Dinner Tonight: Sloppy Joe's (Vegan), Salad w/ Avocado Vinegarette, Roasted Corn

I just finished reading The Starch Solution by John A. McDougal.  He is another advocate of eating a Whole Foods, Plant Based Diet.  His different approach talks about how people have been eating starch based diets that include rice and potatoes for thousands of years.  He is the defender of the potato!  I enjoyed reading his book and have been working through the recipes printed in the last half of the book.  Many plant based recipes require a lot of prep.  However, with a few tweaks, I have cut down on prep time a ton.  I try to keep the perspective that prepping meat also takes a ton of time.  I do not miss cleaning chicken and then disinfecting the kitchen afterward.  No more of that for me!

The recipe below I have copied and altered from The Starch Solution.  I have taken a few short cuts thanks to Trader Joe's!  These are seriously good.  Reminds me of eating sloppy joe's as a kid!

Sloppy Joe's 
Ingredients:

1 red onion chopped
1 bell pepper (I used orange but any color will do)
1 TBS chili powder
3 TBS itialian seasoning
1 TBS tomato paste
2 TBS brown sugar
1 TBS rice wine vinegar (I didn't measure just use a couple of glugs!)
3 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1 Can Trader Joe's Marinara Sauce 
1 box Trader Joe's Pre-cooked Brown Lentils
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put 1/3 cup of water of veggie stock into a large, non stick skillet or saucepan.  Add the onion and bell pepper.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion and bell pepper soften and start to brown around the edges.  The pan will begin to get dry.  Add the red wine (if using), the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar to the pan.  Cook until it reduces down and gets a little thick.  Add the chili powder and Italian seasoning.  Cook to incorporate.  Add the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the can of Marinara Sauce from Trader Joe's and the lentils.  Simmer together and let the flavors combine for at least 20 minutes.  The longer it simmers, the better it is!
Pile on top of some whole wheat buns and enjoy!

Avocado Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 TBS Agave
1 small avocado

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender.  Blend together.  Toss with your favorite salad.
In the picture, I have mixed baby greens, blueberries, honey almonds, and a sprinkle of blue cheese (remember, I said I was vegan-ish!  I love my blue cheese!!)

No Oil Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Quinoa

I love quinoa!  Quick cooking, full of protein and so versatile.  It has become my go to side dish.  Tonight's version was figure friendly, heart smart and super quick.   My kids, including my not so quinoa loving son, liked it too.  This is an original, not a "flattered" version of another recipe.  Feel free to flatter me by adjusting it for your family!

No Oil Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Quinoa:

Ingredients:
2 c. Quinoa
3 1/2 c Veggie Stock
Large bunch of basil (large clamshell pack from Trader's)
1/2 cup cashews (or pistachios) toasted
2 cloves garlic
splash of veggie stock
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
One package of sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) chopped
3 green onions chopped, whites and greens
1 cup frozen sweet peas
Feta cheese if desired.

Directions:

Quinoa:  I always use my rice cooker for quinoa.  It always turns out perfectly.


1.  Measure two cups (I used the cup that came with my rice cooker)
2.  Add the veggie stock.  (follow the directions for your rice cooker, approx 3 1/2 cups)
3.  Use the setting for White Rice.  Takes about 20 minutes.

Pesto:
1.  Add the nuts, basil, garlic, lemon juice, and splash of veggie stock to the blender.
2.  Blend until smooth.
3.  Salt to taste.

Put it all together!

1.  Add the pesto to the quinoa.
2.  Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes
3.  Add the chopped green onions
4.  Add the frozen peas and stir to combine.
5.  Put the lid back on the rice cooker and let sit for 5 minutes or until the peas are warmed through.
6.  Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
7.  Add Feta if desired.

Flattered Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

So, tonight I posted a picture on Facebook of an altered Pinterest recipe.  I admit, I was tooting my own horn a bit, showing off my yummy salad.  Thought I may get a few "likes".  I actually got quite a few requests for the recipe.  This is what started this whole blog thing.  I was not sure how to share the recipe without e-mailing it to each person.  I thought about trying to figure out how to "pin" my altered recipe on Pinterest but I felt guilty for putting something on Pintrest that came from a post on Pintrest!  As if the Pinetrest police was going to come knocking on my door or worse.....deny me access to my Pincrack!  To avoid the copy cat guilt, I am posting this altered recipe here.  Here is the link to the original recipe http://authenticsuburbangourmet.blogspot.com/2011/05/avocado-and-grilled-corn-salad-with.html

Here is my version:

Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

This is the recipe I used from Pintrest.  The changes I made are in orange!

Serves 4

1 bag of frozen sweet corn from Trader Joe’s (I packed this salad to go so I put the corn in frozen and it was ready to eat and kept the whole salad cold an hour after I made it!)
2 Avocado’s, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning
2 C. Tomatoes, red and yellow cherry variety or equivalent
1 Small red onion, finely diced
¾ C. Feta, crumbled (optional)
1 ½ C. English cucumber, skin on and chopped small dice (I used about ¾ of a large English Cucumber)
(I don’t measure – just use the proportions that look good!)

1 can of black beans rinsed and drained.

1 -2 cups cooked quinoa (I had left overs and threw it in)

Add to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cilantro Vinaigrette

6 T. Olive oil (I didn’t use any oil, used a couple TBS of veggie stock to loosen it up)

2 T. Sherry vinegar (I used two glugs of apple cider vinegar – didn’t have Sherry)

Juice of one lime
1 t. Garlic powder (I used one garlic clove)
2 T. Fresh cilantro, minced (One entire bunch)
½ t. Salt
10 Grinds of fresh ground pepper

Add all of the above ingredients in a small glass jar with a lid. Shake really well. Taste and adjust seasoning and ratios of oil and vinegar as you desire. (I put all the ingredients in the blender then poured it over the salad)

When ready to serve salad, add the dressing and gently toss.

Copying is the Greatest Form of Flattery!

I have had many people ask me for my recipes over the years.  No, I am not that great of a cook.  I just am good at copying and altering.  I have very few original ideas and hate to take credit for other peoples brilliance   Oh the guilt!  So, I titled this blog, Greatest Form of Flattery because I often tell people that copying is the greatest form of flattery!  I used to copy ideas from my dear friends and family and alter them to make them my own.  Now, with the invention of Pinterest, or Pincrack as I call it, I get to copy from people I don't even know! I will try to reference the original recipe when I can.  Occasionally, you may see an original recipe too!  I am often too lazy and rushed to follow a recipe so I just throw something together based on what I have on hand.  Sometimes it works, but sometimes, not so much.

Food is so personal.  Finding recipes that fit the dietary restrictions for my family or that everyone will eat is rare.  Nearly every recipe I make has to be adjusted to fit the needs of my family.  We are "Veganish".  We try to stay away from animal products.  We are not perfect and it has been a transition over many years, but we try.  So, many of the altered/copied recipes you will see here are vegetarian or vegan.  Don't judge if you see some butter or cheese thrown in there every once and a while!