they do the mash

The carnivore is in Vegas at his best friend's bachelor bash. And while baby omnivore and I miss him, my mom is coming over. This means three things - (1) there will likely be much reenacting of the Hangover on the carnivore's part, (2) baby omnivore will probably be held 24/7, and (3) I will get a chance to do some cooking that I wouldn't normally do. See my mom isn't as picky as the carnivore - but who is really.

My first experiment - mashed white beans. My hope is I can perfect this dish before the carnivore comes home. I was inspired by a similar dish I saw Nigella Lawson make on the Cooking Network. She is the British Paula Dean in my book. All about indulging in the good stuff.  And if she liked it, I thought it had to be worth a try.

So here is my simple recipe. Two make two large servings, start with one can of northern white beans, drained. Heat a sauce pot on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add in two cloves of minced garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add in the beans and toss till coated. Add in kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Once warm, mash the beans until the are to a consistency you like. I like mine a bit lumpy. Now if the carnivore was home I would stop there for him. But, since mom and I aren't afraid of greens I placed a serving of these beans on our plates and topped them with baby greens.

What can I say, this mash was amazing. Quick, filling, and best of all garlicky! I can't wait for the carnivore to get home so I can give it a go with him. Assuming he survives Vegas that is...What's your favorite dish to make when your significant other is out of town? Let me know below.

its tricky...tricky, tricky, tricky

Could you get your carnivore to eat carrots, beets, spinach and tomatoes in one meal? What if it is all there right in front of there eyes? "Never!" you say. Well, never say never. I recently did just that with my uber-veggie averse husband.  

The secret to this trick - multicolored tortellini and red sauce. See whether you have ever thought about it or not when you buy colored pasta (the good stuff) it is enhanced by real vegetables. The green is hued by spinach, the orange by carrots, and the red by beets. And that marinara is full of vitamin C and lycopene rich tomatoes. Even your most adamant meat eaters won't turn their nose up at these veggies once they are added to pasta. Then stuff that pasta with cheese and you are well on your way to tricking them into eating this rainbow. The final touch - sweet sausage. Slices of this basil infused Italian meat will please your carnivore for sure.

Now, if you have a vegetarian at home you can make them happy too. Simply saute some broccoli florets and walnuts in a separate pan with a bit of olive oil seasoned with salt. Top the tortellini with these along with some sauce. This will add in a good amount of fiber and protein to fill up your veggie loving friends too. Simple, quick and a bit tricky!

What tricks do you have up your sleeve to get more veggies on the plate? Do you grate squash in your mac & cheese? Add zucchini to your brownies? Let me know - I am always looking for new ideas!

(As my friend Jen reminded my this is certainly freezer friendly - with a bit of planning. Buy a big bag of frozen pasta for starters. In my house we also always have marinara or the ingredients to make it in hand. You can just keep a jar in the pantry. The nuts can also be kept on hand - for snacking, pesto, or this recipe. And finally the broccoli and sausage are also readily freezable. Plan ahead and you can pull this dinner together in minutes!)

say cheese

I love cheese. Melted cheese is even better in my book. This means the carnivore and I often indulge in cheesy dishes - everything from quesadillas to lasagna. And, I have been known to convince the carnivore to make me a grilled cheese every now and again. (He is in charge of foods that flip in our house - like pancakes or burgers.) Its a quick and easy meal that we both can enjoy.

But after a lunch date with my BFF Jen, I was inspired to make my own special sammie. See this is not any ordinary grilled cheese. It is a grilled pimento cheese. Yes, I know pimento cheese is traditionally served cold, but you have to trust me on this one.

Start with good white bread - not the cheap stuff. Soften real butter and spread it on both sides of two pieces of bread. Place both slices in a pan on medium heat and lightly toast one side. Remove them from the pan. On the toasted side add real pimento cheese (nothing with too much mayo - my Whole Foods has a great version). Top with a thinly sliced tomato (hopefully) from your local farmers market. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add several leaves of baby spinach leaves. Add the second slice of bread, again toasted side down. Return the assembled sammie to the pan and toast both sides till crispy and golden. The pimento cheese should be melted too.

Since this is a sandwich is not something my carnivore would touch, I had to do my own flipping for this lunch. Its okay, he was at work and probably went out for hot wings (or something else I don't eat.) I had my marvelous melted cheese sandwich with a side of spicy hashbrowns, but fresh fruit would be nice too. If your carnivore does eat pimento cheese you are both sure to enjoy this one.

better than burger king

The carnivore and I are big fans of breakfast food. We like everything - pancakes, muffins, omelets, hashbrowns, you name it. We even have brinner sometimes (i.e. breakfast for dinner). And although we usually overdo it on the weekends with gigantic breakfast spreads at our place, sometimes we need something to grab and go. Recently we needed just this sort of thing so we could make it to the farmers' market before the temperature outside reached a thousand degrees. Baby omnivore is not a fan of the summer heat and humidity. So, instead of swinging by a fast food joint to get a greasy sandwich, I made these in a jiffy. There are a play on burger king's croissandwich. (These are along the lines of the versions of fast food english muffins and biscuits I have made before.) The best thing - both the carnivore and I got our own versions.

To make one meat eater and one vegetarian croissandwich at home start by frying a few strips of bacon. While that is cooking, slice up half an avocado. Then scramble two eggs with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Fry the egg mixture in a small skillet that you have prepared with non-stick cooking spray. Then slice open two croissants. Pop some fake bacon in the microwave for about a minute. Once your eggs are done add 1/2 to each croissant. Top one with the avocado and the "facon." Top the other with the bacon after you remove the excess oil on a paper towel.

Just like that you can get breakfast ready to go for your mixed diet family. And, it is better than any flattened fatty fast food version. You could even make these with sausage/soysauge patties if you like. And whether you chug a glass of orange juice before you leave the house or sit down and sip on a cup of coffee with this breakfast sammie, you are sure to enjoy!

the most unapologetic food

There are lots of foods out there that boast their health benefits and then there are those that just don't. The perogie is in the latter category. I like to think of it as the ultimate unapologetic comfort food. You know, something Paula Dean would put in a giant pile on your plate and then offer you some more.

Now, I must admit this is one of the few foods the carnivore actually introduced me to (usually it is the other way around). This is not surprising considering this lovely dough dumpling is usually filled with mashed potatoes and cheese. What's not to love? You can get a varieties of other fillings though - everything from onions and cabbage for your savory cravings to berries and cream for your sweet tooth.

They can be prepared a number of ways too - boiled, baked, and of course fried in butter is certainly a favorite. (Paula would approve.) And while perogies are something you can easily make yourself, I usually just by them pre-made. And, I'm not going to apologize about that either.

Most recently when I made this potato side dish I actually boiled them. I also got a version with onions inside to sneak a veggie on my carnivores plate. Once they were fulled cooked, I removed them from the water and then tossed them with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, thyme from my herb garden, and what else - butter. Even the topping choices are endless.

So if you are looking for a different side dish to satisfy the vegetarians and carnivores alike in your house, I suggest you try them yourself if you haven't already. You won't be sorry!

porky pig

Just to prove that I am not always feeding my carnivore vegetarian meals or sneaking green goodies into each dish, I thought I would share this recipe with you. As I have said before, this is not a vegetarian only website. It is also not a blog where I show you how me and my carnivore coexist without me cooking meat. I do. Here is one example - a fried pork chop.

Now when I first told the carnivore I was going to fry a pork chop for him he seemed confused. He then confessed he had never had one. Being from the South I returned his look of bewilderment. I mean how else would you cook it? (Note for non-native southerners - we fry everything.)

Well, here is how I do it:
Start with a warm skillet on medium heat. Coat your pan with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Then salt ans pepper both sides of your chop. Next prepare two bowls - one with a beaten egg and one with seasoned bread crumbs. Then dip your chop in the egg, coating both sides. Next coat your chop in bread crumbs completely. Place your chop in the oiled pan. You should here a sizzle. Let it cook one that side for about six minutes. Turn and cook for about eight more minutes (depending on the thickness of the chop). Both sides should be golden brown and the sides should have turned from pink to white. Remove the chop form the heat and let it rest two minutes before serving.

menu ideas:
I like to serve pork chops with apples. You can find the way I get this green goodie on the plate here. This night I also piled on a few perogies to our plates. Oh, and instead of a chop I had my favorite fake chicken from Quorn - their guyere chik'n cutlet.

going green

When the carnivore and I got married several years ago there were lots of toasts. In my sister-in-law's she mentioned the whole family's surprise when he brought home a vegetarian. Way back then it was hard to imagine how my manly meat eater was going to make it with me at meal times. And if I had told anyone that knows my carnivore that I could not only get him to eat a vegetarian dinner without complaint, but I could also get him to eat four green things without him noticing they wouldn't believe it. But it is true. Here is how I did it:

First, I went safe by going Italian. I always have greater success sneaking in veggies when it is in his favorite foods. I then picked a few green veggies that I know he eats. This cuts out complaints or up turned noses. Finally, I hid a few other green bits in the seasoning and stuffing. Keeping it small means it just might go unnoticed.

To make this dinner yourself start with your favorite ravioli. There are so many good versions out there. And whether you get fresh made pasta from your local Italian specialty shop or a bag of frozen ones from your big box store, get something that gets a veggie in your meateater. I personally love ravioli because it is one of the few ways I can get the carnivore to eat spinach. If it is chopped up finely, smothered in Italian cheeses and seasonings, and then wrapped in pasta even he can handle it.

As we are still figuring out how to cook and care for baby omnivore this night I used a frozen variety. I brought a large pot of salted water to boil. I then added in the ravioli and about a cup of frozen organic peas. Not only is this a time saver, but it also got me a second green veggie in the meal. At the same time I sauteed my garlic green beans. Find the recipe for green veggie number three here. Once the ravioli and peas floated to the top (about 5 minutes) I removed the pot from the heat and drained it. After returning it all back to the same pot (because I am all about less dishes these days) I added in a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, a pinch of garlic powder, and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan. I then started to assemble the plates with a generous helping of green beans. I then piled on the ravioli and peas. My final touch, and the last bit of green on the plate - a few pieces of fresh basil from my herb garden torn on scattered on top.

This is not only a great meal for getting in more green goodies, it is also a wonderful meal for new parents. You can keep a large bag of ravioli and one of peas in the freezer and pull them out any time. They even make giant bags of frozen organic green beans that are pre-portioned and ready for reheating. Plus, it is quick to make and easy to clean up after. When you consider all this along side all the vitamins and minerals it packs in, its not so hard going green.

tongs ta-tongs ta-tongs

It never fails that when the carnivore and I have friends and family over for dinner we are still cooking when they arrive. And inevitably while I am still rushing around to finish a meal I grab some gadget or another that makes a guest ooh and aah. Most of the time it is something that I have had for years and no longer even consider something novel, but instead a necessity. These spaghetti tongs fall in that category. (This is especially true since the carnivore went on a cleaning spree one day and threw out my backup pair of regular tongs.)

Now, as the name implies, these guys are great for grabbing gobs and gobs of noodles. On the nights that I make spaghetti for myself and the carnivore they certainly come in handy. However, that is not the only time I use them. I like to have them on hand for stir frying and serving my garlic green beans too. I mean, how else are you supposed to get those stringy, slippery guys on your plate? They are even great for grabbing freshly grilled corn since the tongs are a bot curved on the ends.

So, if you don't have your own set, get some here. If you do have them not only do you know what a great gadget they are, you probably have experienced their versatility too. Got a way to use these guys that I haven't thought of - let me know below.

spaghetti ohs

My carnivore is part Italian. However, he could eat Italian full time. I don't feel the same. I mean, a girl needs a cheese enchilada every now and again. Don't get me wrong, I love a good garlic noodle dish as much as the next gal, but I can only have it so many times a week before I get tired of it. In fact, when the carnivore and I went to Italy a few years back his only request of me was that I didn't say, "but we just had Italian food last night."

I do have to admit that Italian food is easily adjustable for our mixed diet family. I can whip up a batch of vegetarian friendly four cheese lasagna or pesto pasta or even spinach gnocchi and the carnivore is satisfied too. As such, Italian food often makes an appearance at our dinner table. 

But the go to staple Italian dish I serve has to be spaghetti. Whenever my mother-in-law is in town the carnivore has her make massive amounts of her "gravy" so that he can freeze it and have it later. This works great for me. What's easier than pulling out ready made meat sauce (and when I say meat I mean it - there is ground beef, sausage, meatballs - you name it, it is in there)? But, even if it weren't on hand this is still easy to prepare.

Start with a large pot of salted water for your spaghetti and bring it to a boil. In the meantime, begin to make a marinara (or buy a jar of your favorite sauce). Combine either a can of crushed or diced organic tomatoes with a small can of tomato paste. Add in a bit of water and any fresh herbs you have on hand - like parsley, basil, and oregano. Then some garlic powder, kosher salt and ground pepper to taste. I also like a bit of red pepper to kick it up. Simmer this in a sauce pan. Then in two separate skillets brown ground beef and ground soy crumbles in a bit of olive oil. Once the water is ready, boil your pasta. Then drain it and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add half of the marinara to both skillets. Grab two bowls and top a good portion of pasta with either sauce and grated parmesan. Serve with a bit of crispy garlic bread and enjoy!

(And just a tip for you moms-to-be and new moms out there - this is a great freezer meal. Simply store the sauce in freezer safe containers and reheat whenever. It is simple enough for your significant other to do this while boiling some pasta and baking some garlic bread, especially when the other option is changing a dirty diaper!)

cherry bomb

When I was pregnant with baby omnivore I had few real cravings. Sure I would send the carnivore out every now and again for my favorite veggie burger or some spinach and artichoke dip, but that was just me indulging in my extra allowance of calories. The one thing I really did crave was root beer. And not just any root beer, I wanted the fancy stuff.

 Well, it has been two months since our little addition entered our lives and my addiction to ridiculously expensive root beer has not gone away. But the other day I noticed next to my usual non-alcoholic microbrew another enticing beverage - dark cherry cream soda. Then it dawned on me, this would make an amazing "coke float" with the cherry vanilla ice cream currently in my fridge. There was no turning back then. I might not be pregnant any longer, but I now had a strong craving just the same.

So, here it goes - my latest decadent and drinkable dessert - a cherry bomb. Start with two to three large scoops of cherry vanilla ice cream. Pour in the cherry cream soda til your glass is halfway full (or about half a bottle of soda). Then for a bit more gluttony, top with real whipped cream, a swirl of dark chocolate sauce, and of course the final touch - a cherry on top. Dig in with your spoon and straw.

Needless to say both the carnivore and I will be craving this cherry creation for quite some time to come. Got a great cherry recipe we should try? What about a dessert drink? What's the latest recipe you came up with in the aisle of your grocery store? Let me know below. Maybe you will inspire my next craving...

warhol watermelon

The carnivore and I enjoy going to art museums - at least we did before baby omnivore arrived! Anyway, at a few different galleries around the world we have viewed the work of the pop art icon Andy Warhol. We have seen everything from Campbell's soup cans to Marilyn Monroe. And whether it is Jackie Kennedy or a field of flowers, one thing remains the same - Warhols crazy color combinations. He takes something you are familiar with and twists the image by simply switching the hues.

Well, when the carnivore recently came across this yellow watermelon it reminded me of those paintings (and a purple sweet potato I ate once). But, the real question remained - what does a yellow watermelon taste like? Curious to be sure, we purchased a large slice and took it to a poolside bash with our friends. Needless to say they were as surprised as we were to come across this strangely colored fruit. The final report - it tastes like a watermelon - go figure! It is just as sweet, but with a bit of a different after taste. Also, the texture is a bit chewier. However, it was a hit all around.

So, if you come across this wacky watermelon at your local market, give it a try. It is great on its own, diced in a fruit salad along side its normal colored counterpart, or can be used in refreshing beverages - like watermelon basil lemonade or watermelon mint coolers. If nothing else it is a way to get your carnivores (adults and kids alike) to eat more fruit!

green, eggs, and ham

If you have read any of my older posts you know that getting my carnivore to eat anything green is quite a chore. Same goes for fruit. Well, it isn't as bad with fruit, but he would never pick up a piece and eat it on his own. As such, I am always sneaking fruit and green things into his diet. Even if it is simple as putting a few green grapes on his plate. Two birds - one stone.

And this simple breakfast works as a great disguise. Omelets are notorious for their ability to be made many ways. This means you can satisfy both the meat eaters and the vegetarians in your life. On this morning I made myself a super cheesy omelet with cheddar jack and lots of freshly ground pepper. To curb the constant bacon craving of the carnivore I made a bacon and cheese omelet with a side of what else - bacon. (Please note any veggie can be added - think peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. - or other meats - like sausage or ham.) I then offset the meat madness, if only in my own mind, by popping a few green grapes on the plate.

There you have it - green (grapes), eggs, and ham. It is as simple as the Dr. Suess rhyme to make you mixed diet family happy in the morning. Not only that, you can manage to get something green in the A.M. Do you have a favorite omelet? A favorite fresh fruit side? Or what about a way to sneak something good on your family's plates? Let me know! I am always looking for more ideas.

instead of ordering out...

There are some go to dinners in our house when we are short on time and imagination. One of them is ordering pizza. I assume we are like many Americans on this account. But here is the thing about ordering pizza if you are a vegetarian - you can basically get cheese or the same veggies anywhere you go. Oh sure a few places have fancy toppings, but they are always outrageously priced. And, you can never get fake pepperoni or fake sausage. Yes, they do make these things. And really they aren't that bad. So sometimes, when I too am craving a sausage pizza I have to suck it up and make it at home. (P.S. I never have to worry about the carnivore complaining when I make this!)

Its easy enough. I start with two skillets - one for real sausage and one for soysauge. In the soysauge one be sure to add a bit of olive oil - no need in the real thing. I then preheat my oven while I roll out two pillsbury ready made pizza crusts. You can add sauce if you want, but this day I took the easy way out and just brushed each crust with a bit of olive oil and garlic powder. Once the sausage was browned I added it along with shredded mozzarella to each. I also added baby spinach leaves to mine. Then I cooked the pizzas according to the instructions (375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese gets golden and bubbly).

So there you have it. Customized pizzas in the time it would take to get a basic one delivered. I mean would you have ever imagined making a "sausage" pizza for your vegetarian friends? Sure its a bit more work, but it is worth it...most nights.