Vegetarian Stew Recipe

Friday was cold and windy. It was the perfect night to make my mom's beef stew recipe. Only I had one dilemma...my boyfriend is vegetarian. I took a risk and modified the beef stew to be vegetarian friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he loved it and I still got my comfort food fix!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 garlic glove minced

2 rosemary sprigs

2 "Not-Beef" Bouillon Cubes

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 medium potatoes chopped in cubes

4 or 5 carrots chopped

1 16 oz. can white Cannellini beans rinsed

1 box of Lightlife's Smart Strips Seasoned Veggie Strips (or your preferred soy "meat")

(**If soy "meat" is not your thing, double up on the beans)

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

1/3 cup red wine (optional)

Method:

In large pot heat the vegetable oil on medium heat. Add the soy "meat", chopped onion, garlic, and rosemary to the oil; cook until tender and light in color. 

 Stir in red wine to loosen the ingredients. 

Add the flour; stir to a paste. 

 Gradually stir in 3 cups of water on medium heat, until mixture is slightly thickened. 

 Add 2 "No Meat" bouillon cubes and Worcester. 

 Add chopped vegetables. 

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer . Cover with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Tip* You may want to add more flour or more liquid depending on how thick you want the stew to be.

Tip* The stew tastes even better the second day!

Enjoy! 

Brookies

If you like chocolate...and if you like cookies and brownies then you will love this simple and delicious recipe by the Clinton St. Baking Company!  "A Brookie is a cross between a brownie and a cookie."

Ingredients: 

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp unsalted butter

2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

2 large eggs

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking power 

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Melt the oil, butter, and 1 cup of the chocolate together in the microwave or on the stove using a double boiler. Let cool.

3.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla together.

4. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

5.  In another bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients (flour & baking powder).  Add the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mix until combined, and then add in the remaining chocolate chunks.

6.  Freeze the batter in a shallow pan for 6 to 8 minutes (until the batter sets and hardens slightly.) 

7.  Coat 2 cookie sheets with nonstick coking spray or line with parchment paper.  Scoop about 10 tbsp-size Brookies onto each sheet.  Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked (insides will still be moist.)  Cool completely.

Makes 10 to 20 Brookies

Enjoy!

Creamy Leek Gratin

A few weeks ago I tried a new recipe, Creamy Leek Gratin.  This was my first time cooking with leeks and it came out delicious! If you haven't tried leeks before, their flavor tastes like a mixture of onion and garlic. This is a must try!

Photo Credit: Real Simple

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk (I used skim)

 salt and pepper

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

3 slices sandwich bread, torn into small pieces

3 tbsp olive oil

6 leeks (about 3 lbs)- white and light green parts only. Halved lengthwise and rood ends left intact.

Method:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Sprinkle with flour and cook, whisking, for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the milk, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and bring to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar until melted.

2. In a small bowl, combine the bread pieces, oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

3.  Place the leeks in a single layer in the bottom of a baking dish.  Cover with the milk mixture and sprinkle with the breath mixture.  Cover the dish with foil and bake until the leeks are tender and the filling in bubbling, 25-30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake until the top is golden brown, 8-10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Weekend Recap

I had quite the party weekend!  Saturday was my boyfriend's birthday and we celebrated with a lunch party for the family and an evening party as well! We cooked a lot and I tried a new appetizer that I found on Pintrest. (You can find the original blog post here.)  I love this appetizer because it's healthy, colorful, and delicious!

Ingredients:

Basil

Mozzarella Cheese 

Grape Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinaigrette 

*Wait until right before serving to drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette

As I was decorating for the party, I made use of the closed up fireplace brick portion of the wall in my living room.  

Using a ruler, I cut out letters from magazine pages, and hung them on string with clothes pins.

This wall has been my design challenge.  In my ideal world it would be a usable fireplace with a mantle, but what can I do! The brick looks pretty, but I am searching for decor ideas on how to embellish it.  Perhaps I'll hang pictures from the clothes pins.  Any ideas are welcome!!

Thanks for reading!

Crispy Broccoli Rabe and Chickpeas Recipe- a keeper!

How is everyone's week going?  Work has been very busy, but I finally found some time for a quick post.  Over the weekend I tried a new recipe, and it's a keeper! I was pleasantly surprised by how fast it was to make and how delicious it tasted! This was the best broccoli rabe I've ever cooked!

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and trimmed

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

crushed red pepper flakes

2 tbsp lemon juice

salt

pasta (optional)

Method:

1. Heat broiler.  On two baking sheets toss broccoli rabe, chickpeas, and garlic with oil; season with salt.   

2. Broil 2 minutes, then flip broccoli rabe and continue to broil until leaves are crisp and stems tender, about 2 minutes more.

3.  Served topped with red pepper flakes.  Add lemon juice and drizzle of olive oil.

**Can be served as a warm salad or over pasta for a heartier dish.

(Serves 4)

Until next time,

White Bean and Mushroom Stew

Brr, it feels like 23 degrees outside!  Today I spent the day indoors doing some cooking and baking as well as winter decorating and reorganizing.  I'm going to share this delicious stew recipe that I tried today.  It's from Real Simple magazine and has left my apartment smelling so good! 

White Bean and Mushroom Stew

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, diced 

1 carrot, pealed and diced

1lb cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup white wine

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, pureed in a blender

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 cups cooked white beans (or 1 16oz can), drained

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery, and carrots until tender, about 8 minutes.  Increase heat to medium-high, add mushrooms, and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. 

2. Deglaze with wine, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon.

3. Add tomatoes, rosemary, beans, and 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with a drizzle of oil. 

Mmm, doesn't it look good?!

I was surprised by how fast this was to make!  How do you like to spend your winter days? 

Stayed tune this week; I'm going to share some of my winter decor projects/ideas.  

Baking, making, decorating...

I've been having fun making holiday treats to share with family, friends, and coworkers!  Yesterday I baked my Sitty's (grandma in Arabic) Molasses Cookies.  They came out delicious, although they can't beat hers. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 cup melted shortening
1 cup molasses
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup warm water with 2 tsp. baking soda (stir & dissolve baking soda in warm water; set aside
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsps group ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix warm water with baking soda and set aside.  In a large bowl add flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

In another large bowl, mix melted shortening, sugar, molasses, and egg.

Gradually stir the dry ingredients and water mixture into the molasses mixture, alternating them.

Flour counter.  Take dough and flatten it with your hands and a rolling pin.  (If dough is sticky, gradually add more flour.)








Take a round cookie cutter or glass to cut out pieces.



(Note: I found the gingerbread man shape and the circle shape made softer cookies; the cookies from the smaller cut outs were more crispy. To ensure softness, have the dough be 1/4- 1/2 inches thick.)








Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes.
When cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

On to the next! 

I found this Oreo Bark recipe on pintrest and I couldn't resist! If you're a chocolate fan you'll love it. Find the recipe here. It was simple to make: 2 ingredients, 20 minutes.

One last share...

Over the weekend I decided to bring some Christmas cheer to my boyfriend's apartment.  I made due with these little finds:

Picture window hanging decoration.

This was a glass orange juice jar.  Adding greenery to several jars would look great on a window ledge or mantle. 

Simple table center piece. 

Photo credit: David Santiago Caicedo

                                                 

Any ideas for more simple holiday touches?

See more of my decorating here!
Thanks for stopping by!

A cozy meal: sautéed spinach, broccoli and white beans

Tonight I made one of my favorite vegetarian friendly dishes and I thought I'd share! It's fast and Simple to make.  You'll only have one pan to wash! This is a great meal on a chilly autumn day or evening!

Ingredients:
1 can (~15oz.) small white beans rinsed (you can substitute with larger white beans as well)
2 small heads or 1 large head of broccoli
1 bunch or bag of spinach
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
a pinch of red pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
olive oil
black pepper
Shredded parmesan cheese

Method:
In a large sauté pot...
Cook broccoli in boiling water until tender
Drain water off broccoli
Sauté broccoli and spinach with olive oil, minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper until spinach has wilted
Mix in 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar and the beans
Heat until beans are warm
Add black pepper to liking, and stir
Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Serving size: 2 people