Category: Vegetarian

Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

May is (was) National Egg Month, and, well, the month of May ended more abruptly than I was expecting. So, happy June, and happy belated National Egg Month! (This Friday, June 3rd, is National Egg DAY though, so you can celebrate your little heart out then.)

Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

I love using eggs in dinner recipes, because I don’t get much opportunity for a nice sit down breakfast with eggs. This Cooking Light recipe is the perfect eggs-for-dinner meal — Arugula Pizza topped with Poached Eggs.

Nellie’s eggs sent me some coupons, plus a cool little kit that included a t-shirt, stress egg, and a gift card so that I could try their eggs in a post, and this recipe seemed like the perfect opportunity. Nellie’s are free range, the hens are never caged, and have as much or as little access to the outside as they’d like.

Nellie’s works with over 40 independent, family owned and operated farms to provide their free range eggs produced from Certified Humane Free Range hens that are antibiotic and hormone free.

You can find where Nellie’s eggs are sold here.

On to the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (11-ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust dough (suggested: thin crust)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shaved fresh Romano cheese, divided
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 6 large Nellie’s free range eggs
  • 2-3 ounces baby arugula
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • grated fresh lemon rind from 1 lemon
  • fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Continue reading Arugula Pizza with Poached Eggs

Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce

This time of year delivers some pret-ty great produce. All of the green veggies are in season! This recipe from Cooking Light for Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce makes the most of some spring vegetables, asparagus and peas.

The pasta recipe is a “two pot meal” so it comes together pretty quickly without giving you too make dishes afterwards!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 (10-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese, divided
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces uncooked penne
  • 1 pound (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus

Continue reading Spring Vegetable Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce

Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DareToPair #CollectiveBias

Hooray for spring! The weather may be warming up, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up my beloved pasta! However, I can at least lighten up my weekly pasta a bit. My favorite way to add a little spring to my pasta? Pesto, like in this recipe for Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta!

Pairing fresh ingredients with pasta can really lighten up a comfort food favorite like pasta. I added in some slow roasted cherry tomatoes to add a bit of tomatoey goodness to the dish.

Barilla has a few Better for You Pasta’s to make lightening up you pasta dish even easier. I picked up a box of Barilla ProteinPLUS Rotini Pasta from Walmart; other options available at Walmart include Whole Grain Pasta, Veggie Pasta and Gluten Free Pasta.

Note: there is a great Ibotta offer right now for Buy any 3 select varieties of Barilla Products and earn $1.00 at Walmart! Details can be found at the link above.

Barilla ProteinPLUS has 17g of protein from all-natural vegetarian ingredients, so it’s a great way to add more protein to your pasta meals without adding meat or seafood.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
  • 1 box of Barilla ProteinPLUS Rotini (or Spaghetti)
  • shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Continue reading Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MySmoothie #CollectiveBias

My weekends have become so busy lately as my wedding gets closer. We are now just 2 months from the big day, and every weekend I feel like I have something wedding related I have to attend to.  Because I am always on the go, it has become kind of difficult to get a good breakfast in on weekends, so my go-to breakfast of choice are smoothies, like this Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie!

I love smoothies, but some smoothies don’t keep me full long enough to really be worth making them. So I’ve amped up this smoothie with a few ingredients I picked up at Walmart to keep me full longer.

The base of this smoothie is Oikos Vanilla Triple Zero Greek Nonfat Yogurt, which has 15 grams of protein per 5.3oz which helps me stay full longer. The yogurt also has 0 fat, 0 added sugar,* and 0 artificial sweeteners.

I’m a firm believer that peanut butter makes smoothies taste so much better, so I also used Jif™ Peanut Powder  to add peanut buttery goodness. The Peanut Powder has 85% less fat that traditional peanut butter and no sugar added.

Note: right now there is an Ibotta offer for $1.50 cash back on the combination of Jif Peanut Powder and Oikos (Vanilla) Triple Zero Greek Yogurt OR $1.50 cash back on the combination of Jif Creamy Peanut Butter and Dannon Vanilla Yogurt

*not a low calorie food

I also added in old fashioned oats, a banana, and some milk to make a super tasty and filling smoothie that I can take on the go!

 

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • 1 banana, sliced
  • 1/2 cup skim milk or almond milk
  • 1/2 cup Oikos Vanilla Triple Zero Greek Nonfat Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (uncooked)
  • 2 tablespoons Jif Peanut Powder
  • 1/2-1 cup ice
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Continue reading Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta

I am SO ready for spring! Around this time every year, I tend to start making more “springy” recipes in the hopes that the weather picks up on my strong hints for warmer weather. And what are more spring than peas especially in this recipe for Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta?

This recipe for Kritharoto (Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta) is from the most recent Cooking Light magazine.

In this recipe, Kirtharoto (or orzo pasta) is cooked in a chicken stock, tossed with fresh herbs and citrus, and topped with feta cheese. This simple recipe is on the table in under 30 minutes too!

 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups unsalted chicken stock or vegetable stock to make vegetarian
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces orzo
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 (16 oz) bag frozen green peas, thawed
  • 7 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Continue reading Orzo Pasta with Peas Lemon and Feta

Cheesy Corn Pancakes with Eggs

Did you know that February is National Hot Breakfast Month? Even more exciting, today, February 9, is National Pancake Day!

Krusteaz, which offers many different high quality baking mixes, sent me an awesome Breakfast Night starter kit, including:

 

Krusteaz is also offering one I Can Cook That reader the same starter kit listed above! Details after the recipe. Krusteaz currently also has  a coupon for $0.50 off any one pancake or waffle mix.

 

My fiance loves breakfast for dinner, so I decided to make a savory pancake topped with sunny side up eggs to celebrate National Pancake Day!

 

Krusteaz’s Buttermilk Pancake Mix makes this recipe a cinch to prepare! Just add some additional ingredients and you have a delicious dinner ready in minutes!

Ingredients (serves 2, multiply as needed):

  • 1 cup Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
  • 2/3 cup cold water
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 1/4 cup green onions
  • cooking spray
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Cheesy Corn Pancakes with Eggs

Chipotle Tofu Tacos with Avocado Cream

This post is sponsored by Nasoya. All opinions are my own. #MyFarm2Table

I think I may be a taco addict. I don’t think I’ll ever have enough recipes! Most of my taco recipes are pretty meat-heavy, so I’m so excited to share this simple meatless taco recipe using Nasoya Chipotle TofuBaked!

A new flavor from the leading producer of tofu, Nasoya’s Chipotle Tofubaked is low calorie but high in protein, 8 grams per serving. I don’t cook with tofu terribly often, so I was pret-ty excited that this new flavor is pre-marinated and ready to eat, with no pressing required!

The chipotle flavor brings a little heat and a lot of flavor to these tacos, which is balanced out with the avocado cream. These tacos would be great feeding a crowd while watching the game, don’t you think?

Nasoya was also kind enough to send some free product coupons to share with one lucky reader! Details after the recipe.

Ingredients:

For avocado cream:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • the juice of 1 lime
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Other ingredients:

  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 (8 oz) packages Nasoya Chipotle TofuBaked
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1/4 cup pico de gallo
  • 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • cilantro, chopped, for garnish
  • limes, quartered

Continue reading Chipotle Tofu Tacos with Avocado Cream

Carrot Ginger Soup

Like much of the east coast, Philadelphia got hit with a blizzard last weekend. Which meant I had a whole weekend to make a bunch of meals, like this Carrot Ginger Soup!

This Carrot Ginger Soup from Cooking Light is comforting and creamy without any cream! The hint of curry powder brings such a nice warmth to the dish.

It makes 12 servings, so it’s a great recipe to stock your freezer. I love it as a side to my sandwich or salad for lunch!

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy-free)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 7 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
  • 4 cups diced carrots (~1.5 lbs)
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • the juice from 1/2 lime
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Continue reading Carrot Ginger Soup

Cocoa Almond Pretzel Crust Brownies

Salty-sweet combinations are just. The best. My favorite involve chocolate; the saltiness really enhances the chocolate flavor!

These Brownies are an absolutely delicious salty-sweet combo. The super chocolately, fudgy brownie is made with Endangered Species Chocolate Almond Spread with Cocoa (and 3 other different kinds of chocolate!)  while the crust is make of a deliciously salty pretzel/graham cracker combination.

 

The Almond Spread adds a different lay of flavor to the brownies. To keep the almond flavor noticeable in the brownies, I also used some almond extract. If you don’t have almond extract, or don’t want as much almond flavor, you can use vanilla extract.

What makes these brownies even more tasty is that the chocolate spread used in the brownies also helps give back: Endangered Species Chocolate donates 10% of net profits annually to 10% GiveBack Partners. In the past three years, Endangered Species Chocolate’s (ESC) 10% GiveBack program has donated more than $1.2 million for its carefully chosen beneficiaries!

 

ESC recently announced its 2016-2018 partners: Rainforest Trust and Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN). The organizations will receive 10% of ESC’s annual net profits (or a minimum annual donation of $10,000, whichever is greater) to fund projects they deem most important to achieving their conservation goals.

Rainforest Trust has saved more than 11 million acres of tropical forests to-date, but ESC’s 10% GiveBack program will be vital in expediting the organization’s goal of preserving 20 million acres by the year 2020. WCN funds projects in 24 different countries where the 10% GiveBack program will contribute to helping a myriad of at-risk species.

Past 10% GiveBack partners include SEE Turtles, SEEtheWild, Chimp Haven and, most recently, the Xerces Society and African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).

 

Endangered Species Chocolate was also kind enough to send me some extra jars of their delicious spreads to give away to one I Can Cook That reader! Details after the recipe.

 

Ingredients:
For crust:

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1.5 cups crushed pretzels (about 2 cups mini pretzels before crushed)
  • 1/2 cup ground graham crackers
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

For brownies:

  • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cups (~9 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 ounces (1 baking bar) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1 (9.7 oz) jar Endangered Species Chocolate Almond Spread with Cocoa
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 tablespoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Continue reading Cocoa Almond Pretzel Crust Brownies

Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

It’s time for my annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap post!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted is by Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. For the past five years, the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap has helped raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease.

 

In the past, I’ve made Hot Cocoa Cookies and Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies and Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies. This year, I went for something completely different: Kourambiethes!

Kourambiethes are Greek Christmas Cookies, but also show up for really any celebratory event, so they are an all-year kind of treat. They are nut butter cookies, typically made with almonds or walnuts, which are then rolled in confectioners sugar. The result is a shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups walnuts
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 tablepsoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons orange flower water
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Continue reading Kourambiethes (Greek Christmas Cookies)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayWithChobani #CollectiveBias

I come from an Irish family, so mashed potatoes are a very important part of every large family meal. If it was socially acceptable, I’d fill my plate just with mashed potatoes and gravy at holiday meals.

Mashed potatoes are quite a staple in my life, so I now find myself to be a bit of a mashed potato connoisseur. I like mine super creamy, but don’t necessarily want them loaded with butter to achieve that creaminess.

I personally like to add in Chobani® Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt. Not only does it deliver the creaminess I am looking for, but it is high in protein (44% of your daily value to be exact) and is low in fat. The yogurt contains no artificial flavors or sweeteners and is only made with natural ingredients that are not genetically modified.

Chobani® Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt is a simple and tasty substitute for any recipes that use sour cream, mayonnaise, or oil, making it a super versatile product. I almost always have a quart in my fridge for smoothies, baking, and creamy dressings.

This recipe is definitely a favorite of mine. It uses minimal ingredients and is really simple to make! You can also snazz it up however you’d like! I picked up all of my ingredients at Walmart; you can find Chobani with the other yogurts in the Dairy section.

 

Ingredients: makes 4 servings. multiply as needed

Main Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup Chobani® Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/3 cup milk (I used 1%)

Additional Ingredients:

  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Horseradish cheddar cheese, for garnish
  • 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

During Choctoberfest, I was sent a pretty sweet package of goodies from Just Hemp Foods, including Hemp Protein Powder (which I used in these muffins), Hemp Seeds, and Hemp Oil.

 

This weekend, I finally cracked into the Hemp Seed Oil. I had a bunch of basil that I knew I couldn’t use up before it wilted, so I made pesto, or more specifically, Hemp Seed Basil Pesto!

 

Hemp Seed Oil delivers a subtle nutty taste, so it’s perfect in a pesto. The oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which supports heart health. Hemp Seed Oil degrades with light and heat, so it’s best to refrigerate it and use it cold. The oil has a green color to it, so it really makes the basil pop!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup hemp seed oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Continue reading Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

Homemade Marinara Sauce

I had a sad surprise this weekend. I opened my freezer to grab a quart of tomato sauce only to find I was all out!

Time to make another batch of sauce, so I decided to make Homemade Marinara Sauce!

This time around, I have a nifty new tool to help make my marinara sauce: OXO’s new Illuminating Digital Immersion Blender.

The immersion blender has six digital controls so you can pick the perfect speed for whatever it is you need blended. Just turn the dial at the top of the immersion blender to adjust the speed; a backlit LED indicator clearly shows your speed selection.

To start blending, you just press down on the wide, soft-touch power button located on the top half of the blender. The handle is nonslip, even when hands are wet.

source: oxo.com

The head is made of nylon, which won’t scratch your bowls or cookware while it blends.

source: oxo.com

A really nifty spec is the soft-glow LED headlight that illuminates the pot while you blend, which is super helpful when making a large batch of soup or sauce in a tall pot. A softer version of the light remains on the entire time the blender is plugged in for safety.

The immersion blender comes with a measuring beaker with a silicone lid that holds up to 3 cups. You can blend right in the beaker, then top with the lid to store whatever you don’t use immediately.

When finished using the blender, the cord wraps securely around the blender body for tidy, compact storage, great for my small kitchen!

source: oxo.com

The blender is a super helpful tool when making soups, dips, smoothies, and sauces. I used it to make a smooth marinara sauce made with canned whole plum tomatoes and sauteed carrots, celery and onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • 2 (28 oz) cans whole plum tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • fresh basil, sliced

Continue reading Homemade Marinara Sauce

Chai Toddy

The Holiday Season is officially upon us! And what better way to begin the season than with a giveaway? This post and giveaway are brought to you by one of my favorite organizations, World Vision.

The World Vision Gift Catalog is filled with beautiful gift options for this gift-giving season and cover every budget ($10 to $5,100) that help children and families in need worldwide.

The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select from dozens of items that you will get while helping a person in need. For example, a gardener may enjoy giving hybrid or drought-resistant seeds to a farmer through a donation of just $17 to help one family. Or a child may be the perfect recipient of a donation of $35 which buys new toys such as stuffed animals, dolls, sports equipment, simple games, and more. Because of donations from leading companies, this gift actually goes 12 times further to provide fun-filled toys (it would buy $420 worth of new toys).

I’ve been lucky enough to work with World Vision for the past few years. In past years, I’ve made Star Anise Snickerdoodles to highlight the Prosperity Cinnamon, Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts featuring beautiful Hand-Carved Serving Spoons, and Tiramisu Jars using Fair Trade Coffee. This year, I was sent these gorgeous Capiz Shell Coasters, so I made a yummy Chai Toddy, perfect for cold winter nights! More information on entering the giveaway at the end of this post.

A Chai Toddy is a hot toddy made with chai, which is a tea made with a blend of spices typically including green cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ground ginger, and black peppercorns.  With the addition of whiskey or bourbon, a Chai Toddy makes for a yummy party beverage, don’t you think?

Ingredients (serves 1, multiply as needed):

  • 6 oz steeped Chai tea
  • 1 oz whiskey or bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 oz heavy cream
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise

Continue reading Chai Toddy

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias

Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?? This year has just flown by!

 

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. It’s a day spent with family and friends over good food, just enjoying each other’s company.

 

We spend Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s house. Every year, I bring a little something up to contribute to the meal. For the past few years, I’ve done desserts. My sister put in a request for a chocolate cake this year because in her words, “there’s not enough chocolate at Thanksgiving.”

 

 

We usually have quite a few desserts for the taking, so I decided to make the cake with less added sugar with the help of SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend.

 

SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend works just like regular brown sugar, but with half the calories. I picked up a bag at Walmart (it can be found in the baking aisle with the other sweeteners, or on Walmart.com).

 

I love the flavors of Hazelnut and Chocolate together, so I tested out a recipe for chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate frosting this past weekend.

 

The cake uses ground hazelnut in the batter to add a nutty, buttery flavor as well as a really nice texture to the cake.

 

Ingredients:

Hazelnut Cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup ground hazelnut (hazelnut meal)
  • 1 cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnut extract
  • 1 cup brewed coffee, at room temperature

Chocolate Frosting:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract
  • 5 tablespoons milk

Continue reading Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

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