Shameless Blog Contest
THE CHALLENGE:
I am suffering from a cooking rut - definitely NOT very creative in everyday cooking. I desperately need some good, new-to-us entree recipes to mix into the rotation.
THE GUIDELINES (I didn’t call it a challenge for nothing):
- Simple & easy - I usually don’t like to spend more than 20-30 minutes for everyday meals (if it’s in the oven or crock pot and I don’t have to stand over it, it’s ok if it takes a little longer)
- Preferably vegetarian entrees - I don’t eat a lot of meat, and have plenty of recipes for meat dishes
- NO dairy - My son is allergic - if cheese is optional, it’s ok. I can usually substitute for milk & butter with no problems
- NO peanuts, corn or oats (also allergic) - I can substitute for corn starch in most recipes
- I prefer to avoid white flour - sometimes I can substitute for whole grains, but other times it just won’t work :: I love spelt
- You may post the recipes in the comments section, or post a link to a website with the recipe (which you’ve hopefully tried), or e-mail me
- DUE DATE - OCTOBER 25 - I know that’s not a lot of time. Did I mention I’m desperate?
A COUPLE OF NOTES: Remember, I have four children and a husband to feed - and sometimes extra people, so the recipes need to be family-friendly: easy to make or adapt for 6+ people. My kids will eat a variety of vegetables. If I have never heard of the vegetables and/or other ingredients I am less likely to make it. I am familiar with different flours, grains and many alternative health food ingredients, but not as many vegetables - I am willing to try as long as they’re not hard to find or require me driving for 20+ minutes to health food store. My family will only eat so much rice and beans.
YOUR PRIZE:
To the winner, I will send a package of personalized notecards or thank you cards or a mixed pack (you choose) . If they sound really yummy, I may choose more than one.
BONUS:
I think I might have to buy a vegan cookbook - it would meet the no-dairy, no meat thing. Anyone know of a good one with simple, family friendly recipes which aren’t all made of white flour? If you rise to this challenge and I buy your book recommendation, we’ll work out something special for your prize. 
Thanks everyone! You are welcome to pass this challenge along to friends/family.
Fun menu graphic from image generator at RedKid.net
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Grilled Vegetables:
1. Let 1 full sized bovine eat vegetables.
2. Slaughter the bovine.
3. Grill Ribeye cut from the bovine on the grill
This should win top marks - I know it would with your husband.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 am
ha ha. My husband has some kind of a sense of humor.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Hi Amy,
I got your email and couldn’t resist a cooking challenge! Here is a recipe for one of my favorite soups ever: “Lentil Vegetable Soup” from one of the “Barefoot Contessa” cookbooks. To me, what makes this so much more flavorful than other lentil soups is the leeks, lots of onions and red wine vinegar. By the way, we never use as much olive oil as is called for, and I’ve made it with brown lentils with excellent results. It does simmer for an hour, so that might fit your criteria, but give it a try.
Here’s a link to the recipe: http://starchefs.com/features/new_year_lunch/html/lentil_vege_soup_i_garten.shtml
Also, have you ever looked at this blog? We get lots of lunch ideas from it (we even use the laptop lunchbox system for Lydia’s lunches). The ideas are easily converted to nonvegan: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/
October 6th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
While not at all “prize worthy” its my fall back quick reciepe to feel an army.
My kids call it “Chicken and pasta” because it has no name (I made it up). It can be made without the chichen and the cheese and whole grain pasta will work just as well as regular). Takes approx 20-30 minutes to make.
1 box of Orzo pasta
3 chicken breast
3 cans of italian seasoned diced tomatoes (or 4 to 5 fresh chopped tomatoes from the garden)
2 cans of mushrooms (or one large carton of fresh - sliced)
1/4 cup of italian cheese blend (parmesean, mozerella, ect)
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Garlic
Salt
While pasta is boiling brown thinly sliced strips of chicken in large sauce pan with olive oil, italian seasoning, garlic and a pinch of salt. Add Mushrooms to pan when chicken is fully cooked - brown together. Once browned add tomatoes (add more seasoning if using fresh verses preseasoned canned) to pan and 1/4 cup of cheeses. Mix together, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes until heated through. (Simmer for 15 to 20 if using fresh tomatoes).
Toss with cooked Orzo and its ready to eat.
Optional cubed additives:
Zuccini
Squash
eggplant
October 6th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Hi there! I’m still working on a good recipe and may steal some ideas from this great list. For now, I did come across this great blog for organizing your life and the recent post is about meal plans, sounds like once you have some good recipes you can order them in this way to get a great variety! Not too prize worthy but sure sounds helpful, I may even try it! Good luck!
http://www.linnallen.blogspot.com/
October 8th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Okay, so my favorite for quick recipes is Rachael Ray. This first link is for a very yummy veggy “stoup” (stew/soup)
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/30-minute-meals/ratat-stoup-ie/article.html
This second one is one of my families favorites!! I serve it with rice (buy a rice cooker if you don’t already have one! It’s heaven & saves sooo much time) It’s called “Leeky Chicken” (although Scott did grumble the first time that he didn’t want to eat anything that leaked from a chicken!) It is quick, easy and Yum-O!
http://www.pricechopper.com/Recipes/Recipe_Detail_Stub.las?-token.RecipeNbr=14431&-token.S=42FT9R946B01898P76422AB5WNjN6L51F4CB2E%7C70176%7C0810071420%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C
Oh, and I guess I should mention that I substitute the wine with chicken stock.
Enjoy!!
October 8th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Here’s one I made last night and it’s becoming a favorite with our family.
No-cook Marinated Pasta Sauce
1.5 lb fresh tomatoes, diced or one 15-oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil, shredded with a large knife
1 cup mozzarella cheese cubes or fresh mozzarella balls (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
Combine all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour. This recipe can easily be doubled. It makes enough to spoon over 4 average servings of whole wheat spaghetti. I have also used balsamic vinegar with good results. I think it would make a delicious bruschetta topping as well if you drained it a bit.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Okay, so, can I just get you in contact with another LDS friend, also a vegetarian, and let HER help you out here? Cause I got nothing!! Well, nothing that meets the no rice & beans clause AND the food allergens AND the time restraints. But I bet she wouldn’t pop an artery trying. Would that help??
October 9th, 2008 at 10:02 am
OK - Rice and beans are OK if you have a really good recipe. We just seem to eat them often, and my husband and son aren’t a huge fan of rice, so I don’t want to over-do it with the rice. I think what I meant was rice & beans together, mostly.
October 9th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Oh - and YES - if you think she can help me, I’d be happy to e-mail or whatever. While I’m not a vegetarian (more of a quasi-vegetarian), I just don’t like to eat a lot of meat, and I guess I should look a little harder for recipes, but often, it’s either cheese or milk or strange veggies, or something…
THANKS for you help EVERYONE - feel free to continue posting until deadline!
October 10th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Ok, I know you just said no rice, but here’s one with minimal meat and limitless possibilities. And my kids will eat it.
Ham Fried Rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices fresh ginger, minced
1 cup diced ham or other meat
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
1 egg, beaten
4-5 cups cold rice
soy sauce
1 green onion, chopped
Stir-fry garlic and ginger in hot oil until aromatic. Add ham, carrot, celery, peas, and cabbage. Stir-fry until carrots are crisp-tender. Remove everything from the wok. Add 1 T oil to wok. Allow the oil to heat up. Add egg and scramble. Add rice and stir-fry until it is coated with oil. Return other ingredients to the wok and stir-fry until heated through. Add about 2 T soy sauce and stir-fry to coat. Add green onion and stir-fry to combine.
October 10th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
And one more. We usually eat this with grilled fish and some nice chewy bread.
Four-Veggie Roast
2 large carrots
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans (6 oz)
5-6 small new potatoes, halved (8 oz) or 8 oz of Yukon gold or red potatoes, cubed
1 small onion
1 T olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Coarse salt (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly wash vegetables.
Peel and cut carrots into slices almost 1/2 inch thick. Snip
the tiny ends off green beans, and snap them into pieces
about 2 inches long. Peel onion; cut into wedges. In a
square or 9 x 13″ metal baking pan, combine olive oil, soy
sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add all the vegetables. Stir
gently to coat with seasonings. Sprinkle with pepper and
salt, if desired. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20-25
minutes or until just tender, stirring vegetables once or
twice with a long-handled wooden spoon. Test vegetables with
a fork to check doneness.
Serves 3-4
October 12th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Here’s another soup my extended family loves. The ingredients might sound a little strange, but it is really flavorful. Mulligatawny soup is a type of Anglo-Indian soup (from the period of British colonialism in India) with endless variations, and this is the one we like. It simmers for a while, but active prep time is not so long.
Mulligatawny Soup
Ingredients:
3 qt chicken broth (divided)
1 cup lentils
1 Tbs. veg oil
2 lb chicken pieces
1 bay leaf
2 med carrots, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 large onion
2 ribs celery
1 Granny Smith apple (peeled and grated)
1 Tbs black mustard seed
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbs curry powder
2 Tbs flour
0.5 to 1 can coconut milk
Directions:
1. Cook lentils until soft in 2 quarts of chicken broth.
2. Brown chicken and then pour remaining quart of chicken broth over it and simmer with bay leaf and carrots.
3. Saute onion in oil, add spices, celery, apple and green pepper and cook until softened. Sprinkle with flour.
4. Mix everything and simmer for about an hour. Add coconut milk and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
October 12th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Hi Amy,
Here is another idea. I don’t think you have a Trader Joe’s near you, but you can probably find similar ingredients at your local grocery. A really simple and healthy meal foundation is 100% whole wheat coucous. TJ’s brand is inexpensive, but any brand will do. This is a tiny pasta, although it looks like a grain. It cooks very quickly, even in the microwave in about 3 minutes.
The topping variations are endless. Tonight, I made a room temperature salad with roasted vegetables (eggplant, peppers, red onion), pine nuts, basil and a lemon vinaigrette (well, it had feta, too, but that’s optional). Sometimes we have sliced cherry tomatoes, basil and mozzarella (optional, of course). Another favorite is to serve it warm with some variation of Indian food. Again, Trader Joe’s has some great Indian “simmer sauces” that you just dump in a pan with whatever add-ons you want: garbonzo beans, cubed chicken, vegetables (spinach, potatoes, peas, carrots), etc.
You can find a zillion other couscous-based recipes on-line or in cookbooks, but it really is an incredibly simple and tasty basis for a quick meal. Hope that helps.
Susan
October 12th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
well, since I don’t do the cooking in this home (can’t even tell you the last time I turned on the oven or stove), I don’t think I could help you much on this one. good luck! that is a tough one. have you checked out recipe websites (allrecipes.com) or done some google searches for more specific things (non-dairy, vegetarian types).
October 13th, 2008 at 2:12 am
Ok, I don’t have a recipe because, sadly, I do eat a lot of meat. What can I say? It’s in my blood. However, I do like vegetarian dishes, I just usually get them from recipezaar.com
I did happen to see a cook book that you might be interested in though. I found it on a clothing site of all places. I love these clothes, the ones that are modest anyway. Have fun looking at the whole site.
http://www.stopstaringclothing.com/go_vegan.html
http://www.stopstaringclothing.com/index.html
Just for fun, here’s another clothing site that I like. Now I just have to try and make the clothes because there is no way I am paying these prices.
http://unique-vintage.com/
October 13th, 2008 at 8:35 am
I really love this recipe:
Southwestern Bean Salad
1 15 oz. can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbonzo beans
2 celery ribs
1 medium red onion, diced
1 diced tomato
1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
Rinse and drain beans. Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. (It’s better the 2nd day)
Dressing:
3/4 c salsa
1/4 c lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 c fresh cilantro
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
October 13th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
and one more here:
http://myshore.blogspot.com/2008/10/healthycheap.html
October 14th, 2008 at 3:09 am
I found a website off of a blog that I regularly stalk. The recipes are healthy and mostly vegetarian (some fish). Some of the recipes have cheese, but they can be made without it. Also I think one recipe calls for peanuts, you can skip that one, or maybe try it without the peanuts and see how it goes. Not all of the recipes are for dinner. Some are for breakfast, but they look good. I’m going to try out a couple myself.
The website is: http://www.CuisineNie.blogspot.com
I’m not computer savvy enough to actually link it, so you’ll have to type out the actual web address to get there.
Good luck. I hope you find something you like.
October 18th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I think I finally found one you might enjoy and it has no dairy, meat, etc…Plus it looks great for fall. I will let you know what I find out when I try it this week:).
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Roasted-Sweet-Potato-Corn-Chowder/Detail.aspx?ARBMID=1717&ARFMTID=1