Tag Archives: omni-friendly

Recipe: Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Meatloaf

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Vegetarian Meatloaf RecipeThose who visit my blog’s fan page on Facebook got a glimpse of this Sunday night and convinced me to blog about it so, here it is! Originally from Family Circle magazine, this sweet and savory meatloaf recipe converted into a vegetarian meatloaf recipe with ease. The major substitution was using two 12 oz. packages of Boca crumbles in place of 1 1/4 pounds of ground beef. I also kept the egg in the recipe because I’m not familiar enough with alternative binding foods. If anyone could recommend something that might hold this together, I’m all ears!

I made these in mini loaf pans, which unmolded perfectly but, as you can see, were very tender when sliced. Still, they were quite delicious. And, the serving is very generous… could definitely get by eating only half the mini loaf. (For those following the Weight Watchers program, one mini loaf is 9 points according to my calculations.)

Oh, and, as some of you may know, hubby isn’t a squash fan… he hates the stuff, but enjoyed his mini loaf. He said he could taste the squash. Yet, we also debated whether or not he would have “tasted” it if he didn’t know (prior to eating it) that it was made with squash. Next time, I ain’t sharing my secret ingredients with him. :-p

Sweet and Savory Vegetarian Meatloaf – Serves 4
2 – 12oz. packages Boca crumbles
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sweetened applesauce
1 large-ish zucchini, peeled and shredded
2 large-ish carrots, peeled and shredded
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 egg
1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic pwder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mist four mini loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Combine Boca crumbles, oats applesauce, squash, carrots, ketchup, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Scoop mixture evenly into the four mini loaf pans, packing it down into the molds. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before turning the loaves out onto a plate.

Vegan brownie cupcake scores with my omnivore family

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Chocolate Cupcake Vegan

If you want to bake vegan cupcakes for non-vegans, you really need to own Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (affiliate link). Every recipe I’ve tried from this book so far has been amazing.

I was charged with making dessert for my parents’ birthday party. It was a small affair—hubby and I, my sister and her husband, my mom and dad. Still, my decision to make an animal-free dessert over a “normal” dessert has gotten mixed reviews in the past. Of course, that was several years ago now and my family has had more opportunities to learn that vegan desserts can taste just as rich and delicious as those made with animal ingredients. Especially if you’re making cupcakes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s book!

Pictured above is the “Brooklyn Brownie Cupcakes,” which I topped with walnuts and a piece of Chocolove’s Cherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate Bar. Definitely a chocolate lover’s dream. Very, very rich. And quite irresistible. Because the recipe makes more than a dozen cupcakes, hubby taste-tested these (three of them!) before we left for the party. The birthday boy and girl also took “seconds” home with them. I think it’s safe to say these cupcakes were a winner!

Have you served a vegan dessert? What did you make and how did it go over with the omni-crowd?

Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Irish Stew

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I can’t believe how busy I’ve been lately. A huge work project came to fruition–finally!–so I’m hoping the craziness will calm down a bit.

One of the things I hate about being so busy–aside from the lack of blogging time–is that I tend to get lazy in the kitchen. Hubby and I dined out a lot last week which isn’t ideal but it helped me to stock up on fodder for the “He eats, she eats” posts! ;)

My favorite method for being lazy in the kitchen is to cook with my crock pot. I’ll happily trade a few moments of preparation the night before to have a hot vegetarian dinner waiting for me when I come home the next evening.

With the first day of Fall on the horizon, this recipe for a meatless Irish stew is one of those vegetarian recipes that is perfect for warming you up on a cool Autumn day. Want to really win an omnivore over with this recipe? Serve with a chunk of homemade bread. One of my favorite homemade bread recipes: No-Knead Bread.

! Tip ! Use a vegan meat substitute for a completely animal-free stew!

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Irish Stew

1 – pkg favorite brand of “crumbles,” or your favorite meat substitute, up to two pounds.

2 cups onion, chopped

2 cups potatos, chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

2 cups carrots, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

3 cups tomato juice/sauce

2 cups canned or frozen peas

Cut up all the veggies (except for the peas) into 2-inch chunks and add to crock pot. Open “crumbles” package and pour on top of veggies in slow cooker. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and tomato sauce. Cook on low for 6-9 hours (I let it go for the full 9 hours because I usually cook this while I’m at work). About 15-30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, add the peas into the slow cooker and let cook for those last 15-30 minutes. Although I always make this in my crock pot, it also can be cooked it in a 250 degree oven for 6 hours.