Veggie Packed Minestrone

I have tried a number of canned soups, which are always warm, healthy, and comforting in the winter (or any time of year). Every time I review a canned soup, someone always tells me to try cooking it myself. I recently made corn and potato chowder, and was super happy with the result. One of my favorite soups is minestrone. While I love Amy's soups, I knew it was time to try my own!



Inspired by All Recipes.

What you need:



4 small (or 2 medium) potatoes, pealed and chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
5 cups of veggie broth
1 can of green beans
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of chick peas
about a 1/2 lb of carrots, pealed and chopped
oil for cooking
your favorite Italian spices to taste (I used basil and oregano)
pepper and celery salt to taste

What to do:
Heat oil over medium head in a large pot.
Saute onion, pepper, celery salt, and Italian seasonings for about 5 minutes.
Stir in canned tomatoes (with juice), chick peas, green beans, carrots and garlic.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 30 minutes.











I was really excited when I had noticed, again, that I made a completely vegan dish...until I added a side of cheesy garlic toast.



I was so pleased with this perfect blend of Italian flavors and tomato. I loved the bite of protein that the chickpeas added, it was almost meaty. The green beans and carrots gave this soup a great veggie packed flavor. The potatoes were nice and soft, and filled with the flavor of the soup. All the veggies made this soup so colorful and beautiful. This soup was so comforting. I'd call it Italian with a twist!

What is your favorite soup? Will your try out this minestrone?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

Now that we are really in the dead of winter, I have been thoroughly enjoying comfort foods. Anything warm, cheesy, and comforting is the perfect food to end a cold winter day with. Comfort foods are not always the healthiest, so it helps to tweak them here and there to turn them from junk food, to a great meal. The best way to make some great comfort food is in the crock pot. I love that you can just toss everything in and leave it. Its rare to find a great looking vegetarian crock pot recipe, but when I found one for cheesy broccoli casserole, I knew I had a winner.



Inspired by Stephanie 'Dea.

What you need:



2 pounds of broccoli, trimmed
1/3 cup of flour
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1/2 tsp brown mustard
1 cup of fat free milk
1 cup of veggie broth
1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup of shredded mozzerella

What to do:
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and mustard in a large bowl.
Toss flour mixture with the broccoli and pour into the crock pot.



Pour in the milk, broth, and cover with cheese.



Cook on low for about 6 hours, until broccoli is tender and the edges start to brown.







This casserole was crunchy, creamy, so comforting, and so delicious! There was a hint of spice from the pepper and mustard. I loved that the outsides were crispy. All the spices from the broth made me feel like I was eating a solid cheesy broccoli soup! This meal was the perfect mix of vegetables and creamy comfort. It would work perfectly as a side dish, or a meal on its own!

Will you try this crock pot cheesy broccoli casserole?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Greek Style Panini

There is officially a love affair going on, between my panini press and I. It is the best think I have added into my kitchen in a long time. When I have some left over ingredients that I don't know what to do with, they seem to always work perfectly, cooked into a panini. I have my two staples that I always make, cheddar apple, and southwestern, but I have been wanting to add a new panini to my menu. With my recent leftovers of feta and olives, and hummus on sale two for one, it was Greek style panini time!



What you need:



2 slices of bread
6-8 pitted Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Your favorite hummus
Half a tomato, sliced

What to do:
Assemble your sandwich with the hummus spread on, feta, olives, and tomato



Put everything into the panini press and cook until golden brown on the outside



I ate my panini with a side salad.





This panini was s incredibly delicious! It tasted like I ordered it right out of a sandwich shop. The hummus was creamy, and added an element of protein from the chick peas. The olives and feta were briny, and the tomato was hot a juicy. All the Greek flavors came together perfectly all in a hot and crispy crust.

What is your favorite panini combination? Will you try out this Greek style one?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

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!

Spicy Lentils with Veggies

I have mentioned around here a few times that I have been trying to make better food choices. Cheese is probably my weakness, along with other dairy foods. I have been doing lots of thinking about my egg and dairy intake. While I would love to be able to be a vegan, I am just too weak. I tried vegan Mondays, but that failed too. I started making conscious choices to cut down all animal products; no eggs in my fried rice, no cheese on my veggie burger.

Eventually, these choices weren't conscious anymore. I found that so many times I would be halfway through a meal that I cooked, and realize that it is completely vegan! Now that I am supporting myself, I am cooking more and ordering take out less, which made it a lot easier to cut out dairy. I used to rely on bagels and pizza when I was living in New York. I guess one TINY good thing about being away from home is that I am away from the most tempting of dairy products.

I have seen lots of "one-pot" meals, but it was only as I was cooking this that I even realized this meal was vegan! I love that making the right food choices has become so instinctual.



Inspired by Eat Live Run.

What you need:



2 cups of lentils
2 bunches of kale
2 sweet potatoes
2 cups of chopped carrots
2 serrano peppers
4 cups of vegetable broth
3-4 cloves of garlic
salt/celery salt to taste
oil for cooking

What to do:
Chop up the kale, serrano peppers, garlic, and peal and chop the sweet potatoes.
Heat the oil in a large pot and add the carrots and sweet potatoes. Cook until softened.
Next, add in the garlic and kale, until the kale starts to wilt.
Add in the peppers, lentils, salt, celery salt, and vegetable broth.



Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, until the lentils are soft and the water has been absorbed.
Serve hot.











These lentils were chewy and hardy. I was nervous that the pepper would be too spicy, but it added the perfect amount of heat. The sweet potatoes and carrots were nice and soft, and added an element of sweetness. The kale was mild, and the veggie broth and celery salt added lots of different flavors. This ended up tasting just like how I would have described my grandma's cooking: comforting and healthy!

How easy is it for you to eat vegan? Will you try this one pot lentil meal?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Crock Pot Corn and Potato Chowder

There is nothing better than a bowl of warm and creamy soup after a long day at work, and a cold winter day. Of course you could heat up a can of soup, and while I do that on most occasions, I wanted to try my hand at cooking soup myself. Lots of you lovely followers have commented on how easy it is to make a lot of soup at once, and of course it is more affordable (also, potatoes and onions were buy one-get one at the supermarket this week!). I knew I had to work all day on Sunday, so how else could I have a hot bowl of soup waiting for me than making my boyfriend cook it it in my crock pot! I love that with a crock pot you can just put all the ingredients in and it does all the cooking for you. No-fuss hot bowl of soup after a longer winter day - here I come!



Inspired by All Recipes.

What You Need:



5 medium russet potatoes, cubed
2 yellow onions, diced
1 can of corn
2 tablespoons butter
1 12-oz can of evaporated milk
4 cups of vegetable broth (I used 2 cubes of bouillon and 4 cups of water)
celery salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:
Put all of the ingredients, except for the milk, into the crock pot.



Cook on the low setting for 5-6 hours, or until potatoes can split easily with a fork.
Pour in the evaporated milk, and cook for 30 more minutes. Serve hot.









I ate my soup with a side salad and a small panini.



This soup was so flavorful with just a bit of creaminess. I might have overdone it just a tad with a pepper, but it really gave this chowder a nice kick of spice! There was some added sweetness and crunch from the corn. The onions were nice and soft while the potatoes turned this soup into a hardy dish.  It was great coming home to this comfort food waiting for me!

Do you like making soup in the crock pot? What is your favorite kind to make?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Taquitos

Normally, I'm not one for Mexican food. While I love tomatoes, cheese, avocados, and spice, I'm not a fan of beans and of course I don't eat meat. When going out to Mexican restaurants every meal is either centered around meat, or beans.  I brushed off Mexican food for a while thinking it just wasn't for me. Then I wised up. I may not be able to go out to enjoy Mexican food, but there is nothing stopping me from cooking my own Mexican food and adding in, or leaving out exactly what I want.  I sought out ground beef taquito recipes, swapped it for soy crumbles, and tailored them to my tastes. I think I ended up with a pretty awesome result.



What You Need:



1 box of Smart Ground Soy Crumbles
1 Can of corn
1/2 cup of salsa
12 6-inch tortillas (as you can see I only had 10, and I had some filling left over)
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons of taco seasoning

What do to:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat up some oil over medium heat and cook the soy crumble according to the directions on the box.
Stir in the corn, salsa, and taco seasoning and continue to cook the filling mixture.
Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel.
Microwave for 45 seconds to make them soft and pliable.
Scoop about a 1/4 cup of the filling onto the tortilla and sprinkle cheese on top.



Carefully roll up the tortillas and place on a greased baking sheet, seem side down.
Continue until all of the tortillas are filled, rolled, and placed on the baking sheet.
Optional: brush the taquitos lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on more cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned, serve hot.







I ate mine with a side of Salsa Rice, inspired by The Garden Grazer.





Oh my goodness, I am obsessed with these! The soy crumbles were meaty and the tortillas were so soft and chewy. I loved how the tortillas were perfectly crispy and crunchy on the edges The salsa made these taquitos tomatoes and added that authentic Mexican flavor. The melted cheese added a nice, sharp flavor and the corn was sweet and mild. They were a little lacking in the spicy category, so I added a splash of hot sauce afterwards. Adding salsa to the rice took it to the next level. It went from plain, boring rice, to a great Mexican side dish!

Have you ever made your own vegetarian taquitos? What would you add to yours?

Bye From the Veggie Side!