Veggie Shepherd's Pie

5-6 large potatoes
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
2-3 medium carrots, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 17.6 oz package of cooked lentils
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1) Boil potatoes until tender. Drain, while saving 1 cup of cooking water. Mash potatoes with cooking water. Set aside.
2) In a large saute pan, heat oil and cook veggies in the following order: carrots and sweet potatoes (5-6  minutes), add peppers and lentils (an additional 3-4 minutes), add corn and peas (an additional 1-2 minutes), add spices. Along the way, add water as necessary to keep vegetables from sticking.
3) Put the veggies into a large, deep oven-safe dish. Smooth the mashed potatoes over the veggies. Place in the oven to broil, until the top has lightly browned.

Review: I loved the smoky flavor this had. The original recipe called for paprika and cayenne, which I switched to smoked paprika and chipotle - yummy! The below picture is just of the bottom of the pie, to see the variety. I didn't want to dirty yet another dish for presentation. So, I just mixed the mashed potatoes into the rest of the veggies and mixed thoroughly. It was tasty and filling, but the presentation wasn't pretty enough for the blog!

Adapted from:
http://www.platesforplants.com/blog/comfort-food-very-veggie-shepherds-pie/

Balsamic Sauteed Chard & Lentils

1 17.6 oz package of cooked lentils
1 bunch Swiss chard
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

1) In a skillet, heat olive oil. Saute garlic for one minute, or until fragrant.
2) Add lentils and chard. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until chard begins to wilt.
3) Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Combine.

Review: I love making dinner with fresh greens from my garden!! I made this an easier recipe by buying the lentils precooked (sold in the produce aisle at Trader Joe's). The original recipe called for fancy lentils that cooked for more than half an hour! I also used Trader Joe's Balsamic Glaze instead of just balsamic vinegar. It's sweeter and thicker. It's my new favorite condiment! Overall, this was a filling, hearty dinner. It's also vitamin-packed.

Adapted from:
http://www.theglutenfreevegan.com/2012/01/balsamic-sauteed-chard-and-lentils-du-puy/

Zucchini Pancakes

3 zucchini
3 eggs
1 cup corn meal
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
oil for cooking
optional toppings - additional eggs or avocado

1) Use a mandoline or food processor to finely grate or julienne the zucchini.
2) In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, eggs, corn meal, salt and cayenne to taste, until combined.
3) Heat skillet over medium heat. Add a tsp of oil (I used coconut oil) and drop spoonfuls of zucchini batter into the skillet, flattening each with the back of the spoon. Cook four minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
4) Optional - top with fried egg or sliced avocado.

Review: I keep believing that I've harvested the last of my zucchini. Yet, the garden keeps producing more! This was a great way to serve up a vegetable that I'm close to being tired of! It tasted slightly like hashbrowns, but the crispy green zucchini flavor was still there. I ended up not topping it with anything, as it was so tasty on it's own. I do believe the cayenne pepper gives a better flavor than black pepper for this particular dish.

Balsamic Lentil Saute

1 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch collard greens, rinsed and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked lentils
2 Tbs balsamic glaze
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1) In a large saute pan, heat the garlic in the olive oil, over medium heat. Add collard greens and bell pepper and cook until greens begin to wilt.
2) Add the lentils and heat for another two minutes. Mix in the balsamic glaze and parsley.
3) Can be served over cooked rice.

Review: I didn't serve mine over cooked rice, because I had so much food. My measurements must have been off. The trick to this recipe is using the balsamic glaze (bought at Trader Joe's) and lentils that are precooked (often found in the produce section). This was really tasty and incredibly filling. Balsamic glaze may be my new favorite add-in!! It's like a balsamic reduction, sweet and thick, but prepackaged in a bottle.

Adapted from:

http://www.traderjoes.com/Recipes/recipe/192

Espresso Brownies

3 Tbs espresso powder
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 large eggs
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
cooking spray for the pan

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.
2) Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
3) Pour mixture into greased pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Review: This recipe originally called for 1/3 cup of dark chocolate covered espresso beans. I substituted the espresso powder. This had a strong chocolate taste, but also a strong espresso taste. If you're wanting more chocolatey, I'd reduce the espresso to 1 Tbs. What's most interesting about this gluten free brownie is the texture. Like most gluten free baked goods, it was not cakey. It was quite spongey, and occasionally I'd get a bite of bean skin. It was really good and super easy to make, though. I loved tossing it all into the blender and simply pouring it out!

Adapted from:
http://www.traderjoes.com/Recipes/recipe/211

Rainbow Quinoa Salad With Fava Beans & Herbs

1 cup rainbow quinoa
2 cups water
salt to taste
2 15oz cans of fava beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tbs chopped dill
2 Tbs chopped chives
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs champagne vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1) Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse several times with cold water. Heat a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat and add the quinoa. Stir until the water on the grains has evaporated and the quinoa begins to crackle and smell toasty. Add the water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, until the blonde quinoa grains display little white spirals and the water has been absorbed.
2) Mix in the fava beans and place a dish towel over the top of the pot and return the lid. Let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
3) Transfer to a large bowl. Add the herbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt to taste, garlic, mustard, pepper and the oil. Toss with the quinoa and bean mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Review: I somehow spaced that I needed chives. I could tell the dish was missing that little bit of oomph. I think the garlic should also be doubled. I took this to a family dinner, and everyone liked it. It was quick, easy and a flavor that blends well with many cuisines.

Adapted from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/12/health/nutrition/rainbow-quinoa-salad-with-fava-beans-and-herbs-recipes-for-health.html

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash & Apple, With Candied Walnuts

1 1/2 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 cups butternut squash, diced into 1-inch chunks
2 cups apple (Honeycrisp, Cortland or Granny Smith), diced into 1-inch chunks
1 shallot, diced
2 Tbs olive oil
1/8 cup sage leaves, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup candied walnuts

1) Preheat oven to 375F. In a large, shallow roasting pan, toss the brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apples and shallot with olive oil and sage leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake without stirring until vegetables and apple are wrinkled, slightly brown and the edges of the squash are starting to crisp, 45 minutes to one hour.
2) Serve with candied walnuts sprinkled on top.

Review: This was initially a very complex recipe, which involved making the candied walnuts! Forget that, Trader Joe's has a wonderful bag of candied walnuts that made this dish much easier. It also called for drizzling a little maple syrup over the dish. I did that on my first bowl, but it didn't add anything to the flavor. When I went back for seconds, I omitted the maple syrup and it didn't taste any different. Therefore, leave it out! This was a wonderful Fall dinner. I'd never had roasted apples before, but doing this makes the apples tangier and more savory. Mmm, tasty!

Adapted from:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/the-temporary-vegetarian-vegan-roasted-brussels-sprouts-butternut-squash-and-apple-with-candied-walnuts/