Adventures of a Boulder Vegetarian.

domesticatedbritt asked: I read one of your posts which you were making dinner for your family who eat meat. I'm trying to improve my family's health by designating a 'no meat day' to get them to eat their veggies. They're on board but skeptical, of course, because of 'will I be full' mentality and taste... SOOO my questions: How long have you been a vegetarian? Do you have tasty, sneaky, meatless meal suggestions for people that haven't acquired a taste (or liking) to them? Do you worry about dairy or gluten? TYS

My family was absolutely the same way. It took them quite a while to warm up to the fact that just because a meal doesn’t have meat, that doesn’t mean it won’t be fulfilling. 

My first suggestion is that you make sure that there is at least one source of protein in whatever you are making. That’s the biggest thing that anyone who eats meat will miss in a meatless meal. I don’t eat many soy products, including tofu, so I use other sources of protein. Beans are a good bet because you can almost always find a way to incorporate a bean into whatever you make. Quinoa is another one. It is a complete protein and SUPER versatile, so even making a quinoa dish as a side is a good idea. Spinach is also full of protein. What I have found with my family is that Mexican meals are the easiest to make meatless and have them not miss it, especially because Mexican food tends to have beans in it anyway. I will often serve brown rice on the side, which also has a pretty good amount of protein in it.

I try not to cook with TOO much dairy, because it isn’t the best for you, and if I eat too much, I feel kinda gross. As far as gluten goes, I don’t worry about it, but my sister doesn’t eat it, and she is also lactose intolerant, so I have quite a few gluten and dairy free recipes, if that’s something you’re interested in. I am happy to post them for you.

If you want more specific meal suggestions, I am happy to give those to you. Just let me know!

Good luck with getting your family to eat meat-free!

Submit!

Hey guys!
I just added a submit button to my page!
If you have made any of my recipes, I would love for you to take a picture and submit it so that I can see! Also, if you have any of your own vegetarian recipes that you would like to share, feel free to submit those, too!
Thanks, guys!

Submit here!

My mom had a neurologist appointment in Estes Park (which is about an 1 hour drive from where I live) today, so I went with her to keep her company and provide some moral support. We decided to stop for dinner before heading home and stumbled upon this amazing restaurant called Ed’s Cantina & Grill. We ordered a plate of fried green beans with chipotle aioli for an appetizer, and I had spinach and black bean enchiladas as my entree. The food was INCREDIBLE. You could tell that all of the ingredients were incredibly fresh. If you’re ever in Estes Park, I highly consider grabbing a bite to eat here!

Lemon-Garlic Chick-Pea Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can of chick peas, drained
• 1 clove of garlic, removed from its skin
• 1 lemon, zested and grated
• Coarse salt & pepper
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• Veggies for dipping

Directions:

• In a food processor or blender, combine the chick peas, garlic, lemon, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. 
• When the ingredients are all completely blended together, stream in the EVOO. Mix until dipping consistency.
• Serve with vegetables!
• Enjoy! <3

[I LOVE Crunch Berries, but I tend to steer clear of them because of the high amount of sugar. But, what better excuse to eat mass amounts of sweets than a birthday, right? These treats are a HUGE hit and can be altered based on your favorite cereal!]

Crunch Berry Treats

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 10oz. package of marshmallows
• 6 cups of Crunch Berries (any cereal can be substituted here)
• Cooking spray
• Cupcake liners

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low eat.
• Add the marshmallows and stir until they are all completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Add the cereal. Stir until all of the cereal is well-coated.
• Grease your hands with cooking spray. Grab a handful of marshmallow-coated cereal and gently roll it into a ball. Place the ball in a cupcake liner.
• Repeat this process until all of the cereal is gone, re-greasing your hands frequently to avoid sticking.
• Let the treats cool and harden.
• Serve and enjoy! <3

[I had some friends over last night to celebrate my birthday and rather making a cake, I made a batch of these babies. I LOVE red velvet and this recipe is from Paula Deen, so you know it is both delicious and TERRIBLE for you. But, it’s my birthday, so the calories don’t count, right?]

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons of red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Cupcake Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
• Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Lightly grease the liners.
• Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together into a medium bowl.
• Beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 of the way full.
• Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean,) turning the pans around half way through.
• Let the cupcakes cool completely.

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 pound (2 8oz. containers) of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 4 cups of powdered sugar

Frosting Directions:

• Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until they are smooth.
• Add the sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat the frosting for a few minutes, until it is nice and fluffy.
• Frost the cooled cupcakes.
• Serve and enjoy! <3

kidatthebeach asked: I tried your zucchini pasta, I loved it. I'm making the veggie enchiladas next.

That makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing!!

Let me know what you think of the enchiladas!

becular asked: hey, love your blog. :) will try out some of these delicious looking recipes!!

Thanks so much, girl!

Let me know what you think of them once you try them! 

[In August, my good friend and fellow Nutella enthusiast, Drina, came to visit me. She also shares my love for baking, so it was logical that we baked something with Nutella in it. We looked at tons of Nutella recipes, but this is the one that stood out the most to us. Let me tell you, I am ridiculously glad we chose this recipe. This is hands down my favorite cake on the planet. Tonight at the bible study that I lead, we had a little party and celebrated my birthday. In my mind, it was necessary that I make this cake.]

Cinnamon Cake with Nutella Buttercream

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) of butter, melted and cooled

Cake Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, flour, and baking powder. 
• In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla.
• Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until everything is well incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the butter until it is absorbed. The batter should be smooth and satiny at this point.
• Pour the batter into the two pans and smooth the tops. 
• Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cake begins to pull away from the sides, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes and place them on wire racks to cool completely.

Buttercream Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, softened

• 1 cup of Nutella
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk

Buttercream Directions:

• Using an electric mixer, mix the butter until it’s smooth and creamy.
• Add in the Nutella and mix until fluffy.
• Add the sugar 1 cup at a time, adding a little bit of milk in between. Mix until the batter is the correct consistency. If the batter is too thick, add a touch more milk. 
• Frost the cooled cakes
• Serve and enjoy! <3

[I’ll be real honest with you: I have no idea what makes this Paraguayan. I just know that I found this recipe and it sounded amazing and I had to make it.]

Paraguayan Corn Bread

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 2/3 cups of milk
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs, separated
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven the 400 degrees. Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease a loaf pan.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pan over low heat. Fry the onions in the butter for about 5 minutes, until they’re softened.
• Pour in the milk and stir until it’s heated, but don’t let it boil. Still stirring, add the cornmeal in a steady stream. Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and the remaining butter. When both have melt, season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they hold their shape. Stir the egg yolks into the cornmeal mixture, then gently fold in the egg whites.
• Pour the mixture into the loaf pan (if the mixture fills almost the entire pan, don’t worry about it. The bread won’t rise too much.)
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean. 
• Place the bread on a wire rack and allow it to cool a little bit. 
• Cut into slices and serve warm.
• Enjoy! <3