Last week as I was flipping through my cookbooks looking for some inspiration while meal planning, I came across a recipe in my Essential Vegetarian book that caught my eye. It was a recipe for fettuccine with creamy mushroom and bean sauce. I decided to use whole wheat pasta shells and altered some of the ingredients, and the meal came out pretty delicious if I do say so myself! Creamy Pasta Shells with Mushrooms, Green Beans & Pine Nuts 12 oz [whole wheat] small pasta shells1 TBSP olive oil1/4 onion (chopped)2 garlic cloves (minced)1 large portobello mushroom cap (thinly sliced)1/2 cup white wine1 cup heavy whipping cream1/2 cup vegetable stock6 oz green beans (trimmed and thinly sliced diagonally)3 TBSP chopped fresh basil1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (cut into ... [Read More]
vegetarian recipe
Plum Tomato & Goat Cheese Quiche
I love to experiment in the kitchen, but sometimes life gets just too hectic to spend a lot of time playing around creating meals. This was certainly the case the past couple of weeks with preparing to move, and now, getting all unpacked. When you're not sure where your plates are or have to go digging through boxes to find a knife to work with, meals tend to be pretty simple. That's why lately my dinners have included some quick, staple meals - including brown rice with veggie quesadillas, salad with pasta, and grilled cheese & homemade sweet potato fries. I can't wait to get all settled in so that I have the tools and energy to be more creative in the kitchen again. Just another day or two and I'll be there! Even when I don't have a big life happening going on like a move, some ... [Read More]
Sunday Night Dinner: Mexican Casserole
As usual, the weekend has zipped by and Sunday night is already here. I'm hanging out with my little family in my living room this evening, watching football with our Christmas tree lit. I've had so many winter-themed candles burning today, it smells like a mix of peppermint, sugar cookies, mocha and pumpkin in my house -- quite a yummy combo! My hubby and I just enjoyed this meal... Can you tell that I'm in a Christmas kind of mood? ;-) I've had a package of veggie protein crumbles (aka the vegetarian version of ground beef) in my fridge for a bit, waiting for a recipe idea to come to mind to use it for. I found that inspiration in a recipe for vegan enchilada casserole on the Oh She Glows website. I adapted her recipe to make my own casserole creation. This dish is the perfect meal ... [Read More]
Election Night Fare: Spinach & Red Pepper Quiche
Happy Election Day! Like a lot of people in the U.S. this evening, I've been tuning in to my television watching the projections and stats for the presidential race. I was so distracted with election coverage, I forgot to photograph tonight's dinner until we had eaten half of it.... When I'm preoccupied with other things, like watching a game or in this case, an election, a quiche is a great meal to make. This is because there's little prep time, and once I pop it in the oven, I can just let it bake while paying little attention to it. Tonight's quiche centered around a bag of fresh spinach I had on hand. Spinach & Red Pepper Quiche 1 frozen pie crust1 red bell pepper (chopped)1 6- oz bag of fresh raw spinach1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella (provolone, fontina or ... [Read More]
Heirloom Tomato & Avocado Bruschetta on Focaccia
My favorite kind of weekends are those that have a good balance of busyness and relaxation. These past few days were just the right mix of things. Highlights of the weekend include mountain biking, checking out the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival, house hunting (yes, we're looking!), hanging out at the beach for a couple hours and watching football. I also completely unplugged from my computer for a full 24 hours. Between working from home, blogging, and social media, I feel like I'm always on my laptop. It's nice to have a day every so often when I don't even turn my Mac on! Another fun part of my weekend was the NY Giants bandana I ordered for Harley arriving. She completely hates it and keeps biting it, but I can't stop cracking up at how funny she looks with it ... [Read More]
Fettuccine with Pesto Wine Sauce
Happy Saturday! My morning was spent hiking with my hubby and dog; then my afternoon consisted of relaxing on the beach in Del Mar. It was a gorgeous day and I'm happy I got to spend most of it outside. Pretty nice weekend I'm having so far! Moving onto food... I'm not a huge pesto sauce fan. I don't dislike it, but I don't go crazy for it either. Yet for some reason this week I was in the mood to eat pasta with pesto. Sadly my basil plant is coming to an end (and I need to get another one very soon!), so during this week's food store trip, I nabbed a big container of fresh basil. While I wasn't looking to change up a classic pesto sauce too much, I did want to try to decrease the amount of oil I used. As I peered around my kitchen, I spotted wine and thought This could be a good idea! And ... [Read More]