Loretta's Beets

I grew up eating this dish. I think she invented it because everyone just called them Mom's beets. Of course, as a good southern cook, my Mom used "good and plenty" oil for sauteing! I'm also a good southern cook, but I saute in water. It's still tastes just as good! I was getting the beets prepped this morning to get them boiling and I realized that Mom never used the beet greens; she just threw them out. Since Bob and I became vegan I have been trying to incorporate greens into our meals as much as possible (I have started actually craving greens! Who'da thunk it!) So I added them and they were great! They will not be a permanent addition to this dish!

Loretta's Beets

3 medium beets
3-4 small to medium russet or red potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Beets: Cut the stems off of the beets, leaving about an inch of the stem attached to the beets. Put in boiling water and boil on medium-high until a fork can be easily inserted. Rinse in cool water until cool enough to peel; the skin will just slide right off. Cut off the stem end and root end. Dice into large diced pieces and place in bowl.

Potatoes: Scrub well and poke holes with a fork. Place in microwave and bake until fork tender. Cut into large diced cubes and place in bowl. (You can boil the potatoes, but then you lose some of the nutrients from the skin into the water)

Beet Greens: Remove greens from skin and tear into smaller pieces. Rinse and dry.

Onions: Put the water and the onions in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute until onions are tender and starting to turn golden. Add beet greens and cover. Cook a few more minutes to let the greens wilt. Stir. Add to bowl of beets and potatoes. Stir and check seasoning. Serve warm.

This makes 4 regular or 8 wls servings.

Spinach Stir Fry

Since Bob and I started eating vegan, I've been looking for different ways to incorporate leafy greens into our meals other than as a dinner salad. We love salad, but everyone needs variety! I decided to make a stir fry the other night and just started throwing in different things that I thought would taste good. And it did!

Spinach Stir Fry

1 bag baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1/3 cup shredded carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 medium bell pepper, whatever color you want, sliced (I used frozen sliced mixed peppers)
2 tablespoons raw cashews (or almonds, peanuts, etc.)
Low Sodium Soy Sauce
4 ounces whole grain spaghetti noodles (or rice noodles) (I use Hodgson Mills)
salt, pepper, and ground ginger, to taste

Water saute the carrots, garlic, water chestnuts, onion, and bell pepper until veggies are tender-crisp and water is almost gone. (Water sauteeing is putting a little water into your skillet and sauteeing your veggies this way and not using oil) Add seasonings and soy sauce and continue to saute veggies. When veggies are cooked, add spinach and nuts. You may add more soy sauce, to taste. Let spinach wilt slightly and serve up!

Note: Add other vegetables you like, these are just what I wanted in mine. Also, try adding a teaspoon or so of peanut butter before you add the spinach. Let it melt, then add the spinach and nuts. If you don't want to use pasta, this would be great with barley or even quinoa!

Fran's Eggplant Casserole

Before I retired I worked in an all female accounting office. We all loved to cook and some loved to bake so we had potluck office meals fairly often. This dish started out as a simple casserole of my boss, Fran. As the recipe got passed around, almost everyone added something to it or made a variation of it. So it ended up being a potluck dish! I love it and every time if cook it, the house smells wonderful!

Fran's Eggplant Casserole

1 whole eggplant, peeled and sliced thin
3 zucchini, scrubbed and sliced
3 yellow squash, scrubbed and sliced
6-8 ounces sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh
1 bell pepper, chopped (use any color you want)
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
Parmesan cheese (non-vegan), optional OR
nutritional yeast (vegan), optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray cookie sheet with Pam, spread eggplant slices, and spray slices with Pam. Bake for 15 minutes to help tenderize the eggplant.

Prepare the other vegetables and place in oven-proof casserole dish. When the eggplant is ready, place in casserole dish and mix with the other vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of red pepper. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, if using. Cover and bake at 350F for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender.

Notes: 1. You can use flavored diced tomatoes and any other seasonings you wish to vary the dish. For example, use basil, oregano tomatoes and Italian seasoning (my favorite), or chili powder and Rotele tomatoes for Mexican, etc. Greek would be good too!
2. This is easy to make in the crockpot. Place all ingredients in the crockpot, stir, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.