Vegetarian Archives - The Tasty Fork

Buffalo Portobello Burgers with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

June 6, 2013 by admin · 11 Comments

Ummm yum.

This is my 3rd recipe of Buffalo Flavored food this week. And I’m totally not sick of it yet. Buffalo flavored food gets a lot blog time during football season and man friendly posts. I’d had a fun time “healthifing” popular buffalo recipes, like Spicy Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Potatoes and Quinoa Buffalo Chicken Salad. Today’s post is for all of my vegetarian friends! But for my fellow meat lover’s, don’t worry, this recipe is for you, too!

Buffalo Portobello Burgers with Grilled Pineapple Salsa. Probably two things you wouldn’t think to pair together…. But I guess I’m kinda of weird in that way. My love for combining buffalo sauce and pineapple comes from one of my favorite pizza places. The buffalo chicken pizza always has pineapple on it. Sweet with some heat is right up my alley.

Using large portobello mushrooms in place of meat for a burger is something I try to do when I want a lighter meal. In this recipe, I used the same buffalo sauce marinade from Monday’s post. The salsa recipe is very basic, too. It’s the typical ingredients – tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado and lime juice. Slice up some pineapple and put that on the grill with the mushrooms. The mushrooms will shrink in size, so you’ll probably want 2 portobellos per person. Once the pineapple is grilled, cut it up and add it to the salsa. Serve salsa on top of the mushrooms and you have yourself an awesome veggie burger!

If you’re the type of person who isn’t into the whole veggie burger thing, I dare you to try this recipe. It has all of the flavors you’ll love — buffalo sauce, sweet & caramelized pineapple and fresh salsa. This recipe would be great for a week night since it comes together so quickly. I’d also serve this at a weekend cook out as a fun vegetarian option.

Be sure to come by the blog tomorrow! I’ll be in Florida but I have a special guest stopping by and posting an amazing dessert. (And no, there isn’t buffalo sauce in it!)

Buffalo Portobello Burgers with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

For the Portobellos

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
Pinch of salt
8 portobellos, cleaned

For the salsa

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 cup white onion, diced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, juiced
pinch of salt
4 pineapple rings, cored
4 burger buns
Hot sauce, optional

Instructions

To make the marinade, combine olive oil & the next 6 ingredients. Place mushrooms in a resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Let it sit at room temperature for atleast 10 minutes.
For the salsa, combine all ingredients except for the pineapple.
Turn the grill to a medium heat. Place portobellos on grill, flesh side down. Add pineapple rings. Grill for 5 minutes. Flip portobellos and pineapple. Grill for 3 minutes. Toast buns on the grill. Remove everything from the grill. Let the portobellos sit for a few minutes. Chop pineapple and stir into the salsa.
2 portobellos per person. Serve on the toasted bun, topped with grilled pineapple salsa.

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Filed Under: Burger, Entree, Grill, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian · Tagged With: buffalo portobello burger, easy recipe, fruit salsa, grilled burger recipe, grilled salsa, grilling recipe, pineapple salsa, portobello burger, quick recipe, recipe, Vegetarian, vegetarian burger, vegetarian recipe

Vegetarian Recipe: Orzo Salad with Spinach & Chickpeas

May 9, 2013 by admin · 10 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

Portobello Sandwiches with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

March 25, 2013 by admin · 20 Comments

Last week I said from Thursday at 11am till Sunday night, I’ve got college basketball brain. I know most of my readers don’t care for sports, so I won’t bore you with my bracket standings. But I will express these past few days have been so fun.. lots of good games and eating lots of food! Oh and my Indiana Hoosiers are still in it to win it! And that makes me very happy.

You know what else makes me happy – a hearty veggie sandwich. We’ve all been out to eat with that one friend who orders the vegetarian sandwich…and the sandwich is the SADDEST thing you’ve ever seen. I’d never pay a restaurant to feed me sprouts, cucumber and tomatoes smashed between bread and call it a meal. I’m getting depressed just thinking about it.

So if I’m going to share a veggie sandwich, it’s going to be good. And let me tell you, this recipe is man approved. We ate this Portobello Sandwich twice in 24 hours. That’s a big deal for 2 reasons. One, I’m not a fan of leftovers unless if I can turn it into a different meal. Two, my husband didn’t even complain. He was happy to be meat free for another meal.

Honestly, if you make this sandwich, you won’t even miss the meat. I think portobello mushrooms are very filling and the roasted pepper sauce is so flavorful. I could’ve had a meal of bread with the roasted pepper sauce and been content. This sandwich is also loaded with grilled onions, fresh basil, spinach and goat cheese. It really brings those other veggie sandwiches to shame.

Portobello Sandwiches with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Cooking Light April 2013

Ingredients

4 Portobello mushroom caps
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves
2 thick slices of onion
Salt
1 loaf of crust ciabatta bread (enough for 4 sandwiches)
1/2 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and drained
A few basil leaves
1 tbsp dry roasted almonds, chopped
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
1 cup fresh baby spinach
12 basil leaves

Instructions

Preheat broiler to high.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Remove gills from mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and half of garlic. Add mushrooms & onions to a resealable bag and pour in olive oil. Make sure mushrooms and onions are equally coated. Place mushrooms and onion slices in pan, and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt. Separate onion slices into rings.
Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil for 1 minute or until bread is lightly browned.
Place remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, remaining garlic, roasted red peppers, basil, almonds, and vinegar in a food processor, and process until smooth. Taste & season with salt and pepper if needed. Spread red pepper sauce evenly over each bread slice; top 4 bread slices evenly with cheese, 1 mushroom, onion rings, spinach, and basil. Top with remaining 4 bread slices, sauce side down.

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Recipe from Cooking Light, April 2013 Issue

Filed Under: Appetizers, Healthy, Recipes, Sandwich · Tagged With: Cooking Light, easy recipe, healthy recipe, quick meal, Vegetarian, vegetarian sandwich

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

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

Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrot soup

January 23, 2013 by admin · 7 Comments

The Tasty Fork - Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup #healthy #dairyfree #soup

I’m going to be a total girl and talk about the weather… The high temperature on Tuesday was in the single digits. SINGLE digits. And with the wind chill, it felt like -13 degrees. Yes, it’s subzero in Chicago. No one wants to go outside and even inside our home, I can’t seem to get warm enough. I feel like the little kid from The Christmas Story – I have on so many layers and can’t keep my arms down. But I heard it’s going to be in the upper 20′s by the end of the week. Things are heating up.

When it’s cold outside, I try to warm myself up anyway I can. I’ll take a hot shower but then get cold when I’m drying off. I’ll look at our Hawaii pictures to “mentally” warm up, however, that never works. All it does is make me wish I lived in Hawaii. Working out is a temporary fix but commuting to & from the gym really makes we wish we had a home gym. Plus, I think my Mom told me being sweaty and going outside in cold weather makes people sick. (Or is this an Old Wives’ Tale..??)

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup I The Tasty Fork #healthy #vegetarian #dairyfree #soup

Soup is something that never fails to warm me up. And when it’s really cold, I’ll go above & beyond to warm the belly. Something as easy as roasting vegetables can really change the taste of a recipe. Roasting vegetables sweetens and intensifies the flavor instead of losing it into water like steaming or boiling does. And I love standing by the oven when it’s pumped up to 400 degrees.

Eating Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrot soup is equivalent to getting into a warmed bed with a heating pad and being wrapped in a blanket like you’re a burrito. While I was eating dinner, I wasn’t thinking about how cold my feet felt or that another manicure would not save my cuticles from the extremely dry air. All I could focus on was how amazing this soup tastes! Roasting the veggies added a caramelized flavor and the soup had such a creamy texture. I couldn’t believe it was dairy free!

Oven Roasted Veggie Soup #healthy #dairyfree #soup The Tasty Fork

After writing this post, I’ve come to the realization if I need to distract myself from being cold, all I need to do is eat this soup. Luckily for me, this recipe makes a TON. Hopefully I’ll have enough leftover to make it to the weekend warm up!

meghan sig

Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

1 butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled, seeded & diced into cubes
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & diced into cubes
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 onion, peeled and cut into 4 wedges
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
8 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup pine nuts
Cooking spray
1 granny smith apple, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with foil. Divide squash, potatoes, carrots and onion between baking sheets. Drizzle oil, salt & pepper over the veggies. Toss veggies to coat. Roast until lightly brown, about 25 minutes. Stir veggies around the 15 minute mark.
In a soup pot, combine oven roasted veggies & vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Puree the soup by using an immersion blender or a blender working in batches. Taste and season with salt & pepper. Bring soup back up to a simmer.
In a skillet, toast pine nuts. Remove nuts from skillet. Spray skillet with cooking spray. At a medium heat, saute apple cubes for 3 minutes. Set aside.
When soup is ready, ladle into bowls and top with pine nuts, apples and parsley.

Oven Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup - The Tasty Fork #healthy #dairyfree #soup

Filed Under: Soup/Chili · Tagged With: carrots, dairy free soup, healthy soup, low calori, oven roasted vegetables soup, roasted butternut squash, soup, sweet potato, 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.