Vegetarian Foodie

Cooked Carrots

We have returned from a smashing few days spent in the giant forest. There will be more on that subject soon, I am catching up (on work and sleep) and still sorting through the photos. In the meantime, here is a recipe for cooked carrots. The whipping cream adds a hint of decadence to a simple cooked vegetable side. 

• Olive oil
• 2 Garlic cloves minced
• A half dozen Carrots
• 1/2 Cup of Whipping Cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut carrots in half. I like to leave the green tops because of the contrast and color the tops offer the final presentation. Heat olive oil in a skillet, cook garlic and carrots cut sides down for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper then remove carrots and set aside. Add whipping cream to the skillet and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow cream to thicken. Pour over the carrots and serve.

Homemade Croutons

Before I get started about homemade croutons...

Tomorrow (Thursday, June 7th) we are shoving off for a few days to explore Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park. I will resume posting mid next week.

A great solution for that day old crusty bread is to make croutons. Croutons are simple to make and embellish so very many dishes such as salads, soups and casseroles.

• Preheat to 350 degrees
• Chop your day old crusty bread into bite sized pieces
• Toss bite sized pieces onto a cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil all over the bread bits
• Sprinkle Herbes de Province all over the bread bits
• Do a bit of mixing so olive oil and the spice are evenly distributed

Bake for about 15 minutes-until your croutons are golden brown. Croutons can be stored for a few days in a tightly lidded container.

Sloppy Joes

Thanks to quality vegetarian burger crumbles, sloppy joes are not just for burger eaters anymore. The following recipe for vegetarian sloppy joes is not only tasty but also quick and easy.

• Vegetable Oil
• 1 Onion chopped
• 1 Red Bell chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves minced
• 1 Cup vegetarian burger crumbles
• 1 Cup tomato sauce
• 1 Cup water
• 2 tsp Chili powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Buns of choice

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add water and burger crumbles. Reduce heat and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Top your favorite buns off with sloppy joes mix.

Spanish Omelet

Did you ever have one of those meals that you simply cannot forget? One of those dining experiences that leaves you drunk on its memory? Well, I have been daydreaming about a certain Spanish omelet for almost a year now. Unfortunately, I cannot have the experience again so easily because the backdrop  took place in a small Mexican town on the Yucatan Peninsula. It was a restaurant (a name in which I cannot recall) on the beach (yes, toes in sand while dining) and it was dusk when this delightful experience happened. 

Friday night I had the notion to make a delicious Spanish omelet of my own. A Spanish omelet is often called a Spanish tortilla. It is comprised of potato, onion and eggs. While it is a popular staple of Spain, the recipes and styles vary widely -just do a search online for 'Spanish Omelet' and it is evidence that there are so many recipes. I looked at quite a few recipes which I used as a springboard and then did my own thing. The following list of ingredients feeds two people perfectly.

It would be a lie to say that I never have mishaps in the kitchen. It seems only fair to share my errors because those very errors are indeed as inspiring and telling as kitchen successes. So although the omelet ultimately tasted delicious it looked horrid and nothing like my memory of the omelet by the sea.

• 4 eggs
• 3 potatoes (grated)
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• Olive Oil (a couple of glugs)
• Salt and pepper to taste

I started off with olive oil, garlic and onions. Once the onions and garlic were browned I removed them from the pan and set them aside. I added another gulg of olive oil to the pan and then added the grated potatoes. Once those were brown I added them to the bowl which contained the onions. Then I added the eggs and mixed well. I poured everything into the pan and the cooking began.

Now in hindsight, everything went wrong at the grated potato stage. I will do two things differently next time: cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks so they and brown better as well as make certain I use a larger frying pan.

When the omelet has reached a golden brown, use a plate to flip it over. Cook the other side. Like I mentioned, this omelet was tasty however not very sexy.

That being said, this recipe will have to be tried again. To be continued...

Roasted Cauliflower

• Cauliflower head
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• Olive oil (a couple glugs)
• Parmesan cheese (almost a handful)
• Lime wedges



 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Wash and cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces, add to a mixing bowl and drizzle olive oil

Add minced garlic and toss

Place onto cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes until cauliflower is golden brown

Top with parmesan cheese and serve with lime wedges