Tag Archives: mushrooms

Spinach, Mushroom & Artichoke Quesadillas

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Julie • 0 Comments

I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas again. It was just Christmas like, last week, wasn’t it? Every year, the 364 days between the holiday somehow manage to condense themselves more and more. I’ve heard people say for years that as you get older, time passes more and more quickly, and I am definitely starting to catch on to that. This year especially seemed to fly past at breakneck speed. It was a good year in many ways, and a tough one in some others – but when you come out the other side relatively unscathed, the good part wins.

Something else that feels like it was just last week was the beginning of this blog. But it wasn’t last week – it was just over a year ago that I bought a domain and started puzzling through the mysteries of blogging. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to get out of it. In all honesty, I’m still not sure. I’ve noticed the blog taking a backseat over the past few months as life has gotten more hectic, to the point where I sometimes feel guilty because I haven’t been able to get up a post in a week or longer. I know for sure that’s not what I want – the second this stops being a hobby and starts becoming a chore is the second I check out. If that means I occasionally have to space out new posts so I can find the right kind of time to cook, take pictures, and write, I think I’m okay with that.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Appetizers, Main Dish, Quick & Easy

Healthy Green Bean Casserole

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Julie • 2 Comments

Thanksgiving is a fun holiday for vegetarians, huh?

That sounded sarcastic. But it really is fun! I get a lot of jokes about what I’m eating during the holidays, and questions about what we do when we sit down at a dinner table with a gigantic turkey carcass plopped in the middle. What do we do? We handle it. For me, there are few things more fun than a challenge – and vegging up a holiday meal that can wow even the most devout turkey fanatic is most definitely a challenge.

The ubiquitous green bean casserole was not something that ever showed up on our Thanksgiving table. I’m not sure why – we did the canned cranberry sauce with the can’s date imprinted in the bottom, the mashed potatoes and gravy, and pretty much every other staple. But I had never even heard of this until five or six years ago, and the person who described it to me didn’t do a great job of selling it – I’m paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of, “You take a bunch of cans of condensed crap and dump it into a dish, and then you mix in mushy cafeteria green beans and try to cover it with enough fried onions to make it palatable. Then you weep in memory of actual food.”

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Filed Under: Holiday, Side Dishes, Vegan

Veggie Fajitas

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Julie • 2 Comments

I have a serious weakness for Mexican food. First and foremost because it is awesome and excellent and delicious and otherwise perfect in every way, but also because it’s so easy to find or cook vegetarian versions of almost any dish. This is probably true of most any cuisine (Indian, anyone?) but I think all the bean and cheese burritos I ate when I was a teenage junk food vegetarian made a permanent impression on me.

Mexican is my go-to when I need to whip up a quick, healthy, and yummy dinner. After my car accident last week, I came home tired, upset, and in need of comfort food. I wanted to cook rather than order in – cooking always seems to put me back in balance, and I knew that after the day I’d had, the enthusiastic sizzle of veggies in the cast iron skillet would be a welcome sound. Life lesson of the day? Fajitas make everything better.

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Filed Under: Main Dish, Quick & Easy, Vegan

Portabello Salad with Maple-Mustard Dressing

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Julie • 2 Comments

I’m leaving tomorrow for a weeklong business trip. I still haven’t finished unpacking from my Florida trip last week (to be fair, I’ve been home nearly a week, so that’s really on me). Whenever possible, I usually spend the day before I leave on any trip in the kitchen trying to make a few dinners for Nor to have while I’m gone, as well as getting my fill of healthy, homemade food before the inevitable streak of takeout begins. This portabello salad was just what the doctor ordered today – light but hearty, filling but healthy. It was the perfect quick, simple Saturday lunch, but it could just as easily be an entrée or a side dish for a fancy meal.

The meaty mushrooms, rich avocado, and protein-packed chickpeas elevate the humble salad to nutritional powerhouse status, and the creamy dressing has a slight kick balanced by a bit of sweetness from maple syrup. I see this becoming a regular fixture in the rotation around here, whether I’m trying to load up on healthy food pre-travel or just craving a dinner salad (this happens a lot). Add slivered almonds for some crunch and even more protein, or crumbled feta cheese – the possibilities are endless, one of the many reasons salad rules.

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Filed Under: Main Dish, Side Dishes, Vegan

Mushroom and Leek Quiche

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Julie • 0 Comments

Take a leek.

Being able to make that joke each and every time I make this may in fact be the only reason I like leeks. It’s hard to dislike food that so easily lends itself to 12-year-old humor. In fairness to the leek, though, this is quite good even without the lame jokes. Leeks are milder and sweeter than onions, and are a great way to impart an onion-like flavor without the tears and inevitable halitosis. They also contain less of the sulfur compounds that make onions difficult for some people to digest, and thus make a good substitute for people who don’t tolerate them well. And that is why the leek shall inherit the earth.

Okay then. Now that I’ve indulged my insatiable need to pun, let’s move on. This quiche is a staple for us – although the total prep-and-cook time is close to an hour and a half, it’s all easy, and extremely satisfying to boot. And I’m saying this as somebody who isn’t really a quiche person – my general rationale is along the lines of “if you’re going to throw a bunch of eggs together and call it dinner, why not make an omelet and save us all the hassle?” But this isn’t a quivering three-inch-high egg pile like some quiches. The rich flavors of the roasted mushrooms and leeks are the real stars here – the eggs just quietly hold it all together. Serve with a simple green salad and as many bad leek puns as you can think of.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Main Dish