Chickpea Sandwich Spread

 I very much adore the twopeasandtheirpod.com site!  I have found so many recipes that fit my family's needs! If you haven't visited their site, please check them out!

For lunch on Monday I recreated their Smashed Chickpea and Avocado recipe! Its actually listed as one of their most popular posts :) After having it...I can see why!  It was so good!  It was so good in fact that I sent a text about it to my friend!  Yes, how silly is that, that I sent a text about how good much lunch was...but she understood :)  To see the recipe in original form, please visit here.

Here is how I made the recipe:

2 pieces of gluten free bread
handful of organic spinach
1 cup of fresh chickpeas or 1 can
1 ripe organic avocado
1 handful of cilantro
squirt of lemon juice
salt and pepper to season

1. Mash the chickpeas and avocado together.
2. Add in cilantro and lemon juice.
3.Then season with salt and pepper!
4. Serve on your favorite bread with your favorite toppings.

Two Peas in Their Pod, indicated that it tastes great as a dip with crackers...and it DID :)  YUM!  It also tasted just as good the next day, though discolored from the avocado.  I sure didn't mind!

Berry Bloghop: Spring Berry Salad - for one #berry love

April is #berrylove month!

The berry options for this months bloghop are endless! In keeping with the Vegetarian Mamma style, I tried to keep it simple, tasty and fresh!  I have been in the mood for salad recently since spring has offically sprung around here!

The strawberries at Whole Foods have been looking better and better, though they recently hung a sign indicating that California had some bad weather which will affect the organic strawberry crop that they are selling in our store.  But this week, we had some great looking strawberries so I grabbed a box!

Introducing:  Spring Berry Salad, for one!

This might look like a simple salad, but the secret (or yummy taste) lies in the sauce! :)

Dressing (or sauce):

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 t Pinot Vinegar

1 Berry mashed to a liquid

Gently mix all "dressing" ingredients and let sit.

Next, onto to the salad!  

2 cups organic spinach, washed and gently patted dry (I cannot wait until my garden spinach is ready!)

5 berries washed and cut to preferred size

1 t organic vegetarian parm cheese

Arrange non-liquid ingredients into your bowl, then drizzle with your yummy homemade dressing.  If the natural sweetness of the dressing is not sweet enough, add a small pinch of organic sugar!

You can double and triple the dressing recipe to use over multiple days, however remember that EVOO tends to solidify when cool.  Just take the dressing out of the fridge a few minutes prior to making your salad!

Here is a listing of all the wonderful co-hosts this month!  Please be sure to visit their sites!  They are ALL amazing!

A little bit of everything ~ Roxana GreenGirl ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl
Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29
Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins
BigFatBaker ~ Erin Meyer ~ @bigfatbaker
Bon à croquer ~ Valerie ~ @valouth
Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess
Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies                                          
Elephant Eats ~ Amy
GeorgieCakes ~Georgie~ @Georgiecakes Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19
Java Cupcake ~ Betsy Eves ~ @JavaCupcake
Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk
No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ T.R. ~ @TRCrumbley
Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose
Queen's Notebook ~ Elizabeth  Quirino ~ @Mango_Queen
Rico sin Azúcar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar
Simply Reem ~  Reem ~ @Simplyreem
Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood
Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna Segrave-Daly ~ @tspbasil
That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!! ~ Liz ~ @thatskinnychick
The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF
The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian
Vegan Yack Attack ~ Jackie S. ~ @veganyackattack
Vegetarian Mamma ~ Cindy ~ @vegetarianmamma

Please join in on the #berrylove fun by linking up any berry recipe from the month of April 2012. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #berrylove event! The twitter hashtag is #berrylove :).

Fruity Cinnamon Muffins

My buddy Sara made these for our freezing cooking exchange and they were one of the best muffins I have ever had!  She found the recipe HERE.

1 1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. soft butter
1 1/2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped peeled pear (1 lg.)
1 c. milk
1/3 c. melted shortening (she used margarine)
1 egg

She also add chopped apple!

Combine oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Remove 2 1/2 cups to large mixing bowl. Combine soft butter with remaining oatmeal mixture; set aside. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt into oatmeal mixture in large bowl. Stir in pear. Combine milk, shortening, and egg. Pour into dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. Spoon into 12 greased or lined muffin cups filling 1/2 full. Sprinkle reserved oatmeal mixture over tops. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Serves 12.

Easy Caramel Corn

This was amazing.  Pretty much addicting and I had to use a lot of self control not to eat it ALL!
I found this recipe, here.

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons water

8 – 10 cups popped corn

Combine oil, sugar, salt, and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil (mixture will become foamy and double in size).  Reduce heat and simmer for three minutes, then drizzle over popcorn while tossing to mix. 

I used slightly less popcorn to get more caramel coating on it :)  YUMM!

Homemade Creamer

This was pretty tasty!  I bought my ingredients at whole foods and the cost of the ingredients was definitely more than the cost of their 365 brand natural creamer. I think if you looked for these items on sale, this might be a money saver :)  I liked the subtle taste of this creamer!  The more it sat the more the cinnamon came out!  Its lasted well into the second week :)  Please visit here to see the original recipe and more of the awesome site it came from!

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ cups half and half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Step 1. In a medium sauce pan on low heat whisk together sweetened condensed milk and half and half until combined.
Step 2. Whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon.
Step 3. Warm up mixture until it steams. Do not bring to a boil.
Step 4. Move away from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Okay, these little puppies are really good!  I love chocolate and I love pumpkin!  Put them together in an easy to make muffin recipe and you have perfection!  I found this recipe on Moneysavingmom.com Please visit her site; you will fall in love with it!  I did adapt her recipe by using dairy free butter and gluten free flour.  I used Better Batter for the flour; I would highly recommend that as well!  My recipe did contain eggs, that was the only allergen.  So for us that means no soy, dairy, peanuts, gluten or tree nuts.  Remember that this recipe originally had regular flour and butter.  So we know it tastes good both ways!  I really like that the recipe makes 2 dozen!  Makes for some easy freezing cooking!! To see the recipe in original format, please click HERE.

Here is my adapted recipe:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins


4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz.) can pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups oil
3 cups flour (we used Gluten free Better Batter)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 package chocolate chips (we used Enjoy life, allergen free)

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees. (Mine were actually done at 14 minutes)
Makes 24-30 muffins.

Chocolate BlogHop: Frozen Chocolate Banana Bites #Chocolatelove

February is #chocolatelove month!

Please join in on the #chocolatelove fun by linking up any chocolate recipe from the month of February 2012. Don't forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #chocolatelove event! The twitter hashtag is #chocolatelove :).

This is by far one of the easiest, yet yummiest "Chocolate" recipes that I have made!  I found this recipe on (never home)maker   Please visit this site as a thank you!  Its awesome!  Another one of my FAV sites! To see the original recipe, click here. 

I adapted the recipe to fit our allergen free needs at our home:
2 bananas

1/4 cup vegan choc chip (dairy free/soy free)

1/4 cup sunbutter

Melt and dip bananas in, freeze and enjoy!  I'd be surprised if most of them don't make it to the freezer!  They are SO yummy and EASY! If they do make it to the freezer, I can tell you that they do last at least a week and still taste great!

The recipe also works well with regular chocolate chips and actual peanut butter!

Chocolateove is being co-hosted by these amazing bloggers! I have included links to their blogs, please be sure to check out each blog for amazing recipes! Leave them a comment telling them Vegetarian mamma sent you! :)  I also included their twitter handles!

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl

AstigVegan ~AstigVegan @AstigVegan

Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly ~ @BdgrGrl


Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins
BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Cooking with Books ~ Marnely ~ @nella2
Creative Cooking Corner ~ Karriann ~ @KarriannGraf
Easily Good Eats

Elephant Eats ~ Amy
Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19


Java Cupcake ~ Betsey ~ @JavaCupcake
Kitchen Belleicious ~ Jessica
Mike’s Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Preheat the Oven ~ Jason ~ @officialchefjae
Rico sin Azucar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni’s Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood

Sprint 2 the Table ~ Laura ~ @Sprint2theTable
Teaspoon of Spice - Serena - @TspCurry

That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The Dusty Baker ~ Jacqueline ~ @dustybakergal
The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~ Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Breakfast Burritos

A couple of weeks ago I talked about making some more breakfast burritos!  YUMMO, now I realize that they are in a bag so they are hard to see, but they look like just any breakfast burrito on the outside, but the inside is all about breakfast!  I found the recipe on amysfinerthings.com


1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. chopped onion

1/3 c. chopped green pepper

1 c. chopped fresh mushrooms

18 eggs

1 1/4 c. milk

1 t. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)

salsa

12 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Saute onion, green pepper and mushrooms in butter.

Beat eggs and milk together. Pour in skillet with veggies.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set.

Add cheese. Allow to melt.

Warm a few tortillas at a time in the microwave.

Scoop 1/2 to 3/4 c. egg mixture into a warm tortilla. Roll up burrito style.

Wrap burrito in a paper towel, then in a sheet of foil.

Pack wrapped burritos in a ziplock bag. I use the tortilla bag. Freeze.

To reheat, remove foil. Place burrito with paper towel in microwave. Cook about a minute.

Serve with salsa.

Makes about 1 dozen burritos.

Cumin Quinoa and Rice

Click HERE to see recipe in original format.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup short-grain black rice
• 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons 1" pieces chives
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

• Ingredient Info:

  Black rice and red quinoa are available at better supermarkets and at natural foods and specialty foods stores.

Preparation

• Bring rice and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25–30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa to hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf, fluff quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add to quinoa. Add rice; mix well. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut avocado into wedges. Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2011/11/cumin-scented-quinoa-and-black-rice#ixzz1cSlqCrXD

Best Ever Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese was nice and thick!  I loved it!  And so did my entire family!

2 cups elbows, cooked (just over 1 cup uncooked)
2 cups rigatoni
1.5 cups cottage cheese
1.5 cups sour cream
2 eggs
24 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Mix in large bowl and transfer to greased 9X13 pan.  Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

This dish feeds a crowd and you can have fun by mixing up the noodle kinds!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce - You'll never go back to store bought!

First let me say that this sauce exceeded any expectations I had.  It was SO good! 

This was a super easy recipe that I found in the "Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food" book.  You can buy it from Amazon by clicking HERE.

12/3 oz soft silken todu
1/2 cup canola
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 t sea salt
2 garlic cloves

Put all ingredients into blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Transfer to a small sauce pan and warm over medium heat.

ENOY!

This post does contain an affiliate link, however buy purchasing from this link...your purchase helps support the blog and my family.

Taco Corn Fritters and Green Giant Veggies

I was given the opportunity to sample any Green Giant Valley Farm Steamer product through the tastemaker program at foodbuzz.com!  I thank both Green Giant and Foodbuzz for the free sample!

I choose corn as my steamer because we were going to make Corn Fritters!  The corn was great and easy to make! What I appreciate most is that it was "corn", there wasn't any added craziness in the package as well! :)  Just good ole' corn!    Also, the steamers are afforable!  They were on sale this week for $1 each at Meijer!  Can't beat that price!

Did you know....Although new dietary guidelines suggest that Americans fill half of each meal with fruits and vegetables, many people find it difficult to always make the healthy choice. And that's where Green Giant wants you to join the conversation, reminding your readers of the inherent goodness of vegetables and the importance of making them a regular part of our daily diets.

I choose corn fritters because my kids like anything in pancake form and I could sneak in some veggies! :)  To see the recipe in its original form, click here.



Taco Seasoning (check to make sure its GF, many times there are hidden ingredients in there)

2 cups cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups frozen or canned corn (I used my steamer from Green Giant)

oil for frying
Mix together  ingredients, stirring in a dash or two of taco seasoning. Heat oil in a skillet. Scoop 1-2 Tablespoons of corn mixure into the hot oil and press down to form a “pattie”. Fry for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through. (I had my electric skillet set to 350°.)

Veggie Couscous

This was a super easy recipe that I found in the "Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food" book.  You can buy it from Amazon by clicking HERE.

1 10oz pack of frozen mixed veggies

1/2 cup couscous

3/4 cup veggie broth

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar (can use vegan cheese)

salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil a 2 quart casserole.  Boil Veggie broth and pan.  Add couscous, reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook until all liquid has absorbed. (5 minutes)  Fluff with a fork.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, reserving 1/2 of cup of cheese.  Spoon mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

I really liked that I keep most of their ingredients on hand.  Its a great quick meal!  The book is worth the read!

This post does contain an affiliate link, however buy purchasing from this link...your purchase helps support the blog and my family.

Fancy Pants Roasted Corn

This was really yummy!  It was super easy to make!  We found the original recipe, HERE.

Ingredients

• 6 ears of sweet yellow corn, unhusked
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 1 cup finely grated Manchego cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

• ingredient info

  Manchego cheese is sold at better supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 450°. Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté until heated through and light-golden in spots, 3-5 minutes. Add butter; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer corn to a large wide bowl or deep platter; sprinkle jalapeño and crushed red pepper flakes over. Squeeze lime wedges over; sprinkle with cheese, chives, and lime zest.

Million Dollar Grilled Cheese

Okay, so the name of this sammy really isn't "Million Dollar grilled cheese" however, with all the yummy, slightly pricey cheese that's on it, I thought the name was perfect!  Let me tell you that the taste DOES live up to the name!

We found the recipe in its original form, HERE.

Ingredients

• 8 slices sourdough or white bread
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère
• 1/2 cup grated aged goat cheese
• 3/4 cup Bread-and-Butter Pickles
• 3 ounces thinly sliced "fake ham"  I had mine without and it was great. My husband liked the "fake ham" added to his :) 
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

Preparation

• Smear both sides of bread slices with mayonnaise. Combine cheeses in a bowl. Sprinkle 4 slices bread with half of cheese mixture, dividing equally. Top each with 3-4 pickles. Divide prosciutto among sandwiches; top with remaining cheese. Cover with remaining bread.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large heavy skillets over medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches to each skillet and cook until bread is golden, 9-10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter to each skillet, flip sandwiches, and cook until bread is golden and cheese is melted, 9-10 minutes longer.

Garbanzo Salad

This was a good salad that kept for two days!  It was quite refreshing!  I found the recipe on the WF website, you can view it in original form...HERE.

Its a great way to use your cherry tomatoes from your garden!

5 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small zucchini or yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 pitted black olives, such as Kalamata, halved
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon prepared balsamic vinaigrette or Italian dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Ground black pepper to taste
2 or 3 lettuce leaves, torn into large bite-size pieces

Method

Toss together all ingredients, except lettuce, in a large bowl. Arrange lettuce on a dinner plate and top with bean mixture.

Summer Beer! YUMMO

So first let me start by saying...."summer beer, where have you been all my legal drinking life?"  I LOVE this stuff :)  So the recipe is simple and can be varied in many ways.  But take a flavor of frozen lemonade and mix with a container full of water (or vodka if you are hard core :)  )   Make sure you stir that to dissolve.  Then add th2 bottles/can of cheap beer.  You don't want to stir the beer too much.  Serve over ice!  Will last up to a day. :)

Thanks to my neighbors for introducing me to such a yummo summer drink! :)

grilled asparagus

This was a super easy and yummy recipe!  Grill asparagus, then drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and some EVOO.  Top with roasted pine nuts!  YUMMO!

Apple Fruit Dip

1/2 c. Brown sugar
1/4 c. Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
8 oz. Cream cheese
10 oz. Toffee chips (I don't use this much)

Mix all together.  Serve with favorite fruit.  Enjoy

**Talk about addicting!!  Thanks, Michelle!

Sweet Glazed Carrots

This recipe was also out of the Vegan Comfort Foods cookbook.  Take around 6 carrots and peel and cut length wise.  Toss with 1/4 cup agave, 1/8 t cinnamon, 1/4 cup OJ and 1 t oil.  Bake covered for 15 minutes at 350.  Then bake uncovered for additional 15 minutes.  These were SO good!