Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Week Night One Pot Pasta

If you are anything like me you are busy during the week.  Working, taking the kids here and there or just taking care of you can be a full-time job. So when it comes to dinner, eating out or quick unhealthy foods might seem like our only option.   After scowling the Internet looking for inspiration to end this weeknight dilemma I came upon this great recipe on the site Budget Bytes called a Wonderpot.  This recipe is plant based, features my favorite food of all time-pasta, is an easy clean up and kind to your pockets.  I loved it so much that instead of putting my own spin on it I left it just the way it was.  This Spinach and Artichoke one pot pasta will be a great addition in my recipe rotation. 
Spinach & Artichoke One Pot Pasta
Ingredients
      8 oz. assorted fresh mushrooms
       1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts
      4 cloves garlic
        1 medium yellow onion
        5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
      12 oz.  Fettuccine
       1 tsp.  dried oregano
      ½ tsp.  dried thyme
      4 oz. organic frozen cut spinach
Instructions
1.       Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Drain the can of artichoke hearts and roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the onion and garlic (you can mince the garlic if you don't want large slices).
2.       Place the vegetable broth, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, onions, and garlic in a large pot.
3.       Break the fettuccine in half and add it to the pot along with the oregano, thyme, and some freshly cracked pepper. Push the ingredients down under the broth as much as possible. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a rolling boil over high heat.
4.       As soon as it reaches a boil, stir the pot to evenly distribute the ingredients and prevent the pasta from sticking. Turn the heat down to low so that the pot is just simmering. Allow the pot to simmer, with the lid on, for 2-3 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Give the pot a stir every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking.
5.       Once the pasta is cooked through, add the frozen spinach. Allow the heat from the pasta to thaw the spinach. Stir the pot to help break up the clumps of spinach as they melt. Serve hot.

 
Do you have a favorite one pot recipe?  Share it with us in the comments below.

Friday, January 16, 2015

MY First Give-Away featuring 22 Days Nutrition




When Beyonce and JayZ went vegan a couple of years ago they were guided by the 22 Days Nutrition plan. The philosophy behind this program is that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit and by the 22nd day you are on your way.  

During my plant based journey my biggest road block was finding good alternatives to my eggs for breakfast and my yogurt and granola for my mid-day snack, in comes 22 Days Nutrition to the rescue.

 

What makes them different?  The answer is simple; they use real ingredients that you can pronounce, that are organic, non-gmo, plant based, gluten free and most of all delicious. These bars are not loaded with fillers and sugars that give you a short burst of energy then have you crash later but are filled with plants that give you long lasting energy.  Have I convinced you yet to try them?  Need more reasons?

Why not try them on me?  I will pick 2 readers to receive a case each of 22 Days Nutrition bars and one 22 days blender bottle.  Email me at Brownveggiemom@yahoo.com to tell me how this prize pack will help you on your plant based journey and I will pick two random winners by February 1st.

 


Rules:  By entering this contest you agree to receive further emails from Brownveggiemom
            Only one entry per email address

Happy emailing!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

My Burger Recipe

As I look back on my most popular posts from last year couple that are looked at the most are My Ten must have Pantry Staples and Who doesn’t love a Sandwich.  So because you guys love them so much I decided to combine the two and came up with this recipe that was a home run with the family and hopefully one with you too.

Black Bean sliders
2 cans no salt added Black Beans
1 cup of frozen corn (thawed)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 egg replacer
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
 Salt And Pepper

Drain, and rinse, the black beans. Place them in a bowl and use a fork to mash them. Keep mashing until they're mostly broken up, but still have some whole beans visible. Add the breadcrumbs, onion, egg, corn, taco seasoning and salt, pepper. Stir until everything is combined, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.

Using a ½ cup measuring cup divide the mixture and make

into patties. You can pan fry them in safflower oil 5 minutes per side or you can bake them in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes turning once. I like to serve mine on a whole wheat slicer bun with fresh salsa and avocado slices.