Mediterranean Pasta Bake

Rabbits rabbits, and happy February! We all know how extremely cold it has been lately, and it always seems that February is the coldest month.  It always seems that there is a big snow storm every February, and after the two blizzards we just had, I'm not ready for another!  Winter wouldn't be so bad if I could just spend it all indoors with some hot cocoa by the fireplace, but unfortunately I am not a bear in hibernation. One way to combat the winter cold, is with warm comfort foods. While everyone loves the traditional comfort foods, its fun to change them up. I love cheesy, baked pasta, but I also love Mediterranean flavors.



Inspired by All Recipes.

What you need:



1 lb box of pasta
1 Jalapeno pepper, diced
1 bag of spinach
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
20-30 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Olive oil for cooking

What do to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Saute the jalapenos for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, olives, and spinach, let simmer for 10-15 minutes.



Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse.
Toss the pasta into the tomato mixture until evenly coated, and transfer into a large baking dish.
Top with cheeses and bake for 5 minutes.
Broil for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.











This meal was full of gooey, melty cheese and lots of heat! The tomatoes were hot and juicy, the olives were salty and briny, and the feta was nice and creamy. The spinach added a nice veggie flavor. I loved the texture of the olives with the soft pasta. This meal turned out to have a great mix of both Greek and Italian elements, which I loved! Everything was all baked and melted together with a crusty, baked top. This was full of flavor, and full of comfort!

Do you like to put twists on comfort foods? Will you try this pasta bake?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Couscous

Happy 2014!!! The New Year is always a fun time, filled with reflection and hope for what's to come. However, this New Years feel a little bit different to me.

14 years ago, the number 14 became my lucky number (my online name is LittleMonsterx14 for a reason!). When I turned 14, my mom told me that it would be my lucky year. We now entered the year 2014, and I can just feel that its going to be something special. I don't know why, or what will happen, but the year '14 is going to be a special one. I am so excited to see what the year brings, and to fully enjoy all the things the number 14 will bring me!

I have always been intimidated by Brussels sprouts. They smell funny, look funny, and everyone always says how they taste bad.  Why would anyone want to eat a food like that? Well, over the summer my dad ordered some Brussels sprouts at a restarunt, I tried a bite and they were delisious!  I decided it was time to investigate them a little more.  Over Thanksgving, I tried a roasted sprout, and I liked it. The final test was to try cooking them myself.  Last week they went on sale, and I knew it was the veggie gods telling me it was time.



What you need:



1 large bag of Brussels sprouts
1 box of plain couscous
olive oil
onion powder
celery salt
parsley
garlic powder
salt and pepper
lemon juice

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
While oven is heating, cut the sprouts in half.
Put the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl and mix in salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
Mix in enough olive oil to evenly coat everything.



Spread the Brussels sprouts evenly on a baking sheet, and bake for 35 minutes, flipping every 5-10 minutes.
Once the sprouts are nearly done, cook the couscous according to the directions on the box. The box only says to add olive oil and salt, but I decided to add a few other spices to give it some extra flavor.
Serve everything together!











After trying Brussels sprouts for the third time I have officially jumped on the sprout train! They were crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside.  They had a bit of tang from the lemon, some spice from the pepper, and the perfect amount of saltiness. The Brussels sprouts themselves had a really nice fresh veggie taste with that roasted flavor. The couscous was super fluffy with a nice array of different spices. This meal was surprisingly comforting, and super delicious. Hooray for Brussels sprouts!

Do you love Brussles sprouts as much as I do? Will you be trying them out this new year?

Bye from the Veggie Side.

Greek Pasta Salad

Hey everyone, I hope you are all having a great week. After talking over a month off of work to move and get settled in Virginia, I'm finally back.  While it was nice taking so much time off, I was definitely getting bored. Plus, now that I'm living away from home, and buying my own food (oh ya, and paying that pesky rent) I need to make that green (and I don't mean lettuce)!

The weather is getting so hot, and all I have been craving is cold food. Eating a hot bowl of pasta just isn't appealing in this summer heat, but a nice  cool pasta salad, and you have a winner! Plus, pasta salad is a great addition to those many BBQ's I'm sure you are either throwing or attending.  I decided to give my pasta salad a Greek flare.

Adapted from Mele Cotte.

What you need:


1 box of whole wheat pasta
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Feta cheese
Pitted Kalmata olives
Greek dressing

As you can see in the photo, my Greek dressing is in that tupperware under the tomatoes.  I bought a bottle of Greek dressing from the store, and once I got it home, I saw that it had anchovies in it. *Sigh* That's what I get for not checking the ingredients. The dressing I bought is waiting to get returned to the store, and I was left without dressing. Luckily the pasta salad recipe also had a Greek dressing recipe. I threw together what I had in the house and whipped up some dressing.

Adapted from Mele Cotte.

What you need:



1 tsp spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil

All you have to do is mix it all together and you have dressing! I couldn't get over how much I loved this dressing. Its a great universal vinaigrette. I have tried to make vinaigrettes before, but they never turned out right. I think it was the mustard that really gave it the perfect flavor. I will definitely be using the dressing for everything!

What do to:

Start by cooking the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Once the pasta is all done, put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to chill.
While the pasta is chilling, chop up the veggies and feta cheese.



Then just mix the veggies, cheese, and dressing into the pasta and you're all done!









This pasta salad was great and easy to make. The olives and feta gave it that authentic Greek flavor, while the cucumber and tomatoes made this a fresh summer salad.  The homemade Greek dressing on the pasta was perfection.

I made a huge bowl of this and I'm still enjoying it. I hope I get invited to a BBQ just so I can make this again!

Are you going to try this Greek pasta salad?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Pine Nut Couscous and Carrots

Hey guys, I have another couscous post for ya!  I love couscous for a number of reasons.  First of all it is super fast and easy to cook, it is also healthier for you than pasta.  Another reason I love it is that it is vegan! I love adding different spices and veggies to it to keep me on track with making good vegan choices. And last but not least, its delicious!







I started this bowl with Near East Toasted Pine Nut Couscous, which I have to say was really great on its own!  I am a little bit obsessed with pine nuts, but they are so expensive I never get them.  I tend to love expensive foods like pine nuts and goat cheese.  Unfortunately my wallet doesn't love them.

I thought some steamed carrots would work nicely with this couscous...and I was right!



Every once in a while I would bite into a pine nut and get that pop of flavor.  The crunchiness of the carrots really worked well with the pine nuts. All the flavors mixed perfectly!

Have you had Near East's Toasted Pine Nut Couscous? Are you going to try it with carrots?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Near East Broccoli and Cheese Couscous

Good morning everyone.  Today I have the food so nice they named it twice :-P Yes, I am talking about couscous, a Mediterranean grain that is perfect as a side dish, or a meal all on its own.  One great thing about couscous is that on its own it is vegan.  I found one thing that made veganism difficult is that involves eating a lot of veggies, as many breads and pastas have milk and/or eggs in them. While I do like a select few veggies, I can't make a meal of just veggies and feel full after.  Couscous allows you to create a vegan, but filling meal with as many or as little veggies as you like.  Near East makes some of the best couscous.  It feels like you are cooking, since you are making it fresh, but it is insanely quick and easy to make. That is right up my alley! While couscous on its own is vegan, I decided to try this broccoli and cheese variation.  But don't worry, as I am trying to make better vegan choices, I just bought 3 boxes of vegan variations of this amazing grain, and I will make those and show them to you soon.





As I mentioned, couscous is probably the easiest fresh food to make.  Just bring some water to a boil, and add in any other ingredients needed.  The plain couscous you only need to add some butter or oil (to make it vegan), but since I was making the broccoli and cheese version, I needed to add some milk too and the flavor packet.



Mix all the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, take the pan off the heat, mix in the couscous, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.  I use that 5 minutes to prepare anything else that needs to go into the couscous.  You can add any kid of veggie, nuts, or anything else your heart desires.



After 5 minutes, uncover and fluff with a fork.  How freaking easy is that?



Mmm!  While this was delicious on its own, but it is broccoli and cheese couscous, and I thought it needed more broccoli.  So I heated some up quickly and piled it on top.



So there you have it, one of the easiest and quickest meals you can cook. It is both tasty and very versatile  allowing you to add any of your favorite things.  So have fun with couscous!  Cooking for a family? Make a big bowl of the plain version, and allow everyone to pick what gets to go into their bowl.  It will be fun for kids to customize what goes into their dinner. Or just whip up a box for yourself when you are looking for something quick and easy.

Do you guys love couscous as much as I do? Will you be making some Near East couscous soon?

Bye from the Veggie Side

Amy's Spinach Feta in a Pocket Sandwich

Hello everyone! Sorry about the late post, I have been so busy working and getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner that I haven't had much time to sit down and post.  Today I just have a quick one, reviewing one of my favorite foods!

SPANIKOPITA! Which is my favorite Greek food.  The traditional way to make it is with spinach and feta cheese in layers of phyllo dough.  This was my favoirte food that my grandma would cook for me, but to make it healthier, she used whole grain crust.

I was ecstatic when I found Amy's Spinach Feta in a Pocket.  It is pretty easy to fine pre-made and frozen traditional spanikopita.  But the Amy's pocket is in a crust, not phyllo dough, like my grandma made.





These pockets are stuffed with delicious spinach and lots of feta cheese! They are so tasty, and really remind me of my grandma's on unique spanikopita.  As I have told you before, plain Greek yogurt and spanikopita are a match made in heaven.  When I pair the two, I am taken back to my delicious childhood.





What foods remind  you of your family? Do you love spinach and feta as much as I do?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

The Corner Room

Hello veggie world!  As I am writing this I am enjoying a nice evening inside, cuddling with and getting kisses from my cat, while a blanket of snow covers my yard and all the trees still standing from the hurricane.  I really hop everyone is getting by after these past two storms in New York.

However, I want to talk more about my birthday weekend that I spent at Penn State.  I used to go to PSU frequently, back when I went to school in PA, but now that I am back home in New York, I only go about twice a year.  While visiting there often, I found many places that I loved eating at, and now when I go back to visit I make sure to hit all my favorites.  One of my absolute favorite places to eat at is The Corner Room.  The restaurant itself is nothing too special  just a nice little place connected to a bar.  But they have a few vegetarian options and they are all delicious!




I started with an appetizer on the specials list, green salad flat bread.  This was so good! It was spinach  feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives on top of a layer of amazing garlic hummus, all piled on four slices of flat bread.  I cannot tell you how good this was! I love Greek flavors (yay Greek heritage!) and this was so fresh and delicious!




Ben started with an order of mozzarella sticks, and of course I had to steal one or two.  These were so good too!  The outside was perfectly crispy while the insides were soft and cheesy.  It came with some really tasty marinara sauce for dipping.

The main reason I go to The Corner Room is for the amazing veggie burger they have!



They serve Garden Burger brand for their veggie burgers and they add a verity of California flavors. This burger comes with tomato, sprouts, avocado, red onion, tomato mayo, and melted cheese all on a deli roll. So good!  This veggie burger always comes with a side of mangos! How awesome is that??

I happily stuffed my face with these amazing vegetarian dishes.  If you ever find yourself in the Penn State area, first go to Mario's, then go to The Corner Room.  Then to the creamery!

What are your favorite veggie burger toppings?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

S'agapo, Greek Yogurt!

Let's start this post with a bit of a story...* wavy flashback lines*

As a child I spent a lot of time at my grandma's house.  We played hide and seek and she let me jump on the bed when my granddaddy wasn't looking.  My grandma was Greek, and after being freed from a concentration camp, she traveled to America for success.  Including getting married and starting a family, she became a nutritionist.  So when I had lunch at her house it was always full of Greek and healthy foods.  One of my favorites was her spinach pie and homemade yogurt.  She made her pies with spinach and feta in a homemade whole wheat crust.  It was always so hot out of the oven that I loved eating it with the cold yogurt.  I loved that yogurt.  She told me that she only bought yogurt once in her life, and she used a little bit of the yogurt to make about 25 smalls jars worth.  Then once a week she would take a little yogurt from last weeks batch to make 25 more small jars.  It was always so fresh and creamy. It was not sweet at all and a little sour like sour cream.  It tasted amazing with her spinach pies.

A few years ago my granddaddy passed and she moved to a nursing home, which meant she wasn't going to be cooking anymore, and no more of grandma's yogurt.

Flash forward, a few years ago Greek yogurt was becoming very popular.  It really caught my interest, and It got me thinking.  Could this be the yogurt my grandma used to make?  I was scared to try it.  I wanted so much for it to taste like the yogurt she used to make.  I didn't want it to be sweet or thin, I wanted it to be thick and savory, I wanted to eat it with spinach pie.  It took me about a year to get up the nerve to buy a cup and try it.  I opened it up and grabbed a spoon, hoping so much that it would not be sweet.  I took a bite and was taken back to my days as a child, it tasted exactly like the homemade yogurt my grandma used to make! I had loved Greek yogurt my whole life and I never even knew it! I just thought it was my grandma's special yogurt, I thought I would never get to enjoy it again.

To this day I love Greek yogurt.  However, I only eat the plain one.  I see people eating the fruit flavors and it totally freaks me out! To me, Greek yogurt is best enjoyed with the plain flavor piled on top of spinach.

I mentioned in an Awareness Wednesday post that many yogurts are made with gelatin.  Most Greek yogurt brands do not use gelatin.  For example, Dannon Greek yogurt contains gelatin.  I will always advise reading ingredients before eating anything just to be sure.  Want to try some vegetarian Greek yogurt? My favorite brands are Oikos, Fage, and Chobani.

I know most of you have already tried Greek yogurt as it is so popular now, but most people opt for the flavors and stay away from the plain.  Go ahead and try it! You wont be disappointed.

Recently my grandma passed away, and while nothing can replace the memories I have with her, keeping some Greek yogurt in the house is my way of keeping her around.  Every time I take a spoonful I think about all the amazing times I have spent with her.  S'agapo Grandma. I love you.

Will you be trying plain Greek yogurt?

Bye from the Veggie Side!