Happily Ever After Cafe discussion

Do you have any dishes that you cook that you consider quick and easy? Something you can cook at the spur of the moment and have ready in less than half an hour?

Yes, one of my favs... I use a box of this:



I defrost it in a bag of warm water, while I sauté an onion and red bell pepper in garlic flavored olive oil. I salt the onions, then add minced garlic at the last minute, so the garlic doesn't burn.

Then add a can of garbanzo beans (rinsed) and sometimes a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach.

Sooooooo good!

Sounds good AND healthy! You should be a guest in my kitchen blog and post it.

Hmmm, might have to check that out.

Pillsbury biscuits or cresent rolls have been a saviour for me more than once. Their site has some great three ingredient recipes for a fast meal.

Watch the slide show at the top of page for 10 quickies.

http://www.pillsbury.com/cooking-occa...

Thanks, sunny! Some great ideas!

Abigail wrote: "Sounds good AND healthy! You should be a guest in my kitchen blog and post it."

Maybe. What do I have to do?

Check out www.chickletsinthekitchen.com

Read a few posts. There's a guest chick tag on the side.

I basically introduce you, and then you write a post about what you do in your kitchen. Easy peasy! Or easy spinachy!

The Roasted Chickpea Recipe looks good.

If you have a Trader Joe's by you, I'd recommend their Thai Green Curry simmer sauce. It comes in a jar. I cut up chicken breast into small pieces, stir fry in olive oil for a few minutes, then pour over sauce at the end to heat it up. Then serve with Basmati rice, or whatever rice you like. It's spicy though. It's my standby emergency dish - 20 minutes to make tops

Yum, roasted chick peas.

I have a TJ's, but I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy. :(

Me, too.

I eat breakfast at work, so I like to have something I can prepare the night before and then heat up.

I call these egg cups. And my kids keep eating them.

You will need:
A muffin tin
turkey sausage crumbles, cooked or pre-cooked
Eggs - I use egg beaters, so I'm not sure how many eggs you'd need. Maybe one per tin.
Shredded cheese

If you're using real eggs, crack 'em and mix em up.

Spray the muffin tin.

Cover the bottom of the tin with the sausage.
Put a pinch of shredded cheese on top.
Fill the rest of the tin with egg.

(once you make it, you can adjust amounts accordingly.)

Cook in a 350f oven for 20 minutes.
The eggs will puff up like a souffle, but then collapse.

Store in the fridge for a week. They freeze well, too.

They sound delish! I can't eat them, though. I'm allergic to eggs :(

Wow... That's a hard thing to be allergic to!

I know. I found out in my 30s and it was so hard to give it up. I can get away with eating a piece of cake or cookies but anything with a high concentration of eggs is a no-no. I pay for it big time by itching and sneezing big time.

I make awesome hamburgers.

Wet ingredients

Garlic
Ginger
Onion
Coriander (the herbe)

Dry ingredients

Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper (powder)
Mango powder(for a bit of a tang)
Cumin (powder)
Chilli peppers

After you wash and drain the ground beef (there should not be any water in the meat) put the the spices in the meat mix it and you are set.

yum!

Curry and Veggie Brown Rice Casserole (From the brain of Lisa Chance, adapted from Damaris Phillips's Recipe - if you don't want to do vegan.)

INGREDIENTS

• 5 cups of assorted veggies, roasted (or all one kind, if you wish)
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, divided
• 2 tablespoons of whole wheat pastry flour (may substitute all-purpose)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• One 8 oz. container of vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (or white, if you wish)
• ½ cup breadcrumbs or Panko

DIRECTIONS

Toss all the veggies with 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil along with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet and roast until they just start to brown; approximately 15 – 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of the flour and cook until smooth and bubbly; approximately 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of curry and let cook about 30 seconds. Add the vegan cream cheese and let melt into mixture; add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer until smooth; about 5 minutes.

In an 8-by-8 inch casserole dish, layer the rice, then the veggies. Pour the curry mixture over the top and gently combine. Toss the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil with the breadcrumbs and add a pinch of salt to taste. Top the casserole with the breadcrumbs and bake until golden brown; approximately 25 – 30 minutes.

Thanks, LK!

Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook: Over 300 Recipes for Plant-Based Eating All Through the Year, by Del Sroufe

I bought this one for myself and my sister-in-law for Christmas (she lives about 2 hours away). I thought we could each try different recipes and share the pics of our efforts and comments, etc. It has been fun.

White Bean Stew with Saffron and Basil - page 116

The world’s most expensive spice meets one of the world’s more popular herbs in this hearty soup. Saffron can be found in most grocery stores, but you may find it cheaper online. If you use the spice on a regular basis, buy it in bulk for even better savings.

Serves 6

• 2 yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped into medium dice
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 large pinches saffron, crumbled and soaked for 15 minutes in ¼ cup of water that has just been boiled
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups cooked cannellini beans (or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
• 2 cups vegetable stock (may be low-sodium vegetable broth)
• 1 cup finely chopped basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the onions, celery, and carrots in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the wine and the saffron with its soaking liquid and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Add the tomatoes, beans and vegetable stock. Return the stew to a book, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the basic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes.





I did replace the regular diced tomatoes with roasted one, as that is what I had in the cupboard. So, you might notice the char on the tomatoes. The wine I used was Pinot Grigio. Saffron is pretty expensive, but, if I remember correctly, I got a great price on it at Costco.

sounds yummy!

Oh, it was soooooooooooo good, Pamela. I ate it with some whole wheat crackers, but I bet it would be better with some French bread, something to soak up that absolutely delicious sauce the saffron and wine made.

Looks lovely. Much prefer vegetarian to non-vegetarian, although do eat meat a little bit. Your plate also looks very attractive. I always buy white crockery, and then if things break, I can easily replace.

I love meat and I find it hard to cut it. But if I could find some goodies like this I may be able to cut it down some.

If you want to cut back on your meat intake, Pamela, try some of the meat-substitutes. Some of the brands are a bit "iffy," but the one I posted in Post #2 is very good: Vegetarian Plus. Another favorite of mine is Gardein.

One super simple cookbook I'm enjoying is . Sometimes people only want to have one or two meals a day that are vegan, and this cookbook has yummy and easy breakfast, lunch, and dessert recipes. Of course, it has dinner, too...

okay, thanks, LK!

Eating fish in breadcrumbs today. Ready prepared, I'm afraid. Always feel a bit guilty about eating so much fish. Can they feel pain? I know it is said they can't, but I'm never quite convinced.

Vegan SOS - Super Quick Stuff on a Shingle

Since I "went vegan" I found I do a lot more cooking. Especially now, since my move, and I'm out in the middle of nowhere; my favorite fast food vegan restaurants aren't down the block any more!

I do love to cook, but everyone needs a break every now and then. Plus, sometimes I get caught up in a book or a project, and realize I'm famished. This is a critical time, as I'm apt to put something higher in calories in my mouth.

Here's a quick recipe I threw together one day from a couple of cans, and it turned out delicious and was ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. If you cut up all your veggies on Sunday for the rest of the week (mise en place), it takes even less time:

1 medium onion, diced
2 small zucchinis - or 1 small zucchini & 1 small crook-neck squash
scant amount of olive oil, just enough for sautéing
1 can Amy's Lentil Vegetable Soup
1 can cannelloni beans, rinsed
salt & pepper to taste
Oroweat Honey Wheat Berry Bread** - toasted or not, your preference
aoili - vegan garlic flavored

Sauté the veggies in a little olive oil, then add the soup & beans. Heat. Put on top of aoili smeared bread/toast.

**Obviously, from the name, this bread has honey in it. Use another, for those vegans who don't consume anything from bees.



Wildwood is the brand of garlic aoili I use, or Vegenaise® Roasted Garlic, when I don't make my own:

Thanks, Lisa Kay

We totally love Skillet Lasagna

http://www.pink-parsley.com/2012/08/s...

The Creamy Ham and Penne Pasta

http://www.ro-tel.com/recipes-Creamy-...

However, I prefer to use wide noodles instead of the Penne pasta and my grocery store sells cubed ham in 1 lb. pkg.($5) so I always have some left for another dish.

and Cheesy Chicken Risotto

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs...

All are so simple and quick. :D

Yummy, C!