Risotto with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Pistachios

Risotto with Brussel Sprouts

The other day, I experimented with ingredients while making a risotto, and it turned out really delicious. I love brussel sprouts and wanted to incorporate them into the risotto. They seemed to pair nicely with the apple and the pistachios.

Risotto makes a delicious vegan main dish. It’s perfect when you want to impress someone (including yourself).

Risotto with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Pistachios

3/4 cup Arborio rice
1 ½ cups roasted brussels sprouts, cut into thirds
½ tart apple, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp. roasted shelled pistachio nuts, halved
2 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
¾ cup white wine
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp. parsley
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
½ yellow onion, chopped
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
Olive oil

1) Place 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in deep sauce pan on medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sauté about 5 minutes. Add chopped shallot and sauté another 5 minutes.
2) Add all spices and apples. Saute another 5 minutes.
3) Add rice and ¾ cup vegetable broth. Stir and keep an eye on it until broth absorbed – a few minutes.
4) Add another ¾ cup broth and sauté until broth absorbed.
5) Add ¾ cup white wine and sauté until absorbed.
6) Stir in Brussels sprouts.
7) Add ½ cup vegetable broth and stir until broth absorbed.
8) Stir in pistachio nuts.
Delicious!
Makes 3 main dish servings or 6-7 side servings.

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Mom’s Homemade Bean Enchiladas

Enchiladas from a Mexican restaurant can’t compare with these homemade enchiladas. They come out of the oven ooey gooey, but much lower in fat and salt than the restaurant version. And they are also packed with nutritious beans, lycopene-rich tomato sauce and spices. My mom has made this casserole for special occasions for years, and now I’m making it too. Try it once and it might become part of your family’s traditions too.

Mom's Homemade Bean Enchiladas

Mom’s Homemade Bean Enchiladas

2 cans refried beans OR 2 cans pinto beans (mashed)
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp. Chile powder
1/4 cup grated low-fat cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese or daiya vegan cheddar
12 flour or whole wheat large tortillas
1/2 lb. grated low-fat cheddar (or Mexican blend) cheese or daiya vegan cheddar

SAUCE FOR ENCHILADAS
2 cups tomato sauce (two 8 oz. cans)
2 cups water
4 tsp. dried minced onions
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. Chile powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1) Mix the first four ingredients together.

2) Simmer sauce ingredients together.

3) Spoon bean mixture into tortilla shell, add tsp. of sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.

4) Roll tortilla and place each in long baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese.

5) Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, sliced avocado, black olives and/or salsa.

Serves 5 or 6.

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Spaghetti Casserole

Everyone needs at least a few go-to casserole recipes. A casserole is a whole meal in one dish. It’s the perfect dish to make when you want to prepare something ahead of time to free you to be with your guests. Make it the night before and then bake it right before everyone comes over. Or, of course, you can make a casserole when someone you love needs a meal. Perfect drop-off food for couples with a new baby, new neighbors, or when you want to make a busy friend’s day. Casserole and comfort food are synoymous.

Spaghetti Casserole

This spaghetti casserole is super yummy and fairly easy and inexpensive to make. I have made it three times in the last month.

Spaghetti Casserole

1 pound dried spaghetti (most boxes are 1 pound)(you can use brown rice spaghetti if following a gluten free diet) – cooked according to package directions

1 jar of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce (about 25 oz.)

1 small can of tomato sauce (about 6 oz.)

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 – 8 button or cremini mushrooms, chopped or sliced

2/3 cup ground veggie burger

1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, crushed red pepper and parsley

Optional: layer in a small sprinkling of reduced fat mozzarella cheese or daiya Vegan mozzarella cheese between each layer and sprinkle cheese on top, if desired. You won’t miss the cheese though if you leave it out. I’d even go so far as to say, it’s better without the cheese

Olive oil

1)    In large sauce pan, heat 1 or 2 tbsp. of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and sauté about 8 minutes, until tender.

2)    Add chopped green pepper and sauté another 5 minutes. Add veggie burger and stir in with the onion and pepper. Saute a minute or two.

3)    Add garlic and sauté a minute more. Then add mushrooms and sauté a couple of additional minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed.

4)    Pour in tomato sauce and pasta sauce. Add all spices. Stir and simmer about 10 minutes.

5)    Grease a large, deep casserole dish with olive oil. Ladle enough sauce into the bottom of the dish to cover the bottom. Add a layer of spaghetti, and then another layer of sauce.

6)    Repeat layering 3 or 4 times until you have used all of your ingredients.

7)    Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes.

Serves 6-8 people. Reheat leftovers in microwave. Makes good leftovers.

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Lazy Vegan Biscuits (who knew they could be so good?)

As a housewife in the 1960s and 1970s, my mom embraced Bisquick and all of the other modern shortcuts to a good suburban meal. So, until today, it did not occur to me to try to make biscuits from scratch. I figured they would be too time-consuming, difficult or fattening.

Inspired by a delicious-looking blog entry at the Amateur Gourmet , I decided to try to make some biscuits.

Of course, being a health nut and vegan-ish, I had to change his recipe around to make it “lighter” and vegan, but even without the butter and buttermilk, these biscuits were darn good! More than darn good. Especially with honey and apple butter. Yum!  And I’ll add that they only took minutes to prepare (that’s why I call them “lazy” – they were just too easy!)

Lazy Vegan Biscuits

Lazy Vegan Biscuits

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. Smart Balance
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Lazy Biscuits Turned out Good!

1) Mix together dry ingredients.

2) Melt Smart Balance in the microwave and add to the dry ingredients.

3) Gradually stir in the unsweetened almond milk. (You may need to add another tbsp. of flour if it looks too wet).

4) Spray a cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Drop the biscuits by big spoonfuls into the pan.

5) Bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 450 degrees and bake another 10-15 minutes (check after 10 minutes).

6) Try with apple butter or honey. Yum!

Makes 5 good-sized biscuits.

Biscuit with Honey

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Tighten Your Belt in the New Year!

If you are like me, you ate too much this holiday season and probably spent too much money also. This recipe will help you satisfy three resolutions: eating healthy, eating low fat or losing weight, and saving money. Plus it’s easy to make (saves time), and delicious!

Savory Bean and Hominy Soup

Savory Bean and Hominy Soup (vegan)

3 15 oz. cans of Great Northern Beans, drained
1 15 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can of hominy
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
½ cup of frozen or drained canned corn
About 2 cups of water
2 tbsp. cilantro
1 tbsp. cumin

1) Mix all ingredients together in a very large kettle.
2) Bring to a quick boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer.
3) Simmer for about 20 minutes.
4) Serve steaming hot by itself or with your choice of toppings: cheese, sour cream, olives, diced red onion, diced avocado, or tortilla chips.

Ingredients

Happy New Year!

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A Tale of Two Tofurkeys

It was the best of times. You had the day off from work, your daughter was home from college, and the house smelled like apple pie.

It was the worst of times. The new puppy just had an accident in the foyer, your in-laws were coming over in less than an hour, and you forgot to thaw out the Tofurkey roast.

Tofurkey brand roast is delicious, no doubt about it. Sometimes though, you might forget to defrost it. Frozen Tofurkey is like a block of the antarctic. Expect to wait a while to eat. Or maybe you just decided  at the last minute to serve a mock “turkey,” and you need it ready in a hurry.

Which Mock “Turkey” Should You Choose?

For old-fashioned Tofurkey, the way mom used to make it, choose the original Tofurkey roast. It comes stuffed with a bread and rice stuffing. You baste it and slow cook it in the oven for over an hour in a casserole dish with potatoes, carrots and other veggies you choose. The house will smell like Thanksgiving. Tofurkey also sells a “giblet” gravy with its tofurkey.

Old-fashioned Tofurkey Dinner

For mock turkey in a hurry, choose the Celebration Field Roast. It’s also filled with stuffing. You can heat it up in the microwave! Ready in minutes.

Sliced Field Roast Dinner

Both brands are Vegan, tasty and make great leftovers.

If you choose to go the Tofurkey Brand route, here is a recipe you might like to try:

Tofurkey with Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Onions and Brussel Sprouts

1 Tofurkey roast, thawed
2 white potatoes, quartered
3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, cut into 8 pieces
About 10 brussel sprouts, cut in half (optional)
10 halved mushrooms (optional)

Baste

½ cup olive oil
3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. ground sage
2 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. parsley
½ tsp. celery seeds or celery salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1)    Remove thawed Tofurkey roast from plastic casing.

2)    Grease a large casserole dish with oil or non-stick spray. Set Tofurkey roast in the center of the casserole. Arrange potatoes, carrots and onion around the Tofurkey.

3)    Place baste ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake vigorously. Pour half of the baste over the Tofurkey roast. Drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables.

4)    Cover with foil or tight fitting lid and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

5)    Toss brussel sprouts with some olive oil. Add them to the casserole dish. Pour remaining baste over the Tofurkey. Cover again and continue baking another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

6)    If you want to add mushrooms, add them when there are about 10 minutes left in the baking time.

7)    Serve each person a slice of Tofurkey and some veggies. Let’s eat!

 **If you purchased the “giblet” gravy, simply heat it up on the stove. I like to add sliced mushrooms to the Tofurkey “giblet” gravy, turning it into an easy yummy mushroom gravy.

 Note: Tofurkey Roast has stuffing inside already.

This dish serves about 4-5 people. Makes good leftovers, including Tofurkey sandwiches!

 

If you need additional assistance with making your tofurkey roast, feel free to consult the Vegetarian Light Youtube video: http://youtu.be/_X80FlhA5zA.

Tofurkey website: http://www.tofurkey.com/

Celebration Field Roast Grain Meat Co website: http://www.fieldroast.com/

Follow Vegetarian Light on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vegetarianlight

Happy Thanksgiving and holidays y’all!

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Easy Stewed Cinnamon Apples

It’s apple season in Virginia. After a trip to Carter Mountain in Charlottesville, I have lots of Fuji (sweet and crisp) and Pink Lady (a little tart and crisp) apples. I plan to share a few recipes over the next couple of weeks related to apples. To start, here’s a super easy–and versatile–recipe: stewed apples.

Use these stewed apples as an ingredient in apple bread, as a topping over pancakes (or an ingredient in pancakes!), as a stir-in in oatmeal, as a topping for ice cream or as a side dish. As you can see, there are lots of ways to use stewed apples and you can probably come up with even more. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe.

Easy Stewed Cinnamon Apples

This recipe is super easy, delicious and healthy. And no added fat!

2 apples
2 tbsp. apple cider or water
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground flaxseed
2 tsp. brown sugar (optional)

1) Chop apples. You can peel, if desired.
2) Add in remaining ingredients and stir.
3) Cook in microwave on high for about 1 minute 20 seconds.
4) Serve immediately or save for later.

Great stirred in oatmeal, over pancakes, over ice cream, as an ingredient in bread or cakes or as a side dish.

Try adding in golden raisins, currants or chopped pecans or walnuts. Yum!

To make it even easier, follow the youtube video at: http://youtu.be/cPUE-1kZsjo.

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Spinach, Artichoke and Brown Rice Casserole

It’s Fall. Time to get your favorite casserole dish out of the cabinet, find a great recipe or two, and whip up some warm, soul-soothing comfort food. A casserole can feed a large group for a night, or a small group for several nights. Leftovers are great! And with the holidays around the corner, it’s probably a good idea to find some interesting recipes and try them out!

Spinach, Artichoke and Brown Rice Casserole

You won’t be dissapointed with this one! If you like a spinach, artichoke dip, you will love this casserole. It combines spinach, artichokes, fiber-rich brown rice and other nutritious, delicious ingredients. So it’s super healthy and low-fat, unlike the cheese and butter-laden dips served at many restaurants. This casserole can be either the main dish or a side dish. I hope you enjoy it.

Spinach, Artichoke, and Brown Rice Casserole

• 

  Spinach, Artichoke and Brown Rice Casserole

  1 ½  cups cooked brown rice

• 3 cups spinach, washed and
  stems removed
• 1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke
  hearts, drained
• ¼ cup fat free or
  reduced fat Greek Yogurt
• 1 weight watchers mozzarella
  cheese stick (or ¼ cup low fat mozzarella cheese)
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
  cheese (topping)
• ½ cup water sliced water
  chestnuts, slices cut in half
• 1 cup cream of mushroom soup (I used organic)
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened almond
  milk (or skim milk)
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, diced
• 1 tsp. marjoram
• 1 tsp. thyme
• ½ tsp. celery salt
• 1 ½ tbsp. Smart Balance
  (butter substitute)
• 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1)    Put rice on to cook (according to directions), or cook in advance.

2)    In a large skillet, add onion and Smart Balance. Cook about 5-8 minutes, until onion is mellow.

3)    Add olive oil and garlic. Saute a minute. Then add spices.

4)    Add artichoke hearts and water chestnuts. Saute another minute or so.

5)    Add cream of mushroom soup, almond milk, and Greek yogurt. Stir everything together.

6)    Rough chop the spinach. Add to the mixture and stir in until wilting.

7)    Add 1 ½ cups of the cooked brown rice to the mixture and stir together. As a last step, cut the Weight Watchers mozzarella cheese stick into small pieces using kitchen scissors (1/4 inch or less) and stir into the mixture.

8)    Pour mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese.

9)    Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Will brown on top and be totally delicious!

Makes 4-5 substantial side dish servings.

Spinach, Artichoke and Brown Rice Casserole

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Sweet Potato Bread (vegan)

Ground Cinnamon

It’s the time of year when baking seems like a good idea, particularly when it involves cinnamon and spices that fill the house with warm, yummy fragrance. Anyone walking into a home where sweet potato bread is baking will want to sit down and stay a while. It’s a scent that says  ”make yourself comfortable.”

And there’s nothing like a slice with a cup of tea or vanilla almond milk for a mid-afternoon or late night snack.

The version below is vegan and healthful. Treat yourself today!

Sweet Potato Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
•  ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tbsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed plus 3 tbsp. water (egg substitute)
•  ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4  cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/3 cup chopped currants (I used Zante currants)
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans

Sweet Potato Bread: the dough

1) Combine wheat and white flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices in a large bowl.

2) Cook sweet potato in the microwave for about 3 minutes (or until baked). Peel sweet potato and mash it. (Cook the potato a little ahead of time and it won’t be hot when you peel it!)

3) Place ground flaxseed and water, milk, applesauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add mashed sweet potato.

4) Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir in dates and chopped pecans. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5 loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.

5) Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Bread is done when a knife comes out clean from the middle.

Makes one 9 X 5 loaf.

Beautiful sweet potatoes

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Vegetable Soup

Yummy Veggie Soup

At this time of year when the crisp evening air makes you pull on a jacket, it’s time to make a big pot of soup. And since the farmer’s markets are still in full swing, there’s plenty of fresh produce. The weather and abundance of vegetables make vegetable soup the perfect choice for dinner on a chilly night.

The beauty of vegetable soup is you can make it with pretty much any type of vegetables. Start with onion, and then choose whatever you love, what looks good at the stand, or what you already have in your fridge. Use the recipe below as a guide, but feel free to mix it up, as you like!.

Vegetable Soup

1 medium-sized Vedalia or other sweet onion, sliced very thin
1 leek, wash and remove roots
2 celery stalks, leaves included, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
¾ cup chopped cabbage
½ green or red pepper, sliced thin
1 cup broccoli florets
½ cup shitake or button mushrooms
About 10 green beans, ends removed and cut in thirds
½ of a 12 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes
32 oz. reduced sodium vegetable stock or broth
1 cup water
½ cup orzo or other small pasta
1 tbsp. oregano
Olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp. parsley
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper

Red Wine Vinegar

(other good ingredients might include: fresh corn off the cob, 1/2 cup of cooked barley, cauliflower, chard or other greens….)

1) Prepare onion and chop leek. It’s okay to use some of the dark green portion of the leek, just don’t use about the top 1/3 of the green part.

2) Heat 2-3 tbsp. olive oil in large pot on medium-high heat. Add onion first and sauté a few minutes. Then add leek and sauté both together about 5 more minutes or so. Add all spices (except red wine vinegar).

3) Add celery, cabbage and carrots and sauté about 7 minutes.

4) Add broccoli, red or green pepper, green beans and mushrooms (mushrooms last) and sauté about 5 minutes more. Add more olive oil if needed.

5) Add chickpeas, stewed tomatoes and water. Then pour in vegetable broth. Add red wine vinegar.

6) Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Add pasta and boil about 6 or 7 minutes or until pasta is tender.

7) Reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes more. Remove bay leaf before serving. Pasta absorbs liquid, so add water or more broth, if needed.

8) Serve with fresh bread or crackers.

Makes a big pot of soup.

Vegetable Soup

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