Halloween Stew & Wrap

Don’t you feel warmer just looking at a hearty stew?  I know I do. 

My Grandma Capizzi made soups and stews weekly.  You never knew what glorious smell was going to greet you walking into the house on any winter’s day.  Growing up during the Great Depression, my grandmother could stretch a dollar so far it would squeak.  She knew how to make the best stock and always filled the broth with so many vegetables that you could eat it with a fork.  Her secret, she went to the grocery store everyday to search the “reduced rack” in the produce department.  Our soups and stew were never the same twice because her ingredients depended on what was on that rack.  It is funny, you rarely see those racks anymore.  It seems grocery stores might think people are too good for perfectly ripe produce. If it isn’t perfect looking, they don’t put it out.  It’s nearly impossible to buy a ripe avocado or plantain. She might add potato's, peppers, parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, corn, cabbage, onions, even turnips could turn up.  She had a giant pot that was always on the stove bubbling away.  It was so big, I am not sure how she could even see in it, being the petite little Italian lady she was.

My stew may not be as much of a mystery , but warm and bursting with flavor it is.  It contains a ton of fresh veggies.  Carrots, onions, celery, spinach, sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, butter beans, peas, carrots, corn, green beans, San Marzano tomatoes, better than bouillon base, bay leaves, and a little barley.  I also used a bit of a seitan as a beef substitute.  I tossed the seitan in flour, fried it in a teaspoon of olive oil, then added into the soup.  It did a wonderful job of thickening the broth to a stew consistency.  I could eat this everyday in the winter. 

Onto the wrap…

I had leftover Autumn Harvest Chick’n Salad so I used it as the filling for my wrap along with some Romaine lettuce.  This is the same wrap I made for Mya’s lunch.  I used a Flat-out light whole wheat wrap.  I spread out the lettuce and chick’n salad, then rolled it up like a jelly roll and sliced it at an angle.  It was so light and refreshing.  It was perfect with the stew.

Happy Halloween…don’t eat too much candy!!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween

These are Clementine's  I packed in Mya’s lunch today.  Hope she likes her spooky surprise. 

Last night we had a great dinner made from the trial run cooking class I held for myself yesterday. Take a look…

 

Roast Butternut Squash Soup, Stuffed Delicata Squash, Autumn Harvest Chick’n Salad, and we even had Pumpkin Pie!

 

Here is a picture of Mya’s Halloween lunch.

That is a 1/2 of a whole wheat Flat-Out warp stuffed with Romaine and left over chick’n salad.  Organic applesauce, clementine's, chocolate almondmilk, a peanut butter brown rice crisp bar, and lite kettle corn for snack time.   She does not always eat it all, but, I like her to have some choices.  I never know what I want for lunch until I am making it.

I will update you with our lunch in a bit!  Check back, it is one of my favorite from my Grandmother’s recipe box, hint, it will take the will warm you up…

Steaming Grits on a Snowy October Morning

Snow in October?  How did this happen before Halloween?  I think someone is playing a trick on the North East. 

Andy and Mya both asked for grits on this cold and snowy morning.  It was surprisingly chilly outside when I took these pictures.  I was carrying my bowl and camera out onto the deck, not expecting it to be coated with ice, and I slid all the way to the railing.  Luckily, I did not drop or break anything, this time!

I made these grits from a bag of Bob’s Red Mill coarse grain organic corn grits.  All it takes is 3 cups water, (but I used 2 cups water, 1 cup almond milk for extra creaminess) a dash of salt and a rapid boil, then slowly whisk in 1 cup grits. Turn the heat down to low and keep whisking frequently for about 4 minutes, then in the last minute, shred in a little vegan Monterey Jack and some nutritional yeast.  Once removed from the stove and poured into a bowl,  top it with some vegan bacon bits and a pat of buttery spread.  Sprinkle with sea salt and crank on some pepper and you have a warm creamy breakfast on a cold and snowy morning.  I still can’t believe I am saying “snowy”!!!!

I hope you are enjoying your Sunday morning.

 

Halloween Party, Monster Fingers and Lunch!

Mya had her school Halloween party today.  There were lots of goodies on their menu.  One was called “monster toes”.  It was made from hotdogs and flour tortilla's.  I always want Mya to be able to participate in these activities without feeling left out over an animal based item.  So, we got up a little earlier and made our own.  We called ours “monster fingers” because ours used 1/2 of a veggie dog opposed to cocktail franks in the “toe” recipe. We also used a whole wheat wrap instead of the white flour wrap.  I have to say they turned out really cute.  I can’t wait to bring them to my cousins Halloween party on Monday.

After Mya left for school we ran around a bit and were home and starved by lunch.  I had Andy check the bread truck for a loaf of Rye bread that I was hoping we had left.  Yes!  We had one.  I love hot roast tofurkey in gravy on rye with veg Swiss and creamy horseradish sauce.  This hit the spot.  I did not even get hungry again until 6:30pm!

Happy almost Halloween!

Fried Eggplant Over Pasta

I really wanted to finish up the pasta that I had in the fridge for dinner.  There was not enough left to have full bowls, so I made it into a kind of eggplant parm.
I keep a box of  my favorite fried eggplant in the freezer.  I love this stuff because it does not contain milk or eggs.  It is low fat and gets so crispy in minutes that if  I tried, I could not make it that good from scratch.
On the side, another great salad.  I never tire of great salads.  I added some hearts of palm to the mix.  Mya just loves those.  She is not a big salad eater at dinner, but sometimes has a little if she she likes the mix. Of course while making the salad, when I went to dress it with my white balsamic vinaigrette, I  shook it like I always do, to get all the herbs from the bottom, and guess what?  The lid was not secure, and I took a balsamic bath, and so did my cabinets and floor.  What a mess.  I smelled like salad all night!
So there you have it, reheated pasta, which tastes even more fabulous the next day anyway, topped with crispy eggplant and a light salad.
 

Lunch Leftovers

Leftover Sloppy Joe made a great addition to my salad today.  I love the taste of bold BBQ flavor along side a cool sweet coleslaw. I whipped up the slaw in only a few minutes using some pre-shredded cabbage and then adding some onion and carrot and a sweet slaw dressing I made.  The dressing is so simple.  Apple cider vinegar, vegan mayo, sea salt, celery seed, and a few drops of agave nectar.  It was so creamy.  Sometime leftovers can make great new meals.

Low Fat Healthy Apple Cake

Apples. Cinnamon. Whole wheat flour.  No oil.  No guilt.

What more can I say?  I can say… this cake was moist, dense, and bursting with flavor, not fat.  It was delicious. I want to make it weekly for the little bite of something sweet I often crave.  I am going to modify and perfect the recipe before I post it.  So be on the lookout.  You too could be indulging in a non-indulgent “slice of apple heaven.”

 

Sloppy Joe’s

We needed a quick dinner after all the running around. Mya and Andy had soccer practice and I was  picking up our sweet little bunny, cupcake,  from the vet.  So, I decided Sloppy Joe’s with baked potatoes and baked beans would be a good dinner. 
I used TVP for my meat substitute in the Joe’s.  I have been doing that instead of getting the store bought granules, the whole family agrees the texture is perfect for replacing ground “meat”.  I also love that it has a ton of protein.  I par-baked the potatoes in the microwave, then I seasoned, oiled and foiled them, and in the oven to bake.  I heated up the baked beans right before I knew the soccer players were coming in hungry.   Since I had a 40 minute window, I also mixed up some batter and chopped up some apples to bake a healthy apple cake while the potatoes were cooking.
I had dinner ready as soon as they walked in.  I served the Sloppy Joe’s in 100% wheat pitas.  That made them not so “sloppy”.  Everyone cleaned their plate.
I will post a picture of the apple cake tomorrow when it is cool enough to cut.

Simple Breakfast

I know this type of breakfast does not appeal to everyone, but for me, it’s a perfect match. 
I love a using a sweet potato as my base because it gives me energy.  It is high in vitamins and minerals, it has a slow burn effect, it is lower in calories than a white potato, and I think it’s sweetness helps balance the heat I like from my peppers, onions and garlic.  I  like to  throw in at least a cup of fresh spinach at the end to get some calcium, folic acid and vitamin K.  The spinach wilts so quickly it just melts right in.  Speaking of melting, I did put a tbsp. of Dayia cheese on top and about 3 oz. of poached tofu for protein.
For me breakfast really sets the tone for the day. What I love about this simple breakfast is that it works for my body.   I stay full until lunch and because of all the nutrients, I have less cravings throughout the day.  This meal has just the right amount of protein, carbs, and sugars to be in balance for me. I think it is important to never miss breakfast, and eat a breakfast that works for you.  Some people can have cereal, I can’t, I am hungry an hour later.  Some people can have oatmeal, I love it once in awhile, but prefer it in the afternoon if I need something to hold me till dinner.  Protein shakes are great, but I always find myself still longing for a fork and knife meal on a plate and wanting to eat again way sooner that I should. I would  love to hear some comments on what breakfast works for you.

Enjoy your morning… got to go figure out what’s for dinner.

It’s Just That Kind Of Day Pasta

It was just one of those kind of days.  The warm Autumn sun and the crisp breeze blowing gently enough to make small cyclones of multi colored leaves scatter about.  The kind of day you want to savor knowing what is just around the corner.  That kind of day brings out the 100% Italian in me that says, “today we eat pasta.” 
I love coming in from the chilled air to have the smell of onions and  garlic frying in the pan. It  makes your mouth water upon entering the house.  Then you hear the hiss of the tomato paste as in meets the hot olive oil.  Grandma Falco always said, “fry your tomato paste  before you add the water to your gravy.”
I made my Grandma Falco’s “gravy and macaroni” for tonight’s dinner.  I always start with her recipe for gravy   sauce, then tweak it a little, I like it a hint spicier.  I used a macaroni pasta I found at Wegman’s called Riciolli, which looks like tight curls.  It was not a whole grain pasta which I usually make, it was a semolina pasta.  I get these every once in a while for a fun treat.  Most of the whole grain pastas don’t have as many fun shapes.  I let my sauce cook for 2 hours, then when it was perfect tasting, I added 1 bag of mostly thawed vegan meatballs.  Now before you non-vegan’s make that face, they are delicious.  They are light and tender with just the right amount of garlic and parsley.  Like I said, I am an Italian girl who would never eat a meatball that someone other that a grandmother made.  I spent my whole life only knowing my grandmother’s meatballs, until she taught me the recipe and I made my own.  These are really good--- trust me.
Once the pasta was al dente, about 7 minutes, I drained it from it’s salty oily water and added it to my cast iron pot of sauce.  I like to make a topper for Andy’s pasta.  He loves my fried olives and capers for a bit of bitter bite on the sweet and spicy sauce.  
I  always make a nice salad on the side.  If I didn’t, I would eat way too  much pasta.  I have to say, this was one of my best sauces.  I have made sauce, a lot.  Almost every Sunday since I was 18.  It was perfect.  When Mya walked in from school, she said, “Mommy, it smells so good in here. When are we eating?”  She even passed up her afternoon snack so she could wait for dinner.  She ate a full plate of pasta and a few meatballs and left if completely empty.  Not a noodle on the plate.  Then she asked if I could heat it up for here in the morning and put it in her Thermos for her lunch. 
There is nothing in the world that satisfies me more than feeding my family a meal that they really enjoy.  It makes me so happy. 

Now that is a lot of pasta!


My fried olives and capers.

Ready to serve.


Grandma Falco is going to be 95 in about 6 weeks, she still loves her macaroni and gravy!

Dinner & Dessert

“Steak Salad”
Back in the day when I used to eat meat, I loved cheesesteak salads with ranch dressing.  I enjoy a much healthier version today.  I load my salad up with romaine and spring mix baby greens, celery, onion, peppers, tomatoes, radishes,  and  a drizzle of creamy Italian. Next I top it of with vegan steak strips cooked with fried peppers, mushrooms, onions, crushed chili peppers and some Dayia Italian Cheeze melted on top.  It is like a Philly cheesesteak minus the bun. 
I could eat this everyday.


And onto dessert…
Healthy Chocolate “Pudding”

Thick, rich, decadent and absolutely sinful in taste.  This a recipe was devised to kill that chocolate craving I always get after meals.  I absolutely love my tofu chocolate mouse, but in an effort to come up with more nutritious desserts, I redeveloped my pudding/mouse with a no tofu base.
This starts with my recipe for overnight-oatmeal (2/3 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup whole rolled oats soaked overnight), then a frozen banana, splash of almond milk, 2 scoops chocolate vegan protein powder, 1tbsp. ground flax or chia, dash of cinnamon, tsp. vanilla, and 1 tbsp. peanut butter.  I put all the ingredients into my Vitamix blender and blended until smooth.  I poured the mixed into a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and placed in the fridge for a few hours until set.  I love it.  Just like a pudding and satisfies the chocolate cravings in just a few mouthfuls.   This is going into Mya’s lunch tomorrow with a few baby chocolate chips on top!

Burger & Beer

It’s Monday.  Mya and I made whole grain chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.  These are not shown because they got gobbled up so fast there was no time for pictures!  I  thought I would try to inspire you for lunch instead. 
Here we have a Gardein burger on a 100% whole wheat sandwich thin loaded with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill relish, garden tomato, vegan Swiss and topped with some ketchup, mustard and Vegenaise.  A few baked chips on the side and a pumpkin beer for Andy.
Celebrating Autumn meals had us craving some Autumn beverages to go along with them.  Even though I don’t drink alcohol and prefer Apple Cider Tea, I did have an Autumn beer sampling with Andy.  It turned out all Pumpkin Ale is not created equal.  We bought two different cases for Andy and his friends to try.  Andy’s official review of the beers and then the burger below.

Wolaver’s Organic Pumpkin Ale	Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat
Very strong with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Refreshing pumpkin aroma. Pumpkin flavor most noticeable when it hit the back of your tongue. Great beer to have with dinner.	Strong but sweet taste. Refreshing pumpkin aroma. Bolder pumpkin flavor all the way through. Great beer to have anytime.

Andy said that he liked the sweetness of Shock Top, but preferred the organic ingredients in Wolaver’s.  He said he would love to have a case of either in his fridge anytime. 
Onto the burger, Andy said it was so flavorful and satisfying that he can’t believe he ever ate burgers made from meat.  If you are not sure if you will like a veggie burger, this is one to try.  Gardein burgers really taste like hamburgers.  They are only 130 calories with 17 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat.
I like veggie burgers that are more veggie tasting.  My favorites are made from lentils, carrots, celery, onion, sweet potato and grains.  They don’t mimic the taste of a meat burger, they taste like a vegetable burger. We eat a lot of different brands and some I make from scratch, so I think having lots of variety is a great thing.  And topping the burger, whatever the kind, is just as important.
I hope you give one a try this week for lunch or dinner.  Your body will thank you!

Take a bite…you know you want to…

I Love Sunday:Baked Apples, Potpie, & Cauliflower Mash

Sunday Dinner is my favorite meal of the week.  I love spending hours in the kitchen making a fabulous family meal for us all to enjoy.  Tonight’s meal was a classic comfort meal.  Not my “lightest”, but I had a very light lunch with anticipation of dinner. 
My vegan pot pie started with sautéed onions, celery, and garden herbs.  Fresh picked  parsley and sage.  Then I cooked the  potatoes, garlic, mixed veggies and veg chick’n just until the potatoes began to soften.  I made my sage scented gravy from scratch, then I blended all the filling together and let cool.  Once the mixture was cool and the oven was hot, I filled my frozen wheat crust with my filling and then topped it with moist stuffing and put it in the oven to bake about 50 minutes at 400.



The skillet apples:  I pan fried apples in 1 tbsp. vegan butter until they just started to soften.  Then added cinnamon and a few pinches of brown sugar and popped them into the oven covered with foil.



My other side dish was cauliflower mash.  One whole head cauliflower steamed with 1 chopped potato and 3 cloves garlic.  It takes about 20 minutes to steam until soft.  Once steamed, I placed the cauliflower, potato and garlic into my food processor and pulsed until blended smooth.  During the final pulses I seasoned with sea salt, white pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, a few tbsp. of nutritional yeast and a splash of almond milk.
Everything was done about the same time.  While the potpie cooled down enough to cut, I made some gravy for the side.
Ready to devour.  Andy said it was a magical meal.  What a compliment!!!!!