If a Peasant had a Microwave Roast

Feb 11, 2018 • food

Ingredients

• 1 cup mini potatoes
• 3 carrots (sliced)
• 3 celery stalkes (sliced)
• 1 15oz can pinto beans
• 1/2 onion (sliced)
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a microwave safe bowl add all ingredients.
2. Cook in microwave until potatoes are soft (roughly 25-30 minutes), stirring periodically.

Closing

If a peasant had a microwave this would be it, it is so simple and filling. You could exchange the word, 'Peasant' with, 'College Student living in a dorm,' too! ;)

Surprisingly, you can do a lot with a microwave, if you're looking for a quick, 'whip up a relatively nutritious meal,' this is it!

Biscuits with Mashed Chickpeas

Jan 28, 2018 • food

Ingredients

• Mashed chickpeas

  • 2 15oz cans chickpeas
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • a shake of salt (depends on whether the chickpeas has any salt)
  • pepper

• Green beans

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • half onion (chopped)
  • 2 cups frozen green beans
  • pepper
  • salt

Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf

Jan 21, 2018 • food

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried quinoa

• 2 cups water/broth (for quinoa)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

• 1 large yellow bell pepper (diced)

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms

• Salt and ground pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 teaspoon 'Greek' Seasoning

  • crushed mint
  • splash of lemon juice
  • basil
  • oregano

• 1 onion's inner most layers (sliced) [recipe called for scallions I improvised!]

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (additional)

• Optional:

  • Toasted pine nuts, to garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare quinoa with water or broth.
2. A heat olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, bell pepper; and stir over medium heat until slightly softened.
3. Add the mushrooms. Start seasoning with the salt, and ground pepper, to your liking and parsley.
4. In a separate bowl, add the 'Greek' seasoning ingredients that come to roughly 1 teaspoon combined. Stir and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
5. Pour contents in the frypan into the pot with cooked quinoa.
6. Add the onions. Stir to combine.
7. Add in lemon juice and olive oil and toss.

Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, if desired.

Inspiration

I did not follow this recipe to a complete T, I had to make some adjustments since I did not have all of the ingredients on hand.

Closing

This was a really zesty dish that tasted REALLY good. I had to improvise quite a bit to get this recipe to fruition. Ideally, I would have had different types of bell peppers, and have scallions but the inner most layer of an onion worked alright, too.

Also, it called for a lemon, but I had lemon juice so I worked with that. The original recipe also called for this 'Greek' seasoning which can be pretty easily duplicated by hand. I think I had more quinoa in this preparation, but I was happy with it.

Oh, and be careful about toasting the pine nuts if you add them, it does not take long! My second batch of pine nuts were less cooked. :)

Have fun!

Vegetable Roast with Quinoa

Jan 14, 2018 • food

Ingredients

• 4 celery stalks (chopped)
• 5 carrots (cut into sticks) [optionally use rainbow carrots!]
• 12 little potatoes (halved with skins)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves (sliced)
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. In a 13x9 cake pan add celery, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and green peas. Pour water, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle rosemary. Salt and pepper to your liking.

• To assist with clean-up, lining pan with aluminum foil can help.

3. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in oven for 45-50 minutes.
4. Prepare quinoa (takes about 20 minutes), follow directions from your packaging, but use vegetable broth instead of water.
5. Serve with quinoa topped with vegetables.

Closing

Roasts are another one of those comfort food meals that are great on a cold day! Also, they are relatively easy to prepare! I grew up eating roasts with a meat, but this one does a pretty good job with flavour even without the meat and there is just something about eating the tender potatoes!

Stay warm and enjoy a comforting dish!

Vegetable Potato Hash

Jan 7, 2018 • food

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion (halved and sliced)
• 3 large red potatoes (diced with skins)
• 2 cups frozen vegetable mix (carrots, peas, green beans and corn)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can pinto beans
• salt and pepper
• crushed parsley, to garnish

Instructions

1. Warm frozen vegetables (I chose the microwave).

• There is no reason not to use fresh vegetables, I just did not have any on hand at the time.

2. Melt butter in large fry pan/skillet on medium heat.
3. Add onion, potatoes and vegetables, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
4. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, continueing to stir constantly.
5. Pour vegetable broth gradually, once again stirring constantly.
6. Add beans and cook for another 5 minutes, or until liquid as burned off. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
7. Sprinked crushed parsly to garnish, then serve.

Inspired by

There is no website for this recipe since it came from a book! The recipe is called 'Potato Hash' on page 248 from [Ultimate Vegetarian Recipes, Dempsey Parr Book published 2000, Copyright (C) Parragon 1999], mind my citation!

Closing

I find this dish is rather straight forward, quick to prepare, and quite tasty! The hardy flavours make it a goto when you want something after being outside in the cold.

As mentioned, feel free to use fresh vegetables. I often substitute fresh for frozen if I do not have any on hand. It is likely that you do not need to thaw the vegetables first, but they will cook a little faster if you do.

Feel free to spice is up by adding some other peppers!