meatless monday

Meatless Monday: Curried Lentil Soup featuring Gardein Beefless Ground

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

I recently was given a chance to try out some of Gardein’s meatless specialties, and once again, I love them. Even FW is a fan – he loves their 7 Grain Tenders. All their foods are easy to make and I love the variety of products they have. Plus, it’s vegan and kosher AND some are also gluten free!

With my care package, I was challenged to put together a recipe using Gardein goodies, featuring some Spring/Summer produce items. 

Spring and summer in Northeast Ohio bring abundant carrots, zucchini, herbs, etc. All of which are perfect to go in a soup! This easy crock pot soup is perfect for those rainy spring days where all you want is something comforting. Pair with some warm, crusty bread, and you’ve got the ultimate comfort food!

Curried Lentil Soup with Gardein Meatless Ground - vegetarian

Curried Lentil Soup (featuring Gardein Beefless Ground)

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 large sweet potato, cubed (about 2 cups)
  • 1 large russet potato, cubed (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 2 cup green lentils
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 10 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoons tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1 Tablespoon curry powder
  • 2 cups Gardein beefless ground
  • shaved Parmesan, optional

Here’s what you do:

  1. Add all ingredients, minus the Gardein beefless ground to the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  2. After cooked, remove about 3 cups of the soup and add to your blender. Blend it until it’s smooth and creamy. Add back to the slow cooker.
  3. Add in the 2 cups Gardein beefless ground. Stir well and cook on low for another 30 minutes.
  4. Top with shaved Parmesan if desired and serve with fresh bread.

Bonus: while my toddler didn’t quite like it (he’s a picky eater), my 10-month-old daughter love it! LM couldn’t get enough!

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Nutrition info calculated via MyFitnessPal – I take no credit or blame if it’s incorrect:)

Disclosure: I was given samples of Gardein’s meatless entrees to try out. All reviews and views are my own.

Linking up with Meatless Monday.

Meatless Monday: Gardein Veggie Burgers with Asian-Inspired Slaw

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

I recently was given a chance to try out some of Gardein’s meatless specialties, and wow, I really like them! I love how easy they are to make, the variety of products they offer (their products are all vegan and kosher AND they also have some gluten free offerings) and the nutrition info on them (for example, this veggie burger has 3 g. fiber, 5 g. protein and 6% of my daily iron).

Anyway, Memorial Day is coming up and that means it’s nearly the unofficial start to summer! Which means it’s also time to get those grills out (B bought a grill recently, too) and cook up some fun summer meals. Here’s a fun way to enjoy some veggie burgers – with a twist!

Gardein Veggie Burgers with Asian-Inspired Slaw

Here’s what you need:

  • 4 Gardein Garden Veggie Burgers
  • ½ lb. coleslaw mix
  • ¼ cup almond (or peanut) butter (NOTE: I make my own so it’s a little more watery than the kind you’d buy at the store. If you buy any kind that’s not natural and it’s thick, you may need to microwave it a bit to loosen it up)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 3 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon honey (for vegan, use pure maple syrup)
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or more) to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped honey roasted peanuts (optional)
  • 4 hamburger rolls (I like using challah buns)

Here’s what you do:

  1. Make the Asian-inspired slaw. This is SO easy.  To do so mix almond butter through Sriracha in a bowl with a whisk, or a jar. I like to use a jar and then just shake it up until combined. This will be your dressing.
  2. Pour dressing over the coleslaw mix.  Mix well so cabbage and carrots are coated in dressing. Let sit at room temperature.
  3. Prepare burgers according to package directions. I like mine grilled or cooked on the stove top.
  4. Assemble burgers by placing the Garden Veggie Burger patty on the bottom of the bun and top with the slaw. Cap each burger with a bun top. Serve immediately.

Optional: Serve with sweet potato fries with Sriracha mayo (recipe). It’s not vegan but you can use a vegan mayo if you like.

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like veggie burgers?
  • What’s your go-to meatless grilling recipe?

Disclosure: I was given samples of Gardein’s meatless entrees to try out. All reviews and views are my own.

Linking up with Meatless Monday.

 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

At 37 weeks pregnant, there’s not much new that I’m craving these days. Fruit? Yup, still fruit. Especially all of the strawberries, grapes and pineapple. Desserts? Yup, even chocolate, which I’m not usually a huge fan of. Sweet and salty foods? Even better. Which is why I’m a fan of this snack/meal/side dish. Because sweet potato fries are – in my opinion – the ULTIMATE sweet/salty treat. And, they’re even good for you! Or at least better than the other ultimate sweet/salty treat – chocolate covered pretzels. Yum.

Now that the weather is finally warming up, I highly suggest you make these to pair with your favorite meatless (or meaty) entree on the grill. I’ll be sharing a recipe soon that pairs SO well with these, too!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce
For the Sweet Potato Fries

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400. While oven is preheating, preheat a baking sheet as well.
  2. Slice the sweet potatoes into fry-like shapes. (Here’s the knife I use to get the cute crinkle cut fries) Toss with olive oil.
  3. Mix the spices (garlic powder through black pepper) and toss them with the sweet potatoes.
  4. Spread them out on the preheated baking sheets.
  5. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until starting to brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until the other side is brown, about 10 minutes.

For the Dipping Sauce

Here’s what you need:

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce
  • pinch of garlic powder (I probably used just under 1/8 teaspoon)
  • pinch of salt

Here’s what you do:

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Serve with fries!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like Sriracha?
  • What’s your favorite sweet/salty combo?

Linking up with Meatless Monday.

WIAW: An Actual Productive Day with Baby

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

You guys. I had an actual productive day. If you know me, you know that this isn’t a big deal. I am not usually a person who sits still and does nothing (including binge TV watching) … but since FW was born, I’ve gotten used to the fact that I can’t get as productive as I would like. I can no longer make plans and assume they’ll get done … between napping, crying, eating, etc. I never now what I’m going to have time for. BUT this Monday, all the moons/planets/babythings aligned and I had a productive day! So, I bring you – Monday’s eats for What I Ate Wednesday!

Breakfast was some yogurt, granola and LOTS of fruit – peach, fruit salad, etc. My parents visited over the weekend and left me with some of my mom’s homemade granola.

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I also had some more granola as a snack after eating the parfait. It’s too good. I’m going to finish it before this week ends!

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FW and I took some time during the afternoon to take a walk with B during lunch. It was nice to get out of the house and go for a drive – and then a walk. It was really nice to get out of downtown and walk in a new part of the town. And then, lunch was this bowl of veggies and some cheese. Disclaimer: I had about twice as many roasted veggies as this, but forgot to take a picture until about halfway through.

walk with dad!

walk with dad!

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Snack during the day included some of these peanut butter energy balls. Anson made them for me and I’ve been hooked!

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I also had a spoonful (or two) of peanut butter. Yup, peanut butter twice in one day.

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During the afternoon, FW and I hit up the West Side Market to buy supplies of dinner. And then, FW took a long afternoon nap, and I managed to have time to prep dinner AND make dessert- this lemon zucchini bread! I haven’t baked with FW around unless B was home yet, and yes, maybe I should’ve been napping, but baking felt so good!

A pre-dinner snack of some cheese.

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Dinner was some salmon, salad, corn and orzo salad. And a glass of white wine. And because FW had been so good during the afternoon, it’s no surprise that B and I took turns eating while FW screamed. Ahh well, you can only have a happy baby for part of the day, right?

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And dessert? Some of this lemon zucchini bread from Two Peas and their Pod. It came in my inbox in the morning and when I bought zucchini at the market and FW napped, I knew I’d had to make it!

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And that sums up my day of eats. Now, some questions for you:

  • What do you make when you have a bunch of zucchini on hand?
  • What is your favorite kind of nut butter?

WIAW: A Meatless Monday

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 8 Comments

I’m not a vegetarian. In fact, for the first month or so I was pregnant, I couldn’t STAND vegetables. I lived on carbs and meat. Thankfully, that phase is over and I’m back to eating veggies – so much so, that I’m still incorporating the occasional Meatless Monday into my lifestyle. So these eats are courtesy of my Meatless Monday. Enjoy my What I Ate Wednesday!

Breakfast was my usual these days – overnight oats. Topped with some cinnamon and about half a banana.

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And followed by an apple for a mid-morning snack.

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Lunch was breakfast! Or I guess brunch? Egg whites, a veggie burger, some avocado and sautéed spinach. SO good. I used to eat this for breakfast daily but lately have been feeling more of the oats or fruit and yogurt for breakfast, so it was nice to have this for lunch.

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Lots of fruit for snacks. A cut up nectarine and cutie. Followed by a pear later on in the afternoon.20160516_130228

For dinner, I made some baked spaghetti squash and topped it with some homemade tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, parmesan, spinach and arugula. Here’s the ugly pic (includes a little hunk of bread too).20160516_191513

And here’s a less ugly pic – well it was a Snapchat but you get the idea.Yes, I posted it to my story so if you happen to follow me you saw me making this.Screenshot_20160516-191429

And of course some dessert! I made some coconut flour peanut butter banana bread on Sunday and it was SO good for my after dinner treat. With some warm almond milk. 20160516_180509

And that sums up my day of eats from yesterday. Now, some questions for you:

  • Do you like almond milk? Ever have it warmed up?
  • What’s your go-to breakfast?

Asian Quinoa Cabbage Salad with Almond Dressing

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

I know it’s winter. I’ve looked outside – no need to remind me. This is what I see. SNOW.

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Yes, it may be gloomy and snowy (but somewhat pretty, right?). But still, we all need a pop of color sometimes. And bright salads. All year round – don’t we? While I do enjoy eating seasonally, I do also enjoy salads in winter (and soup in the summer). And since we go meatless on Fridays during Lent, here’s an easy meatless meal you can enjoy  then – or even for Meatless Monday or any day of the week.

Asian Quinoa Cabbage Salad with Almond Dressing - icrashedtheweb

Asian Quinoa Cabbage Salad with Almond Dressing

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa* – I like red quinoa, but other varieties should work fine
  • ¼ cup all natural almond butter*
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon (or more, based on taste) Sriracha
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 2 cups shredded cabbage – I like using 1 cup red and 1 cup green for color
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • few handfuls chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup chopped unsalted cashews*

Here’s what you do:

  1. While the quinoa is cooking, you can make the nutty Asian dressing. To do so, mix the almond butter and honey in a medium bowl. Add in soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha and water and mix well until dressing is smooth. and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy.**
  2. Mix half of the dressing with the cooked quinoa.
  3. Add in vegetables – cabbage, pepper, carrots and then add in remaining dressing.
  4. Before serving, top with cilantro and cashews.  Add more Sriracha if you like more spice and enjoy!

Mine made four servings – perfect for dinner and lunch leftovers!

*Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but thanks to Swanson Health for providing some of the ingredients (quinoa, cashews, almond butter).  My views and comments are solely my own and do not represent those of Swanson. AND I’ll  be doing a giveaway so you can get some goodies too, soon 🙂

**I used all natural crunchy almond butter which is pretty oily – if you were using a less oily spread you may need to microwave the almond butter first or add in a little oil / more water to get your consistency to be dressing-like.

Asian Quinoa Cabbage Salad with Almond Dressing

Some questions for you:

  • Do you eat seasonal?
  • What’s your favorite hot sauce?

For more vegetarian posts, check out some of my past recipes or visit the linkup below! I’m linking up with Sarah and Confessions of a Mother Runner.

Meatless Monday: Easy (and adaptable) Overnight Oats

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 7 Comments

It has been a while since I’ve written a Meatless Monday post – and I don’t know why! I’ve had a few meatfree meals lately, but I haven’t taken the time to truly capture them and write down a recipe and then post them.

So, today’s meatless post is a meal you can enjoy for breakfast. Overnight oats! I make these sometimes when I’m craving something other than my typical egg white and spinach and veggies for breakfast and have been asked how I make them. The answer? It’s always different. There are so many ways to make them. It depends on what ingredients I have. So here you go – a standard overnight oats recipe for you to enjoy and it’s adaptable so you can add or remove the toppings as you please!

Easy Overnight Oats - icrashedtheweb

Here’s what you need:

  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup yogurt (for this recipe, I used  plain Greek yogurt)
  • ½ cup milk (unsweetened vanilla almond milk is my favorite, but I didn’t have any on hand so I used regular milk)
  • 1-2 teaspoons your favorite nut butter (I love almond, peanut and sun butter!)
  • 1-2 teaspoons Chia seeds
  • 1-2 teaspoons honey
  • To top your oats (wait until you’re ready to eat to add these): fruit (I like 1/2 banana, blueberries, nuts and more nut butter)
overnight oats ingredients

basic overnight oats ingredients

 

Here’s what you do:
  1. Combine oats, yogurt, milk, nut butter, chia seeds and honey in a 10-12 ounce jar. Stir with a spoon or shake until everything is pretty combined.
  2. Let sit in fridge overnight or at least 7-8 hours. When ready do serve, add toppings! I love adding some freshly sliced banana, blueberries, a few nuts and even more nut butter.
  3. Enjoy a hearty and delicious breakfast. Or snack. Or dessert. I’m not judging!

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Isn’t that easy? Some modifications I’ve enjoyed include:

  • Adding more milk and less yogurt for a less tangy and less thick oatmeal.
  • Adding some diced banana to the oats in the overnight version and peanut butter. Then topping with more banana and more peanut butter for a peanut butter and banana oats.
  • Adding PB2 or another powdered peanut butter before mixing for a more peanut buttery flavor.
  • Adding dried fruit or coconut to the top when it’s ready to serve
  • Adding flax seed (1-2 teaspoons) for some extra fiber/grit/texture.
  • Topping my oats with more oats (meaning: homemade granola) or a few mini chocolate chips if you’re feeling ambitious.

That’s one of the things I love about overnight oats – in addition to being super easy and not at all time consuming, the possibilities really are endless!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like overnight oats? What’s your favorite combination?
  • What’s your go-to breakfast?

Disclosure: While I was not compensated for this post, some of the product (nut butter, oats) was  provided to me by Swanson Health. My views and comments are solely my own and do not represent those of Swanson. AND I’ll likely be doing a giveaway so you can get some goodies too, soon 🙂

For more Meatless Monday posts, check out some of my past recipes or visit the linkup below! I’m linking up with Sarah and Confessions of a Mother Runner .

 

Zoodles with Chunky Eggplant Sauce

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to fall meals, I crave comforting foods.

Foods that are easy to put together, but taste like they’ve been cooking all day.

You know  – spaghetti, baked ziti, lasagna, chili … all those delicious, hearty meals. Meals to curl up on the couch with, to watch a movie, read a good book or even for game day (go Browns!). I have also begun to enjoy the occasional meatless meal and find that if done right, vegetarian dishes can be great fall comfort meals. That’s why when Silk challenged me to join their Sideline Meat campaign and come up with a Meatless Monday meal, I was excited to participate. And challenged to find a meal that even B (as you know, he has a self-proclaimed “meat tooth”) would enjoy.

Introducing this eggplant “pasta” dish. It should be no surprise that I’m choosing a zucchini pasta dish. I’m a lover of my zoodler (aka spiralizer) and I love making zoodles. Plus, the Silk adds a somewhat creaminess to the sauce and served over zoodles, it’s nearly guilt-free. Enjoy!

Zoodles with Chunky Eggplant Sauce-icrashedtheweb

Zoodles with Chunky Eggplant Sauce 

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium eggplant, sliced into one-inch pieces
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced
  • Generous sprinkle of hot pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup almond milk – I used Silk Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
  • 2 zucchini, spiralized (this is the zoodler I use)
ingredients

ingredients

Directions

  1. Heat a medium to large size pan over medium high heat. When hot, add olive oil, and then add the chopped eggplant. Cook until brown, about 3-4 minutes, and then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add add the shallot and garlic, and continue cooking until the eggplant and the onions are soft, about 3-6 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato and cook for another 3-4 minutes until it starts to get juicy. Add hot pepper flakes generously over the veggies. I like my food spicy so I added a lot – add as much as you feel comfortable with. Feel free to add salt at this time as well.
  4. Turn the heat down to medium and add the almond milk. Cook until the tomato sauce is a little thick. When everything looks about done, add in the zoodles. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or so, carefully so the zoodles don’t get soggy, and then plate.
  5. Enjoy!
sauce is looking good!

sauce is looking good!

Zoodles with Chunky Eggplant Sauce

ready to eat!

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite fall comfort food?
  • Have you ever cooked with almond milk? What did you make?

Disclosure: While I was not compensated for this post, product was provided to me by Silk. My views and comments are solely my own and do not represent those of WhiteWave and/or Silk.

For more Meatless Monday posts, check out some of my past recipes or visit the linkup below!

Almond Milk Volcano Rice Pudding

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

Have I mentioned I’m a Meatless Monday blogger? I am! And while I’m not a vegetarian, I do enjoy the occasional meatfree dish.

That’s why when I was provided a package from Lotus Foods with a few different meatless, carbalicious (rice and ramen) yum yums, I was super excited to try them out and share the recipes with you. I had also recently gotten some coupons from Silk and was interested in seeing what I could make from the both – what could I do to combine Silk’s dairy free milk with Lotus Foods package?

goodies from Lotus Foods!

goodies from Lotus Foods!

I’ll have some savory meals coming soon, but first off, I knew I had to try making some rice pudding. My mom always made such good rice pudding growing up. It was creamy, soothing, warm, and so so so delicious. Inspired by memories of her dessert, I bring you Almond Milk Volcano Rice Pudding. Probably a little better for you than the version I had growing up, but still pretty good!

Almond Milk Volcano Rice Pudding

Almond Milk Volcano Rice Pudding

  • 2 cups almond milk – I used Silk unsweetened original
  • 1/2 cup rice – I used the Lotus Foods Organic Volcano Rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/3 c. maple syrup
the ingredients - so few and so simple! (minus maple syrup. it was camera shy)

the ingredients – so few and so simple! (minus maple syrup. it was camera shy)

Here’s what you do:

  1. Place the almond milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle bubble and lower the heat to simmer.
  2. Add the rice and season it with the cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Stir until the spices are evenly coating the rice and almond milk. Cook for 10 minutes until milk is starting get absorbed.
  3. Pour into an oven-safe pan and cook for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees until nearly all of the milk is absorbed. Serve warm or cold, topped with additional cinnamon and maple syrup if you like.

Some questions for you:

  • Have you ever had volcanic rice? What did you think of it?
  • What’s your favorite rice dish? I need new recipes!
  • Do you have a favorite childhood dessert?

Disclosure: While I was not compensated for this post, product was provided to me by Silk and Lotus Foods. My views and comments are solely my own and do not represent those of Lotus Foods or Silk.

For more Meatless Monday posts, check out some of my past recipes or visit the linkup below!

Pumpkin Hemp Hearts Granola

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

It’s officially pumpkin season here. While fall is not my favorite season, I do love the excuse to make anything pumpkin flavored. Including pumpkin granola. So when I got some Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts in the mail to try out, I knew exactly what I would do with them – make granola!

manitoba hemp hearts

And since I was craving some pumpkin granola, I combined the two – so here you go  … pumpkin hemp hearts granola. It’s pretty good.  It’s a little less sweet than the typical granola I make (feel free to add more sugar if you want it sweeter) and a little softer (pumpkin will do that to it) BUT it’s the perfect fall breakfast or snack. I dare you to try it with pumpkin yogurt!

pumpkin hemp heart granola |icrashedtheweb.jpg

Pumpkin Hemp Hearts Granola

Here’s what you need:

  • 3 ½ c old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/3 c hemp hearts (I used Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts)
  • 2 tsps ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • 1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ c coconut oil, melted  
  • 1 egg white
  • Optional: Dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, etc.

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 325F degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, combine the oats and hemp hearts. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and brown sugar. Mix until puree is a little darker and smooth. Add in maple syrup, honey and melted coconut oil. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white. Add to pumpkin puree mixture and mix until evenly combined. Pour over oats and hemp hearts and mix until everything is just wet.
  • Spread onto the baking sheet pat oat mixture down tightly. Bake for about 40 minutes. Check about every 15 minutes and stir if it is starting to burn.
  • Allow granola to cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet before adding in dried fruit.
  • Store in a covered container, such as a jar. Granola won’t be as crunchy as other granolas because of the pumpkin – but it’s delicious!

pumpkin hemp heart granola |icrashedtheweb.jpg

pumpki hemp heart granola-icrashedtheweb

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite pumpkin flavored treat this time of year? Yogurt? Latte? Cookies?
  • Any pumpkin haters out there?
  • Do you prefer dry cereal or with milk? I love dry cereal. I sometimes like cereal or granola with yogurt- but never milk.

For more Meatless Monday posts, check out some of my past recipes or visit the linkups below!

Meatless Monday!