Meatfree Monday: Banana Berry Oatmeal

     I love breakfast for dinner. In the summer, I also love light dinners. It's just to hot to eat heavy things. This oatmeal was filling, but not like a big greasy hamburger or heavy pasta would be. It was just satisfying and full of fruit which is a good healthy alternative to our normal pancakes for dinner on Sunday nights!

     This photo was taken from David Zinczenko's cookbook. My photo turned out totally unappetizing! The berries I used were frozen and ran into the oatmeal making it a funky color. The flavor was fantastic, and this photo shows how delicious the dish really is!




1 egg

1 cup milk

3/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup mixed berries

1 Tbl chopped pecans or almonds

1 tsp vanilla protein powder

1 tsp ground flaxseed

1/2 banana, sliced

1 Tbl plain or vanilla yogurt

• Whisk everything but the banana and yogurt. 


• Cook until set (or microwave for a couple minutes until set)


• Let cool for a minute or two. 


• Top with banana and yogurt.

Sorry no features of the week this week or next. These posts were schedule to post automatically. 

Meatfree Monday: Fettuccine Alfredo with Veggies

     I'm trying not to get stuck in a pasta or bean rut regarding these meatfree dishes. It just seems like every recipe that has no meat is based around one of those ingredients. Bear with me as I continue the search. I've been pleased with the addition of Meatfree Monday on our pocketbook. I'm also impressed that I don't seem to miss the meat on the days we don't have it. I've always considered myself rather carnivorous.

     This fettuccine was so flavorful! At the end of dinner, J said, "Was that our meatfree dish of the week?" He didn't even miss it! His only complaint was the addition of lima beans. I'll have to puree those next time, I suppose. Ha! In addition to the lima beans, the pasta contains broccoli and cauliflower to really kick up the vegetables. My formerly not-so-picky two year old has recently decided she won't eat anything but peanut butter and jelly, so at least I can trick her into eating something healthy for a couple of bites!

Estimated cost: about $3.50

pasta $1, vegetables $1.50, other $1



adapted from Joy Bauer

12 oz whole wheat noodles

2 Tbl butter

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbl whole wheat flour

1 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup pureed cauliflower

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

frozen (or fresh) broccoli and/or lima beans

• Boil pasta. Save about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.


• Heat butter in saucepan. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. 


• Add flour and cook about 4 minutes until paste forms. 


• Whisk in milk and stir until it starts to thicken. 


• Stir in the cheeses, cauliflower, parmesan chese, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix until smooth.


• Add in drained pasta and broccoli. Heat until broccoli is just tender. Add reserved pasta cooking water if needed. 

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.




Roasted Zucchini Pasta by Ezra Pound Cake

. Granola Banana Sticks from Taste of Home

Meatfree Monday: Black Beans, Corn, and Rice

     I really enjoyed this dish, and it was so easy! Originally, the recipe called for quinoa, but when I went to get that at the store, it was about $10 a pound. Delicious as it may be, that doesn't fit into our penny-pinching budget. I decided to substitute brown rice instead.

     We all really liked this dish, and we were full afterwards. I think my favorite part was the addition of the corn which really makes it stand out in comparison to other black bean and rice recipes. It just tasted fresher or something. This is really nothing like the black beans and rice I posted a couple of weeks ago!I used a combination of beef and chicken bouillon to make the broth called for in the recipe, but I found a similar recipe by Mark Bittman, that recommended substituting beer for broth instead. Next time around, we may try that and see how the flavors are different...not that they need to be different. I love this dish the way it is!



3/4 cup brown rice

1-1/2 cups broth of choice (or beer)

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

fresh or dried cilantro for sprinkling

• Put rice, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, red pepper, salt and pepper in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce to simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone. 


• Stir in frozen corn and beans. Cook until heated through. 


• Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

Z

 Zucchini Pizza by Crazy for Crust

Now, I need to make this while I still have tons of zucchini!

Homemade Granola from Whole, Fast, and Frugal

I've been meaning to make homemade granola too!

Tortellini Primavera by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

This reminds me of a dish I had at a restaurant one time

Meatfree Monday: Stuffed Shells

     I was really excited to try my hand at making stuffed shells last week. I had eaten this at a friend's house another time, and it was delicious. I went the simple and quick route this time and used store bought marinara. I recommend using homemade as it does taste so much better, but if you are pressed for time the store bought works too.
     I recently 'stole' a food processor from my mom's house. Apparently, she's had it for quite a while and never used it. Seriously, this is the best kitchen tool. Ever...especially if you like to puree, shred, or hide things in your family's food like I do. I first used the processor to make these stuffed shells. I think I might have over done it a little. In the future I will probably use it to shred the spinach leaves, but I will mix it all up by hand so the texture will not be affected. The taste was not affected, so I'll also be making these shells again!
     Like most pasta dishes, this one was very filling and flavorful. I was worried that without meat and adding spinach, my family would rebel. They both ate and got seconds, so I'd say this meal was a success. I think my husband is warming up to the idea of a meatfree dish each week, and maybe I could even sneak in another day here and there too. It sure does save us money!
     As a side note: if you can't find jumbo pasta shells, you could substitute any noodle and layer the filling/noodles more like a casserole (or lasagna). I think the flavor would be pretty much the same...and you could use whole wheat noodles (I couldn't find whole wheat pasta shells!)
Estimated cost: $5
Shells $1, Ricotta $1.20, spinach $ 0.75, marinara $1.00, other $1

1 box of jumbo pasta shells
2 cups ricotta
2 cups fresh spinach (shredded)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup mozzarella
1 egg
1/3 cup fresh basil (chopped)
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3- 4 cups marinara sauce

• Boil pasta until just tender and drain well. 
• Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan,mozzarella, egg, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara in a 9x13 (I used two 8x8, so I could freeze one).
• Fill each pasta shell with the spinach mixture. Arrange shells, filling side up, in the dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of shells.
• Cover loosely with foil and bake @ 350 until heated through (about 30 minutes)
• Sprinkle with a little more mozzarella if desired. 

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

White Bean Veggie Burger by Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Skillet Lasagna by Creatively Domestic

Jalapeno Popper Quiche by Closet Cooking

Meatfree Monday: Black Beans and Rice

     I'm not sure how I missed planning a meat free dish last week. I was so proud of myself for getting the menu done and following through with all my plans. So, for this week I'm revisiting a favorite recipe that didn't get much love the first time around. Black beans and rice is a meal we eat about once a month in our house. It's so good and filling...and inexpensive! Serve it up with some garlic bread and you have yourself a meal. Yum. Now, I wish I had planned to make this next week.

from March 2011
Since I've started making red beans and rice in the crock pot, I have really come to enjoy this meat free, very filling type of food. Recently, I ate at a place called Yats, a local cajun/creole place, and I was inspired to try out some new dishes. So this week, we tried creole black beans and rice. I was pretty impressed with the flavor, and will definitely make it again. I might even amp up some of the spices to make it a little more intense. I had to tone it down a bit this time for my daughter. She loves beans and rice. Hey Mom, no picky eaters allowed at this house! (and I'm still working on my husband)

adapted from Crock Pot Cookbook
3 (15oz) cans black beans, drained
1-1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2tsp dried thyme
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1-1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1 beef bouillon cube
1/2 tsp bay leaves
8oz tomato sauce
1 cup water

• Combine ingredients in the slow-cooker.
• Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
• Serve over cooked rice (and garlic bread if desired).

This weeks featured recipes

Baked Pasta with Roasted Vegetables by My Columbian Recipes

Tomato Corn Pie by The Tasty Cheapskate



Meatfree Monday: Sloppy Joes with Lentils

     Lentils has been a scary word in our house. The first time we had them, we tried this recipe that I assume was supposed to be a variation of baked beans. It was terrible. I'm not sure if I didn't do it right, or if it was a bad recipe. Either way, it gave lentils a bad name here. I had half a bag sitting around for a while, then I started mixing it into things like chili and other dishes with a lot of texture.
     Last week, I saw a recipe for Tacos made with lentils and I started wondering if lentils could replace meat in other recipes as well. I thought I would give it a try with Sloppy Joes. It turned out great! These sloppy joes really did taste like the "real thing." The texture was slightly more bumpy, but overall I would make these again. Lentils are so good for you, so it's worth the texture tradeoff.

1cup lentils
1 Tbl vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire
1-1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped banana pepper or pepperoncini
8 oz tomato sauce
1 (12oz) bottle  Chili Sauce
1/4 tsp chili powder
Hot dog buns (or other buns/bread)

• Boil 1 cup lentils in about 3 cups of water until soft. I boiled them for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine vinegar, worcestershire, and honey.
• Drain lentils if needed. Add onion, bell pepper, pepperoncini, tomato sauce, chili sauce, red pepper, chili powder, and vinegar mixture. Stir to blend.
• Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer 20 minutes or until thickened. 
• Serve on toasted buns.

This week's featured recipes...
Don't forget to grab my "I was featured" button if you are one of the following:

Taco Lentils by Creatively Domestic

Black Bean Burgers at Hezzi-D's

Penne with Creamy Zucchini and Basil Sauce at Eats Well with Others