VeggieMeDelicious

I love it when different vegetables come packaged together with the purpose of being used in a soup, stew or other dish. I picked this one up at the Hispanic market the other day, and used it to make veggie soup over the weekend. The soup turned out really good! Here is what wound up going in the soup: A chunk of cabbage (about 1/4 of a medium head) 6 stalks of celery 5 carrots A small zucchini 1 small yellow onion 1 jalepeno pepper A lime A big bunch of cilantro (I used half for the soup, and the other half went into a salsa) A small ear of corn (I also had one in my fridge that was getting on, so I used two) A medium red potato (just one, so I left the peel on and diced it kind of small) Half a chayote squash (I LOVED this in the soup. I just chopped it and tossed it in without peeling. It cooked up with a really nice, firm but tender texture and picked up the flavor of the broth wonderfully.) I chopped all that up and added to the crockpot (

3/4 cup dry lentils 3/4 cup brown rice 2 packages taco seasoning In a 2-quart saucepan bring the water to a boil. As the water is heating, add the lentils, rice, and taco seasoning.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Place a lid on tsimmer for about 45 to 50 minutes. The water should be mostly absorbed.  This is good for tacos, burritoes, taco salad, or just in a bowl with some toppings.  I am also going to try adding sloppy joe flavorings to the finished recipe and see how that works out.

1 c. quinoa 2 c. reduced-sodium vegetable broth 1 granny smith apple, diced ½ c. dried cranberries 3 scallions, chopped 3 T. fat-free citrus vinaigrette dressing 2 T. toasted walnuts, chopped Combine quinoa & broth in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the apple, cranberries, scallions, and dressing to the quinoa; toss to coat. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve at once. 

Here is a couscous salad my husband loves. I omitted the cilantro last time because I hate chopping fresh herbs, and it tasted perfectly fine. 3 cup cooked couscous 1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained 1 cup tomato(es) 1 cup cucumber(s) 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 1/2 tsp olive oil Instructions Prepare couscous according to package directions, omitting oil/butter. Let cool. Peel, seed and chop cucumber. Chop tomato and cilantro. Mix vegetables, garbanzo beans, cilantro and cooled couscous in a large bowl. Whisk together lime juice and olive oil. Pour over couscous mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 2 hours.

My ex-step-mother-in-law used to make these twice-baked potatoes that were SO GOOD. They had a nice tangy taste from sour cream, and there were mushrooms in there, and who knows what-all else. I was wondering how I could replicate that taste without resorting to "cashew cream" or "tofu sour cream" or what have you. I'm not loving the cashew stuff and I can't eat much soy. It occurred to me that hummus mixed with the mashed potato would give it that same sort of tang and a bit of creaminess. Garlic hummus, even, so I would not have to fart around chopping garlic. And maybe some green onions.  Now, my husband thinks he hates mushrooms. However, he likes mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter and red wine. So, rather than chopping the mushrooms into the potatoes, I could make the garlic mushrooms to pour over top.  A side of roasted green beans, and something fresh like creamy cucumbers would make a nice meal.

So the lentil sloppy joes I made from a recipe on line ("oh, all my omni friends beg for this!" she said) were not very tasty at all. I spent an hour chopping and sauteing veggies, making the sauce from scratch, etc. and wound up adding a ton of ketchup, mustard and chili powder to get it to taste anything at all like a sloppy joe my husband would recognize. The flavor was close but the texture was really off-putting. I may try it with lentils and rice at some point. If I make taco-style lentils and rice, then add ketchup, maple syrup and mustard, that might be pretty decent. Lentils and rice together have a bit more of a hamburger-y texture than lentils alone. The other idea I had is to make baked bean sandwiches. The flavor of baked beans is basically the same as sloppy joes, and while the texture is different it is familiar and goes well with the sauce. Eaten on a bun with pickles and mustard, with sweet potato fries on the side and coleslaw, sounds like it might be pr