Category Archives: Vegetables

Crust-free Chicken Pot Pie (v) (gf)

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Entrée, Gluten-Free, Mushrooms, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Crust-Free Chicken Pot Pie (gluten free & vegan) | The Hip Vegetarian | @hipvegetarianThe other day I was looking at my round white potatoes and thought hmmm, they might work well as a crust replacement for a chicken pot pie.

So last night I fired up the stove, cut my potatoes in thin slices, fried them until they were golden and used them as the crust for one of my favorite entrees.

Inadvertently I made my pot pie vegan, because I was out of cream; and quite honestly, I didn’t miss the cream AT ALL. The pot pie still had great flavor for the gravy.

Usually I use flour as a thickener, but this can easily be converted to gluten-free by using corn starch.

To cut down on fat, I saute my onions, celery and garlic in water instead of oil or butter.

The great thing about a chicken pot pie is that you can use what ever you have on-hand in the refrigerator or freezer. Peas, pearl onions, mushrooms, carrots, green beans, corn — whatever little bit you need to use up — just throw in your stew.

Crustless Chicken Pot Pie

2 medium Round Potatoes, thinly sliced
1 bag, Morningstar Chicken Strips, Meal Starters
1/4 cup, Water
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 ribs Celery, diced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
3 carrots, chopped
4 tablespoons, Cornstarch
1 cup Dry White Wine
2 cups, Broth
Salt, to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon, Thyme
1 cup, frozen Peas
2 cups, Mushrooms, sliced

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9×13 baking dish.

Slice potatoes into thin slices and lightly fry in a skillet until golden. Line the bottom of casserole dish with a layer of potatoes. Set the rest aside.

Fry chicken strips until golden. Set aside.

Saute onion, celery, garlic and carrots in 1/4 cup of water until soft. Add water add needed during sauteing. Stir occasionally.

Add wine and vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Mix corn starch in a little bit of cold water, until it’s disolved. Add to mixture on the stove and bring to boil for 2 minutes. Stir to prevent lumps from forming.

Bring to a boil. Add thyme, peas, mushrooms. Reduce heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, 5-9 minutes. Add chicken and remove from heat. Pour mixture in baking dish and layer the top with remaining potatoes.

Bake until bubbly; approximately 20-25 minutes.

Rosemary Mashed Cauliflower

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Gluten-Free, Macadamia Nuts, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , ,

This recipe in Nom Nom!

Have you ever tried substituting mashed potatoes with cauliflower? The results are delicious. I think I first discovered this idea when I tried the South Beach diet once. However add some macadamia nut butter and rosemary to the dish, and this little recipe rocks!

I originally stumbled across this recipe in the Get Naked Fast cookbook by Diane Stabos. Which by the way, is a must buy if you’d like to move toward a vegan diet.

Rosemary Mashed Cauliflower

1 head Cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup Macadamia Nut Butter
2 tbsps Olive Oil
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Rosemary for Garnish

Steam Cauliflower in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Blend in food processor until grainy — but don’t over process until it’s liquidy. Add into the food processor the macadamia butter, rosemary, olive oil and salt. Process until fluffy.

Roasted Cauliflower

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Gluten-Free, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , ,

Roasted Cauliflower

Here’s an easy recipe to use up any cauliflower that you may have sitting in the refrigerator.

This garlic, lemon juice and salt/pepper combination turns this sometime unpopular vegetable into a tasty side dish for the family.

Easy and quick to make. Even the children can help assemble the dish together.

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower on a cookie sheet or large casserole dish.  Drizzle cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper over top. Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Occasionally stir. Bake for 15 minutes.

Visit Scissors Paper Keyboard for My Guest Post

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Vegetables and tagged with , ,

Veggie Hot Pocket

Today I’m guest posting over at Scissors, Paper, Keyboard for my friend Sherry who is on a quest to loose weight.  Heck, I’m on that same quest.

Sherry and I have known each other for years — meeting through PRSA in our professional lives.  On a personal level she understands my dry sense of humor, which is relief because I know I don’t have to worry that she’s going to take offense if I say something flippant. She gets me.

Back in the days we sipped on shakes from Sonic as we studied for an exam. Today we sip on nutritious smoothies as we meet up on-line and conspire about life. So why don’t you join us…just click here..and discover why Sherry makes me laugh. And as a bonus, you’ll find my recipe for Veggie Hot Pockets on her blog.

Baked Acorn Squash

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , ,

Baked Acorn Squash

As I’m sitting here in the coffee house talking about what my friend Kim is making for dinner, I was totally reminded about my Baked Acorn Squash recipe.

So Kim, this is for you.

Baked Acorn Squash

1 medium size Acorn Squash
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
Black Pepper

Set oven to 350 degrees.

Cut acorn squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place in a baking dish with 1″ water.  Trim the stem slighly so the squash will sit flat during baking.

Bake upside down for about 1/2 hour, so the meat of the squash will quickly soften. You can speed up this process by placing the baking pan and squash in the microwave for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and turn the squash right side up and place 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in each half.  Sprinkle with black pepper.

Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the squash is tender.

The End of Fall

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Ideas, Soup, Tips, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Photo taken by thehipvegetarian

Pumpkins during the Fall season are simply beautiful.

However before they lose their luster, I always bake them to freeze so I can make soups throughout the rest of the year.  Take them to the slaughter-house, I say!

If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to start the process before they start to mold from the inside out.

This year I gutted my Blue Hubbard pumpkin and filled it with about a quarter-cup of water, baked it at 350 degrees until the skin was tender enough to be pierced by a fork.  I found this to be much easier than cutting the pumpkin into sections before baking or peeling  it raw.

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It’s the Simple Things

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Salad, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , ,

Photo taken by thehipvegetarian

My posts are few and far between for two reasons: I’m still visiting my parents and I haven’t been cooking much — sustaining myself with Thanksgiving leftovers.

For many who are burned out with cooking, or just need an idea for tonight’s dinner, I shall remind you of the simple salad.  One that can be dressed with your favorite fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, cheese, etc.

My favorite salad is one made of Spinach with Fresh Pears, Dried Cranberries, Gorgonzola Cheese and Toasted Brown Sugar Pumpkin Seeds, topped off with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing.

Photo taken by thehipvegetarian

For a vegan version, simply leave out the cheese and add any additional fruit that you enjoy.

Easy, simple and delicious as a side dish or a main dish for any evening.

The Best Brussels Sprouts

Posted by thehipvegetarian in Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , ,

Photo taken by thehipvegetarian

My husband and I are odd, we like Brussels Sprouts. Either you love them or you hate them. For those who are on the fence, try this Best Brussels Sprout recipe that we found on the web about two years ago from Shmooedfood.

Best Brussels Sprouts

The name says it all! These sweet-and-sour sprouts are wonderful hot or at room temperature. 

serves 4

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half
2 TB olive oil (or 1 TB olive oil and 1 TB margarine)
salt to taste
¾ cup vegetable stock or water
2 TB sugar
2 TB apple cider vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

photo taken by thehipvegetarian

Heat the oil or oil and margarine in a sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the Brussels sprouts and sprinkle with salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts are turning golden, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add ½ cup of the stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered with a lid left slightly ajar, until the Brussels sprouts are almost completely tender and the stock or water has been cooked away, about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the last ¼ cup of stock or water, the sugar, and the apple cider vinegar. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.