Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

The Beyond Meat Beyond Burger Plant Based Burgers at Home!

The Beyond Meat burger has been available at A&W in Canada for some time and I quite enjoyed indulging in the plant based sandwich a couple of times when my family visited the restaurant. The patties contain several vegetarian ingredients like beets, apples, yellow peas, beans, rice, potatoes and even pomegranate seeds! The burgers are very satisfying and rich in protein. The classic hamburger toppings make this an authentic burger experience and I really enjoy having the combination of lettuce, tomato, onions, and condiments flavours back in my hot sandwich life! Since I am not vegan, I also added a slice of cheese. While the Beyond Meat burger is a filling treat it is still high in calories (and WW points) and I find it very rich, something I'll only have on occasion for sure. This is also especially tricky when going to the fast food restaurant leads to the temptation of French fries, onion rings, and root beer!

Last week I was quite excited to find out that the Beyond Burgers are now available in grocery stores. I picked up a package (on sale for $7.99 for 2 patties) and hubby bar-b-qued for the family on the weekend. The home version tasted almost identical to the A&W one and it was nice to participate in the grilled dinner with healthier sides we prepared. Of course these Beyond Burgers are great options for vegetarians but I think the health-conscious consumer who is trying to reduce meat in the diet will find these a super substitute for ground beef. They are a really tasty alternative and may just become a regular part of a family's meal plan.

Hello Fresh: Part 2!

Last month I wrote about the eggplant dish I made based on a Hello Fresh recipe my daughter received with her meal service delivery. It was so delicious and while I was super tempted with the idea of having 3 meals planned, shopped for, and delivered to my door, I suggested that the service was not for me. Expense was my main concern, followed secondly by calorie count for the meals...BUT...never say never!

My daughter gave me a coupon for a 3-meal FREE trial. It seemed silly to just throw that away so I ended up signing on to the subscription. I know all about the pitfalls of such a set-up, I'm a child of the 70s and remember the Columbia House system and even when Netflix sent DVDs in the mail! I read the fine print (there isn't much) and decided there was nothing to lose by trying Hello Fresh. Secretly, I really wanted to sign up because I am in a total rut when it comes to feeding myself. As a vegetarian living with a family of carnivores, I have been struggling to prepare meals for myself in addition to theirs. I usually end up eating the carb and veggies from their dinner or frying an egg. I do love to cook and eat great dishes and the plant-based menus available at Hello Fresh sound mouthwatering.

So, here we go! My first delivery is next week, which happens to be ideal since my hubby will be eating his meals with work during that time. I can focus on unboxing, reading, and preparing my own meals. I cannot wait to dig in to the amazing sounding vegetarian calzone, Shepherd's Pie, and squash risotto. I will be sure to post my pics and reviews too.

The Hello Fresh app is very easy to use and I can see the recipes, ingredient list, and nutritional information in advance of my delivery. I can plan my meals accordingly and work out what I'll need for the other days. Apparently the meals yield two servings but my daughter says they are usually way too big and she subdivides further for lunches or the freezer. I plan on using the service about once a month so I can freeze suitable dishes for other weeks of the month. You can skip menus you don't care for or when you're away, and there is no minimum required to keep your account 'active'. I'm thinking this is the kick I need to get re-inspired about my own vegetarian meals and I can branch out from fried eggs for a at least a few days a month!

If you've ever tried a meal delivery service, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below!

Martha Stewart's Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna

I usually make a meat sauce-based lasagna but I didn't have any ground beef on hand and I DID have everything I needed to make a gorgeous vegetarian spinach one. I found THIS RECIPE from Martha Steward for Spinach Lasagna and it was amazing. It was not difficult to assemble and I was also happy it didn't call for ricotta cheese or cottage cheese since neither was in my fridge at the time.

Once you have steamed the spinach and prepared a simple bechamel sauce it is really quick to add the layers to a casserole dish. I made the process even faster by using some pre-grated cheese left over from the CREAMY 4-Cheese Garlic Spaghetti I'd made (another fantastic and simple recipe, by the way! Highly recommend!).

The lasagna smells incredible while it bakes and tasted absolutely fabulous. I was quite surprised by the lack of garlic in this recipe but it was actually a nice change. You could certainly add it into the sauce if you preferred, as well as substitute other vegetables for the sautéed zucchini. Broccoli or asparagus would both be good substitutes in our house.

I will definitely be making this vegetarian version of Spinach Lasagna and I'm looking forward to the leftovers tonight!

Royal Wedding Celebration!

I am very excited for the Royal Wedding on Saturday and will definitely be up early to watch. Even hubby is on board knowing I will be serving English Cream Scones at 6:00 a.m. There is nothing like enjoying these tender biscuits with clotted cream or Devonshire Double cream and a wonderful jam. I made a special trip to the British foods store to gather all I needed for the day and it took all my willpower to talk myself out of getting the souvenir Meghan and Harry gold-rimmed plate.

There is a bit of the Christmas fruitcake I made last winter to serve as a wedding cake stand-in (since I don't have time to make a Lemon Cake this week) and I plan on Cornish Pasties with potato, onion, and swede/rutabaga (you can find the recipe I used IN THIS POST) for dinner.

With all the media coverage on t.v. I had to pull out my scrapbook from our trip to England in 2016 to find my photos of Windsor (see them HERE) and re-live that amazing tour of the castle. It made me yearn to return and we so enjoyed the town of Windsor it is hard to see everyone standing where we stood, celebrating without us. Well, it looks like it will be a beautiful day and I cannot wait to see the bride and groom.

You can watch me make scones in my video below...an excellent treat to serve with tea!

Baked Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

I had a craving for stuffed French Toast and found THIS RECIPE for Baked Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole from Sally's Baking Addiction. It sounded divine and exactly what I was looking for so I whipped it up for breakfast the very next day - quite a special treat for a weekday!

It's so convenient being able to prepare French toast in a make-ahead casserole. Mornings are busy enough already and this large 9x13" dish feeds up to twelve at one go. (Is it bad that we only divided it into 6???). The cubed bread is plopped into the buttered pan and soaked with a standard egg, milk, and spice mixture. The special part comes in next with a sweetened cream cheese dotted on top and then the casserole sits in the fridge (3 hours or preferably overnight). The next morning, while the oven is pre-heating, a lovely butter and brown sugar streusel topping is sprinkled over the whole casserole. Yum! The Cream Cheese French Toast bakes for about 45 minutes and is served hot from the oven. Full disclosure, it tastes amazing the next day - even cold! ;)

I tweaked this recipe just a tad by adding sliced bananas and a half cup of frozen blueberries along with the bread cubes. I served the casserole with fresh strawberries and warmed maple syrup but to be honest, the streusel topping makes it very sweet and little syrup is actually needed.

We all loved the baked French toast and I appreciated how easy it was to make ahead. I will definitely be showcasing this dish at an upcoming brunch and it will be perfect when we have family visiting. This recipe gets an A+ from me!

Weight Watchers Microwave Egg Cooker

Eggs are now zero point foods on the new Weight Watchers Freestyle plan. Eggs are so versatile and I try to keep a bowl of hard boiled ones (made so easily in the Instant Pot!) in the fridge for those hungry snack times. I usually only have eggs for breakfast once a week, if that, on the weekends but I still picked up this plastic microwave egg cooker from Weight Watchers. Members seem to really like it and even though I can whip up an omelet in minutes in a sauté pan or poach an egg just as easily, I love a good gadget!

The cooker is only $6 and has a removable insert for poaching two eggs, and then the two-sided compartment for making omelets. I followed the directions exactly with regards to cooking time in the microwave and even though my appliance has a lower wattage, it worked out pretty well prepared as directed. I made an omelet first by beating an egg for each side and partially pre-cooking. You can add veggies and cheese at this point but I chose to sauté my onion, mushrooms and peppers first to soften them and flavour with a bit of olive oil.

The filling is added to one side of the cooker and then the lid is carefully closed (allowing the other half of the omelet to fold over) and cooked for another 15 seconds to melt the cheese. The omelet was very good and only 'cost' me a couple points since I used just a half teaspoon of oil and a sprinkle of feta cheese. Yum!

The poaching insert worked even better and was very easy to use. My eggs were a little over done for my preference so I will cook them less next time. I love how perfectly round the eggs are and they are ideal to top an English muffin. The cooker washes up effortlessly (I washed it by hand but it is also top-rack dishwasher safe) and I store mine on top of the microwave. I think this is a great little kitchen addition for those times when you want a quick snack or meal for one without getting the pans out or turning on the stove. It's a good investment of my $6 bucks!

Cheeky Monkey Hemp Smoothies

I don't often have smoothies, even though I love them, because my prep method uses fruit juices and yogurt. Juice has a lot of sugar and that adds up in calories and doesn't really contribute much nutrition-wise. A super alternative is this recipe from Julie Daniluk. The Cheeky Monkey Hemp Smoothie (recipe HERE) offers an antioxidant rich, higher protein, lower sugar smoothie that is filling and delicious.

When I purchased my Hemp Pro powder I inadvertently picked up the '+ fibre' version rather than the Pro 70 one. It is still chocolate flavoured but doesn't have quite the amount of protein but offers more fibre. That was ok with me and as this was my first time trying the product, I found it tasty and satisfying. I then heard from Julie herself that the added fibre variety is a little gritty tasting (which I didn't notice) but she assured me it was still an awesome choice and that I would be even more pleased when I tried the Pro 70. I'm looking forward to that but the container has a ton of powder so it might take me some time to get through it...

I have made the Cheeky Monkey recipe a couple times and love it! I used unsweetened almond milk with almond butter and it was great but you can choose any non-dairy beverage and nut butter. The addition of the ginger and cinnamon adds such a lovely bit of flavour which is so yummy. I'm very full after a milkshake-glass of this smoothie and find it really curbs my hunger for hours. I've also made a blueberry variation that is also delicious. You can really customize the recipe to suit your tastes.

My only complaint is that I wish I had a better blender. I'd love one of those VitaMix high speed blenders but I just can't fathom justifying more than $700 for a blender! That just seems bat crazy to me! I will accept a chunk or two of banana and ice from my under-a-hundred bucks hardware store model.

Coconut Paleo Pancakes

Here's a recipe I had to try, Coconut Paleo Pancakes. We are big pancake fans and I'm always willing to experiment with a recipe. Hey, that's how I found our current favourite, Apple Oatmeal Pancakes with Ground Flaxseed. I've been making a double batch of them every Saturday because even the kids LOVE them! You never know with food until you try, right? Might be a dud or might become your newest go-to meal!

The coconut pancakes fell somewhere in between. I really enjoyed them and they are easy to make. The batter is strange in that there is only 1/2 cup of coconut flour in the recipe it is quite runny in consistency. I would say they came out more like a cross between a pancake and a crepe. With 6 eggs in a batch, they are quite eggy as you would imagine and not too fluffy. However, the flavour was great and the coconut oil on the pan gave them (as is my husband's preference), a nice, golden brown surface. Surprisingly, they did have texture and weren't completely flat.

The only issue I have is that there's a balance for me between ingredients that are healthy and calorie load. These puppies were pretty high in points compared to other pancakes (which are already a weekend brunch splurge when it comes to Weight Watchers), so I have to be mindful of frequency and quantity when it comes to something like a flapjack made with 6 eggs and coconut fat.

Like everything, all in balance and moderation and no eliminating anything! You can find the recipe and how-to video from Julie Daniluk's website, right HERE. 

Blue Zones Red Beans and Rice

I love this recipe for Red Beans and Rice from the Blue Zones website. It's super simple and really fast to prepare, especially if you use parboiled brown rice or the Instant Pot.

After the cauliflower Buffalo 'wing' incident, I am relived that this version of beans and rice isn't spicy! This is a perfect dish for me to have when the fam dines on a meaty meal...it's very filling and healthy, with protein to keep me going, plus I love the leftovers for lunch with a corn tortilla.

Cauliflower Buffalo 'Wings'

The celebration of the humble cauliflower over the past couple years is impressive! I've always liked it, either raw or cooked, but these days it is puréed, 'riced', roasted, and even made into pizza crust. My daughter shared her favourite way to make it, Buffalo 'wings'. I tried this method myself when the family was enjoying barbequed chicken wings on the weekend.

The florets are battered in a seasoned flour mixture and then baked. Once they are tender and golden they are simply bathed in a favourite sauce, whether that is a traditional barbeque, a spicy Frank's Red Hot buffalo wing sauce, or even a salt and vinegar mixture. My cauliflower turned out perfectly from the oven but I'm not sure what I was thinking by coating the entire batch (my only dinner item) in the Frank's sauce. The 'wings' were delicious but WAAAAAY too hot for me! I guess when I ate regular chicken wings I could handle one or two of the spicy ones but then switched to a sweet honey barbeque. It is quite amazing though how the texture of the cauliflower is sort of 'meaty' and they do offer a great alternative to chicken.

Sadly, I couldn't tolerate more than two and had to sacrifice the remainder as hubby couldn't help because I used almond milk (as suggested) to mix the batter and he has a nut allergy. I definitely learned my lesson and even though I certainly will make the cauliflower wings again, I will make SURE to smother them in a more subtle sauce than Frank's Red Hot Cayenne!

You can find the recipe I tried (and the variations), from Hot for Food, HERE.