Recipe: Marinated & Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

While die-hard meat eaters may not find this a suitable replacement for steak, for most vegetarians, this marinated and grilled portobello mushroom will provide a very meaty and delicious experience. It's also a great summer side dish to serve with grilled meats if desired - perfect for your Memorial Day barbecue!

Grilled & Marinated Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushroom caps
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 chopped cloves garlic
Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Remove the stems from the mushrooms and place them gill-side-up on a plate.

• Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small dish. Pour most of this marinade over the mushrooms. Brush the mushroom tops (which are touching your plate) with the remaining marinade. Let the mushrooms marinate for about an hour.

• Fire up your grill and grill, top side down for about 15 minutes. You can also bake in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 F. 

Recipe: Easy Grilled Veggie Dinner

If you’re looking for a meatless meal that satisfies, look no further. This isn’t exactly a recipe, but is meant to inspire you for our next veggie-only dish. It's a great way to get creative and have some fun while creating a delicious meal! (If you're a meat-eater, this also makes a great side-dish for grilled meat of all kinds.)

1. Preheat your oven or grill to 350 F.

2. Chop up some veggies and toss in some olive oil. (Photo shows patty pan squash, peppers, onions and tomatoes.) Mushrooms, eggplant, potatoes, garlic and plenty of other veggies also work well.

3. Add some fresh herbs like basil, dill, parsley and oregano or whatever you like. 

4. Mix all your ingredients well and wrap everything in foil on a baking dish.

5. Place on the grill and cover, or bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes or so.

6. Drizzle with your favorite balsamic reduction and serve over rice, quinoa or just have it by itself.

If you're vegetarian, not vegan, you may want to sprinkle it with some cheese before serving. Feta goes great with dill, or try a nice mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or whatever you prefer!

Recipe: Simple Grilled Fennel

Fennel has a very distinct but mild licorice flavor, but and when it’s grilled becomes a tender, melt-in-your-mouth experience you don’t want to miss.  This delicious recipe is so simple, but has a gourmet flavor that will wow your guests at your next barbecue!


Simple Grilled Fennel

Ingredients:

Fennel bulbs
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

• Trim the tops off the fennel. The leafy parts can be used as an herb in your cooking, but aren’t needed for this recipe. You can even use the stalks in place of celery in some recipes, but realize they’ll have a much stronger flavor than celery.
• Trim the bottom of the bulb and then cut the remaining bulb lengthwise into quarters. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Place on grill at medium heat to sear the fennel. Move to indirect heat, with the cut side up, and cook covered for about 45 minutes or until fennel is very soft. You can tell when it’s done by texture, rather than time. You definitely want to make sure it’s tender. 
• Serve as an appetizer or with a meal as a side dish.

Recipe: Oven-Baked Kale Chips

They may not be potato chips, but they’re a close second. These crispy and nutrition-packed chips are sure to be gobbled up quickly!

If you're looking for a Vegan for vegetarian snack, this super-simple recipe provides a healthy alternative you can make from scratch at home in just minutes.

Oven-Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients:

One bunch fresh organic kale cut in bite-sized pieces
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 325 F.  Wash the kale thoroughly and rip it up into bite sized pieces, discarding the stems.
• In a large bowl, toss kale in olive oil, salt and pepper. You can get creative with the seasonings, if you’d like, and try things like garlic powder, curry powder, or other options. 
• Spread the leaves on a large baking sheet, being careful not to overlap the pieces. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they’re crispy. 
• Enjoy right away, or cool and store in an air-tight container for later.

Recipe: Warm Asparagus Spears with Pine Nuts

Nothing says spring like asparagus! Fresh from the garden, it's a true spring treat that is unlike anything else. Cooking it, however, can be tricky. The best way to do it is to keep it simple and let the unique flavor of the vegetable shine through.

Tender, but not overcooked asparagus is often a fine art. In these recipe, we steam the asparagus lightly before sautéing it with red wine vinegar. The final touch is chopped pine nuts sprinkled on top. Just a little goes a long way. This makes a great vegetarian side dish. If you're an Ovo-Lacto vegetarian, you can also vary the dish by adding a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese at the end.

Warm Asparagus Spears with Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Chopped pine nuts

Directions:

• Cut or snap off the tougher ends of the asparagus stems and steam the spears for about 3 minutes.
• After the asparagus has steamed, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the red wine vinegar and asparagus and sauté for about 2 minutes. 
• When the asparagus starts to brown slightly it’s ready. 
• Season it with salt and pepper and topped with chopped pine nuts.

Recipe - Vegan Cornbread

If you're looking for vegan recipe ideas, here's a delicious idea for cornbread. This goes great with the Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup recipe from Wednesday, or try it with vegetarian chili for a tasty bowl of comfort food!

Vegan Cornbread

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups soy milk (unsweetened)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose pastry flour
1 ½ tbsp white wine vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
2 tbsp honey
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 425°Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9" square baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine vinegar and soy milk and allow to sit for a few minutes. 
• Meanwhile, sift flour into a medium-size mixing bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the soy milk/vinegar mixture and the oil and combine until just blended.
• Spoon the dough into the baking dish and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until cooked through. 
• Serve with soup or chili!

Recipe - Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

If you're trying to maintain a vegan diet or avoid animal products, this soup offers lots of healthy veggies, along with the rich creamy taste you're craving. If you're like me and don't like the taste of soymilk, or are allergic to or avoiding soy products, you can also substitute coconut milk for a tropical creamy flavor.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
(Serves about 5 - 7)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 lb broccoli, cut into florets, stalk cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 cups vegetable stock
2 ½ cups soy milk (or coconut milk)
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, torn
Handful of almond slivers, toasted

Instructions:

• In a large saucepan, combine the broccoli, onion, garlic and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Season well. 
• Place soup into a food processor and add the flour. Blend until smooth then return to the saucepan. 
• Stir in the soy milk and soy sauce and heat gently until the soup thickens. Adjust seasoning.
•  Sprinkle with basil leaves and toasted almond slivers and serve immediately with fresh cornbread. (See Friday's post for this recipe!)