Meatless Meals for Meat Eaters

Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

2012-09-25T14:04:00.000-06:00

Do you want or need to eat less meat but you don’t know how to get started? I have written the cookbook Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters just for you! It is full of vegetarian recipes that are very easy as well as familiar and hearty to people who are used to eating meaty meals.

For information about other books by Miriam Barton as well as updates and more free recipes visit her on Tumblr. To check out her latest recipe posted on Tumblr click the image at the top of the right side bar.

Praise for Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

“Delicious is an understatement…One need not be a vegetarian to enjoy the extremely hearty preparations in this wonderful cookbook…”

-JJ Botta, author

“Her cookbook is full of delicious comfort foods turned veg that will definitely satisfy just about any palate. Highly recommended!”

-Joanne at Eats Well With Others

“I had reservations about the vegetarian lifestyle…but Miriam quickly shot down any previous notions I had… each [recipe] I try is a pleasant surprise and often goes on my ‘let’s make this again list,’ for my family.”

Kristin Wynder at Take it From Me

“Miriam’s book isn’t about trying to get people to be [vegetarians], rather it is about teaching people healthy eating skills and giving them a chance to reduce the amount of meat in their diet.”

-Rachelle Christensen, author

“I give this book a two thumbs up…There is a great variety of recipes and they are all straight-forward and uncomplicated. Lots of recipes you could probably throw together from your pantry staples…”

-Jacky Hackett at Jax House

“I have [Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters]…I love it and cook so much out of it!”

-Tracie at A Happy Little Life

“This is a great book for those looking for more meatless meals or for those who are not quite sure where to begin on their meatless journey!”

-Louise Maine at Hurricane Maine

A New Recipe Sharing Adventure and Vegetable Tempura

2012-09-11T23:37:00.001-06:00

Is has been my great pleasure to share so many recipes and thoughts with all of you over the past two years on this website. As you can see, I’ve shared enough recipes on this website to write another book with! Since I have moved onto writing more books than my first Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters, I have decided to focus a website on sharing recipes and such that can help promote my other books as well (and I am trying to simplify my life instead of complicate it more).
I will continue to update this website with what I am posting on my new website. For example: I most recently posted on tumblr Vegetable Tempura.

So come and see me there, I'll be sharing a lot of great recipes there. If you ever want to leave a comment feel free to do so here on this website (I will check it regularly and answer any questions you may have), or click "Ask Me Anything," at the top of my tumblr website. Also, feel free to send me messages and questions via facebook and twitter.

And again, thank you so much for your support of this website and especially to those of you who have bought my books!!

See you at the new site!

Love,

Miriam Barton

2012-09-06T13:50:00.000-06:00

I have been sharing recipes on this website for exactly two years now and I need to give a BIG THANK YOU to all of you for your support, encouragement, and especially to those of you who have bought my cookbook Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters.

Believe it or not, there is a lot more to me than just creating vegetarian meals. I am passionate about food especially but also about anything that leads to health and happiness.

As some of you know, I have a natural desserts cookbook that will come out in the next year and I also have an old fashioned wholesome cooking pioneer cookbook that came out last year as well.

In order to share recipes from all types of wholesome genres as well as thoughts and such about healthy and happy living in general I thought it would be best to have a single website from which I could share all of these things. And frankly, I wanted to share some healthy dessert recipes but I didn’t feel it would fit the theme of this website.

So, I created this site. From now on I will update www.miriambarton.tumblr.com very often in order to do all of these things. I have already shared a couple of recipes on it and have many more coming. So please follow me there and visit often. For you bloggers who continue to support me there I promise to continue to reciprocate.

I will post one more time on this site in the coming week and I will constantly update this site as to what I have posted on tumblr.

Thanks again to all of you, I wish you all the very best and hope to see you often at the new site!

Yellow Squash Macaroni and Cheese and a Collection of Squash Recipes

2012-08-28T23:06:00.001-06:00

Squash Quiche

Harvest time is awesome!! I thought these recipes would help. J

Squash Fritters

Cryptically, I will tell you something: I’ve been working on a surprise for you…

Harvest Chili

All will be revealed in time…

Very soon.

Squash Walnut Pancakes

Be looking for something on this site that is VERY cool. J

Yellow Squash Macaroni and Cheese

½ pound macaroni noodles

1 cup pureed yellow squash

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons flour

¾ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup milk

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Boil macaroni noodles in salt water according to package instructions.

In a skillet over medium heat sauté the garlic in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper, then the milk. Stir in the pureed squash. Once all of the flavors have been combined well , stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, stir in the grated cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese is completely melted and fully incorporated into the sauce.

Drain the noodles, then gently stir them into the sauce. Sprinkle a dash of paprika over each serving if desired.

By Miriam Baton in promotion for her vegetarian cookbook Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters now available for purchase at your local bookstore, barnesandnoble.com , amazon.com , deseretbook.com and walmart.com.

Roasted Garlic, Broccoli, and Mushrooms with Sundried Tomatoes in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

2012-08-20T15:32:00.000-06:00

My counters are covered with fruits and vegetables that have been freshly picked for harvest. My children are starting to play “school,” by taking turns pretending to be the “teacher,” and the “student.” Backpacks have been excitedly prepared and placed close to our front door.

We have swam, read tons of books, swam, hiked, splashed in the creek, went to several programs at the library, swam, ate lots of pizza and ice cream, been camping, swam, eaten snow cones, swam, visited relatives…swam. Did I mention that we went swimming…a lot? Now the pool isn’t as exciting as it was at the beginning of the summer and my children are starting to long for school days again. Soccer and dance seasons start soon too…that’s exciting as well.

Yes, all signs point to the winding down of another beautiful summer. I love these days, and the start of another beautiful autumn comes bittersweet. With my children growing so well I am so very proud of them! When they ask me every night if they start school tomorrow I have a little ache in my heart, they’re not my sweet little babies anymore…

I remade the leftovers of this by stirring in some ricotta cheese, adding a little more salt, spreading it in a baking dish and sprinkling it with a mixture of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. I then covered it with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge for several days. Then I took the plastic off, baked it on 400 for about 25 minutes and served it to company. It was a huge hit and everyone was asking for the recipe. I loved this pasta made fresh or reheated as a pasta al’ forno (here in America a lot of people call that a “pasta bake,” – in Italy it’s “pasta from the oven.”). I used 3/4 pound of Galletti shaped pasta and I loved the thick texture of it with this sauce. Feel free to use any shape of pasta that you have on hand. Enjoy! J

Roasted Garlic, Broccoli, and Mushrooms with Sundried Tomatoes in a Creamy Tomato Sauce

4 ounce jar sundried tomatoes

1 ½ cups diced tomatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoons sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1½ cups broccoli

1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms

1 head of garlic

½ cup cream

Sauté the contents of the jar of sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and basil in the olive oil for about 7-10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the seasonings then cover and let simmer while you roast the vegetables.

Cut the broccoli into smaller chunks, slice the mushrooms, and remove the skin from every clove of garlic from the head. In a bowl stir the vegetables together with a dab of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste (if desired). Spread the coated veggies out on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven on about 400 for about 12 minutes, then stir and bake again for about 12 more minutes. Remove the veggies and stir them into the simmering sauce.

Lastly, gently stir the cream into the sauce. Cook over low heat for about 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over cooked pasta and sprinkle a little Romano or parmesan cheese over the top when serving if desired.

Most Popular Tomato Recipes and Cookbook Updates

2012-08-14T12:42:00.001-06:00

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tomato harvest season is fast approaching so I thought you all could use a few recipes and as promised, an update on my life and my books…

Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters (my cookbook that this website is named after), is doing steadily well. It has been my pleasure to hear from many people how they are enjoying it and how it has helped their diet be healthier while not complicating their lives at the same time (any change in the diet could be viewed as a complication…but the meals in my book are extremely easy and very appreciated because of it). Thank you all so much for your continued support of this website and for buying the cookbook!!

Creamy Tomato Soup

The Pioneer Cookbook: Recipes For Today’s Kitchen continues to do well and continues to be a top seller among pioneer/historical cookbooks. Writing that book taught me so many lessons, one such lesson was to always appreciate modern plumbing and an oven that I don’t have to heat with wood or coal. I am so thankful that I was given the chance to write that book!

Bruschetta

Most of you know that I have written a healthy desserts cookbook. Let me explain to those that don’t know…I have created LOTS (almost 200), healthier versions of popular desserts. That’s right: chocolate cake, strawberry pie, brownies…you name it and you’ll probably find a healthier than normal version of it in my book. There is no butter, bleached flour, or white sugar in anything, but it tastes like there is!!!

Red Quinoa and Black Bean Chili

Many of you have been wondering when it will be released and what the holdup is. Well…for the past couple of years I’ve been trying to learn the art of food photography so this cookbook can be in full color. None of my other books have pictures in them and when my publisher gave me the chance to have colored pictures in this book I jumped at the chance and agreed to learn how to take beautiful food pictures. Well…that takes a while and…

Spinach Lasagna

I will have you know that I only have one more picture of a dessert to take for the book…ONE!!! I’ve been working very hard on it and I’ll be taking the last picture very soon. The editing and layout process for the book will begin this Fall and it’s anticipated release will be the summer of 2013.

Yellow Zucchini in Zesty Tomato Sauce

I know, I know! Not ‘till next summer? All I can say is that these things take time (the biggest reason for the long time window is because of shipping and the time it takes for books to go through customs, I am told). Hang in there, it’s coming!! And very soon I’ll have a surprise for you where you’ll be able to access recipes for healthy desserts regularly by yours truly. You’re going to love it! As soon as I finish getting together what I’ve been planning I will let you know. J

Greek Pasta Salad

Now, here’s where I need your help. My publisher said “Most likely not,” to what I originally wanted to title the book soooo, while they are coming up with possible names I am trying to think of options too…any ideas? Leave me a comment if you’ve got a good one. J

Zucchini Recipe Collection

2012-08-07T00:21:00.001-06:00

                                   Carrot, Zucchini, and Potato Quiche

I have a confession, in my last few posts I have been very cryptic about what is going on in my life and my upcoming desserts book progress, mostly because I’ve just been way too busy to write out a long and lengthy description of all of the exciting news…

Ten Treasure Stir Fry

This post is no exception, sorry! I promise though, that my next post will give full updates about my upcoming book and its progress. Thank you everyone, for your continued support and encouragement!!

Cream Of Zucchini Soup

This time of year the most often thing I hear from people about food is “What do I do with all the zucchini??” For those of you who don’t garden it might be hard to imagine how very many zucchini that one zucchini plant can produce.

                                            Zucchini Oatmeal Bread
So I have put together a collection of some of my favorite zucchini recipes that I use which I have posted on this site at one time or another over the past couple of years. They are not in any particular order, I love them all.


                                                        Zucchini Cakes

There are more zucchini recipes on this site, many more, but I narrowed this particular list down to ten.

Harvest Enchladas

I hope this helps! And if you don’t garden, I hope this list inspires you to include a lot more zucchini in your diet, they are so good for you and delicious!!

Creamy Potato Harvest Soup

Worst case, if you have too many zucchini, you can always grate or grind them in a food processor then put them in sandwich bags and freeze them. (I store them frozen 1 ½ cups per bag, so I know how much I have). Zucchini freezes and thaws extremely well.

Zucchini Fajitas

Frozen zucchini that have been grated and thawed make excellent breads, sauces, and soups.

Zucchini Oven Omelet

In the mean time, enjoy your summering and I wish you all the best. Talk to you soon!!

Yellow Zucchini Sweet Bread

By Miriam Baton in promotion for her vegetarian cookbook Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters now available for purchase at your local bookstore, barnesandnoble.com , amazon.com , deseretbook.com and walmart.com.

Baked Zucchini Fritters with Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dip

2012-07-30T12:28:00.001-06:00

This time of year I am always trying to come up with something new to do with zucchini and squash…because you can’t make zucchini bread alone with the enormous amount of summer squash coming out our ears at the moment.

If you don’t particularly care for the taste of zucchini as a side dish you may still love it in a main course. I say that because it is so versatile in that it pretty much takes on whatever taste you cook it with. You’re really going to like these!

I always fry my fritters. Then, in an effort to be slightly healthier, on a whim I decided to bake these. Though not as crunchy as I usually like fritters to be, they were still quite good. My point is, if you want them crunchier then pan fry them in olive oil. J The yogurt dip is awesome served with corn chips too by the way!!

Baked Zucchini Fritters

2 medium zucchini

½ cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped mint

½ teaspoon sea salt

Pepper to taste

2 eggs, well beaten

2 tablespoon flour

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Oil a cookie sheet very well.

In a large bowl grate the zucchini then stir in the onion, garlic, cilantro, mint, salt, pepper, and flour. Gently fold in the beaten eggs, then gently mix in the grated mozzarella.

Place the fritter batter in rows on the oiled baking sheet, about 3 inches in diameter and press down in the center with a spoon (smoothing it out).

Bake for 12 minutes then flip each fritter with a spatula and back another 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels if desired.

Cilantro Lime Yogurt Dip

1 cup plain yogurt

Juice from ½ lime

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1-2 teaspoons Cholula sauce

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Stir the ingredients together and enjoy!

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Smoothie Collection

2012-07-19T22:28:00.001-06:00

Cranberry Peach Smoothie

I actually love the heat.

Purple Morning Smoothie

Whether it be in the form of a jalapeno laden meal, the bright sunshine pouring down golden rays over me by the water, or just plain sweating it out getting from here to there.

Fruit Punch Smoothie

I love summer heat! Part of finding joy in the heat is in finding fun ways to cool off though!!

Strawberry Blast

I thought you could use a smoothie refresher as you try to cool off in this glorious heat fest of summer!

Green Smoothie

Mushroom Omelets

2012-07-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while I come across a product that stands out to me as exceptional and then I have to tell you all about it. Yesterday at my local farmer’s market I sampled some of Chad’s Bear Lake Raspberry Salsa and was surprised at falling in love with bottled salsa (I always make my own fresh salsa).

Raspberries in salsa? Seriously? It has a very lush and sophisticated flavor. And it’s not like those wimpy salsas that I can’t stand, there’s some pinch to it and I really love it.

You see, Bear Lake is famous on this side of the Rockies for its raspberries. My family and I vacationed there last summer and had a marvelous time (of course having a chocolate raspberry milkshake at every opportunity). The restaurants and gift shops there are full of raspberry products and I grew accustom to seeing a large variety of raspberry honey, jam, and syrup there…but I never would have thought of raspberry salsa.

So I bought a jar last night and decided to try it on my mushroom omelet for dinner. I loved it! If you go to their website you’ll be able to order all of the raspberry jam, salsa, and syrup you could hope for (they make great gifts too). I sampled all of them and drooled over each one.

This omelet is simple to make and has a great flavor. I make my omelets on a griddle but feel free to make the omelet half-moon shaped in a small frying pan if you prefer.

Mushroom Omelets

The flavor of your cheese (if you use any), is totally up to you. I personally used jalapeno jack cheese. Also, if you’re wondering about that beautiful raspberry jam that you see on the toast here is the recipe for it. J

5 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

¼ cup chopped onions (optional)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese slices (optional)

Butter for cooking

Sauté the mushrooms and onions in the oil until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are just a slightly darker color.

Mix the eggs and milk in a blender until frothy. Heat your griddle (or frying pan), to about medium and melt a small amount of butter over the surface. Place about a third of the mushrooms over the butter then pour about a third of the egg mixture over the mushrooms and butter. Let the eggs cook almost through (place a little cheese over the cooking eggs and mushrooms if desired). Using a large spatula begin to fold in the cooked egg in until it is shaped like a rectangle. If desired place a little more cheese over the top then remove from heat.

Makes 3 omelets (or 2 larger ones…or one amazingly huge omelet J).

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Carrot Soup

2012-07-05T14:26:00.001-06:00

Wildfires have been rampant all over the west this hot dry summer. My heart goes out to those of you who have been effected by them. Our own grass, though watered every day, is very dry as well. It is so brittle that it breaks when touched because the temperatures are so high and it has been so long since rain has come our way.

So my daughter prayed for rain…it is raining now. No joke, the temperatures have dropped and it is finally raining here in the Rockies. The faith of a child is indeed precious.

So, on this rarely cool and stormy summer day, I thought I would treat you all to some Carrot Soup, in hopes that the cooling rain will come your way too and bless wherever you live. J

Carrot Soup

10 carrots

2 celery stalks

1/3 onion

4 garlic cloves

3 cups vegetable broth

3-5 cups water

¼ cup butter

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Cut the carrots, celery, and onion into large chunks. Stir all ingredients together in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft. Using a slotted spoon remove the vegetables and blend them in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed veggies to the soup. Cook another few minutes then serve.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Squash Fritters

2012-06-29T22:35:00.001-06:00

So, I’m making these fritters and my daughter sneaks into the kitchen behind my back and reaches for one.

I say “Hey! Those are for dinner. And besides, I need to take a picture of the prettiest ones.”

And she says “But mom, none of them are pretty,” in the most sweet and sincere six year old girl voice.

I say “Thanks a lot!”

And she says “They still taste good though.” As she quick as a flash grabs one and gallops off, leaving me shaking my head and grinning.

Squash Fritters

3 medium yellow squash

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium shallot, chopped

4 ½ ounces crumbled feta cheese

2 teaspoons parsley flakes (or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley)

2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Oil for frying

In a large skillet heat to medium about ¾ cup oil.

In a large mixing bowl grate the squash (no need to peel). Stir in the garlic, shallot, parsley, mint, nutmeg, flour, and salt and pepper. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, then fold them and the olive oil into the batter.

In batches drop about 1 tablespoon of batter per fritter (leaving space between each one). Fry on each side for about 3-4 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Dry on paper towels.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Banana Bran Muffins

2012-06-21T22:06:00.000-06:00

I love summer time!! Almost every decision of how to spend our time is based on whether or not it would be fun. Just today our two main outings were attending soccer camp and swimming for hours at an outdoor pool with a huge pirate boat water play ground in the middle of it. I have to say it, I know I am a “lucky duck,” being a stay at home mom is really cool.

Lately I’ve been trying to have some sort of healthy goody ready at all times for when we need a snack in the car on the way to story time or for when we’re going to be at a park for a long time and I need to pack something to sustain the munchkins. Homemade granola bars and muffins are a usual standard (and my husband enjoys taking them to work for breakfast and snacks). I could have easily put chocolate chips or blueberries in these muffins and they would have turned out great. This time I went for nuts and raisins and they were a huge hit. When you’re making them though, stir in whatever sounds best for your family to enjoy.

Banana Bran Muffins

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 eggs

1 cup organic cane sugar

3 mashed ripe bananas

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup bran

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup raisins (optional)

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, and bananas. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, bran, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Lastly fold in the raisins and nuts (or other optional mix-ins such as berries or chocolate or carob chips).

Evenly spoon the batter into the prepared liners (about ¾ full).

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 24.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Asparagus Risotto

2012-06-16T11:47:00.000-06:00

Something that I love about summer time is all of the fresh fruit and vegetables straight from the garden. I live in a gardening community and I am surrounded by scads of green thumbs. I will have you know that for the past two summers I really gave it a good go and tried to have a garden. Nothing grew! Even plants that I bought that were already started all died in my soil. Did I start a garden out of peer pressure? Maybe a little…ALL of my neighbors are amazing at growing things!! And then there’s me and my yard, totally and completely plant deficient.

I had completely given up this year and wasn’t even going to try. Then along comes my four year old son. He filled his little palm with a very small stash of random seeds, went outside, and put them in the dirt. He watered them every day, so excited that he was growing vegetables. I tried to sound enthusiastic when I told him “We’ll see.” I didn’t want to get his hopes up…then one day something green started poking out of the dirt. I couldn’t believe it! He continued to water it and watch it grow. I called a neighbor to come check to see if they were weeds (because I honestly couldn’t tell)…

Nope! They are real vegetables growing in my yard!! I will have you know that my son is growing a carrot, two corn stalks, two pea vines, three yellow squash plants, and a pumpkin plant. That’s right, my son is one of those green thumb, gardening gurus that we are surrounded by (he must have infiltrated them somehow, he certainly didn’t get it from me).

So, most of the fresh vegetables you will see in my recipes for the next several months will come from a neighbor’s garden, this asparagus is no exception. I honestly can’t thank my kind friends enough for sharing with my family of their bountiful yards. This risotto was delicious, and so fresh!

If only avocados could grow well in the Rockies…maybe my son will figure it out one day. J

Asparagus Risotto

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1 inch segments

2 cups long grain brown rice

3 cups vegetable broth

3 cups water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon basil flakes

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet sauté the garlic and spices in the oil over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir the rice in and make sure it is evenly coated with the oil. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the cheese), then cover. Stir occasionally and cook until the water is mostly cooked out (15-20 minutes or so). Stir in the cheese (reserve some for topping if you like), then cover again until the remaining water is all cooked out and the rice is completely tender. (If for some reason the rice isn’t soft enough when the liquid is cooked out, simply add a bit more liquid and cover it again until it is done.)

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Go Meatless But Not Hungry

2012-06-09T00:03:00.001-06:00

I’ve been on this little mission lately to prove that eating a meatless meal does not mean to starve.

Red Quinoa and Black Bean Chili

I recently had an exceptionally busy day. It was my daughter’s last day of kindergarten (lots of fun stuff to keep a parent busy with that), various activities with family in town from out of state, a wedding to attend, and a dinner party. That’s right, all on the same day. Believe it or not, I – who never miss feeding myself - ever, found myself in a very hungry position (having missed all of my normal meals), by the time the dinner party rolled around.

Black Berry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

I jokingly told the people sitting next to me while we waited for our plates that I was so hungry by the time the food finally arrived they would see my food disappear like a fog because I would be scarfing it down so fast.

Chick Pea and Sweet Potato Pot Pie

The much anticipated, very expensive, food finally began to be passed out. I had ordered a pasta dish in a brown butter sauce. When it was placed in front of me I remained silent as my dinner companions joked that someone must have eaten most of mine before it left the kitchen. They said that if that was an adult’s portion a child’s portion must be the server just showing the customer a plate and letting them sniff it. That’s right, there was hardly anything in my bowl!!

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

The server called my portion “petit.” I accepted the fact that after nibbling on my “snack,” I would go home and have dinner. The server could tell that I wasn’t happy with my portion size (probably due to the somewhat loud and comical jibes concerning the size of my dinner made by those sitting around me). So my server asked me if I wanted a bowl of soup. At that point I was honestly irritated and said “no thank you.” The thought of them bringing me something else to be disappointed in was dismal so I just tried to enjoy the company at least.

Mushroom Fajitas

To make it up to me they brought us a dessert. That’s right, a single dessert to share with sixteen people. How do I know they expected me to share it with everyone at our very long table? Because they placed the dessert in front of me (apparently I was the only one to get a dessert), and then they proceeded to pass spoons out to every single person at the table. Some of these people were complete strangers to me, but I guess they expected me to be happy with a community dessert to make up for the extremely expensive three bites of food that they called my “dinner.” I guess they figured that I must not need much food since I ordered that for dinner, right? Good grief!

Spinach Lasagna

Lesson to the world: the fact that someone eats like a vegetarian doesn’t mean that they just got their stomach stapled or that they are going on some insane starvation diet. We need food people! Just like everyone else!

Spinach Mushroom Quiche

I’m not mad though, honestly. It just gave me something to laugh about. J

Creamy Harvest Potato Soup

That’s why I am highlighting some hearty vegetarian meals from this website today, just a reminder that you can fill your tank vegetarian style and be quite satisfied. If you’re interested in this, you should order my book. It’s got all kinds of filling, simple, and very tasty meatless meals that won’t leave you hungry.

Cheesy Egg Salad

Three Bean Pasta Salad

2012-06-02T18:16:00.001-06:00

I may be a vegetarian but I do NOT eat like a bird! I can’t stand eating a “meal,” then being hungry an hour later.

I also am not a huge fan of going to a restaurant that does not have even one vegetarian option, then the server says “you can order a salad and we can just take the meat off.” I have two main problems with this. One: I would still have to pay for the meat that they graciously omitted from my entrée. Two: MY WHOLE DINNER WOULD JUST BE AN UNINTERESTING SALAD! I say “uninteresting,” because when you exclude the main factor in a salad that makes it exceptional, it pretty much makes the salad into nothing special.

My point in telling you all of this? When I eat a meal I want to feel completely satisfied afterwards. I don’t want to feel a compulsion to wander over to the fridge every twenty minutes for the rest of the evening because I didn’t eat enough at dinner. Do you know what I mean?

This “salad,” was born one night when I was making dinner for some friends who are not vegetarians. If I don’t like to eat like I bird then I know my meat eating companions wouldn’t appreciate a light vegetarian meal (for the record, neither do I…ever). When I eat I want to feel like I have actually eaten something. This pasta with beans and vegetables was a tasty hit! J

Three Bean Pasta Salad

1 pound tri-color pasta

1 bell pepper, diced with stem and seeds removed

1 zucchini, halved and sliced

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

6 ounces olives of your choice, halved

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1 cup cooked black beans

1 cup cooked chick peas

1 cup cooked kidney beans

Dressing (see below)

Boil the pasta in salt water according to package instructions. Prepare the vegetables and beans then stir them together in a large glass serving bowl. Drain the pasta then stir the hot pasta into the vegetables mixture. Lastly, gently fold in the feta cheese and dressing. Serve warm or room temperature.

Three Bean Pasta Salad Dressing

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon basil flakes

¼ teaspoon parsley flakes

In a small bowl whisk all ingredients together.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Nine Treasure Coconut Curry over Couscous

2012-05-27T22:37:00.000-06:00

Sometimes ya just gotta have a coconut curry.

I know what you’re thinking…when would someone not need a coconut curry?

I know. On those days when you have to settle for plain old mac’ & cheese…I feel your pain.

This dish was born to fulfill my need for lots of vegetables one night, cooked in creamy spice. I served it over steamed whole grain couscous and the whole family raved about it.

Hold onto your forks my friends, you’re going to love this one. J

Nine Treasure Coconut Curry

1 carrot, sliced

1 cup cauliflower

1 cup broccoli

1 zucchini, sliced

1 cup sugar snap peas, halved

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 head baby bok choy, sliced

1/3 cup onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, stem and seeds removed

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon red curry powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

12-14 ounces coconut milk*

¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

In a large skillet sauté the carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli in the oil and soy sauce for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and stir occasionally until all of the vegetables are just tender and the flavors are combined well (about 10-15 minutes).

Serve over your choice of steamed grain, couscous, or by itself.

*If you are using canned coconut milk make sure it is organic. J

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Pepper and Cilantro Rice

2012-05-18T22:04:00.000-06:00

I’m going to tell you about an easy go-to meal of mine that seems fancy to my family and guests when I serve it. What I do is make a big pot of beans. When they cool off I divide up the beans into freezer bags and freeze them to help make future easy meals (for the record, making a pot of beans is one of the easiest things to cook on the planet).

Then, when I need a quick exotic meal I take a bag of beans out of the freezer and heat up the beans. And to go with it I whip up a super easy but somehow impressive rice. But that’s not all! I serve the beans over the rice, then sprinkle grated cheese, diced tomatoes, avocado chunks, salsa, and shredded lettuce. I call these spectacular surprise meals Bean and Rice Bowls! Predictable? Of course!

This Cilantro Pepper Rice is an example of a secretively simple and tasty rice dish with a Latin flare that would go perfect in a bean and rice bowl. Honestly though, you are intelligent enough to come up with tons of meals that could go with this rice. J

Cilantro Pepper Rice

1 bell pepper (stem and seeds removed)

¼ packed cup cilantro

½ lime or lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups long grain brown rice

½ teaspoon sea salt

3 cups water

In a food processor grind the bell pepper and cilantro together. In a small pot over medium heat stir together the blended pepper/cilantro mixture, lemon or lime juice, oil, salt, and brown rice. Stir until all of the rice is coated. Stir in the water then cover the pot. Cook until all of the water is steamed out. If the rice is not completely tender when the water is cooked out simply add a bit more water and cover again until the rice is completely tender and the water is cooked out.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Spinach Lasagna

2012-05-12T21:36:00.000-06:00

“Once again. Saved. By the miracle of lasagna.” Those are the words that escaped the lips of Garfield after he falls to his death, though he doesn’t die. Instead he lands in a large truck full of lasagna.

Those were also the words that escaped my lips after tasting this dish, otherwise known as heaven.

I’m sure it helps that all of the spinach and tomatoes were picked fresh from my neighbor’s garden. Like I said… “heaven.”

Enjoy this and Happy Mothers Day!!

Spinach Lasagna

12 cooked lasagna noodles (follow package instructions)

2 bushels raw spinach (wash well then dry before using)

2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

15 ounces ricotta cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon parsley flakes

¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

Sauce:

3 cups tomatoes, diced

½ onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons basil flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Have ready a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large sauce pan make the sauce by sautéing the garlic and onions in the oil until translucent. Then stir in the remaining sauce ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and mashing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon for about 20 minutes. Cover and simmer until ready to use for lasagna.

In a small mixing bowl mash together the ricotta cheese with the 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon parsley flakes, ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl mix together the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Set aside.

Spread about ½ cup of sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Place 3 cooked lasagna noodles side by side, covering the pan lengthwise. Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread out a layer of raw spinach, using up one of the bushels. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the spinach. Then spread about 1 cup of grated cheese over the spinach.

Next place noodles side by side widthwise, covering the spinach (you pay need scissors to cut the noodles to the appropriate length). Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over the noodles, then remaining spinach. Next spread another cup of sauce, then another cup of grated cheese.

Lay three more noodles side by side covering the lasagna lengthwise. Then spread over the remaining sauce. Lastly, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until all of the cheese throughout is melted.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Avocado Smoothie

2012-05-06T22:43:00.000-06:00

“Is this good for me?” This is what I have started asking myself before making a recipe or ordering at a restaurant.

For the longest time I just focused on making meals without meat and that has been a huge blessing in my life in the direction of being healthier and feeling fabulous. Honestly, I feel incredible, I’ve lost over 50 pounds, and my immune system is stronger than it has ever been since I decided to not eat meat over four years ago. I am very happy with my decision to become a vegetarian for my own health as a reason alone.

Lately though, I’ve been feeling inspired to take it a step further and ask myself “is this good for me?” not just “is this vegetarian?” Understand though, I refuse to compromise taste, as should you. I firmly believe in enjoying your food not enduring it, and in keeping it simple.

Now, to tell you about this smoothie I have to introduce you to Rachelle Christensen. She is a fellow author who I had the privilege of participating in a group book signing with recently. We had the chance to talk food and she asked me if I ever drank green smoothies. At the time I didn’t and she told me how she made hers. “Great idea!” I thought “I’ll try that soon.” So I did and was very pleased with the outcome. Then she threw me another bright idea and suggested avocados in green smoothies. Here was my result and I will eagerly make this again very soon.

And this most certainly is “good for me.” J

Avocado Smoothie

1 avocado

1 packed cup raw spinach

1 apple, cored

2 tablespoons raw agave nectar

1 ½ cups filtered water

2 cups ice

Place the spinach in the blender first, then mash it down with the apple and avocado. Add the agave nectar and water, then the ice. Grind the ingredients in the blender until a creamy frozen consistency is reached.

This recipe is being shared with My Meatless Mondays,

Vegetarian Cinco De Mayo

2012-04-29T23:01:00.001-06:00

Lentil Tacos

“Chicken or Beef?”…Isn’t that what you are almost always asked when you order something at a Mexican Restaurant? Of course, you can dine on Mexican food vegetarian style!

Vegetable Enchiladas

Granted, I do know that a lot of meat is indeed eaten in Mexico, but a lot of fruit and vegetables and beans and grains are eaten there too!!

Three Bean Salsa Salad

Cinco De Mayo is fast approaching, a day of national pride and heritage in Mexico that is also celebrated here in the U.S.

Cheese Tamales

Personally, being from Texas myself and being so close to Mexico there (you can’t go anywhere without hearing Spanish spoken by someone nearby), I look for any reason to feast on Mexican food!

Sweet Red Pepper Rice

It’s in my roots I guess, I crave that spicy goodness almost constantly. And honestly, when you take all of the fatty meat and grease out and leave all of that delicious flavor, what’s not to love?

Poblano Salsa

In fact, most of it is quite healthy AND tasty at the same time.

Black Beans

Enjoy the heat and have a great time feasting!! J

Mushroom Quesadillas

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

2012-04-21T22:00:00.000-06:00

Life is wonderful! I love being a wife and mother and being occupied in all of the wonderful things that mean I am theirs. I think that my family just survived one of our busiest weeks just being at home doing normal stuff. Between two kids in baseball, and soccer, as well as gymnastics, a dance recital (with extra practices), a dinner party, and the regular normal stuff of every day we somehow have made it through and are still smiling at each other and completely happy that we get to be a family together.

My kids are still in the cute little sports games that get treats after they play. I made these muffins for my son’s soccer game when it was his turn to bring the treat this week. They were super simple to whip up and completely appreciated by all of the sweet little munchkins. You should have seen all of their cute little fingers and cheeks covered in chocolate when all was said and done!

What I have observed in my short history of needing to bring treats to different events for my little ones is that when I take the time to make something homemade, instead of just picking up donuts on the way, all of my efforts are appreciated. And I LOVE that sweet smile they give me!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup milk

¼ cup olive oil

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup organic cane sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Next whisk in the remaining ingredients one at a time, saving the chocolate chips for last.

Spoon the batter into the prepared liners equally (makes 12 muffins).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Building A Strong Immune System and Staying Healthy

2012-04-15T14:27:00.000-06:00

So many millions of people suffer from compromised immune systems. I personally have a rare blood disease, spherocytosis, that can seriously affect my immune system. For years I was always sick. My friends would call me “the medicine cabinet.” I constantly had a cold and some type of infection, not to mention being weak and tired almost all of the time.

Wild Rice and Black Bean Burgers

There are plenty of books and articles written about being healthy and building strong immune systems. I am going to break it down for you and put it simply. There are four main things to remember in building a healthy immune system: Load your diet with as many fruits and vegetables as possible, cut back on the meat in your diet, get plenty of sleep regularly every night, and stay active year round.

Watermelon Grape Juice

Many people have asked me if there is a super food they should eat to be healthy. The answer is YES, these miraculous foods are called fruits and vegetables. They are all loaded with the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, they are the only food that actually fight disease and sickness. How many should you have a day? To say “as many as you can possibly handle,” is probably too vague so I’ll toss you a minimum number to try to get used to as a daily habit: 3-4 fruits and 3-4 vegetables. Shoot for at least 7 a day. Avoid canned produce. Dried fruit are okay for part of the requirement (like raisins and fruit leathers), but I wouldn’t eat more than one serving a day and count it as fulfilling your fruit requirement (fresh and raw is always best). Have at least 2 of your vegetable servings every day be fresh and raw. For the remainder of the vegetables you eat, if you choose to cook them do so as lightly as possible and still enjoy it (in other words, don’t cook them to death).

Spinach Berry Salad

Meat isn’t the same these days as it used to be. It is filled with disease, antibiotics, hormones…the list could go on and on. Recent research that I have read suggests that if you are going to eat meat at all it shouldn’t be more than twice a week (a serving being about the size of a deck of cards). And if you do choose to continue to eat meat occasionally you would do your body well to go for the organic, free range, hormone free, antibiotic free variety (the healthier the better for you). Everything that goes into your body either adds to your health or takes away from it. The connection between what we eat and the condition of our body is very real. So, what do you eat if you don’t eat meat? That is exactly why I wrote the cookbook Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters and why I keep up this website!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Your immune system doesn’t kick in until you are asleep. You sleep best when you allow your body to have a regular routine of when you are awake and when you are asleep. With your body well rested it not only feels better and stronger but it is better able to combat sickness.

Mushroom Fajitas

Regular exercise strengthens immune systems and gives your body more energy. Do whatever it takes to stay active all year long, not just during the summer months or when you decide to go on a crash diet and feel determined to all of the sudden lose 10 pounds. The stronger your body is the better you’ll feel, the more energy you’ll have, and the healthier you will be.

Sweet Potato Coconut Curry

So remember:

1) Load your diet up with raw fruits and vegetables

2) Cut back on (or eliminate), your meat intake

3) Get plenty of sleep every night

4) Regular daily exercise

Strawberry Blast Smoothie

Simple, right? Well, it really is! Pick one of these four simple concepts to work on at a time and add the next then the next…before you know it several months will pass by and then you’ll realize that you haven’t gotten sick in a long time and that your body feels amazing. J

Cheesy Egg Salad

2012-04-09T23:47:00.000-06:00

Okay, so posting an egg salad recipe immediately after Easter is probably extremely predictable.

In my defense, I DO have two small children who happened to have dyed a couple dozen eggs for the occasion and my daughter’s FAVORITE meal IS egg salad. What’s a girl to do? So I decided to liven my regular egg salad up with none other than…cheese. Well, if you’re already having eggs then you might as well go all the way and have cheese too, right?

So, to put it mildly, this won’t be the most vegan friendly post I’ve ever done. If you’re looking for vegan try the Red Quinoa and Black Bean Chili, Green Smoothie, or Mushroom Fajitas. But if you’re like me and you’re just a plain and simple vegetarian then you probably enjoy egg salad from time to time too.

And for those of you out there who aren’t used to cutting back on meat, egg salad will be a real treat for you. Eggs are something that you are already very familiar with and so it won’t be a stretch at all to prepare and enjoy.

Happy Springtime!!

Cheesy Egg Salad

Eat this salad by itself or serve it with large lettuce leafs, crackers, or any type of bread you like.

6 hard boiled eggs

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 tablespoons cream cheese (I used reduced-fat)

3 tablespoons relish

2 tablespoons mustard

1/3 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon cracked pepper

½ cup grated cheese

Put the onions, celery, cream cheese, relish, mustard, and seasonings in a mixing bowl while the eggs are still warm if possible (not necessary, but I personally like how the ingredients melt together when combined with hot boiled eggs). Chop the boiled eggs and stir them into the mixture. Lastly, stir in the grated cheese (just about any flavor cheese will taste great, I used Colby jack).

Green Smoothie

2012-04-03T22:28:00.000-06:00

There are certain things one thinks of when they hear the word “green.” Environmental protections and precautions come to mind. Beautiful trees and grasses and other plants. My mind wanders to the color of the eyes of my husband and one of my children.

And for some, I know that their minds immediately turn to taste buds. Every fresh and natural green food that I can think of is extremely nourishing to the body and adds flavor to the meal…can you imagine that nourishment and flavor in a sweet and slushy drink?

Now for many thousands of you out there who already enjoy various versions of this green drink on a regular basis, you may find it hard to believe that most people don’t drink green things. Can you believe it? It’s true! Now for a confession, I hadn’t before either! Don’t ask why, but for some reason I was slightly repelled at the thought of spinach in a drink. I’m just being honest here!!

Well, I finally decided to taste what the buzz was all about and I came up with my own version of a Green Smoothie. I actually love it, in the words of my neighbor “it is very refreshing!” Try it, you’ll love it too. J

Green Smoothie

1 bundle of fresh spinach

1 green apple, cored

½ cucumber

2 celery stalks

1-2 tablespoons stevia powder

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 cup water

2 cups ice

Stuff the spinach into the blender. Pour the water in and grind the spinach a little. Stuff the spinach down further by putting the apple, cucumber, and celery into the blender. Then add the stevia, agave nectar, and ice. Grind the combination until the desired slushy consistency is reached.
Makes 2 large smoothies.