Vegetarian Foodie

Crepe Batter

Crepes are a family favorite around here...a real crowd pleaser to say the least. The best thing is: The fillings are endless. We love crepes with grilled mushrooms, onions and blue cheese (shown below in photo)... crepes filled willed with banana and maple syrup.... crepes filled with ricotta cheese, fresh basil, chopped radishes and tomatoes...crepes filled with chocolate chips.... really, the fillings are endless.

Crepe Batter (makes 4-6 crepes...I double and triple this recipe!)

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablesoon of Oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Beat in Blender or with a whisk until smooth. Heat a few drops of oil in a hot large pan and bake your crepes. I flip the crepe then about halfway through cooking the other side I add the ingredients. I fold the crepe sides over and place on a serving tray.

Crepes are best served hot or at room temperature.

Frittata and Roasted French Fries

Here is a secret: If you ever come for dinner at my house and I serve the following meal: Frittata (anything) and roasted french fries then it means I was lazy and did not want to either a)menu plan or b) go to the grocery store. While the meal presents itself quite nicely, it truely is a meal that makes itself.

A pan, grill some garlic and onions...add the eggs...add whatever you have within arms reach...top with cheese and bake in the oven til the center is done. The frittata below has parsley, tomatoes and feta cheese.

And those roasted potato french fries... yes, delicious and required alongside a frittata. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes then roast them sliced and drenched with olive oil, pepper and salt.

Of course, a few snacks. The cherries from the farmer's market are divine. I saw this recently and I am Up For the Challenge! Perhaps next week.

Coconut Curried Red Lentils

I have only just recently discovered the blog Heart of Light. Every time I look at this blog I feel as though I am reading my favorite book while wearing my favorite socks, it makes me happy. The photos are gorgeous, the recipes are inspiring and the crafts are delightful... Just go there.

And the recipe Coconut Curried Red Lentils -  I love it.

It has two of my favorite things:

Waffles with Mushroom Gravy and more...

No, not just savory waffles but savory waffles with mushroom gravy. Yes, mushroom gravy on waffles. And yes again to the hidden treasure of morning star vegetarian sausage patty beneath the gravy.

The recipe for waffles is tasty for savory or sweet toppings.

• 2 Cups Flour
• 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt, Ginger, sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Cups Warm Milk
• 1/3 Cup Melted Butter

Mix and place in your waffle iron. Then use any left over waffles for dessert:

Mix Heavy cream with a mixer until it fluffs before your eyes... this takes 3 minutes and is great fun. Add fresh blueberries and enjoy your meal of waffle mania.

Mushroom Gravy

Before I explain the details of savory waffles, it is important to chat about the mushroom gravy that will be covering the waffles.

Now, this meal was a grand experiment and we didnot know how it would result. Let me say that savory waffles with mushroom gravy are now the favorites of all who partook in them.

Mushroom gravy is delicious and good on almost anything -the gravy recipe is to be retained for various foodie bits in the coming future.

Mushroom Gravy

• 1 Cup Mushrooms Chopped
  1/4 Cup Flour
• 2 Tblsp Soy Sauce
• 1 Onion Chopped
• 2 1/2 Cups Vegetable Stock
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Add your chopped onions and mushrooms to olive oil in  a hot skillet-Grill them until toasty brown and shrunken.

Add stock and soy sauce. Add Flour and mix until all is gravy. Allow to thicken. Stir, wait, stir, thicken.

Avocado Enchiladas

Avocado enchiladas..... delicious. I love a tortilla stuffed with goodness and avocado is my best definition of goodness.

Making avocado enchiladas involves a few steps: making the filling, making the sauce, prepping the tortillas (if using corn) and then baking the whole enchilada dish.

First, the avocado filling. I mixed avocado, cilantro, salt and chopped red onion:

For the sauce, I sauteed onions garlic and chili powder (about 2 or 3 teaspoons) and then added canned crushed tomatoes:

Now if you plan to use corn tortillas, be certain to simmer them in sauce for a few moments before stuffing them and wrapping them with the filling. I myself did not simmer them long enough and they broke (see below). I ended up used both corn and tortilla as a result and they were both delicious.

Top with cheese, sauce and bake for 30-40 minutes at 400 F.

Top with a bit of mixed sauce and avocado and serve with an ice cold beer. Buen Provecho!

Stuffed and Roasted Poblano Chiles

Poblano chiles are delicious. It is easy to understand why they are the most popular chiles grown throughout Mexico. Thanks to Wiki, if you would like to learn more visit this link.

Otherwise, prepare your grocery list-this mistake of a meal evolved into an immediate favorite.

Mistake meaning: This was one such night in which I might have had an entry for the Recipes That Suck section of the blog however, I am looking forward to making this dish again as soon as possible.

Stuffed and Roasted Poblano Chiles

4 Poblano Chiles (washed and with the tops cut off)
1 can of corn
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
2-3 Handfuls of Cheddar cheese grated
Garnish with sour cream and avocado slices

Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until browned
• Add the corn and continue to saute
• Stir in the cheese until all the mixture is gooey and cheesy
• Stuff the peppers
• Roast the stuffed peppers at 425F for 30 minutes

 

Vegetarian Chili Dog

I would like to dedicate this post to my friend Roon over at Mogodai Mama who loves everything Trader Joes.

This is one of those delicious meals....that you prepare but don't really cook.

• Tofurky Sausages
• Chopped Onion
• Grated Cheddar
• Trader Joes Vegetarian Chili
• Relish
• Honey Wheat buns
• Potato Chips

MMMMM....Good

Pecan Caramel Rolls

Once again, if you have not yet ordered Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day from Amazon... well, I suggest you do!

The Caramel Topping

6 Tablespoons Unsalted Soft Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
30 Pecan Halves

The Filling

4 Tablespoons soft and salted butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh and grated if available)
1/2 Cup chopped and toasted pecans (How to toast nuts?)
Pinch of black pepper

The Dough

This recipe

• Cream butter, salt and brown sugar. Spread evenly on the bottom of a 9 inch pan. Scatter the pecans

• Dust the surface of refrigerated dough and quickly stretch back the sides to form a ball-rotate as you go
• Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 1/8 thick rectangle (use flour to prevent sticking as needed)
• Cream together the butter, sugar and spices. Spread evenly over the dough and top with chopped pecans

• Roll the dough into a log and cut into 8 pieces with a serrated knife. Place in your pan swirled edge up
  

• Cover with saran wrap and allow to rise for one hour
• Twenty minutes before baking time preheat the oven to 350 F
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Remove and invert asap (or they will be so very sticky on your pan)

These went very fast in our house...

Basil Pesto Recipe

The following is a basil pesto recipe from Giada's Family Dinners by Giade De Laurentis

• 2 Cups Fresh Basil
• 1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan
• 2/3 Cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Add oil and blend to consistency. Good in the fridge for 2 days, add salt and pepper if you so choose.