vegetarian » Living Lou

Rice and Beans

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to take part in something called “The 10 Day Consumer Challenge” basically, you’re only supposed to buy necessities for ten days. You know what that means…no movies, no chocolate bars for that 5pm chocolate craving (no, it is not a necessity!) and no ordering in dinner – it’s a lot harder than it sounds. Until finishing the challenge, I never realized how many things I buy on a regular basis that are completely unnecessary. I mean, did I really need that burrito during class the other day or was I just bored? And as much as I love seeing movies on the weekend, maybe a couple of nights a weekend, I should just watch what’s on TV. I saved a heck of a lot of money by only purchasing what I needed and not what I wanted - I’m going to try and implement a few of the “10 Day Consumer Challenge” principles on a regular basis – as a college student, I can’t get enough of saving money.

What the challenge also had me thinking about was pantry staples – and the meals you can create from items already stocked in your pantry. I couldn’t even tell you the amount of times I look in my pantry and walk away saying there is nothing to eat or to make for dinner. In reality there are cans of beans, tuna, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, rice and pasta. About halfway through the challenge I was a little uninspired by the ingredients in my pantry, but knew I couldn’t go out and buy anything because I had everything I needed for a good meal at home, that’s where this Rice and Beans recipe came from. It was super quick and filling, plus I had lots of leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day. It works great as a side dish or even as a main course because the black beans add a ton of protein.

Rice and Beans (serves 4-6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, cored and finely chopped (leaving in the seeds depends on how hot you like it)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 (19 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add rice, stirring to coat in oil. Toast rice for 1-2 minutes.

Add the garlic and jalapeno, stirring to combine with rice. Cook until fragrant – about a minute. Next, stir in spices and oregano. Add water, tomatoes and black beans. Bring to a boil, cover and turn off heat. Steam for 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed and rice is cooked.

Serve as a meal or with your favourite Mexican foods like my favourite Shredded Chicken Tacos. I challenge all of you to try out the “10 Day Consumer Challenge” – let me know how it goes! Did you find any changes?

- Lou

Vegetarian Chili

We’re getting a lot of rain and wind from Hurricane Sandy here in Toronto – as in, it’s raining every single day this week. I looked at the weather app on my phone the other day, and while I do love rain, I’m not sure I love it enough to deal with it every day. When it’s raining, and cold, I love to indulge in chili. It’s so comforting and flavorful and keeps you warm. I think it’s safe to say that it’s my favourite Winter meal.

About a month ago, I was invited to an event at Whole Foods Market in Yorkville where I got to taste their amazing Thanksgiving prepared foods. It was on this day that I learned one important thing about myself. I’m not a vegan, but if I were to become a vegan, I would eat their Vegan Pumpkin Pie every single day.

Other than tasting the yummy foods, the bloggers were asked to participate in the Blogger Gobbler Challenge. And I love a good challenge. We were given two secret ingredients – a la Iron Chef style – sweet potatoes and balsamic vinegar. The possibilities were endless but I could only think of one thing – chili. So I made a Vegetarian Chili that is so good you won’t even miss the meat and it’s packed with so many delicious vegetables I guarantee you will feel fabulous after this one. This chili is also vegan, but I like to add a lot of sour cream when serving because I’m that kind of girl.

Vegetarian Chili
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups diced sweet potatoes
1 green pepper, chopped
7-10 button mushrooms, quartered
1 jalapeno, diced and seeded
2 large carrots, diced
1 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 tbsp chipotle hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream for serving

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.

Saute onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until softened.

Add in spices and herbs, stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add all vegetables, cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, crushed tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes then simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chipotle hot sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream.

I hope everyone stays safe during the hurricane and if you have power, I highly recommend making this Vegetarian Chili.

- Lou

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini is everywhere right now, but after looking at hundreds of recipes online on other blogs, I realized that I’m really lacking in zucchini recipes on here. Gasp! But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’ve got a couple of zucchini recipes up my sleeve for those of you with bountiful zucchini growing in your garden or for those of you like me, who just really like zucchini. Zucchini Fritters are a pretty typical way to enjoy zucchini, I wanted to make mine a little different and I added fresh basil which compliments the zucchini wonderfully.

There aren’t many foods, other than the holy trifecta of bacon, eggs and toast, and we can’t forget pizza that you can eat for dinner and breakfast, but you can add these Zucchini Fritters to that list. I feel like these would even make a good packed lunch because they taste amazing when they’re cold. I like to eat mine with a little ketchup mixed with sriracha – it’s so good.

Zucchini Fritters (makes 6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 small onion, shredded
2 zucchini, shredded
1 tbsp minced fresh chives
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 egg
2 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 + 1/4 tsp salt
Oil for frying

Directions

In a colander lined with paper towels, place zucchini with 1 tsp of salt. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, using more paper towel if necessary, squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible.

Combine zucchini with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Cover the pan with oil, heat over medium-high heat. Using an ice cream scoop, drop one scoop per fritter into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. If you find that the fritters are cooking too quickly, turn the heat down to medium and continue frying.

If you’re looking for more ways to use up your zucchini, try my Stuffed Mushrooms.

- Lou

Summer Roasted Vegetables

I love vegetables; grilled, roasted, sauteed or raw. These Summer Roasted Vegetables are just another way to enjoy the produce of the season. The tomatoes and red pepper are what add that nice summer touch that differentiates these from your typical potato, carrot and onion roasted vegetables.

What adds the easy touch is the use of Cookin’ Greens™ by The Toby Brand™. Cookin’ Greens™ are a range of products of dark-leafy greens. The greens are farm picked and within six hours, double-washed, double blanched, chopped and quick-frozen for your convenience, locking in all of their flavour and nutritional benefits. I was able to throw in a bag of the Designer Mix – chopped spinach, collards, rapini, yellow beans and onion - right into my pan without any prep. To me the best part is the no crying while chopping onion!

Before my experience with Cookin’ Greens™, I’d never really used a lot of frozen vegetables in my kitchen, but after my great experience with their products, I can definitely see myself including more frozen veggies into my recipes. While you can purchase straight kale, spinach and rapini, it’s the Designer Mix and the Athlete’s Mix that stood out to me because they really reduce prep time and they add another layer of flavour.

Summer Roasted Vegetables (serves 4-6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 500g bag Cookin’ Greens™ Designer Mix, frozen
6 mini potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 carrots, chopped into rounds
8 grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red pepper, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
5 cloves of garlic, quartered
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pan combine vegetables and thyme.

Toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

I hope you enjoy these Summer Roasted Vegetables as much as my family did!

- Lou

Disclosure: I was provided with two coupons for two free packages of Cookin’ Greens. I was not compensated in any other way for writing this post. The decision to write about the product was my own and all opinions are 100% mine.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

I really love potatoes, especially in the summer, they are just such a great side dish to go along with grilled chicken or steak.

This recipe for Garlic Smashed Potatoes comes from the lovely Jen of Jen’s Journey, which was my assigned blog for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. Jen’s site is full of fun giveaways as well as many recipes, I was originally planning on making her Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus but these potatoes were calling my name. The only major change I made to the recipe was cutting down on the amount of butter. After reading many posts on Jen’s site, I feel like I’ve really grown to know her, she is so honest and open which is something that I really appreciate when reading a blog.

This recipe makes enough for about 3 people, but can easily be doubled.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes (serves 3)
Recipe from: Jen’s Journey

Ingredients
1 lbs of new potatoes
olive oil for the pan
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp melted butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400.

Boil potatoes for 12-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by spreading olive oil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the baking sheet with salt. N

Next, combine garlic with butter in a bowl.

Place the potatoes 2 inches apart and using a potato masher, smash the potatoes. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper and paprika. Brush evenly with butter and garlic mixture.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are crispy.

I find that these Garlic Smashed Potatoes go really well with summer, like the way country music goes so well with summer. Am I right or am I right?

- Lou