Blog Archives - HAPPY VEG

Easy Peasy Cheese Sticks

7/31/2020

Easy Peasy Cheese Sticks

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 10 Min

Place the breadcrumbs on a plate and set aside. Secondly, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them together with a fork. Season the eggs with a pinch of sea salt and cracked pepper. Do the same for the breadcrumbs as well as whisking in the Italian seasonings.

Grocery List

12 x ½” Slices Marble Cheddar (From the Brick)
1 C Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs
1 Tsp. Italian Seasonings
2 Large Free-Range Eggs
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Vegetable Oil for Frying

Start by dipping the cheese slices in eggs, shaking off the excess and coating them in breadcrumbs. Continue until all the sticks are breaded. Now, repeat this process so that the sticks are double breaded. Place the sticks on a parchment lined baking sheet and place them into the freezer for a minimum of one hour.

Fill a large frying pan with enough oil to submerge the sticks and set it to just above medium heat. Let the oil heat thoroughly before attempting to test it by dropping in a small amount of the stick. If it bubbles up pretty rapidly, the oil is ready.

Once heated, drop the sticks in 4 – 6 at a time depending on the size of your pan and let them go for approximately 2 minutes before flipping them for another minute. Remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel lined plate. Season them immediately with sea salt and continue to fry the remaining sticks until they have all been fried.

For service, enjoy with your favourite dipping sauce. ENJOY!

Aloo Phujia

7/27/2020

Aloo Phujia

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 30 - 35 Min

Begin heating the butter and oils in a large frying pan set to medium heat. Once melted, add the onions, bell peppers, and ½ tsp. sea salt. Stir and cook 6 – 7 minutes.

Add the potatoes along with a tsp. sea salt and all the spices. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat slightly followed by adding the tomatoes, vegetable stock, green peas, and the remaining ½ tsp. sea salt. Stir, cover, and continue to cook until potatoes are soft.

When potatoes are cooked, remove cover and simmer until sauce reduces.

Taste and adjust salt if desired. Serve over rice or simply enjoy on its own!

Grocery List

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
2.5 Lbs Potatoes, chopped
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 C Tomatoes, chopped
1 C Frozen Green Peas
½ C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 ½ Tsp. Turmeric
1 ½ Tsp. Cumin
½ Tsp. Cayenne Powder
2 Tsp. Onion Powder
2 + Tsp. Sea Salt

Grilled Medley Bruschetta

7/17/2020

Grilled Medley Bruschetta

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 5 Min

In a medium sized bowl, combine the tomatoes, parsley, chives, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper flakes, and a few cracks of pepper. Add a splash of EVOO and toss together. Taste and adjust vinegar / salt if desired. Set aside.

Begin heating a grill pan set to medium heat. Brush each baguette slice with EVOO on both sides and place on the preheated grill. Grill for 2 – 3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Flip and continue for another 2 minutes or until golden.

Spoon a couple teaspoons of the bruschetta on to the crispy baguettes followed by a tsp. of crumbled feta. ENJOY!

Grocery List

285g French / Italian Baguette (Long & Thin Preferably)
2 C Medley Tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Chives, chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & pressed / minced
Splash Red Wine Vinegar
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
Cracked Pepper
EVOO
Feta Cheese

Biscuits & Gravy

7/11/2020

Biscuits & Gravy

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 15 - 20 Min

Preheat oven to 450 F

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir together. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the milk, cheddar, and garlic. Grate the cold butter into the bowl using a cheese grater. Stir together until a wet, sticky dough is formed.

Drop 1/3 C servings of the dough on a greased baking sheet until all of the dough has been used. (approximately 6 – 7 Biscuits) Spray each of the biscuits with cooking spray.

Bake 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown.

In the meantime, begin heating the beyond beef in a large cast iron skillet set to medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the beef into smaller crumbles. This will be easier as the beef continues to cook. Flip & stir as the beef cooks for 5 minutes.

Grocery List
BISCUITS

1 ¾ C AP Flour
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
¼ Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 C 2% Milk
5 Tbsp. Cold Unsalted Butter
1 C Extra Old Cheddar, shredded
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced

GRAVY

1 small Yellow Onion, diced
¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
340 g Beyond Beef
2 Tbsp. + Unsalted Butter
3 Tbsp. AP Flour
1 C 2% Milk
1 ½ C Whipping Cream
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper
¼ Tsp. Nutmeg

Fresh Chives for Garnish

Stir in the onion and a good pinch of sea salt. Continue to stir, flip, and cook for another 4 minutes.

Add the 2 Tbsp. of butter to the pan followed by the flour stirring everything constantly as the flour begins to coat the beef and onions. If there wasn’t enough of the grease left from the beef, add an additional Tbsp. of butter. Once the flour has melded into the beef, stir in the milk and cream making sure to scrape up any flavoury bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Let the gravy come to a boil. Once boiled, reduce the heat to medium low. Season with ½ Tsp. sea salt and as much cracked pepper as you like. The more the merrier in my opinion. Stir in the nutmeg and let the gravy bubble and thicken for 5 minutes approximately until thick and creamy. Taste and adjust salt / pepper if desired.

For service, slice open a biscuit and place the bottom half of the biscuit on a plate. Ladle over desired amount of gravy and nestle the top of the biscuit into the sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped chives. ENJOY!

Spanish Omelette

7/6/2020

Spanish Omelette

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 35 - 40 Min

Crack the eggs into a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk them together with some salt and pepper. Set aside.

Begin heating the EVOO in a large non-stick pan set to medium heat. Once heated, add the potato slices and let them fry away for approximately 15 minutes or until tender. Make sure to stir and flip them often to ensure even cooking.

Grocery List

3 Yellow Potatoes, peeled & sliced 1/8”thick
1 ½ C EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, halved and thinly sliced
6 Large Free-Range Eggs
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper
Fresh Chives for Garnish

Strain the potatoes over a bowl reserving the EVOO. Return ¼ C of the EVOO back to the pan still set to medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook them for about 5 minutes before returning the potatoes to the pan. Cook together for another 2 – 3 minutes before increasing the heat to medium high and pouring in the eggs. Gently stir the potatoes and onions around allowing the eggs to penetrate the layers.

Let the eggs cook for 2 minutes on medium high before reducing the heat to low and cooking for another 3 – 5 minutes. Edges should be firm with a runny center.

Use a plate that is larger in circumference than the pan and place it over the open side of the frying pan. Carefully flip the omelette onto the plate. Now, gently slide it back into the frying pan and let it continue to cook for another 3 – 5 minutes until fully cooked.

Slide the omelette out onto a serving platter and slice it into 8 equal sized pieces. Garnish with fresh parsley and chives. ENJOY!

White Bean Shakshuka

7/1/2020

White Bean Shakshuka

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 25 - 30 Min

Begin melting the butter together with the EVOO in a non-stick frying pan set to medium. Once melted, add in the pepper flakes, onion, celery, bell pepper, ½ tsp. sea salt and a good pinch of black pepper. Stir and cook 5 minutes.

Make a well in the center of the pan and drop in the garlic. Cook until fragrant or for 1 minute before stirring everything together. Add the zucchini & tomato paste along with another pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir and continue cooking roughly 5 minutes before stirring in the remainder of the spices. Continue to cook for 2 – 3 minutes stirring occasionally.

Pour in the white beans and crushed tomatoes once again seasoning with salt & pepper. Reduce heat slightly, cover, and simmer 7 minutes. Remove cover, stir, and continue to simmer 5 minutes.

Increase the heat back to medium. Taste sauce and adjust salt if desired. Make 6 wells around the pan and drop in the eggs. Season each egg with salt and pepper. Cover and cook anywhere from 5 – 8 minutes depending on how you like your eggs to be cooked.

Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the feta cheese and chopped, fresh parsley. ENJOY!

Grocery List

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced
4 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
3 Tsp. Tomato Paste
1 Zucchini, quartered & sliced
2 Tsp. Paprika
1 Tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Cumin
1 Tsp. Cajun Seasoning
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
½ Tsp. Onion Powder
6 Large Free-Range Eggs

(local is best)

½ C Feta Cheese, crumbled
Fresh Parsley, chopped for garnish
Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper