*Sorry I don't have any amazing photos of the sausages. Every time I've made them, I've devoured them in seconds. I will update this post later with better photos but I just REALLY wanted to share this recipe with you guys.*

recipe adapted from The V Word

spice mix

• 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 ½ tsp. fennel, crushed
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/8 tsp. allspice

 sausages

• 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups cooked or 1-15 oz. can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbs. sun-dried tomato paste
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ cup brown rice flour
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 3 Tbs. of gluten-free, vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• A few drops of Liquid Smoke

1. Prepare spice mix in advance. Set aside.
2. Heat a skillet with 2 tsp. of olive oil. Sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic until softened. Set aside and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, add the black-eyed peas and mash them up. You can use a fork, a potato masher or just get your hands in there. If you want to use a food processor, do a rough chop. You don’t want a puree. Then add the tomato paste, nutritional yeast, spice mix and brown rice flour. Mix well.
4. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the mixture and incorporate it well.
5. Add the cooled veggie mixture to the bowl and mix it into the dry ingredients. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the bowl and mix it all up well. If you are using the Liquid Smoke, add it in now too.
6. Divide the mixture into 4 parts. Shape each part into a log. Wrap the logs individually in foil and steam them for 15-20 minutes. I use a metal steamer that sits atop a large stockpot of boiling water. Let them cool. Then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, if possible. This will help them firm up even more.
7. When ready to use, unwrap and cook them however you desire. We cooked them on a grill pan and topped them with mustard and sautéed bell peppers and onions. Yum!

 

Smoky Butternut Squash Pasta with Kale

I'm definitely not used to the gloomy weather we've been having. With the days getting shorter and the clouds all gray, I've been craving comfort food. I saw this recipe and thought that it would be a tasty fall pasta dish. However, what I got was my new replacement for macaroni and cheese. The Mr. loves homemade macaroni and cheese but with my milk allergy, I've been trying to limit the dairy I consume. So, eating a bowl of cheese isn't the smartest thing for me to do. However, I can eat this without the guilt or allergy side effects. and still feel like I'm splurging on a not-so-healthy dish. I cannot believe how amazing it is. The Mr. and I polished the entire thing in one sitting. Don't judge.

When I went shopping for the ingredients I was unsuccessful in finding raw cashews at my usual grocery store. Then later that week I popped into another local store to get a specific brand of salsa for the Mr. and they had raw cashews. I had forgotten how much I needed and walked out with about a cup and half of raw cashews not realizing I only needed a quarter of a cup. Whoops. However, I looked it up online and you can store raw cashews in an airtight bag/container for up to one year in a cool and dark place. So if you have to purchase them in a large quantity, have no fear, they will last a while. I also cheated on the recipe a little bit. I really didn't want to have to clean and roast a squash. So I went over to the freezer isle of my grocery store and bought a 12 oz bag of frozen butternut squash*. When I was ready to make the sauce I put the whole bag in a microwave safe bowl and heated it up, then followed the remaining directions for the recipe. I also used gluten-free pasta. I saw it at the store and decided to give it a try. It tastes just like normal pasta and held up really well. So if you are looking for a gluten-free dish, use gluten-free pasta. Oh and one other thing, you don't have to use yeast in the recipe but it really adds to the dish. The yeast not only adds flavor but it also thickens the sauce into more of a creamy consistency.

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

• 1/4 c. raw cashews, soaked 
• 1 (3.5-4 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (need 2 c. cooked squash for the recipe. *See notes above for a quicker option) 
• 3/4 c. water 
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional, but highly recommended) 
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp onion powder 
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1/4 tsp chili powder 
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste 
• 1/8 tsp liquid smoke 
• hot sauce, to taste 
• 1 lb mini shell or macaroni pasta (use gluten-free, if desired) 
• 5 c. chopped kale

1. Add cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for at least 3-4 hours, until soft and plump. Drain and rinse before use. 
2. *If roasting your own squash* Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. See note about prepping squash below. Spread out chopped squash on sheet and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking, until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. 
3. Add the soaked and drained cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast (if using), lemon juice, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and 2 cups of cooked squash into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth. Now add the salt, liquid smoke, and hot sauce to taste and blend again. 
4. Cook pasta according to package directions. 
5. Meanwhile, saute kale in a pan until wilted.
6. Add the drained pasta back into the pot. Pour in the sauce and kale; stir to combine. Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.

Hearty Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd's Pie

With weather cooling down here, I've been doing a lot more cooking in my oven. I don't know what it is about cooler temperatures that makes me want comfort food but it never fails. I've tried a few different shepherd's pie recipes over the years and I'm always looking to try different versions. There are just so many spins you can make on this classic dish that the possibilities are endless. So far I've made your classic shepherd's pie with ground beef but I've also flipped the switch on it for holidays and meatless versions.

Corned beef & cabbage shepherd's pie

Lentil shepherd's pie

This is a really easy recipe to make. Especially if you have a big skillet that can go in the oven. You can just cook everything in the pan (except mashed potatoes, those you still have to do separately), and then top it with the mashed potatoes and throw it in the oven. There's no need to transfer it to a casserole dish. That is, unless you are the complete opposite of me and just LOVE to do dishes. The less dishes I have to do, the happier I am.

So in short, if you are looking for a hearty shepherd's pie sans the meat and dairy, this is a great recipe. It's got just enough going on that it will appease any meat eater while still catering to anyone who can't eat meat or dairy. The Mr. and I are hot sauce fiends so we felt like it needed some hot sauce mixed into the lentil base but the great thing about shepherd's pie is that you can alter it however you'd like. I'm lazy and don't see the purpose in peeling my potatoes so I left the skins on. But if you want to try sweet potatoes instead of red? Go for it! After all, that's how I came up with the corned beef version. I just took our typical St. Patty's day dinner and turned it into a pie. So taste the lentil mixture before putting the potatoes on top and tweak it to your hearts content.

recipe adapted from Vegan Holiday Cooking

• 8 large or 10 medium potatoes
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 c. non-dairy milk such as rice/soy/almond milk (just not almond coconut)
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 oz mushrooms (crimini or button mushrooms)
• 2 (15 oz) can lentils, lightly drained but not rinsed (or about 3 1/2 cups cooked lentils with a little of their cooking liquid)
• 2 Tbsp dry red wine, optional
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash table blend)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot
• 8 to 10 oz. baby spinach or arugula leaves
• 1 c. fresh bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs (gluten-free if needed)

1. Dice the potatoes (you can peel them first if you prefer mashed potatoes without the skin). Place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a small mixing bowl.
2. Stir the margarine into the potatoes until melted, then add the non-dairy milk and mash until fluffy. Cover and set aside until needed. Preheat the oven to 400° f.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.
4. Add the lentils and their liquid and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the wine (if using), soy sauce, seasoning blend, thyme, and pepper. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve in a small container. Stir into the lentil mixture.
5. Add the spinach, a little at a time, cooking just until it’s all wilted down. Remove from the heat; taste to adjust seasonings to your liking.
6. Lightly oil a 2-quart (preferably round) casserole dish, or two deep-dish pie plates. Scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom. Pour in the lentil mixture, then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. If using two pie plates, divide each mixture evenly between them.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn golden and slightly crusty (I always pop mine under the broiler for a few minutes to give it a nice golden crust). 
8. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.

Lentil Loaf

Every year for my birthday the Mr. makes me dinner and a cake. I usually always choose meatloaf for dinner. That has been my choice since I was a little girl. It could be that from a very young age I remember eating meatloaf with my grandpa when he watched me or as I would like to think, when we hung out together. So I was unwilling to give up my old time tradition of meatloaf on my birthday just because I have given up meat. Not too long ago I received a cookbook for vegan recipes and tried the lentil loaf from it. You may have remembered that review and the fact that the lentil loaf was my favorite recipe that I made from the book.  So when the Mr. asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner I told him I wanted the lentil loaf.

This is a pretty easy recipe to make. It's pretty much like making your usual meatloaf only you have to cook the lentils first and roast some walnuts. What I do recommend though is making the loaf in advance and letting it sit in loaf form in the refrigerator if you plan on making it during the week. That way, when you get home from work all you have to do is pop the loaf in the oven to cook. Regardless of whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, or a meat eater, this an amazing "meat" loaf recipe. One that will surely please the masses.



recipe adapted from...

Check out my review of Vegan Beans from Around the World

• 1 c. green lentils
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 c. walnuts, toasted and ground
• 3 Tbsp. ground  flax seed, mixed with 1/2 c. warm water
• 1/4 c. oatmeal, uncooked
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 3 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a medium pot bring 3 cups of water to a boil on medium high with the lentils and 1/2 tsp. salt. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer the lentils for 45 minutes. Make sure to stir and watch this pot; you do not want to run out of water. Make sure to add more water as necessary when the water level goes down. You want these lentils to be mushy.
3. In a large pan on medium-high, heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil. Saute the onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally for approximately 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute while stirring. 
4. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Add in the sauteed vegetables and lentils. Season with salt and pepper to personal preference. 
5. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Very firmly press the loaf mix into the pan. Smooth out the top if need be. 
   
   
6. Cover with tinfoil.
7. Bake on middle rack for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Stove Top Carrot Cake Oatmeal

I will admit that I am not a fan of stove top oatmeal. The Mr. has tried to make it a handful of times and every time I eat as much as I can but ultimately end up dumping it in the trash. It just never seems to taste like the instant stuff that comes in those convenient pouches. *Mega apples & cinnamon fan here* But this morning I woke up craving oatmeal and my instant stuff was all gone.  *Looks at canister of old fashioned oats* I started looking online for an oatmeal recipe that was easy to make, could be done on the stove top (a lot of recipes were baked) and something that sounded good and wasn't just  brown sugar mixed with oats. Which is when I found this recipe over at Oh She Glows.

The Mr. was pretty confused when at 9am I was in the kitchen grating away on some carrots, and like the gentleman that he is, he took over the grating so that I could work on getting everything else together. I will say that when I told him what I was making, I got "the look". You know, the look that says "I question your sanity". I shrugged it off thinking "you'll eat your unspoken words in about 20 minutes mister".  After all, this is the man that requests carrot cake every year for his birthday. How could he think carrot cake oatmeal was going to be anything short of amazing? He totally ate his unspoken words because this oatmeal rocked.

It didn't have that bland oatmeal flavor with random pockets of sweetness added in. It didn't even have a very sugary taste to it. Now granted, it didn't taste like I was eating mushy carrot cake either. You could taste the carrots, the maple syrup, the bursts of sweetness from the raisins and the crunchy nuttiness from the walnuts. It was like Disney World in my mouth. My taste buds were having the time of their life. I'm not saying that I'll never go back to the instant stuff because lets be honest here, the apples & cinnamon is outstanding, but it definitely opened my eyes to the fact that homemade oatmeal can be just as good.

Serves 2

• 1 heaping cup finely grated carrot (about 1 large)
• 1 cup and 2 Tbsp almond milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, divided
• 2 tbsp raisins, divided
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish
• 1 tbsp coconut milk cream + 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup, to garnish (optional)

1. Finely grate 1 heaping cup of grated carrots. You want to use the fine grate and not the large one so the carrot shreds are very small. This helps the carrot blend in more.
2. In a medium sized pot over medium heat, whisk together the almond milk, optional coconut milk cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt.
3. Stir in the grated carrots and oats. Adjust heat if necessary or bring heat to low if it starts to boil. Cook for about 8-9 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mixture has thickened up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 tbsp raisins, and 2 tbsp of maple syrup. Remove from heat and portion into bowls.
4. Top the oatmeal with the remaining walnuts, raisins, and shredded coconut. If you are using coconut cream, you can mix a bit of the cream with maple syrup and drizzle on top of the oatmeal, as shown in the photo. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish.

This recipe is submitted in
My Meatless Monday
Just Another Meatless Monday