November 2009 Meatless Mama

Monday, November 30, 2009

Butternut Macaroni and Cheese

I can't believe it's been nearly a week since I posted, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Ours was lovely, I really enjoyed having the kids home from school and spending the extra time with them.

Our black friday tradition isn't shopping, we spend that day putting up the Christmas tree and decorating. A quick casserole type dish is the perfect no-fuss meal for a busy day like that. And something simple is just what I needed after the massive amount of cooking I did for Thanksgiving. My kids love macaroni and cheese (who doesn't?), but I know it's not the healthiest meal. I found this recipe when surfing the web awhile back, and thought it was pure genius to add squash to mac and cheese. After all, it's creamy and the color matches perfectly.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

It isn't easy to find good pita bread, most contain a paragraph long list of ingredients. There is only one store near me that carries good pita and it contains just 3 ingredients: whole wheat flour, yeast and salt. But they don't always have it. Since we eat hummus, veggies and pita quite often, I learned to make my own. It's actually very simple.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Baked Pumpkin Seeds

Yesterday I baked and pureed two pie pumpkins which I will use to make my Thanksgiving pumpkin pies. They were both loaded with seeds that are just too good to waste. Full of nutrition, they make a tasty snack. So I made baked pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are packed with minerals- magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc, as well as vitamin k, and fiber.

You can do this with any squash seeds, such as butternut or acorn.

Some people just rinse and bake them. I've found that since I leave the hull on them, they would get very tough when I prepared them that way. By boiling them before baking, they turn out crisp, chewable and wonderful!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Veggie Pasties

I cook vast amounts of vegetables for my large family, so from time to time there are leftovers. No one really wants to eat boring leftover steamed veggies as is, but sandwiches are always a hit. So I came up with these veggie filled pasties in order to use those leftovers. The pasties were a hit, so now I will make sure to have plenty of leftover veggies the next time I make these.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Broccoli and Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Broccoli and peanut sauce are a perfect match, their flavors were just made for each other. Folks who don't particularly like broccoli will often eat it when it's combined with peanut sauce. The same holds true for those who claim to not like peanut butter. My son balks on the rare occasion that I make him a peanut butter sandwhich to take in his lunch, but if I make peanut sauce and broccoli- he's all over it. One of the nice things about this dish is that it comes together quickly when you are running short on time, and it tastes good cold if you have leftovers.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Cranberry Applesauce

I make this cran-applesauce each year for Thanksgiving and we all enjoy it. Put the ingredients in your slow cooker and it takes care of itself while you cook the rest of the meal. My family prefers this to the traditional cranberry sauce, and I make it a number of times each fall because it disappears so quickly.

Monday, November 16, 2009

What's in Your Fridge?

I have refrigerator envy. I found this great post when I was reading Raising Seven Vegans blog the other day showing what is inside her fridge. It then linked to Green and Crunchy blog, who started this game, and showed what's in her fridge. It is the fridge of my dreams, so neat and organized with everything labeled, and it comes equipped with the most adorable little label maker ever! I am easily amused and it's great fun for me to see in others' fridges. I can't resist browsing in others' carts when grocery shopping, and always thought I was the only cart voyeur. It's always fun to come across someone else who's cart is as full of produce as mine.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Spinach Mushroom Soup

This is my least favorite time of year. I do not like getting up when it's dark and cold, and I really do not like scraping the frost off my car windows to take the kids to school. So I wanted to make something warm and soothing. This creamy soup made my taste buds happy.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Help St. Jude's Help Kids with Cancer

The wonderful Amy at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free has put together a kid-friendly recipe e-book. For a donation of your choice you can download it and all proceeds will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This is a wonderful cause, so donate if you can, spread the word, and show Amy some love by visiting her blog. She put a lot of work into this and did an amazing job. She really has a big heart! Thankyou Amy!!

Butternut Squash Pasta

I love squash. I am of the opinion that one can never have too many squash recipes. So when I found this one at roxetta blogspot, I knew I had to try it. My daughter, who doesn't particularly like squash agreed with me that this smelled divine while cooking. It combines some of my favorite flavors- coconut milk, squash and sage.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Baked Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

Falafels are a quick, inexpensive, but satisfying meal. You have to remember to soak the garbanzo beans overnight, but there are no long cooking times involved; they are ground up in the food processor raw. They are traditionally fried, but since I usually try to avoid frying I decided to see if I could healthy them up by baking instead. The verdict? We have a winner. I now have another quick, easy dish in my repertoire and my daughter has a new favorite meal.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Vegan Cranberry Muffins

Here's a sweet saturday treat. The cold weather has inspired me to bake this week, and I couldn't resist using cranberries. Since they are only available in the fall, I buy a few extra bags and freeze them. They keep well for at least 12 months. I like to add them to smoothies and oatmeal all through the year. Cranberries are not just for Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Soft Honey Oat Breadsticks

The dough for this recipe can make either soft, chewy breadsticks, or rolls, depending on what you want to serve them with. I served them with my favorite pea soup. These can be made entirely whole grain, but for a change of pace I added a little bread flour to make them a bit lighter. I rarely use bread flour, most of my baking is whole grain. However, I do keep a small bag of it on hand for the rare use.

Since none of us is perfect, I subscribe to the 80/20 rule,( a distortion of the Pareto Principle), which says you eat as healthy as possible 80% of the time, allowing 20% for occasional treats and less healthy options. (although for me it's closer to 90/10).

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Squash is arguably the best thing about fall. They are pretty, delicious and loaded with nutrition. For this recipe I used sweet dumpling squash, but you can use any kind you have on hand. Stuffed squash makes a lovely presentation and makes an everyday meal feel special.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Pomelo and Avacado Salad

Pomelo are the largest fruit in the citrus family. They are believed to be the parent of the grapefruit. This was the first time I've had one and I was pleasantly surprised at its sweetness. I was also surprised at the 2-3" thick peel. It looked like a large green grapefruit, but after I peeled it the fruit inside was only the size of an orange. The membranes surrounding the segments need to be peeled because they are extremely tough and bitter. The fruit is jam-packed with vitamin c.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Blog Awards

A heartfelt thanks goes to Alicia at Vegan Epicurean for giving me the friends award. We share a cancer connection, not a good thing for anyone to have, but because of it I have gotten a chance to know her which is a very good thing! I have so much respect for Alicia and admire all the changes she's made. I truly appreciate all of the hard work she has put into her blog in order to share her wealth of knowledge and her creative recipes with the rest of us so that we can learn to make healthier choices ( and do it deliciously!) I am always inspired after reading her blog. I am honored that you thought of me, Alicia.

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