Meatless Monday: Fresh Watermelon Salad

Fresh Watermelon Salad

A refreshing way to enjoy the popular summer fruit, watermelon.

Ingredients

1. 1 medium seedless Watermelon diced into medium chunks.
2. 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese
3. Juice of 1 large lime
4. 1 Tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
5. 2 tablespoons of minced Mint Leaves + leaves for garnish
6. Fresh Black Pepper
7. 1 heaping Teaspoon of minced onion (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine Watermelon, lime juice, Balsamic Vinegar, minced onion, mint, and feta cheese in a large bowl.
2. Toss gently to combine.
3. Top with fresh Black pepper and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
4. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.

Meatless Monday 5 Things: Asparagus

Asparagus, a long, sometimes green stalk vegetable that I just can’t get enough of. It’s one of those vegetables that you either love or hate. I fall in the Love, love, LOVE category and I’m not ashamed of it. Recently, my sweet co-worker and friend brought me a bouquet of purple asparagus that her husband grows right out in their backyard.  Look at it in all its purple glory! 

When I tell you my heart exploded!! I was so excited to get my hands on this Indiana grown bunch of goodness. So today, I’m sharing 5 Things about asparagus, and  a quick recipe too. 

1. Asparagus is a stalky vegetable that is typically harvested during the Spring season, but it can be enjoyed all year round. 
2. Did you know that asparagus comes in more than one type/color? Hence my purple bouquet, asparagus can be found in green, white and purple! The green asparagus has color due to the way that the Sun produces chlorophyll and turns plants and veggies green. 
3. Asparagus is rich in Fiber, Folate, Vitamin B-12, amino acids and can be known to help reduce the frequency of headaches. 
4. The thickness of asparagus has no bearing on it’s taste or tenderness.  In fact, the thick spears are pretty tasty and often have a better shelf life than their thinner counterparts.
5. Growing asparagus is the job for someone with a lot of patience. It typically takes 2-3 years to get a good yield of the vegetable, as the first year is strictly to allow the plant to grown in strong become fruitful.

All in all asparagus is a pretty cool vegetable to put on your plate. Grab a quick recipe for them below. 

Pan Seared Asparagus

A quick and easy pan seared asparagus recipe. Light and tasty!

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Ingredients

1. 1 Bunch of Asparagus with woody stems trimmed.
2. Pinch of Kosher Salt
3. Ground Black Pepper to Taste
4. 1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
5. 2 squeezes fresh lemon juice
6. Grapeseed Oil to Coat pan

Instructions

1. In a shallow pan heat grapeseed oil
2. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute
3. Add Asparagus to pan and season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice
4. Stir to coat evenly.
5. Cook Asparagus 2-5 minutes or to your liking of doneness
6. Serve and devour immediately

By Foodlovetog

Meatless Monday: Fool Proof Rice

Rice can be a great accompaniment to meals that are meatless. I recently met someone recently who claimed  they never mastered cooking rice. I felt compelled to share my fool proof rice cooking method:

(This applies to White Rice, add 10 minutes for Brown)

Ingredients
2 parts liquid to 1 part rice (Typically a cup)
1 teaspoon butter
Pinch salt

Directions

Combine ingredients.
Bring to a boil.
Cook for 20 minutes.
Turn off & remove from heat.

Leave covered to allow all liquid to be absorbed.
Once liquid is absorbed, fluff and serve.

Fool roof!

Meatless Monday: Smoky Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is one of those dishes that brings out the best or the worst in people. To Kraft or not to Kraft? Baked or Stove top? So many sides to this cheesy coin. Full, drawn-out wars could be fought over it. Okay, maybe not wars, but Mac & Cheese is a staple dish in my home. I make it often. In my family, I’m known for my baked mac & cheese. It’s hand delivered to every holiday gathering and usually made by the TON. Last Thanksgiving, I made 5 pounds. Yes, 5 pounds of ooey, gooey, butter baked mac and cheese.

Recently, Mr. Foodlovetog decided to get in the kitchen and try his take on my classic recipe out of the blue. When I tell you I feel like my crown has been threatened… This man’s mac and cheese was perfection! After dinner, we swapped recipes and came up with something fantastic. There’s even a shocker of an ingredient: BBQ sauce, yep! As fate would have it, the woman with condiment issues marries the condiment king. Whenever I make Mac and Cheese, Mr. Foodlovetog puts bbq sauce in it… It’s his favorite way to eat it. Sounds crazy, but when added to the cheese sauce, it kicks the dish up at notch! Grab the recipe below, you’ll be glad you did! 

Smoky Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

43 min

Ingredients

1. 3 Cups Elbow Macaroni Pasta
2. 4 & 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheese ( 1 cup each Monterrey Jack, Queso, Sharp Cheddar, Mild Cheddar)
3. 5 Tablespoons Butter, diced
4. 4 Tablespoons Flour
5. 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
6. 3 Cups Half & Half (warmed)
7. 2 Tablespoons of Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce
8. Black Pepper (several cracks)
9. Salt (pinch)
10. Paprika (heavy pinch)

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare an oven safe dish by coating in with 1 tablespoon of butter.
3. Boil Pasta for 8 minutes, drain and set aside.
4. In a heavy bottomed pot, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter.
5. Stir in flour, pinch of salt and black pepper stir well to combine.
6. Cook flour and butter mixture until golden blonde in color.
7. Whisk in warmed half and half.
8. Continually stirring, add Shredded cheese 1/2 cup at a time, until well blended and the cheese has melted. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese for garnish.
9. Turn off flame.
10. Stir in Paprika, Sour Cream and BBQ Sauce, stir to combine.
11. Add pasta to cheese sauce.
12. Mix well and pour into prepared oven safe dish.
13. Top with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
14. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.
15. Serve and Enjoy!

Meatless Monday | Stuffed Peppers

So… I had a few of these hanging out in the kitchen so I decided to stuff them:

Veggie Stuffed Pepper Recipe

 

1 cup uncooked long grain white or brown rice

1 cup water

4 bell peppers

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 medium onion

2 carrot sticks diced 

1 can of crushed tomatoes

I also put about a half inch of water in the pan so the peppers wouldn’t stick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook chopped onion and carrots until soften. Remove from heat and set aside. 

2. Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)

3. In a bowl, mix the cooked rice, onion, carrots, 1 can tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Serve hot and enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to use Sweet Peppers?

Thanks for reading!

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Pecan Bread

The Sweet Potato is one of my favorite vegetables. I love that can eat it all year long in a variety of ways.. steamed, roasted, baked in a pie, chopped in a hash for breakfast, the possibilities are endless for the sturdy vegetable. In honor of Fall, I decided to whip up this cake, instead of my usual Banana Nut Bread. I’m so glad I did.. I mirrored this recipe after my Granny’s Banana But Bread, only this one is Eggless and Milk-free. Yep, it is quite possible to bake a moist bread without eggs or milk. I dare you to try it!

Check out the recipe below.

Eggless. Milk-Free. Delightful. This almost Vegan recipe is moist, hearty and full of the flavors of Fall. This one bowl recipe is sure to please!

Total Time

1 hr 15 min

Total Time

1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1. 1 Large Sweet Potato (Cooked and Mashed) ( to yield 1 cup )
2. 1/2 stick of Melted Butter
3. 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
4. 1/2 Cup White Sugar
5. 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
6. 1/3 Cup unsweetened Applesauce
7. 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
8. Pinch of Salt
9. 1 and 1/2 Cups AP Flour
10. 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
11. 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
12. 1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350
2. In a large bowl combine Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sugars, Nutmeg, Cinnamon,& Applesauce
3. Stir gently to combine
4. Add Baking Soda, Salt, Melted Butter, Vanilla Extract
5. Add flour and stir well to combine all ingredients
6. Fold in Chopped Pecans
7. Add mixture to a prepared loaf pan
8. Bake on 350 for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in middle of bread comes out clean
9. Let Cool and Serve along side your favorite milk.

Candace Boyd Wylie is an Indianapolis, Indiana native who believes in the power of a good meal.  She is the Recipe developer, Content creator and Recipe slanger at FoodLoveTog. FoodLoveTog is a food blog that is dedicated to sharing good eats and food for the soul. Candace is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and CWUW supporter. She can be found on the web at FoodLoveTog and at BoydWyliePhoto

Meatless Monday: Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad

It's Monday! I'm Candace and I'm here from FoodLoveTog to share a recipe for Meatless Monday.  I know what you're thinking. "The bacon lady does Meatless Monday?" Yes, more often than you think. While I do have my love for bacon, I do recognize that I can not have bacon every single day with every single meal. Going Meatless is an excellent way to curb my bacon addiction. That said, I do have moments where all I'm craving is a giant spinach salad. Enter this baby: Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad with  Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Yes, you can make a delicious salad and your own dressing at home! Try it, it's easier than you think.
The flavors of Fall are all throughout this salad. Sweet Bartlett pears, tangy Pomegranate seeds, chunky blue cheese and crunchy Pecans. The dressing has a balsamic vinegar base, but when matched with sweet and tangy pomegranate juice, it's kicked up a bit. Simple, yet full of flavor.
Checkout the recipe below.

Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Ingredients 

1 Large bunch of Spinach Leaves for Salad (cleaned and prepped)

1 Bartlett Pear, Seeded and Sliced thinly

1 Handful of Chopped Pecans

1 Handful of Pomegranate Seeds

1/3 cup of Blue Cheese Crumbles

For the Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/3 cup of Pomegranate juice

½ teaspoon salt

Several cracks of cracked Black Pepper

¾ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

To Prepare Salad:

Add Spinach to large salad bowl

Mix in Chopped Pecans.

Mix in Blue Cheese Crumbles.

Top with sliced Bartlett Pear.

Sprinkle Pomegranate Seeds on top of salad just before serving.

To Prepare Pomegranate Vinaigrette:

In a bowl, combine by whisking Balsamic Vinegar, Pomegranate juice, salt, and fresh Black Pepper.

Slowly whisk in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and whisk until emulsified.

Spoon desired amount over dressing.

Toss gently

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Candace Boyd Wylie is an Indianapolis, Indiana native who believes in the power of a good meal.  She is the recipe developer and content creator and FoodLoveTog. A food blog that is dedicated to sharing good eats and food for the soul. Candace is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and CWUW supporter.. She can be found on the web at FoodLoveTog and at BoydWyliePhoto

Coconut Vegetable Curry

Coconut Vegetable Curry


This is a lighter, cholesterol-free vegetarian curry.
Per serving: 200 calories and 11g fat
Saves: 172 calories and 19g fat!

Ingredients:

This vegetarian makeover recipe replaces beef with vegetarian protein, regular high fat coconut milk with light, and reduces the amount of cooking oil.

To learn more about recipe makeovers see CalorieKing's library article "Smart Substitutes: Your Guide to Low-Calorie Cooking Alternatives".

Recipe Makeover

1 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp mild curry paste
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 cup broccoli florets
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
8 baby squash, quartered
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
14 oz Loma Linda Tender Bits
Traditional Recipe
2 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp curry paste or sauce
1 cup broccoli florets
1 medium carrot, sliced
8 baby squash, quartered
1 cup regular coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 lb beef strips

Directions:

RECIPE MAKEOVER:
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion, curry paste and sauté until golden.

Add garlic and remaining vegetables. Continue to sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir through coconut milk, Loma Linda Tender Bits and salt. Heat through and serve.

Variations:

Serve with rice, if desired (serving suggestion is not included in the recipe analysis).

Author:
Recipe Makeover by Family Health Network

CWUW Supports the "Meatless Monday" Campaign

"Meatless Monday is a national health campaign to help Americans prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer - four of the leading causes of death in America."

CWUW supports the Meatless Monday campaign.
Please visit the Meatless Monday website to learn more
about how to go Meatless at least once per week.


LIVE LIFE WELL

Recipe from the Meatless Monday website:

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Jamaican Jerk Tofu
Makes 6 servings

This is the kind of miracle dish that can convert anyone to tofu. The Jamaican "jerk" seasoning is sure-to-please. It's sort of like barbeque and sort of like curry, savory and sweet at the same time. Just make sure you allow plenty of time for the pressing and marinating. The drier the tofu gets before you put it in the marinade, the better. It will soak up more flavor and be nicely chewy.

Ingredients
1 pound extra firm tofu, drained, sliced and pressed (see directions)
1/2 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (you can cut back to one or omit entirely if you like spicy)

Directions
Slice the tofu into thick slabs then lay the slices on several layers of paper towels or on a clean dish towel and place a heavy plate or skillet on top. Let it sit for an hour or two. Pressing the tofu is a way to get the extra moisture out - and the drier you can get the tofu, the more of the flavorful marinade it can absorb.

Puree all the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor to create the marinade. Place the tofu slices in a bowl, pour in the marinade, making sure to coat all the slices, and cover. Let it sit for an hour or two, flipping the slices about halfway through

Heat a skillet with a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, lay the tofu slices in a single layer and saute until crispy and browned. That will take 8-10 minutes on each side.

Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 161; Protein: 9g; Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0g; Sodium: 543 mg; Fiber: 1g