Category: Vegetarian

Go vegan with tasty and hearty Tex-Mex deconstructed enchiladas

Go vegan with tasty and hearty Tex-Mex deconstructed enchiladas

Whether you’re a vegan by choice or simply looking to mix up your meals with something that’s lighter, healthy, tasty and a departure from your daily routine, it’s sometimes daunting to break out of your culinary box. This low-carb and easy recipe is ideal for someone who is diabetic.

September 28, 2015 | 0 Comments More
Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad: best of both worlds

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad: best of both worlds

You wouldn’t normally think of combining watermelons and another summertime favorite: heirloom tomatoes. But they actually go well together. The sweetness from the watermelon brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes and the tomatoes also provide a contrasting tart note.

September 2, 2015 | 0 Comments More
Rainbow chard adds burst of color to spring table

Rainbow chard adds burst of color to spring table

Swiss chard always has been a mystery to me, taking the line behind collard greens and kale, both of which I’m much more familiar with. But walking by the produce aisle at Roth’s Vista store the other day, I was stopped dead in my tracks by these beautiful specimens in the organic section, beaming like […]

April 12, 2015 | 0 Comments More
Celebrate spring with dandelion greens pesto, lasagna

Celebrate spring with dandelion greens pesto, lasagna

For most of us, dandelions are obnoxious weeds. They’re something to be pulled, yanked and banished from well-manicured lawns. But consider this: Their leaves are edible and according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, they’re full of vitamins A, B, C and D as well as minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. You can use them in most in recipes that call for spinach.

April 12, 2015 | 0 Comments More
Roasted Parsnips, Carrots and Delicata Squash Tossed with Sautéed Mustard Greens

Roasted Parsnips, Carrots and Delicata Squash Tossed with Sautéed Mustard Greens

For those of you making a mad dash to the grocery store because you’ve procrastinated until now to deal with your Thanksgiving dinner, this is probably too late for you, but if you’re tired of yams and mashed potatoes, there’s nothing that says fall to me more than some under-appreciated root vegetables like parsnips and beets. Add some delicata squash, a wonderfully sweet squash that beats out acorn squash, with it’s edible skin, the old carrot stand-by and toss in olive oil and garlic seasoning and pop in the oven and before you know it, you’ll have a wonderful melange of flavors that screams fall is here and enjoy the bounty.

October 20, 2014 | 8 Comments More
Oregon Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart fit for a Thanksgiving vegeterian feast

Oregon Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart fit for a Thanksgiving vegeterian feast

If you’ve got vegetarian guests coming for dinner this Thanksgiving, or just want to try something different, here’s a mushroom tart that works wonderfully as an entrée.

The most time-consuming part is caramelizing the onions, which must be done slowly at medium heat not to burn them. So I’ve cut corners and used Pillsbury crescent dough, which makes a wonderfully buttery and light crust. You can also just make your own pie crust instead.

November 7, 2013 | 0 Comments More
A Vegetarian Chile Relleno in Loving Memory of Bill Butts

A Vegetarian Chile Relleno in Loving Memory of Bill Butts

Bill loved all chile peppers and the hotter the better. You could tell when his endorphins kicked in by the beads of perspiration popping up on his bare scalp and forehead, like his own personal rain forest. I once gave him a bottle of fine Lustau Sherry in which I had allowed a few fresh Serrano peppers to marinate for a few weeks. You would’ve thought I had given him the keys to chile heaven. Daughter Marilyn fell in love with it and wanted her own bottle. That was some smokin’ sippin’.

I believe a fine plate of vegetarian chile rellenos sitting next to some southwestern rice would be a fitting tribute to Bill.

October 11, 2013 | 4 Comments More
Lentil and Wild Rice Loaf with Dragonwagon's Mushroom-Miso-Mustard Gravy

Lentil and Wild Rice Loaf with Dragonwagon’s Mushroom-Miso-Mustard Gravy

I recently decided to step outside the meatloaf box that I grew up in and lovingly reinvent it for vegetarians. Legumes and rice, especially wild rice, immediately came to my mind as a tasty and nutritious foundation. Supporting characters such as onion, peppers, celery and seasonings will be the bling that makes it sing. If you’re making this for a special occasion or holiday, why not bring on the whole Mormon Tabernacle Choir and include chopped dried fruits (refreshed in a wee bit of your favorite spirit of course) and nuts – putting on the dog, or so to speak.

October 3, 2011 | 3 Comments More
"Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer" on the Stereo, and Tex-Mex Enchiladas on the Table for Dad and Me!

“Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer” on the Stereo, and Tex-Mex Enchiladas on the Table for Dad and Me!

What would I prepare for my dad to eat if I could have that opportunity? I think he would love some Tex-Mex Cheese and Onion Enchiladas and a cold cerveza.
My father loved food as much as I do. He also loved music, fishing and his family. I asked my two older sisters, who enjoyed much more time with him than I, for their recollections. Marlene, my senior sis, the oldest since we’re all technically “seniors”, wrote: “The things I remember about the food he liked is that there was nothing he would not eat. Remember, this was the Depression era.”

August 20, 2010 | 13 Comments More