Blog Archives - HAPPY VEG

Hominy Street Tacos with Lime & Kale Slaw

4/28/2020

Hominy Street Tacos with Lime & Kale Slaw

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Start by preparing the kale slaw so that the lime juice has time to tame the red onions and break down the kale. Use as much of the red onion as you desire and save the rest for the hominy mixture. Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss. Set aside.

Empty the contents of the refried beans into a small pot. Cover, set to medium low, and simmer until ready.

Begin heating the EVOO for the hominy mixture in a large skillet set to just below medium heat. Add the red onions, bell pepper, pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt & pepper. Stir and cook 6 – 8 minutes until veggies have cooked down. Make a well in the center of the pan and add in the garlic. Cook 1 minute before stirring it into the other veg along with the dark portions of the green onions. Stir and cook another 2 minutes.

Stir in the hominy, vegetable stock, spices, and sea salt. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 7 – 10 minutes until hominy has soaked in all of the spices and seems starchy and creamy when stirred. Stir in the Monterey jack cheese, cover, and remove from heat for 3 or so minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas up in paper towels in two separate bunches and microwave them for 20 – 35 seconds until nice and warm.

Grocery List

20 Street Taco Soft Shells
3 Avocados, mashed
398ml can Refried Black Beans

HOMINY MIXTURE

2 Tbsp. EVOO
709g can White Corn Hominy, drained & rinsed
¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ Red Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Bunch Green Onions, sliced (light portions only)
½ Tsp. Cumin
½ Tsp. Onion Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
½ Tsp. Sweet Paprika
½ Tsp. Chili Powder
¾ Tsp. Sea Salt +
Cracked Pepper
¼ C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
2 C Monterey Jack Cheese with Peppers, shredded

KALE SLAW

2 ½ C Store Bought Kale Slaw (Eat Smart, Dole etc.)
¼ C EVOO
1 Bunch Green Onions, sliced (dark portions only)
¼ C Cilantro
½ Red Onion, thinly sliced
½ Lime, juice
¼ Tsp. Sea Salt

Quickly mash the avocados up in a small mixing bowl.

For service, start by scooping some refried beans onto the shell followed by a teaspoon sized dollop of the smashed avo. Next up, a Tbsp. or so of the cheesy hominy mixture and a small handful of the lime and kale salad. Finish with a dot or two of your favourite hot sauce and ENJOY!

Roasted Artichokes

4/24/2020

Roasted Artichokes

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 35 - 35 + Min

Preheat oven to 400 F

*PREPPING THE ARTICHOKES* Start by cutting approximately an inch off the tops of the artichokes. Slice off excess stem leaving roughly ¾ of an inch of the stem attached. Peel off any leaves at the bottom of the artichokes that stick out or are attached to the stem. Using a pair of scissors, snip off the tops of all the leaves on the outer layer of the artichoke, they have thorns that can be prickly! Next, slice the artichokes in half lengthwise leaving you with 8 pieces.

Place the artichokes on to a baking sheet with the exposed middles facing up. Squeeze your citrus over the open faces of the artichokes and prepare the marinade.

Grocery List

4 Artichokes (Similar sizes preferred)
3 Tbsp. + ¼ C Unsalted Butter
¼ C EVOO
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced / pressed
¼ C Fresh Parsley, chopped
Lemon / Lime
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes

Melt the 3 Tbsp. butter in the microwave. Once melted, add to a small mixing bowl with the EVOO, garlic, and parsley. Stir together and brush onto the artichokes making sure to scoop up some of the garlic / parsley for every swipe with the brush. Make every effort to gently fold the leaves open so that the marinade can slip into the cracks and don’t forget to brush the outside of the artichoke as well! Season each artichoke individually with sea salt, cracked pepper, and pepper flakes.

Place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and brush the tops once again with the remaining marinade. Thin out with additional EVOO if needed. Return the artichokes to the oven for another 10 - 20 minutes. To check for doneness, leaves should easily pull away and stem should be easily pierced with a knife. Return to oven in 5-minute intervals until fully cooked.

For service, melt the remaining ¼ C butter in the microwave. To eat the artichokes, pluck the leaves away one by one, dip in the butter, and use your teeth to pull away the barely there white flesh on each of the leaves. The leaves closer to the middle are also delicious and much easier to eat. To reach the artichoke heart, you must first use a spoon to scrape out the “hairy” choke that conceals the heart. Once removed, the whole heart is edible and delicious.

ENJOY!

Mini Hasselbacks

4/20/2020

Mini Hasselbacks

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 40 - 45 Min

Preheat oven to 425 F

Place a cutting board on your counter. Place the potatoes outside of the board against the edge and use it as a stopping point when slicing through the potatoes. Get as many slices into the potato as you can without slicing through / cutting anything off. It’s important that they remain intact.

Transfer the sliced potato to a baking sheet and continue until all potatoes are sliced.

In a small bowl, mix the EVOO, vinegar, pepper flakes, parsley, garlic & onion powders, and a few cracks of pepper. Use your fingers to gently spread open the potatoes. They will naturally retract but we need even a little space for the olive oil mixture to get inside. Brush each of the potatoes with the oil mixture making sure to scoop up some of the pepper flakes / fresh parsley for every potato. Set aside any remaining oil mixture. Season the potatoes liberally with sea salt.

Bake the potatoes for 35 – 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven and brush them once again with the oily mixture. If needed, add additional EVOO to thin out the mixture and stretch it out for all the potatoes. Return them to the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and hit them again with a liberal amount of sea salt. Transfer to a serving plate and ENJOY!

Grocery List

1.5lb bag Mini Yellow Potatoes
½ C + EVOO
3 Tsp. White Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
¼ C Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
½ Tsp. Onion Powder
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper

'Beyond Meat' Meatballs

4/17/2020

Beyond Meat Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 26 - 28 min

Yields Approximately 20 Balls

Heat the EVOO in a frying pan set to medium heat. Once heated, add the red pepper flakes, garlic, celery, and onions. Season with sea salt and pepper and cook 6 – 8 minutes until veggies are tender. Remove from heat to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 F

To a large mixing bowl, add the beyond beef, cooked rice, parsley, Italian seasonings and a good pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper. Once the veggies cool, fold them in to the mixture along with the egg, working everything together with your hands.

Scoop a heaping TBSP. of the mixture into your hands and gently roll them into ball shapes. Place them on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Continue until all ballz are rolled (approximately 20).

Place the meatballz into the oven to bake for 15 minutes, gently flip them and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes until nice and brown.

Remove from oven and they’re ready to go! ENJOY!

Grocery List

2x 340g Beyond Beef
1 Large Free-Range Egg
1 Tbsp. EVOO
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
½ C Cooked Brown Rice
½ C Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper

Cheesy Sloppy Joes

4/11/2020

Cheesy Sloppy Joes

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 15 - 20 Min

Whisk together the vegetable stock and corn starch, set aside.

Begin heating the EVOO in a large frying pan set to just below medium heat. Once heated, add the pepper flakes, onion, celery, and bell pepper along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes until veggies have cooked down.

Make a well in the center of the pan and drop in the beyond beef. Break apart the beef as best you can to start, as it cooks it will be easier to break down. Cook a couple of minutes before breaking up again and flipping to give some browning to the other side of the beef for another 2 minutes. Stir everything together and continue cooking for 2 – 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, onion and garlic powders, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, and the vegetable stock with corn starch. Season with sea salt & pepper before reducing the heat a little and allowing this joe mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, toast the bottoms of the buns. This will prevent them from getting soggy. (You may also toast both the top and the bottom, I preferred a fluffy top.)

Set the oven to BROIL 500 F

Taste the sloppy joe mixture and adjust salt if desired. Spoon the sloppy mixture on to the bottoms of the buns and place them on a baking sheet. Lay 3 slices of old cheddar on each of the sloppy joes and place them into the oven.

Broil until cheese is melty. (Watch carefully so they do not burn.

For service, sprinkle over some of the fresh green onions, place the tops on, and ENJOY!

Grocery List

6 Standard Sized Hamburg Buns
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
1 stalk Celery, diced
340g package Beyond Beef
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ Tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
½ Tsp. Cumin
1 Tbsp. Ketchup
1 Tsp. Yellow Mustard
4 Tsp. Tomato Paste
1 Heaping Tsp. Light Brown Sugar
3 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
¼ C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 Tsp. Corn Starch
3 Green Onions, sliced
18 Slices Extra Old Cheddar (from the brick)
Sea Salt, / Cracked Pepper

BBQ Jackfruit Tacos with Broccoli Slaw

4/7/2020

BBQ Jackfruit Tacos with Broccoli Slaw

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 15 - 20 Min

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the broccoli slaw along with the juice of a lime, 2 Tbsp. EVOO, and sea salt to taste. Toss and set aside.

Begin heating the remaining 2 Tbsp. EVOO in a frying pan set to just below medium heat. Once heated, add the pepper flakes & diced onion along with a good pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes before making a well in the center of the pan and dropping in the garlic. Once it starts to become fragrant (about 1 minute), stir it into the onions and continue cooking another 2 minutes.

Empty the contents of the BBQ jackfruit into the pan. Reduce the heat slightly and cook 6 – 10 minutes stirring often. Jackfruit will begin to break down, but you can further break it down by shredding it with two forks or hitting it with a potato masher.

Wrap the tortillas up in paper towel and microwave for 20 + seconds until warm and malleable. For service, spoon a heaping Tbsp. of the jackfruit filling on to the taco followed by a sprinkling of Monterey jack cheese, handful of broccoli slaw, and finishing sprinkle of sliced green onions. ENJOY!

Grocery List

12 Street Taco Soft Shells
2x 300g Package BBQ Jackfruit

(I used Upton’s Naturals)

½ 340g Package Prepared Broccoli Slaw

(I used Eatsmart Brand)

1 Yellow Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
4 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Lime, juiced
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
3 Green Onions, sliced
¾ C Monterey Jack Cheese, finely shredded

Dillicious Devilled Eggs

4/5/2020

Dillicious Devilled Eggs

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: Under 10 Mins

Place the eggs in a medium sized pot filled with enough cold water to cover the eggs. Set to medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, remove from heat, cover, and let sit at least 5 minutes.

Strain the eggs and place them in cool water / ice bath until cold enough to handle. Once ready, peel all the eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the yolks into a bowl.

Break up the yolks with a fork before stirring in the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, desired amount of pepper, and fresh dill. Stir to fully combine everything until it is creamy and fully combined. Taste and add additional salt if you desire.

If you have a piping bag, simply add the yolky mixture to the bag and pipe into the eggs until all the filling has been used. If not, you can easily use a spoon to fill the eggs.

Garnish with fresh dill and a sprinkling of paprika for colour. Refrigerate until ready to eat or enjoy right away!

Grocery List

6 Large, Free-Range Eggs
6 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
2 Tsp. White Wine Vinegar
1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
2 Tbsp. Fresh Dill, chopped + more for garnish
Paprika for garnish