Vegan Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

mushrooms spinach stuffed copyUse mushrooms like criminis or white button varieties that are slightly flat on top, so that when you stuff them, they will sit nicely in the baking pan. You may also try another leafy green such as chard or kale in place of the spinach. For additional crunch, sprinkle the stuffed mushroom tops with breadcrumbs. Continue reading

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Vegan Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprout, and Bread Stuffing with Apples

Stuffing butternut squash brussels sprouts copyAn easy, quick and flavorful savory side dish with a dried cranberry tang and pecan crunch.
1 pound butternut squash, cubed
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
1 medium gala apple, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 2 tbsp and 1 tbsp
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced Continue reading

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Herb Spiced Veggies Roasted in the Convection Oven

roastedvegA cornucopia of fresh veggies to choose from for roasting later in the new convection oven: Japanese eggplant, peppers: red, orange, yellow and green; yellow squash, zucchini, a fat onion, apples and… wait for it… brussells sprouts!

 I cut everything about the same size and place in a plastic bag with 3 tbsp olive oil, with 1 tsp each dried basil, mustard seed, fennel seed and tarragon with fresh springs of thyme and rosemary (chopped fine), and a lemon cut into 6-8 wedges.  Cooking time depends on size of vegetables.  Leave thinner, lighter veggies (onions, peppers) in larger chunks so they don’t burn when the denser, heavier veggies (brussells sprouts, eggplant) need more time. Into the convection oven at 425f for 30-45 minutes. With rice in the rice cooker and hummus already made, dinner was a breeze.  And a feast!

A killer roasted veggies and vegetarian wine mushroom gravy recipe here

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Low Fat Indian Spiced Homefries with Kale

This morning’s breakfast was an onion, potato and kale hash. First I ground a teaspoon each of  fennel seeds (licorce-y), coriander seeds (citrus-y), cumin seeds (smoky/nutty), mustard seeds (hot-ish) black cardamom seeds (aromatic, smoky/cool) and fenugreek seeds (maple-y)  along with about a dozen mustard seeds, and added them to some heated coconut oil to sauté for a minute or two. Then one small sliced onion and 3 small diced potatoes and cook until a little crisp. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano.

I make a personal spice blend ahead of time to keep on hand so when I make this, I just shake it out.

Remove from the pan to keep crisp if you like, to add upon serving. To the now-empty pan, add chopped kale and a half cup of water or broth. Let the kale cook for about 10 minutes.  I made a romaine, tomato and carrot salad in a large bowl, topped it with the kale, and topped the kale with the crispy potatoes.

Andrea’s personal masala spice blend
Spice up cooking with coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek seeds

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A Zesty Gremolata To Garnish… Everything Savory!

Lemon with garlicI love the fresh flavors of lemon and parsley, and together they are an unbeatable combination to brighten any savory dish. Gremolata is a combination of lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and olive oil. Traditionally it is great as a garnish. It’s best made an hour or so before serving for the flavors to meld. Prep Time: 5 minutes Continue reading

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Pita points and celery stalks with roasted veggie dip

celery hummuspita hummusYou know what’s really tasty? Today I roasted some veggies: cubes of eggplant, sweet potato and acorn squash, and mashed them together with some leftover parsley hummus I’d made earlier this week.  I added a handful of kale, a tsp of tahini, a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, ajuice of a lemon (I like lotsa lemon,) a shake each of smoky paprika, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, some sea salt, and zapped it with the hand mixer.  Yummy and nutritious spread on celery stalks and toasted pita.

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Andrea’s Low Fat First of the Fall Soup

Photo Steve Buissinne

This is my favorite First Of The Fall soup, brought on by the first cold snap of the season.

Take a large pot add 2 tbsp oil oil and begin to heat.
Dice and throw into the pot:
7 cloves of garlic
one large white onion, chopped
2 big carrots, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped into cubes
1 small acorn squash, chopped into cubes Continue reading

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Lowfat Vegan Creamy Mushroom Soup

soup mushroom1 tablespoon olive oil (do not cook with extra virgin)
1 medium onion (approx 8 oz, 1 cup) chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
4 medium potatoes, with skins still on, chopped small
2 large carrots, chopped small
5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
2 pints vegetable stock
2 springs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

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