Marinated Broccoli Salad

This was one of my contributions to Easter dinner... being the only vegetarian in my family means that I am responsible for the veggie dishes at holidays!  This is a good option for holidays because it's EASY and it can be made the night before (as is the nature of marinades, the longer it sits, the better the flavor).  It's bit different than most marinated veggie dishes because of the addition of the bread crumbs, which you don't often see with a cold dish.  In order to avoid sogginess, don't stir in the bread crumbs until you're ready to serve, or keep them on the side and let everyone add as much as they please.

4 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp paprika
1 bag frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1/4 cup chopped onion

Combine all ingredients in a sealed container and shake well.  refrigerate overnight.

Bread crumbs
1-2 slices of bread
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp oregano
2 tbsp butter

Put all dry ingredients in food processor and blend until you've reached your desired consistency.  Melt the butter over medium-low head and add breadcrumbs.  Stir until crumbs are browned.  Set aside and add to broccoli immediately before serving, or let everyone add as much or as little as they want on their own.

Smoked Gouda Rice Bake

This was our dinner last night... it took everything I had to make this casserole instead of smoked gouda mac & cheese, but I'm glad I went this way because it was DELICIOUS.  (I think I end up saying that a lot on this site, yes?)  I considered adding tomatoes, but decided I liked the idea of a white sauce for a change.  It took a while to make because in addition to this being my inaugural run at this concoction, I also hadn't done ANY prep work in advance. In order to save time, make sure your your gouda is already shredded, your mushrooms are already sliced, your spinach is already thawed, and go ahead and cook the rice while you're making the sauce.

1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
14 oz vegetable broth
2 cups smoked gouda, shredded
16 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced, stems removed
12 oz frozen spinach, thawed
3 cups brown rice, cooked
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
The rest of the bottle of wine to sip on as you cook.  :)

Cook the rice first!

Saute your onions and sugar in the olive oil until onions are clear.  Add garlic and mushrooms and cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft and brown.  Set aside.

Melt butter and whisk in flour.  Let brown for 2 minutes, continuing to whisk.  Add veggie broth, then sour cream, stirring slowly.  Stir in gouda, spinach, onion mixture, and wine.  Whisk  well to break up the spinach.  Simmer until bubbling, then remove from heat.  Stir in cooked rice.

Pour into a non-stick baking dish (or spray with Pam before adding the food) and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Tomato Broccoli Cheese Soup

I recently discovered that pretty much all broccoli-cheese soup is made with chicken broth, which eliminated one of my favorite lunchtime treats... until I tried to make my own.  I like mine spicy, so I added red pepper flakes to give it a little heat, but feel free to eliminate them if you're not so inclined.

I've also done it as a potato-based soup... just keep the recipe the same, but add 2 cups of mashed potato and a little milk to step one.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 large chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups vegetable stock
16 oz. frozen broccoli, steamed and chopped
1 14-oz. can tomatoes
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
16 oz. velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onions to garnish

Puree 1 cup broccoli, garlic, onion, and tomatoes (and potatoes, if using) in food processor.  Set aside.

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add flour when butter is melted and bubbly.  Over medium heat, mix until a smooth paste is formed.  Add pureed vegetables to paste.  Stir well.

Add milk and vegetable stock and stir until smooth.  Add remaining broccoli and red pepper flakes, and bring to a slight boil, continuing to stir.

Lower heat and slowly stir in velveeta cubes.  Allow soup to simmer until ready to serve, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Garnish with cheddar and green onions before serving.

Wowza Baked Ziti

Wow, this baked ziti recipe was really great... it was chock full of veggies, and high in fiber, protein.. and calories.  Not something you want to eat every single day, but DEFINITELY worth blowing your calories on.

1 lb dry ziti
1 chopped onion
1 cup cooked broccoli
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can chickpeas
1 36-oz jar of spaghetti sauce
6 oz. sliced provolone
12 oz. sour cream
6 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
Italian seasonings

Boil ziti with a pinch of salt and drain.  Run the mushrooms, chickpeas and broccoli through the food processor.  Saute your onion until it's soft, then add spaghetti sauce, spices, red pepper flakes,  and broccoli, mushroom and chickpea mix.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer: 1/2 of the ziti, provolone, sour cream, 1/2 of the sauce, the remaining ziti, mozzarella, and the remaining sauce.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.