Italian-Style Tempeh with Rotini

I invented this dish tonight because I had a package of tempeh I needed to use up. I had read that I could crumble it up and use it as a substitute for ground beef, so that was my inspiration for this dish. It was very easy to put together, vegan, and very tasty. It's not too colorful once the pasta is stirred in, but it would be prettier with a zucchini if you have one on hand. You could substitute pretty much any mild vegetable if you're not a fan of summer squash.

Italian-Style Tempeh with Rotini

1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz tempeh, crumbled
1 medium summer squash or zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 cups sugar free, fat free pasta sauce (I use Whole Foods 365 brand)
6 oz whole wheat rotini (measured dry)

Cook rotini according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add crumbled tempeh and squash and saute until tempeh starts to brown. Add sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until pasta is done. Drain pasta well and stir into sauce mixture.

This recipe makes 4 servings and includes 3/4 tsp of healthy oils per serving.

Recipe Review: Hearty Beef & Hominy Chili

This post is something new for this blog -- a recipe review without the recipe itself. I want to be able to share my opinions of the recipes in the currently available Weight Watchers cookbooks without reprinting them. So here is my first "recipe review." Hopefully you will find these helpful in deciding whether or not to purchase the books.

Tonight we tried the Beef & Hominy Chili from the new Power Foods Cookbook available in WW centers and at meetings. I made it vegetarian (and saved 2 PointsPlus per serving) by using Lightlife Smart Ground "beef" crumbles. I did have to add some water to make up for the lost moisture that the beef would have produced, but otherwise I followed the recipe as written. I chose Fire Roasted diced tomatoes to add a smoky flavor. (And I forgot the salt, but it was fine without it.) It had a nice flavor, not too spicy, and was very filling for the 1 1/2 cup serving. I would definitely recommend trying this one.

Here's a visual:

Smoky Split Pea Soup

It turns out, you really don't need ham to make a hearty, smoky soup! The important part is the salty, smoky flavor, as is demonstrated in this vegan soup that's perfect for a cold winter's day. It's really important that you use smoked paprika, not regular paprika, for this recipe. McCormick makes it in their gourmet line. (It's also fun to substitute it for regular paprika in other recipes to change the flavor up a bit.)

Smoky Split Pea Soup
Adapted from the book Appetite for Reduction

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
4 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/4 cups dried split peas (rinsed)
6 cups vegetable broth (I used low sodium)
(The original recipe also called for 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, which I omitted.)

In a 4-qt saucepan or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, salt & pepper, and saute one minute more. Add paprika and thyme and stir constantly for about 15 minutes to toast spices. Add carrots, split peas, and broth, cover, and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 40 minutes or until peas are tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving for maximum flavor.

Note: It took my peas about an hour to get tender...and they still weren't as tender as I would have liked, but we were hungry and wanted to eat. Next time I may adapt this to the slow cooker so I can be sure the peas all get really tender.

This recipe makes 5 servings of 1 1/2 cups each.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

I love my slow cooker, because you can "set it and forget it." Dinner is ready whenever you are, and the cooking is already done...so it's great for busy evenings. This recipe does call for some skillet-cooking of vegetables ahead of time, but I think it would probably be fine if you didn't do that, as long as you cook it the full 8 hours. You could also leave out the oil if you did it that way. As usual, I have backed down on the spices in my version because I'm not a fan of things that are really hot. If you want it hot, add the 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper back into the recipe.

Black Bean Soup
Adapted from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (not drained)
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
2 bay leaves

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, bell pepper, and minced garlic, stir, cover, and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, in slow cooker, add beans, tomatoes, and spices and stir together. When vegetables are done, add them to the cooker. Pour broth over top, stir, and add the bay leaves. Cook on low for 8 hours. Before serving, remove bay leaves and use an immersion blender for a few seconds to puree a small portion of the soup, just enough to thicken. You can also remove 2 cups of soup from the cooker and puree in a blender, and add back to the soup.

This recipe makes 6 servings of 1 1/2 cups each.

Becoming Vegetarian

Over the past couple of weeks, my Meatless Mondays have turned into several meatless days in a row, and as a result I have been working on transitioning to a vegetarian diet. I already feel so much better. I am sleeping better and I am eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, which means I don't need my multivitamins anymore. That's plenty enough to make me want to eat this way all the time!

As a result, the recipes on this blog will be changing a bit, as I use meatless items to create them instead of meat. Of course, if you would rather have the meat, you can certainly use it -- most of what I post will be easily substituted because I do like to have fun with some of the "faux" meat products out there. So, if I'm using beefless beef crumbles, you can use a pound of ground beef if you'd rather, or give the crumbles a try -- it's up to you. :)

I hope you'll all still find this blog helpful, even if I'm not using meat.

Check the next post for an awesome meatless recipe. :)

Cornbread Topped Southwest Pot Pie

This is an easy and tasty Meatless Monday recipe with a healthy dose of fiber! :) And best of all, it's a "pot pie" with a cornmeal crust that cooks right in the slow cooker. The original recipe called for cooking the onion, carrots, and peppers in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker, but I didn't do this and it turned out fine.

Cornbread Topped Southwest Pot Pie
Adapted from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker

1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 sweet bell pepper, chopped
28 oz can pinto beans, rinsed & drained (or 2 smaller cans)
1 cup frozen corn
4 oz can diced green chiles
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup plain soy milk (or fat free milk)

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except the oil, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and milk. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or high for 3 hours. About an hour before serving, in a large bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, spoon over ingredients in the slow cooker and spread evenly. Cover, turn slow cooker to high, and cook about 30 minutes to 1 hour or until crust is done. Serves 4 with 1 1/2 tsp of your healthy oils per serving.

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

If you're looking for an easy recipe that you can toss in the slow cooker before work or a busy day and come home to a warm, homemade dinner, this one is perfect. You can dice your own potatoes and onions if you prefer, or you can use refrigerated, prepared diced potatoes with onions. (Be sure to check the ingredients list for added sugar or oil.) I apologize that this recipe doesn't have a photo -- I forgot to take it and the leftovers were gone before I could get one, but I wanted to share the recipe anyhow.

Slow Cooker Corn Chowder

5 potatoes, peeled & diced
1 large onion, diced
(or 2 bags prepared diced potatoes with onions)
2 cups diced ham
3 stalks celery, chopped
15.25 oz can corn (not drained)
2 cubes chicken bouillon*
2 tbsp Blue Bonnet light margarine*
water
12 oz can fat free evaporated milk

Add potatoes, onion, ham, celery, corn, bouillon cubes, and margarine to slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add water to cover. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Stir in evaporated milk and cook 30 minutes more.

This recipe makes 10 2-cup servings.