the best potato salad recipe…EVER!

July 18, 2014 by mama lola

now that bear is back to eating eggs, i can make my favourite potato salad recipe again. potato salad is one of those foods that i connect with summer BBQ’s and eating outside. my recipe has pickles and red onions in it for some extra flavour, which everyone LOVES!

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium red potatoes

4 hard boiled eggs

1/2 red onion

lotsa fresh dill (i used about 1/2 of a bunch)

4 pickles

1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise

salt

fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. cut potatoes into 2cm squared pieces and steam. once tender to a fork poke put into a bowl to cool. finely chop onion, pickles and dill.

2. cut hard boiled eggs into quarters, not too small as they fall apart easily when mixing the ingredients all together.

3. once the potatoes have thoroughly cooled add all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. refrigerate until ready to serve.

this potato salad was a hit at a BBQ we went to at a friends house.

the perfect side to hot dogs!

sweet potato & carrot soup.

May 22, 2014 by mama lola

i made this soup the other day for my kids and they LOVED it. bear is happy to take warm soup in his thermos for his school lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

4 sweet potatoes

4 medium/ large carrots

3 garlic cloves

2 bouillon cubes

8 cups water

2 tblsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

fresh ground pepper

green onions

blue cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. peel sweet potatoes, carrots and onion and chop into chunks. peel and dice garlic.

2. add olive oil to soup pot and heat gently at a medium to low heat. add onions, stirring to ensure they do not burn. once they are lightly browned add garlic, sweet potato and carrot. keep stirring to make sure nothing burns.

3. add water, spices and broth cubes. let the veggies gently boil until they are nice and soft. remove your pot from heat and use your handheld immersion blender to blend all of the ingredients. once it is at a consistency of your liking, serve and ENJOY! i sprinkled some blue cheese and chopped green onions on top for some extra yumminess!

let me know how the recipe works out for you!

pita pizza’s for dinner!

April 27, 2014 by mama lola

this is such an easy dinner for when everyone is tired from the day. it’s also one where if the kids want to help they can get busy!

we love to make pita pizza’s. using pita bread instead of store bought pizza dough is healthier, as they have less preservatives and weird ingredients. for our family i typically use 4-5 pita’s depending on if we’re having anything else with dinner, like a salad.

INGREDIENTS:

pita bread

pasta sauce

fresh basil

1 can chick peas

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

broccoli

1/2 zucchini

handful fresh spinach

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 cup cheddar cheese

OTHER POSSIBLE INGREDIENTS:

feta cheese, canned tuna, anchovies, meats, avocado… really you can get as creative as you like! haha!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. preheat over to 350F. cut and chop all of your chosen veggies. grate cheese. open cans.

2. evenly spread canned or jarred pasta sauce on to each pita. combine veggies, chick peas and beans according to your family’s tastes. sprinkle cheese as desired.

3. bake in the oven until cheese has melted.

4. cut, serve, and ENJOY!!!

super easy, right? you can have kids even decorate their own pita with whatever they like and then everyone has their own!

teriyaki salmon dinner.

March 25, 2014 by mama lola

i made this teriyaki salmon for my family, in the hopes the delicious teriyaki sauce would encourage my bear to eat his fish. he loves salmon, but only when it’s raw, which is a great thing, but i think it’s necessary to help round out those taste buds.

INGREDIENTS:

salmon fillets (1 per person)

teriyaki sauce (i used kikkoman less sodium marinade and teriyaki sauce)

2-3 chopped green onions

1/2 red onion finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped dill

SIDES:

basmati rice

a big handful of green beans

2-4 carrots

1/2 cauliflower head

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. place salmon fillets into a re-sealable plastic food bag and pour about 1/2 to 3/4 of the bottles teriyaki sauce into the bag. make sure each of the salmon fillets is covered with the sauce. place in fridge for about an hour. turn the salmon fillets in the bag to ensure an even marinade and leave for another 30 minutes to an hour. (you could marinade them for less time, it just means the yummy flavours from the sauce don’t have as much time to absorb into the salmon.)

2. preheat over to 400F. place salmon fillets in oven proof dish, coat with rest of teriyak sauce from bag. then, sprinkle cut red onion on top and bake for approximately 20 minutes. (baking times vary depending on the size of the salmon fillets and ovens) remove from oven when the salmon is flaky and no longer a bright pink inside.

3. cut cauliflower and carrots onto desired sizes and steam for about 20-25 minutes, then add green beans. steam for another 5 minutes or so, until green beans are a bright green in colour.

4. cook rice according to instructions on package.

5. serve cooked salmon on a bed of rice, sprinkle with green onion and dill, and add steamed vegetables on the side.

do you think your family would enjoy this meal?

i will definitely be making this again especially since it’s fast, easy, healthy and delicious!

butternut squash beet and quinoa: a warm salad!

March 16, 2014 by mama lola

we had some good friends over for dinner and i felt like making something super yummy for dinner. i wanted to make a meal that was colourful and light, so i made this wonderful butternut squash, beet and quinoa served as a warm salad.

it was amazing!

(serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS:

1 butternut squash

7 whole beets

2 cups quinoa

1/2 red onion

1 cup chopped kale

1 can of chick peas

2 garlic finely chopped cloves

4-6 fresh green onions

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 package of medium firm tofu (rooster brand)

1 cup feta cheese

olive oil

coarse sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. pre-heat your oven to 400F. peel and cut butternut squash and beets into bite sized cubes. place them separately onto either a cookie sheet or an oven safe dish, drizzle with olive oil and place in the hot over. let bake for 30-40 minutes, until tender. remember, baking times vary ovens.

2. cook quinoa according to directions on the box. for this recipe i used red quinoa, but any quinoa is fine.

3. in a skillet heat oil, sautee red onion until slightly browned, add finely chopped garlic and kale. sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt. add chick peas, tofu, curry powder and oregano. continue stirring gently, ensuring the flavours are mixing nicely and the tofu has broken down into small pieces.

4. once butternut squash and beets have baked thoroughly and are nice n’ tender, add them to your skillet. mix gently.

5. to serve place a bed of quinoa on a plate, add butternut squash, beets, sprinkle with fresh green onions and feta cheese. serve with a big fresh salad!

mmm… everyone loved this meal, including the kids! it is packed with delicious proteins, iron and all sorts of other healthy components.

it easy enough to make it vegan, by removing the feta cheese!

do you think your family would enjoy this?

let me know if you try it!

vegetable bok choy soup!

March 8, 2014 by mama lola

i started a neighbourhood soup exchange with some friends back in the fall. it started because i find wednesday’s to be the hardest day of the week, and then to plan a dinner just makes it that much more torturous! so, every wednesday at after-school pick-up, there we are, the soup club mama’s with our large mason jars exchanging yummy soups. we’re the only vegetarian family and we rotate who exchanges with who, and it all works out so well! this veggie bok choy recipe has become a fave!

this is a soup that has received lots of compliments and recipe requests:

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion

2 medium carrots

4-5 parsnips

4-6 heads of baby bok choy

1-2 cups green lentils

1/2 package of rooster brand longkou vermicelli noodles

8 cups water

3 tbls safflower oil

2-3 cloves garlic

2 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

fresh parsley

sea salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. heat oil in your soup pot. add onions, sautee until lightly browned, then add carrots, parsnips, finely chopped garlic and finely chopped ginger. sprinkle lightly with sea salt. stir regularly to avoid burning. once the carrots and parsnips are bright in colour add the water.

2. add lentils, bouillon cubes, cinnamon, cumin and let the soup simmer at a low heat.

3. add noodles and bok choy once carrots and parsnips are soft. once they are cooked, which only takes a few minutes, add fresh parsley and serve.

* i find many soup recipes allow for some flexibility in the recipe, depending on what ingredients you have in your fridge or what your family’s tastes are. this particular recipe can easily be customized and changed to fit your personal tastes.

my kids love this soup, although the bok choy can be tricky for them to navigate. i love the cinnamon in it, especially in the winter, as it adds a warmth to the flavour which is lovely.

let me know what you think!

vegetarian thanksgiving menu!

November 5, 2013 by mama lola

don’t be fooled that thanksgiving is just for meat eaters, because there are lots of wonderful, interesting and delicious vegetarian menu options out there!

below i have compiled recipes that look appetizing and will get your mouth watering!

i love all the textures and colours; you can almost smell the scent of the yummy foods wafting in the air.

:: COMPLETE VEGGIE THANKSGIVING MENU ::

thanksgiving menu from oh veggies

:: POTATOES ::

baked sweet potatoes stuffed with feta, olives and sundried tomatoes

from gourmande in the kitchen

roasted garlic mashed potatoes from steamy kitchen

:: STUFFING ::

vegan stuffing from novel eats

:: INSTEAD OF TURKEY ::

homemade tofurkey with brown rice stuffing from chow

tofu skin roulade with mushroom stuffing from veggie belly

:: GRAVY ::

vegetarian gravy from two lazy gourmets

YUMMY!!!!

i deliberately did not include salads, cranberry sauce, roasted veggies or beans, or any squash recipes as they kinda speak for themselves as being veggie! i did make a squash round-up at the beginning of the season, which you can check-out HERE.

which recipe will you try?
i have pinned a few of these with christmas in mind!

happy cooking!

vegetarian crock pot recipe round-up!

September 24, 2013 by mama lola

this time of year, my crock pot is in full action. i use it a couple of times a week, for chili or soup or even for a hot breakfast! here are some delicious and healthy vegetarian crock pot recipes ranging from breakfast, soup to entree. YUM!

bean and spinach enchiladas from real simple

loaded baked potatoes from martha stewart

veggie chili from bear & lion

indian chole from while chasing kids

african inspired soup from kalyn’s kitchen

overnight cinnamon apple oatmeal from chocolate broccoli

rice pudding from bear & lion

greek yoghurt from the little red house

oh, my mouth is watering just thinking about these recipes!
let me know which one you’re going to try first!

autumn vegetarian squash recipes!

September 10, 2013 by mama lola

i love squash. so does my whole family.
this time of year is harvest season and all the gourds and squashes are ready for the picking!

here is a round-up of various vegetarian squash recipes. some recipes are vegan too!

roasted butternut squash with goat cheese from anja’s food 4 thought

spicy asian spahetti squash from slender kitchen

easy italian vegetarian pasta butternut squash from savvy vegetarian

potato, squash and goat cheese gratin from the kitchn

black bean and butternut squash burrito’s from oh she glows

black rice with acorn squash from vegetarian mamma

baked kale-stuffed delicata squash from serious eats

spiced chick-pea & squash vegetarian burgers from eat like a girl

butternut squash lasagna from bon appetit

curried lentil & squash stew from vegan miam

creamy butternut squash (vegan) pasta from dishing up the dirt

butternut squash soup from bear & lion

this time of year the thought a piece of yummy bread with hardy stew makes my mouth water!

i’ll let you know which recipes i’ll be trying!

perfect fall apple recipes!

September 4, 2013 by mama lola

fall has arrived.
the kids are officially back to school. the trees are starting to slowly change colour and lose their leaves. people are taking about going apple picking and there’s even a crispness in the air on some mornings, oh yes, fall has definitely arrived.

this time of year i like to use my oven a lot for baking and dinners; we don’t have our furnace on so it’s a great way to warm up the house when needed. here are 10+ fall recipes to get your home smelling delicious and cozy this fall!