cause i'm a fatty

Vegetarian Dish of the Week:
Sweet Tomato & Goat Cheese Salad

The picture is blurrier than I would like, but this is one of those refreshing takes on a summer salad that is a little cool and a little sweet on the tongue. This would be perfect paired with spicy bbq food or a hickory smoked bacon pizza, which Mike made for dinner tonight. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of plump cherry tomatoes, quartered 
2 tbsps chopped (fresh) rosemary 
2 tbsps chopped (fresh) mint 
honey
crushed brazil nuts (almonds or walnuts would be perfect too)
goat cheese, crumbled (plain or herb)

Mix all of the items above, starting with the tomatoes and goat cheese, then the nuts, a generous drizzle of honey, and herbs.  This is best chilled in the fridge for a little while, and the sweet tomato nectar that collects at the bottom is delicious when soaked up by crackers. 

Almond Butter, Cranberry, & Marshmallow Granola Bars

I took a recipe for Crispy Vegan Breakfast Bars from Madhuram’s Eggless Cooking blog and adapted it to whatever I had in the fridge.

I had way too much Kashi Go Lean! Crunch cereal leftover and no milk, so turning them into breakfast bars seemed like the perfect idea. The cereal itself has so much fiber that just one bar has kept me full all morning.

To make your own, mix the following:

5 1/2-6 cups of any whole grain puffed cereal 
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup of sliced almonds, cashews, pecans, or hazelnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 cup almond butter or a half and half of almond butter and peanut butter
1/2 cup honey or ginger syrup 
1/2 cup marshmallows (optional)
1/2 cup granola (optional)

Butter a shallow baking dish (9 by 13 is perfect) and pour your cereal mixture in, flattening it with the palm of your hand. Stick into the freezer for 30 minutes, then take out and cut into bars. Enjoy within a couple of days.

Vegetarian Item of the Week: Rising Moon’s Organic Feat-Hazelnut with Butternut Squash Ravioli

Although I’m a loyal meat eater (and that will never change), dishes such as this ravioli impress me almost enough to convert. The pasta cost around $4.39 and serves two. The raviolis are on the sweeter side so a mild cream sauce would be perfect. Some sautéed beans or carrots go great on the side and make this meal heartier.