Blog Archives - HAPPY VEG

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup

1/18/2021

Soup + Cold Weather = Happiness

There is no bigger hug on the inside than a beautiful, bubbly bowl of hot soup on a cold day. I'm a big soup lover myself, all varieties ignite a feeling of comfort for me. Creamy, chunky, blended, rich, savoury...I love soup.

I was inspired by a recipe on the Mediterranean Dish website for a Red Lentil Soup that had some interesting flavour combos. I loved the idea of a rosemary, cumin, and lemon infused broth. I obviously changed a few things of course, but the resulting soup is absolutely delicious. Robustly flavoured, hearty, and perfect for a cold winter's day, my Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup is where it's at!

You can find my recipe under the RECIPES tab! Here's a link to the original recipe as well!
www.themediterraneandish.com/red-lentil-soup-recipe/

SHOPPING TIP

I discovered these PC Brand Plant Based Broths and had to share with you guys. I've tried both the chicken and the beef broths and I gotta tell you guys, they're pretty fabulous. They're so tasty and really give you a lot of that authentic flavour. They bring such a wonderful layer of flavour to soups and stews, especially those you are turning into vegetarian or vegan recipes. It really changes things when a recipe calls for beef broth and you actually have a plant based version.

I strongly recommend having these in your pantry. Keep in mind however, that they are not low sodium so you have to watch your salt when putting your recipe together. Taste as you go to avoid over salting.
Here's a link to the PC Brand Chickenless broth for your information!

www.presidentschoice.ca/product/pc-plant-based-chickenless-broth/21184643_EA

Potato, Chive, & Feta Egg Muffins

1/17/2021

Happy Sunday y'all!

These little egg muffins are such a treat for me. I've made quite a few different varieties of these muffins because they're easy to whip up, delish, and freeze well for the rest of the week.

This batch was inspired by a Spanish Omelet recipe I wrote a few months back. I fried up some cubed taters and onions until crispy and delicious, split them between 6 muffin tins, and topped them with a chive & egg mixture and some tangy feta cheese. The potatoes provided the perfect base for the muffins and gave them a little something extra.

Just in time for Sunday brunch, head on over to the RECIPES tab!

California Judge Blocks Proposed Development That would Imperil local Wildlife

1/15/2021

Some good news for the wildlife in and around California's Grasshopper Creek after a Judge blocked a proposed development that would have levelled the creek and blocked off essential wildlife crossings. Our salacious desire to continue to grow and expand is contributing to our planet's extinction crisis. Learn more under the ANIMAL NEWS tab!

Mom's Mozza Sketti Skillet

1/13/2021

Growing up, there were probably 3 dishes my mom whipped up on occasion that us kids obsessed over. One of them was her Mozzarella Spaghetti Skillet.

Basically, it's a spaghetti dish cooked in tomato sauce, and finished with far too much mozzarella. The resulting dish is ridiculously stringy and cheesy, and ever so satisfying. To this day, I can still taste her version and I believe mine comes as close as I'll ever get without her being around.

It might not be the prettiest dish and it might be sacrelig to break spaghetti noodles, but it's a tradish and something that I want you guys to be a part of.

Get the RECIPE now under the RECIPES tab!

Roasted Onion & Garlic Polenta with Roasted Cherry Toms

1/11/2021

Happy Monday!
Although I don't eat polenta as often as I'd like, I absolutely love it. When made properly, it's creamy, rich, and makes the perfect bed to nestle roasted veggies into.

I roasted some onion and garlic along with some beautiful cherry tomatoes on the vine until blistered and ready to burst. Instead of only using the onion and garlic to flavour the tomatoes, I decided to chop them up and fold them into the polenta along with butter and grana padano cheese which provided some texture but also that wonderful roasted flavour.

To finish everything, some of the sheet pan juices drizzled all over everything and a final grating of grana padano. It's a light and flavourful meal for two to start this week off.

Head to the RECIPES page <3

135 Groups to Joe Biden - Declare the Extinction Crisis a National Emergency

1/9/2021

135 Groups are calling on President-Elect Joe Biden to sign an Executive Order declaring the Extinction Crisis a National Emergency. A new report found that of the planet's species surveyed, 27% of them faced the possibility of extinction. It is wholly evident that we must act aggressively and swiftly if we intend to prevent these unnecessary extinctions. Learn more under the ANIMAL NEWS page.

Cheesy Fried Rigatonis

1/8/2021

The first day I purchased my piping bag, I knew that I was going to try to stuff, bread, and fry some rigatoni noodles. It's something I've wanted to do since I originally breaded and fried ravioli noodles. They were absolutely delicious and such a fun snack to pick away at.

This recipe for stuffed rigatoni noodles is a bit laborious but worth every minute of effort. The recipe yields 50 which allows you to keep some frozen for snack time at a later day. They fry up in under 5 minutes and get gloriously golden brown.

Pair them with your favourite tomato sauce for dipping and trust me, you won't be able to stop. They're addictive, delicious, and available now under the RECIPES tab!

HAPPY VEG

2nd Mink Fur-Farm In BC Experiencing Covid Outbreak

1/6/2021

A second British Columbia mink fur-farm is experiencing an outbreak of covid, resulting in the euthanization of over 1, 000 mink as a preventative measure. This is yet another mink fur-farm in a string of farms across the globe experiencing outbreaks. We can learn from this and make the right choice moving forward. Learn more under the ANIMAL NEWS page!

California Law Restricting Rodenticides Takes Effect January 1st, 2021

1/5/2021

A California law restricting the use of rodenticides has taken affect as of January 1st, 2021. These restrictions will protect California's wildlife from being inadvertently poisoned and will help to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Learn more about this new law and the problems with rodenticides under the ANIMAL NEWS page!

White Bean & Spinach Grilled Toast

1/4/2021

Brunch style toasts are like, my new favourite thing. You can pile anything you can think of on a piece of toast and make a meal out of it. They make the perfect weekend brunch meals or brekkie through the week if you find yourself with enough time in the morning. (I rarely do )

We've got creamy white beans simmered down with fresh spinach, garlic, and some herbs, piled on top of perfectly grilled toast. I finished these brunch toasts off with a perfectly fried egg but you could easily omit the egg and enjoy the toast as it is. It's pretty delicious.

Want this beautiful brunch toast in your recipe box? Head to the RECIPES page!

HAPPY VEG