Simple Sautéed Mustard Greens
Serves 2

I love the fact that even though I have been a vegetarian for a long, long time, there is a seemingly never ending parade of fruits, vegetables, and leafy greens coming out of the woodwork with sneak attacks of deliciousness! In other words, there is always something new and tasty to try. (Contrary to the beliefs of a classmate who once told me he could never be a vegetarian because he “couldn’t eat just carrots and beans all the time”). Case in point with mustard greens—how had these little devils slipped past me for all these years!? This super simple preparation allows the tangy, horseradish-y flavor of the greens to shine through.

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch mustard greens, washed, deribbed, and chopped

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 lemon wedge

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add greens and sauté, stirring frequently, until greens have wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Add a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Garlicky Hummus
Serves 6

This is one of my all-time favorite hummus recipes, so don’t ask me why it had been a couple of years since I’d made it or why I’ve never posted it! Like most hummus recipes, this puppy is nice and easy to make (assuming you have a food processor) and has the extra bonus of being lower in fat by swapping out tahini for part-skim ricotta.

INGREDIENTS

2 heads of garlic

1 can (15-ounce) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup part-skim Ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

pinch allspice

1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap garlic heads in aluminum foil. Cook in oven until very soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool in foil.

Step Two: When cool, cut each head in half horizontally, and squeeze cloves into the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining ingredients, and puree until smooth. Add up to 2 tablespoons water if mixture is too thick.

Source: Martha Stewart. View the recipe on MarthaStewart.com.

Track: Eyeoneye - Artist: Andrew Bird - Album: Eyeoneye Single

Blueberry-Cucumber Smoothie
Serves 4

I came across this recipe on the Vegetarian Times website and the ingredient combo intrigued me so much that I felt the need to try it right away. This mix makes a tasty smoothie that satisfying and filling, but also oddly refreshing thanks to the inclusion of the cucumber.

INGREDIENTS

2 large garden cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (2 cups)

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 cup frozen blueberries

1–2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Place all ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth.

Source: Vegetarian Times, September 2011. View the recipe on VegetarianTimes.com.

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Cannellini Beans
Serves 4

We were blasted with snow here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest last week, so what better time to make a recipe featuring hearty winter vegetables? As with most roasted veg recipes, this dish is easy to prepare and uses simple flavors. It is also very filling. I unintentionally went a little overboard making the quinoa accompaniment. This dish is a meal on its own.

INGREDIENTS

1 large leek, sliced

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 small rutabaga, peeled and chopped

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

8 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

coarse salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups cooked and drained cannellini beans

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss leek, garlic, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, sweet potato, and Brussels sprouts with olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Step Two: Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in beans.

Step Three: Roast until beans are crisped, about 5 minutes more. Toss vegetables with 1 teaspoon vinegar and drizzle with oil.

Source: Whole Living, January/February 2012. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.

Orange-Infused Quinoa
Serves 4

I invented this little ditty specifically to accompany the Roasted Winter Vegetables because I always love Balsamic vinegar and orange together. As is, this is a great side dish, but it could easily be converted into a hearty salad that would be suitable to eat on its own. Cucumber and garbanzo beans would be great additions to help it move in that direction.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (juice of 3 oranges)

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup quinoa (rinsed if necessary)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil + more for drizzling

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

zest of 1 orange

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Bring juice and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until quinoa is cooked, 12-14 minutes.

Step Two: While quinoa is cooking, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step Three: Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl, fluff with a fork and allow to cool. Add onion, parsley, and zest to quinoa. Mix and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil prior to serving.

Source: A Robot Heart Recipes Original.

Savory Breakfast Oats with Cashews and Veggies from Hobby and More

Wha-wha-WHAT!?! This sounds ingeniously amazing!! Click photo for recipe.

(Reblogged from: veganbreakfast)

Vegetarian One-Pot Comfort Food Recipes from Everyday Food

Butternut Squash Baked Risotto

Lentil Curry

Quick Vegetable and Navy-Bean Stew

Three-Cheese Skillet Lasagna

delicatelyweightless asked: okay seriously, your blog is friggen amazing, i love every recipee i've tried.

Aww shucks! Thank you so much!!! I am VERY happy to hear that you have enjoyed the recipes that you have tried! I can’t take all the credit since a lot of the recipes I post are “found,” but there are some originals in there too. Thank you for reading and for the lovely compliment! =]

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Citrus
Serves 2

Sometimes you just really don’t need to pull your fancy pants on. Mind you I often veer far from this idea with my kitchen antics—but simple recipes like this one bring me back down to earth. There are no frills, or gimmicks, or components you’ve never heard of. Just simple ingredients, easy prep, and spot on flavor combinations. I opted to use pistachios instead of almonds or pecans because I personally think that oranges and pistachios compliment one another extremely well. (“Oh Pistachio, you do flatter me so!” “No, no Orange, you are too kind, too kind!”)

INGREDIENTS

2 small sweet potatoes

1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds or pecans

dash cinnamon

dash freshly grated nutmeg

flaky sea salt

2 orange wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Step One: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and wrap in foil.

Step Two: Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Unwrap and split top with a knife.

Step Three: Top with almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Squeeze orange wedges over sweet potatoes and serve.

Source: Whole Living, January/February 2012. View the recipe on WholeLiving.com.