vegetables

WIAW #45: Friday, Friday

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

Sorry to get your hopes up – it’s not quite Friday yet. I know – I’m a tease. BUT these are my eats from last Friday and I am counting down the days until it’s Friday here because I’m on vacation next week!

Sorry in advance – this was a pretty standard day. Egg whites and veggies for breakfast, a few snacks, more veggies, more snacks, fruit, etc. We did go out for dinner (sushi!) but other than that, pretty standard. See for yourself:

Breakfast was some eggwhites and spinach and veggies and sauerkraut. Pretty standard, but delicious nonetheless. Oh, and since I was feeling pretty sleepy, I had some pumpkin spice chai tea. A perfect pick-me-up!

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Snacks that morning included an apple and clementine. Love me some fruit.20160104_093126

Lunch was a whole veggie medley, plus some chicken. Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potato, some breaded eggplant, cauliflower and snap peas. So good!20160108_130525

And grapes on the side at my desk. 20160108_131941

And I was craving something sweet that afternoon – and our peanut M&M supply at work is gone! So I made due with what I had – some spaghetti squash. I mixed it up with some honey and cinnamon and it was pretty good. 20160108_135347

That night, B and I went to Sushi 86 for dinner. I started with miso soup (of course)!20160108_181517

And then this. ❤ sushi!sushi

And that was it. I was stuffed after all that goodness. I’m not a big rice fan (more of a pasta girl) but in sushi, I can tolerate it. It’s just filling 🙂

Some questions for you:

  • Are you a sushi fan? What’s your favorite kind?
  • Do you have the same breakfasts daily?
  • What’s your go-to snack if you’re cravings something sweet?

WIAW #44: A Semi-Meatless Monday

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Ohmygoodness it’s only Wednesday. This week. Amiright? Thank goodness for good eats, good friends, and dinner dates to keep me occupied when the weather is COLD and excitement from the holidays starts to dwindle.

I almost forgot about WIAW. Because let’s face it, with the holidays, I’ve been less than stellar with my eating. Not so many veggies, too many cookies and I’m feeling it. I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things – but as you can see, my sweet tooth is still somewhat winning! At least I’m getting more vegetables and fruits in my life.

Speaking of veggies, I had eggs and veggies for breakfast again. It has been SO LONG! So here was Monday’s breakfast – egg whites, some sauerkraut, spinach, carrots and cauliflower and broccoli. Yum yum.

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As if that wasn’t enough, I also had a clementine and apple for a snack midway through the morning.

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For lunch, I had prepared some grilled chicken, along with some roasted veggies – cauliflower, eggplant (leftover breaded and baked from my eggplant parm last weekend) and sweet potato – and some sugar snap peas. Yay for veggies!

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For snacks in the afternoon, I had some hard candies (werthers, ginger and these caramel asian candies) and grapes and carrots.

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For dinner, I made a Meatless Monday dish. I know – I had meat for lunch. I’m not perfect. But dinner was a caprese salad and spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and cheese. Perfection.

dinner

And that wasn’t it. I also had dessert- a little bit of this Mitchell’s and a lemon bar that I had baked. Again, I’m not perfect.

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I had a semi-active day — I had run 5 miles in the morning, done a few weights, and tried to get in some steps during the day.

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So that was my Monday! Not a bad first day back. Some questions for you:

 

 

 

 

  • What was the best thing you had over the holidays?
  • Do you like fruity desserts? Like lemon bars?

Meatless Monday: Lomein Zoodles

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

If you read my blog, you know I’m a lover of my zoodler (aka spiralizer). I love making zoodles and sharing the love with friends.

In my effort to try every single zoodle recipe there is – and share zoodles with friends – I had my friend Cuoghi over for Meatless Monday and we made a version of this recipe. It was her first time trying zoodles and I think she’s hooked!

Here’s our minor tweaks.

Lomein Zoodles

Vegetarian Lomein Zoodles

Serves 4

Here’s what you need:

For the noodles

  • 3-4 zucchini (I used 3 regular zucchini and one large yellow squash)
  • 2 Tbs canola oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, diced
  • 1 head of broccoli, chop the florets up
  • 1 cup snap peas
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch long strips
  • 1 cup edamame, cooked
  • 1 head bok choy, white and greens chopped
  • 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

For the sauce

  • 1 1/2 Tbs sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 Tbs soy sauce
  • 3 Tbs hoisin sauce
  • 1-2 Tbs corn starch
  • 1-2 tsp sriracha (to taste)

Here’s what you do:

  1. Prepare the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients, whisk together until cornstarch is evenly dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Semi-blanch broccoli and carrots – boil for about 2-3 minutes until just softened, then remove and add to a colander to remove excess water.
  3. In a very large skillet or wok over medium heat add in canola oil.
  4. Add red bell pepper and white stems of bok choy into skillet once oil is heated up. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until just softened.
  5. Add in garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, snap peas, carrots and broccoli.Cook all the vegetables for 3-5 minutes until they all start to soften.
  6. Add in squash noodles, green leafy part of bok choy, edamame and the sauce prepared in step 1. Cook until squash noodles are covered with sauce and softened to your liking, about 3-5 minutes.
  7. Garnish finished dish with sesame seeds. Add additional hot sauce or sriracha as needed.  Enjoy!
3 bowls, plated

3 bowls, plated, with chopsticks

Lomein Zoodles - ictw

leftover zoodles for lunch the next day

leftover zoodles for lunch the next day!

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite Chinese food dish? I love all dumplings. B likes lomein so this dish was definitely a winner with him!
  • What’s your favorite spiralizer recipe?
  • Chopsticks or fork? Chopsticks all the way! 

It’s been a while, but I’m joining the Meatless Monday linkup with Tina Muir and Confessions of a Mother Runner and The Fit Foodie Mama.

photo MM new 2_zpsndxbaium.jpg

 

 

 

Meatless Monday: Sweet Potato Zucchini Hash

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted a recent Meatless Monday blog post. I’ve been eating plenty of meatfree meals (I give up meat for Lent every year) but I guess I haven’t been blogging about them! For example, here are some photos of the meals I’ve been enjoying: (these were originally from my Instagram account – feel free to follow me there @koskim for more gratuitous food shots)

Curried lentils with sweet potato and cauliflower

Curried lentils with sweet potato and cauliflower

breakfast for dinner! egg white omelets with potatoes, peppers, onions and avocado

breakfast for dinner! egg white omelets with potatoes, peppers, onions and avocado

veggie burger with a side of - veggies!

veggie burger with a side of – veggies!

cabbage and papaya salad with peanuts

cabbage and papaya salad with peanuts

spaghetti squash with homemade spicy tomato sauce and tofu

spaghetti squash with homemade spicy tomato sauce and tofu

Anyway, finally, I’m sharing a recipe with you so that you can eat meatless on Monday (or any day!). I LOVE making this recipe and have made it or a variation of it probably too many times in the past month to count – but it’s so simple and so delicious and healthy that you should try it too! Leftovers are great as well – I typically have four 2-cup size servings with this recipe and then have enough leftover for 2 lunches.

sweet potato zucchini hash-icrashedtheweb

Sweet Potato Zucchini Hash

Serves 4

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 TB olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 zucchini, diced
  • 2 bell peppers, finely chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, diced
  • 2 tsp. cumin, divided
  • 2 tsp. ground paprika, divided
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder, divided
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, divided (or more if you like it spicy! Note – if you have fresh hot pepper – like chili peppers or jalapeño, feel free to substitute with this)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, tofu, sunny side up egg (not vegan)

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 and finely dice all your veggies. If you’re like me, this may take a little while.
  2. Place diced sweet potato on a prepared baking sheet (I spray mine with Pam or olive oil spray). Sprinkle generously with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Cook in preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Check often so not to burn and toss potatoes halfway through.
  3. While potato is cooking, heat half of olive oil in a large pan. Sautee onion for a few minutes or until translucent. Add in remaining chopped up veggies – peppers and zucchini. Add in remaining cumin, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for about 7-10 minutes  or until veggies are browned and softened.
  4. When potatoes are done, add to pan with rest of veggies. Toss to incorporate. Finish until cooked but not mushy!
  5. Enjoy! I like mine topped with cilantro and tofu. Other fun toppings include avocado, hot sauce and/or a sunny side up egg. I’ve also served it over spinach for an extra nutritional boost. The one pictured (above and below) has tofu crumbles in it.
So many veggies!

So many veggies!

sweet potato zucchini hash-icrashedtheweb

Linking to my first MM linkup!

Question for you:

What meatless meal should I add to my repertoire?

Meatless Monday: Pumpkin Black Bean Burgers

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

I somehow missed most of the pumpkin baking season this year. Between work, traveling and who knows what happened, I barely baked with pumpkin this year. Which means that I still have one large jar of pumpkin puree in my pantry just begging to be used. Seriously, its TALKING to me, guys. Yes, I have a problem.

So, I used half of the giant can to make this amazing pumpkin bread. But I still have some left. Instead of immediately baking with it – I decided to try something not-so-sweet based on what I had in my pantry. I didn’t tell B these had pumpkin in them until after he tried (and enjoyed) them – so that should tell you something. Success? Yes!

pumpkin black bean burgers i crashed the web

Pumpkin Black Bean Burgers

Here’s what you need:

  • 1/2 c canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 c. cooked grain of your choice – e.g. rice, quinoa, freekeh, etc. I used freekeh which has a similar texture to rice but more whole grain, protein and fiber
  • 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 c. black beans)
  • 1 green onion, diced
  • 1 diced carrot
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin

Here’s what you do:

  1. Saute the diced carrot and green onion in olive oil until softened.
  2. Divide the rinsed and drained canned beans in half. Mash half of them with a fork – not so they become a paste but enough so that they become mushy.
  3. Put it all together! Mix together pumpkin, cooked freekeh (or quinoa or rice), whole beans and mushy beans, cooked veggies and flax seed. Combine until everything is evenly distributed.
  4. Add spices (cumin, garlic powder and chili powder) and continue to mix well.
  5. Create 4-5 patties, about 1/3 – 1/2 cup in size and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. This will help the patties harden somewhat so they keep their shape while cooking.
  6. When hardened, cook the patties! I put them on a pan sprayed with Pam and cooked on medium until each side was somewhat browned.
  7. Enjoy! I like mine with avocado on top of a salad.

pumpkin black bean burgers i crashed the web

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin? Do you have any savory recipes to share? Please? 🙂
  • Do you like veggie burgers?
  • Have you tried freekeh yet? If you’re looking for inspiration, I have a few recipes to share here and here.

Meatless Monday: Summery Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

I realllly wanted to call this salad The Best Summer Quinoa Salad Ever, but that was too ambiguous. Or even Quinoa, Kale, Black Bean, Avocado, Tomato, Onion, Hot Pepper, Corn Salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette but that just seemed like too long of a name and you would probably would have stopped reading then. So just go with it.

Anyway, I love a good summery salad. Something with a good light vinaigrette, add in corn and avocado and I’m sold. So when I realized we had pretty much all of my favorite ingredients for a salad thanks to our Fresh Fork CSA and some farmer’s market finds, I knew I had to just put it all together and make the best summer salad ever. Add in some quinoa and a can of black beans and it was perfect for a vegetarian main meal. Oh yeah – even B ate it as a main dish without meat. That’s how I know it’s a success.

Don’t be fooled by the name, I may just be making this salad this fall and winter too. Because we all need some summer meals all year round, don’t we?

kale, quinoa, black bean and avocado salad

Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/3 olive oil (divided)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 hungarian hot peppers or jalapenos, diced
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 3 c. thinly chopped raw kale leaves
  • 1 c corn (approximately one giant cob)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, chopped into cubes

Here’s what you do:

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and hot pepper, and saute for about 3-4 minutes. I also added a few slices of kale, but feel free to use all the kale in step #4 and keep it raw.
  2. Add quinoa and two cups water.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
  3. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. First prepare the dressing. Mix 1/4 c lemon juice (about one whole lemon) with 1/3 cup olive oil and cumin.
  4. Finely chop the kale (remove the large thick middle stems from the leaves and then roll up kale into rods before finely chopping) and add to the salad dressing. Coat kale thoroughly in dressing. Add in corn and black beans.
  5. By now the quinoa should be nearly done cooking. After letting cool for a minute, add cooked quinoa, onion and pepper to kale, corn and tomato. Mix well.  Gently add in chopped tomato. Just before serving, add in avocado.
  6. Enjoy! Mine made 3-4 vegetarian main dishes.

kale, quinoa, black bean and avocado salad

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian “Fried Rice”

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

Since giving up meat for Lent another year in a row, I’ve actually had very little chance to play around with vegetarian recipes this year. It’s been 3 weeks, and due to a busy work schedule, B and I have been living on leftovers, Chipotle, Flaming Ice Cube and other takeouts. As much as I love all of those – I’m getting tired of it and can’t wait until returning to normalcy and eating home again!

Anyway, on one of the few nights we were home, I realized we pretty much had all the ingredients to make a Quinoa Fried Rice recipe I had seen online. So while B was busy going for a run (I had worked out in the morning), I got busy, threw together my usual stir fry ingredients with a few extras (including eggs and quinoa) and voila – there you have it – vegetarian (well I guess technically it’s ovo-vegetarian) “fried rice.” This made about 4 servings – I had mine as a main meal and B had his with a side of some chicken that I made in the same sauce.

vegetarian fried rice with quinoa - i crashed the web

Vegetarian “Fried Rice” (with quinoa and egg)

Here’s what you need:

  • Pam or other cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 egg, beaten, with 1 egg white
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 head broccoli, chopped into florets
  • 1/2 eggplant, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup asparagus, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and grated
  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (I used 2 cups so our portions had more veggies than quinoa – if you prefer a higher ratio of quinoa to veggies, aim for 2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • Sriracha sauce, for serving

Here’s what you do:

  1. Spray a small skillet with Pam or other cooking spray and turn into medium to medium-low heat. Add beaten eggs and cook for about 2 minutes per side, flipping once. Let cool, then dice into small pieces. Reserve.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add mushrooms, broccoli, eggplant and about half of the soy sauce (2 tablespoons).Cook, continuing to stir, for about another 5-6 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
  4. Add asparagus and carrots. Cook for another 2-3 minutes so vegetables cook through and absorb flavor.
  5. Add cooked (YES you must cook the quinoa first!) quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
  6. Add freshly grated ginger and remaining soy sauce. Toss gently to combine and cook, stirring so it doesn’t burn, for about 3 more minutes.
  7. Stir in green onions and chopped eggs and serve. Drizzle Sriracha on top for added color and kick.
    vegetarian fried rice with quinoa - i crashed the web

    almost done!

    vegetarian fried rice with quinoa - i crashed the web

    ready to be eaten!

Meatless Monday: Eat Your Veggies!

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

It’s another Lent and I’ve given up eating meat, another year in a row. I’m excited for the challenge, and already regretting it. I already had a craving for buffalo chicken salad AND pepperoni pizza – and it’s been less than a week.

That being said, I have been pinning up a bazillion NEW vegetarian recipes (in addition to the few I already have made) that I hope to get a chance to make sometime in the coming weeks. Here are just a few of the ones that have been inspiring me. I can’t wait to try some of these out!

Vegetarian fried rice (but it’s really quinoa) from sheknows.com

Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew With Couscous from Martha Stewart

Kale with Caramelized Squash and Onions from She’s Cookin

Vegan Lentil Loaf from eat live run

Wild Mushroom Lentil Burger from My New Roots

Creamy Cauliflower Soup from Skinny Taste

Roasted Cauliflower Lentil Soup from Vegan Yack Attack

Mushroom Lentil Spaghetti Squash Casserole, also from Vegan Yack Attack

And of course, some questions:

  • Which look  the most appetizing to you?
  • Place your bets – which do you think B would even try?
  • Do you have any favorite vegetarian recipes? Please share! I want to try them all out!
  • Do you give up anything for Lent?

Meatless Monday: Easy Eggplant and Squash Curry

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

“We haven’t had Indian food in a while,” said B the other day. He was right – we were on a stint for a while where we were having Indian food as our go-to takeout or eat-out option on a somewhat (not daily) regular basis. And it’s true, I can’t recall the last time we both went out for Indian food. OR Thai food. BUT I’ve been on a going-out-to-eat spree and didn’t really want to continue it. Between traveling for work, lack of groceries and birthday / friend / etc. meals, I’m somewhat getting tired of eating out. Just ask B – I go eat to eat 4 times in a row and I’m sick of it.

Anyway, that’s why I decided to make some semi-Indian/Thai-hybrid dinner from what we had on hand in our apartment. OK, it’s probably neither (sorry if you are an expert in either cuisine) – it’s just a vegetarian curry dish. Anyway, we go to the West Side Market nearly weekly and tend to stock up on a ton of veggies from our favorite stand – and last week I had gotten tomatoes, squash, eggplant, peppers, onions and more. Keeping this in mind, and seeing a few fun recipes online, I decided to recreate the Indian/Thai/Going Out To Eat food experience right from our apartment.

eggplant and squash curry over quinoa - i crashed the web

Eggplant and Squash Curry with Quinoa

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 3 TBS olive oil, divided into 1TBS and 2 TBS
  • 3 TBS cumin, divided
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced and seeded
  • 1 onion (I used a red onion), sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 medium eggplant, diced into bite-size pieces
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  •  3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2 TBS curry powder
  • 1 teaspon ground cardamom
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1 can (1 ½ cups) chickpeas
  • 1 c. quinoa, cooked according to package directions (typically with 2 c water)
  • ¼ c unsweetened coconut

Here’s what you do:

  1. Reheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Peel and cut squash into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch squares. toss with 1 TBS of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and 1 TBS cumin.
  3. Place seasoned squash on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until squash is soft and starting to brown.
  4. While squash is cooking, heat  2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped pepper, onion, eggplant, ginger and garlic. Add salt, pepper, curry powder, cardamom and 1 TBS cumin. Cook for 3-5 minutes, letting vegetables start to get tender.
  5. Cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes or until eggplant is softened. Add in roasted squash, canned tomatoes in juice and chickpeas. Add another tablespoon of cumin. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
  6. Add in cooked quinoa and unsweetened coconut and cook for another minute.
  7. Enjoy!
eggplant and squash curry - icrashedtheweb.jpg

Add in the quinoa and coconut …

eggplant and squash curry - icrashedtheweb.jpg

Enjoy!

Some notes:

  • B thought this recipe was “so so” and when I asked him what he’d change he said “maybe a little less seasoning next time.” SO please use the curry/cardamom/cumin guidelines to taste – you can always add more as it continues to cook.
  •  B also doesn’t like coconut so I only added a handful to the final dish, and mostly on the portion I was eating – feel free to add more, and even some coconut milk if you prefer coconut curry to traditional curry.
  • I have used the powdered red curry, which is spicier than the yellow curry I have. Thus I didn’t add any chili powder. If you like it spicy and you only have yellow (not-so-spicy) curry on hand, feel free to add some chili powder as well!

Some questions for you: Share your answers in the comments – mine are in italic!

  • Do you ever just literally throw everything you have on hand into a dish to see what happens? Yes, too often. In this case I was actually kinda pleased with myself – it seems pre-thought out!
  • What’s your favorite Indian food dish?  I love Chicken Tikka Masala or anything Vindaloo.
  • What’s your favorite Thai dish? Any thai soup, or pad ke mao and I love their spring rolls!
  • How often do you go out to eat? How often do you feel is “too much?” I don’t know why, but after eating 3-4 meals out in a row I start to feel sick/gross. Even if I’m eating healthy, I just prefer homemade meals!

Meatless Monday: Chickpea Ratatouille

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

B and I have been watching old episodes of Julia Child’s The French Chef lately. That’s what happens when you don’t have cable. The show is in black and white, done in all one take, and all in all pretty funny to watch – not only because Julia Child is a funny character (her voice sounds like a muppet to me!) but also because the kitchen appliances are SO old and also because things don’t always work out as planned. There is no “cut” and then on to the next scene – meaning if something boils over or Julia uses vermouth instead of vinegar, we see it all! Why aren’t food shows like that today? So much more real, and fun, in my opinion.

Anyway, one old episode we saw Julia make some sort of french ratatoullie. I think I zoned out during the episode, but it reminded me that I hadn’t had ratatouille in quite some time and I was overdue. So, here’s a simple and easy meatless meal you can enjoy. I served mine over a quinoa blend, and B had his with chicken.

Chickpea Ratatouille - i crashed the web

Chickpea Ratatouille (Vegetarian)

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into about 1-inch large chunks
  • 1 zucchini, cut into about 1-inch chunks
  • 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
  • 2 peppers (I used two red bell), sliced
  • 3 large carrots, chopped into about 1/2-1 inch slices
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped in half
  • 1 16 oz. can of chickpeas, drained
  • salt/pepper to taste

Here’s what you do:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
  2. Combine chopped eggplant, zucchini, onion, peppers and carrots in a large bowl. Pour olive oil over mixed vegetables and mix well.
  3. Pour veggie mixture, can of tomatoes, garlic, and salt in large roasting pan.
  4. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes, until lightly brown and softened. Check at about 15-20 minutes in and stir mixture to ensure evenly cooked veggies.
  5. At about 30 minutes in, add chickpeas to roasting pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Makes about 4 vegetarian main courses (again, mine was served over quinoa!) or even more side dishes (B had his with some balsamic marinated chicken I made).

Vegetarian Chickpea Ratatouille - i crashed the web

I’m also thinking about giving up meat again for Lent? What do you think – should I try it again? It wasn’t easy for me, that’s for sure!

Some questions for you:

  • What’s your favorite cooking show?
  • Vegetarian main meals – yay or nay? What’s your favorite? I’m a big fan of hearty veggie burgers, either homemade or store bought if I have to (my faves are Luna burgers and Morningstar).
  • Do you try to eat meatless once a week?
  • Do you give up anything for Lent?