Veggie Sandwiches with Walnut Pesto, Roasted Beets and Walnuts, and Sautéed Beet Greens

I actually made this pesto last weekend when I got fresh sweet basil from the farmer's market. I guess I got lazy, then went off on tangents, posting about other things. I remembered as we had these sandwiches again over the weekend to use up the remaining pesto that I had never posted about it!

This is a very basic pesto recipe, nothing special. This was my first time ever making pesto at home and it turned out really well. I used walnuts instead of pine nuts in our pesto as walnuts are far more abundant in the Midwest than pine nuts and are thus much cheaper. I feel a little silly for buying walnuts though as walnut tress grow all over the place in Missouri, I'm just unsure as I don't know what, if anything, they've been sprayed with. People and their stupid chemicals have to ruin all the wild food out there.

When we had these sandwiches over the weekend, I also prepared some beets as sides. I roasted the beetroots drizzled with a little olive oil at 400(F) for about an hour and a half and tossed them with some chopped walnuts and salt and pepper. I also made Sautéed Beet Greens again, this time I used malt vinegar and it was much better, I will edit the recipe. The roasted beets and walnuts weren't the greatest. We made them better by eating the beetroots with the beet greens. It was worth a shot, but we won't be doing that with the beets again.

Anyways, had I not been lazy, I would have made the focaccia that Jessy posted about awhile back, but alas I was being lazy, so both times we made these sandwiches, we just bought a petite loaf of multigrain bread.

Walnut Pesto

2-3 cups fresh sweet basil

1/3 cup walnuts

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 cup good olive oil

pinch white pepper

pinch salt

Combine all ingredients together in a food processor.

I slathered some pesto on both pieces of the bread (which was warm), I layered on fresh spinach, onions, artichoke hearts (these are optional, we used them the first time we had these as we had a can lying around, we didn't use artichoke hearts the second time we had these), and tomato.

These were the sides. I really like beet greens a lot. I'm thinking that over the winter, we should attempt to grow baby beets, so we'll still get lots of greens, but won't have near as large of beet roots to work with.

'Til next time.

Spring Veggie Fusion Quesadillas

This meal consisted of an odd variety of ingredients, but I like to rebel against the norm and do crazy things with my food. Sometimes it turns out really good, other times not so much. This was a good one.

And on the name, Spring Veggie Quesadillas, I think the only 'spring' vegetable in here is the asparagus, but that's the idea I had for a name for it, and I'm not all that creative with titles, so there it is! :-)

My freezer has been filling up with the sauces I've been making for the past few weeks, so I pulled out a couple to have with the recipes I chose for this week.

Spring Veggie Fusion Quesadillas

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed

1 small can chopped black olives, drained

1/2 bunch of asparagus, woody ends discarded

2 small red potatoes, srubbed and cubed

1 red or yellow bell pepper, halved

1 poblano, halved

1/4 red onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups mushrooms (I used a pack of Enoki and half a pack of baby portobellos)

4 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1 habanero, seeded and minced (optional)

Mexican oregano

ground coriander

cumin

salt

vegan jack

tortillas

guacamole

Chipotle Tomatillo Serrano Sauce

Preheat oven to 425.

Melt 1 tsp coconut oil on a baking sheet in the oven.

Layer asparagus, potatoes and peppers on the baking sheet and toss with oil, sprinkle a pinch of salt over veggies. Roast for about 20 minutes or until veggies are soft.

You may have to remove the asparagus and peppers before the potatoes are done.

Meanwhile, heat a few tablespoons of water in a medium skillet. Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and peppers and cook for 10-15 minutes or until veggies soft. Drain any excess water and transfer to a large bowl.

When roasted veggies are cool, chop and put in bowl.

Add artichokes and olives and season to taste.

Layer filling and vegan jack in warmed tortillas and fry if desired.

Serve with guacamole and Chipotle Tomatillos Serrano Sauce.

'Til next time!

Sautéed Mushroom, Spinach and White Bean Puree Stuffed Pitas

What?! This post isn't about a Mexican meal?! It's a little change-up, but I wouldn't get too used to it. Mexican will be on the menu pretty much all next week - Jen's got some ideas......

Anyways, I have been feeling under the weather for the last couple of days, and this is the first time I've felt almost decent enough to cook (basically, I'm tired of frozen pizza, take-out, and have food that I don't want to waste). I hope in a couple of days, I'll be back to 100%.

This meal was pretty easy and quite yummy.

Note: This makes more than enough for a meal for two, so we will be having the leftovers for lunch. We dipped these in Annie's Tuscany Italian dressing.

Idea for a variation: This would probably be good with a little more garlic and/or some kalamata olives pureed with the beans. We both thought this would be really good with plain or garlicky hummus instead of the white bean puree.















Sautéed Mushroom, Spinach and White Bean Puree Stuffed Pitas















Pureed White Beans:
2-3 cups navy beans
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
basil
salt

In a food processor blend all ingredients until smooth.















Mushroom and Spinach Mixture:
4 large white mushrooms, finely diced (or about half of one of those large packages of button mushrooms)
4-5 cups fresh spinach
1/4 onion diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
veggie broth
Italian seasoning
salt

Heat a few tablespoons of veggie broth in a medium sized pan. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms and seasoning (and more veggie broth if needed), and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add the spinach in batches, covering with a lid if necessary to wilt. Drain any excess liquid before transferring to a bowl.

Putting It All Together:
canned, quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
whole wheat pita bread

Spread a thin layer of the pureed white beans, a few spoonfuls of the mushroom/spinach mixture, and a few artichoke hearts. Enjoy!

I wanted to end by touting another of Brett's posts. I can't help it, he writes about topics that are of great interest to me, so I feel the need to share. This post is about stupidity. I still find there to be something ironic and a bit funny about an intellectual or scholarly discussion of stupidity. Anyways, if you want to check it out, you can find the newest post here.

'Til next time!

Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Veggies, Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard and I've been tagged!

While our dinner last night was nothing fancy, in fact, it was a very humble dish of pasta, veggies, and beans, it was nutritious, hearty, delicious and filling. These qualities equal a winner in my book, not to mention, this meal was perfectly in line with my budding whole foods, minimally processed, non ‘holy trinity’ emphasis in cooking!

The veggies were so pretty, they deserved their own picture.

Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Veggies, Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard

Serves 4 (two big dinners, and two nice sized leftover lunches for us)

1 8 oz. box of quinoa spiral pasta
1 zucchini, roasted and sliced
1 yellow squash, roasted and sliced
1/2 butternut squash cubed and roasted
3-4 cloves of garlic, roasted and sliced*
1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed**
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
3 leaves of rainbow chard, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup veggie broth
mushroom onion marinara (or any vegan marinara)
toasted pine nuts (optional)

Have roasted veggies prepped ahead of time and this makes a quick meal.

Otherwise, preheat oven to 425.

Heat coconut oil on a baking sheet to melt.

Wash zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper. Cut in half and place on baking sheet. Cut butternut into small cubes and place on baking sheet.

Cut 1/2 inch off the top of a clove of garlic. Drizzle with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. The garlic is done when it feels soft when gently squeezed through the foil, it may need to go longer than the squash and peppers. Let veggies cool for a few minutes, then slice.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat veggie broth in skillet and add chard in batches, stirring often, until soft.

If topping with toasted pine nuts, simply heat an unoiled skillet, toss in pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until golden brown.

Transfer veggies and beans to a large pot. Add marinara and heat through.

Serve sauce over hot, cooked noodles.

Top with optional toasted pine nuts for an extra treat.

*You can refrigerate the leftovers for use in a different meal.

**I don't usually use canned beans but I had never tried cannellini before, and didn't want to buy a lot on the off chance I didn't like them. I also didn't see dried cannellini beans available, I'll have to look around for a local supplier.

The always informative and supreme kitty picture taker, Cookiemouse, has tagged me to partake in a neat little quiz!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? In 1998?

Haha! This might be a more illustrative question for someone older. In 1998, I hadn't even started high school! But likely I was being an all around punk in the throes of puberty. :-)

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Ok, this one I can answer better. A year ago I was finishing my studies in psychology and sociology at a small, private liberal arts college in Columbia, Missouri. I was also working as a cashier for the University of Missouri - Columbia.

2. Five favorite snacks?

These questions always seem to put me on the spot, but I'll do my best. These are in no particular order: fresh fruit (preferably clementines, strawberries, or cantaloupe); whole wheat pita and veggies with garlicky hummus; dried fruit and nuts; Nature's Path Hemp Plus Raisin granola bars; a big glass of chocolate hemp milk

3. Five favorite toys?

Does the library count?! Hehe. My five favorite toys would have to be (again in no particular order): e-book reader; thumb drive; Playstation; camera; chess board (though I don't get to play enough and I suck terribly)

4. What I like doing

Hmm. Well, I like doing a lot of things, but in particular I enjoy: walking, bird watching, reading, cooking/baking, talking about current issues, watching documentaries, reading blogs, collecting recipes, listening to music, being silly, playing the occasional video game, forever contemplating co-authoring a book with Brett about stupidity (what a dumb idea, hehe), you get the gist.

5. My bad habits

Oh where to begin? Well, I'm going to steal one of Cookiemouse's responses: I drink too much caffeine, my favorite teas are even caffeinated. I procrastinate a lot, am too forgetful, and am horrible with the phone to the point where my family and friends often wonder if I'm still alive. (I seriously hate the phone - a lot, never have been fan, I rarely answer the phone [unless you're Brett], don't return calls, etc. I don't mean to be rude, I just hate it. My friends have come to understand that I am really weird about things, the phone being one of them. There are certain things you have to get used to when befriending someone like me.)

I guess this means I need to tag a few folks myself. Mwahahaha! So, I'll have to tag Romina (of the Vegan Eating for One blog), Lindsay (aka the Happy Herbivore), and Lori (of the Pleasantly Plump Vegan blog). Since Cookiemouse already tagged Lizzy, I won't double-do it, but I was going to tag you Lizzy!

‘Til next time!

Roasted Veggies and Homemade Pizza!

There isn’t much to report on brunch yesterday. I had some left over butternut squash (they are HUGE), so I decided to try out Vegetarian Times’ Butternut Squash (Potato) Pancakes (I had to veganize these as they called for eggs, but no biggie). But I seem to be having trouble getting potato pancakes right, so no picture this time. Every time I have tried to make potato pancakes, I end up with a fried, blackened mess of a pan and pancakes that fall apart and are not evenly cooked.

Now, as I have stated before I live in a crappy apartment and the burners on the stove are not entirely level, so this may be part of the problem. I also might have had the heat on too high, but needless to say, while they tasted pretty good, they looked nothing like the beauties on the Vegetarian Times’ website. Hopefully I will get them down eventually.

I also experimented with roasting vegetables yesterday. I love roasted veggies, but up until this point have really only been brave enough to roast asparagus or potatoes. It is so easy and roasted veggies rock my world! I prepped a nice mess of veggies (and by prepped I mean washed, removed stems and cut in half), drizzled them all with olive oil, tossed a pinch of salt on, popped them in the oven and let them do their thing – hardly an ounce of effort required on my part, the veggies and the oven do all the work for you. Thanks Vegamonicon!

Thought I'd give you a nice before and after, in case there is anyone out there who isn't roasting their own veggies, this should convince you to do so immedietly.

Before (my pan is very used, can ya tell?)















And after (our apartment smelled so good!)















On to dinner last night. I mentioned in an earlier post that I had found a vegan pizza crust recipe from VeganYumYum, and while that looked good, Bryanna Clark Grogan had what appeared to be a much simpler crust so we went with that.

This was a team effort pizza as Brett actually made the dough, vegan no less! Brett’s interest in cooking extends about as far as things like breads and pasta. He likes making dough. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun working together in the kitchen (albeit a bit difficult since our kitchen is so small). And trust me, I realize how lucky I am to live with an omni who is not only supportive of my lifestyle and willing to eat my creations, but will also take part in the cooking sometimes and help with the other stuff like the dishes that result.

On a side note, I am lucky on many levels to have found a person like Brett. He never lets a day go by without letting me know that he appreciates me. He helps around the house, he shows interest in my interests, we share the same values and worldview, and he enjoys many of the things that I do. We can (and very often do) talk for hours and hours and have some of the most stimulating conversations that I have ever had. He impresses me with his intelligence, his kindness, his humor, and his heart. He is truly my best friend!

OK, onto something MUCH less sappy, I have to admit, I almost disgusted myself with what I just wrote, but it is the truth. I imagine Brett will probably be more embarrassed by that than me if he reads this though. :-)

Back to the pizza – Brett made the crust, and since it was the first time we had made it, we decided to cut the recipe to only make one crust in case we didn’t like it – we didn’t want to be stuck with a bunch of icky crust. This can be a challenge sometimes as you end up with very odd measurements, and it doesn’t always work out the best. The crust turned out wonderful, it was thin and crispy with excellent flavor. But Brett thought if we followed the full recipe (and he read the whole thing before starting to work with the ingredients :-) - I have that problem too), that the crust would have turned out thicker and chewier like in Bryanna’s pictures.

Regardless, it was good. While Brett was preparing the crust, I made a simple pizza sauce that turned out nice and thick, with a rich tomatoey flavor, but not overpowered with other spices, which is what we look for in a good sauce. I also got out some of the roasted red peppers and shallots I had roasted earlier in the day, as well as sliced and sautéed some button mushrooms, and sliced up some artichokes.















Now, some of you out there might be saying “Well Jennifer, this is great and all, but this sounds awfully similar to the Amy’s pizza you claimed to be getting sick of.” (Though really, probably not.) I know it is very similar, but since this is the first time I made homemade pizza, I wanted to go with a familiar flavor combination. I can now comfortably experiment with sauces and toppings now that Brett and I successfully made our first homemade pizza together.

Basic Pizza Sauce
1 clove garlic, mashed and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 tbs tomato paste
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash red pepper, optional

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat until well blended.

I plan on using the rest of the roasted veggies for a nice simple dinner this evening.

I’m off to enjoy a beautiful (though windy) evening in Mid-Missouri with Brett and my lovely kitties Gabby and Nermal. This more than likely entails playing basketball on the Playstation with Brett (which is a bit funny in that I don’t actually like real basketball) - Go Virtual Houston Rockets! Or I might read as John Pilger’s Freedom Next Time and Chris Hedges’ War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning are waiting for me at home – thanks to Brett. But now I have to chose which to start with, which likely means basketball as I’m too damn indecisive!

‘Til next time!