vegan | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: vegan
- Baby Bela Garlic Mushroom Soup with Brown Rice
  
  Posted at 10:30 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 8th
  Soup has a special place in my heart! My mother made the most flavorful homemade soups. She would have hot soup ready for us when we came home, frozen from playing in the snow or ice skating on the pond near our home. And she had a variety of frozen soups ready for an after school snack to hold us over to dinner. My father didn’t return home from work until six or seven o’clock, and we waited for him to eat together as a family.
  
  Those cherished memories return to me when I make soup for my family. Maybe that is why I enjoy making soups. I am transported to my childhood sitting on a stool in the kitchen, watching my mother make magic. My repertoire of soups is extensive for so many reasons. Soups, first, are delicious, easy to make ahead, and by limiting fat and salt, very healthy!
  
  A favorite ingredient I use often is mushrooms. I love their earthy taste and nutritional benefit. And the variety is of mushrooms is considerable. I like to use portabella mushrooms, dark and earthy, complementing the brown rice melody. My mushroom-rice soup is healthy and flavorful; I added four cloves of garlic. The aroma of sauteing garlic is so delightful!
  
  Baby Bela Garlic Mushroom Soup with Brown Rice
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  8 oz baby Bela mushrooms, chopped
  32 oz low salt vegetable stock
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
  1/4 cup brown rice, I used Trader Joe’s, Brown Rice Melody
  
  Rinse mushrooms well and pat dry—heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic sauteing for 5 minutes on low heat. Don’t let garlic brown. Add mushrooms; continue sauteing for 10 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add pepper, salt, herbs, and rice; cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  
  Enjoy
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  Posted in Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Healthy, Soup, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Easy recipe, garlic, Heathy, Mushrooms, Trader Joe's, Wildrice melody, Winter soup
- Winter is Coming Vegetable Stew
  
  Posted at 8:31 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 1st
  Winter is Coming Vegetable Stew
  
  Like The Seven Kingdoms of Westerly, I do miss Game of Thrones, winter is coming to New England. To ward off the frigid, snowy weather, I love to create tasty, healthy soups and stews filling but low in fat, salt, and calories but not short on flavor. My vegetable stew fits that description perfectly. Totally healthy, vegan, flavorful with just the right kick from the hot sauce. I make a big batch for future dinners when snowdrifts are blanketing our homes.
  
  Hearty Vegetable Stew
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  4 cloves garlic crushed
  1 large shallot chopped
  8 oz baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
  1 can(14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, Hunt’s no salt added
  2 cups vegetable broth
  1 tablespoon chili powder
  1 cup chopped baby carrots
  1 cup farro, rinsed
  1 can (15 oz) Cannellini Beans, rinsed
  Griller Crumbles, Morning Star
  2 tablespoon Franks Hot sauce
  
  In large stock pot heat olive, add garlic and shallot cooking for 5 minutes until translucent. Don’t brown. Add mushrooms cooking another 5 minutes. Combine tomatoes, vegetable broth and chili power adding to vegetables mixture. Add carrots, farro, cover, simmer for 15 minutes. Finish stew by adding beans, Griller Crumbles and Franks Hot Sauce. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  October 30, 2020
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  Posted in Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Main Dish, Main Meal, Soups, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Cold weather, Heathy, Soup, vegan, Winter
- Roasted Tomato and Kale Soup
  
  Posted at 5:34 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 19th
  My sequined black crow enjoyed the soup too!
  
  Autumn is here and waking up to chilly mornings my thoughts turn from summer food to Fall comfort food. Tomato soup is the perfect fall comfort food and I love to use the last of the garden fresh tomatoes. Roasting the tomatoes, onion, kale and garlic enhances the flavor. I added kale for a more rustic soup and added texture. Serve this delicious soup with a salad and fresh baked bread.
  
  3 pounds tomatoes, quartered
  
  1 yellow onion, halved and quartered
  
  2 cup kale, stems removed and chopped
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  2 teaspoons sea salt
  
  1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  
  4 cloves garlic, halved
  
  5 cups unsalted vegetable stock
  
  2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
  
  Fresh grated parmesan cheese (optional) for serving
  
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  
  Spread tomatoes, onion, and kale in 1 layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper.
  
  Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes; add garlic and continue roasting until tomato mixture is tender, about 15 more minutes.
  
  Bring vegetable stock and basil to a boil in a large stockpot; reduce heat and simmer.
  
  Put half the tomato mixture into a blender. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend until smooth, adding a small amount of the warm vegetable stock if liquid is needed. Pour pureed tomato mixture into stockpot with vegetable stock. Puree remaining half of tomato mixture and add to vegetable stock mixture, mixing well. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  
  Pour into individual serving bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of baguette, toasted. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Autumn, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Soup, Tomato, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Autumn, comfort food, Tomato Soup
- Farm Fresh Grilled Vegetables
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 20th
  My town like many towns has a wonderful weekly farmer’s market each week where local farms sell fresh produce. Beautiful ripe heirloom tomatoes glistening with morning dew, the deepest aubergine eggplant, plump zucchini along with a red, orange, and yellow peppers just beckoning to be grilled.
  
  3 red peppers
  
  3 orange peppers
  
  3 yellow peppers
  
  2 large eggplants
  
  2 large zucchinis
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
  
  1 tablespoon fresh french thyme, finely chopped
  
  Remove stems and seeds from peppers then slice in quarters. Slice eggplant and zucchini horizontally. Place vegetables in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil, and thyme. Pour over vegetables then toss. Let sit for 30 minutes to marinate flavors. Preheat grill. Grill vegetables turning every five minutes until tender. Arrange on a platter. Serve at room temperature. You can grill a day ahead and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Farm Fresh Produce, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, summertime recipes, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy recipe, farm fresh, Father's day, Grilled vegetables
- Chickpea Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers
  
  Posted at 8:53 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 2nd
  Easy summer salads, especially healthy salads are a perfect addition for light summer meals. Chickpeas are loaded with health benefits and I love to add them to salads just as I would tomatoes or any veggie.
  
  Chickpeas can take center stage when paired with cucumbers and radishes as in my Chickpea salad. And isn’t wonderful that radishes are making a comeback, those red and white spicey veggies add wonderful flavor to any recipe.
  
  The special ingredient that gives the salad it’s unique taste is tahini which is made from ground sesame seeds. Tahini is a middle eastern food staple and used to make hummus.
  
  Chickpea Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers
  
  2 cans Goya low salt chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
  1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  
  5 radishes, chopped
  
  1 medium cucumber
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  
  1 tablespoon tahini sauce
  
  1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
  1 teaspoon oregano
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  Place chickpeas, scallions, radishes, and cucumbers in a medium serving bowl.
  
  In a small bowl combine oil, vinegar, tahini sauce, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour over chickpeas and vegetables. Toss to combine. Chill for one hour before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Salad, summertime recipes, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Chickpeas, cucumbers, Goya, radishes, salad, tahini
- Avgolemono Soup
  
  Posted at 12:00 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 2nd
  I was introduced to Avegolemono Soup when I married into a Greek family. My mother-in-law, a non-Greek like me, shared with me her delicious recipe. My mother-in-law usually make her soup with homemade turkey stock. Her recipe does not contain chicken or turkey meat, and our family prefers our soup prepared this way. And if you love lemon as we do use the juice of two lemons.
  
  What I love about this soup is that is is light in texture. It reminds me of spring with the underlining hint of lemon. I have a love affair with lemons, the taste, the smell and you can use the fresh lemon juice with baking soda for an wonderfully scented cleansing scrub.
  
  4 cups stock, chicken, turkey or vegetable
  
  1/2 cup orzo
  
  2 eggs
  
  juice of 1 -2 lemons
  
  salt and pepper
  
  In a large saucepan, bring the stock to a boil.
  
  Add the orzo, reduce heat and medium until tender but still al dente, about 9 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and reduce heat to low; simmer.
  
  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice until smooth.
  
  Ladle about 1/4 cup of the hot stock into the egg-and-lemon mixture, add another 1/4 cup of stock, then whisk to combine. Do this until the egg mixture is warm. If you add the hot stock too quickly the egg mixture will curdle.
  
  Add the mixture back to the simmering saucepan. Stir just until the soup becomes opaque and thickens as the eggs cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve. Serves four.
  
  The recipe doubles easily for a larger group.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Soup, Soups, Springtime, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged avegolemono soup, easy quick, Easy recipe, Greek cooking, Soup
- Olive Tapenade Tarts
  
  Posted at 5:00 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 3rd
  Olives are like food for the gods! Sun-kissed then cured in a rainbow of inviting colors. Green, black, brown all temping to even the most sophisticated pallet. I love a good olive tapenade so delicious, so easy to make. I like to make my own tapenade to serve on an antipasti plate or for a little different treatment, fill phyllo cups with the tapenade, baking for a hot mouth-watering appetizer.
  
  Keep a package of Anthenos phyllo cups in your freezer for easy, quick, delicious bit-size appetizers or mini desserts. Also, you can use store-bought tapenade and be ready in 10 minutes with a tasty appetizer.
  
  Olive Tapenade Tarts
  
  1 cup pitted kalamata olives (you can use any variation of olives)
  1 clove chopped garlic
  
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 teaspoon capers
  1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence1 package Athenos phyllo cup, thawed in the refrigerator
  
  6 sliced green pimento filled olives(for garnish)
  curried red pepper, sliced(for garnish)
  
  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a mini food processor, combine olives, garlic, and process until olives form a spread. Add oil, capers, and Herbs de Provence. Process until blended. Fill each cup with olive spread, decorate with olive filled with red pepper if you like. Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes until hot. Cool slightly and serve.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Appetizer, entertaining, Food, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Anthenos phyllo cups, easy appetizer, happy hour, olive tapenade
- Quick and Easy Pasta e Fagioli
  
  Posted at 11:30 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Mar 21st
  Traditional Pasta e Fagioli is made with a pork product such as pancetta, ham or pigs’ feet(old-time Italian) but growing up my mother always made meatless Pasta e Fagioli on Fridays. I have fond memories of eating Pasta Fagioli on crisp fall nights before rushing off to a Friday night football game or for lunch on a snowy winter day.
  
  My mother’s version of Pasta e Fagioli, I like to call Pasta e Fagioli meets Boston Baked Beans, She used canned baked beans as the base. I have no idea why one time she decided to substitute baked beans, no problem we loved her recipe. Over the years I have added my own touches to my mother’s Pasta e Fagioli to make it an easy totally vegetarian meal.
  
  Pasta e Fagioli
  
  1 cup chopped shallots
  
  3 cloves garlic, crushed
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  3/4 cup dry white wine
  
  2 (16 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans, Bushes
  
  1 can (8 oz) no salt Tomato Sauce, Hunts
  
  1 can (15.5 oz) Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, Goya
  
  1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1 cup dried ditalini pasta
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  
  1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
  Parmesan Cheese, optional
  
  1. In large pot cook shallots, garlic and olive over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  2. Sir in wine, baked beans, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  
  3. Cook, pasta al dente(firm but not hard), drain. Stir cooked pasta, basil, oregano into bean mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Pasta e Fagioli should be thick like stew not soupy. Add more broth if thick and cook a little longer if too thin.
  
  Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.
  
  Make 4-6 servings.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Italian, light dinner, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta, Soup, Stew, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Beans & macaroni, Bushes Baked Beans, Easy recipe, Goya beans, Hunts Tomato Sauce, Pasta e Fagioli, vegan, vegetarian
- Winter Slaw
  
  Posted at 9:21 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 23rd
  Slaws are a hot menu item these last few years. And so different from the slaws of my childhood. I remember growing up my Aunt would bring the Cold Slaw for Thanksgiving. She would combine shredded cabbage and carrots with a purchased coleslaw dressing. Today’s slaws have move far from the coleslaw my aunt made so long ago.
  
  Although I have fond memories of my family’s Thanksgivings, I enjoy experimenting with different textures and flavors creating slaws for every season. I’ve made my winter slaw with a lemon vinegarette, adding a fresh taste to the kale and cabbage. And an added benefit is this dish can be prepared ahead.
  
  Winter Slaw
  
  4 cups shredded kale, stems removed (4 ounces)
  
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  4 cups shredded savoy cabbage
  
  1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  
  1 cup shredded carrots (2 medium)
  
  Lemon Vinegarette
  
  3/4 cup packed finely snipped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
  
  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
  1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
  zest of 1 lemon (1/4 tsp packed)
  
  1 tsp Dijon mustard
  
  2 garlic cloves minced or pressed (1 tsp)
  
  1/2 tsp salt
  
  1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
  ½ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
  
  In an extra-large bowl combine the kale, salt, and olive oil. Using your hands, rub the kale to help soften it and brighten its color. Rinse the kale in a colander under cool running water; drain well and return to the bowl. Add the savoy cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots; toss to combine. Set slaw aside.
  
  For the dressing, in a food processor or blender combine the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and process or blend to combine.
  
  Add the dressing to the vegetable mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle pepitas over the salad.
  
  Prepare the slaw and dressing as directed. Cover and chill separately for up to 24 hours. Sprinkle slaw with pepitas, add dressing and toss before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Food, Healthy, Salad, Thanksgiving, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged easy, kale, salad, vegan, Winter Slaw
- Air Fryer Roasted Brussels Sprouts
  
  Posted at 9:45 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 26th
  When I first thought about getting an Air Fryer*, I’m not a gadget person, I was a little I was skeptical if it were something I would use very often. Now that I’ve owned an air fryer for a year, I love to experiment, especially with veggies.
  
  Usually, I roast Brussels Sprouts in the oven, which I find brings out the nutty flavor. When I cooked Brussels Sprouts in the Air Fryer, they turned out beautifully charred on the outside with a soft center. I added olive oil, spices, olives, and capers with a flavor-packed side dish. So easy and delicious!
  
  2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, cleaned and whole
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  1/2 cup sliced Mezzetta Castervetrano Italian Olives, pitted
  
  2 teaspoon capers
  
  1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  
  1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  
  1 teaspoon pepper
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  Place Brussels Sprouts in a bowl, toss with olive oil. Add remaining ingredients. Put Brussels Sprouts in the air fryer basket. You will need to cook in two batches. Pre-heat Air Fryer at 400 F for 10 minutes. Set Air Fryer to 400 F and cook for 15 minutes. Place on a serving plate.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  *I have the Phillips small Air Fryer
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  Posted in Air Fryer, Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Side dish, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy to make, family meal, Philips Air Fryer, Veggies
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