Okay so I am sure this question has probably been addressed TONS of times, but I am finding that I am eating the same thing OVER and OVER again...like I eat veggie burgers, sandwiches, salads, cereal, whole wheat bread products, fruit, veggies, and burritos/soft tacos
What are some of your favorite dishes that you make regularly? I know there is a whole section of WW dishes, but I just want to hear what you guys make a lot...
and please keep in mind that I am vegetarian
Butternut squash, cubed and mixed with apple butter. (I think I remember using about a 1/2 cup per 1/2 of squash... but you can put in as much or as little as you prefer.) Baked at 375F for about 30-45 min.
OMG that sounds delicious, Faerie! And I have a butternut squash sitting around... And an open jar of apple butter!
Things I like to make:
-cottage cheese with diced tomatoes and basil on whole grain flatbread crackers
-steamed turnip or collard greens with pinto beans and spices
-homemade turkey burgers with baked fries
-turkey, spinach, and avocado in a wrap
-spinach salad with berries (dried or fresh) and walnuts
-black bean and barley salad with veggies
-quinoa with roasted veg
I dunno, I guess there are a lot of things on my menu. I like variety, and I like to cook, so those two things really help me expand my offerings. For lunch I usually do leftovers from the night before. For snacks I do the cottage cheese thing I have listed above, or yogurt with berries and cereal, or crackers and laughing cow cheese.
-steamed turnip or collard greens with pinto beans and spices
Oooh. Would you be able to elaborate on that? Ya see.. I've never worked with either turnip OR collard greens. And I do occasionally like to experiment... but safely with a recipe
I think I'm going to have to Google quinoa. People have been talking about it all the time. And everytime I think "What the heck is quinoa?" ... and then don't look it up!
I don't have enough fun things to do with quinoa. It really is a wonderful grain -- has kind of a nutty flavor that goes well with just about anything. I don't like it plain... nor do I like barley or rice plain... it needs to either be cooked in broth and herbs or mixed with veg.
As for the beans n greens, this is what happens:
You need:
1 16-oz bag of greens (collard or turnip, I think I like turnip better)
2 cans pinto beans (I've also used black, they work)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dry oregano
1 tsp cayenne (or ground red pepper if you don't like so much spice)
1/4 tsp salt (I never put this in)
1 1/2 c broth (chicken or veg)
Stick the greens in a microwave-safe bowl, add 1/2 c broth, cover with plastic wrap and vent. Microwave for about 8 mins or until tender. In the meantime, place cumin and oregano in a pot (big enough to eventually hold everything) and toast over med heat until fragrant, add garlic and onions and sautee with a bit of EVOO. Sautee for about 3 mins, add remaining broth and cook another couple minutes. Add (drained, rinsed) beans. Add cooked greens (carefully not adding the broth you cooked them in -- it will be bitter). Mix gently and serve.
If you have time (I never do), you can take each leaf of greenery, fold it in half, and cut out the stem. I guess it's supposed to make the consistency nicer? It was suggested but I've never done it.
I make this meal once at least every other week, I love it so much. Then of course there are plenty of leftovers too!
I usually make a batch of low-fat corn muffins to go with. Using the calories given for the recipe it comes out to 4 points for 1/4 of the pot (which is a HUGE amount). I guess the only points-bearing item in there would be the beans and EVOO (which I never use enough of in this to count for much), and you nearly get a cup of beans per serving out of it, so it works out either way.
Last edited by suitejudyblueeyes; 02-27-2008 at 07:58 AM.
Thanks for taking the time to type that all out, Suite! I'll talk to fiancé about giving a try this weekend. (You even mention the words sautéd & onions to him and he gets excited.)
I've been eating some veggie burgers. I eat a lot of salads.
I enjoy a 'taco' salad with canned refried beans and sometimes chopped up veggie burger.
I eat a lot of bean and veggie dishes. One of my favorites is the Chickpea Casserole from Vegan with a Vengeance. I can't find it online though. www.fatfreevegan.com is an awesome resource for a lot of good recipes.
I also eat the same things over and over, which I figure isn't so bad since I'm trying to choose Core foods mostly, and that's LOT healthier than I used to eat!
Here's a couple of things with quinoa - I can only vouch for the chili, which is good, I only put in half the chipotle pepper. The pilaf I want to try soon, it sounds good too. Will have to cut down on the butter and nuts, perhaps.
Quinoa Chili
This unusual but delicious vegan chili, based on supergrain quinoa, comes from Toronto author Judith Finlayson's new book The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook. Since most whole grain dishes soak up liquid if left to sit, you may need to add extra stock/water if reheating.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder, such as ancho or chipotle
1 tbsp puréed chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce (2 tsp was enough)
28-oz (796-mL) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken)
Salt + freshly ground pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
14 oz (398 mL) can pinto beans, rinsed, drained (I used kidney beans)
1 cup corn kernels
In large, deep saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Add chili powder and chipotles. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juices and stock. Bring to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add quinoa, beans and corn. Cook, stirring, until mixture returns to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 25 minutes.
Makes about 10 cups (6 servings).
Quinoa Pilaf
from Cook's Illustrated
Quinoa is nutty tasting and when you cook it, the germ separates from the kernel so it looks like little 'tails'. It's very forgiving and you can play with it to your own taste.
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 Tbsp butter
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored & finely chopped
1 tsp sugar
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups quinoa, well rinsed & drained in a FINE sieve
3-3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped parsley
3/4 tsp minced thyme
fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
1. Saute pecans in large 14" hot skillet until toasted, then set aside.
2. Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add apple and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Set aside with the pecans.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add rest of butter to skillet. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, until onion softens and just begins to brown. Add quinoa and stir often until it begins to turn golden (about 4 min.). Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender but slightly crunchy - about 15 min.
4. Remove cover, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until remaining liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 min. Gently stir in apple, pecans and herbs. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Note: it is almost impossible to toast the quinoa too much - the more you can brown it, the more flavour you will get. You can eat this at any temperature, even right out of the fridge.
AUGH. That pilaf looks so wonderful! I'm seriously salivating. Still an hour to lunch and my stomach is waking up... So let's see, tonight's dinner will be roasted apple butter-butternut squash with quinoa pilaf? Wow, do you guys have some great recipes!!
So FYI I threw together the points for the quinoa pilaf -- it looks like 41 points for the entire recipe (that's using low-cal margarine as that's what I have at home). Now, 2c of quinoa is going to make a LOT of food. Doesn't it nearly double like rice does? It doesn't say how many servings it makes, but if it makes 8, that's 5/serving, and if it makes 10, that's 4/serving. I suspect it will make a whole lot. Definitely looks worth trying!!
I'm fixing spegetti today FOUND some new at Walmart, its HEARTLAND PLUS angel hair has ALA OMEGA-3 190 cal. 1.5 fat 4g fiber = 3 points 2 oz serving size
I'm using Walmart Pizza Sauce to Drizzle over it 30 cal 1 fat and 1g fiber
0 points for 1/4 cup, and on top I'm adding some roasted white turkey... On the side I'm having some fresh spinish then some unsweetened applesauce.
Yummmy for the tummy
Patti
What kind of stats does Quinoa have. You all have me interested, I sure am not crazy about rice, so MAYBE???? Does Walmart carry it? Is it NEAR the rice? Thanks Bunches
Hmm.... I don't think it'd be at walmart, but I could definitely be surprised. I get mine from the bulk aisle at Whole Foods. If you do that it'd also be easy to just a get a bit at a time to try out, see if you like it!
1/2c of cooked quinoa has 127 cals, 2g fat, 2g fiber. That's only slightly higher than the values for rice, and quinoa has more fiber. Either one is 2 pts per serving, so the specifics don't matter so much.
I think quinoa has a greater depth of flavor than rice, which is why I like it and barley better.
new food??
I like variety, and I like to cook, so those two things really help me expand my offerings. For lunch I usually do leftovers from the night before. For snacks I do the cottage cheese thing I have listed above, or yogurt with berries and cereal, or crackers and laughing cow cheese.
Wow, do you guys have some great recipes!!
Does Walmart carry it? Is it NEAR the rice? Thanks Bunches