Vegetarian Archives - The Tasty Fork

Vegetarian Recipe: Orzo Salad with Spinach & Chickpeas

May 9, 2013 by admin · 9 Comments

Earlier this week on The Tasty Fork Facebook page, I asked what kind of recipes you’d like to see on the blog. One of the responses was from my bloggy friend, Lisa. She asked for more vegetarian recipes. I got to thinking I haven’t posted one in a while, so why not! The weather is starting to warm up, people want to use fresh ingredients and not be standing over a hot stove just to get a meal on the table. This Orzo salad recipe is a vegetarian’s delight and will make the meat people in your life happy. It’s so colorful, how can you not smile at it??

I don’t know about you but I’ve been eating lighter meals these days. I start off my day with some Greek yogurt and granola, lunch is usually a fruity protein smoothie and then something sensible for dinner. (I sound like one of those dieting ads!) I don’t know what it is but once the sun starts to shine, I’m not AS hungry. That’s why I hardly ever diet in the winter, I know whatever I put on during the colder months will come right off once I can be active outside again.

I’ve said before on this blog, if I post a salad recipe, it needs to be approved from my husband. He’s not going to be satisfied with some girly little salad. So to dress things up and make it more hearty, this salad is filled with orzo pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach and reduced fat feta cheese. The salad dressing is easy – just lemon juice and olive oil. There is no chopping of vegetables, the orzo cooks up in 10 minutes, the lemon juice dressing is super fresh tasting…. I can go on and on about what a great and easy vegetarian salad this is!

We ate the Orzo Salad as a main entree but it would also be a great side salad. Perfect for a picnic! Personally, I loved how easy it came together and plan on making it again on the nights when I don’t have a lot of time but still want a well rounded meal. Pin this vegetarian recipe – you’ll want it to remember it for those busy work nights and you don’t want to cook!

Vegetarian Recipe: Orzo Salad with Spinach & Chickpeas

Ingredients

1/2 lb uncooked orzo (it looks like rice. use whole grain if you can find it!)
3-4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (the ones that aren't in oil. They come packaged in a resealable bag.)
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup reduced feta cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Cook orzo according to directions. Al dente is usually around 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Pour orzo into a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss until well combined. Taste and add fresh cracked pepper, if needed. Serve right away or can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days in an air-tight container.

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Filed Under: Entree, Healthy, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian · Tagged With: chickpea salad, easy recipe, easy salad, meat free, orzo salad, picnic salad, recipe, salad recipe, spinach salad, summer salad, Vegetarian, vegetarian salad

Mini Chile Relleno Casserole & Spicy Breakfast Potatoes

April 17, 2013 by admin · 21 Comments

I was never much of a breakfast person. As a child, my Mom would offer to make me a hot breakfast every morning. I was dumb and grabbed a pop tart instead. So dumb I used to be….

My husband’s favorite meal of the day is breakfast. So much so that he would go out to breakfast all by himself on those random bank holidays that no one else off but finance people. I can’t even go to a movie by myself, never less have a meal. He was the one who got me to come around to breakfast food. He inspired me to make one of my most popular recipes on this blog.

I usually cook things that I want, but for this meal, I thought I’d make the hubby happy and have breakfast for dinner. I came across a Mini Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe on Kitchen Daily and I LOVED the individual serving option by cooking the casserole in ramekins. Plus, chile rellenos is one of my favorite Mexican meals! Have you tried it? It’s a deep fried pasilla chile stuffed with rice, beans and meat. Not the most figure friendly meal, but this chile relleno casserole recipe is a much healthier option — Eggs, chilies, corn, sourdough bread, skim milk and low-fat cheese. Baking the eggs in a water bath makes the casserole texture super fluffy. I’m loving this new take on chile rellenos!

To round out the meal, I made a side of Spicy Breakfast Potatoes. YUM! I can not tell you how much I love diced potatoes from the freezer section. I HATE chopping potatoes…especially trying to make every potato exactly the same size. Thank you, Grocery Store, for doing this mundane task for me. I had some extra corn and a red pepper on hand, so I added those items to the potatoes, but feel free to add anything your family likes.

Breakfast for dinner is something I need to do more often! What are your favorite breakfast for dinner meals? Would you love to take a picture of your breakfast for dinner meal with this new camera??

Mini Chile Relleno Casserole & Spicy Breakfast Potatoes

Ingredients

For the Casseroles:

2 can 4-ounce diced green chiles, drained and patted dry
¾ cup frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup sourdough bread, cut into cubes (can be stale)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 ½ cup non-fat milk
6 large egg whites
4 large egg
¼ tsp salt

For the Spicy Breakfast Potatoes:

1 Bag (16 oz) Frozen Diced Potatoes
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 1/4 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Black Pepper Coarse
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup Green Chiles Mild, Canned
1/4 cup Red Pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Frozen Corn
1/4 cup Green Onions, for garnish

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat 4 ramekins with cooking spray. Fill a large casserole dish with a few cups of water to make a water bath. Set aside. In each ramekin, equally divide green chiles, corn, scallions and bread. Top each with cheese. Whisk milk, egg whites, eggs and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the ramekins. Place ramekins in a large baking dish. The water in the baking dish should come up half way on each ramekin. If there is too much water, remove it.
Bake mini casseroles for 25 to 35 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and the eggs are set. Be careful removing casseroles from oven. Stay steady and don't spill the hot water. Use tongs to remove ramekins from the water bath.
For the potatoes - heat a cast iron skillet to a medium heat. Mix together all ingredients except the green onions. Add to skillet and cook for 12-15 minutes. Garish with green onions.

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Mini Chile Relleno Casserole inspired by Kitchen Daily.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Entree, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian · Tagged With: breakfast casserole, breakfast for dinner, brunch recipe, easy breakfast, easy meal, healthy breakfast, Mexican breakfast, recipe, spicy potatoes

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells

March 4, 2013 by admin · 26 Comments

Happy Monday! Sorry I’m getting this post up a little late. My Sunday was on the non-productive side. Lots on laying around and watching TV. It was a great way to end the weekend because I feel so well rested and excited about my week.

Since it’s Monday, let’s start off with a healthified recipe. I always try to eat healthy but it always seems to be easier to do in the beginning of the week. The March Issue of EveryDay Rachael Ray has several skinny recipes! I came across her recipe for Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip and I was very intrigued to try it. Instead of mayo, the recipe calls for Greek yogurt, which is now becoming a very popular healthy substitute. The thing that made me go “hhmmmm” with Rachael’s recipe was adding pureed edamame. I sampled the dip before stuffing it into pasta shells and the edamame adds a creamy texture. Not to mention tons of protein!

If you just want to try the skinny dip, it can be baked for 15 minutes in a baking dish with the oven set to 350 degrees. I decided to take a step further and use the dip as a filling for stuffed shells. It was amazing as a filling and was a healthy alternative to the usual stuffed shells filling.

I hope all of you have a great week! Give this recipe try as a healthy alternative to the everyday classic!

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Dip Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

For the Dip:

1 cup shelled edamame
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10 ounce package thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1 9 ounce package thawed frozen chopped artichoke hearts
1 1/4 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper

For the Pasta:

12 oz jumbo shells
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup your favorite white wine
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, puree the edamame. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet set at medium heat, pour the extra virgin olive oil and add onion & garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts; cook & stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat - add in the yogurt and lemon juice.
3. Add half of the spinach mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Fold into the remaining spinach along with the edamame, cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and spread jumbo shells on 2 baking sheets. Let them cool before stuffing.
5. For the pasta sauce - Add oil to a heated pan. Saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Deglaze with white wine; cook until wine has evaporated. Add both cans of tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
6. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with tomato sauce. Start to stuff the shells with the dip and line them up in the baking dish. When the dish is full, drizzle pasta sauce over the shells. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

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Dip recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray

Filed Under: Dip, Healthy, Pasta, Vegetarian · Tagged With: dinner, meatless monday, pasta recipe, Rachael Ray Recipe, recipe, skinny dip, Vegetarian

Lent Friendly Meal – Fennel, Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Quiche

March 1, 2013 by admin · 13 Comments

Can I be honest? Growing up, Easter was never a holiday I looked forward to. Besides having to give up something I loved, no meat on Fridays in our home was strongly enforced. I was raised on the Irish Catholic diet of meat & potatoes. When Fridays during Lent came along, I pretty much thought I’d just starve.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Starve?? There are plenty of vegetarian options or even fish.” At this point in my life, I had no idea there was a vegetarian lifestyle and fish was too slimy or smelly to eat. My Mom tried to be creative with food options but I thought of every excuse in the book to eat something I wanted. “Mom, I’m growing and need meat! Mom, I bruise so easily, I need iron! Mom, why can’t we just get a cheese pizza like a normal family??!!” No dice. Never worked for me. My Dad’s favorite Lent meal still haunts my dreams. It was a casserole with bread, cheese, cream of mushroom soup & peas. So gross. I’m pretty sure I fed most of that meal to our dog.

Thinking back, I don’t know why we didn’t have more breakfast for dinner meals. Hello – french toast, waffles, pancakes would’ve been better options than Dad’s casserole.

And let’s not forget about eggs. Of course all eggs go great with a half pound of bacon, but I could pass on the bacon for just one day. Especially if I could eat this quiche. Fennel, Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Quiche. It’s got so much flavor, you won’t even miss the meat! Another thing missing is a crust, so it’s also a gluten free option.

Can we talk about fennel for a second?? By no means am I fan of anything licorice flavored, which is how fennel tastes when uncooked. But when you saute it with a little olive oil and salt, holy moly, talk about delicious! Whatever you do, please use 1 fennel bulb to make this quiche. It’s the type of ingredient which makes the recipe and at the same time, people will ask you how did you get such a mouthwatering quiche. Cooked fennel = Total Game Changer.

To round out the meal, I bought a bag of frozen O’Brian potatoes (of course I’m Irish!) and seasoned them with a little salt & chopped parsley.

If you have picky eaters or are looking for a truly tasty vegetarian recipe, Fennel, Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Quiche is an excellent choice! I could only wish I would have thought of this during my teen years. Ooooh hindsight — I would’ve saved my Mother from a couple pouting sessions.

Fennel, Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Quiche

Ingredients

1 medium fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers (2 large peppers), drained and chopped
6 large eggs
8 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
2 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tsp chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch glass pie dish with cooking spray. be sure to spray the bottom AND sides. (You'll thank me for that tip!)
2. In a large skillet, coat with extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add fennel and onion, and sauté for 10 minutes. Onions should be translucent. Season with salt & pepper. Stir in garlic, and cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in roasted peppers, and remove skillet from heat. Cool 15 minutes.
3. Whisk eggs with cottage cheese, goat cheese and parsley. Season with salt & pepper. (trust me, 6 eggs is enough. I thought about adding more but I'm glad I didn't.) Stir cooled vegetable mixture into egg mixture. Pour into prepared pie dish. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until center is set and top is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with your favorite breakfast potatoes or a leafy green salad.

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Inspired by Vegetarian Times

Filed Under: Breakfast, Entree, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian ·

Sweet Potato & Cranberry Muffins

February 23, 2013 by admin · 16 Comments

Now this is a breakfast you can feel good about eating.

Sure, sweet potatoes & cranberries sound like great sides at Thanksgiving dinner but for breakfast?? All I can say is, but of course! This might sound like a shock to you but if I had to choose between a sweet muffin or a savory muffin, I’d totally pick the savory option. I guess there is something about breakfast, or maybe it’s the Motherly guilt of being told to eat a healthy breakfast everyday, that encourages me to start off my day right.

Sweet potatoes are great for vitamin C, which we need this time of year to help ward off cold and flu viruses. In disease-fighting antioxidants, cranberries outrank nearly every fruit and vegetable. So as you can see, this recipe is out to a great start!

To keep this recipe heart healthy, I used Mazola Corn oil instead of an everyday vegetable oil. Did you know corn oil has more cholesterol-blocking plant sterols than any other cooking oil – four times as many as olive oil AND 40 percent more than canola oil? We’re all trying to eat better, and one of the best ways to do that is to use ingredients that help our bodies.

If you’re looking for more heart healthy recipes & tips using Mazola Corn Oil, head over to their Facebook page and become a fan. Click on the icon below and you’ll be directed to their page.

Start off your weekend on the healthy foot and give these muffins a try. You’ll be happy to know you’re keeping flu bugs away, rocking awesome skin from all of those antioxidants and doing your heart a favor by using Mazola Corn Oil.

Sweet Potato & Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup leftover mashed sweet potatoes (or yams)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Mazola Corn oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, or to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup leftover cranberry sauce

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together potatoes, eggs, sugar, oil, water, zest, and vanilla with a wooden spoon.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, then add to the sweet potato mixture and stir until just combined. Gently stir in cranberry sauce.
4. Spoon batter into the muffin cups and bake until muffins are browned and the tops spring back when you press them lightly with your fingertip, about 30 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then turn muffins out onto rack to cool completely.

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Recipe from Disney Family

Filed Under: Breakfast, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian · Tagged With: breakfast muffins, breakfast recipe, healthy, healthy muffin recipe, healthy recipe, Mazola Corn Oil, Mazola Recipe, muffins, sweet potato and cranberry muffin

Zesty Chipotle Black Bean Cakes

January 31, 2013 by admin · 20 Comments

I’ve got one more Super Bowl recipe to share with you before the Big Game. Yesterday, I posted a crowd pleasing but not so healthy recipe. Today, I’m sharing something that’s very figure friendly but still tastes amazing!

Not everyone wants to go to a Super Bowl party and feel like they’ve gained 10 pounds in 4 hours. All of the little snacks add up – chips, dips, wings, sliders, sweets – it’s easy to see why people love eating during the Super Bowl so much.

I came up with Zesty Chipotle Black Bean Cakes as a healthy appetizer for all of you to try. If you’re thinking, “Meghan, will everyone like this?” I’d answer, “Yes! Of course!!” All of my healthy recipes are graded very carefully by my best critic, My Husband. This is how our taste session went last evening…

Me: So what do you think?

Jim: It’s really good.

Me: It’s not girly good, right?? Like, boys would eat it?

Jim: Yeah, it’s spicy and smoky. Doesn’t taste super healthy. I like it.

Me: Sooo, would you say you like it like it?

Jim: (growing annoyed with me) I’d never say “like it like it” to anything but it’s very good and I’d eat it again.

So there you have it. It’s not some healthy girly appetizer which will go untouched at your Super Bowl Party. My hubby hit it right on the head. Zesty Chipotle Black Bean Cakes are spicy & smokey. Lime juice and cilantro gives the cake some fresh zest. And topping each cake with guacamole & tomatoes not only looks great, but it adds a creamy texture.

These zesty cakes can be prepared a day of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Form the cakes the day of and bake. Top with gauc when the party starts.

Happy Super Bowl Guilt Free eating!

Zesty Chipotle Black Bean Cakes, makes 8 cakes

1-2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup cilantro
2 garlic cloves
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
2 tbsp chipotle sauce (or 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce)
1 lime, halved
1 egg
Guacamole
2 roma tomatoes, diced

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil covered in cooking spray.
In large bowl, add 1 cup of panko bread crumbs. Set aside.
In your blender or food processor, add cilantro, garlic, green onions and red pepper. Blend until finely chopped. Add black beans, chipotle sauce and juice from 1/2 of the lime. Blend until beans are coarsely chopped. (There still will be some chunks and that’s ok. You don’t want a complete paste.)
Add bean mixture to panko. Add egg and mix with your hands. Add additional panko if needed. You don’t want too much liquid. Scoop about 1/4 cup of bean mixture to make cakes. Place on baking sheet. Spray the top of cakes with cooking spray. Cook for 10 minutes, flip the cakes and cook for another 10 minutes.
Top cakes with guacamole and tomatoes. Cut the rest of the lime into wedges. Use as garnish or drizzles over cakes. Serve warm.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Game Day, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian · Tagged With: Appetizer, baked black bean cakes, baked recipe, black bean patties, chipotle recipe, healthy recipe, recipe, super bowl recipe. game day recipe, vegan, vegan appetizer, Vegetarian

Feta Dip with Fresh Herbs & Lemon

January 9, 2013 by admin · 14 Comments

It seems like ages ago, but before Christmas, I went to a Holiday Theme Pinterest Party. Being a total pinning addict, this was such a fun party! Everyone made something to share and the recipes had to come from one of your pin boards.

I asked for help from my readers about their favorite party food pins. My friend, Maddie, gave me a great recipe from one of her pin boards. She said it’s always a huge hit anytime she’s made it. It’s super easy, no cooking required and it’s transportable.

I did make a couple changes to the recipe. I used reduced fat feta cheese (you can’t taste the difference!), replaced dried herbs with fresh oregano, parsley & basil and topped the dip with fresh lemon juice.

The dip was a huge hit! It was almost like a Greek style bruschetta since we ate it with bread. It’s definitely something I’ll be making again!!

Feta Dip with Fresh Herbs & Lemon

Extra virgin olive oil
1lb Reduced fat feta cheese (buy it in a block, not crumbles)
3 -4 Roma tomatoes, diced
10 Green onions, chopped
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 tbsp Oregano, chopped
1 tbsp Basil, chopped
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 lemon, juiced
1 baguette, sliced

Directions

In a large platter, pour olive oil. (it should cover the bottom of the platter.)
Crumble feta cheese over platter. Add tomatoes, green onions and herbs. Mix everything together.
Taste. Add red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
Top dip with lemon juice.
Serve with bread. I bought a french bread baguette from the bakery section at my local grocery store and that was perfect with this dip!

Inspired by Clover Lane

Filed Under: Appetizers, Dip, Game Day, Vegetarian · Tagged With: Appetizer, dip, feta cheese, feta dip, game day, greek dip, herb dip, no bake dip, party food, pinterest, Vegetarian

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

December 12, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 3 Comments

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

Christmas is less than two weeks away and I’m already entering sugar coma status. Holiday lattes start off my morning. Everyday seems like a cookie swap party at work…and it’s rude to turn away treats people have baked, right?? And for the past few nights, I’ve been having these as dessert – they’re sooo addicting. I know I’ll have to make more once they’re gone.

Since I’m eating so much sugar, I’m really trying to balance out my diet with some healthy meals like this soup. It’s filled with vegetables and has a rich tomato base. If you like tomato soup, you’ll want to try this! By blending a can of diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, each bite you take is full of flavor. Not even a pinch of salt went into the soup!

If you’re a sugar addict like me, make this soup so you can enjoy all the holiday treats the season has to offer.

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

2 Tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can small white beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes. Get the ones that aren’t packed in oil. They come packaged in a resealable bag, can be found in the produce section.
8 basil leaves, torn plus more for garnish
8 oz bag baby spinach

Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and thyme. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.
Add broth, 1 can tomatoes, and beans. In a blender, add remaining can of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, torn basil leaves and 1/2 soup liquid. Purée until smooth. Add more soup liquid to get the consistency you want. Stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add baby spinach and simmer 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat, and stir in basil garnish.

Filed Under: My Kitchen, Soup/Chili, Vegetarian · Tagged With: easy meal, food, food blog, recipe, soup, The Tasty Fork, vegan soup, vegetable soup, vegetables, Vegetarian

Whole Wheat Penne with Triple Tomato Sauce

November 29, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 7 Comments

Every morning I ask my husband, “What do you want for dinner?” (Yes, I’m thinking about dinner at 7am. It’s a problem.) His response is always the same, “Something healthy.” I usually give him a face that says, “Gee, thanks for the imput,” as I rack my brain for meal options. Luckily, I have 11 hours to come up with something.

Yesterday’s recipe post was all about time-saving and short cuts. If a product tastes good and can save me sometime (meaning I get to drink wine and watch TV sooner), I’ll buy it. However, there is one item in a grocery I’ll never buy. Store Bought Pasta Sauce. It never tastes good. I’ve tried different brands but there isn’t one that can trick my taste buds. Making my own pasta sauce is the only way to go.

When I get a craving for pasta, I just go with it. I always buy whole wheat pasta but the sauce creations are endless. Taking into consideration my hubby’s healthy request, I thought a marina sauce would be our best bet. But instead of just using some tomatoes, garlic and basil as a sauce — I wanted to kick it up a bit. I knew we had some sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste in our pantry. 3 different tomato flavors in one sauce. This was gonna be good.

Just because I’m making my own pasta sauce doesn’t mean I’m going to spend a lot of time in my kitchen. This meal was ready in 20 minutes. Honestly, the pasta sauce was ready by the time the pot of water for the pasta started to boil.

So if you’re like me and not a fan of store-bought pasta sauce, give this recipe a try. I think you’ll love all of the rich tomato flavor and you’ll be impressed by how easy it comes together!

Triple Tomato Pasta Sauce with Whole Wheat Penne

1lb whole wheat penne
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt & Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
6 basil leaves, torn
Basil for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook penne until al dente. Save 1/2 cup of pasta water when draining cooked pasta. You may need it to thin out the sauce.
In a sauce pan with olive oil, add onions and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue stirring to incorporate paste. Add Salt & Pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes.
In a blender, add canned tomatoes, basil and onion mixture. Blend until smooth. Wipe/wash clean the sauce pan if there is a lot of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. You don’t want a oily sauce. Add sauce back to the pan and keep warm until pasta is cooked. (If you have a Vitamix, just keep the sauce in the blender. The blades will warm it, so you can skip this step.) If the sauce is too thick, add a some of the pasta water to thin it out.
When the pasta is cooked and drained, add sauce and garnish with basil.

Inspired by Food & Wine

Filed Under: Healthy, My Kitchen, Pizza, Vegetarian · Tagged With: dinner, food, food blog, pasta, recipe, sundried tomatoes, tomato pasta sauce, triple tomato sauce, Vegetarian, vitamix pasta sauce, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat penne

Vegetarian Recipe: Corn, Sweet Potato and Poblano Chowder

November 1, 2012 by Miss Tasty · 13 Comments

How is everyone’s sugar hangover today? Are you in the need of some healthy food to detox? Well look no further..

As a child, I loved trick or treating and my favorite candy to get was Snickers. I was the type of kid who would save the “good” candy, like only allow myself to eat a few pieces a day. We always had sweets in our house, but there was something about Snickers candy bars. I wanted to keep those treats around for as long as I could.

As an adult, I rarely buy candy bars. “Too much sugar, too many calories” always runs through my mind as I’m gazing at candy in the check out line at the grocery store. But with it being Halloween season, I caved and bought 3 bags of treats — Kit Kats, Milky Ways & Peanut Butter Cups.

And guess what? We had 5 trick or treaters. Guess who lost all will power and ate a TON of candy?? (This is an obvious answer.)

Today I’m feeling the effects of a sugar coma… and the best way to get rid of my sugar guilt is to eat something healthy. Hello Corn, Sweet Potato and Poblano Chowder.

It might be hard to believe, but this is a healthy chowder. No cream or loads of butter. An easy way to give this chowder a thick consistency is to puree a bag of frozen corn with some stock. Not only will give your chowder a creamy consistency, but it gives the soup a sweet taste. I couldn’t believe a bag of frozen corn had so much flavor!

Make this soup when you’re looking to stock up on some veggies into your meals. This recipe makes a lot, but luckily, it gets better the longer it sits. Freeze smaller portions or enjoy it for lunch for a few days.

When it comes to eating healthy, I don’t want to feel like I’m eating rabbit food. This is the type of chowder you can feel good about eating…and maybe have a piece of Halloween candy for dessert.

Corn, Sweet Potato and Poblano Chowder, makes 8 cups

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced
2 bags of frozen corn (16 oz), defrosted
2 32 oz cartons of stock (veggie if you want to keep this soup vegetarian)
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp ground cumin
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 poblano peppers, seeds removed and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup skim milk
cilantro for garnish

Directions:

In a stock pot, add olive oil. When the oil is at a medium heat, add onions, garlic and jalapenos. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.
In a blender, add 1 bag of defrosted corn and 1 cup of stock. Puree until smooth. Add more stock if needed.
When the onions are soft, add flour and cumin. Stir consistently for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the rest of the open container of stock. Stir to make sure there are no clumps (from the flour).
Add potatoes. Add 1 to 2 cups of stock. Bring to boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
When the potatoes are cooked, add 1 bag of defrosted corn, poblanos and carrots. Stir in the corn puree and 1 cup of milk. Bring back to a simmer. Taste and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Garnish with cilantro.