Incredible Curried Lentils (vegan!)

If you're obsessed with Indian food like I am, you'll love this! I found it on epicurious and it was easy and fantastic! I added about 5 small potatoes, chopped, to the soup with the carrots but in the future I'll add them after the lentils. They turned out a little soft for my taste and the lentils need plenty of time to soften. Maybe 10 minutes into the simmering time? I also ended up adding about twice as much curry powder because I just had a generic brand that wasn't too spicy, and a couple dashes of cumin. It tasted pretty authentic! Especially with some naan bread and yogurt sauce we picked up at our local Indian restaurant. Yum!!

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
• 2 tablespoons (or more) curry powder
• 1 cup French green lentils
• 4 1/4 cups (or more) water, divided
• 1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

• Ingredient info: French green lentils are small, dark green, and speckled with black; they can be found at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores
  
  

  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lentils and 4 cups water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

  Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining garlic in processor.

  Add chickpea puree to lentil soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired. Add water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency.

  Divide soup among bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions and serve with lemon wedges.

  
  Even better the second day!
  
  

Raw Granola Bars

Got this recipe out of a super healthy cookbook and I was shocked at how delicious they are! Just make sure to refrigerate them well so they hold together. They're actually pretty good frozen too!

3 c. rolled oats

1/4 C. whole seed millet or quinoa

1/4 C. sliced almonds

1/4 C. high nutrition protein powder

2 TBS raw pumpkin seeds

2 TBS raw sunflower seeds

2 TBS flax seed meal

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 C. raw honey

1 TBS coconut oil

1 TBS flax oil (sunflower market carries it in the supplement section)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine honey and oils (if needed, lightly heat first.)

Stir into dry mixture and mix very well.

Place about 1/4 cup of mixture onto 5" square of plastic wrap and fold sides in, wrapping tightly, pressing mixture together.

Chill for several hours to set.

I ate one of these with a yummy berry smoothie for breakfast the other day and felt so healthy and satisfied that I didn't need to eat until lunch!

Grilled Veggie Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

So, out of all the (part-time) vegetarians in the world, I probably like vegetables the least of them all. If it's not broccoli or zucchini, I probably won't eat it. Ok, in all honesty I'm better than I used to be but they're still not my favorite. Not to mention the fact that most vegetarian recipes never seem hearty enough for me. Lo and behold, this recipe. It was SO satisfying, so full of flavor, I just could NOT get enough. That's right, I went back for seconds. And it's just veggies!! And an amazing dressing. If you're not a huge fan of blue cheese (unlike me who eats it by the handful) don't shy away from this dressing. It's by no means overpowering, just a flavorful and tangy vinaigrette. I'm so amazed at how good this was!! Looking forward to leftovers for lunch :)

I didn't have fennel and also left out beets due to preference. Used fresh spinach instead of mixed greens and broiled veggies instead of grilling cause it was 110 degrees outside :)
**Also, I grilled the potatoes separately and my kids ate those with ketchup cause they're not so into veggies. Weird, right??

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (such as Maytag; about 2 ounces)
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 bell peppers (preferably in assorted colors), seeded, quartered lengthwise
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut through core into 8 wedges
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
10 baby beets (about 11/2 inches in diameter), trimmed, scrubbed, halved crosswise
1 large red onion, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens

Whisk vinegar, Dijon mustard, and 5 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Stir in cheese. Season dressing with salt and generous amount of pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat); brush grill with oil. Place all vegetables except beets, onion, and baby greens in large bowl; drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons oil and toss to coat. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Place beets in same bowl; toss to coat with any remaining oil in bowl and transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper. Brush onion slices with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until slightly charred and tender, about 12 minutes for beets, potatoes, and fennel, turning occasionally, and about 4 minutes per side for zucchini, peppers, onion slices, and mushrooms.

Mound greens in center of 4 plates. Arrange onions and vegetables atop greens. Drizzle dressing over and serve.

Pasta with Cauliflower, Anchovies and Croutons

Don't let the anchovies freak you out. This dish was divine! I ate it hot for dinner, cold for lunch, later for a midnight snack...I'd make it again in a heartbeat! We fed it to the missionaries and they even went back for seconds!
Courtesy Bon Appetit

1 large head cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
8 tbs olive oil, divided
1 pound medium-size shell pasta
1 1/2 cups crusty artisan-style bread (cut into 1/3" cubes)
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/3" cubes
3 large garlic cloves, minced
7 anchovy filets, chopped finely
1/2 cup parsley
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbs freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
(I used part parmigiano-reggiano and part mozzarella for the cheeses)

Preheat oven to 425. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 tbs olive oil and salt/pepper to coat. Spread out on baking sheet and roast until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 min. Cool and chill if desired.

Cook pasta in large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/3 cups pasta cooking liquid (I always forget and dump the water :).

Heat 2 tbs. oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and saute until crispy and golden. Transfer to bowl to cool, reserve pot.

In same pot, add 2 tbs. oil and heat over med-high heat. Add zucchini and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add cauliflower and anchovies, saute until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add drained pasta, reserved cooking liquid, remaining 3 tbs oil, 1/3 cup parsley, 1/3 cup parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese, toss to coat. Season to taste again with S & P. Serve with croutons, remaining parsley and cheese on top.

Tortilla Soup

Remember...I'm not a food photographer :)

This was a fantastic soup that was made almost completely out of pantry staples. You could add chicken but it was great without. We served it sprinkled with broken up tortilla chips and a little cheese. I also served chips dipped into refried beans with melted cheese on top...yummy!

Saute onions, a little garlic and chopped bell pepper in olive oil. I used one roasted red pepper from a jar (cause i had them) and a couple sweet mini peppers. Cook for a few minutes until peppers begin to soften, add some green chiles (i used about half a small can), chopped tomatoes (I used a ton of cherry tomatoes from our garden. They are SO sweet! You could also use about 2 cans chopped tomatoes). I also threw in about 1/4 cup salsa verde (the recipe called for a couple chopped tomatillos). Saute for a few minutes longer. Add one can each of corn and black beans, and about 4 cups chicken or veggie broth and heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, whatever! Serve sprinkled with broken tortilla chips and a little cheese. Enjoy!

Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

My sister made this fabulous pasta tonight and it was great. But then again, can you really ever go wrong with a cream sauce?? We used shell pasta instead of penne because we had it and cooking white wine instead of vodka and it tasted wonderful. Enjoy!

Courtesy Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vodka
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.
Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Stir in fresh parsley and serve!

Caramelized Onions and other such goodness

So...ever wonder what to do with all those leftover onions from the last co-op or shopping trip rolling around pathetically in your veggie drawer? I have the answer!! Peel the onions and slice them. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute the onions, stirring often, until they are soft and brown. This causes the natural sugars in the onion to come out and they are so sweet and tasty! Put them on homemade pizza, burgers (veggie or otherwise), over pasta, or just eat them plain! I make a pig of myself every time I make these.

You can also add sliced zucchini, bell peppers, whole cherry tomatoes, you name it. Wait until the onions have a bit of a head start, then add the other veggies and cook to desired softness. So yummy!

Fettuccine with Zucchini, Eggplant and Feta

(you can substitute veggies and different pastas, depending on your taste)
3 zucchini, chopped
1 eggplant chopped
1-2 red bell peppers
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. white vinegar
basil
mint
3 minced cloves garlic
8 oz. fetuccine or pasta of choice
2 oz. feta cheese
green onions to garnish
The recipe says to grill the veggies whole and then chop them, but i just sauteed them already chopped on the stove. Cook fettuccine and drain...add veggies and seasoning, toss together with cheese. Super easy and really good! We used brown pasta and it was really filling. The feta adds a bit of a zing that i just loved.
courtesy of Vegetarian Times magazine

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Cheddar cheese soup... with hidden cauliflower. Freezes great. If you don't want to hide the cauliflower, reserve some florets, saute til tender, and stir in just before serving.
4 cups water or stock
2 cups potato, chopped
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (6 oz)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 cup milk
Combine water/stock, potatoes, cauliflower, onion, carrot, and garlic in large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool 20 minutes. Puree. Return to pan and stir in remaining ingredients until cheese melts.

I used a crock pot for the veggies, on low for 6 hours. Then added the seasoning and cheese and just mashed up with a potato masher. Really good!

courtesy of Recipezaar