Vegetarian

Vegetable Spotlight & Spring Vegetable Ravioli

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One of my many goals for this year was to bring vegetables to the forefront of our lives. I want to stray from the typical American focus on meat as the main dish at meals. The hope is that this helps us to be healthier. There is so much research out there that shows just how much better a vegetable based diet is. I know this, and what I don’t know is why it took me so long to make this step.

This does not mean that we will be going vegetarian by any means, or anything of the sort, instead meat will be used more as a flavor enhancer
than a main staple. I am nowhere near ready to give up steaks and bacon believe me.

A vegetable based diet to me is more about taking a step back in time back to a more traditional diet; a time when meat was expensive and the personal garden was in large part a main source of food. Yes I am aware that protein is important especially for those of us who are very physically active, but you can get protein from more than just the handful of meat sources that we focus on today, not to mention the quantity of protein that the average American consumes far exceeds what the body actually needs daily.

This is not the end of steak dinners, chicken parmesan, and burgers, but these will be less often and more of a side dish than the main course.

I am very excited about this change, about the chance to experiment with different flavors and textures. Meat only comes in a handful of flavors and textures that in order to change we typically add vegetables and herbs to it, so why don’t we just focus on the vegetables and herbs to begin with?

I hope that you can appreciate my efforts, and join in with me in this. If you have any ideas, or things that you would like me to try please don’t hesitate to email, or comment.

In honor of the topic at hand I thought I would post a fabulous recipe that I came up with upon experiment with the fresh spring vegetables that are showing up in stores.

Ravioli with Spring Vegetable Toss

1 tbs butter

1 tbs oil

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 large leek, sliced

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1-2” pieces

1 cup fresh shelled peas (or frozen)

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup low sodium vegetable broth (or Chicken)

1 tsp cracked red pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 lbs whole wheat ravioli prepared according to package instructions.

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet, stir in mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add leek and continue to cook for 2-3
minutes. Add asparagus and peas. Deglaze with white wine, and allow it to reduce again to a glaze. Add in broth and spices. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add cooked ravioli tossing with sauce and vegetables to coat well. Serve warm topped with Parmesan.

French Onion Grilled Cheese/Cheesy Bread

By Jessica

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Even though spring is
blooming I’m not completely ready to give up some of my favorite fall and
winter flavors. That’s when I came up with the recipe you see here. I am well
aware that there are about a million of these recipes floating around, but this
one I totally made up as I went based on the flavors that I was trying to focus
on. If you are looking for something more sandwich-like simply combine the two
halves as soon as they come out of the oven and you will have a complete French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

I also made this for a get
together with friends a few days later which I accomplished by simply slicing
the finished bread into individual pieces for the taking. It’d so darn easy and perfect for a little
appetizer, and can even be dipped into some Dijon Vinaigrette or ranch dressing.

Open Faced French Onion
Grilled Cheese

1 tbs oil

3 large onions, sliced
thin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried Thyme

1 tsp pepper

2 Large slices of French bread

1/3 cup grated gruyere
cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan
cheese

Preheat the oven to broil.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat and then add onions and salt. Cook
the onions stirring often until they become opaque and caramelized. Stir in the
thyme and pepper and continue to cook 1-2 minutes. Set aside. In the same
skillet place the slices of bread face down. You may need to add a little oil
to the pan but no more than a few drops. Allow the bread to toast slightly
before removing from heat and placing in a baking pan face up. Layer onions
generously on top of the bread. Do the same with both cheeses making sure to
cover the entire thing. Place in the oven for 5 or so minutes, or until the
cheese becomes bubbly and browned. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

D4One: Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

By Jessica

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I love stroganoff, but then who doesn’t? It’s a heavenly combination of creamy deliciousness. It’s one of my favorite things to make when I am home alone because I don’t have to use meat if I don’t want to, it’s fairly easy, and you can buy nearly all the ingredients in small quantities, so it’s perfect for a single meal. If I am looking for meat I simply brown some stew meat along with the onions and leave it in the pan while I cook the rest of the dish.

What’s funny about this dish is that I typically don’t like mushrooms; though I have discovered it is a textural thing, if they are cooked enough then I don’t mind them so much, which is what happens in this dish. Also I find that I don’t have as much of an issue with dried mushrooms, which are the base of this particular recipe. Fresh mushrooms can be used, just skip the soaking step and use vegetable broth where the recipe calls for soaking liquid. I tend to use dried mushrooms, because they don’t go bad easily, and when I have them on hand I can whip up something like this or vegetarian gravy very easily.

Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

1 cup dried porcini mushrooms, diced

1 ½ cup warm water

2 tbs olive oil

1 small onion (or shallot), diced

2 tbs thyme

2 tbs flour

½ cup sour cream

Salt & Pepper

1 cup egg noodles, prepared according to package instructions

Minced parsley for garnish

Place mushrooms in water for roughly 30 minutes to rehydrate. Heat oil and sauté onion, until it becomes translucent. Add the hydrated mushrooms to the pan (reserve the water), and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Mix in thyme, and flour, until it is well blended and deglaze the pan with remaining soaking liquid. Cook, stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened, then remove from heat. Stir in sour cream until well blended and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm over egg noodles and topped with chopped parsley.

Butternut Squash Ravioli: The Clean Version

By Jessica

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I have a squash obsession lately if you haven’t noticed. Since I am just discovering how much I actually really like squash I have been cooking it a lot. Like a lot, a lot, but Chuck hasn’t started complaining yet so he must be enjoying it as well.

If you remember the Squash Ravioli in Sage Butter sauce I made a few weeks ago you know how divine it was, and how heavenly I thought it was. Well I have been wanting to make it again, but let’s be honest butter sauce is by no means good for you, and I am trying to be healthy, but I can’t help craving this dish again. I want it so bad!

I decided to try to clean it up a bit, and I think it was a success. I used whole wheat flour for the ravioli’s and made a shallot and sage broth, taking a note from English Onion & Sage Soup, which is one of my all-time favorites. I used a vegetable broth in order to keep it vegetarian for my veggie readers, though I’m sure a chicken broth would work just as well.

Clean Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage & Shallot Broth

1 medium butternut squash, de-skinned, & deseeded, chopped

1 tbsp EVOO

2 tbs cup parmesan cheese

¼ tsp nutmeg

Salt & Pepper to taste

2 cups whole wheat flour (plus some for surface)

1 egg

2 egg whites

1-4 tbsp cold water

1 tbs Extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots sliced thin

2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium or homemade)

10-12 sage leaves or 1 tbsp of dried sage (this is to taste)

Chop the squash into roughly 2 inch pieces and scatter over a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and toss, before putting them in the oven. They should cook at 400 for 30-35 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and let stand to cool, before making the filling. Meanwhile prepare the dough. In a medium bowl add flour and eggs. Mix well using an electric mixer. The dough should begin to form a ball. If the dough is too dry it will remain crumbly, so add a few tablespoons of water until the ball forms. Use a pasta machine, roller, or rolling pin to roll out the dough into 3 inch wide, foot long sheets. Once the squash is sufficiently cooled mash it with a fork. Stir in the parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Place 4 dollops about the size of a half dollar in the middle of a pasta sheet evenly spaced, using your finger dip it into water and trace the outside of the dollop. Place another sheet on top and press it down around the dollop, using water to cement the dough together. Slice the dough to create separate ravioli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the ravioli, they should only take a few minutes to cook, rising to the top as they finish. Strain the ravioli and set aside. In a skillet heat the oil and sauté the shallots until they have carmelized. Add the broth and sage leaves and simmer until reduced by ¾. Toss ravioli in pan to coat. Serve warm with excess sauce drizzled over the top, and sage leaves as garnish.

What I like is that swapping the brown butter sauce for a broth makes the dish so much healthier without sacrificing flavor, the caramelized shallots add a little dimension to the dish, along with another element of flavor.

I am really proud of this dish, and think that it is easily one of my best.

What do you think?

Vegetarian Chickpea Chili; a Clean Recipe!

By Jessica

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I thought it would be nice to take a step out of the comfort of rich soups and stews that I have been cooking lately and “spice it up”. This recipe is a great alternative to traditional chili that adds a little zing to our weekly menu, plus it’s great for a last minute meal as I tend to have most things on hand for it at any given time.

Since I am not a huge fan of spicy foods I added a dollop of sour cream to mine that isn’t reflected in the recipe. Chuck chose to go with cheddar cheese. Lemons work as well, however I didn’t have any at the time. I also ended up adding a lot of extra cilantro, because I like the added texture and freshness element, but that should be no surprise to the regular reader. I love my herbs!

Another note on this dish it’s only about 240 calories a serving! You could even add a lean protein such as chopped sirloin and it would still be clean, though with a few more calories. I love having these healthy recipes in my back pocket.

Vegetarian Moroccan Chickpea Chili (Serves 2)

1tbs EVOO

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 medium celery stalks,chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 tbs ground cumin

2tsp coriander

1tsp ground mustard

1tsp turmeric

1tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1tsp black pepper

1 can chickpeas, drained

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup frozen corn

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 6-oz jar of tomato paste

1 lemon (optional)

1 tbsp cilantro chopped (optional)

In a large pot, or Dutch oven sauté garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and spices in oil. Once the vegetable begin to soften, roughly 5 minutes, add chickpeas and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add broth, corn, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for roughly 30 minutes or until the chili thickens, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings. Serve topped with cilantro and lemon.

Vegetarian

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