Okay, okay. We know it’s disappointing. But we’re taking off this week… and we’ll be on holiday the following… then it’s Easter.

So… check the website… look for new recipes… new fun stuff added as frequently as time allows.

And – have a great recipe? Send it our way! We’ll get it posted… and give you credit (if you want!).

Thanks!
PopVeg

slow-cooker lentil stew with corn bread dumplings

2 cups dried lentils (1pound) sorted and rinsed

3 cups water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend

3 medium carrots,thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)

1 medium yellow red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 can (141/2 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 can (14 ounces) vegetable broth

Dumplings
1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 egg or 2 egg whites, slightly beaten

1. Mix all stew ingredients in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours.

2. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in milk, oil and egg just until moistened.

3. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cooked lentil stew. Increase heat setting to high. Cover and cook 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean.

4. Enjoy!

thanks to Eugenia R Peaden of Bloomingdale’s Foodies for this great contribution!

This was mentioned via chat on the show on 3/22… and I wanted to share it with everyone. Sounds yummy!

Mock Sausage
1 Cup dried lima beans or three cups cooked beans of any kind
2/3 cups bread crumbs (I like Progresso Italian)
3 eggs or egg substitute equivalent
Olive oil, canola oil, corn oil (just something to coat a frying pan)
½ tsp. sage
Salt and pepper

Pick over and wash beans, cover with water and let soak over night. Drain, cook in boiling salted water until tender, and then force through a strainer (sometimes a food processor or blender makes this too wet). Add sage and some of the bread crumbs to bind the mixture, shape into the form of link sausages, and roll in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again. Sauté until brown and serve with tomato sauce.
This recipe makes six to eight sausages, three inches long and three-fourths of an inch thick.

“You can quickly make your own pita chips with just a package of pita pockets, olive oil, garlic powder, garlic salt, and this recipe”

1 package pita pockets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tblsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 (175 c)

2. Brush one side of each pita pocket with olive oil. Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt, and garlic salt over the pita pockets. Slice each pocket into 4 even triangles.

3. Bake in preheated oven until the triangles turn a light golden brown color, 15-20 minutes.

Source: www.allrecipes.com

Highly rated… but didn’t turn out quite right for us. Here’s what we did:

1 (16 oz) pkg extra firm tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tblsp maple syrup
2 tblsp ketchup
1 tblsp vinegar
1 dash hot sauce
1 tblsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

1. Preheat oven to 375 (190 c). Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil

2. Slice tofu into 1/2 inch slices and gently press excess water out of tofu. Cut sliced tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.

3. In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, ketchup, vinegar, and hot sauce. Stir in sesame seeds, garlic powder, black pepper, and liquid smoke. Gently stir tofu cubes into sauce. Cover and marinate at least 5 minutes.

4. Place the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn tofu, and bake until the tofu turns golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

Source: www.allrecipes.com

We made this on the Show on March 22… and we made it vegan with vegan cheese – that’s the only “maybe” item.

HUGE hit… we loved it and will be making it again.

Ingredients:
4 Portobello Mushroom Caps
1/2 (8 ounce) bottle Italian Salad Dressing
1 (14 oz) jar Marinara (we used Wintertime Recipe found on this site)
1 (7 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced
8 slices mozzarella cheese (vegan or real)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil

1. Place mushrooms in large re-sealable plastic bag with the salad dressing. Seal and marinate for at least 15 minutes (note – can use re-usable plastic or other, too).

2. Preheat grill for medium high heat. Heat the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat and keep warm.

3. Oil the grill grate. Place the mushrooms on the grill and cook for 7 to 10 minutes on each side, until lightly toasted.

4. Preheat the oven broiler. Spread the bottom of a shallow baking dish or oven-proof plate with just enough marinara sauce to cover the bottom. Place mushrooms in the dish, bottom side up, and top with the peppers and remaining marinara sauce. Place 2 slices of cheese on each mushroom… and sprinkle with oregano and basil.

5. Broil for 3 to five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve hot.

SOURCE: www.allrecipes.com

Quick and easy fare… Portabello Mushrooms (yum)… Hummus… and more.

After consideration and some feedback – the show is now on Sundays @ 7 East / 6 Central / 4 Pacific…

To Enter the chat – type “/nick yourname” and hit ENTER below

Hope to See you online!

I like cooking with gadgets and tools and toys – that work, that make sense, and that don’t add unnecessary clutter. We’ve put together a list of items either used in our test kitchen – or similar to those used. We’ll continue to grow this list. See something you like? I don’t think you’ll find it cheaper… but check it out!