Meatless Mondays: Vegetarian Tostadas

I have been hanging on to this Veggie Tostada recipe from one my former students' Mom for a few years now. Jody has shared several delicious recipes with me via email that I kept in a folder and recently I went back through them and decided it was time to finally make these. It contains flavors that my husband and I love and best of all is meatless! I am always on the hunt for good vegetarian recipes. We both gobbled these up, enjoying the southwestern flavors and all the vegetable goodness. It's a very filling, satisfying dinner that doesn't take much time or effort besides chopping. They even taste great as leftovers. I am going to put this one into the regular dinner rotation. Thank you Jody!!

Vegetarian Tostadas

From Jody

Printable Version

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery or bell peppers (I used a combination of these)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 can (15 1/2 oz) red beans, drained (I used black beans instead!)

1 can (15 1/2 oz) Great Northern beans, drained

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes (do not drain)

2 t. mild chili pepper

1 t. cumin

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro (dried works fine too!)

6 corn tortillas, optional

Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes, shredded cheeses, sliced avocado, sour cream

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and garlic.  Cook and stir 8 minutes or until softened.  Add beans and  tomatoes with juice.  Stir to blend.  Add chili powder, cumin and stir.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

While bean mixture simmers, place tortillas in single layer directly on oven rack.  Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until crisp.  Place one tortilla on each plate.  Spoon bean mixture evenly over each one.  Sprinkle cilantro on top. Top with desired toppings.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I made my first batch of homemade chicken noodle soup when one of our good friends and her daughter was sick recently. There really is nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of good old fashioned chicken noodle soup when you aren't feeling well. This recipe made a huge batch so hubby and I also enjoyed it even though we weren't sick! And like most soup recipes, this soup tasted even better the next day. It will be hard to eat  chicken noodle soup from a can after discovering how easy and delicious it is to make myself!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Version
Modified From Food Network.com
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick clices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups of cooked chicken, shredded
1 handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened but not browned.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and simmer for five minutes until tender. Fold in the chicken and continue to simmer for another couple of minutes to heat through; season with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley before serving. 

Hot Chicken Salad

I made this hot chicken salad last week when I wanted a taste of home. This is one of my Mom's recipes that I ate growing up. I'd never tried making it myself but knew that hubby would enjoy it - mostly because it's topped with crushed potato chips! It's a simple and filling casserole that has a nice balance of texture and flavors. 


Hot Chicken Salad
From My Momma
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 cups (2 whole chicken breasts) cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup crushed potato chips

Directions
Mix everything together in a large bowl except for the almonds and chips. Spread in a 9 inch baking pan and top with chips and almonds. 

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Chicken, Pasta, and Mixed Vegetable Bake

Okay, I know I'm not fooling anyone, this dish is actually a casserole. But I grew up eating waaaaay too many casseroles (sorry, Mom) so I have a problem calling anything I make a casserole. I hope that you will just humor me and play along and call this a "bake". Thank you! :) 

I made this the first week we were in our new house because I was short on time but hubby and I were hungry from all the manual labor of painting rooms and hauling boxes. We both enjoyed the creamy combinations of pasta, diced chicken, and veggies along with the breaded topping. It made a big serving so that we could both have the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Chicken, Pasta, and Mixed Vegetable Bake
From allrecipes.com
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 cup dry pasta (any kind will do but I'm partial to bow tie)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken tenderloins cut into chunks (or 2 small chicken breasts)
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tablespoon minced onion (I omitted this)
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups frozen vegetables (fresh would work too!)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted


Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken  and the celery in the skillet and season with the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken juices run clear, about 5 minutes.

Mix in the cooked pasta along with the soups and mixed vegetables. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. 

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter.

Spread evenly over the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.

Chicken Pot Pie

I've been really into comfort food lately and chicken pot pie is the quintessential comfort food. I decided to go all out and to make this chicken pot pie completely from scratch, with homemade crust, fresh veggies and herbs, and oven roasted chicken. Unfortunately my pie crust did not turn out. It was too sticky to roll and even though I kept adding flour it still didn't work out. I consulted my mom on what to do and she told me to  just piece it on. That was great advice because while it wasn't the prettiest pot pie in the world, it still tasted incredible. 

The best part was honestly the smell it created in my house while it was baking. It reminded me of my Gram's house when she was cooking. I feel like I get my Gram back for a little while when I am making her food or when my food smells like her food.  

This meal takes a while, but is well worth the time and effort. It's creamy, rich, and belly and heartwarming! 

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Simply Recipes and Baking Bites
Printable Version


Ingredients
For the pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (best to chill cubes in freezer for at least 15 minutes before using)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
3-4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
3 cups of chicken, cooked and diced (I oven roasted my chicken with thyme, rosemary, and olive oil)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 cups peas
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions
Prepare the crust. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse 5 times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse a few more times until the dough resembles a coarse cornmeal with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Slowly stream in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until the dough sticks together when you press some between your fingers. Empty the food processor, placing the dough on a clean surface. Use your hands to mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disk. Sprinkle with a little flour, warp in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) before rolling. 

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add in onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. 

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously for one minute. Stir in chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer then decrease the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken, peas, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour filling into a 9 or 10-inch pie plate. 

Take the chilled dough fro the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surgace until it is large enough to cover the top of the pie plate. Cover the filling with the dough, pressing around the edges of the plate. Cut 4-5 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the pie crust is golden. Let pie sit for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Meatless Mondays: The Mushroom Soup

Now that my list of 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30 is completed, I have moved on to "Meatless Mondays", where every most Mondays, I will attempt to post a "meatless" recipe. I did a little research and found there is a whole "Meatless Monday movement" going on, with celebrities, lots of food bloggers, and tons of scientific and medical data supporting the act of eating less meat. One thing I really am excited about is the environmental impact of going meatless once a week. Here are a couple of places you can check it out if you are interested:

• Meatless Mondays
• Wikipedia - Meatless Mondays
• Environmental Reasons for Meatless Mondays

I could go most days without eating meat, but for my wonderful hubby this would not a happy marriage make. He enjoys some meatless meals, but not all meatless. I have to make sure to incorporate things he likes in my meatless meals, like this mushroom soup from Tasty Kitchen. Hubby and I both love mushrooms and soup is one of his favorite things, too, so I knew this was going to be a good choice for my first Meatless Monday.

 The recipe recommended eating it with crusty French Bread to sop up the goodness, which is exactly what we did. This soup is rich, creamy, and filling. We ate it all in one night!

The Mushroom Soup

From aliciamosby on Tasty Kitchen

Serves 4

Printable Version

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole carrot, finely minced

1 whole celery stalk, finely minced

1 tablespoon garlic, crushed and minced

1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thin

4 ounces white wine

4 ounces tomato juice

4 ounces chicken broth (if you want to go completely vegetarian vegetable broth would work here too!)

1 pint heavy whipping cream (I used fat free half & half)

1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 teaspoon corn starch

1/4 cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven or large, deep pot. Add in the carrot and celery and allow to soften. 

Add garlic and mushrooms. Allow the to reduce and soften.

Pour in the wine and let it cook for a few minutes.Add the tomato juice and broth and raise heat to a boil. 

Boil for 5 minutes before adding the heavy cream and then bring to a soft boil. Grate the parmesan and add it to the pot. Allow to cook for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and blended into the soup. Add cornstarch to 1/4 cup of water and add to the soup.

Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with french bread or buttery crackers. 

Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Celery

I saw this recipe of Rachel Ray's on Taste and Tell and not only thought it looked delicious, by figured it was going to be the only way I could get my hubby to eat some of the sweet potatoes I bought and wanted to use. Anytime there is bacon involved, the hubs is there. I did not have onions or parsley on hand, and I overcooked the sweet potatoes but despite all these set backs, this salad was really good! I love the crunch of the celery with the softness of the sweet potatoes. The bacon is definitely the star in this dish. Hubby even said, "You can't really taste the sweet potatoes". I'm thinking he really does like sweet potatoes but won't admit it! :)

Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Celery
As seen on Taste and Tell from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals
Serves 4
Printable Version


Ingredients
1 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling
1/2 cup beef stock (I didn't have any so substituted chicken broth)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Few dashes hot sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (Didn't have so used regular paprika)
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
4 slices of bacon
2 - 3 celery ribs, finely chopped (I added more to compensate for lacking onions and parsley!)
Handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions
Put the potatoes in a pot over medium heat, then cover with water. Bring to a boil and salt the water. Cook just until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pot. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat and drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil. Add the bacon and cook just until crisp. Add the stock (or broth) to the pot with the potatoes, along with the vinegar and hot sauce and stir over low heat until combined. 

Turn off the heat and season with paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and stir in the chopped onions, celery, bacon, and parsley. Dress the salad with a liberal drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately. 

Meatless Muffalettas

Thank goodness for Tasty Kitchen! Toward the end of January I was running out of ideas for vegetarian meals to make at home, so I turned to Tasty Kitchen for inspiration. I was so happy when came across these Meatless Muffalettas from Three Many Cooks because I've been wanting to make Muffalettas at home anyway! Muffalettas are an Italian sandwich that originated in New Orleans. The traditional Muffaletta is layered with Italian salami, ham, and provolone cheese, then topped with olive salad. This vegetarian take on the Muffaletta replaces the meat with marinated veggies but still incorporates the olive salad and cheeses. It was over the top delicious! My husband, who loves meat sandwiches, was a huge fan of this sandwich. The olive salad really makes this sandwich. I ate it two days in a row and the second day added banana peppers because they are my favorite sandwich topping. I think next time I make it I will use sliced cheese instead of cutting a block of cheese into chunks, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing!

Meatless Muffalettas

From Three Many Cooks on TK

Makes 4 sandwiches

Printable Version

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup capers

1 cup drained black olives

1 cup drained pimento stuffed olives

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped celery hearts

4 whole Portuguese rolls, split (I used ciabatta bread)

4 slices each of mozzarella, provolone, and pepper jack cheese

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 jar (14 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, chopped

Directions

Mince garlic in a food processor. Add in capers and pulse to chop. Add olives, vinegar, and oregano. 

Pulse to chop again. Scoop into a medium sized bowl and stir in olive oil and celery. (This salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several weeks.)

When ready to make sandwiches, spread 2 tablespoons of the olive salad on the cut side of each half roll.

Divide cheese evenly between bread. 

On the bottom half of each sandwich arrange artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and onion slices. 

Place sandwich halves together. Halve crosswise on the diagonal and serve.