One of the worst parts of being a vegetarian is how difficult it is to get good take out food. I live in a semi-rural area so there are not many take out options that aren’t hoagies or pizza to begin with, and if you can’t tell where I’m from given the “hoagies” you must not be from north east America. This stromboli doesn’t really leave the realm of pizza shop fare, but given that we aren’t really ordering out during the pandemic, it was the perfect time to try out this recipe.

Now I’ll mention that I diced the veggies very small because my children would be eating it too. My 1 year old did awesome with both the crust as well as the veggies and cheese. My 3.5 year old wouldn’t eat it because spinach *eye roll*, his loss on that one. The recipe comes together in about 45 minutes depending on how diced and soft you want the vegetables.

Start by dicing 1 bell pepper, 4 mushrooms, 1 cup of baby spinach, and 1/2 an onion. You may notice that there is not any onion in my pictures. I’ve been off onion lately, can’t stand lingering onion smell so I added a bit of onion powder rather than chopped onion. I blame postpartum, haha. Couldn’t handle meat after baby 1 and can’t handle onion after baby 2. Who knows if there is any truth to that.

Anyways, place the diced veggies in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Saute for about 15 minutes, until all the vegetables have throughly cooked down.

While the veggies are cooking, preheat the oven to 375 and begin making your dough. This recipe was adapted from Budget Bytes No Yeast Pizza Dough. The full 2 cups from the original recipe made for a very dense stromboli so I cut it down in order to make the dough a bit thinner. Also, I used white wheat flour because that’s what I had on hand. If you want a more traditional flavor definitely stick with all purpose.

So to make the dough combine 1 3/4 cups of flour of choice (wheat or all purpose), 1 tbsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 1 cup of water. Use a fork to stir and combine. Once it has come to a ball shape, sprinkle flour on your work surface and roll out the dough.

If your dough is not already on a baking sheet, spray your baking sheet with non-stick spray or place parchment paper below and transfer the dough to the sheet. I used a pizza pan with non-stick spray and it worked fine. I did put a regular baking sheet on the lower rack to prevent any dripping from the openings on the pizza tray.

Place about 1/2 cup to 1 cup fo cheese on the dough, then add the cooked veggies followed by another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cheese.

Fold the other half of the dough over top of the veggies and cheese. Rounding the edges to seal. Crack and scramble an egg into a small dish and baste it on to the top of the dough until lightly covered. Sprinkle garlic powder lightly across the top along with Italian seasonings.

Place the stromboli in the oven for about 20 minutes until lightly browned on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so before cutting. While waiting you can heat up a quick simple sauce or use jarred marinara. We just used a can of crushed tomatoes. Serve and enjoy. For our family, this made about 5-6 servings.

Mushroom and Pepper Stromboli

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper
4 mushrooms
1 cup of baby spinach
1/2 an onion (or onion powder to taste)
oil of choice
1 3/4 cups of all purpose or white wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
1-2 cups of cheese
1 egg
garlic powder
Italian seasonings
crushed tomatoes or jar of marinara sauce

Instructions:

Dice bell pepper, mushroom, baby spinach, and 1/2 an onion and place these in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Saute for about 15 minutes until all of the vegetables are soft.
Preheat the oven to 375 and begin making the dough. In a large bowl, combine 1 3/4 cups of flour (either all purpose or wheat) with 1 tbsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 cup water. Use a fork to combine until the dough makes a ball shape.
Sprinkle a bit of flour on your work surface and roll out the dough until decently thin. The dough should be thick enough to move without ripping but still relatively thin (picture above).
If your dough isn’t already on the baking sheet, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cheese on one side of the dough. Pour the veggies on top of the cheese and place the remaining 1/2 cup to 1 cup of cheese on top. I gave a range for the cheese because it just depending on your cheese to veggie ratio.
Fold the other half of the dough over the cheese and veggies and seal the edges by rolling or folding them together.
Crack an egg into a small bowl and scramble it with a fork. Baste the scrambled egg over the top of the dough, lightly covering all of the top and edges. Sprinkle some garlic powder and Italian seasonings over the top.
Place the stromboli in the oven for about 20 minutes until the top is lightly brown. Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.
While cooking you may want to make a dipping sauce. We just warmed up a can of crushed tomatoes or you can use store bought marinara sauce.

White Bean Soup

December 27, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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Wow. It’s been a bit since I’ve had the chance to post. Between holidays, my husband’s work schedule, and my baby going from stationary to non stop movement I’ve been having trouble keeping up. Still cooking pretty much every day, but I got to say even for me, someone who loves to cook, everyday cooking is getting to me.

My husband and I rarely go out to dinner, especially without the kids, but as soon as the pandemic is over, we’re going out to dinner. Alone. Somewhere fancy, that we have to dress up for. I want to be waited on and not have to refill a plate before I’ve even had a bite or be told that “I’m not eating this” before I have even sat down. Love the little darlings but they put a different out look on meals after eating at home for breakfast/lunch/dinner plus 2 snacks a day for the past, what, 10 months? Don’t get me wrong, we’ve ordered pizza, but we haven’t actually gone out to eat between having a newborn and the pandemic in over a year. Actually, this week is probably the 1 year mark from the last time we went out alone together.

I only remember it because I was just over 40 weeks pregnant with an almost 10 lb baby and I sort of “stuck out” (pun not technically intended) at our little mom and pop diner that we love so much. The waitress asked when I was due and I responded “three days ago”.

Anyways, I’m not sure we have any semi-fancy restaurants around here with vegetarian options, but I’ll have to do some research and considering it’s probably at least 6 more months until things start heading back to something resembling normal, I’ve got time.

So while I wait for the chance to go out to a lovely dinner I don’t have to prepare, I’ll keep cooking. This soup is delicious and very simple to make. Best part is that it doesn’t require a lot of prep work. Begin by dicing 1/2 an onion, 1 carrot, and 2 celery stalks. I had celery that was previously diced and frozen, which worked just fine. Add the diced veggies and 1/2 tsp garlic with some olive oil to a large soup pot. Saute this for about 10 minutes until the carrots begin to soften.

Once the veggies have softened, add 1 tsp Italian seasonings. Saute until fragrant. Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, a drained and rinsed 15 oz can of white beans, and 28 oz of diced tomatoes. Once the boiling add about 1/2 a pound of pasta (I used elbows). Lower the temperature to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Finally add 1 heaping cup of frozen mixed vegetable and continue simmering for 5-10 minutes until they have cooked through. Test the pasta to make sure it is fully cooked before serving.

White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 an onion
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1/2 tsp garlic
olive oil (or oil of choice)
1 tsp Italian seasonings
8 cups of vegetable broth
15 oz can white beans (drained and rinsed)
28 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 lb pasta of choice (I used elbow)
1 heaping cup of frozen mixed vegetables

Instructions:

Dice 1/2 an onion, 1 carrot, and 2 celery stalks. Place these in a large soup pot with garlic and olive oil. Saute for about 10 minutes until the carrots have softened, then add 1 tsp Italian seasonings. Continue sauteing until fragrant.
Add 8 cups of vegetable broth, the white beans, and 28 oz of diced tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add 1 heaping cup of frozen mixed vegetables and cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Test to make sure the pasta is fully cooked and serve!

Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

October 11, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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This easy meal came around on Monday when I realized I completely forgot to prep lunch for the week. My youngest was down for a nap and I had some pita that needed used up so I quickly pressed some tofu, dipped it in some teriyaki sauce, and put it into bake. I needed more than that so quickly chopped the veggies I had available and cooked those too. In 30 minutes, I had a great lunch ready. Now I prefer this in pita with a bit of hummus, but you could totally serve it over rice or in a tortilla. Also, use whatever vegetable you have on hand. Some good alternates would be mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant as they all roast at a similar temperature and time.

First get started on pressing the tofu. I’ve talked about pressing tofu in Air Fryer Turmeric Tofu but I briefly touch on how I did it for this. As with most dinners where you use tofu, you’ll want extra firm tofu. Drain out all the water. Fold a hand towel in half and lay it across a baking sheet. Slice the tofu into even sections. Honestly, I change the way I cut it every time and it usually just depends how thick I want the pieces to be. In this case, I cut it in to 8 slices and laid each across the baking sheet.

I find it easier to get even thickness in the slices when cutting this way (vertical cuts) instead of horizontal cuts which would give you 4-5 slices but in the grand scheme of things, it won’t make a huge difference. So, now that you have your slices, place another hand towel on top followed by another baking sheet. Fill a 9×13 pyrex or baking dish with water and place it on top of the baking sheet.

Let this sit for 10-15 minutes. While waiting on the tofu, begin dicing all the vegetables and preheat the oven to 350. I used 4 bell peppers, 1/2 an onion, 3 radishes, and 1 small head of broccoli. Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl. Cube the pressed tofu and add it to the bowl with the vegetables. Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil, or oil of your choice, over the tofu and veggies along with 3 tbsp of teriyaki sauce.

Dry the 9×13 you used to press the tofu and spray with cooking spray. Pour the veggies and tofu in to the 9×13 making sure that they are well dispersed, like not all of tofu in one area of the pan. Place it in the oven for 30-40 minutes, checking about 1/2 way through. Once it’s done, top it with sesame seeds. If you have a pan that’s bigger than 9×13, feel free to use it. My pan was pretty full when I put it in the oven but it will cook down a bit anyways.

Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers
1/2 an onion
3 radishes
1 small head of broccoli
16 oz extra firm tofu
3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp olive oil (or oil of choice)

Instructions:

Cut tofu and press for about 10 minutes (*see notes above if you don’t know how to press tofu*).
Chop all vegetables, placing them in a large bowl as you go.
Once tofu has been pressed, cube and place it in the bowl with the vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 350. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce to the bowl with the tofu and veggies. Mix well to make sure everything gets coated.
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, pour the veggies and tofu into the baking dish making sure they disperse well (ie. that the tofu doesn’t all end up in one area).
Place the baking dish in the oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring about half way through.
Serve in a pita wrap with hummus, in a grain bowl, or over rice.

Eggplant Pizza

October 11, 2020 Alyssa1 Comment

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Admittedly, while this recipe is mine, the idea was not. I had a co-worker a few years back who told me about them. I forgot about them for years until recently and they’ve been a huge hit with my husband and kids. Frankly, I’m really not an eggplant fan. I don’t mind it diced and roasted with other vegetables but I struggle with it in many other forms. However, with eggplant pizza, you don’t get that mushy texture that sometimes happens with eggplant. So if you think you don’t like eggplant, give this a try and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Begin by slicing the eggplant in to 12 slices. You want the slices to be on the thicker side. Too thin and they will be difficult to remove from the baking sheet. Discard the top and bottom pieces and place the slices on a baking sheet (with parchment paper/silpat mat). Preheat the oven to 400.

Pour 1/4 cup of oil in to a small bowl. Brush the oil on top of each slice. Place the baking sheets in the oven for 15 minutes. If you prefer it to be more crispy than tender, 15 minutes should do it. If you prefer it more tender (closer to “mushy”) 20 minutes should work. Once they have cooked, remove from the oven and drop the temperature to 350.

After roasting: *on the right you can see my thin spots burned a bit. Tasted fine, but that’s why thicker is better*

Gather the toppings. You will need about 1 1/2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tbsp of Italian seasonings, 2 cups of mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Spread the crushed tomatoes on each of the slices, followed by a sprinkle of Italian seasonings on each slice. Finally, top each slice with mozzarella and a sprinkle of bread crumbs.

Place the baking sheets in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese has fully melted.

Eggplant Pizza

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 tbsp Italian seasonings
2 cups mozzarella
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Instructions:

Slice eggplant into 12 slices, keeping them on the thicker side. If they are too thin, they will be hard to remove from the try. Discard the top and bottom and place the slices on a prepared baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400.
Pour 1/4 cup of oil and brush the oil on top of each slice. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Remove the baking sheets and drop the oven temperature to 350. Spread the sauce, Italian seasoning, mozzarella, and bread crumbs on each slice.
Place the pizzas back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted.

Tofu Stir Fry

October 6, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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I had totally different intentions when I made this meal. These were meant to be copy-cat like PF Chang’s lettuce wraps, but when I realized I was missing green onion, cashews, and lettuce, we still needed dinner and at that point I was set on a similar taste so stir fry it became. Frankly the whole reason I wanted this was for the water chestnuts. Water chestnuts are delicious and have a wonderful crunch. According to Healthline, they also have a multitude of health benefits. I feel like I don’t put water chestnuts to use enough, I’ll have to work on that.

I chose to press and pre-cook the tofu because my husband prefers the texture of oven cooked tofu over sauted. Here are instructions if you want to pre-cook the tofu: Press the tofu for about 15 minutes. I have pressing tips in the Air Fryer Turmeric Tofu or there’s plenty of YouTube videos about it. Bake the pressed tofu in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

If you are not pre-cooking the tofu, still press it, then cube the tofu. At this point, drain and rinse an 8 oz can of water chestnuts. Dice 1/2 a yellow squash, 1/2 an onion, and the water chestnuts.

In a small amount of oil, saute the onion and yellow squash until the squash has softened. While waiting on this, make your sauce. Combine 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 3 tbsp hoisin, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp garlic chili sauce, and 1/2 tsp garlic. Whisk well to combine.

Add the cubed tofu, water chestnuts, and sauce to the veggies. Continue to saute until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice, by itself or as a lettuce wrap. Feel free to top with cashews and/or green onion

Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients:

16 oz package of extra firm tofu
1/2 medium yellow squash
1/2 an onion
1/2 tsp minced garlic
8oz can of water chestnuts
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Optional additions: lettuce (real lettuce wrap), cashews, green onion, rice

Instructions:

Dice tofu, 1/2 a yellow squash, 1/2 an onion and the drained and rinsed water chestnuts.
Saute the squash and onion in a little bit of oil until the squash has softened and the onion is translucent.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, and 1 tsp chili garlic sauce. Whisk to combine.
Once the squash and onion are cooked, add in the diced tofu and water chestnuts. Saute for an additional few minutes then add the sauce. Continue to stir occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice or as a lettuce wrap.

Timely Tomato Soup

September 20, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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This was not a recipe that I intended to make a blog post about. This was an evening gone wrong and I just wanted some comfort food in a hurry. However, after throwing this together, it was so good it needed a home on the blog. Now as it wasn’t intended for the blog, I only have the end results photos, but as it’s tomato soup, it really doesn’t look much different from beginning to end anyways.

In a large pot, combine 6 oz tomato paste, 15 oz tomato sauce, 24 oz milk, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast), 1/2 tsp sugar, and a bit of salt to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, that’s it! Serve with a side of crackers, grilled cheese, garlic bread or Veggie Reubens.

Timely Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

6 oz tomato paste
15 oz tomato sauce
24 oz milk
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large pot, combine 6 oz tomato paste, 15 oz tomato sauce, 24 oz milk, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring soup to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it is boiling, ready to serve with your choice of side dish.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

September 20, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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My plan was for this to actually a crockpot stuffed peppers recipe. However, I forgot to set it up each day and by Thursday evening I needed to make something for dinner with what we had on hand so this is what I came up with. It turned into a happy accident that tastes great and is done in less than an hour.

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of cooked rice, 15 oz black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 cup of corn, 15 oz diced tomatoes (drained), 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos), 1/2 tsp of Italian seasonings, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.

Quarter 5 bell peppers and lay them on the bottom of a prepared 9×13 baking pan. It’s okay if they slightly overlap. Pour the rice mixture over top the bell peppers spreading out evenly. Dice 2 bell peppers and sprinkle them over top the rice mixture along with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and place the baking pan in a preheated (375) oven for about 35 minutes.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
15 oz canned black beans
1 cup corn
15 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos)
1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1 cup cheddar cheese (divided)
salt and pepper (to taste)
7 bell peppers

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of cooked rice with 15 oz black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 cup corn, 15 oz diced tomatoes (drained and rinsed), 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine.
Quarter 5 bell peppers and lay them on the bottom of a prepared 9×13 pan. Pour the rice mixture over the peppers and spread evenly.
Dice 2 bell peppers and sprinkle across the top of the rice mixture along with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar.
Preheat oven to 375, cover the 9×13 with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Lentil Pasta Chili

September 13, 2020 Alyssa1 Comment

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I had originally intended this recipe to be a one pot meal, but the first time I made it that way it took so much longer than I wanted and I didn’t really want to put you through that. So this is a short cut version to save time, though this uses 1 more pot. *Shrug*

The key to making this chili a bit faster is cooking the pasta separately. The first time I boiled it all together and it took close to an hour. So first step is starting a pot of boiling water and adding 1 cup of small pasta. Cook according to package instructions and drain when finished cooking. In a separate large pot, add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of brown lentils. Bring this to a boil and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, dice 1 bell pepper and 1/2 an onion. Once the lentils are done, add a bit of oil, diced bell pepper, and onion in with the lentils. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until pepper and onion has softened.

Add 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder to the veggies and lentils. Combine until the veggies are coated. Drain and rinse a 15 oz can of hominy. Add the cooked pasta, drained and rinsed hominy, 15 oz diced tomatoes, 15 oz tomato sauce, and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Stir well to combine. Set temperature to medium/high and allow this to heat for about 5-10 minutes until simmering. Then add 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, stirring occasionally until the spinach defrosts and starts to break down. Last, add 1 cup of cheese of choice and salt and pepper to taste. We used fiesta blend, but cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, or gouda would also be fine.

Lentil Pasta Chili

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked small pasta (we used elbow)
1 cup cooked lentils (1 cup water : 1/3 cup brown lentils)
1 diced bell pepper
1/2 diced onion
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
15 oz canned diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz hominy
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 cup cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, colby jack, etc)

Instructions:

Cook 1 cup of dry pasta according to package instructions, then set aside. In a separate large pot, add 1 cup of water and 1/3 cup of rinsed brown lentils. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.
Once lentils are cooked, add a bit of oil, 1 diced bell pepper, and 1/2 an onion. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until the pepper and onion have softened. Add 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder and stir to coat the veggies and lentils.
Add the cooked pasta, 15 oz diced tomatoes, 15 oz drained and rinsed hominy, 15 oz tomato sauce, and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Bring this to simmer then add 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach. Let this simmer for 5-10 minutes until the spinach has defrosted and combined.
Add 1 cup of cheese stirring occasionally until fully melted. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

September 13, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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For some reason, when I ever I go in with zero plan to make a meal, those tend to be the ones that work out best. When I go in with a plan, my kitchen laughs at me and tells me to try again (and again, and again). This was a one-try wonder which I greatly appreciate as I dislike having to make a recipe many times to get it to work perfectly. Looking at you Lentil Meatloaf Muffins…

Anyways, we have a bunch of butternut squash coming in our garden right now so I knew I needed something to use them up. Mac and cheese immediately popped into my head. I know there are dozens of ways to make mac and cheese and generally, I am not a person who makes homemade mac and cheese because it tends to be more work and effort than I like to put into a meal.

Every year, when my mom asks what she can make me for a birthday dinner, I usually ask for something with mac and cheese, because she makes really mac and cheese with a roux and all. This is 100x simpler. The most difficult part is peeling the butternut squash, which is honestly a pain, but worth it. Oh, quick side note, this makes a lot, so have people to share it with, for someone’s birthday say?

Begin by peeling and dicing the butternut squash. If you aren’t sure how to do this, check out this YouTube video. I strongly recommend using an Instant Pot to cook the butternut squash. That’s literally the trick to making this mac and cheese an easy weeknight meal. If you are going to use an Instant Pot, place all the cubed butternut squash into a steamer basket. Press the pressure cook button, set the temp to normal, and set the time to 7 minutes. Place the lid on and make sure the toggle is set to sealing. After 7 minutes, do a quick release

If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can toss the squash in about a tablespoon of oil and roast it in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.

While you are waiting for the squash to cook, whether in the oven or Instant Pot, you can cook your pasta. I used a 16 oz box of elbow noodles and cooked according to the package directions. Once the pasta is done, drain and set aside.

Transfer cooked butternut squash directly to a blender and add the following ingredients: 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, a generous amount of pepper, and 1 cup milk. Blend all ingredients well until smooth and pourable, adding more milk if needed.

Pour the butternut squash mixture over the pasta and stir well to combine.

Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and stir well until fully melted. If you are making this directly out of the oven or Instant Pot, it should be plenty hot to melt the cheese without putting it over heat. Taste test and add additional salt or pepper. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
16 oz elbow macaroni
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Peel and cube butternut squash.
Place the squash into an Instant Pot steamer basket. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook/normal temp/7 minutes, making sure the toggle is set to sealing (and that you have your sealing ring on, it’s happened to me too).
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, preheat your oven to 375 and roast the squash for 20 minutes.
While waiting on the squash to cook, cook 16 oz of elbow noodles according to the package directions, then set aside.
Place the cooked butternut squash in a blender with 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp salt, a generous amount of pepper, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, and 1 cup of milk. Blend until smooth and pourable.
Pour the butternut squash mixture over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
Add 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted. Taste test, adding additional salt or pepper if necessary then serve!

TVP Meatballs

September 10, 2020September 10, 2020 AlyssaLeave a comment

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I talked about the benefits of TVP in the TVP Sloppy Joes, but here’s just another one, the fact that you don’t have to give up a simple family friendly dinner like meatballs, whether on a hoagie or spaghetti, to be a vegetarian. My husband, who is a “home vegetarian”, loves Wawa meatball parm hoagies and still thought these were excellent and both my babies loved them too. Annnndddd they only took 30 minutes to put together.

TVP absorbs liquid almost instantly, so the first step is to combine 2 cups of TVP with 2 cups of vegetable broth in a medium pot. Turn the heat on high and combine until the TVP has absorbed all the liquid and warmed through. Transfer the TVP to a large bowl and add all the seasonings: 1/2 tsp garlic, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or liquid aminos if vegan), 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tbsp parmesan, 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or 1 tbsp nutritional yeast if vegan), and 1 egg (flax option, if vegan).

All the things! Except egg, that was a last minute decision.

Combine the TVP, egg and seasonings well. Take handfuls of the mix and create meatballs. I made mine pretty big knowing we were having them as hoagies, but if I was making them for spaghetti I would have made them a bit smaller. Mine made 14, but it could easily make 20 if made smaller.

Preheat your oven to 400 and cook for 20 minutes flipping halfway through. While you are waiting on the meatballs to cook, make a quicky marinara sauce. In the pot you used to combine the TVP and broth, pour in a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, . Place this on medium heat and let it simmer until the meatballs are finished, stirring occasionally. If it’s popping, drop the temp to low and place a lid on top.

Once the meatballs are finished cooking, serve as you desire.

TVP Meatballs

Ingredients for TVP Meatballs:

2 cups TVP
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or liquid aminos
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tbsp parmesan
1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Ingredients for quicky marinara sauce:

28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium pot, combine 2 cups TVP with 2 cups vegetable broth over medium/high heat. Let this heat for a few minutes until the broth has absorbed and TVP is heated through.
Transfer the TVP to a large bowl and add the seasonings: 1/2 tsp garlic, 1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 tbsp parmesan, 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast, and 1 egg. Mix well until all seasonings and the egg are combine with the TVP.
Preheat oven to 400. Using medium handfuls, create meatballs and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.
While waiting on the meatballs, make a quicky marinara sauce. In the same sauce pan from earlier combine 28 oz of crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Let this sit on low/medium heat until ready to serve.
Serve on rolls as a hoagie with mozzarella or over spaghetti.