Category Archives: Nico in the Kitchen

Sep 30

Nine Months Veggie Check In

I’m nine months in, and still going strong.

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Summer has been pretty tasty. I’ve enjoyed many home-grown veggies, and I’ve tried out several vegan recipes too.

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I still haven’t reached my goal of going vegan though… My two hang-ups Cheese Pizza (even though I am lactose intolerant) and Ice Cream (that’s what Lactaid is for).

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So the Summer was going pretty well, and then September hit… We have had an ongoing cold, that turned into flu, that morphed into bad allergies, that went back into a fever, and it has had all of us sick for the entire month. It has been miserable, and I’m so sick of it.

I stuck with my veggies though, and ran through the entire stockpile in the house. So September is a throw-away month, and October I’m detoxing the house, and getting my butt back in gear.

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So my plan is still the same. I’m going to see 2015 through as a vegetarian and go from there.

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And October had better be better!

Sep 3

August’s Veggie Meals

August was a tasty month filled with lots of garden goodness. I tried out a bunch of new recipes, and tried my hand at some vegan baking too.

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First up I tried out a batch of vegan vanilla rice pudding.

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I also made a batch of vanilla chia seed pudding. This dish has quickly become one of my favorites.

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One new recipe I made was for an amazingly tasty Polish dish called Haluski. Oh my goodness, this was absolutely delicious, and I will have to make it again.

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Roasted Chickpeas and Steak-fries. Filling and vegan.

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Since I had Chickpeas hanging out in the fridge, I decided to roast them for a snack. This batch I flavored with Chex Mix ingredients, and they were really good. Perfect snack, even though the kids still wouldn’t try them.

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I made some tasty Panko Fried Okra with okra from our garden. I also was lucky to receive some tomatoes and cucumbers from my garden buddy. So tasty!

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Homemade Cheese Pizza. Some for the kids, and some for me.

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I can’t get enough Roasted Veggies. Again, this dish was vegan and filling. I also finally used up all of the chickpeas hanging out in the fridge.

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O.k. so I’ve been thinking about baking, well vegan baking. I’ve been adjusting recipes, and veganizing them. First up was a batch of oatmeal muffins. I used Chia seed as my egg replacement, and Almond Milk instead of regular lactose free milk. The muffins were sweet, delicious, and baked up perfectly.

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I finally finished up the last of the veggie soup that was hanging out in the freezer.

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One more dish I made vegan, was Homemade Pizza, and now my eleven year old will never trust me again. This pizza was amazing! It was light, crispy, and filled with garden goodness. Again my garden buddy brought me over a giant tomato, and red bell pepper. Crazy good!

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I’ve been craving take-out, and this homemade veggie stir-fry hit the spot.

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Simple and delicious vegan Red Beans and Rice. I slow cooked beans (for chili) all day in the crock pot.

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We even had a few late season Green Beans from the garden. We are still picking a few okra here and there.

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I tested out a batch of vegan dinner rolls. They turned out perfect, and they were light and fluffy. Everybody really liked them too.

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One more batch of roasted veggies. This batch included roasted okra from our backyard.

Sep 1

September’s Monthly Menu

I can’t believe that it is September already. August seemed to go by so very slowly, but then poof school arrived, and here comes September. I’m ready for cooler weather, and meals in the Crock Pot. I’m still sticking with my veggies, but making a regular menu for my family. I’m also taking a little break on Friday nights and opting for take-out or leftovers.

Here we go it’s September’s Monthly Dinner Menu:

  • 9/1/15: Chili (two ways), Saltines, Corn Chips, Cornbread, and Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • 9/2/15: Panko Fried Chicken, Veggies, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/3/15: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/4/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/5/15: Bacon, Toast, Banana Muffins, and Greek Yogurt Parfaits
  • 9/6/15: Panko Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Green Beans, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/7/15: Burgers, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Pasta Salad, and Potato Chips
  • 9/8/15: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/9/15: Salmon Bites, Salad, and Homemade Breadsticks
  • 9/10/15: Beef Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/11/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/12/15: Monkey Bread, Bacon, Toast, and Breakfast Potatoes
  • 9/13/15: Pot Roast with Potatoes, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/14/15: Chili, Veggie Soup, Saltines, Cornbread, and Tortilla Chips
  • 9/15/15: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/16/15: Snack Dinner! Lil’ Smokies, Chips & Dip, Fresh Fruit, and Veggie Sticks with Pita & Homemade Hummus
  • 9/17/15: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/18/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/19/15: Cinnamon Rolls, Bacon, Toast, and Fresh Fruit
  • 9/20/15: Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Corn, and Homemade Fresh Bread
  • 9/21/15: Homemade Beef Rice-a-Roni, Homemade Wheat Rolls, and Hominy
  • 9/22/15: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/23/15: Chili, Potato Soup, Cornbread, Saltines, and Tortilla Chips
  • 9/24/15: Beef Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/25/15: Take-out or Leftovers
  • 9/26/15: Toast, Bacon, Breakfast Potatoes, and Muffins
  • 9/27/15: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Dinner Rolls
  • 9/28/15: Panko Chicken Cutlets, Roasted Veggies, and Homemade Veggie Minestrone Soup
  • 9/29/15: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Homemade Salsa
  • 9/30/15: Snack Dinner! Lil’ Smokies, Chips & Dip, Fresh Fruit, and Veggie Sticks with Pita and Homemade Hummus

Time to make a shopping list, and get to it.

 

Aug 5

July’s Veggie Meals

July was a delicious month, we had a few fresh veggies from the garden, and a few fresh veggies from a friend’s garden too. I’m still sticking with vegetarianism, and making one or two of my meals vegan daily. I’ve been really happy with the change, and I have lots of yummy photos to share.

For the Fourth of July, James was in charge of the grill. He grilled veggies and corn for me. I also made a pouch of cheese stuffed sweet peppers, they were amazingly delicious.

I made a big batch of Veggie Calzones. I topped mine with Flax seed.

They were stuffed with Mozzrella, Kale, Sweet Peppers, and Black Olives.

My family isn’t a fan of this dish, so I make a little version for me, Cheesy Rice with Broccoli. It is great for lunch or dinner.

We picked a few tiny Roma Tomatoes, and a few Okra too. My gardening buddy brought me over some Cucumbers, so I made him a cherry pie in exchange. I made a Veggie Gumbo with the okra and tomatoes. I also made a cool Corn and Cucumber salad to go along with it.

Growing up as a teen in SW Mo, my very favorite place to go was Gringo’s. It was an awesome (regional) Mexican restaurant. Now that I’m a grown-up living in SE Ks, I try my best to recreate their delicious recipes. This is my version of their Refried Bean Toastadas, with fresh tortilla chips on the side, and don’t forget the Cherry Pepsi, that is a must. It is pretty close, their tostadas are still the best.

I must have had take-out on my mind. I made a big batch of Veggie Hot & Sour Soup,

and a big batch of Veggie Lo Mien

The soup freezes well, and I added a bit of rice to it when I had it for another day’s lunch.

Hello Grilled Cheese.

Grilled Mozzarella Cheese with Roma Tomatoes and fresh Basil. This was one insanely delicious sandwich. If my tomato plants decide to give me a few more tomatoes, I’m going to make this one again.