vegetarian » Living Lou

Tomato Garlic Swiss Chard

So here’s the thing, Tomato Garlic Swiss Chard is my new favourite. I make it at least weekly, but preferably daily. Kind of like that time when I would eat those little white sugared doughnuts daily. That was fun. But we’re trying to stay healthy here, so no more powdered sugared doughnuts, or Old Fashioned doughnuts, but if you are so inclined, these Muffin Doughnuts are pretty good. I think I’ll be making them today.

Last week I was deep into exam stress. Which for some people means stress eating chocolate, but for me it meant stress eating Swiss Chard. Like the way my puppy stress eats carrots during wind storms. We’re two peas in a pod me and my pup.

So, being done exams means that for me, it’s officially summer! I’ve got a lot of summery fresh and yummy Spring recipes that will be coming your way over the next few months, and this is the first. Swiss Chard is at its peak during the Spring, so give this recipe a go.

Tomato Garlic Swiss Chard (serves 2-4)

Ingredients

5 cups chopped swiss chard leaves
1 tbsp oil + 1 1/2 tbsp water
5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup crushed tomatoes

Directions

Heat oil and water over medium heat, add garlic and saute for a minute.

Next, add the swiss chard leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes, the leaves will wilt but have a slight crunch.

Finally, add the crushed tomatoes, stirring to evenly coat swiss chard.

Serve as a side dish or on its own.

If your life is a little packed and busy right now, I think this Tomato Garlic Swiss Chard will be a healthy snack and time saver.

- Lou

Eggplant Salad

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a somewhat, purple dish: Eggplant Salad. It is an easy meatless, and vegan dish that is perfect to bring to a potluck. Fresh tasting, it goes well on its own or served on a piece of toast as a little crostini type dish. It’s got a little bit of a Mediterranean flare, and makes a super healthy and easy appetizer or side dish.

A little side note from the yummy recipe, March 26th is Purple Day - The Global Day of Epilepsy Awareness. Epilepsy is something close to my heart because my sister is one of the 1% of people that have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a disease that has been mistreated and condemned for centuries, but it’s something that is very real for many people. I wanted to write a little something about Epilepsy in hopes that my little spot here on the internet can help raise awareness. If you want to learn more about Purple Day and what you can do to raise awareness, take a look at the official website, Purpleday.org

Eggplant Salad
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 large eggplant
1 large tomato, diced
1 tbsp diced onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vinegar
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking dish, bake eggplant for an hour. Allow to cool and cut into bite sized pieces.

Add tomato, onion and garlic to bowl. Add in the eggplant.

Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and parsley.

I hope you enjoy this Eggplant Salad.

- Lou

Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers

So we’re nearing the halfway mark for our award show countdown and the Oscar nominations are finally out – yay! Who’s surprised? Disappointed? Excited? I have to say that I’m a little surprised that Michael Fassbender wasn’t nominated for Shame. I’ve yet to see the movie, but I’ve heard his performance was one of the best of the year. I’m off to see My Week With Marilyn today and am really looking forward to it, having heard great things. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is also on my radar.

Onto the food – this next dish for our Oscar spread are these easy and flavorful Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers. Shrimp for the meat-eaters and vegetables are a vegetarian option, which means that there will be something for everyone at your party. These are also pretty substantial so your guests won’t be hungry. What I love about these skewers is that you can serve them warm, but they also taste amazing when cold. Since both skewers are made with the same marinade, they are really versatile and delicious. My favourite part is the deep flavor of the tomatoes, mmm.

[Have you been keeping up with our Oscar Party recipes? Check out the Olive and Mozzarella Breadsticks and the Seafood Salad.]

Skewers (serves 8 – about 14 skewers.)

Ingredients

Marinade
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 dried basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp thyme

Skewers
1 lb bag of raw, deveined peeled shrimp
8 New potatoes
8 pearl onions, peeled
8-10 asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
12-14 cherry tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.

Skewer shrimp onto half of the skewers, and then skewers the vegetables onto the remaining half of the skewers.

Combine the ingredients for the marinade and brush over all skewers.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip skewers and bake for another 15.

These taste great served warm or cold, happy Award Season.

- Lou

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

I can’t think of a better way to start the week other than with this Roasted Sweet Potato Soup. It’s utterly packed with vitamins and goodness and of course, flavour! It’s a dark and gloomy morning as I sit to write this post, and all I can think about is enjoying a warm and bright bowl of this soup when I get home tonight.

Sometimes, I get bored of soups – actually I get bored of most things at some point. However, I think I get bored more easily by soups and sandwiches. I don’t really know why since there are hundreds of flavor combinations to enjoy, but sometimes they’re just dull. Not this soup though – packed with rosemary and a touch of natural sweetness; it’s quickly become one of my favourites. This soup was my Mom’s idea – we both love sweet potatoes, and were craving soup, so, this soup was developed. It’s perfect for Meatless Monday and any weeknight in general. Here’s the thing people, soups are so easy to make and nice and healthy. This one is vegan but if you wanted to add a little cream or milk, I don’t see why not.

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup (serves 4-6)

Ingredients

3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Place chopped vegetables and garlic in a roasting pan – toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tsp of rosemary.

Roast for 20 minutes.

Remove from pan and add to a large soup pot. Cover with broth and add the remaining rosemary. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40-45 minutes.

Puree with the soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender. If using a regular blender, puree the soup in batches.

Stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Well I’m off to battle the gloominess outside but am eagerly awaiting this bowl of this sunshine when I get home!

Here’s to a great week,

Lou

Lentil Soup

Well hello there 2012! I feel like many people will agree with me in saying that there’s something special about the beginning of a new year. It’s like a fresh start, a blank slate of sorts. It’s a new year and we can become whoever we want to be. Let’s all take 2012 into our own hands and really live; let’s make it count.

People all over the blogging world have been coming up with goals, words and resolutions for the new year. If you read my blogs over at The Kit you know how much I believe in goal setting, so of course I have goals. Currently I have a list of 16 goals, but I’m adding to it each day. Some goals are big, like exclusively posting recipes I’ve created on the blog and some are smaller, like drinking green tea every day. Of course, along with thousands of other people, one of my goals for 2012 is to eat healthily and exercise regularly. Within this health goal is the idea of eating more vegetarian and vegan meals, which is something I have wanted to do ever since watching Forks over Knives back in June.

This Lentil Soup recipe is a flavorful, healthy and comforting soup. It’s vegan, but loaded with protein and fibre from the lentils. I think it’s the cumin and coriander which really make this soup, but it’s also the velvety texture from the olive oil and the slight crunch of the lentils that make this a well balanced meal. It’s definitely a winning and simple soup recipe.

Lentil Soup (serves 6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups lentils
3 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tbsp for sauteing vegetables
3 carrots, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
8 cups vegetable broth (or water)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
2 tsp lemon juice (fresh lemon)
1/2 tsp wine vinegar
Pinch salt and pepper

Directions

Cover the lentils with 3 cups of water and soak for 1/2 an hour. After soaked, drain and rinse the lentils.

In a large soup pot, heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add the cumin, coriander, and garlic to the pot and sauté for another 2 minutes, (add more oil if needed).

Next, add the lentils, water, and bay leaves to the pot. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, pour in the crushed tomatoes, remaining olive oil, red pepper flakes (optional), and the lemon juice to the pot. Cover and simmer for another 25 minutes.

Add vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper to the soup, stir and serve.

Happy Meatless Monday everyone.

- Lou

[I've entered this recipe in the Lentils Recipe Revelations Contest, check out their Facebook page and vote for me!]

Tomato Garlic Swiss Chard

Eggplant Salad

Shrimp and Vegetable Skewers

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

Lentil Soup

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