Butternut & Bleu Cheese Casserole

Move over, red lentils! Butternut squash is my new squeeze!

OMG, I could NOT wait til tomorrow to post this! I can barely keep my spoon out of this super tasty and super simple dish.

The Goods
2 lbs butternut squash
3/4 cup medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup bleu cheese (yum!)
3/4 tbsp sage
salt and pepper

1) Steam the butternut squash. I wish I could tell you how I did that. Uh...I cut it open and put it face down in the oven, on 375 degrees, for about 20 minutes. Then I peeled off the skin and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Afterwards, turn the oven up to 400 degrees for later.

2) Breadcrumbs. Cut up one piece of (multi-grain or oat-y) bread and dice it in the food processor. Makes between 1/2 and 3/4 cups. Toss the bread crumbs with about 2 tbsps olive oil. Set aside.

3) Combine squash cubes, sage, salt and pepper, and the remaining 2 tbsps olive oil in a large bowl. Coat a large oven dish with cooking spray. Pour in the squash mixture. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

4) Sprinkle the bleu cheese over the squash. Then mix in the breadcrumb mixture. Place in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the whole thing gets lightly toasted.

5) EAT IT!!!

(I found today's recipe here)

Mmm Good! Kitchen Sink Soup

Ok, this soup is the cat's meow, man! Just threw whatever I had into the pot and improvised as I went along.

The Goods
1 cup red lentils
1/3 cup veggie broth
2 cups water
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 medium cauliflower head, chopped
2 large carrots
1 cup frozen spinach
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
couple dashes of cumin
t tsp coconut oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
Red Hot Sauce
bleu cheese crumbles


To begin, brown the onions, spices, and garlic in olive oil til the onions are translucent. Then add the water, broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Then add the vegetables and turn down the heat to allow it all to simmer. Add the brown sugar and coconut oil.

Stop here and taste the soup. If you're a little skeptical of the bleu cheese and Red Hot, then leave the soup as is. If you're up for adventure, add the last two ingredients to your liking!

Veggie broth can take over a soup, which is why I put such a small amount in here. I just wanted to give my lentils a little extra flavor. The additional cumin, garlic and chili powder are to power up my curry powder. If you like yours just fine, then omit these ingredients. Brown sugar is my new secret ingredient. I've been adding brown sugar to my curry recipes lately because it seems to thicken up the sauce and give the dishes some nuance.

I've been on a bleu cheese and red hot binge lately so, of course, they found their way into my soup. I think it works. I've made this soup twice this week and it was delicious each time!

Pineapples & Meatballs!

I sure do love the part-time life, folks! I found another fun recipe for my workday lunch!

The Goods
The sauce
1 ½ cup veggie broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hot mustard sauce (in place of 1/3 cup vinegar)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

½ package of veggie meat, ground beef style
¾ of 1 bell pepper
¾ cup of sliced pineapple with juice (almost ½ of 15 oz can)

Make small (1 inch-ish) balls from the veggie meat. I added a bit of curry powder and chili pepper to give them more flavor. Brown them in olive oil, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. You’ll finish cooking them completely later on.

Combine sauce ingredients in a separate bowl. Put aside.

Lightly sauté the green pepper and pineapple. Then add the sauce and the meatballs. Cook altogether over medium heat for another 7-10 minutes, if that. Taste, add a dash of salt or whatever strikes your fancy.


I served my meatballs over brown rice and topped with shredded coconut. Yum! As you can see, I added some stuff to it because I hate the taste of it plain. I always make it with 1/2 veggie broth and 1/2 water, and this time I added carrots and raisins to go with the overall sweet flavor of the meatballs and sauce.

If you would like to use ground beef, try this recipe.

Red Lentil & Artichoke Stew

Halfway through lunch I realized that I had forgotten to take a picture...



So I pulled out my camera. I thought I could do it. How hard could it be to snap a photo between bites?



Harder than I thought. This soup was too good, I tell ya!

You will have the same reaction, too. This red lentil artichoke stew is definitely where it's at! The biggest surprise? I used NO salt or curry powder, my two favorite condiments! I know, I was a bit skeptical, lol!

I found this soup while searching for ingredients and flavors besides my old standbyes. I wasn’t sure how to pull off Italian with no cheese, and whole grain pasta is wholly unappealing…So, clickety click click, I entered the ingredients I had on hand (red lentils, duh) and those I wanted to play with (artichokes and olives). Ta-da! Red lentil artichoke stew!

Lots of people refer to the Vegan Table for this recipe but I based mine off of this one here.

The Goods
1 cup diced yellow onion
2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup dry red lentils
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 16-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1-15-ounce jar artichoke hearts, drained)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
black olives, sliced

Saute onions til golden. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lentils, bay leaf, lemon juice, tomatoes and tomato liquid, artichoke hearts (and some juice but not all of it), and crushed red pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add water (or veggie broth) if stew becomes too thick. Remove the bay leaf. Serve alone or over rice or pasta. (I served mine over brown rice that I embellished with bell peppers and onion.)

Savory and simple! Two spoons up!

Coconut Carrot Splash

Without further ado, my favorite summer soup--Coconut Carrot Splash! This soup is frigging delicious--I couldn't wait for lunch this week!



Coconut Carrot Splash is my own creation, the result of forgetting original ingredients and incorporating fringe elements--beets and kale. Personally, I just love beets and carrots together and kale's pungent flavor always reminds me of curries. And I'm trying to get my vitamins!

The Goods
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsps curry powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 medium bay leaf
2 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup kale
1/4 of 15 oz can of sliced beets
juice from 1/2 medium lemon
salt

Brown the curry powder in the olive oil.

Then add: onions, broth, carrots, beets, bay leaf and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add kale or other leafy green and simmer until the greens are wilted, no more than 5 minutes.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender. When it's all blended, add the coconut milk. Add the lemon juice and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve hot or cold, by itself or over rice. Enjoy!

This recipe is inspired by the Curried Carrot Soup at Chow. Try this one if you don't like beets and kale.

Red Lentil Burgers

What’s a busybody’s dream food? RED LENTILS!



Let me tell you, these little things are cheap, versatile, and fast! I make a variety of dishes, from curries to chowders to variations of the traditional lentil soup. Thanks to Poor Girl Eats Well, I’ve discovered red lentil hummus, too! Her recipe is simple and you can easily personalize it. Red lentil hummus has become my go-to snack: I eat it as veggie dip, spread it on crackers, and use it in place of mayo on sandwiches.

But I digress. I got up this morning to tell you about red lentil burgers. Yes, yes, y’all! These are a tasty alternative to the ubiquitous veggie patty and bland black bean burgers.
















Because I buy vegan, my recipe omits eggs. Therefore, I make my patties a little smaller so they will be less crumbly. This recipe yields 8-12 patties. The recipe that inspired my own simpler version is here.

The Goods
¾ cup red lentils
2 ½ cups water
2 cups mushrooms
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery hearts, diced
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves (ish) garlic
2 cups breadcrumbs

Seasonings (to taste)
Oregano
Salt n pepper
Cayenne pepper
Lemon juice

Bring lentils to a boil. (For more flavor, I prepare my lentils with veggie broth and a bay leaf.) Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain very well and set aside. You may want to use a wire colander because you want the lentils as dry as possible.

Saute the onion, garlic, and cayenne pepper in olive oil. When the onion is translucent, add the other vegetables and all seasonings except the lemon juice. Saute it all til it smells good and the mushrooms are soft but not slimey. Drain excess liquid.

Combine your lentils and veggie mix. Add the lemon juice. Add the breadcrumbs. Adjust seasoning to taste. Then chill the mash in the fridge for 30 minutes. Afterwards, make small patties and brown them on the stove, about 5 minutes each side.

Top with your favorite fixins. I suggest avocado, red bell pepper and hot mustard. Enjoy!

P.S. For all you playful flirts, this recipe is great to make with your date or sweetie!