Month: January 2013

Crockpot Vegetarian Lasagna

Making lasagna the traditional way is a very tedious process. You make your own homemade tomato sauce the first day, then assemble the lasagna the second day. You can either bake it right away, or freeze it for later. And it’s amazing, right?

This recipe is for a quick lasagna inspired by Eating Well, where your crockpot does most of the work. You do sacrifice the pretty presentation of neatly cut squares, but this is still a delicious dish! And those of you who like a saucy lasanga will really appreciate this version. There’s a bit of extra liquid, but just serve it with a slotted spoon, and scoop up the extra sauce with a piece of crusty Italian bread.

Tomato season is so short in New England, so this recipe is made possible by some excellent canned tomatoes. Tuttorosso was kind enough to send me some of their canned tomato products to sample, and they were great as promised. There’s nothing like a freshly picked tomato in August, but canned tomatoes are the next best thing and available year round.

Here’s the lasagna, ready for serving. Grab a spoon and dig in! Garnish it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese of course. 🙂

Crockpot Vegetarian Lasagna

2 c. part skim ricotta
1 egg
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 T minced garlic
10-12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 c. part skim mozzarella, divided

In a large bowl, mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan, mushrooms, and spinach. In a medium bowl, mix crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and garlic.

Coat inside of crockpot with cooking spray. Add 1 1/2 c. of the tomato mixture to the bottom of the crockpot. Break noodles to fit into crockpot, and form a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 1/2 c. sauce over the ricotta, followed by 3/4 c. mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, starting with noodles, and then ricotta mixture, sauce, and mozzarella. Add one more layer of lasagna noodles, followed by all remaining tomato sauce. Cook on High for 2 hours.

Remove cover, and add remaining mozzarella. Cover and cook on Low until cheese melts.

-Lightly adapted from Eating Well

Tuttorusso sent me the tomatoes as a gift. I was not compensated in any other way, and the opinions in this post, as always, are mine.

Blueberry Scones

Although I love a good latte, I am usually not tempted by the bakery case at Starbucks. The major exception is their blueberry scones. There’s something about those scones that I really love, so I decided to try to make some at home that might be a bit healthier.

I used this Strawberry Scone recipe from Chobani, and substituted plain yogurt for the strawberry yogurt, and blueberries for the strawberries. Many people have used this recipe successfully, but I needed to add a splash of milk to bring the dough together. I think if you use a fruit that has more moisture (like chopped strawberries) that might do the trick.

Either way, I really liked these scones. They’re fluffier than the Starbucks version, and a little smaller of course, but make a nice treat. While I’ll still stop at Starbucks for my coffee fix, I can bring my own scone!

Blueberry Scones

1 c. white flour
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c. sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
4 T butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1 c. blueberries
6 oz. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Splash of milk

In a large bowl, mix together flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add in blueberries and yogurt. Stir just to combine. If more liquid is needed, add a splash of milk.

Turn dough onto a floured surface. Fold dough on top of itself a few times – do not knead. Form into a circle that is 1-1 1/2″ thick. Cut into 8 triangles. Place each triangle on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 400F for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

-Lightly adapted from Chobani

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pears, and Onions with Blue Cheese

The bushel of butternut squash is now gone. We’ve made a basic squash soup, a fancier soup with beans and ham, butternut hash, butternut butter, and a butternut squash and kale torte. With the very last squash, I decided to make Roasted Butternut Squash, Pears, and Onions with Blue Cheese.

The title pretty much says it all, but this recipe takes plain roasted vegetables up a notch. I loved the mix of squash, pears, and onions, and the strong-flavored blue cheese was a great touch. This would be good as a side dish, or perhaps accompanied by a nice spinach salad.

I am a little sad that the squash is gone, but I am ready to move on to other vegetables. It’s the end of January, and I haven’t roasted any beets yet!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pears, and Onions with Blue Cheese

1 butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1″ chunks
1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and sliced
2 T butter
1 T sage, chopped
1/2 t thyme
1 T mustard
1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese

Place squash, pear, and onion in a large bowl. In a small pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Add sage and thyme, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustard. Pour butter mixture over vegetables and toss to coat.

Place vegetables in a 13″x9″ dish. Bake at 375F for 45-50 minutes, or until tender and brown. Add cheese, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Spinach Pizza Pinwheels

I know at least some of you are very disappointed that the Patriots aren’t playing in the Superbowl. And I understand, but you still have to eat during the game, right? I saw these Pizza Pinwheels from Recipegirl and knew I had to make them – with my own twist of course. Her recipe makes it look easy, and even has step-by-step photos!

There are so many possible variations on this recipe that my head was spinning. But for my first attempt, I decided to try a spinach-garlic flavor. The dough is pretty easy to work with, although I couldn’t roll it out quite as thin as intended. It’s also a little tricky to transfer the pinwheels onto the baking sheet, but it’s OK if a couple fall apart. The final product was still great; these pinwheels are both tasty and cute, which is exactly what you want for party food.

I am going to try other versions, but I couldn’t wait to share this one. You might want to make a trial version of these before the big day. My only regret was not having homemade sauce ready for dipping, and I won’t make that mistake again.

Spinach Pizza Pinwheels

1 c. self-rising flour (you don’t have to buy it; make your own here)
1/2 t sugar
2/3 c. 2% plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 T garlic-flavored olive oil (such as Garlic Gold)
1/2 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 c. reduced fat cheddar and mozzarella blend, divided

Sift together flour and sugar. Add yogurt, and stir until blended. Use your fingers if needed to mix the ingredients into a smooth dough. Knead briefly on a floured surface. Roll into a large 8″x12″ rectangle.

Spread oil onto dough. Spread spinach on top of oil. Sprinkle 1/2 c. of cheese on top of spinach. Roll dough into a log. Cut into approximately 10 equal slices. Place each slice on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or parchment paper. Sprinkle remaining cheese onto pinwheels.

Bake at 350F for 20-24 minutes, until lightly browned.

-Lightly adapted from Recipegirl

Crockpot Hot and Sour Soup

It seems there are a lot of people coughing and sneezing these days. I certainly hope that all of you stay healthy, but if you are unlucky enough to get a bad cold, this is the soup that will clear your head. And your slow cooker can make the soup while you lounge on the couch catching up on bad TV.

This is a very basic version of the traditional Asian hot and sour soup. If I were serving this to company, I’d add some shiitake mushrooms and use baby bok choy instead of spinach. This is also a very mild version; I added quite a bit of vinegar and cayenne to each bowl to really bring out the hot and the sour flavors. If you think your crowd can handle it, go ahead and double the amounts of each below.

I really enjoyed this soup, especially after I adjusted it to taste. It’s filling, but not quite hearty enough for a main dish. It would be perfect though with a side of homemade fried rice or maybe a cold noodle salad.

Crockpot Hot and Sour Soup

1 (16 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
1 (16 oz.) package frozen leaf spinach
1 (8 oz.) can bamboo shoots, drained
1 T minced garlic
1 (14 oz.) package lite firm tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
1 T fresh minced ginger
2 c. vegetable broth
4 c. water
2 T soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
2 dashes cayenne pepper, plus more for serving
2 T rice vinegar, plus more for serving

Add all ingredients to crockpot. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Add more pepper and/or vinegar to each bowl just prior to serving, depending on your tastes.

-Inspired by Fat Free Vegan’s Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

Chili-Garlic Tilapia

I really do like to eat seafood, I just hate cooking it. I feel like you need to plan so that you can buy the fish fresh and make it that day. It also doesn’t work as well as leftovers, and I rely heavily on leftovers for meals during the week.

In an effort to overcome these challenges, I bought frozen tilapia fillets at Trader Joe’s. I wanted to see if frozen fillets would streamline the process without sacrificing quality. There’s just one catch; you need to defrost the fish in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking. So it still requires a little planning, but not a trip to the store.

A note on sustainability: I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t check the label carefully when purchasing this fish. I have the Monterey Bay Seafood Guide right on my phone so there are no excuses. Depending on where tilapia is farmed, it can be rated a Best Choice (US Farmed), Good Alternative (Central/South America Farmed), or Avoid (China/Taiwan Farmed). The fish packaging was already in the dumpster when I sat down to write this post, but I promise I’ll check next time!

The fish was fully defrosted by the time I got home for dinner, and I decided to loosely follow this recipe for Chili-Rubbed Tilapia. It was so quick and so delicious. Tilapia can be a little bland but I loved the spicy flavor. I also sauteed some spinach, and I think this meal was on the table in less than 20 minutes! I am calling this experiment a success.

Chili-Garlic Tilapia

1 T Chili 3000 (from Penzey’s)
1 t garlic powder
2 tilapia fillets (10-12 oz. total)
2 t olive oil with garlic (such as Garlic Gold)

In a plate, combine chili and garlic powder and spread over the surface of the plate. Gently press the tilapia fillets into the spices. Turn fish over and press the other side. Use your fingers to make sure that the outside of the fish is completely coated.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Place tilapia in pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

I knew I couldn’t let my Chili 3000 spice sit in the cabinet for long. I had to make a batch of chili. And maybe with some upcoming football games you could use a new chili recipe too?

I made just a few changes to Skinnytaste’s Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili recipe, which calls for a taco seasoning packet. I tried to replace the packet with my own spices, but I didn’t use enough. The Chili 3000 was great, I just needed more. I updated the directions below with the amount I’ll use next time.

As you can see, this recipe yields a lot of chili! I had containers for lunch all week, plus extras for the freezer. This would be a great recipe to make for a crowd, and you could serve it with shredded cheese, sour cream, and sliced jalapenos or olives. It’s a great basic chili recipe no matter how you use it.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 c. water
2 T Chili 3000
1 1/2 T cumin
1/4 t cayenne
24 oz. chicken breasts (about 3-4)

Add onions, beans, tomato sauce, tomatoes, water, and spices to the crockpot and stir well. Place raw chicken breasts on top. Cook on Low for 9-10 hours. Shred chicken, and stir into chili. Cook on High for 30 minutes.

-Lightly adapted from Skinnytaste

Butternut Squash Soup

My family made a double batch of this soup over Christmas, to freeze for busy days (and nights) ahead. Yes, we’re still working through the bushel of squash from October. (There’s just one squash left.)

The recipe is lightly adapted from Skinnytaste’s Butternut Squash Soup, but we just used basic black pepper for seasoning and added a touch of applesauce. It was a good chance to test out the new immersion blender that my Dad got for Christmas. It’s a fun gadget, and makes the soup so smooth. The soup is really simple, but has a rich flavor. I treat the containers in my freezer like gold.

Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
6 c. vegetable broth
1 t minced garlic
Black Pepper
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

Place squash, onion, carrots, broth, and garlic in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. Puree with an immersion blender. Season with black pepper. Stir in applesauce, and more water if the soup is too thick. Cook just until heated through.

-Adapted from Skinnytaste

Spinach, Sundried Tomato, and Feta Rolls

Last weekend, I had the urge to bake bread but got distracted and made Pumpkin Ginger Pecan Muffins. There were no distractions this weekend; I made something even better than bread! I made these Crusty Spinach Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Bread Rolls. There is nothing like fresh bread right out of the oven.

The recipe from Sass and Veracity is based on a recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. The basic concept is that if you keep dough in your refrigerator, you can make bread easily whenever you’d like. That sounds great, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to bake fresh bread every day! Still, the recipe works well. I cut the ingredients in half and tried to clarify the directions in my version below. The process isn’t difficult at all; the hardest part is creating steam in your oven with a pan filled with water.

The rolls were amazing – crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of flavor. They would work well for either brunch or dinner, although I must say I really enjoyed one with a glass of wine. If you’re nervous about making your own bread, my advice is to jump in and give it a try. It takes some practice, but once you get going you’ll have your own bakery on demand.

Spinach, Sundried Tomato, and Feta Rolls

1 package (2 1/4 t) yeast
2 t sugar
2 t salt
1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes, drained of any oil, and chopped
1/3 c. fat-free feta
1 large egg white
1 1/2 c. warm water
3 1/4 c. flour, plus extra for handling

Mix yeast, sugar, salt, spinach, tomatoes, and feta in a large bowl. Place egg white in a liquid measuring cup, and add warm water for a total of 1 1/2 c. fluid. Add to mixing bowl. Spoon flour into mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are combined. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow to rest in a warm place for 2 hours.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle flour on top of the wet dough. Flour your hands, and pull pieces of dough the size of a baseball. Shape into a round, and place on the prepared parchment. Continue until all the dough is formed into balls. Allow to rest for 1 hour.

Place a rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven, and preheat oven to 425F. Add water to the empty pan. Place prepared baking sheet with dough on the middle rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until rolls are golden brown. Cool on a rack, and serve warm.

-Lightly adapted from Sass and Veracity, concept by Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Top 10 Vegetarian Family-Friendly Dinners

When my friend Leah visited, she mentioned she was looking for some new recipes to cook for her family. With the new year, many of you might be looking for some new recipes as well! So by her request, here are my Top 10 Vegetarian Family-Friendly Dinners.

These recipes are plant-heavy, yield enough food for a small crowd, and aim to please the diverse palates around the table. I excluded a few of my favorites that might be too spicy, like Ethiopian Chickpea Stew, and a few that were really time intensive, like Vegetarian Pad Thai. Not all of these recipes are quick, but there are often components which can be made ahead so they’ll fit into your schedule.

If your family eats meat on a regular basis, you may wish to designate one night a week for a vegetarian meal, like Meatless Monday. It’s a great way to introduce more plant-based meals which are good for you and the environment. Without any further ado, here’s the list:

Butternut Squash Chili – This was one of the Best Recipes of 2012, and one of my personal favorites. Don’t skip the avocado garnish!

Black Bean and Pineapple Soup – Another hearty main dish soup, which you could serve over brown rice for a complete meal.

Broccoli Mac & Cheese – There’s nothing like a good dish of homemade macaroni and cheese. This version is lighter, and tastes better than anything that comes out of a blue box!

Crockpot Stuffed Mushrooms – Mushrooms are cooked in a delicious blend of tomatoes and balsamic, and can be served over noodles or rice. Plus, your crockpot does the work.

Eggplant Meatballs – I’ve been making this recipe for years, and they always come out just a bit differently, but good. If you make the meatballs and sauce ahead of time, all you have to do when you come home is boil the pasta. I need to make this again soon so I can get a good picture.

Italian Baked Potatoes – This recipe is best when tomatoes are in their prime (August/September) but can be made other times of the year as well. You can multiply the recipe to feed any number of people, and serve the potatoes with a side salad to round out the meal.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie – You can assemble this shepherd’s pie over the weekend, and then bake it for dinner. This makes quite a bit, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers for lunch.

Zucchini Black Bean Enchiladas – I know I am partial to zucchini, but I have made this recipe several times and it’s been a hit with everyone. You make your own enchilada sauce so you can set the right spice level for your family.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes – There’s nothing like breakfast for dinner. Some fresh fruit makes it a meal.

Peanut Noodles – This is actually the only recipe in the list that uses tofu. It’s also the only dish that’s meant to be served cold, so it’s probably better for those hot summer days.

And there’s my Top 10 list….but what’s at the top of your list?