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You are here: Home / Archives for Recipes (P-W) / Vegetarian Dishes

Vegetarian Dishes

Keto Coleslaw (This One Has Become my “Go To” Coleslaw)

December 31, 2021 By Joi Sigers

Low Carb Coleslaw

Low Carb Coleslaw

While I don’t follow a STRICT Keto diet, I do try to incorporate as many keto/low carb meals into my cooking and eating as possible. I believe it’s the healthiest way to eat and since we are very much only as healthy as our diets, I am trying to be as strict as possible.

Besides, you just feel better when you cut back on the unnecessary things in your diet.

Eating low carb can be a bit of a challenge, I will be the first to admit it. It takes a little period of adjustment for your taste buds to go from eating very sweet foods to marginally sweet foods. Coleslaw (one of my personal favorite sides) is a great example. The coleslaw you buy in stores and restaurants is crazy sweet (they must use CUPS of sugar), so making one with Truvia (or your sugar alternative of choice) may take getting used to.

Personally, I love that you can taste the vegetables more without the added sweetness. When cutting back on sugar with anything, if you focus on ADDING flavor instead of what you’re taking away, you’ll open up a whole new world. Adding a little more sea salt and/or pepper often does the trick beautifully. I’ve also found that inviting green onion to any party makes it instantly better.

Low Carb Coleslaw

Low Carb Coleslaw

 

Tips:

  • You can use a food processor to make the coleslaw smaller (like KFC’s) or use it straight out of the coleslaw mix bag. When I make a vinegar coleslaw, I like it straight out of the bag… coarser.. but when adding mayo, I run it briefly through a food processor. Why? I have no idea!
  • Duke’s is my go to mayo, but simply use your favorite!
  • Keeping healthier coleslaw on hand is ideal for a great side. When I have some made (which is almost always), I’m able to grab a burger off the bun through a drive through, avoid the fries, and bring it home to have with a healthier side.


Filed Under: Gluten Free, Keto Recipes, Quick and Easy Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: keto coleslaw recipe, low card coleslaw recipe

Lemon Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Vegan, Keto)

May 24, 2020 By Joi Sigers

Vegan Keto Lemon Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Lemon Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe from Fresh N’ Lean!

In the coming days, weeks, months (time has no meaning these days), I’ll be adding a lot more keto, vegan, and gluten-free recipes to the food blog. While I have to eat gluten-free, I find that a lot of vegan and even keto recipes are simply delicious. After all, you don’t have to strictly adhere to a diet to enjoy its recipes and any extra healthy meals you inject into your weekly menu plans is a positive thing.

I also want to apologize for the lack of regular updates lately. In all honesty, I simply fell behind in all of my web publishing and wasn’t sure how or where to jump back in and get back into the swing of things. The pandemic touches us all in different ways – and, frankly, it makes me not want to do much beyond spending time with my family & cats, cooking, flower gardening, and watching old movies.

I’m trying to fight out of the rut… but, let’s face it some ruts are harder to leave behind than others. This one’s been so sweet, pulling away from it seems akin to throwing away a piece of peanut butter fudge.

At any rate, here is where the regular recipes, food reviews, and other babbling kicks back in with regularity.

Why not start things back off with a delicious recipe featuring a newfound obsession, Brussels Sprouts?! This is an outrageously tasty, easy, and beautiful dish. Enjoy!

The delicious recipe is from Fresh N’ Lean!

You can find Red Miso Paste on Amazon.

Filed Under: Keto, Keto Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: Brussels sprouts recipe, Keto Recipes, vegan recipes

Protein Sources for Vegans (Infographic)

June 17, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Vegan Protein Sources

Protein Sources for Vegans

When my beautiful middle daughter, Brittany, was 12, she decided she no longer wanted to eat meat. It actually began to nauseate her to even look at meat. I thought it was adorable when she announced that she never wanted to eat anything “…that once had a face.” I said, “Fair enough.” and launched into in-depth research of healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans (assuming that could be a future choice). My main concern was protein because, let’s face it, we all associate protein with meat and meat with protein.

I was delighted (then and now) that there are so many sources of protein that never had a face.

I began making and buying black bean burgers, nuts by the pound, and even more vegetables than I already did. Brittany’s vegetarianism, in my opinion, helped make me a better (and healthier) cook. What some may have viewed as a “problem” or “headache” was actually a positive for our family. She has stuck with her vegetarianism and I have stuck with a very healthy obsession with vegetables.

To be perfectly honest with you, I am incredibly proud of her. As a 12 year old, with an older sister and a younger sister, she made a personal (and HUGE) decisions on her own. She faced everything ranging from skepticism to ridicule from others (absolutely not from me, of course) and stood her ground. At 12! S

And some people think you can’t learn anything from kids. Hogwash!

As I said, my only concern was her health, which is why I researched all that I could. You can most certainly have a healthy diet if you are a vegetarian or even a vegan. You simply have to make certain you are as conscientious and passionate about what you INCLUDE as you are about what you EXCLUDE.

The wonderful infographic below, from Snap Kitchen, sums it up beautifully. It also has made me pretty darn hungry for a great salad with chickpeas and nuts… so I’ll just wrap things up…

Infographic Source: Snap Kitchen


Filed Under: Foodie Infographics, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: infographic, Vegan diet, Veganism

A Wonderful Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Cookbook: Whole Bowls by Allison Day

May 15, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Whole Bowls Cookbook by Allison Day

Whole Bowls Cookbook by Allison Day

When I had to quit eating wheat and gluten (as well as cooking, baking, smelling, and dreaming about them), I had to adopt and adapt. Adopt a new way of eating, cooking, and serving meals and adapt to every single change or be a miserable cuss.

I have no intention of being a miserable cuss… so adapt, I did!

One of my favorite sanity savers and means of serving meals became (and remains) “Bowls.”  Some call them Buddha Bowls and others call them even fancier names. Me.. well I’m a simple gal from Kentucky, so Bowls suits me just fine.

My middle daughter, Brittany (who happens to be a beautiful vegetarian – more about her here!), knew how much Bowls mean to me and gifted me with the gorgeous cookbook you see here, “Whole Bowls: Complete Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Meals to Power Your Day.” This cookbook could not be more up my alley! Not only are there MANY (countless, really) great gluten-free recipes but they’re ALSO vegetarian, meaning I can make them for Brittany to enjoy as well.

Only fair, right? After all, she bought the book!

Above, I referred to the recipes in this cookbook as “countless.” Obviously, the actual recipes can be counted – I’ll tell you why I insist on calling them countless! Each and every recipe in Whole Bowls can be tweaked and switched up to your individual tastes. For example, “Loaded Baked Potatoes with Baked Beans and the Works” (page 157), calls for russet potatoes, you can easily use sweet potatoes. If a recipe calls for quinoa, you can use brown rice.. if a recipe calls for white rice, you could use cauliflower rice… and on and on. I would recommend making each recipe exactly as given – but, after that, get creative. It’s your Bowl, after all!

There are also recipes for out of this world sauces that can be incorporated into the bowls they’re recommended for as well as other bowl recipes (whether in or out of this particular cookbook). A few of the sauces are Pumpkin Seed Sauce, Homemade Mayonnaise, Balsamic Glaze, and a Chive Oil (page 109) that is extraordinary on just about anything and everything. In fact, I have a special glass bottle in my Amazon cart I’m buying solely for keeping some of this oil made up and handy.

I love that author Allison Day has made Whole Foods such a gorgeous cookbook (they’re somehow more enjoyable to use, aren’t they?) and that the recipes are completely gluten-free. I also love that they’re basic – deliciously creative, but yet “doable.”

{Continued Below…}

Other AMAZING Recipes Include:

  • Mac and Cheese with Smoked Tofu and Baked Tomatoes
  • Mediterranean Pasta with Arugula, Peas, Yellow Tomatoes, and Feta
  • Roasted Pears with Whipped Goat Cheese and Maple Pine Nut Brittle
  • Hummus
  • Coconut Dreamy Whip
  • Homemade Nut Butter
  • Spring Rice Bowls with Chive Oil
  • Holiday Bowls with Stuffing, Sweet Potato Latkes, Brussels Sprouts, and Balsamic Glaze
  • Greek Mushrooms Stifado with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
  • Miso Meal in a Bowl
  • Black Beans with Butternut Squash, Black Rice, and Chimichurri
  • Three Bean Garden Salad with Asparagus and Coconut Dressing
  • Curried Falafel with Kale Salad
  • Winter Chopped Salad
  • South of the Border Bowls with Walnut Meat and Grilled Avocado
  • And many, many, many more creative, delicious, and nutritious recipes.

From the Back Cover

“Allison’s first cookbook is fresh and fabulous! I was bowled over by the mouthwatering photos and flavor combinations. The cauliflower hazelnut pilaf alone is worth the price of the book!” —Greta Podleski, bestselling author of Looneyspoons

“Whole Bowls makes healthy food crave-able! It marries the concept of comfort food with healthy eating and shows in the most tantalizing way that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.” —Chelsea Allen, RD, creator of Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen

“All of the best nutrition advice in the world is of little use if you don’t know how to feed yourself well. Allison effortlessly takes one of my favorite things—a comforting bowl of veg and grains—up a whole bunch of notches (hello, hazelnut dukkah!). Whole Bowls will show you just how insanely delicious a plant-centered life can be!” —Desiree Nielsen, RD, author of UnJunk Your Diet

About the Author

Allison Day is a nutritionist and the creator of the award-winning whole foods, vegetarian recipe blog Yummy Beet. She has contributed to various food, health, and news publications such as the New York Times, Prevention, and The Kitchn. Allison grew up in a small, country town—the place where she first developed her love of seasonal, local foods. She resides in southern Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.


Whether you choose to eat gluten-free or the choice has been made for you, you will absolutely love Whole Bowls. For that matter, you’ll love it if you eat gluten with wild abandon! This is just a fun, exciting, and delicious cookbook. I highly recommend it to everyone.

{A few more words about Bowls below the picture…}

Bowl

A few tips I’ve picked up along the path of my relationship with Bowls:

  • If you’ve given up wheat/gluten for health reasons, to cut calories, or because you’re on a particular “diet,” you don’t have to give up flavors because of it. Get creative! Sloppy Joes, for example don’t have to have buns – they can just as easily be served over potatoes (baked, mashed, roasted..) in a bowl with pickles and onions on the side. Same with Pulled Pork or any other “sandwich” you need to deconstruct. Even Egg Rolls can be deconstructed and presented, beautifully, in bowls.
  • We all know how nutritious vegetables are or us. I won’t insult your intelligence or bore you unmercifully by going into their virtues. One of the wonderful things about Bowls is that you can “sneak” beautiful, colorful, and healthy vegetables in to the mix without compromising the taste. I love to keep avocados on hand because they add SO MUCH to bowls. They look great, taste great, and are healthy to boot.
  • Spiralized vegetables aren’t just beautiful in Bowls, they’re also filling and fun to eat. Kids, especially, love different sizes, shapes, and textures.
  • Roasted vegetables are also fun to throw into Bowls – they give a delicious contrast in flavors alongside cooked or raw vegetables and grains.
  • Bowls are IDEAL for those of us who keep and insist on using leftovers. Leftover corn is one of my favorite things to pop into bowls.
  • A “mock” KFC Chicken Bowl technique I love – Put Mashed Potatoes into the bowl(s), top with cooked yellow corn, chicken (omit if you choose), and brown gravy. I love to make and add a little vinegar coleslaw to the side, too. It’s outrageously good.
  • When buying bowls for… well… Bowls… look for wide-open bowls, usually called pasta or salad bowls.  Bowls can make a gorgeous presentation – I like to use white bowls, often, but have also fallen in love with colorful ones.
  • Bowls are ideal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Breakfast bowls are another favorite. Potatoes, bacon or sausage, eggs, broccoli, and cauliflower bowls make a breakfast that’s worth getting out of bed early for even on a Saturday.
  • Once you go down the Bowls rabbit hole, you’ll wonder what took you so long! Again, Whole Bowls is a wonderful source for inspiration and countless ideas.


Filed Under: Christmas Gift Guide, Cookbook Reviews, Gift Ideas for Cooks, Gluten-Free Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: Bowl recipes, Gluten Free cookbook review, vegetarian cookbook review

Gluten-Free Bean Burritos, Enchilada-Style!

April 26, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Refried Bean Burritos Enchilada Style.

Refried Bean Burritos Enchilada Style

Needless to say, even though these Enchilada-Style Refried Bean Burritos are gluten-free, you can certainly make them with all the gluten your heart desires. Simply replace the gluten-free flour tortillas with regular tortillas (when you do, you’ll certainly save money.. hoo boy is it expensive to have to eat gluten-free).

These bean burritos are delicious, as well as quick and easy to make. You can customize them to suit your family’s taste, of course. They’re wonderful topped with chopped avocado, chopped green onions, and/or cilantro – I kept them simple in the picture at the top because I was making them for a group of family members and you know how that goes – this one doesn’t like onion, that one doesn’t like avocado, the other one (silly goose) thinks cilantro tastes like soap.

He’s wrong, of course.

These are great all on their own but also fantastic with a bowl of great guacamole, a bowl of sour cream, a bowl, of salsa and a bag filled with tortilla chips who love their options.

Filed Under: Quick and Easy Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: gluten-free bean burritos, gluten-free Mexican recipes, gluten-free recipes

Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers

March 11, 2019 By Joi Sigers

Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers and an “Olive Garden” Style Salad

One of my three beautiful daughters is a vegetarian, so I’m more than a little familiar with protein patties and “fake” hamburgers. In fact, I used to love them almost as much as she does! However, when I had to give up gluten/wheat, it meant giving these up as well.

Thankfully there are some outstanding gluten-free breadcrumbs on the market, so I can make my own black bean burgers anytime I feel the urge… which is often because I am addicted to them.

I make black bean burgers differently almost each time I make them, but the recipe below (the way I made them this afternoon) is my favorite. It has the most flavor and I love the  combination of bell pepper and red onion. The Worcestershire sauce (use Lea & Perrins if you have to eat gluten-free) also adds a little extra something something.

{Below is the recipe, if you simply want to see it! More about gluten-free black bean burger options below the recipe, if you’re interested…}

While most people prefer black bean burgers on buns, toasted bread, or in wraps, I prefer mine alongside soup or a salad. For whatever reasons, I’m just not a big sandwich person – but soup or salad? ALL DAY.

For my black bean burgers (and meatballs and salmon patties, too, for that matter), I always use Kroger’s Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (the original version for black bean burgers and salmon patties, the Italian Seasoning for meatballs.). If you don’t have a Kroger near you, there are other gluten-free breadcrumbs on the market. If all else fails, make your own.

When I make black bean burgers, I never sauté the vegetables beforehand, simply because I like the crunch and texture. If you had rather your vegetables be softer, sauté them first. Your burgers, your call. Speaking of which, feel free add or subtract the vegetables and even seasonings I’ve used. This combination, in my opinion, makes the most flavorful black bean burgers – and, trust me, you don’t get heat from the hot sauce… just flavor.

One final thought about black bean burgers – they’re an EXCELLENT go-to burger if you’re trying to completely give up meat or simply trying to eat less meat. When you add the toppings you normally would to a burger, black bean burgers almost always satisfy the “meat cravings” people normally experience.

 

 

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: gluten-free black bean burgers, gluten-free recipes, meatless meal ideas

Homemade Vegetable Broth for Thanksgiving Dressing

November 20, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

Vegetables Teaming Up for Homemade Vegetable Broth

One of my daughters, Brittany, has been a committed vegetarian since she was 12 years old. It began with eating the top part of tacos while leaving the meat at the bottom untouched and with eating everything on her plate except for the meat. I asked her, very matter of factly, about it one day – not wanting to make a mountain of what may have been a molehill.

Spoiler alert – it was not a molehill.

She adorably told me, “I don’t want to ever eat anything that once had a face.” I told her that it was her decision to make and that I was on her side. If she didn’t want to eat anything that once had a face, no one… and I mean no one… was ever going to make her.

I read up on protein, vegetarianism, health concerns AND benefits, etc. We became black bean burger experts and, truth be told, the whole family surely benefited from the increased veggies in the kitchen. I made certain then and I make certain now that anything I cook for her doesn’t contain any ingredients that once owned a face.

One of the biggest areas of concern (for me anyway as a cook) has been replacing chicken broth in the food I make for her. It adds SO MUCH FLAVOR! Store-bought vegetable broth simply cannot compare. That’s why I prefer to make my own vegetable stock to use for her dressing at Thanksgiving. She’s a huge, huge, huge fan of garlic and flavorful herbs, so I can add those in and give her the layers of flavor she loves.

And no faces.

The recipe below really isn’t a recipe as much as it is a technique because it’s so customizable. If you’re using a vegetable broth for soup or stew, you might want to leave out the sage and replace it with thyme or basil. However, for Thanksgiving stuffing, don’t dare leave out the sage.

While I’ve said (in the recipe below) to simmer for 30 minutes, I actually turn the heat down and simmer for longer. Why? I love for the kitchen to smell like Thanksgiving! Naturally, you can’t simmer too long, however, or your broth will cook away. The house will smell like Autumn Heaven, but you’ll be left with a tablespoon of broth.

Vegetables for Vegetable Broth

Filed Under: Christmas Recipes, Soup, Stew and Chili, Thanksgiving Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: broth for vegetarian dressing, vegetarian broth, vegetarian recipes

The Beauty of Buddha Bowls (Perfect for Meatless Mondays)

August 9, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Buddha Bowl

A Favorite Buddha Bowl

As someone who can’t eat bread (well, I can if they’re gluten-free, but usually they’re less than spectacular), I have fallen in love with “bowls” – simply putting food a bowl with various vegetables as costars, no need for pieces of bread, thank you very much. Sloppy Joes were no longer piled onto buns but were, rather, layered into bowls with onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and (when I’m feeling carb-tastic) fried potatoes.

Somewhere along the way “bowls” have become a really big deal nationwide – not just in my own kitchen.

One of the biggest stars in the world of bowls right now is the simple, humble, and outrageously delicious Buddha Bowl.

I’ve heard “Buddha bowls” also referred to as glory or hippie bowls, but I like the name Buddha Bowl best. It just seems to fit. Sometimes they’re also called protein bowls.

Buddha Bowls are healthy, beautiful, VERY filling dishes that are made up of your choice of vegetables, beans, and a healthy grain (rice, quinoa…). The vegetables can be roasted, boiled, sautéed, or even raw. My personal preference is to have a combination of both cooked and raw. I’m not sure why, but it’s absolute perfection.

When I first made Buddha Bowls for my husband and I, I told him beforehand, “If you get hungry later, I’ll make you some bacon and eggs…” I honestly wasn’t sure how filling they’d be. Suffice to say, not an egg was cracked and the bacon was undisturbed. When we slowly got up from the table, we both agreed… they’re VERY filling!

While I didn’t do it in the meal pictured here, topping your Buddha Bowl with pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or chia seeds ups the looks as well as the nutrition and taste.

Some of my favorite ingredients for Buddha Bowls:

Avocados

Obviously this will fall under the “uncooked vegetables” category. Simply (but carefully) cut your avocado(s) into wedges, drizzle with lime juice, and lightly salt. Please never cut the avocado while holding it in your hand. Put him on the cooking board and never put your hand or fingers (or any part of your anatomy!) near the blade of your knife. Better yet, find a safe avocado cutting tool on Amazon. You’ll make me feel a lot less stressed if you do!

Zucchini “Noodles”

Zucchini noodles (made, of course, by spiralizing zucchinis) are nutritious and delicious, but if we’re being totally honest, when it comes to Buddha Bowls… well….I love them for their looks! I toss mine in raw, with just a splash of salt and a little lemon juice. You could, of course, cook them briefly but I like the texture of uncooked zucchini noodles.

If you don’t have a spiralizer, be sure to check produce sections. Many stores are now selling zucchini noodles.

Rice, Brown Rice, Quinoa, or Cauliflower Rice

The pictures shown have cauliflower rice but I’m just as crazy about the other grains named above. If you’ve never cooked with quinoa before, you honestly have to. It’s delicious and FUN. And who isn’t up for a little more FUN in the kitchen?!

If you aren’t keen on the idea of ricing your own cauliflower (even though it is easy peasy in a food processor – simply place chunks into the food processor and process until the cauliflower is the consistency of rice), check grocery stores. I’ve seen Cauliflower Rice sold in the produce sections of Meijer and Kroger. Cauliflower rice cooks easier than the others, which makes it an easier as well as healthier option.

Carrots

I like for my carrots to have a bit of bite to them, so I just boil them until they’re “fork tender.” As with most vegetables, I keep a fork right beside the stove. When the fork can pierce the vegetable without any resistance, I know we’re good to go. Overcooking vegetables leads to smooshieness, which is never good to the taste or eyes.

Roasted Radishes

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Cut radishes into halves. 
  3. Toss radishes in olive oil (about 1 TBS per bunch).
  4. Spread radishes onto prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Be sure they aren’t touching one another. 
  5. Roast (tossing every 5 minutes) for 15 to 20 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli

I use the same approach for broccoli as I do for radishes when roasting. In fact, I often roast them together.


Cucumbers

Raw… never cooked. I mean, why would you???

Squash

I had used up all of my crookneck squash for a meal the night before (fried, along with green tomatoes – it doesn’t get any more Southern or delicious), so there was no squash in the meal shown here. It is, ironically, one of my favorite Buddha Bowl guests, however. I love the color as much as the taste.

Spaghetti Squash is also fantastic in these bowls. My oldest daughter, Emily, and I could eat spaghetti squash 7 days a week. Whatever it is that it’s got, we’re wild about it!

Corn

Whether it’s boiled, roasted on the cob, then scraped off or roasted frozen corn (SO EASY), like squash, corn adds great color and taste as well as texture to your Buddha Bowl.

Etc…

Chickpeas (raw, heated, or roasted), beets, shredded cabbage, black-eyed peas, black beans, wax beans, green peas (I like to use frozen peas for bowls and salads. I keep them in the freezer until right before I begin the meal. As we’ve established, however, I am uncommonly here for the crunch, so use your own preference as your guide.) The options are almost endless.

One tip, though, when using uncooked canned beans – drain them well and allow them to sit in the container before tossing them into the bowls. Same goes for cooked beans. Drain really, really well so they don’t bring their bath water with them!

As with most things, when it comes to cooking, it’s all about personalizing your meals to your family’s needs and likes. Make the bowls your own by adding your favorite vegetables and combinations. I read where a woman ALWAYS (not usually… ALWAYS) pairs frozen peas and beets in her Buddha Bowls. Me? I’d never go down that particular road… but it’s her vehicle, she’s free to drive it where she chooses.

When I first saw her pics, I thought, “Ummm…. not… sure… about… that…” but then I thought about it and I realized that she was to be commended. She was adding her own twist, creativity, and personality to her bowls and THAT is the whole idea.

One final tip: When it comes to planning your meals – whether they’re casseroles, salads, soups, side dishes, or bowls – do a little research into the health benefits of vegetables. Each one wields its own superpowers. If you combine several different “powers,” you’ll have yourself an especially powerful meal!

Buddha Bowl

Filed Under: Cooking on a Budget, Gluten Free, Vegetables, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: Buddha Bowls, healthy meals, vegetarian meals

EASY Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes (Using Canned Yams Makes it as Simple as Possible)

February 7, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

There are quite a few “staples” I keep in the kitchen at all times. Make that AT ALL TIMES – all caps because running out of them would make send me NERVOUS. Obviously salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, miniature bell peppers, Italian herbs, bacon, white wine vinegar, eggs, butter, and honey make the list. But a few things may not seem quite as obvious: chipotle peppers in adobo, orange marmalade, Classico brand pesto, smoked gouda cheese, Tamari sauce, and Worcestershire Sauce to name a few. Each, in various situations, add depths of flavor that rock my world.

Take chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, for example – the smoky flavor is just addictive as far as I’m concerned. You have to, obviously, go easy with the peppers because they do pack a wallop.

But OH! How I love that wallop!

I’ve found that the adobo sauce can be paired with countless foods. It plays beautifully with just about anything you introduce it to, but one of my favorite ways to us it is with one of my favorite foods in the world – sweet potatoes. By the way, did you know that all so-called “yams” are in fact sweet potatoes? Whatever you choose to call them, they’re out of this world delicious.

Here’s the amazing thing, even if you aren’t as in love with sweet potatoes as I am, Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes will knock your socks off. Trust me.

The fact that this recipe uses canned yams makes it faster AND easier, and who doesn’t appreciate that?

{Recipe Below}

Yams and Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

There really isn’t enough to this dish to warrant calling it a recipe, so I’ll just walk you through the process.  If you think you’ll require more (or less) mashed sweet potatoes, adjust the number of cans and butter accordingly.

I use either two large cans of Bruce’s Yams (40 oz) or one large Bruce’s Yams can and two 15 oz yams cans. The exact measurements, here, isn’t terribly important. A few ounces here or there isn’t going to ruin your day.

One thing I’m a stickler about, however, is my Chipotles in Adobo Sauce. I always use the same brand – La Costena. I love it so much I wouldn’t even glance at another brand.

Place your cans of undrained sweet potatoes in a large pan. Add three of the chipotle peppers to the pan and simmer on low. You could, of course, crank up the heat and cut your time in half, but letting them simmer for about 30 minutes on low gives the chipotles time to flavor the sweet potatoes.

Smells pretty amazing, too.

When you’re ready to mash the potatoes, drain and remove the peppers. Place hot, drained sweet potatoes in a bowl and add 1-1/4 sticks of butter (if using unsalted butter, add a little Kosher salt at this point) and 2 TBS of the crazy delicious adobo sauce.

Note: Start with 1 TBS, then taste. Some people are more sensitive to heat than others and 1 TBS is about their limit. IF you can take the heat, go ahead and add the second TBS. If, after tasting it at this point, you want even more…. add more. Go for broke!

I also finely chop up a little bit of one of the chipotles to add to the bowl as well. Again, take it easy – these guys are spirited.

Use a potato masher and mash the potatoes until you achieve the consistency you love.

This makes an absolutely delicious and easy side dish for chicken, pork, steak… you name it. In fact, it has so much flavor and depth, it’s ideal for Meatless meals.

Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Filed Under: Fall Favorites, Gluten Free, Potato Recipes, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: chipotle sweet potato recipe, mashed sweet potatoes recipe, sweet potato recipe

Cookbook Review: The Best 30 Minute Vegetarian Recipes

March 9, 2016 By Joi Sigers

The Best 30 Minute Vegetarian Recipes
The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes
If you’re looking for great vegetarian recipes, here’s a cookbook you’ll want to add to your collection. The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes by Marie-Claude Morin is as perfect for vegetarians as it is the individual who simply wants to replace a couple of meaty meals each week with healthier meals.

Gourmet results — quickly, easily and with a minimum of ingredients and steps.

The rich, varied and delicious vegetarian recipes in this easy-to-use cookbook can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. The ingredients are readily accessible and provide a wonderful range of choices and combinations that will appeal to the whole family, both occasional vegetarians and those who have adopted the lifestyle completely.

Most of these quick and easy-to-prepare recipes are also low fat and low sugar, which further enhances their health benefits. Among the 150 recipes are meals to suit every taste and occasion, from hearty and delicious breakfasts and lunches to main meals suitable for entertaining. The foolproof recipes are arranged in the following categories for easy access:

  • Starters, salads and snacks
  • Soups
  • Pasta and grains
  • Beans, lentils and tofu
  • Sides
  • Desserts

Packed with epicurean delights, The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes will appeal to dedicated vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

{Review Continued Below…}

The Best 30 Minute Vegetarian Recipes
The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes
Recipes Include:

  • Fava Bean Dip
  • Wild Rice Salad
  • Sunny Side Up Western Sandwiches
  • Pineapple Muffins
  • Corn Soup
  • Lentil Soup
  • Greek Salad
  • Chile sin Carne
  • Sweet Potato Muffins
  • Bean Dip
  • Polenta Cakes
  • Feta Cheese Bites
  • Spaghetti Sauce
  • Divine Salad
  • Guacamole
  • Hint of Orange Salad
  • Banana Honey Fritters
  • Two Color Potatoes
  • Swiss Chard Gratin
  • Cilantro Salsa
  • Lemony Artichokes
  • Asian Salad
  • Asparagus in Vinaigrette
  • Many more!

The recipes are fun, easy, and highly creative. I’m really enjoying this great cookbook and am sure you will, too. A few of the recipes I was most excited about were the Lemony Artichokes, Asparagus in Vinaigrette, and Cilantro Avocado Salsa because I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for fresh ways to fix/serve artichokes, avocados, and asparagus. Ever notice how some of the most delicious foods in the world begin with A?

I was also especially anxious to try the Cilantro Salsa, which was perfect.

This one is a must have whether you are a vegetarian or not.

See The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes (Amazon link) for more information.

I was sent a review copy of this cookbook, but the opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

Filed Under: Cookbook Reviews, Vegetarian Dishes Tagged With: cookbook review, Cookbook Reviews, vegetarian cookbook review, vegetarian cookbooks, vegetarian recipes

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