Tag Archives: vegetarian meals

Cure the leftover blues – thyme potatoes, simple brussels sprouts, and baked cauliflower

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I absolutely loathe throwing food away. That is why it pains me so much when a recipe calls for fresh herbs because you have to buy so much but you end up using so little! I used to just substitute fresh for ground but I have discovered that fresh really does make a difference in taste, one that is worth the extra cost.

So I was rummaging through the fridge and saw at least three things that were on the verge of going bad. In a desperate attempt to save food from the eternal demise of the trash can, I came up with a few very simple recipes that you can throw together in no time. It ended up being a vegetarian meal like no other (I called it, the Veggie Plate Delight!) but if you’re not into that sort of thing, you can always pair one or two of these veggie dishes with a meat or fish.

Thyme-roasted potatoes (Recipe from the inside of the Herbal Garden thyme box!)

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Fresh thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • New potatoes – cubed

Directions

1. Toss cubed new potatoes with olive oil, thyme and S&P and lay on a baking pan

2. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. (I was actually baking the brussels sprouts (below) at the same time so I just baked them at 400 and they were fine)

Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • S&P
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Brussels sprouts – cut in half lengthwise

Directions

1. Toss brussels sprouts with olive oil, lemon juice and S&P, arrange on a baking pan.

2. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. (the last 5 minutes sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and let melt)

Baked cauliflower

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of cauliflower – cut into bite sized pieces
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic
  • Parmesan
  • S&P

Directions

1. Combine olive oil (I used about 3 tablespoons), lemon juice (from half of a lemon; you can also grate some lemon zest for some added flavor), garlic (about a teaspoon, you can use as much as you like) and a few shakes of S&P, in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour mixture over cut cauliflower in a larger bowl and toss with a large spoon to coat.

2. Lay on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Like with the brussels sprouts, remove with 5 minutes remaining and add parmesan and bake until melted.

The zucchini and squash coins were left over from a veggie lasagna we made a few nights ago. I just tossed those with olive oil, S&P wrapped them up in some tin foil and threw it on the grill for about 10 minutes. As you can tell, it was a totally thrown together meal, no measurements were made, and the ingredients were as simple as it gets, which is sometimes all it needs. I have learned to appreciate veggies for their natural taste so I don’t need cream sauce, cheese or salt to be able to enjoy them!

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Mini Quiches

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This post may come as a surprise given my recent announcement that (in part) due to my Whole Foods Plant-strong challenge as well as watching the documentary Forks Over Knives, I have decided to maintain a primarily vegan diet. I want to make clear that I have taken on a moderation or “flexitarian” approach to my diet. I concentrate on incorporating mostly plant-based foods but I will eat what I want in small doses. I find that deprivation never works and that over time, you start to lose the taste for things like meat, candy, dairy, etc. I will always have a little bit of cheese in my life, that is just a fact.

Moving on. This is a great recipe because you can adapt it in so many ways. Not to mention, as all of my recipes are, it is easy to make. If you eat meat, add some bits of ham, bacon or sausage. You can mix and match different veggies and cheese. You can also choose to make this crustless by simply leaving out the phyllo dough.

Mini Veggie Quiches – yields 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs
  • 1/4 cup of sweet onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup of red pepper
  • 1/3 cup of chopped spinach
  • 1/4 cup of almond milk (you can also use skim, whole, 2%, etc.)
  • 1 Tablespoon of whole wheat flour (or other type of flour)
  • Phyllo dough
  • 1/4 cup of diced grape tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese (or cheese of your liking, Parmesan works well too)
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika from The Spice House – aaaaamazing!)
  • S&P to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside. Set one roll of phyllo dough out on the counter.

2. Crack eggs into large mixing bowl and wisk.

3. Add veggies, flour, cheese and spices to egg mixture and stir until combined.

4. When dough is soft cut or pull apart into squares and press a few sheets into each muffin mold. Pour mixture into muffin tins. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

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