Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do….Completely empty the fridge and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table. As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass. I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now.
Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.
The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..
Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right. Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.
Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty.
Yea it’s Thursday!!!!
-C
A Monster Veggie Sandwich
Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy.
Either a bagel, 2 slices of bread, or a big chunk of baguette (use a gluten free bread if you want or need too)
Hummus- Homemade or store bought
Mustard
Something pickled like pickles, banana peppers , jalapeños or all three
Lettuce, spinach or some kind of leafy green
Tomato
Avocado
Onion
Radishes
Cucumber
Shredded Carrots
Shredded Beets
Shredded Cabbage
To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate
On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.
Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and giving a little smooth to keep it together.
And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.
Being that it was St. Patricks day this week and lots of folks buy up a good amount of cabbage, I figured that this is a good time to get people to try one of my most favorite of favorite meals…..Beet bean and cabbage steaks. I love to play around with food, how to pair textures and colors plus tastes while trying to make whatever I am making healthy and balanced. This is one of my fav creations. And sure, this may seem like a somewhat weird combo, maybe a little like a extremely hippy dippy vegan fake meat thing, and you might be kind of right, but screw if it doesn’t taste like A-mazing. First off, notice how freaking dang pretty this thing is. The roasted beets bring a earthy hearty flavor but also pack a huge punch of color, especially when blended together with the ever so sweet white bean, which brings a nice mellow taste and a great serving of protein. (Beets and beans are meant for each other). Spread that brightly colored, tasty mixture onto of a huge slab of one of my favorites, roasted cabbage with all its crunch and cabbagy flavor and you got yourself a hearty healthy meal of deliciousness.
So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me….you will love it and everyone you make it for will think you are a number 1 badass too.
Cabbage, white beans, and beets. There is a lemon involved, but it didn’t make it into the picture.
Notes…. I used white beans, but I have also done this with chick peas and lentils. All are fantastic. Also, I did not peel my beets because I never do.(I do not peel anything the skin is full of goodness and I love the taste) If you don’t want to eat the skin, then peel them. Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs… I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want. 2 beets are chopped into chunkers and both the cabbage and the beets are placed on a lightly oiled baking sheets, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stuck into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
Once the beets are tender and the cabbage is cooked to a nice withered golden pretty, take out of the oven, but leave the oven on. Leave the cabbage on the pan but throw the beets into a blender or a big bowl if using a hand blender with the white beans
Beans and beets get pureed together. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (or the whole lemon, depending on your taste) and a pinch of salt and pepper. With a big spoon or spatula, scoop equal amounts of the bean/beet mixture on top of the cabbage steaks and spread around. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes. (You could totally skip the second bake, but I like my cabbage well done and crispy)
Oh ho boy… And with a good squirt of mustard to finish off… I could eat this all day, everyday
And now I am #1
Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!
-C
Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks
Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks
1/2 head of cabbage (green or red)
2 cups or 1 can of cooked white beans
2 medium beets
1 lemon
salt and pepper
Mustard (Optional)
Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees
Cut two 1 ish inch thick rounds of cabbage from the widest part of the head. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chop beets into chunks and toss on same baking sheet.(Peel if you want) Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Stick into oven for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and cabbage are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a blender (or bowl if using a hand blender) but leave the cabbage on the baking sheet. Add the white beans, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to the beets and puree until smooth. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture to each cabbage steak, sprinkle with pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes to give the beans and beets a nice crunchy crust (You can skip this step if you don’t want to be crusty)
Remove from oven, stick on a plate and drizzle with mustard….Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.
I eat vegetables like I breath air… constantly and almost mindlessly. Some people are addicted to sugar or coffee, but me, I am addicted to veggies. ( I am also extremely addicted to coffee) This is my truth, but I am ok with it.
All week long I have been hearing about this big game going on this weekend, something to do with a ball and running up and down a field….not quite sure, but I think it might be a big deal to some people.(I know it’s the Super Bowl, and I have heard about some deflated balls, but that’s the extent of my knowledge) I have also have been hearing a lot of party planning around this game, food planning, which is something that I do understand. So I wanted to bring a party snack to the mix, and because of my addiction, my mind goes straight to vegetable. I know that there is traditionally a lot of meat, cheese and hot sauce at these said parties, and that’s totally cool, but I think everyone wants to have a least one awesome meatless cheese-less piece of food to snack on during half time. So I give the people what they want.
So simple, fast and easy to make. Tasty and healthy as can be. Grab and eat with you hands…. and nice to look at. We got the whole package here.
Pretty much a little bit of everything that I have in my fridge….Shredded red cabbage, carrots, beets. Some sliced of red onion, tomato and red pepper. Hummus and a little mashed avocado
Yes, it may look like a mess, but that’s just me trying to make five different things at once. But really, making these wraps are simple simple. Just take rinsed and dried green or red leaf lettuce, smear on hummus and mashed avocado and pile on the veggies. Roll and stick with a toothpick to keep from unrolling. See…. simple.So many colors…… so much pretty. Wrapped and rolled…Sliced down the middle, just to see all the pretty inside.
These might be veggie wraps, but man, look at those sausage fingers…(hehehe)
Make for lunch, dinner, party, or snack. Eat them for breakfast, dessert or midnight nosh. Whenever, wherever…..YUMMY YUMMY YUM!
Happy hump day!
-C
Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Use whatever you want… but this is what I included in mine
Green leaf lettuce
Shredded red cabbage
shredded beets
shredded carrots
thinly sliced tomato
thinly sliced red pepper
thinly sliced red onion
hummus
avocado
With each wrap, take a large lettuce leaf and cut out the crunchy rib.(you can slice it up thinly and add to wrap. Smear leaf with hummus and smashed avocado, then layer on a bit of each of the veggies. Wrap or roll leaf in on the veggies and stick a toothpick in center to keep from unrolling.
Place on a plate and eat or share… Extras are fantastic to have in the fridge!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do….Completely empty the fridge and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table. As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass. I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now.
Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.
The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..
Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right. Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.
Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty.
Yea it’s Thursday!!!!
-C
A Monster Veggie Sandwich
Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy.
To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate
On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.
Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and giving a little smooth to keep it together.
And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.
So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me….you will love it and everyone you make it for will think you are a number 1 badass too.
Notes…. I used white beans, but I have also done this with chick peas and lentils. All are fantastic. Also, I did not peel my beets because I never do.(I do not peel anything the skin is full of goodness and I love the taste) If you don’t want to eat the skin, then peel them.
Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs… I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want. 2 beets are chopped into chunkers and both the cabbage and the beets are placed on a lightly oiled baking sheets, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stuck into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
And now I am #1
Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!
-C
Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks
Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks
Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees
Cut two 1 ish inch thick rounds of cabbage from the widest part of the head. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chop beets into chunks and toss on same baking sheet.(Peel if you want) Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Stick into oven for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and cabbage are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a blender (or bowl if using a hand blender) but leave the cabbage on the baking sheet. Add the white beans, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to the beets and puree until smooth. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture to each cabbage steak, sprinkle with pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes to give the beans and beets a nice crunchy crust (You can skip this step if you don’t want to be crusty)
Remove from oven, stick on a plate and drizzle with mustard….Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.
All week long I have been hearing about this big game going on this weekend, something to do with a ball and running up and down a field….not quite sure, but I think it might be a big deal to some people.(I know it’s the Super Bowl, and I have heard about some deflated balls, but that’s the extent of my knowledge) I have also have been hearing a lot of party planning around this game, food planning, which is something that I do understand. So I wanted to bring a party snack to the mix, and because of my addiction, my mind goes straight to vegetable. I know that there is traditionally a lot of meat, cheese and hot sauce at these said parties, and that’s totally cool, but I think everyone wants to have a least one awesome meatless cheese-less piece of food to snack on during half time. So I give the people what they want.
So simple, fast and easy to make. Tasty and healthy as can be. Grab and eat with you hands…. and nice to look at. We got the whole package here.
Make for lunch, dinner, party, or snack. Eat them for breakfast, dessert or midnight nosh. Whenever, wherever…..YUMMY YUMMY YUM!
Happy hump day!
-C
Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Use whatever you want… but this is what I included in mine
With each wrap, take a large lettuce leaf and cut out the crunchy rib.(you can slice it up thinly and add to wrap. Smear leaf with hummus and smashed avocado, then layer on a bit of each of the veggies. Wrap or roll leaf in on the veggies and stick a toothpick in center to keep from unrolling.
Place on a plate and eat or share… Extras are fantastic to have in the fridge!