Posted in Meal prep, Recipes, Vegetarian, Write 31 2018

Sometimes You Need “Beef” Tacos – Day 6 of 31

Original: 10/6/18
Edited: 12/28/22

Quick
Vegetarian

I’m teaching my students how to write narratives, so I’ve been doing a lot of model writing for them.  A good narrative has a hook that makes the reader want to read your story.  This is a skill that I struggle with when I’m writing my blog posts.

However, it is important for a writer to have a hook to get the reader to read what you have written.

Like a writer needs a hook, sometimes you need a beef taco.  Since I’m a vegetarian, I don’t have the typical beef taco.

I’ve tried TVP, which is textured vegetable protein but usually turns into a brown soupy mess.  Yuck!  Not appetizing.

Then I tried the Beefless Ground Beef along with their soy chorizo.  It’s just the right texture.

“Beef” tacos get into my belly.


What you need:

  • a third of a package of Trader Joe’s “beefless” ground beef
  • a third of a package of Trader Joe’s soy chorizo
  • a third of a jar of Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce

“Beef” Tacos

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1/3 of a package of Trader Joe’s “beefless” ground beef
  • 1/3 of a package of Trader Joe’s soy chorizo; make sure to take off the casing
  • 1/3 of a jar of Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce (You may need a little more than the third.)
  • Tortillas (hard or soft)
  • Your favorite toppings

Steps:

  1. Combine the “beetles” ground beef, soy chorizo, and enchilada sauce in a saucepan.
  2. Cook on medium heat until heated through. Add more sauce if it’s not coated enough.)
  3. Enjoy on a tortilla with your favorite toppings.

This recipe is vegan before you add your toppings.

Happy vegetarian eating,
Traci

Posted in Meal prep, Recipes, Vegetarian, Write 31 2018

Better than Restaurant Oven Home Fries – Day 7 of 31 (Sheet pan recipe)

Original: 10/7/ 18
Edited: 12/28/22

Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Easy
Meal Prep
Quick
Kid Friendly

While I was sick with my gallstones last year,  I had one food that did not bother my stomach. Okay, it did bother me if it was greasy, but if it was cooked with no oil or grease, I had little to no problems.

Potatoes were my friend during those 4 months. I would spiralize potatoes and then cook up like hash browns on the stove.

That is until I started to cook the home fries in my oven. We love a roasted potato in the household, so this made things much easier.

Hubby might debate if these potatoes are better than the ones we get at a local breakfast place called Butter Cafe. He adores their home fries.


What you need:

  • 2 red potatoes or 4 to 5 baby red potatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • olive oil
  • garlic powder or your favorite seasoning

Better than Restaurant Oven Home Fries

Stars of the recipe:

  • 2 red potatoes, cubed or 4 to 5 baby red potatoes, quartered, or even cut into eighths
  • 1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 to 1 red onion, cut into chunks
  • 1 Tbsp. Extra olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic powder or your favorite seasoning

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the potatoes, bell pepper, and onion on a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Pour the extra virgin olive oil over the veggies. Using clean hands or a spatula, ensure the veggies are covered with the oil.
  4. Sprinkle the seasoning over the veggies.
  5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 425 degrees.
  6. Enjoy!

I enjoy using the onion salt from Trader Joe’s on my potatoes.

We love to use sriracha ketchup from Red Gold on our fries and roasted potatoes.

This recipe is not only vegetarian but also vegan. Score!

Happy vegetarian eating,
Traci

Posted in Meal prep, Recipes, Vegetarian, Write 31 2018

Greek Pasta Salad (Meal Prep) – Day 3 of 31

Original: 10/3/18
Edited: 12/26/22

Vegetarian
Gluten-free if using gluten-free pasta
Easy
Meal Plan

In August, I finally met some family members I had never met before. They live on the west coast, Oregon, and don’t get to Ohio very often.

My mom’s first cousin, their mother, lives in the Phoenix area. She comes into town more often than her children. She was planning to visit the family and decided her children should also come to Ohio.

Since they came into town, one of my mom’s first cousins decided we needed a family get-together with a potluck dinner.

My aunt flew into town from New York. That was an adventure in itself. (Needless to say, her maybe 4-hour trip took almost 12 hours because of plane delays and missed connections).

Any-who, on the same day as the family, get together, our church had its annual picnic. I needed to make something that could be served at the picnic and the get-together. That’s when I decided to make this Greek pasta salad. It’s quick and easy to put together.

This recipe can either be prepped for the week or eaten as a side dish. If you decide to prep it for the week, add the dressing before you eat the pasta salad, so it does not get soggy.

The dressing I used for this recipe was the Greek Feta cheese dressing from Trader Joe’s. However, you can use whatever Greek dressing you desire.


What you’ll need:

  • Box of farfalle pasta (bow tie pasta) – You can use any shape,o like penne, but I just like the shape of the bow ties.
  • Jar of artichokes
  • Kalamata Olives
  • Bell Pepper (orange, red, or yellow)
  • Feta Cheese
  • Sundried Tomatoes
  • Greek dressing

Happy vegetarian eating,
Traci

Posted in Meal prep, Recipes, Vegetarian, Write 31 2018

Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt (Meal Prep) – Day 2 of 31

Original: 10/2/18
Edited 12/23/2022

Vegetarian
Gluten-Free
Quick
Easy
Meal planning

When you buy Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom, the price ranges from around $0.70 at Aldi’s to almost $2.00.

It’s easy to make your own. Making your own is also economical. Especially with the way the economy is going currently.

I purchase my frozen fruit and Greek yogurt at Aldi’s for 5 to 10 dollars. You can make about 6 to 7 fruit on the bottom yogurt cups.

My favorite is the berry blend. I top my yogurt cups with granola when I’m ready to eat the yogurt.

What you need:

  • 16 oz. frozen fruit
  • maple syrup
  • cornstarch
  • water
  • Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, nondairy yogurt (flavored or unflavored)
  • granola
  • Mason jars or small lidded container
  • honey

Fruit Compote

Stars of the Recipe:

  • 16-ounce bag of frozen fruit, do not thaw
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch

Steps:

  1. Place fruit in a saucepan.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Stir.
  3. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.
  4. Remove from the heat. Allow the compote to cool.

Fruit Compote

Stars of the Recipe:

  • Large container of Greek yogurt
  • 8-oz. Mason jar
  • Fruit compote
  • honey

Steps:

  1. Place 2 to 3 Tbsp. of the fruit compote on the bottom of the Mason jar.
  2. Top with a fourth to a half cup of Greek yogurt.
  3. Squeeze about a Tbsp. of honey over the yogurt.
  4. Place the lid on the yogurt.
  5. Enjoy with your favorite granola.

Use the yogurt cups within a week.

Happy vegetarian eating,
Traci

Posted in breakfast, DIY, Eat at home ingredient spotlight, Recipes, Snacks

Apple Crisp Granola

Original post: 10/3/12
Edited: 12/21/2022

Vegetarian
Gluten-free (if using gluten-free oatmeal)
Quick

I pretend to be a cereal eater. I buy cereals, most of which go to waste before they are eaten. Since the milk texture in my cereal really bothers me, I eat dry cereal. That can get really boring quick. My husband and sons love cereal with milk. So I’m the odd man out in my family.

However, I enjoy eating granola in Greek yogurt. The pieces of granola don’t get soggy like they do in milk. So making homemade granola can be cost-efficient. Homemade granola can also be adapted to my taste and preference. I also know what exactly is in it, so there are no mystery ingredients. Plus, it’s delicious!

So when this recipe crossed my inbox, my curiosity peaked. So I got the few ingredients I needed to make the granola. I made it on a Sunday morning before church. I took some with me to eat during refreshment, so I wouldn’t eat any of the not-so-good goodies. When I shared some of it with my fellow churchgoers, they were impressed with the taste. As was I.

The granola combines the flavors of fall. Cinnamon and nutmeg tickle your taste buds. Apples scream fall! There are also a few surprises hidden in the granola.

Apple Crisp Granola

Adapted from Rachel Cooks

Stars of the Recipe:

  • 3 c. oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
  • 1 c. chopped raw walnuts
  • 1/2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
  • 4 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 4 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 c. chopped dried apples

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, stir the oats, walnuts, coconut, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  4. In a separate microwavable bowl, stir together the canola oil, vanilla, and honey. Heat in microwave for 45 seconds on 50% power.
  5. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir until everything is well coated.
  6. Spread granola in an even layer over the baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes, stir, and then bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, until golden brown.
  8. Let cool completely. Stir in dried apples once the granola has cooled.
  9. Store in an airtight container.
  10. Enjoy!!!!
This post has been linked to Eat at home – Ingredient Spotlight.
Posted in Bread and muffins, Recipes

All Star Muffin Mix

Original post: August 1, 2010
Updated post: December 18, 2022 – I edited the post for grammatical errors.

I found an All-Star Muffin Mix recipe in Taste of Home’s Simple and Delicious Magazine. The recipe makes a dry mix that you can store in your freezer or cupboard for up to six months. When you make up the mix, you can either make it without adding anything to it or add different ingredients. When I tried it without adding anything to it, it was delicious because cinnamon and nutmeg are two of my favorite spices. Another time, I tried adding dried cranberries and pecan pieces. The result was pure deliciousness.

Today I will post the basic mix. After I try successful add-ins, I will post the recipes so that you can bake different muffins using one mix.

All-Star Muffin Mix

Stars of the recipe:

  • 8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Additional stars:

  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup of melted butter (1 stick) – When I did it, I melted it in the microwave for a minute.

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
  2. Divide the mix into 2 and 3/4 cup portions.

To prepare muffins

  1. Place 2-3/4 cups of muffin mix in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk the egg, milk, and butter; stir into dry ingredients until moistened.
  3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
  4. Bake at 400° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
  6. Serve warm.

You can make a batch of plain muffins and then flash-freeze** them. When ready to eat a muffin, place it on a microwavable plate and warm it up at 40% power for a minute. If it is still not defrosted, continue warming it up at 30-second intervals.

**To flash freeze, put the muffins on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the muffins are frozen. This usually takes a few hours. Then place the muffins in a labeled gallon-size freezer bag.

  • Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Yield: 4 batches (11 cups).

Printable Recipe

Variations:

Cranberry-Pecan Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

This recipe has been posted on Mommy’s Kitchen’s Potluck Sunday.

Posted in Bread, Bread and muffins, breakfast, Recipes, secret recipe club

12-Minute Cranberry Cinnamon Scones – Secret Recipe Club

Original post: May 9, 2016
Updated: December 17, 2022

Vegetarian, Quick, Kid Friendly, Freezer friendly

This is my second time participating in the Secret Recipe Club.  I got moved to Group B when Group D was disbanded.  This month I was assigned to Why I Am Not Skinny.   Maxine is originally from South Africa but is currently living in Brussels.

I looked in her recipe index and found several recipes I wanted to try.  I finally decided on the 12-minute scones.  I waited until yesterday to make the recipe.  Life is currently crazy around here.  Actually, work is a crazy part of my life.  I administered tests during most of April, which sometimes left me exhausted.  Then last week, I attended a field trip all five days to a place called Starbase.  That experience left me absolutely exhausted at the end of the day.  I had decided on two recipes but needed the energy to make one.  Ask Hubby – I have not wanted to cook dinner when I get home at night, which is unusual for me.

Here are the other recipes I was interested in:

  1. Hummus – I almost made this recipe.
  2. Corn Fritters – We have a local sweet corn festival at the beginning of the school year.  One of the vendors sells chicken dinners with corn fritters.  Hubby loves corn fritters.
  3. Easy Fried Rice – This is another recipe Hubby would have enjoyed.  The Wee One might have enjoyed it also since he is like his dad because he loves rice.
  4. Chicken Pot Pie – YUM!
  5. Sweet and Sour Chicken – I know I have a sweet and sour chicken recipe on I’m Hungry.  This recipe is different than my recipe.  Again Hubby would have enjoyed this recipe.

As I said, I settled on the 12-minute scones.  I have several favorite coffee shops.  One of them sells chocolate chunk scones that are a harder consistency.  I love them.  For a while, I’ve wanted to make my own scones but haven’t made them.  The 12-minute scones were a lot softer than the ones I get at Boston Stoker, the coffee shop.  I loved the texture.

Maxine’s recipe did not have any add-ins.  I adapted the recipe to include Craisins and some cinnamon.  Hubby decided to buy a huge bag of Craisins at Sam’s, so I’ve been using them whenever possible.

IMG_0803

Cranberry 12-Minute Scones

adapted from Why I’m Not Skinny

Stars of the Recipe:

  • 2 c. all purpose flour
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 c. oil
  • 1 egg
  • Milk (depends on the egg size – I used about 1/2 c.)
  • 1/4 c. dried cranberries

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add the egg to the 1/4 c. of oil and top with milk until all the liquids equal 1 c.
  3. Beat together.
  4. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon.  Stir.
  5. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients.  Add the dry cranberries.  Stir until just combined.
  6. Drop by spoonfuls into a greased muffin tin.  (You will make 6 scones.)
  7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.  Carefully remove from the oven.
  8. Enjoy!

For more Secret Recipe Club blog posts, press this button.

Happy Eating,
Traci

Posted in Drinks, Holiday/Christmas, Recipes

Homemade Peppermint Mocha

I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to make a peppermint mocha that wasn’t full of a lot of calories.

Can I be honest? The ones from Starbucks are not my favorite. They add way too much chocolate. I would rather have the peppermint shine through. I love peppermint in my lattes so that makes sense.

Yesterday I found a peppermint mocha ground coffee at Aldi’s so that is what I’m using for the coffee part of the recipe. So good.

For the recipe:

  • ground coffee – I used peppermint mocha flavored coffee.
  • peppermint syrup
  • almond milk – I used vanilla unsweetened almond milk. You could use real milk or any non dairy milk. I just prefer almond milk.
  • cacao powder
  • whipped cream

Peppermint Mocha Latte

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 to 2 Tbsp. ground coffee (I used a reusable K cup pod for my coffee maker.)
  • 1 Tbsp. peppermint syrup
  • 1/2 c. milk (dairy or non dairy)
  • 1 to 2 tsp. cacao powder
  • 2 Tbsp. whipped cream

Steps:

  1. Add the peppermint syrup to the mug.
  2. Then brew the coffee. I brew my coffee using the bold setting.
  3. While it’s brewing, froth the milk and cacao powder.
  4. After the coffee is done brewing, top with frothed milk and whipped cream.
  5. Enjoy!

Note: You either need to use a frother or froth it without a frother. Place milk and cacao powder in a mason jar, place the lid on it, and then shake it. (Arm workout) Once it’s increased in volume, remove the lid carefully. Microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds.

Stay kind!

Have a magical day,
Traci