Vegan campanelle with zucchini and mushrooms. 5/28/19

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Beebamom

Campanelle in Italian means bell flowers. These ruffled bell-shaped pasta are a nice departure from the usual strand or tube. I thought that they would pair well with zucchini since this time of year zucchini are setting bloom to their spectacular flowers and earthy cremini mushrooms.

In order not to end up with a watery dish with slimy zucchini, I salted the cut zucchini and let it sit in a colander for half an hour to rid itself of excess water. In the picture you can see how they have become much firmer.

Salted zucchini, draining

While this was going on I toasted some breadcrumbs and sautéed the mushrooms, onions, and garlic.

Cremini mushrooms, onions, and garlic

Shortly before the pasta was ready I added the zucchini and cooked the sauce components together. John added the al dente pasta to the vegetables and I used about 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water to make a sauce. The finished pasta and vegetables were garnished with toasted panko  breadcrumbs and some good finishing olive oil.

Campanelle with mushrooms and zucchini

I would definitely make this again as it was easy, delicious and filled the kitchen with wonderful aromas. I wonder which one of us will get to eat the leftovers for lunch on Wednesday!

Posted in Easy, Italian, Kitchen tips, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Memorial Day grilling. 5/27/1

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Beebamom

Memorial Day weekend is usually considered the kickoff to summer. So along with the more somber activities of the holiday such as visiting cemeteries and laying wreaths honoring our war dead, we also have parades and cook-outs.

We had a small gathering of John, our daughter, and me for the traditional burgers on the grill with salady sides. I made a broccoli salad and potato salad and John was the grill master.

Sides and condiments – sweet and savory celery seed broccoli salad and vinaigrette and cornichon potato salad

The broccoli is marinated in an oil, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, and celery seed dressing. The potato dressing is a whole grain mustard vinaigrette with onions and cornichons.

Happy Memorial Day and the start of summer (it is still too chilly to eat outside)

Posted in American, Beef, Grilling, Holidays, Vegetables | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pizza Margarita. 5/26/19

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Beebamom

Tonight was supposed to be our Memorial Day weekend cook-out but with rain in the morning and threatening all day plus temperatures in the upper 50’s we decided to postpone the grilling and chilling until tomorrow.

So what to eat? We decide to get a pizza delivered. We have structured our day so that we have a late breakfast around 10:30 AM and then have an early dinner around 5:30 PM. This helps to cut down on the caloric intake that pizza always inspires in me. John wants sausage but I just want cheese so we get it half and half. I have a basil plant growing on the back patio so I use a few leaves for an authentic pizza margarita look.

Pizza margarita. Photo credit – oliviascuisine.com

For instructions on how to make your own pizza from oliviascuisuine.com click here.

 

Posted in Italian, take-out, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vegetable soup with pasta and beans. 5/25/19

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Beebamom

As we were scrounging around for something to eat since we did not feel like what we had planned, John said he was going to have the leftover chicken chili. There really was not enough left for two so I looked through the containers in the freezer. Much to my surprise I found vegetable soup that we had made in March.

This soup turned out much thicker than I remembered probably because the pasta has lent a lot of starch to stock. I think I made this with a parmesan rind so it is not vegan. It could have used some fresh vegetables but I was feeling lazy and only added some arugula for a fresh green.

Vegetable soup with pasta, arugula, and kidney beans
Posted in Easy, Italian, leftovers, Legumes, Pasta, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , | Leave a comment

White chicken chili. 5/24/19

Posted on May 25, 2019 by Beebamom

On Tuesday we shopped at Costco and bought one of their rotisserie chickens. Costco sells a much larger chicken than our grocery stores for a much lower price. For $4.99 the Costco chicken gives us two substantial meals. On Tuesday we each had a leg and a thigh. Tonight the copious breast meat supplied the chicken in our chili and we have chili left over for lunch. Each portion will end up costing about $.80 per person. Good deal!

For the chicken chili we sautéed onions, poblano and jalapeño peppers, and garlic and then added a bunch of chili spices. John mashed up about half of a can of cannellini beans as well as adding a can and a half of whole cannellini beans to the pot. We used chicken stock as the cooking liquid. After about 45 minutes on low, he added the cut up chicken and cilantro. Simmer until the chicken is warmed up and it is ready for eating.

White chicken chili

We garnished each bowl with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. The chili was so good that John had two helpings!

Posted in American, Easy, Legumes, Mexican, Poultry, Vegetables | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Chipotle bean burger. 5/23/19

Posted on May 24, 2019 by Beebamom

As we gear up for Memorial Day weekend you may be thinking about a good non-meat burger to offer to your guests. For tasty ease I would suggest Morningstar Spicy Chipotle Bean Burger*. This bean buger is not trying to taste like meat. It just tastes vegetable good. We found these at Costco.

Chipotle bean burger and cucumber-tomato salad

You can make these burgers in two minutes in the microwave. For additional flavor John seared ours in a hot, cast iron skillet so it had a bit of a crust on it. I garnished mine with onion, tomato, arugula, and ketchup. On the side I made a cucumber, onion, and tomato salad. This chipotle bean burger is a simple, fast, meatless substitution that can easily stand in for a typical hamburger.

*This bean burger is vegetarian but not vegan.

 

Posted in American, Easy, Healthy tips, Legumes, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Meat week? 5/22/19

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Beebamom

Seems like I am going heavy on the meat this week. I will have to find a vegan/vegetarian dinner for tomorrow. One thing that is noticeable, however, is that the actual meat portions are fairly small. For instance, with the carnitas the other night the actual meat was only a small portion of the taco and tonight’s spaghetti Bolognese is a pound of meat spread out over four dinners divided by two (John and me.) So usually we are talking two ounces or less of actual meat.

No excuses, though, I have not been planning well and tonight I just grabbed a container full of sauce out of the freezer and cooked up some whole wheat pasta. I really love this dinner and it never gets old to me. I think I could eat pasta every night and not get bored.

Posted in Beef, Easy, Italian, Pasta, Vegetables | Tagged | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving thoughts. 5/21/19

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Beebamom

It feels so cold and wintery today that my dinner thoughts turned to Thanksgiving! I am definitely ready for some sunshine and warmth.

Since we were going to Costco today, John suggested we get one of their big rotisserie chickens that are only $4.99.  That fit in perfectly with my Thanksgiving thoughts.

Costco rotisserie chicken

In addition I made some butternut squash and broccoli with toasted pine nuts. It was a nice comforting dinner and warmed us up a bit. But I would rather be sitting outside with a frosty drink watching John cook something on the grill!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner

Posted in American, Easy, Poultry, Vegetables | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Carnitas! 5/20/19

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Beebamom

Veinte de Mayo is just as appropriate as Cinco de Mayo for enjoying some fine Mexican food. Tonight we made carnitas tacos!

I made an array of condiments – chopped cilantro and green onions, a crunchy Mexican slaw, sliced avocado, jalapeño, and radishes plus a peach salsa from the store.

Taco accompaniments

John took the lead with the pork shoulder cooking it in our Instant Pot. He cooked our 1.5 lb. piece on high pressure for half an hour with a ten minute cool down and then a quick release of the remaining pressure. Cooking in stock, citrus juices, onion, poblano pepper, and spices added a depth of flavor to the pork. The meat shredded easily and then got some crisping under the broiler. He toasted the corn tortillas over the stove’s open flame and then we were ready for assembly.

Taco assembly station

Mmm, what a great combination of flavors – crispy carnitas, crunchy slaw, spicy jalapeños, sweet peach salsa, and a dollop of cool, creamy sour cream! And once we were finished our daughter made nachos with our leftovers, plus some cheese and tortilla chips. Something for everyone tonight!

Pork carnitas tacos with all the fixings

Posted in Instant Pot, Mexican, Pork, Vegetables | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cannellini beans with white miso and radishes. 5/19/19

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Beebamom

This recipe by Colu Henry on the NYTimes Cooking site boasts a cooking time of about 10 minutes. And that is pretty much true. You empty a can of rinsed beans into some garlicky butter, add the miso, and then, off the heat, add the vegetables.

It is pretty good although our lightly salted butter combined with the miso made the dish quite salty. I also think using olive oil or a neutral oil would work in place of the butter and also keep these beans in the vegan realm. John enjoyed the cooked radishes but I would prefer to keep the salad greens, radishes, and cucumbers (my addition) raw and just let the warm miso beans wilt everything slightly.

Cannellini beans with white miso and radishes

 

Posted in Easy, Legumes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged , , | Leave a comment