Tag Archives: vegetarian

Apple, Zucchini + Walnut Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

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Today we’re keeping things light and tasty with this simple spring salad.

I tossed mixed greens with chopped apple, zucchini, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta and an easy-to-make lemon Dijon vinaigrette.

First let’s talk salad. I don’t really know what produce to use right now. Someone fill me in. I feel like we’re in an in-between time. So, I’m cheating and bringing you apples (a little late) and zucchini (a little early). I’m breaking the rules. We can’t be perfect all the time, so break the seasonal rules with me and make this salad.

This is as simple as it gets. Chop a little, toss a little and you’re set. I keep it tossed and undressed in the fridge for several days to make packing lunches super easy and quick.

Now let’s talk dressing. If you’re already on the homemade dressing bandwagon, isn’t it great? If you aren’t but wanting to try, start with this one. It’s so easy to make and will have you wanting to leave store-bought dressings behind. This particular lemon Dijon vinaigrette is very versatile – I can’t really think of a salad I wouldn’t eat it on. The salad I made you today contains sweet ingredients like cranberry and apple and the tart, savory dressing so nicely compliments those sweet flavors.

The amounts I provide for the dressing in the recipe below are a base. Maybe you’ll want it a little sweeter, so add more honey, or maybe you’ll want it more mustard-y, so add more Dijon. Taste as you go and make it something you love.

Crisp, crunchy, sweet, tart and savory, fresh and light yet filling. That’s how I’d describe this salad. The varying flavors and textures are what make this so unique. I hope you make it and I hope you love it!

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Apple, Zucchini + Walnut Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
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For the salad
  1. Mixed greens
  2. 1 medium apple, chopped
  3. 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  4. 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  5. 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  6. Large handful of dried cranberries
For the dressing
  1. 1/2 cup olive oil
  2. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  3. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  4. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  5. 1 garlic clove, minced
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  8. 1/2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
  1. For the salad, place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss.
  2. For the dressing, place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake very well, to combine. It will become sort of creamy. Try the dressing, and adjust to your taste.
  3. Serve salad onto plates and serve with dressing.
  4. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. The undressed, tossed salad will keep fresh in the fridge for several days. The salad makes a great quick lunch.
  2. The amounts I provide in the recipe will make 3/4 cup of dressing and 2 large or 4 small servings of salad.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Beet Gnocchi

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Ahhh. That’s a sigh of relief to be finally posting this recipe. This post has been a long time coming. Like last week, this is not my own recipe. But this again, is too good not to be shared with you.

I discovered this recipe, from Food and Wine, at the beginning of winter and have made it every week since, I think. The first time I made it, Greg declared it as his new favorite meal. And even as I’ve made it many more times, it’s still a favorite. It’s just plain good. Homemade beet gnocchi with a butter sage sauce and topped with toasted walnuts and parmesan cheese – need I say more?

I’ve found some tips and tricks that make the preparation of this meal go smoothly. Today I’m going to share those with you. If you want to make this meal, read the original recipe on Food and Wine. Then read through my tips and take a look at my photos. I feel that a visual always helps. Before making this, I had no experience with homemade gnocchi or pasta of any kind. Trust me, it’s not hard. You can totally do it. And it’s so fun. It’s fun and tastes so good. Have you got a weekend coming up with not much to do? Plan to start this in an afternoon and slowly make your way through the recipe. Play some music, have a glass of wine. You’ll love it.

So, warning: lots of words and photos ahead. If you decide to make this, read and look through. If you aren’t going to make this, look through the photos anyway – this dish is pretty!

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1. Use parchment or wax paper to cover your cutting board while peeling roasted beets. While my cutting board still got just a bit stained using wax paper, it’s a lot better than when using nothing at all.

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2. The four small beets I used (as you see in the photo) produced just under 1 1/2 cups of beet puree (what the recipe calls for). For a full 1 1/2 cups, I would have used 5 small beets. The amount of beet puree that you use, however, is slightly forgiving in my experience. I have used both slightly less and slightly more than 1 1/2 cups for this recipe and it has always been good.

3. Your beet puree does not have to be perfectly pureed. My food processor can’t seem to puree the beets into a perfectly smooth consistency. There are always still some small chunks. I have learned that not only does it not poorly affect the finished product, I quite like the small chunks of beet scattered throughout the cooked gnocchi.

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4. I used white whole wheat flour for this recipe rather than all-purpose flour, just because it’s what I had on hand. It worked quite well.

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5. The recipe calls for toasted walnuts. My suggestion is to start toasting walnuts in large batches and keep them on hand. Since I started to make this many months ago, I started to keep chopped, toasted walnuts in a plastic reusable container to use whenever I please. Toasted walnuts taste incredible and go well on so many things. My favorite dishes to sprinkle them on are this, any pasta dish, lentils and green salads. Having them on hand eliminates a step while making this.

6. View my photos on how to easily roll out the gnocchi dough. Once the dough sits at room temperature for 30 minutes, I cut it into 10 mostly even pieces with a sharp knife. I then flour my cutting board, take one piece of the cut dough and roll it into a ball. I place it on the cutting board to coat the ball in flour and roll the ball into a rope, about the length of my cutting board. I then cut that rope, with a sharp knife, into pieces, about 1/2 inch long, usually making 18 gnocchi from one rope.

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7. The recipe on Food and Wine calls for 1 1/2 sticks of butter for the sauce. While I do think that butter is delicious, I don’t prefer to use that much on a regular basis. I use 2-3 tablespoons of butter plus a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for the sauce instead. I have never felt that I was missing out on the butter I didn’t add.

8. Speaking of the sauce, don’t skimp on the sage leaves. I don’t always love to buy fresh herbs because I rarely use the entire thing, but for this recipe, buy fresh and use all that you can.

9. I do the ending of this dish a bit differently than the original recipe calls for. What I do (this is what I do instead of steps 6-8 of the original recipe): once the gnocchi is cut and I am ready to cook, I set up my stove with one large pot of boiling water and on another burner, my cast iron skillet. In the cast iron, I melt a couple tablespoons of butter and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. I tear the fresh sage leaves into tiny pieces into the cast iron and let them fry while the gnocchi boils. I boil the gnocchi as the recipe says – boiling 1/3 of the gnocchi at a time and removing it from the boiling water with a handheld slotted strainer. Instead of transferring it to an oiled baking sheet, I usually let it drain off very well in the handheld strainer and put it directly into the hot cast iron skillet and turn the heat down to low. You don’t want it to burn, but I like the crispiness the outside of the gnocchi gets as it cooks in the cast iron skillet. Once all the gnocchi is boiled, I let it all cook for several more minutes in the butter/olive oil/sage sauce in the cast iron skillet. I then put it on plates and garnish with the toasted, chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

10. This does freeze so well. With just Greg and I eating, I always freeze half of this recipe. After cutting the gnocchi, I always end up with two cookie sheets full. I place one cookie sheet directly into the freezer for 30 minutes. I then transfer the gnocchi to a gallon-sized zip bag and freeze. When I’m ready to make it (I’ve saved it for up to a month), I cook the gnocchi directly from frozen. We love this as a quick weeknight dinner!

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11. The most important tip I have for this dish is to truly enjoy making it. It is a dish that is meant to be enjoyed during the process of making it and the process of eating it. Make sure you do it when you have plenty of time and will not be rushed. I remember one Sunday a few weeks back where I spent the entire afternoon slowly making my way through this recipe and being so happy while doing it. I was even happier when after a long day of cooking, I sat down with Greg and enjoyed this beautiful meal.

Okay, I think I’m done. I know that was a lot to take in. If you want to make this dish and have questions about my experience, leave them in the comments! I hope that you find this helpful, but like with all things cooking, you will of course find your own rhythm and shortcuts as you go. Enjoy!

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Recipe from Food and Wine.

Thanksgiving Burgers

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Or: lentil-rice-cranberry-thyme-walnut burgers.

That’s what these really are, but that’s far too long a title, and I like Thanksgiving Burgers better anyway. Each one of those ingredients is important though, and with one missing, this burger just wouldn’t be the same.

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Around Thanksgiving, there are always sandwiches talked about that have all the season’s fixings on them. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy. I always think that sounds so good other than the fact that I don’t like turkey, and a stuffing, cranberry + gravy sandwich just doesn’t sound as appealing. Lately, I have been craving a Thanksgiving sandwich, so I decided to make one of my very own.

All of the ingredients and flavors in this burger are what remind me of Thanksgiving. And all of the flavors bring me comfort during these cold months.

Lentils: I was cooking lentils the other day and they smelled so buttery. I thought they would be the perfect base for my Thanksgiving burger.
Brown rice: A hearty grain that I love on its own and in vegetarian burgers.
Cranberries: Can’t have a Thanksgiving burger without the cranberries. A sweet/tart punch among the many savory flavors in this sandwich.
Thyme: I am obsessed with it. It is the perfect-to-me cold weather seasoning.
Walnuts: Can’t get enough of putting walnuts in food. They add a great crunchy texture to these burgers.

I would never pass up the real Thanksgiving dinner for one of these burgers, but they will from now on quickly satisfy a Thanksgiving craving whenever one hits. Although these burgers are great plain + right out of the skillet, they are even better on a bun, with melted cheese and sautéed mushrooms.

Thanksgiving, in a burger. Healthy, comforting deliciousness:

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Thanksgiving Burgers
Yields 5
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup prepared green or brown lentils
  2. 1 cup prepared brown rice
  3. 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  4. 1/2 cup rolled oats
  5. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  6. 2 celery stalks, diced
  7. 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
  8. 1/2 cup walnuts
  9. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  10. 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  11. 3/4 teaspoon salt
  12. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  13. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  14. 1 tablespoon ground flax
  15. Buns, optional
  16. Cheese of your choice, optional
  17. Sliced mushrooms for topping, optional
Instructions
  1. There are a lot of little parts to this recipe. I found it easy to do all the little parts as my lentils and rice were cooking, then everything was ready to put together at once.
  2. While the lentils and rice are cooking, place the dried cranberries in a small bowl and cover them with hot water. This will rehydrate them. Let sit for about 25 minutes.
  3. Pulse the 1/2 cup rolled oats in a food processer until they resemble a coarse crumb. Remove from the food processor and set aside in a small bowl.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced celery and onion. Cook for several minutes, or until the veggies are softened and slightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. In a pan over medium-high heat, toast the walnuts. I place them in the pan and toss around for about 5 minutes, or until they smell fragrant and are slightly golden. Once toasted, remove from heat and set aside.
  6. Once all of the parts are prepared and the lentils and rice are slightly cooled, add 1 cup lentils, 2 minced garlic cloves, thyme, salt, pepper and onion powder to a food processor and process until mixture is paste-like.
  7. Add the cranberries, celery and onion and pulse a few times, just to lightly incorporate. You want to retain chunks of the veggies and cranberries.
  8. Add 1 cup of rice, toasted walnuts and ground flax to the food processor and pulse several times, just to lightly incorporate. You want the burgers to have texture to them, rather than being completely smooth.
  9. Add the mixture to a large bowl and add the pulsed oat flour, a little at a time, until the burgers come together and are just slightly sticky. You want to be sure they will stay together when cooked.
  10. Add olive oil to a pan and once hot, add patted out burgers, cooking on the first side until toasted and golden brown. Flip burgers, and cook until other side is toasted and golden brown.
  11. While the burgers are cooking, add the sliced mushrooms to a pan with olive oil and cook until softened. If you want, add some white wine in with the mushrooms and cook until all liquid is absorbed.
  12. Place burgers on a bun and if desired, top with cheese and sautéed mushrooms.
  13. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. On their own, these burgers are vegan + gluten free.
  2. These burgers cook well right after putting everything together, but cook even better if mixture is refrigerated a few hours. If you have the time, refrigerate several hours after oat flour is mixed in.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Brussels Sprouts + Smoked Gouda Quiche

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: isn’t quiche grand?

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Every time I make it, I make two, so it lasts for days and days as delicious leftovers.

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Greg and I have been so obsessed with this smoked salmon quiche since I first made it, but now, there is a new quiche in town: Brussels sprouts + smoked Gouda quiche. 

Hearty Brussels sprouts come together with smoky, creamy Gouda cheese and fluffy eggs to make this fulfilling breakfast, lunch or dinner!

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I started this quiche by slicing the sprouts thin. I wanted the sprouts to have the same caramelized flavor that these sprouts do, but didn’t want them to take as long, so slicing thin is key. I sauteed them with a shallot until just caramelized, and I have to say, that step really adds wonderful flavor to the baked quiche. The smoked Gouda is also really important to this dish. I have been going crazy over smoked Gouda. I bought a package of sliced smoked Gouda from Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago, and ever since I have been craving it all the time. Not only is it delicious just on its own, smoked Gouda pairs very well with Brussels sprouts. If you have never tried smoked Gouda cheese, you are in for a treat! 

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With just those two main ingredients in this quiche, it is very simple and easy to make. I made it for a Saturday morning breakfast and served it with sauteed potatoes and onions. What a great start to the weekend that was. We then ate it as lunch leftovers all week long.

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 I know it’s the time of year for sweets, sweets, sweets, but make sure to eat other food too! This quiche would be perfect to have on hand while planning or making food for a holiday celebration. It is quick to warm up, fulfilling and delicious. 

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Enjoy!

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Brussels Sprouts + Smoked Gouda Quiche
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Ingredients
  1. ~20 large Brussels sprouts, sliced thin
  2. 1 shallot, sliced thin
  3. Olive oil
  4. Salt and pepper
  5. 10-12 eggs, depending on the size of your crust
  6. 1 1/4 cup milk
  7. ~ 6 ounces (or 1/3 of a pound) smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
  8. 2 prepared pie crusts, your favorite!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced shallot, stir and cook for a minute.
  3. Add the sliced Brussels sprouts. Stir well, to coat all sprouts in oil, and cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, or until sprouts are slightly caramelized and tender. Season with a small amount of salt and pepper, if desired. Let cool slightly.
  4. Add half the sprouts to one pie crust and the rest to the other. Top each with equal amounts of shredded smoked Gouda.
  5. Using your stand mixer (or a hand-held), beat together the eggs, milk and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Beat until slightly fluffy. Pour the egg mixture into each quiche, dividing equally. Each quiche should be full. If not, beat more eggs and milk and add to the quiche.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
  7. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. The amounts provided above will make two quiches. If you only want one, use half the ingredients.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Curry Red Lentil Soup

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I’ve been wanting to share this recipe with you for awhile. 

I’ve been working on it for several weeks now, and I am so happy with this curry red lentil soup I am sharing with you.

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It comes at an appropriate time too, I think. After one holiday of eating heavily, looking toward another one. This soup is perfect for giving your body a break from the heavy, while nourishing it and making it feel wonderful. 

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Let’s quickly talk about red lentils. If you’re not familiar with them, don’t be scared. They look a little freaky, but they are a wonderful food. They almost look like a fake food, like something that has been manufactured (that’s what I thought the first time I saw them). But in fact, lentils are a natural superfood. They are packed with protein, fiber, iron and many other wonderful things. Lentils are good for us, they nourish us. 

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The rest of this soup is pretty basic, pretty recognizable. Some onion, garlic, carrots, celery and veggie stock. All of your normal soup components. They key to this soup, though, is the curry paste. I love using this curry paste in many different dishes and I could not be happier with using it in this soup. It adds so much amazing flavor and a unique twist on an otherwise average veggie soup. I suggest using a small amount of curry paste to start, and adding more as you please. It isn’t overly spicy, but does add a kick. 

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While this is a perfect post-Thanksgiving refresh meal, it will also be a staple of mine through all the cold months. Warm up with some curry red lentil soup!

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P.S. – On a random note, I have been reluctant to share this post with you only because I am not happy with the photos. As I was editing them, I just wasn’t completely satisfied with how they were looking. I decided, though, that the recipe needed to be shared and I got past my dissatisfaction with the photos. Here’s to better photos next time!

Curry Red Lentil Soup
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Ingredients
  1. Olive oil
  2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  4. 3 large carrots, chopped
  5. 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
  6. 4-6 tablespoons red curry paste
  7. 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  8. 7-8 cups veggie stock
  9. Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Add about two tablespoons of olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and stir.
  2. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt and stir. Let veggies cook several minutes, until they begin to soften and sweat.
  3. Add the red lentils to the pot and stir.
  4. Add the curry paste. Start with a little knowing that you can add more later. Stir it around the pot, incorporating it with the other ingredients.
  5. Add about 4 cups of veggie stock to the pot and stir well, to incorporate the curry paste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the red lentils are soft.
  6. Once the lentils are soft, add 3-4 more cups of veggie stock to the soup and simmer until warm.
  7. Season with salt, pepper and more curry paste, to taste.
  8. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/