Vegan chili

From my friend, Kiley. Perfect for our meatless nights!

1 lb of firm tofu chopped into ½ inch cubes*
1 lb of dried black beans**
1 bag of frozen corn thawed
1 small white onion diced and sauted in olive oil
3 T minced garlic
½ T oregano
½ T basil
1 T sugar
2 T cumin
1 liberal sprinkle of crushed red peppers
Salt to taste
1 jar of salsa (I like to use a big jar of salsa or two little jars really.)
Water

1. Chop and sauté the onion until the onion pieces become clear. Add in the garlic, and cubed tofu. Once the tofu is added you may want to add a little bit more olive oil, but you are not frying the tofu so don’t add much oil. Add in other spices and sugar. Stir to coat the onions and tofu in seasonings.
2. Once the tofu seems to be heated through go ahead and add in the beans, corn, and salsa. Stir together. Add in as much water as you would like depending on how thick or soupy you want the chili to be. Salt to taste.
3. Let it simmer for awhile. Simmering for awhile really makes sure the tofu soaks up all of the spices.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

from Taste of Home: Italian Favorites
serves 8

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant
2 small zucchini
5 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 large sweet red pepper
1 large onion, cut into small wedges
1/4 c olive oil
3 T, minced fresh basil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 t salt, divided
1/2 t pepper, divided
2/3 c pitted Greek olives, pitted
1/4 c butter, cubed
1/4 c flour
2 3/4 c milk
1 bay leaf
1/8 t ground nutmeg
5 T grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 T shredded Asiago cheese
3/4 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 no-cook lasagna noodles

Directions:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and red pepper into 1 inch pieces; place in a large bowl. Add onion, oil, 2 T basil, garlic, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper; toss. Transfer to two greased 15 x 10 x 1 pans. Bake at 450 F for 20-25 mins or until tender crisp. Stir in olives.

In large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Add bay leaf and nutmeg. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or til thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 T Parmesan, Asiago, remaining basil, salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

Spread a forth of the sauce in greased 11 x 7 baking dish. Top w/ 2 1/3 c veggies, 1/4 c mozzarella and 3 noodles. Repeat layers. Top w/ a forth of the sauce, remaining veggies, mozzarella, sauce, and Parmesan. Cover and bake at 375F for 30-40 min or until bubbly. Let stand 15 mins before serving.

Nutritional jazz: 344 calories; 22 g fat; 8 g sat fat; 34 mg cholesterol; 590 mg sodium; 3 g fiber; 11 g protein

Mango Quinoa Salad

From Best Bites
2 cups cooked quinoa* at room temperature, or chilled
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth. I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor, but plain water works great too.
Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving. So Yummy! I'll be making this one lots!

Quinoa & Tofu Salad

serve 6

From Eating Well.com

Ingredients:
2 c water
3/4 t salt, divided
1 c quinoa, rinsed well
1/4 c lemon juice
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
6- or 8-ounce package baked smoked tofu, diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
1 c diced cucumber
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c chopped fresh mint

Directions:

1. Bring water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled quinoa, tofu, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and mint; toss well to combine. Yummy!

Note: You can try to bake the tofu yourself, but I found that pre-baked tofu taste better. When I tried to bake the tofu myself it just was too bland.

Okra & Chickpea Tagine

serves 6

From Eating Well.com

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
1/2 c vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 t ground cumin
15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 t salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

Directions:

1. Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add okra and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain.
2. Tie cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, broth, cumin, the okra, cilantro sprigs and half the bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium; partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and salt; cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cilantro sprigs. Stir in hot sauce. Serve sprinkled with the remaining bell pepper and cilantro leaves, if desired.
   

Eggplant Pomodoro

From Eating Well.com
serves 6

Ingredients:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 c chopped pitted green olives
2 T red-wine vinegar
4 t capers, rinsed
3/4 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/4 t crushed red pepper, (optional)
12 oz whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley, or basil

Directions:

1. Put a pot of water on to boil.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and divide the pasta among 6 shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle parsley (or basil) on top.

Honey Lentils

From A Year of Slow cooking

--1 1/2 cups lentils
--3 cups water
--1/2 red onion, diced
--1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
--1/2 cup shredded carrot
--1 tsp salt
--1 tsp dried mustard
--1/4 tsp ground ginger
--2 T soy sauce (La Choy is GF)
--1/3 cup honey (and maybe another 1 T later to taste)
--1 dried bay leaf or 2 fresh

Directions:
Used a 4 quart crockpot at least.

You really should rinse off lentils, though.

Put the lentils into your crockpot. Add the water. Chop up the onion, and add along with the carrots. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and add. Stir in the dried mustard, salt, and ginger. Add the soy sauce and honey. Stir to combine. Float the bay leaf/ leaves on top.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-5.

Taste. If desired, stir in an extra tablespoon of honey. Yummy!

Quinoa Salad

serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 c dry quinoa, rinsed
1 T olive oil or coconut oil
1 3/4 c water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, chopped into chunks
handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
small handful cilantro, diced
1 limes, juiced
1/2 t cumin
1/2 T olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Warm the olive/coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty and lovely. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt. Whisk it aggressively. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
3. When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and toss to warm them through.
4. Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Staked Roasted Vegetables

From Perry's plates
serves 4-5

Ingredients:
1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut or olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved
2 cups shredded cheese (I like Monterey Jack blend)
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions (green onions) for garnish, if desired

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.

Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.

Broccoli Slaw

For those of you, like me, that can't stand cabbage. A yummy alternative.

serves 12 (2/3 c servings)

Ingredients:
1 pkg (12 oz) broccoli slaw
1 c red pepper strips
1 c chopped, fresh pineapple
1/3 c dried cranberries
1/4 c chopped red onions
1/3 c Italian dressing
1 t brown sugar
1/3 c sliced almonds

Directions:
Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix dressing and sugar. Add to salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour. Add nuts; mix lightly.

Stuffed Shells

From Kraft

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 container (16 oz.) Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 red pepper, chopped
1 egg white
1 env. (0.7 oz.) Italian Dressing Mix
1 cup Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
20 jumbo macaroni shells (for stuffing), cooked, drained and cooled
1 jar (13-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F.

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into shells.

Spread half the sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Place shells in dish; top with remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover.

Bake 40 min. or until heated through, uncovering after 30 min.

Vegetable Lasagna

From The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner
serves 10

Ingredients:
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (abt 6 oz)
1 (15 oz) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
3/4 c plus 2 T grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
salt and ground black pepper
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 c fresh spinach
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c sliced black olives
1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce or 3 1/2 c homemade
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3 T butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F and grease 9x12 inch baking dish.
2. Cook noodles according to the package directions until slightly chewy, about 10 mins. Drain noodles and carefully drape them over side of colander or lay flat on aluminum foil so they don't stick together.
3. Combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 c of Parmesan cheese, and basil in small bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir garlic, carrots, onion, & bell pepper until carrots are tender (about 10 mins). Season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms. Cook and stir until spinach wilts and all the veggies are tender (about 4 mins). Remove from heat and add olives.
5. Spoon 1/2 c of sauce into pan. Arrange 4 noodles overlappting, on top of sauce and top with 1/3 of veggie mixture, 1/3 c of sauce, 1/2 c mozzarella, and 2 T of Parmesan. Add tow more layers in order- noodles, ricotta, veggies, sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Dot w/t butter around the edges.
6. Bake 40 mins or until top is crusty. Drizzle with olive oil if desired and serve.

***Note: You can freeze the lasagna before you bake it. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before baking and bake 10-15 mins longer than directed***

Penne Primavera

From All-Time Family Favorite Recipes

Ingredients:
3/4 lb penne
1/4 lb baby carrots cut length wise
1 small bunch of asparagus, trimmed & cut to 1 inch lengths
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed & sliced (I prefer portabellas)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 sweet red pepper, cut into SMALL strips
1/2 c frozen peas
1 container (8 oz) reduced fat sour cream
2 T grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
1. Cook penne in large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente. Add carrots during last 5 mins of cooking. Add asparagus during last 2 mins of cooking.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in deep, large skillet over high heat. Add onion, cook until just softened (1-2 mins). Add mushrooms, salt & pepper, cook about 3 mins. Add sweet red pepper; cook 2 mins. Add peas cook another 2 mins or until everything is tender.
3. Drain pasta, carrots, asparagus, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Toss pasta, carrots, asparagus, and reserved cooking water with sauteed veggies, sour cream and cheese in large serving bowl. Serve immediately.

**Note: feel free to substitute whatever veggies that are fresh in your local market market**

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
2 T veggie oil
1 sweet green pepper, cored, seeded & chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, pealed and chopped or 1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, drained
2 zucchini, diced
2 yellow squash
3 jalapeno chiles, halved, seeded & chopped
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
2 cans (13 3/4 oz each) veggie broth
2 cans (19 oz each) black beans, drained & rinsed
2 packages (10 oz each) frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add green pepper and onion; cook until veggies are tender (about 8 mins). Stir in tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
2. Add zucchini, yellow squash, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt. Cook 1 min. Add broth, black beans, corn & pinto beans. Simmer, uncovered 20 mins.
3. Serve in bowls with cilantro sprinkled on top if desired.

Ratatouille bake

I thought of this after having ratatouille at a friend's, but made a couple tweaks to what [I think] she put in it because I like some pasta and cheese with my ratatouille).

serves 6

Ingredients:
* 1 T olive oil
* 5 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 c peeled and diced eggplant
* 2 c zucchini
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
* 1 T dried basil
* 1 T dried parsley
* 1/2 t salt
* 1/8 t black pepper
* 1 (about 8 oz) package frozen ravioli
* 3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; spray a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the garlic, onion, and eggplant with the garlic until the vegetables have begun to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper; bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Cook the frozen ravioli as directed on the package; drain. Spread the cooked ravioli in a layer into the bottom of the prepared baking dish; spoon the hot vegetables over the ravioli. Sprinkle with the cheese.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Greek Salad

From MyRecipes.com

Serves 8

Ingredients
2 English cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 lbs tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, chopped, then rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c coarsely chopped parsley
1 1/3 c drained pitted kalamata olives, halved if large
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c lemon juice
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 lb feta cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and olives.
2. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.
3. Break feta cheese into about 1/2-inch chunks and add to cucumber mixture. Add dressing and mix gently, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Black Bean Salsa

From my sister-in-law, Kera

5 medium tomatoes
3 large avocados
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn
3 green onions
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 lime (zest and juice)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 T chili powder
1 T taco seasoning
1 t garlic
1 t cumin
1/3 c Italian dressing

1 bag of tortilla chips

Chop tomatoes into bite-size chunks.
Drain and rinse beans and corn.
Dice green onion and cilantro
Add everything together in a bowl and combine with seasonings.

This is better if you can mix this all together the day before.
Right before serving peel and cut avocado into bite size chunks.

Serve with tortilla chips or on top tacos or quesadillas.

Minestrone

From Gluten-Free Recipe exchange
makes 8 cups

Ingredients:
4 cups water or broth
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup diced potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Pinch of celery seed
1 cup any shape dry rice pasta
15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Combine water, tomato sauce, carrots, cabbage, onion, celery and seasonings in a large soup pot.
2. Cook until vegetables are tender (20 – 30 minutes).
3. Cook pasta separately according to package directions. Drain and add to soup pot.
4. Add kidney beans 10 minutes before serving.
5. Thicken the soup by adding a roux of 2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute more

Bean Burritos (copy cat recipe- Taco Bell)

Serves about 10

10 flour tortillas
2 cans of refried beans
1 can of red enchilada sauce (I only used about 3/4 of the can)
2-3 T of dried, minced onion
shredded cheese (Mexican cheese, Monterrey Jack or mild cheddar tastes best)

Cook stove top the beans, adding enough red sauce until the right consistency (you'll want to make sure you warm up a the beans a bit so that they get less clumpy and that makes it easier to make sure that you add the right amount of red sauce- you could probably use the whole can and have it be fine, but I only added 3/4 of the can). Add onion (to taste). Warm thoroughly. Once warmed spoon abt 3 (large) spoonfuls on tortillas. Top w/ cheese. Fold in bottom and then sides, and enjoy!

Tortellini Tomato Spinach Soup

(from recipezaar)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 cup minced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 4-6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
* 1 (14 ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped
* 1 (9 ounce) package fresh tortellini or dried tortellini
* kosher salt
* cracked black pepper
* 10 ounces fresh spinach or frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
* 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add broth and tomatoes, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil.
4. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions.
5. When tortellini is almost done, add spinach and taste, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper.
6. Serve immediately.
7. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan if desired.