Category Archives: lunch/dinner

Mushroom Veggie Burger

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mixed
ingredients
  • 4 cups mushrooms cubed/diced ( cremini or portobello)
  • 2 cans black beans drained, rinsed and mashed
  • 1 cup minced fresh broccoli
  • 1 red onion minced
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup oat flour (can just process oats in food processor)
  • 1 Tbsp. Cumin
  • 1 tsp.salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut Amino (soya sauce replacement)
  • 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan

Sauté mushrooms, in olive oil. 

Mix all ingredients together and with dampened hands form into patties, using approx. 1/2 cup per patty.  Heat cast iron or non stick skillet. Add oil and cook each patty for 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and a crust has formed.

Makes 12 patties.

Serve with your favorite burger toppings.  Great with guacamole.

ENJOY ☺

Shepherd’s Pie

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This recipe is vegetarian but can be made with ground beef or chicken in place of kidney beans. Peel and cook enough potatoes to make approx. 4-5 cups mashed. To make this recipe quicker and easier, use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. I use a large cast iron pan when making this so it can go directly from stove top to oven. If you don’t have a pan like this it can be started in a smaller pan and finished in a casserole dish.

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 portabella mushrooms, sliced
  • olive oil or butter
  • 1 19 oz. can kidney beans
  • 1 Tbsp. basil
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
  • 3 medium size carrots, diced
  • 2 medium size parsnips, diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • water
  • 1/2 cup Ketchup (link to my ketchup recipe)
  • 2 Tbsp. mustard
  • approx. 4-5 cups mashed potatoes (peel and cook potatoes while cooking filling)

Sauté garlic and onion in oil or butter until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and kidney beans, continue to sauté, breaking up beans a bit as they soften. Add seasonings stirring into mix. Add red wine (if using) and cook until almost evaporated. Add carrots and parsnips, ketchup, mustard and just enough water to barely cover vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are almost done. Mix in corn and peas. Cover with mashed potatoes and bake for approx. 45 min. at 350°F.

Here is a new twist on Shepherd’s Pie. Instead of mashed potatoes use baby potatoes. Just wash and toss in oil, salt and pepper and place on top of base. No need to precook. Baking time will be the same.

Layered Vegetable Loaf

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This was one of my Aunt Marion’s favorites. I have changed the original recipe and replaced rice with cauliflower and also use fresh onion and garlic instead of the salt form. Add your favorite seasonings. Any kind of cheese can be used. This can be made ahead and stored in fridge or frozen. Reheat in microwave or oven. If freezing I suggest slicing in portions before freezing.

Layered Vegetable Loaf

First Layer

  • 1 cup finely chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar or marble)
  • 2 Tbsp. finely diced onion (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. finely diced garlic (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs

Second Layer

  • 1 cup finely chopped cauliflower (chopping in food processor works great)
  • 1 sweet bell pepper finely diced
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or cheddar)
  • 2 Tbsp. finely diced onion (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. finely diced garlic (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs

Third Layer

  • 1 1/2 cup grated carrot
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar or marble)
  • 2 Tbsp. finely diced onion (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. finely diced garlic (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 eggs

Mix each layer in a bowl. Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan and press each layer into the pan. Bake a 325°f for approx. 1 1/2 hours or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let cool slightly. Slice and enjoy.

Veggie Nuggets

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These little nuggets are a great way to get your family to eat more vegetables. Serve them with a favorite dipping sauce (sugar free of course) or just the way they are.

This recipe is very versatile. Replace the vegetables with any kind you have on hand. Some I have tried include, sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower, kale, corn, parsnip and squash. The seasonings can also be changed. Some other ones that I like to use are thyme, basil, oregano, coriander, curry and cayenne.

This recipe makes approx. 24, using 2 Tbsp. per. nugget.

  • 1 medium sized carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1/4 cup onion, fine diced
  • 1/2 sweet bell pepper, fine dice
  • 3/4 cup chopped baby spinach
  • 1 can chick peas 15-19 oz. (drain and rinse)
  • 1 tsp. oil plus extra for frying
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. seasoning salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup oats ( I used certified gluten free)
  • salt and pepper to taste

In food processor or blender place oats and seasonings. Blend just long enough to make oats into a fine meal. Add veggies and oil and continue processing until veggies are mush. If your processor is large enough add rest of ingredients and process until chick peas are also mushy and well blended. (My processor will not hold everything so I remove the veggie mix and then put chick peas and egg in processor. Once they are of the right consistency I mix the two parts together in a bowl.) Heat pan add a bit of oil and fry. (Using a small scoop to portion works best. Flatten slightly.) Cook over medium heat until brown on one side and flip to brown other side. Sever immediately or refrigerate and reheat before serving.

Multi-Grain Bread

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Fresh from oven

This dough is great for bread, rolls or pizza dough. Makes 3 loaves of bread or 2 loaves and 1 large pizza crust. You can store dough in fridge until ready to make pizza. Remove from fridge approx 1 hr before using.

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 Tbsp. yeast
  • 2 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup red river cereal or any other grains you like
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 6-7 cups flour whole wheat or white or a combination of both

Bloom yeast in 1 cup of warm water. In mixing bowl soak grains and oats in 2 cups boiling water, add shortening and salt. Once yeast is ready and grain /oat mixture has cooled, start mixing in flour. If using mixer with a dough hook add 5 cups of flour to start and mix till incorporated. Continue to add flour as needed to get the dough to the point of clearing the sides of bowl (pulling away from the sides of bowl). Add more flour as needed. Continue to knead until dough has a smooth look and is stretchy when you pull on it. Once you have enough flour mixed in it should take about 5 minutes to get to this point. If mixing by hand add 3 cups of flour to start, mix to incorporate and continue to add flour and knead, starting in bowl and moving to counter top dusted with flour and knead for 5 – 10 minutes adding more flour as needed.

Place dough in greased bowl and let rise till double. Approx. 1-2 hours. Punch down and divide into 3 equal portions. At this point you can form how ever you like. If making into loaves of bread place in pans and let rise until doubled in size. If using for pizza dough spread on pan and add toppings, or store in plastic bag in fridge until ready to use.

For bread bake at 400° F for 25 – 35 min.

NOT Potato Salad

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This is for my sister. She is diabetic and cannot eat potatoes due to the high amount of carbohydrate in a single potato. She loves potato salad but can no longer eat it and with another summer season soon upon us I have made an alternative that turned out to be very close to what she was missing. Give it a try, you may be surprised.

Photo by Damian Konietzny on Pexels.com
  • This makes approx 4 servings
  • approx. 1 lb celery root (celeriac)
  • approx. 1/2 lb parsnip
  • Peel celery root and dice, peel and cut parsnips into small pieces (parsnips tend to be stringy so the thinner the better) Cook in salted water until tender. Drain well, mash and refrigerate until cold.
  • 2 hard boiled egg, peeled and mashed
  • fresh chives or fine diced red onion
  • 2 small dill pickles diced fine
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cups mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp. mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Once celery root and parsnip mixture is cold, add rest of ingredients and mix well, adjust seasonings to your own taste. Enjoy.

Eating Sugar Free Baked Beans…

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Missing Comfort Foods

Here is my recipe for Baked Beans

  • 1 lb (454g) dried beans(cover with water and soak for 3 hrs or over night)
  • Drain and discard water. Place soaked beans in a pot covered with fresh water. Add 1 tsp baking soda. Bring to boil, and simmer till tender, this will not take long, approx 15 min. A sure test is to spoon some out and blow on them. If skin cracks they are ready. Once again drain water. At this point they are ready for slow cooker or oven. If using slow cooker start on high. If using oven set at 300*F.
  • While beans are simmering; Put the following in slower cooker or baking crook.
  • 1 cup water (to start)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 4 slices bacon (diced) (optional)
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 3/4 cup of date puree
  • Once beans are ready, add and just barely cover with water. Cook for approx 3 hrs, (or until they reach the point that you prefer), checking half way through cooking time.
  • I find with using date puree the beans take less time to cook.
  • Note changing water every time will make beans easier to digest.

ENJOY