Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe came from a Meatout Mondays email. (www.meatoutmondays.org) It was perfect timing because we just got 2 acorn squashes in our Bountiful Basket on Saturday morning! I'll leave the recipe as posted because I am going to use their nutritional information. The only change I really made is that their "medium acorn squash" must have been bigger than mine because we had a lot of leftover filling. (Not a bad thing!!) I also recommend saving the seeds to roast with a little olive oil and salt at 275 for 15 minutes! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 medium acorn squash
1 cup vegan chick'n broth or vegetable broth
½ cup uncooked quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
½ large bell pepper (preferably red), chopped
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup fresh spinach
¼ cup raisins
2 ¼ teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Cut squash in half, remove pulp, place squash face down on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until done. Squash should be tender all the way through.

3. In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, add the broth and quinoa, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes.

4. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic, onions, carrot and bell peppers. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the carrots are tender, stirring occasionally.

5. Add garbanzo beans, raisins, spinach, cumin and salt to the mix and continue cooking for a few minutes.

6. Add the quinoa to the skillet, stir well and remove from heat.

7. Once the squash is done cooking, remove from oven. Evenly spread the butter over the entire inner squash and sprinkle with the brown sugar. You can break the squash up a bit with a fork so that the butter and sugar are spread more evenly throughout.

8. Stuff each half of the squash with half of the quinoa stuffing mixture and serve.

Ratings:

Kristen: 4

    Dave: 4

Nutritional Information:

Serving = 1/4 squash stuffed. Makes 4 servings.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 367	From fat 102
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11.3g	17%
Saturated Fat 2.1g	10.5%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 590mg	24%
Total Carbohydrate 64g	21%
Dietary Fiber 7.7g	31%
Sugars 19.7g
Protein 8.1g
Vitamin A 98.7%	Vitamin C 68.8%
Calcium 9.2%	Iron 23.9%
* % Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Swiss Chard with Beans and Tomatoes

The original recipe calls this White Bean Stew with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes. I have to disagree though... it's not a stew at all. So I have re-named it appropriately. :) The original recipe calls for 16 oz of swiss chard, stemmed. I am guessing that this means before the stemming. I didn't have that much, so I used some chard and some kale.

Ingredients:
9 oz swiss chard, stemmed and torn into pieces (5 oz after stemming)
7 oz kale, stemmed and torn into pieces (5 oz after stemming)
1 tsp oil (I used grapeseed oil)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
14.5 oz diced tomatoes (Hunt's No Salt Added)
7.5 oz cannellini beans (Bush's)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add chard and kale. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and gently press out excess water.
2. In the same pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Saute garlic and red pepper flakes, 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes (increase heat) and bring to a boil. Add beans and simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add kale and chard, and cook for 3 minutes, so that the flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 260
Fat: 3g
Saturated: 0.5g
Carbs: 49g
Fiber: 16.5g
Protein: 14g

Rating:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 3.5

Autumn Harvest Soup

The original recipe says it makes 5 servings. I made half of the recipe, as follows. This half recipe made between 7-8 cups of soup! I'm going to have to disagree and say this made much more than 2.5 servings!!

Ingredients:
1/2 T olive oil
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, sliced (56g)
1 celery stalk, sliced (58g)
8 oz diced tomatoes (I used Hunt's No Salt Added Basil, Garlic, and Oregano)
2 c vegetable broth
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (5.2 oz)
2 small white potatoes, diced (5 oz)
2 c water
4 oz kale, stemmed and torn
4 oz green beans
15-oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion powder, basil, thyme, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and sweet and white potatoes and the 2 cups of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the kale, green beans and white beans and simmer another 15 minutes.
Makes 5 servings (1.5 c each).

 Nutritional Information:
Per 1.5 cup:
Calories: 166
Fat: 1.5g
Saturated: 0g
Carbs: 30.5g
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 7.5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 3
Dave: 3

Savory Bean and Kale Soup

Original recipe is here, courtesy of Fitness Magazine.

Ingredients:
42 oz vegetable broth (mine's homemade!)
15 oz tomato puree
15.5 oz great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c uncooked rice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped (or spinach!)

Directions:
In a crockpot, combine vegetable broth, tomato puree, beans, rice, onion powder, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Cover; cook on low 5 to 7 hours or on high 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours.
Just before serving, stir in kale.
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 93
Fat: 0.5g
Saturated: 0g
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 5g

DELICIOUS! :)
***FORK SYSTEM!!! (Back by popular demand!!)
Kristen: 5

Curried Chickpea Cakes

I found a vegan blog I like a lot called go vegan meow! I got this recipe there. Here is the original recipe. I changed it a little based on what I had. Also I only made half of the recipe I'm posting.

Ingredients:

15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

onion powder

1/3 c unsweeted soy milk

2 tsp sugar

2/3 c breadcrumbs

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2/3 c cooked rice

1/2 tsp salt

4 T grapeseed oil (or any oil) for pan searing

 

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas and onion powder. Pulse until combined. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Add the milk, sugar, breadcrumbs, curry powder, nutmeg and cumin. Stir together with a wooden spoon until well combined. Stir in the rice and salt. Mold into 12 mini patties.

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chickpea cakes to the pan in batches and saute until there's a nice golden sear on the bottom. Flip and sear on the other side as well. Continue with the remaining cakes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Makes 6 servings (2 cakes each).

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 200

Fat: 6.5g

Saturated: 0.5g

Carbs: 30g

Fiber: 3.5g

Protein: 6g

Serving Suggestion:

Serve in a warmed flour tortilla with lettuce, diced cucumber and salsa.

I used Mission Flour Tortillas, 1/2 leaf of lettuce, 1/8 of a cucumber, and 1T salsa 

for each serving.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 349

Fat: 9.5g

Saturated: 1.5g

Carbs: 55.5g

Fiber: 5g

Protein: 10.5g

Great Green Bean Casserole

This recipe also came from Meatout Mondays. Original recipe is here. I made 1/4 of the recipe so I made it in little ramekins.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs green beans
10 oz mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
cayenne pepper, generous pinch
2 T flour
3/4 c vegetable broth
3/4 c unsweetened soymilk
1-1/2 slices whole grain bread (Koepplinger's Whole Grain White Bread)
1 T margarine (Bestlife Buttery Spread)
salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Boil green beans and drain.
Chop mushrooms into pieces.
Spray non-stick pan with non-stick spray; add the mushrooms, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste; cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices.
Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to mushrooms.
Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens; add soymilk and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes; adjust the seasonings and stir in the beans.
For the topping, put bread, margarine, salt, and pepper into a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
Put green beans into an oiled casserole dish and top with bread crumbs.
Bake at 425F for about 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 78
Fat: 1.5g
Saturated: 0.5g
Carbs: 11.5g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 3.5g

Hearty Holiday Nut Loaf

I get a weekly email called Meatout Mondays. This recipe came about a month ago. I made 1/4 of the following recipe.

Ingredients:
1 c finely chopped celery
onion powder
3/4 c bread flour
2/3 c chopped walnuts
2 T ground flax seed
2 c canned chickpeas, drained
1 c water
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 t salt
1/8 t garlic powder
1/2 c water
parsley (optional - for garnish) 

Directions:
Sauté the celery until tender.
Place in a bowl with flour, nuts, and flax seed; blend next five ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth, then add to the bowl with the celery mixture.
Rinse food processor/blender with last ½ cup water and then add to mixture and mix well.
Spoon into 8"x 8" baking dish lined with baking parchment or sprayed with non-stick spray; bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve with mushroom or cashew gravy.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 94
Fat: 4g
Saturated: 0.5g
Carbs: 12.5g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g

Zippy Three-Bean Chili

Recipe from Taste of Home's Light & Tasty magazine, October/November 2004.

Ingredients:
1c chopped fresh mushrooms
1c chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2c water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (I used Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes)
1 envelope taco seasoning (Ortega is vegan, many other brands that I looked at contained milk)
1 can (15.5 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (I used kidney beans)
1 can (15.5 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained


I made 2 versions of this. One, as listed above. The recipe called for 3 other ingredients, which I used in Dave's version only (I used only half of this, for obvious reasons):
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
8 T shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
[In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.]
Add the mushrooms, peppers, and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes longer or until vegetables are almost tender. Stir in the water, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add beans; simmer 30 minutes longer.
[Sprinkle each serving with 1 T cheese.]
Makes 8 servings (1 cup each).

Nutritional Information: (w/o beef, onions, and cheese)
Calories: 170
Fat: 0.9g
Carbs: 29g
Fiber: 7.7g
Protein: 9.2g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4

Broke Bean Stew

Trying out some Biggest Loser recipes from their book "6 Weeks to a Healthier You". So far, they're great!

Ingredients:
1 T EVOO
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
28 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
3 (15.5 oz) cans chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, or white beans, rinsed and drained, or 4-1/2 c cooked beans (I used chickpeas, great northern beans, and red beans)
4 c fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (mine's homemade!)
1/4 c cilantro
3 c fresh baby spinach leaves or 3 c chopped kale or swiss chard (I used kale)

Directions:
In a 4-qt saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Do not brown the garlic.
Add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and crushed red pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups (2 cans) of the beans and 3-1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
Meanwhile, place the remaining 1-1/2 c of beans and 1/2 c of broth in a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro and puree or blend until smooth.
Add the puree to the stew. Add the greens and heat just until wilted. Stir well and serve hot.
Makes 10 (1 cup) servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 145
Fat: 2.2g
Saturated: 0.2g
Poly: 0.3g
Mono: 1g
Carbs: 22.7g
Fiber: 6.9g
Sugar: 4.3g
Protein: 7.7g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 3

Dave said he rated it a 3 because it was bland. He ate it as soon as it was ready but I didn't eat any until several hours later. Maybe letting the flavors blend for a little while longer helped. I am SHOCKED that I even liked this at all, because I normally don't like tomatoes OR onions, and there are lots of both in this. But it was really good! The onions and tomatoes did not bother me in the least.
Note: Any leftovers should freeze just fine. I'm planning on freezing about 6 cups.

Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup

THANK YOU RACHAEL RAY!! This is soooo good. (Original Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 T EVOO
3 medium red potatoes, diced
1 red onion, chunked
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped (recipe called for 1lb... after I stemmed it, I ended up with 5oz)
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz can garbanzos (chick peas), drained and rinsed
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb hot italian turkey sausage, casing removed, split into small pieces
29 oz chicken broth

Directions:
 Heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage and broth to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5-10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.
Makes about 10 cups.

Nutritional Information:
(Per 1 cup)
Calories: 175
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Carbs: 21g
Protein: 11g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4.5

Chicken & White Beans

Ingredients:
1/6 c Italian dressing (Kraft Free Zesty Italian)
8 oz chicken tenders
1/8 c water
1/2 c baby carrots, sliced
1/2 c celery, sliced
1/8 c coarsely chopped drained sun dried tomatoes in oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
15.5 oz Cannellini beans (Bush's)

Directions:
In 12" skillet, heat dressing over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in dressing 2-3 min per side or until lightly browned.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, carrots, celery, tomatoes and oregano to skillet. Cover; simmer about 10 min or until carrots are crisp-tender and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut.
Stir in beans. Cover; cook 5-6 minutes or until beans are thoroughly heated.
Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 300
Fat: 1.5g
Carbs: 43g
Protein: 35g

Ratings:
Kristen: 3
Dave: 4