Vegetarian Meatloaf with Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

I love the vegetarian meatloaf in this recipe and wanted to pair it with a vegetable and a starch dish to make a full meal.  Usually, I just use frozen veggies and mashed potatoes or bread, but I wanted to try something new.  I found recipes for Orange Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes (I really like sweet potatoes) and Cheesy Miracle Asparagus.  Overall, the meal was okay, with each component adding or detracting from the whole thing.

The meatloaf was tasty as usual even though I forgot the ketchup (of which, I am a huge fan).  I followed the recipe (except I used Morningstar Farms burger crumbles).  I think that I have added more BBQ sauce in the past - which tastes good.  This time, no flavor was overpowering and it had a really good texture to it.  In terms of consistency, it did fall apart a little, but that certainly does not affect the taste!

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/bbq-meatloaf-bake-66208.aspx

I used frozen asparagus since fresh is still a tad expensive.  They were still crisp and tender.  I used Sargento Cheddar Cheese (a mixture of different types of cheddar) and had to add about 1/2 cup additional cheese because it tasted too much like Miracle Whip.  Some people may like that, but not me.  Next time, I may try mayo.  With the additional cheese, though, the dressing tasted good.  I may also try over other veggies.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy-miracle-asparagus-92082.aspx

I hate to give a bad review, but the Sweet Potatoes were not good.  This a big disappointment since they took a pretty long time to make - and peeling them after they are cooked adds even more time because you have to be careful not to burn yourself.  I'm not sure what exactly caused the unpleasant taste (it wasn't the Jim Beam bourbon that I used), but it may have been the orange zest.  I do not plan to make these again since there are so many other sweet potato recipes out there.

Charleston Rice

Needs more flavor!  I added more Tabasco after it was cooked and my fiancée added salt and pepper.  Next time, I'll try red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.  


After adding the additional Tabasco, the dish tasted pretty good - the veggies (green pepper, celery, and green onions) stayed crisp.  The tomatoes were not chopped, so next time I will do that too - they aren't distributed evenly throughout the dish.  I used vegetarian ham - "lunch meat" in the dish and it was good - I also used brown rice to make it a tad healthier.  Even though it was lacking on the flavor, I'll give it another try with some spice enhancements :-)


http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/charleston-rice-52852.aspx

Easy Cheesy Frittata

I was going to make a meal with polenta, but then realized that we didn’t have cornmeal when I went to make dinner.  I found this recipe (http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-cheesy-frittata-95167.aspx) and thought that it would be great to use up our eggs before we left for vacation.  I didn’t have 1 cup of mozzarella, so I used Mexican cheese – the only shredded cheese on hand.  Since I was using the Mexican cheese, I didn’t want to use basil, so that just led to changing the whole meal! 

I subbed a can diced tomatoes with green chiles for the tomato and did not use water with the eggs (because of the juice from the tomatoes).  We do have vegetarian bacon, but I decided to “Mexi” it up and use 1.5 Morningstar Farms Black Bean burgers (I could have used two).  It turned out great!  None of the Mexican flavors overpowered the frittata (or quiche, which is what it looks like) and it has a little bit of a kick.  I served with pancakes (made from the Fiber One mix, not homemade).  I like this recipe because it easy to play around with and try your own thing!

Polenta & Beans

This is a good dish that doesn't need many enhancements. The black bean and tomato mixture was spicy, but the taste was calmed down by the polenta.  My only "complaint" is that the polenta needs more taste to it - next time I make this I may add cumin, chili powder, and/or cayenne pepper to the mix.

The method of cooking the polenta results in a thick mixture that holds up well to the black bean/tomato mixture.  Just be sure to keep stirring it or the outside of the pot will get a bit crusty.  For the bean and tomato mixture, I used diced tomatoes with green chiles to add a bit more zip.  I also used taco cheese because that's what we had in the refrigerator.

Overall, a tasty dish that presents well.  Also, a good source of carbs and protein - and that means a winner in my book!


http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beans/polenta-and-beans/#comments

Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza – Wilmington, DE

In am not a fan of the “well-done” pizza, but my finance's mother wanted to go there for Mother's Day.  All I had was the Lunch Salad – which was definitely filling (especially with the two slices of focaccia bread on the side).  It had too much dressing (which is why I ask for it on the side, too bad they forgot), but other than that it was fine.  If you don’t shy away from the “well-done” pizza, there are several vegetarian options.  Maybe I will give it a try sometime J

Lime Tequila Bar – Wilmington, DE

I had the Veggie Quesadilla – green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, goat cheese.  Overall, the whole quesadilla was dry and needed a lot of salsa and/or tomatillo sauce (depending on the bite).  The goat cheese was very dry and chewy.  I definitely would not get this item again.  They have some tacos and burritos, but those items have refried beans which I am always hesitant to get at a restaurant because most are made with lard.  Margaritas are good, though – I had a raspberry one.

Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar – Glen Mills, PA

I love how they use fresh ingredients, indicate which menu items are over 500 calories, and change their menu with the seasons.  I’ve been there multiple times and haven’t totally loved the food, but I like the concept and the service.  A couple of weeks ago, I had a small Harvest salad – it was good and had a nice mix of veggies.  For the main course, I had the Grilled Vegetable Kabobs – thinking that having some tofu would help my protein.  Too bad there were only two pieces (one on each kabob).  I didn’t like the sauce that they put on it either.  


I went there for a team lunch last week (for work) and we ordered the Harvest Flatbread as an appetizer – it smelled and tasted really good!  Nice and crispy (but not well done!).  I had the Veggie Wrap with the Three Beet Salad for my meal – the wrap had zucchini, summer squash, Japanese Eggplant, Arugula, and Boursin Cheese; the salad was mixed greens, beets, onions, and goat cheese croutons.  The wrap was good, but it loses points because either the eggplant or boursin gave off a bitter aftertaste.  The salad was really tasty and the croutons fantastic – not too crunchy!  For dessert, I had the a Peanut Butter Mousse shot – yes, they serve most desserts in shot glasses!  The dessert was a layer of chocolate cake, chocolate syrup, a large portion of PB mousse, and then topped with two Reese’s Pieces!  Very good.  Great portion control, too!

Salsa Soyloaves

Spicy meatloaf!  I made this for a potluck at work and even the meateaters liked them.  I even fooled a couple of people because I didn't tell them they were vegetarian until after they were finished ;-)


http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cheesy-salsa-mini-meatloaves-113737.aspx?tab=recipe

These mini loaves have a spicy kick to them - probably more than the normal recipe because I used a taco blend cheese instead of the Mexican four cheese.  The loaves held together OK - I will probably use more crackers next time.  Also, we didn't have Saltines on hand, so I used some Water Crackers we had been given at a party.  Still, they held together better than I expected.  They were very soft and the taste was definitely like a spicy, cheesy, meatloaf.  Very good!

In addition to changing the cheese type, I used the Morningstar Burger Crumbles and Pace Medium Salsa (not hot only because it was for a potluck).  I also used muffin liners because I was scared that the loaves would stick to the muffin tin.  They did stick to the paper, but at least that was easier to work with!  Next time, I'll spray the liners with Pam.

Definitely something that I will make again - but I'll probably cut back on the cheese next time.  1.5 cups is a lot and the salsa gives it so much flavor as it is!

Zucchini Parm

A tasty alternative to pasta and a great way to get your 3-5 servings of vegetables!  I will probably boil the zucchinis less next time because they were a little too soft for my liking, but still a good dish!


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Zucchini-Parmesan/Detail.aspx
I used PAM instead of olive oil (by habit), but I think the using EVOO for sautéing the onion and garlic is a good way to add some healthy fat to the dish.  I added some Trader Joe's Sausage-less Sausage to kick up the protein and layered it on top of the zucchini/onion/garlic mixture.  I also ended up using less than 16 oz. of pasta sauce - probably only 6-8 oz. - and I used Ragu 7-Herb Tomato because it was the only thing I had in the pantry.    Finally, I topped with about 1/2 cup mozzarella - it did an adequate job of covering the casserole.  I served with a side of whole wheat bread topped with some Sicilian seasoning.


P.S. - tastes good when reheated too :-)