Meatless Monday Recipe: Edamame Wontons

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Karen Morse

I love edamame, and I love potstickers. Most potstickers are made with pork, which I don’t eat. But these Edamame Wontons look like just the thing to tame a potsticker craving, with far fewer fat & calories.

Edamame are a great protein source and have powerful superfood properties since they are antioxidant-rich and contain both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In short, they are a perfect Meatless Monday appetizer or meal.

Photo courtesy of myrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups shelled frozen edamame (10 oz. package)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
30 round wonton wrappers (3 1/2 in. diameter)
Cilantro leaves
Soy sauce, for serving

Preparation

1. Cook edamame according to package instructions.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water; drain edamame and set 3/4 cup aside.
3. In a blender, whirl remaining 1 cup edamame with ginger, lemon juice, salt, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup reserved cooking water.
4. Transfer edamame paste to a bowl, mix with whole edamame and chives.
5. Bring a large, deep pot of salted water to a gentle boil and add vegetable oil.
6. Fill wonton wrappers with 1 tsp. edamame filling and top filling with a cilantro leaf (cover unfilled wrappers with a moist towel). Moisten wrapper edges with water, fold over filling, and press to seal. Boil wontons in batches until they float to surface, 2 minutes. Serve with soy sauce.

The recipe is originally from Sunset Magazine‘s December 2007 issue.

Looking for other meatless recipes? Try these:

Spicy Veggie Frittata

Quinoa with Shiitake Mushrooms

Meatless Monday Recipe: Tomato Basil Pizza with Gluten-Free Crust

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Karen Morse

Someone on Instagram posted a picture of a gluten-free pizza crust yesterday, and it looked so good I couldn’t stop thinking about it! So, I was off to collect ingredients to make it for dinner last night and so I could share this recipe with you for this week’s Meatless Monday Recipe Idea!

You won’t believe what’s in this pizza crust — it’s cauliflower! The recipe for the crust comes from SparkPeople. The prep time on the original crust recipe states 15 minutes. I can assure you that it takes much longer than that! I think it took me about an hour to get everything prepped before I baked the crust. Not a deal-breaker but wanted to give you fair warning!

If you make this yourself, can you leave a Comment below & let me know how it turned out for you? I’d like the crust just a little crispier if possible. If you found something that worked, please share below!

Ingredients

For crust:

1 cup raw, chopped cauliflower* (chop in a food processor for quickest & best result)
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme

For pizza toppings

2 sliced roma tomatoes
6 fresh chopped basil leaves
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pizza sauce (optional)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

*1 cup chopped cauliflower is about 2 1/4 cups florets

Directions

Makes 4, 1-slice servings. Can be doubled for a larger pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped cauliflower, egg, mozzarella and all desired spices. Press evenly on baking pan.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (up to 20 minutes if you double the recipe).

Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, pour olive oil and use a pastry or baking brush to spread the oil over the crust evenly. Add sauce (if using) then toppings and cheese.

Place under broiler, on high heat, until cheese is melted. Keep a close eye on it so the crust doesn’t burn! Enjoy!

Did you make this? Did you mix it up at all by adding different toppings or other ingredients to the dough? Don’t forget to tell us how it turned out in the Comments below!

Other Meatless Monday Recipes you’ll love:

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Spicy Veggie Frittata

Summer Coleslaw: A #MeatlessMonday Recipe

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Karen Morse

I love the warm days of summer. Sometimes, I don’t love cooking on a hot summer night though!

I found this recipe in a new cookbook that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas, The Meat Free Monday Cookbook: A Full Menu for Every Monday of the Year

I’m not gonna lie … my memories of coleslaw are not good ones! I’m transported to a mayonnaise-soaked mess with carrots and raisins from my elementary school cafeteria’s lunch line. Beyond gross!!

This version made me a believer! Try this fresh Summer Coleslaw! I promise you won’t think about your old school cafeteria even once! :-)

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 medium-large carrots (coarsely grated)
1/2 white cabbage (shredded)
Handful of trimmed snow peas
6 scallions, sliced
Handful of trimmed radishes
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Juice from half a lemon
3 tablespoons hazelnut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Peel and coarsely grate 2 medium-large carrots into a large mixing bowl.
Finely shred half of a white cabbage and a handful of trimmed snow peas and add to bowl.
Finely slice 6 scallions and a handful of trimmed radishes, and add along with 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts, and 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the juice of 1/2 lemon and 3 tablespoons hazelnut oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Pour over the coleslaw and gently mix together.

Other Recipes You’ll Love:

Tomato & Basil Salad with Feta

Snap Pea Salad

Baked Eggplant Parmesan – A #MeatlessMonday Recipe

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Karen Morse

Sorry for the delayed post! I had server downtime all weekend, and wasn’t back up & running until this morning. But, you’ve got to roll with the punches right? :-)

Maybe you were busy yesterday with Memorial Day cookouts and get-togethers, so you missed out on #MeatlessMonday? How about a #MeatlessTuesday, then? Or, if you are like me and EVERY DAY in your house is meatless … here is a GREAT Baked Eggplant Parmesan recipe to try anytime.

Here’s what you’ll need –

Serves 4

1 box Trader Joe’s Frozen Eggplant Cutlets
1 jar high-quality marinara sauce OR homemade marinara
16 ounces, shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves, chopped (garnish)

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line the frozen eggplant cutlets on a baking sheet, and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven.

2. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees.

3. In a 9 x 9 baking dish, spread marinara sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of baked eggplant cutlets in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle fresh basil on top.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (or until cheese slightly browns).

Note: If you want to substitute fresh herbs for the dried herbs in the homemade marinara recipe, you won’t be disappointed! The substitution rule is 3 to 1. For example, for every 1 tablespoon of dried herbs, substitute 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs.

Best Recipes on Pinterest – Our 10 Most Pinned Recipes

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Karen Morse

The Pinterest peeps have spoken! I’ve been featuring an easy, healthy recipe every Monday for quite some time. Here’s a list featuring the best of the best!

Our Top 10 Most Pinned Recipes from Pinterest

Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

This was the top recipe by a landslide! And Pinterest users loved that these can be make in your slow cooker or Crock Pot!

Spicy Veggie Frittata

Spicy Veggie Frittata

This Spicy Veggie Frittata became a go-to for many users! Easy to make any night of the week and a crowd pleaser!

Three-Cheese Baked Ziti

A very tasty Italian dish. Great if you are having 6-10 people over for dinner and plan to serve buffet style. The homemade marinara is well worth it!

Easy Peasy Roasted Vegetables

Easy Peasy Roasted Vegetables

As simple as it gets! This works with almost any vegetable, so pick your favorite seasonal veggies & get roasting!

Broccoli cheese Quiche

Baby Broccoli and Parmesan Quiche

This is great for an easy dinner and if there is any left, it is also great warmed up for a protein-packed quick breakfast. Great for potlucks!

Sweet Potato Risotto

This recipe is courtesy of Whole Foods Market in Oakland! Very tasty, and the herbs give it that richness that will add this to your list of go-to comfort foods!

Apple cranberry pie recipe – by Wellness Science

Best Apple Cranberry Pie

I’ve watched my mother-in-law make her delicious apple pies for years now. I like them a tiny bit on the sweet side, so I use Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples instead of loading them up with extra sugar. The link also includes a recipe for a great pie crust!

Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese

This recipe is courtesy of the Food Network and the lovely Giada De Laurentiis. I have made this meatless “bolognese” countless times. The mushrooms & the mascarpone give it a rich savoriness that won’t leave you wanting for a thing (well, except maybe a piece of that Apple Cranberry Pie up there!)

Apple Slices with Almond Butter

This isn’t a recipe per se, but it was a hit on Pinterest so I wanted to share this great little afternoon snack idea. Go with a natural almond butter, like MaraNatha. Again, I prefer a sweeter apple — like a Pink Lady or a Honeycrisp. Try it on different apples and see which you like best!

Photo courtesy of www.southernliving.com

Peanut Broccoli Stir-Fry

And… last but not least! I found this on Southern Living Magazine’s website. This is a great stir-fry! If you are looking to make this even healthier, try a rice substitute like quinoa or barley.

How many of these have you tried?

Meatless Monday Recipe: Mini Mushroom Sliders

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Karen Morse

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Weight Management Center recently released the findings of a year-long clinical trial that determined overweight and obese participants who swapped a serving of red meat for a cup of white mushrooms lost weight and body fat.

Mushrooms make a GREAT meat substitute. Plus, they contain no fat & almost no calories.

During the study mushroom eaters lost an average of seven pounds, as well as losing inches from their waists!

Below is a great Mushroom Slider recipe created by The Mushroom Council.

Photo courtesy of www.meatlessmonday.com

Serves 4

2 portabella mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 small high-fiber whole grain dinner rolls
8 slices red onion
8 slices tomato

Place the portabellas and vinaigrette in a large zip top bag. Zip and lightly rub the vinaigrette into the mushrooms. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Prepare the grill or a grill pan with a light layer of nonstick cooking spray. Line a plate with a layer of paper towels.

Remove the mushrooms from the bag, drain and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the grill to medium and place the mushrooms gill side down. Cook for 4 minutes, flip and repeat on the other side for about 4 minutes more, or until the both mushrooms are almost cooked through.

Transfer the mushrooms to the paper lined plate, gill side down. Cut each mushroom into quarters and place each quarter on the bottom half of the dinner rolls. Top each with tomato, onion and the remaining dinner roll half and enjoy.

Other meatless recipes you’ll love:

Mushroom Soup with Creamy Almond Butter

Spicy Veggie Frittata

Easy Peasy Roasted Vegetables

Meatless Monday Recipe: French Toast with Fresh Strawberries

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Karen Morse

I remember as a kid having breakfast for dinner when we’d had a busy day or it got late before we realized it. It was like a treat! Scrambled eggs and pancakes. Those were some of the best dinners!

This French Toast recipe is amazing. Seriously… I try French Toast any time I see it on the menu. Just last week after we finished the OC Half Marathon, we stayed for a few extra days at the St. Regis Monarch Beach down in Orange County. The morning after the half marathon, I had a pretty darn good French Toast with Mixed Berries. I believe this recipe (taken and modified slightly from the Williams-Sonoma Breakfast cookbook) is THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I’VE EVER HAD. Try it yourself!!

Ingredients:

6 slices sturdy French bread, about 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or Cointreau)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Powdered sugar for dusting
Maple syrup (warmed)
Fresh sliced organic strawberries

Preparation:

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in a large baking dish.
In a glass mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, Grand Marnier, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Pour evenly over the bread slices and let stand for one minute, then turn bread over. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 to 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add as many slices of the bread that will fit without overlapping. Flip after 3 minutes. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the opposite side. Melt the remaining butter & repeat with the rest of the bread slices.
Transfer French toast to plates and sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top. Add fresh strawberry slices and serve with warmed maple syrup.

Mushroom Soup with Sweet Potato, Greens, and Ginger

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Karen Morse

This easy, healthy soup has become a staple for me when I feel the need to eat clean. It is super easy to throw together, and it makes a great Meatless Monday dinner! This recipe was adapted from one with chicken that was part of the Whole Living Action Plan in 2011. As a vegetarian I had to make some modifications, and I think it turned out great!

There is no milk, cream, or butter in this dish so it’s super low in calories, but the almond butter and broth make a nice creamy base so you’d never know it was dairy-free!

Here’s what you will need to make this tasty meatless soup! Yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 minced garlic clove
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (2 cups)
1 pint of shiitake mushrooms (or your favorite mushroom), sliced
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1 cup collard leaves (or kale or Southern Greens mix) coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

Combine the stock, onion, garlic, and sweet potato in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the mushrooms, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter and 1/2 cup of the soup mixture into a thick paste. Note: if you mistakenly use chunky almond butter, the bits of almond will float on top of the soup once cooked.
Add the collard or other greens and ginger to the soup and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the almond butter paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls, and squeeze with lime wedge.

Other meatless recipes you might like:

Meatless Ground “Beef” Enchiladas

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Three Cheese Baked Ziti

Meatless Monday Recipe: Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Karen Morse

I’ve gotten in to making my own salad dressings and marinades lately in an attempt to make something with much less added sugar and sodium.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day (1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older, black, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease). The average American is actually getting around 3,400 mg per day — way over the recommended amount — and processed foods (like store-bought salad dressings) are very much a culprit.

This Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette recipe was created by Martha Rose Shulman, author of The Very Best of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com

Ginger has many medicinal properties, including acting as anti-inflammatory and easing nausea or mild stomach discomfort.

Here’s the original recipe:

1 garlic clove, finely minced or puréed
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar or agave nectar
5 tablespoons canola oil or light sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Place all of the ingredients in a minichop or blender (because the amounts are small, I prefer a minichop) and blend until homogenized.

Yield: Makes 2/3 cup.

Advance preparation: This dressing keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per 2 tablespoons: 177 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fats; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 58 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 0 grams protein

Photo credit: Greatist / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Meatless Ground “Beef” Enchiladas

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Karen Morse

Going meatless doesn’t have to mean missing out on your favorites. I LOVE Mexican food – more than any other food out there!

Here is a great Meatless Ground “Beef” Enchilada recipe with my homemade enchilada sauce that will put a smile on your face!

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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grab a 13 x 9 baking pan. Spray the pan with a little non-stick cooking oil spray.

In a large skillet, spray a little more non-stick cooking oil spray and heat for about 30 seconds on medium. Add Lightlife Smart Ground Mexican Style meatless grounds and heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning or sticking.

These meatless grounds are a great substitute for ground beef. There is ZERO fat, ZERO cholesterol and only 60 calories in each serving.

Add 1/2 cup of homemade enchilada sauce (my recipe is at the bottom of this post) to the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Tilt the baking dish to make sure the sauce completely covers the bottom (and your enchiladas don’t stick!).

Next, grab your tortillas. I prefer flour tortillas to corn. There are also some really tasty whole-wheat tortillas out there now! For this recipe, you’ll need 8-10 tortillas. Pre-heat the tortillas 4-5 at a time by stacking them in between two damp paper towels & microwaving for about 45 seconds.

Now you are ready to prep!

1) Grab a pre-heated tortilla & add about 1/4 cup of the heated Mexican meatless grounds, a sprinkling of cheese (I like the Mexican cheese blends for this recipe), and a drizzle of enchilada sauce.

2) Roll it up nice & tight, and repeat until you have filled up your 13 x 9 inch pan!

3) Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the top of the wrapped enchiladas. Cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

4) Take the enchiladas out of the oven and remove foil. Top with remainder of cheese blend and put back in the oven for 5-7 minutes to allow the cheese to melt

5) Serve with a little chopped cilantro on top, a little low-fat sour cream, and a side of sliced avocado.

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