This meatless Monday post is a really simple dish.  It can be adjusted to fit any taste spectrum.   Let’s start with the rice.  There are all types of rice out there.  From Jasmine to Brown the grain comes in all shapes and sizes.  Recently there has been a rise in the concern around the amount of arsenic in rice. 

I love Jasmine rice.  It has a wonderful flavor and is often called Thai fragrant rice.  It is a long grain rice and works really well in this recipe.  Basmati is another wonderful rice to use in this dish.    Everyone has their own way of cooking the perfect rice.  Remember different types of rice will have different water needs so be sure to check the package before moving forward.  For this recipe I’ll use Jasmine rice.

On to the recipe!

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Ingredients:

Rice of your choice

Two eggs

Butter

Salt

Jasmine Rice Instructions

Add 1 ½ cup of water to a medium sauce pan

Add ½ teaspoon salt

Add ½ tbsp. of butter

Bring to a boil

Add 1 cup of Jasmine Rice

Immediately cover the rice and turn heat to low

Set timer for 20 minutes

Perfect rice every time!

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

On to the eggs!

If you have the chance to get fresh eggs, I recommend it.  Fresh eggs are so much better than commercial eggs.  I have the luxury of having three hens in our backyard coop.  I get about 3 eggs a day so I have fresh eggs available all the time.  You don’t need a rooster unless you want to have baby chicks.  I supplement their pellet diet with our household scraps.  I feed them fruits, veggies and even oregano which is said to be better than the antibiotic slurry that some commercial egg producers use.   Also the color of the eggs is determined by the breed of the chicken you have.  The color of the egg, in my opinion does not change the flavor.

Egg Instructions

Next heat a small frying pan and add a ½ teaspoon of butter

Crack one egg in the pan and fry over easy

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Salt and pepper to taste.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Add a small bit of butter to the bottom of the bowl and combine with the eggs.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

The yolk from the egg makes a gravy like consistency and it really a great way to start, or even end a Meatless Monday.

Note:  This is not a traditional vegetarian dish as some see animal products like butter and eggs as being “meat” and therefore not vegetarian.  This dish is not Vegan.

Namaste and Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

Today for Meatless Monday, I’m passing on one of my favorite recipes for a cold winter day.  February is an excellent time to make this dish!  Many vegetarians use meat substitute or faux meat products when making these types of dishes.  MorningStar Farms offers a product called meal starter crumbles.   This is basically a soy product and you generally add it late in the meal to give the dish, a meat like texture. 

As I've mentioned before I believe that the use of highly processed foods is just as bad for you as eating meat.  Some people are vegetarians simply because they feel as though it’s wrong to consume something that has a spirit or soul.  Some others are vegetarian for health reasons; generally speaking meat is not great for your body.  The rise of all sorts of diseases including obesity is directly related to the over-consumption of meat and meat byproducts. 

Studies related to eating processed foods are just as damning.  One of the main reasons I do not eat faux meat products is directly related to the fact that 99% of all soy products on the market today contain GMO soy.  In my opinion, not enough testing has been done to insure that the initial claims of GMO being not only unhealthy but directly related to the rise in autism, diabetes and various other diseases.  Until we can be assured of this the best way to be safe is to avoid consumption of these products.  Whenever possible I buy organics to avoid this.  Until companies like MorningStar Farms start using organic soy to create their meat substitutes I probably will never buy them. 

With that… let’s get on with the recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups dry pinto beans

2 cups dry black beans

2 cups dry red kidney beans

1 medium onion

2 20 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes (I use Organic with Basil added)

3 14.5 oz cans of vegetarian vegetable broth

3 tbsp. of butter

2 tps. of Chili powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sour Cream/Raw Onion/Cheese – optional toppings

*** 2 hours before you get ready to cook add all the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with water.

Process

Roughly chop the onion

Melt the butter in a large pot

Add the onion to the pot and cook until clear

Drain the water from the beans and add them to the pot

Add the broth to the pot

Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot

Add seasonings to taste

Serve

I love this recipe.  It’s great to have on a cold day.  Just be careful with the chili powder.  I like using the crushed tomatoes because it thickens the chili up and gives it a meat like consistency without the need to add any faux products.  The beans can be switched out for any other dry beans you’d like, however I would stay in the kidney bean size and type.  Lentils or Chickpeas probably wouldn't be a great substitute.

Would love to hear your take on GMOs, Processed Foods or how your Meatless Mondays are going.  Leave me a comment!

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

So I've been doing Meatless Monday for a while and a few months ago I did a recipe for my Pesto Mac & Cheese.  A friend of mine saw the recipe and sent me a message asking me if I’d ever tried Kugel?  I had no idea what it was so I had her send me her recipe over so I could give it a try.  I made it a couple of time and then customized it.  Thanks so much to Zanalista for sharing the information and the idea for this great recipe.

So what is Kugel anyway?  Kugel is a baked dish that can be served either sweet or savory.  It’s extremely flexible and can be made with either potatoes or egg noodles.  I opted for a savory version.  I started out making a full recipe but this doesn't reheat as well as I’d hoped, it is very similar to mac & cheese and is usually best on the first day.  My recipe feeds two people and if you’d like to make for a family just double.

So let’s get started

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Ingredients

¼ of a 16oz bag of wide egg noodles

½ of a small container of sour cream

½ of a small container of cottage cheese

1 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese

1 cup of shredded Muenster or other white cheese

1 cup of frozen spinach

½ cup of milk (about)

½ cup panko bread crumbs

Salt

Pepper

Process

Boil your noodles per package instructions, keep in mind you can vary the noodles based on number of servings, I was going for a small dish.  Cook until al dente and drain.

TIP – Salt your water to flavor the noodles

In a bowl combine the sour cream, the cottage cheese and the spinach, salt and pepper to taste.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

In a baking pan (butter it, else it will stick) layer the noodles and cheese mixture, alternating like you would when making a lasagna.  Sprinkle your shredded cheeses between each layer, leaving a bit to put on the top.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Take the ½ cup of milk and pour into the pan.  You should see it come up just to the top of the noodles.  Zanalista recommended pouring at the four corners to insure coverage.  I did it that way and it worked out perfect.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs across the top of the dish and place in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes.  The breadcrumbs are optional, but I tried it both ways and they really add a great texture to the dish.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

I checked on mine several times as I thought the bake time was too long but it did indeed need the full 45 minutes to allow the milk to combine with the cheese and noodles to make a really awesome sauce.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Cut into squares and serve.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

My understanding is that you can make this dish with raisins and brown sugar for a sweet option but I didn't try that.  I loved this and it turned out amazing.  I've added it to my meatless diet.

Have a recipe you’d like me to try?  Want to tell me about one of mine you've tried?  Just send me a message as Sosanna@sosannascloset.com or leave me a comment here.

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

As many of you know I’m a vegetarian. Now I've been told by other vegetarians that I’m not really a vegetarian because from time to time I may eat shrimp, or fish.  My consumption of those two are really very few and far between.  Generally I eat legumes, rice, potatoes and of course greens.

There are a few new terms going around such as pescatarian eating a paleolithic diet and so on.  When it comes to these words one of the more important things to remember is that a Vegan, will use no animal products at all in their life.  No leather, no eggs no nothing.  Generally if you ask your guests they will let you know which vegetarian menu suits best. 

Here’s my take on this.  First, there are people that cannot eat a completely vegetarian diet.  For those that can’t I recommend getting your meats from a local butcher if you can.  If you want hamburger, buy a roast and have the butcher grind it for you.  The less processing your meat has the less likely you are to become sick from it.  Remember a hamburger doesn't come from one cow, it comes from a LOT of cows all ground up together.  If you can be vegetarian, I recommend cutting back your meat intake a few days a week.  Start with a meatless Monday for example. 

This recipe is my take on an Enchilada Bake.  It is not a typical enchilada recipe and would be considered Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian due to the use of cheese (animal products) in the mix.

Ingredients

Medium Casserole Pan – I use the size smaller than a 9x13

Medium Sauce Pan

1 Can Organic Corn

1 Can Organic Black Beans

1 Can Organic Pinto Beans
2 Cups of Cooked white rice

1 Jar Enchilada Sauce – We won’t use it all

2 packages of cream cheese

1 block of white cheddar cheese – We won’t use it all

1 package Organic Tortillas – We won’t use it all

Sour Cream

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Chili Powder

Salt

Pepper

So let’s make a Bake!

Open the canned veggies and pour them into a strainer

In a medium sauce pan melt the 2 pks of cream cheese and about 3 tbsp. of sauce

Season the mixture with the salt, pepper and chili powder to taste

After it’s all melted together and seasoned add the drained veggies and rice and stir

Set this aside and open your Tortillas

Add a few Tbsps. of sauce to the bottom of the glass dish to avoid sticking

Cut 3 – 4  tortillas in ½ and put the first layer in the pan

 Alternate between tortilla and mixture until the pan is full

Grate up enough of the white cheddar block cheese to lightly cover the top of the dish

Top the dish with the cheese

Put in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly

Remove and let rest for about 3-5 minutes

Cut in squares and plate

Garnish dish with sour cream, lettuce, tomato and serve

That’s all there is to it.  Very simple dish, stores great!  Eli and I have a single piece for dinner so we can get at least 4 meals out of this. 

To reheat, remove the squares from the larger pan, wrap in foil and bake in the oven for about 7-10 minutes or until warm through.  The flavors marinade in the fridge and are wonderful as leftovers!

Hope you enjoy this dish.  Feel free to leave comments or send me pictures to your meatless Monday.

Namaste and Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

So last week we picked up an extra bag of potatoes.  We were going to make some baked potato soup; however when I came home I found that I already had a bag in the pantry!  That means I had TWO ten pound bags of potatoes to use.  I tossed a bag and a ½ in the oven and baked them.  I then learned that you really only need about 5 to make baked potato soup, so here I was with like 20 – 25 left over baked potatoes.

What to do, what to do?

I created a recipe for baked potato fries and for Meatless Monday this week I’m going to provide you with a cute little recipe that you can use when you have left over potatoes OR just any time you want to.

Start with your dredging mixture.  You’ll want to use some milk and seasoned flour.  You can season the flour however you’d like.  For my recipe I used about 3 tablespoons of paprika, some onion salt and garlic salt.  Dredge them up and deep fry them.  Here’s what you need

Ingredients

Process

Take the foil wrap off your potatoes

Slice them pretty thick, length wise

Dredge them by starting with the milk and then into the flour (for extra crispy you can dredge twice)

Carefully drop the potato wedges into the hot oil

Fry until golden brown

Put together your dipping sauce

And serve!

Now, as I've mentioned before I’m not a vegan or a strict vegetarian so some of my ingredients do contain animal products.  For Vegans you will need to leave out the honey mustard sauce completely.

Enjoy!

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

One of my favorite types of food is Mexican food.  I love cilantro and chilies.  The bold flavors and savory cheeses are amazing.  I like the zesty flavors without the smoking hot spices that many restaurants add to their food.

It’s also one of the easiest cuisines to make vegetarian.  This recipe is a very versatile recipe and it can be modified in several ways. Meat can be added, Shrimp or different veggies.  You can also add rice to it and roll into a burrito, deep fry as a Chimichanga or covered with some red sauce and made into a play on an enchilada.

I do some simple things with my recipes to make them a bit better for me.  First, I only use white cheeses or those without any artificial colorings.  Next, I try to buy organics whenever I can.  Not only does it ensure that the product is Non-GMO but it also takes care of the BPA that may be used in canned veggies.  

At times buying organic can be expensive, but when you weigh the costs of medical treatment and the amount of food you need to eat to be comfortably sated, I believe it’s a fair exchange.

Ingredients

1 Can Organic Re-fried Pinto Beans – I get my organic canned veggies from Harris Teeter

1 Can Organic Beans – I usually use Black Beans but I was out, so I substituted Kidneys

1 Bag Organic Corn Chips – I get these from Target, they sale Blue, White and Yellow

1 Block of Monterey Jack Cheese – You can use any cheese here

4 Tablespoons of Sour Cream

½  Jar of Enchilada Sauce

1 package of cream cheese

½ Teaspoon  Chili Powder - optional

Fresh Cilantro - optional

Fresh Jalapeno - optional

Fresh Onion - optional

Process

On medium/low heat add the package of cream cheese to the pot and melt.

Grate the about 1 ½ cups of the cheese from the block and set aside.

Add the sour cream to the cream cheese in the sauce pan.

Open the can of re-fried beans and add to the sauce pan.

Add ½ of the enchilada sauce to the sauce pan.

Add ½ the grated cheese to the sauce pan.

Once the mixture is melted, open the can of beans and add to the mixture.

If needed use the rest of the sauce to thin.

After warmed through, add the optional items to taste.

Open the bag of chips and spread on a tray.

Spoon the “dip” over the top of the chips and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve.

Sometimes when I make this I prefer instead of serving on a plate as nachos, I leave the mixture in a bowl and use a dip.

Left overs can be stored in the fridge.  I like to make Curry a lot, so I usually have left over rice.  Adding the rice to the bean mixture and rolling in a flour tortilla is a great way to maintain a meatless diet but also a way of getting the most out of your dollar. 

Did you make this?  Have a variation on the recipe?  Want to share your own? Feel free to leave it in the comments or send me a message and I’ll post it here.

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

One of my passions is mac and cheese.  I love the warm comfy feeling I get when I have a hot bowl in a rich cheese sauce.  For years I would make mac and cheese with Velveeta.  For those not familiar, basically Velveeta is a called a “processed cheese food”. 

Changing my diet to remove processed foods saw my beloved mac & cheese go bye bye.  Just a few weeks ago I found a recipe for Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes.  I've modified that recipe to make this dish.

Ingredients

½ Medium box of dry elbow macaroni

1 small onion finely diced

1 tbsp. pesto

3 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

2 cups of milk

2 – 2 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of gourmet cheese – Gouda, Blue or Gorgonzola is great

Salt

Pepper

The Macaroni – follow package instructions

Here you can use wheat macaroni or other substitute if there are gluten allergies.  Make sure to add salt to the water you’re cooking the macaroni in and remember it should be served al dente. 

Drain the macaroni well and add to a baking dish

Sprinkle diced onions over macaroni

The Sauce

Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pan

Add 1 tbsp. of Pesto

Mix in the flour and salt and whisk for one minute

Stir in the milk and whisk

Cook and stir until the sauce has thickened

Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted

Pour over the macaroni and cover with foil

Bake for 30 minutes

Serve

Sometimes I could my macaroni a bit longer and skip the baking part.  I add enough of the cheese sauce to make a really creamy consistency and serve it right from the stove top.   Just another great way to join together Meatless Monday and bit of comfort food all in one.

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(

One of my favorite dishes is Black Bean Tacos.  Hubby and I actually ate these every night for dinner for an entire year.  We don’t have them that often now but boy, these are really really REALLY good.

If you can always try to get organic ingredients for these recipes.  In my photos below you’ll see that sometimes I have organic and sometimes I don’t.  It really depends on what’s on sale and what is available at the market.

So let’s get on to the recipe.

Ingredients

Fresh Baby spinach

Fresh Avocado

Fresh Cilantro

Fresh whole tomato

Cheese (I use white because there are no dyes & Cabot because there is no rBST)

Raw Yellow Corn tortillas

1 can black beans

Red pepper flakes

Sour Cream

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

I start out by getting my beans on the stove

Add the chopped cilantro and the chili flakes to taste (careful with chili flake, I only use about ¼ of a teaspoon) Just warm the beans through, if you boil them they’ll get mushy.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Next I start my oil heating on the stove in a shallow fry pan.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

While the oil is heating I grate the cheese

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Chop the spinach and tomato
And prep the avocado

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

The avocado is removed from the peel and mashed up with a bit of salt. Avocado can be tricky to work with so here’s a video on how to remove the pit, fan and dice.

Photo Credit - Renee Olson

Using a pair of tongs, I take the raw corn tortilla shell and lay it gently in the oil.  I use the tongs to shape the tortilla in to the basic taco shell.  Traditionally these shells are simply warmed on a flat top and served but I like the extra crunch.  I also use this same technique to make my own tortilla chips.  Just cut the circles in half twice and you have little triangles that you can fry until golden brown and salt. 

Assemble all the ingredients and serve!

A couple of tips use a butter knife to coat the inside of the taco shell with sour cream and the avocado, and then add the beans.  If you do it this way you’ll get a nice bit of the mixture in every bite.  I add my cheese next so it melts over the beans.  I've noticed too, that using the avocado I use much less cheese.  

Win win!

Another wonderful Meatless Monday! 

Enjoy!

Namaste & Blessed Be

Sosanna

)O(