My New Favorite Product

I love these!! Meat free, I put them in a sandwich, on a salad, in a wrap, etc! They taste great!!

Best Pasta Salad

This is positively the best pasta salad ever. I don't use a recipe but here are the things that I usually put in it:

Cooked noodles al dente - rotini or bowtie usually
Gazebo Room dressing - regular or Lite
Provolone Cheese
Grape or cherry tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, grated (fresh or canned)
Snow peas or green peas

(For meat eaters, add some hard salami.)

Be creative! Add whatever you like! The dressing makes it absolutely phenomenal!




Enjoy!

San Antonio... Cancelled!

We cancelled the relocation assignment. We just could not leave one of our kids behind to live with his dad- not at age 14. I wish it could have worked out. Maybe some day I will get to live somewhere warm...


I am very sorry I have been lax about posting - life has been insane. My husband and I just accepted a relocation assignment in San Antonio, TX so I am in the midst of the emotional stress, anxiety, excitement of that.

I am cooking Easter dinner and will post some recipes soon.

Meanwhile, I need to find a job in San Antonio - has anyone noticed the state of public education lately!?!?! I need prayer and luck to land a position teaching there!

With the good weather in SA, I'm hoping to find lots of fresh markets for great fruits and vegetables! And who doesn't love tex-mex food!? I'll have some exciting new things to post!

Super Easy Berry Crisp

I was in the mood for something tart/sweet/crunchy and this was perfect. It is ridiculously easy. I got the original recipe from a cookbook called The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook, but I have since changed the recipe to fit me better and use what I have on hand. Who doesn't love a recipe with only three ingredients!?





Super Easy Berry Crisp

2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, etc.)
1/2 c. preserves (I make my own strawberry jelly so I use this because this is what I have in the house, but you can use apricot or whatever, just so it's real fruit and not a jello-type of spread)
2 cups granola

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix berries and preserves and put in a greased 8X8 or small casserole dish. Spread granola evenly over top and dot with butter or margarine if desired.

Bake about 25 minutes until granola is browned and berries are bubbly.





PERFECT with vanilla ice cream and a quick dessert for pop-in company!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

This oatmeal is delicious and you can add more spices, add fruits, etc. This recipe is from a friend Heidi and when she gave me the recipe, she wrote Amish Baked Oatmeal, so that is what I use. This baked oatmeal does not cut apart like a piece of cake would, it's more crumbly... but it's still my favorite recipe. I have to make it when my kids are all home or I will eat the whole thing myself!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

½ cup oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. sugar

3 c. oatmeal – quick or old fashioned (I prefer quick)

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Combine oil, eggs and sugar then add oatmeal and remainder of ingreds. Put in greased 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins or until done.

Serve warm and pour milk over.

Leftovers stay moist and is delicious cold too!

Variation: Add a chopped apple or other fruit!

Tasty Toffee Treats

My friend Rhonda and I nicknamed these "Mouth O's" and we think that speaks for itself. Great to make/take, freeze, etc. This is the treat my kids always requested when it was their birthday in school - but due to nut allergies definitely check or prepare alternative toppings for part, such as sprinkles, etc.


Tasty Toffee Treats:

1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and then cover with saltines.







Boil 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar for 3 minutes at a rolling boil. Then spread onto saltines.








Bake in oven for only FIVE MINUTES.







Remove from oven and sprinkle with 12 oz. chocolate chips. Let sit until chips are shiny and spreadable, then spread evenly.








Top with your choice of chopped nuts.








Refrigerate about an hour then remove foil and break into pieces and serve. Refrigerate or freeze.

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Making lunches for this week! I thought I would try to spruce up my vegetable intake a bit. Even though the dressing is not low calorie, at least I'm eating some veggies! This salad is a favorite (and maybe a Lancaster County thing).

Fresh Broccoli Salad

(Source: Central Market Cookbook, Good/Stoltzfus 1989)


1 large head broccoli
1 T. minced onion (I used fresh red onion diced small)
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated (large grater on the mandoline)

(also in the recipe but I did not choose to add: 3 strips bacon fried and crumbled, 3/4 c. raisins and 1/2 c. cashews)

Dressing:

1 cup mayo
1/2 c. sugar or honey (I used 1/4 cup each)
2 T. vinegar (apple cider)


I now have two lunches that are tasty and full of veggies!

Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Company is Coming! These are my go-to cookie for company or "pop-in" guests. I freeze them and then I always have something to serve with coffee. Once you have almond extract in the house, you almost always have the ingredients for these! It's nice to have a little something to serve guests, and they look more difficult to make than they actually are.

Ingredients:

2/3 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1/2 t. almond extract

2 c. flour

1/2 c. jam (save for tops)

Glaze:

1 c. 10X

1-1/2 t. almond extract

2-3 t. water

(350 degrees)

Mix sugar, butter and extract until creamy. Add flour and beat until well-mixed.

Shape into 1" balls (I used my Pampered Chef cookie scoop) 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Make indentation in center with thumb (edges may crack). Fill with about 1/4 t. jam.

Bake 14-18 minutes or until lightly brown on edges (have to watch them toward the end). Let stand 1 minute then remove and cool.

Glaze- mix well and drizzle over cookies and let cool.

Cheesy Potato Soup

This is originally from a good friend (thanks, Tina!) and this soup ROCKS! Enjoy!

1 c. chopped celery

½ c. chopped carrots

½ c. chopped onions

Simmer these three in a little water or butter then add:
2-4 cups of vegetable stock (or less if you want less soup - you can also use water with bouillon cubes)

6 cups peeled, cubed potatoes

Next take about ¼ cup flour and ½ cup milk, mix together to make a thicker mix and add to above.

Then add 2-3 cup milk (half-n-half, or whole/skim/soy/almond/rice milk)

Mix and keep on low simmer on low until potatoes are done.
Add more salt and pepper to taste and then REMOVE FROM HEAT.


Here's the really bad (but really delicious) part... cube a pound (yes, I said pound) of Velveeta and add to soup - let sit and stir until melted and adjust spices as needed. Enjoy. Try not to scream out loud.

-->I don't love the idea of processed cheese and I'm still in my own process of becoming vegan - this is definitely not a dish I make often, but when I do it is an incredible treat. (I have not experimented yet with vegan cheeses or alternatives to this part of the soup.)

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Another great recipe from allrecipes.com, this always gets devoured and therefore I have no picture to show you! But, I wanted to get it posted in time for Oscars! Every year we bring appetizers to our holiday gathering and vote on the favorite - this one won and I was handing out recipes all night. Even if you don't think you would like anything with the main title being, "jalapeño", you should still try this! Serve with crackers or baguette slices or homemade tortilla chips.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

2 ounces canned diced jalapeño peppers, drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh!)

Directions:

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes. ** I prefer baked version, 350 for 10-15 minutes until warm and cheese melts.

Mexican Bean Salad

This is from one of my favorite recipe sites, Allrecipes.com. It is phenomenal served with homemade tortilla chips!!!

Tortilla Chips

Use a pizza cutter to cut tortilla into wedges and bake at 350 until dry/crisp. (You can sprinkle with salt.)

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Mexican Bean Salad

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
• 1 red onion, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1. In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.
3. Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Makes a lot, serves a great crowd but the homemade tortilla chips really make this recipe a standout!

Florentine Roll-ups

These are delicious and can easily be adapted to a household of meat eaters and vegetarians. If you have both in your household, make one pan with traditional sauce and meat (about 8X8) and another pan with plain, meatless spaghetti or marinara sauce.

16 oz. lasagna noodles
4 c. ricotta or cottage cheese (2 lb.)
2 c. (8 oz.) cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 c. chopped fresh spinach
1/2 green onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. salt
3 c. spaghetti sauce
Parmesan Cheese


Cook pasta, drain. Lay on flat wax paper to cool. Heat oven to 350 degrees.









Stir together ingredients except sauce. Spread about 1/3 c. mixture on each lasagna noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in pan (put a bit of sauce in bottom of pan first).








Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan, or mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake 45 minutes.








Thanks, Elaine for this great recipe! I make it and have plenty for the remainder of the week for lunches or leftovers!

Tasty Chocolate Treat

Easiest treat ever!!! I love this! I bought some No Pudge brownie mix and wrestled with the old, "if I make a pan, I will eat the whole pan" issue.




I read the directions and discovered that you can make a single serving and it is just perfect!





Just put some of the mix in a small dish, add enough yogurt (I had Danon All Natural Vanilla on hand) to make a batter-type mixture and microwave! Awesome!!!! You can even lick the spoon!

Yogurt and the dry mixture from the package...



Batter...



Finished and ready to eat!

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder







This soup is excellent!! This is one of our family favorites that I changed over from Chicken Corn Chowder into this vegetarian version.


½ cup chopped onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. butter or margarine or olive oil
1-2 c. vegetable stock (depending on how much you want to make)
½ - 1 t. cumin
2 cups half-and-half cream (soy is fine!)
2 cups (8oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 cans (16 oz) cream-style corn
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, undrained
¼ - 1 t. hot pepper sauce (optional; taste your soup and add as desired)
1 medium tomato, chopped (optional, I rarely do this part)
fresh cilantro or parsley

In a dutch oven, brown onion in butter until clear and add garlic. Add vegetable stock to pan along with cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream, cheese, corn, chilies. Cook and stir over low until cheese is melted. Stir in tomato if using, add hot sauce if using. Add parsley or cilantro if desired. Excellent soup! Gobbled up by the four men in my house with not a complaint about missing any meat! (I did serve them grilled ham and cheese with their soup.)

***Melissa’s notes: Delicious served with Ritz crackers crushed on top. For meat eaters, you could add shredded chicken to their servings (I use Purdue Chicken Short Cuts so I don't have to do much prep for it), or grill a ham and swiss or ham and cheddar sandwich to go along with the soup.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is one of my absolute favorite salads to eat and to serve to friends. The mixture of flavors is perfect! If you are going vegan, skip the feta and use craisins (but don't candy the almonds) and add a little more salt to the dressing.


SPINACH SALAD WITH FETA, STRAWBERRIES & CELERY SEED DRESSING

Baby Spinach
Strawberries
Feta Cheese
Candied Almonds

(Melt sugar with almonds on medium heat and brown until almonds are lightly browned – do not let burn!


Let cool.


(You can add mandarin orange slices if you want)

CELERY SEED and STRAWBERRY DRESSING:

1/4 med. onion
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¾ tsp. celery seed
Salt & pepper to taste
2 strawberries

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth (fits in my mini cuisinart).

Broccoli Bundles

I promise you that you will not miss meat in this one!! Or, for those with meat-eaters in the family, separate after you mix and do half with shredded chicken and half with the broccoli- bake separately or together depending (I don't like my things even touching anything that has meat, I even use separate utensils if I'm stirring spaghetti sauces one with meat and one meatless). Also, if you are vegan, I can vouch the vegan cream cheese is spectacular...

8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 c. milk (almond, rice or soy is fine too)
1 t. dill
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
4 c. cooked broccoli cut into small pieces
1/2 c. finely chopped celery (if in hurry use celery seed!)
4 green onions (or dried minced onions!!)
3 tubes crescent rolls
1/4 c. butter/margarine (or Earth Balance spread)
1/4 c. bread crumbs or parmesan or a mixture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix milk, dill, salt, pepper, broccoli, onions and celery together. Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 12 rectangles (two triangles each, press perforated section to seal). Fill each rectangle with about 1/3 c. of the mixture, bring corners up and pinch to seal in a 'bundle'. Put in sprayed 9X13 pan with seam size down. Brush tops with butter and top with crumbs or parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until golden.


Enjoy!

Fiber Bites

These tasty treats last a week or so and refrigeration is optional. They keep me really full when I pop one or two with water... and besides that no preservatives or chemicals. My sons love them for snack and my littlest and I often eat these as our actual lunch! Addictive! This recipe is from a longtime friend of mine - thanks, Susan!

Fiber Bites

1 c. honey
1 c. all natural peanut butter
3 c. rolled oats (I use organic)
1 c. coconut (not my fav so I make this smaller)
1/2 c. wheat bran
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. raisins

Mix all together well and form bite-sized pieces - it's easier if your hand is damp (if the mixture is totally dry and crumbly, add a little more honey or peanut butter). I use the cookie scoop and then I form the bites and let them sit on wax paper... makes around 50 small bites.

I refrigerate after I first make them just to have them keep their shape and then after that it doesn't matter. They can be somewhat addictive!

Pizza Dip

Grammy Awards Snack!

Super easy!

Spread a block of cream cheese in the bottom of a small baker.
Spread pizza sauce on top. Add chopped toppings that you like (peppers, etc.)
Top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 until cheese is melted on top.

Serve with breadsticks or french bread slices/sticks.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is a yummy and easy soup...

Saute an onion (or a few scallions), celery, carrot and garlic cloves (1 or 2) in a few tablespoons of butter or oil on medium until onions are translucent and carrots tender. Add 2 Tablespoons of flour, some salt and pepper and mix well.

Add 2.5 cups of vegetable stock, and a cup of milk (anything will do - skim, whole, even part skim with some half-n-half; Rice or Soy or Almond milk is fine too). Bring to boil and add broccoli cuts (fresh, cut into small florets or pieces) and let simmer around 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add cheese- I used a combination Sharp yellow cheddar, parmesan and american, but you can add the thick processed cheese if you choose. (Just make sure it's not going to continue to boil after you add the cheese or it curdles.)

Season again with salt and pepper and serve! Delicious!

Vegetarian Vittles in a Carnivore World

Hi world! I am the only vegetarian in my household and have had to come up with some interesting ways to cook for my family but still eat healthily myself... I decided to share some recipes with my friends and they needed an easy place to pick them up so this blog began. I don't claim to be perfect, but these are the things that have worked for me. I am not one to purchase exotic ingredients either, so the things you will see are simple and with ingredients that you can get anywhere. I live in a rural area so huge natural stores are not within easy reach.

I am a HS Spanish teacher and I have been sharing recipes with a few others so I decided to post them on a blog for easy access!

¡Buen provecho!