Category: Vegetarian

Leftover Lovin’- Mediterranean Veggies and Parmesan Couscous

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Vegetarian

Tuesday-Thursday nights are pretty busy and hard to figure out what to cook for dinner. Becca has cheer practice smack dab in the middle of dinner time, so I have to have something quick and easy, or have a dinner prepared ahead of time to make sure she eats in plenty of time. Sometimes it is a crock pot meal, sometimes it is breakfast for dinner, sometimes I pick-up a rotisserie chicken and make mac and cheese, and other nights like last night she raids the freezer and eats a veggie corn dog and a piece of garlic toast.

Another factor is who is home eating dinner. On a perfect night, all of us are gathered around the table eating together. BUT we all know that is a rare precious thing for a family to achieve on a busy school night. The hubby is a flight instructor and sometimes works past dinnertime; or he gets home in time to pick up Becca so I can still cook. Our schedule is always changing, so I have to be prepared so we don’t eat out every night! We need to save money, but don’t want to eat PB&J and Ra-amen for every meal!

Tuesday we ate out after practice, because it was my birthday =) We hit up the local Mediterranean joint for a yummy meal.  I usually get a vegetarian or seafood meal when we go out to eat. This time I opted for the Eggplant Platter which has sauteed eggplant and other veggies served with a Greek Salad, pita, tzatziki, and potatoes (I opted for the sweet potatoes). I had some eggplant leftover in the fridge…cue last night…

After dropping off Becca at practice, Katie and I came home. She also wanted a veggie corn dog (I don’t think they knew they were vegetarian). The hubby came home, and I made him a chicken quesadilla. Then I spied some peppers and spinach in the fridge. So I decided to saute them with my leftover eggplant. Would have been good on it’s own, but I remembered I had a box of couscous in the pantry. Score!

You could do this with any veggie, add tofu to keep it vegetarian, or maybe add chicken. Delicious!

 

img_9964img_9966img_9969

Summer Poppy Seed Salad 

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pantry Raid, Salads, Thrifty Meals, Vegetarian

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We decided to change it up and make something besides burgers and hot dogs this year. Instead I made two big pans of lasagna. I have made many different kinds of lasagna before on the blog, but these were pretty basic like this. I made one with ricotta and mozzarella and one with just mozzarella. They both turned out really great!

This afternoon, I was scouring out the scene in my fridge and pantry to see what I could make for dinner. Plenty of leftover lasagna, so that is the main course! But I did spy a bunch of veggies that looked like they were on their last leg, so I decided to make this beautiful summer salad. I found this poppy seed dressing a while back at Fresh Market, and it is my new favorite. img_8456

So I took half a head of ice burg lettuce, 1 small head of purple cabbage, one cucumber (peeled and chopped), 1 small tomato, 1 yellow squash (thinly cut on a mandolin), and a handful of sliced black olives

img_8454-1

I mixed it with about half the bottle of dressing until all the veggies were coated. I also added a touch of salt and pepper.  It tastes super yummy and fresh, and the squash also gives it a nice crunch! I am going to let it hang out in the fridge for a bit, and add some fresh avocado on top! These are my favorite kind of recipes; ones that you make up on the fly and use up leftovers before they go bad!

*****I spy some bananas that turn in to bread soon. I also found some blueberries, so I might come up with a new concoction! See ya real soon!

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Pantry Raid, Pasta, Vegetarian

Evening all! So I made this dish for dinner tonight (just me) along with some smoked sausage, peas, and Alfredo pasta for the rest of the family. It was enough to feed four, so I have leftovers for myself and 2 coworkers.  I also ate some sausage. It was super yummy! img_6011

Spaghetti with Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1/2 pound spaghetti (or whatever pasta you have)
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 container of cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of asparagus, cut in small pieces- snap the bigger ends off and disregard
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper- add just more than you think
2 tablespoons heavy cream
However much Parmesan you want

Directions

Cook your pasta (or use leftovers)
In a skillet heated with 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil, cook down all your seasoned veggies for a good 15 minutes. In the last 5 minutes cover you skillet to burst your tomatoes. Add in your pasta with the rest of the butter and oil. Mix well. Add in your cream and cheese. Combine well. Vegetarian’s delight! Make vegan by disregarding the butter and cream. Add sausage, chicken, or shrimp for a protein packed meaty meal. The possibilities are endless!

Veggie Cauliflower Rice

Pantry Raid, Side dishes...veggies, Vegetarian

Hello again! So I found a head of cauliflower that I totally forgot about in the vegetable drawer. I decided to try something crazy and make it in to rice. I have seen lots of these recipes floating around. Many call for a bag of riced cauliflower. Well, that seems a bit strange to buy when you already have a head of cauliflower! It had a few brown spots on it, which is still totally safe to eat, so I just cut it up in to chucks and put it in the food processor. 055

Then I added a few more veggies…056

I added these veggies to a bit of olive oil with a generous portion of salt and pepper. Then I cooked them down a bit for about 6 minutes. 057

Then I added the cauliflower and snap peas and cooked for about 10 more minutes all together. I added a bit of teriyaki, but I also think if I had it, I would have added some sesame oil.

061

Such an easy and healthy dish!

Cucumber and Tomato Balsamic Salad

Salads, Side dishes...veggies, Vegetarian

Pretty tomato obsessed over here!

Cucumber and Tomato Balsamic Salad
Ingredients
1 large cucumber, sliced thinly
1 large tomato, diced  (or 2 small Roma tomatoes, a handful of baby heilooms, etc.)
3 tablespoons balsamic balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
Directions…
Combine sliced cucumber and  tomato  in a medium bowl. Add balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle on roughly 1/2 teaspoon each salt and peeper and mix together well. ENJOY!