Egg-free Pumpkin Bread

This is a recipe that I adjusted to make it egg-free (it's technically vegan, too, if you want to sound fancy). It makes 3 loaves!!

Use 3 small loaf pans. I like the disposable foil kind that comes with a plastic lid so you can share!

Ingredients for REGULAR awesome pumpkin bread:

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

3 cups white sugar

3.5 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Ingredients for VEGAN awesome pumpkin bread:

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

2 T vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

3 cups white sugar

3.5 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Preheat over to 350. Grease bread pans. Mix pumpkin, eggs (or vinegar for vegan recipe), oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, (plus baking powder for vegan recipe), salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir dry mixture into pumpkin mixture until just blended. I've used the mixer before and it turned out well.

Pour into 3 small bread pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

YUM.

Easy Broccoli Soup

12 oz broccoli
1 leek sliced - can substitute one small onion
1 celery stalk sliced
1 chopped garlic clove
1 peeled and chopped potato
4 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Cut broccoli florets off stalks and set aside.  Chop stalks into small pieces.

Over med-high heat drizzle olive oil a few times around bottom of a large pot.  Add leeks, garlic, broccoli stalks, celery and potato and cook until edges are golden.

Pour in vegetable stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the broccoli florets to soup and return to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes or until tender.

Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.  Puree soup in a food processor or blender until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Monica

Creamy Penne Pesto Bake

Penne pasta
1 1/2 C Alfredo sauce
1 -5oz. jar pesto
1 can artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
2 C shredded Italian cheese blend
2 cooked and sliced chicken breasts
1/2 C mushrooms
1/4 C Italian bread crumbs
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to directions.

In a bowl, mix Alfredo sauce with pesto.  In a separate large bowl, toss artichoke hearts, cheese, chicken and mushrooms.  Add pasta and pesto and stir until mixed well.  Pour in casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over pasta.

Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Monica

Southern Pot Roast

2 lb roast
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of potato soup
2 packets lipton onion soup mix
4-5 peeled and chopped sliced carrots
8-10 small red potatoes
flour
salt and pepper
oil

Preheat oven to 225.  Heat small amount of oil in a skillet over med-high heat.  Put flour, salt, and pepper on all sides of the roast.  Sear all sides of roast in the skillet.  In a roasting pan, mix soup with a can of warm water and onion mix and add vegetables and roast.  Cover and cook in oven for 6-7 hours spooning gravy over roast ever few hours.

You can leave out potatoes and make mashed potatoes and use roast gravy on them.  Another option is to lower the oven temp a little and cook overnight.

Monica

Egg-free Cornbread

With the recent news of an egg allergy in our family I have been on the hunt for recipes without egg. This one is super helpful! You could also use soy milk instead of cow's milk for a vegan cornbread recipe.

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1T olive oil

1T vinegar

1 cup milk, buttermilk, or soy milk

Mix wet ingredients. Add cornbread mix. Let sit for a few minutes and stir again. Pour into small greased pan. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until set and browned around edges.

This makes a moist cornbread. Sometimes we like the dryer, crispier kind so next time I think I'll try it in a cast iron cornbread mold so each piece would be crispier!

Chicken Broccoli Noodle Stirfry

This was my first stir-fry noodle dish and it was so delicious and easy! You could add other veggies, too. I adapted this from a Whole Foods recipe.

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat linguine

3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

3 T soy sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp cornstarch

1lb chicken breast, cut into small pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 2 tsp fresh, minced ginger)

1 crown of broccoli, cut into florets

1 carrot, peeled and cut into strips (I used the carrot chips again, cut into strips)

Cook linguine per directions. Meanwhile, mix broth, soy sauce, pepper flakes, and cornstarch in a bowl. Heat wok or skillet, add 1 T of olive oil, brown chicken. Remove chicken from wok and set aside. Add 1 T of olive oil, the garlic, and the ginger, and cook for 30 seconds. Add carrots and broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture and chicken and simmer on medium heat until veggies are tender, about 3 minutes. Toss with linguine and serve.

Serves 4

Quick Cooked Pears

2 Ripe pealed pears cut in quarters
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Cinnamon
Cool Whip

In a small saucepan add water, brown sugar and pears and cook on medium heat until tender.  Sprinkle on cinnamon and top with cool whip.

Monica

Sweet Potato Quinoa Hash

1 Peeled and shredded sweet potato
1 C cooked quinoa (could substitute brown rice)
1 Small vidalia onion minced
2 Cloves garlic minced
1 C roughly chopped spinach (could substitute any leafy green)
1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
Handful of chopped nuts optional

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and onion and cook until light golden.  Add garlic and cook a few more minutes constantly stirring.  Add shredded sweet potato and cook about 5 minutes or until tender.  Add quinoa and spinach and cook until spinach is wilted.  Top with chopped nuts and serve.  This dish has a ton of protein and can be served as a main course.  Also, add any of your favorite veggies to make it more interesting.

Monica

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 C vinegar
1/4 C brown sugar

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2.  Shred chicken with two forks and put on hamburger buns.  Pour some bottled BBQ sauce on top of chicken if desired.

Monica

Kielbasa Vegetable Dinner

This is a hearty, man-food with veggies! The leftovers are great, too!

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon

1 package Kielbasa sausage, sliced

1-1.5 lb small red potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion, chopped

3 large carrots, thinly sliced (I use a half bag of the crinkle cut carrots or baby carrots)

1 tsp oregano

1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets

1 cup water

Cook bacon in large pot until crisp, remove and crumble, set aside. Brown Kielbasa slices in bacon drippings until they've got that crispy edge to them, at least 3-5 minutes. Remove them and set aside. Add potato, onion, carrots, and oregano and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add broccoli and water, bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add sausage and simmer 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with bacon pieces.

Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4-6

Jilly Chili

Fall is here. Time for some chili. This recipe has recently been changed since we don't like as much salt added to our food!

Ingredients:

1lb ground turkey

1 green bell pepper

1 package Ranch dressing mix

Oregano and Cumin sprinkled in

1 can each of:

Rotel

White hominy

Corn

Black beans

Brown turkey in skillet. Meanwhile, add cans and seasoning to pot (or crockpot) and heat. Chop up bell pepper and add to turkey after it is browned, cooking for just a few minutes. Add turkey and bell pepper to chili. Serve with Fritos or crackers and shredded cheese.

*Can omit cheese and use Italian dressing mix or taco seasoning for a milk-free recipe!

Serves 4-6