Vegetarian - Blog Posts

Bruschetta Grilled Cheese

You're welcome.

Welcome to the only recipe for grilled cheese ever. 

Don’t like tomatoes? Doesn’t matter. Get lost in the sauce of basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and cheese.

I don’t remember who thought of this first, me or my housemate, so I'm giving us shared credit for this invention. All I know is that we were hungry, had bruschetta mix left over from the night before, and are both apparently geniuses.

Now, enough talking, onto the recipe.

Prep time: 15 mins         Cook time: 15 mins*         Overall: 30 mins

* Can be longer based on if you want to marinate the mix or how many you want to make.

Ingredients:

1 dry pint (312 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, diced

4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

4-5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tbsp. (60 ml) balsamic vinegar*

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sourdough bread, sliced into sandwich slices**

Butter

Mozzarella or Swiss cheese slices

* Can vary based on how much dipping sauce you need.

** I used Vienna style sourdough bread for aesthetics but any style works for this as long as it's the thickness of a sandwich slice.

Add the diced tomato, basil, and garlic to a medium-sized mixing bowl (top-left).

Then, add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste (top-right). 

NOTE: You’ll want to add more balsamic vinegar depending on how many sandwiches you’re making so that everyone has dipping sauce!

Mix everything together until all of the tomatoes have been coated in balsamic vinegar.

NOTE: You can totally eat this mix right away, but leaving it to marinate overnight gives extra depth to the flavour!

Heat a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. While it heats, butter two slices of the sourdough bread on one side.

Place one of the sourdough slices butter-side down in the pan once you can start to feel the heat radiating from the pan. Immediately add the cheese slices (top-left).

Add some of the bruschetta mixture on top of the cheese once you hear the butter start to sizzle (top-right). Make sure to leave as much liquid in the brushetta bowl as possible so it doesn’t make the bread too soggy!

NOTE: Definitely add the cheese before the mix. I’ve tried making this and adding the mix before the cheese and it just makes the bread soggy while you’re waiting for it to toast in the pan.

Add the top slice of bread butter-side out once you’ve added the bruschetta mix (top-left) and carefully flip the sandwich.

The structural integrity of these bad boys isn’t so great at this stage, so you’ll want to hold onto the top slice of bread until the last moment while you flip.

Repeat the flipping process until both sides are a nice golden brown (top-right).

TIP: To add some extra flavour to the bread, lightly drizzle both slices with some of the liquid from the bruschetta mix as they toast. Only do this once they’ve toasted for a bit on each side though or it’ll just make the bread soggy!

Now you’re ready to enjoy the best grilled cheese ever! Don’t forget the sauce!

As a side, I’ve found that carrots are a nice veggie snack to go with these since their sweetness compliments the sweetness from the tomatoes.

NOTE: I’ve found the bruschetta mix can be kept up to three days in a tupperware in the fridge before the flavour becomes just a little too overpowering.

Elven Marruth

“Sometimes reductively referred to as “root pies” by dwarves and humans, marruth are incredibly hearty closed-faced canapés that are filled with spiced and herbed mashes of vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and carrots) and then lightly baked in a flaky, buttery crust.” - Heroes’ Feast, p. 64

Eating seasonal foods is a popular option because it helps local growers, tastes fresher, and makes you feel more connected to the season. Now, this is all well and good if you live in a climate with longer or all-year growing seasons; but what can you expect to be growing when you’re knee-deep in snow?

Believe it or not, there are winter seasonal vegetables! (rip fruit, you’ll be missed until spring)

Elven Marruth from Heroes’ Feast is a great use of hardy winter-season produce. The small pastries make for a great snack alongside a warm bowl of soup or, thanks to their nutritious filling, a great meal on their own!

These small pastries also hold a special place in my heart for being the first recipe I ever made from Heroes’ Feast (alongside Underdark Lotus with Fire Lichen Spread on p. 93)!

Check out below for my process in creating the house and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep: 15 mins + pie crust, if making                 Cook: 2h 30 mins

Total: 2h 45 mins

Ingredients:

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped*

1 small Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped*

2 cups (300 g) packed finely chopped green cabbage*

3 tbsp. (44 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. (3 g) finely chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 ½ tbsp. (4 g) picked whole thyme leaves**

¾ tsp. (4 ml) soy sauce

¼ cup (4 g) chopped fresh dill

All-purpose flour for dusting

Pastry for 2 double-crust pies, thawed if frozen

1 egg

* To cut down on prep time, roughly chop the onion, carrot, and cabbage and then process them together in a food processor. You’ll need about 15 pulses get them all finely chopped.

** To pick the whole thyme leaves, pinch a stem of thyme and run your fingers down the opposite way the leaves are pointing.

First, preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) with the racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick (silicone) liners.

Then, in a bowl, combine the onion, potato, carrots, cabbage, and olive oil and toss to coat the vegetables with the oil (top-left). Add ½ tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss to distribute (top-right).

Transfer the mixture to one of the prepared baking sheets, spreading it into a thin, even layer (set the bowl aside) (top-left).

Roast the vegetables on either rack until tender, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring and turning the vegetables two or three times (top-right).

NOTE: I misread the instructions so I spread the mixture over both sheets.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven, add the chopped thyme, and stir to incorporate it. Spread out the mixture and allow to cool to room temperature for about 20 minutes.

Leave the oven on for more baking and return the cooled veggies to the now-empty bowl. Stir in the soy sauce, dill, ¾ tsp. salt, and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning as necessary, and set aside until needed.

If making the filling ahead of time, turn off the oven, transfer the cooled mixture to a tupperware, and put it in the fridge until needed.

Replace the parchment paper on the baking sheet or wash the non-stick liner and return it to the baking sheet. Have a small bowl of water handy.

Dust a large piece of parchment paper or a clean work surface with flour. Working with one ball of homemade pastry at a time, or one sheet of store-bought pastry, roll the dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle (top-left).

Sprinkle half of the whole thyme leaves evenly over the pastry, cover with a piece of parchment paper, and roll lightly to help the thyme stick (top-right).

Flip the pastry over so the thyme leaves are on the bottom, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pastry and remaining whole thyme leaves.

With a 4-inch (10 cm) round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut at least six circles out of each pastry round.

TIP: To keep the pastry as chilled as possible for maximum ~flakiness~ while baking, work with and cut out circles from one ball of pastry at a time. Place each cut circle on a plate covered with cling film and put in the fridge until needed.

Keep the scraps from the first dough ball in the fridge and combine with the scraps from the second dough ball. Roll out the combined scraps for extra circles.

NOTE: My pie crust recipe gives quite a bit of dough, so you’ll end up cutting out way more than the six asked for by Heroes’ Feast.

Working with as many of the pastry circles as you feel comfortable with to keep the dough chilled, place 1 ½ tbsp. (one slightly rounded tbsp.) of the vegetable mixture in the center of each round, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.

Working with one piece of pastry at a time, moisten the edge of the pastry circle and fold over the pastry over the filling to make a half-moon shape. Press out any trapped air, press the edges firmly to seal, and crimp the edges using a fork to secure the seal.

Transfer the crimped pastries to a separate plate and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

Repeat with the remaining pastry rounds and filling.

Once all of the pastries are ready, transfer them onto the prepared baking sheets.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp. water and brush the tops and sides of each marruth with the mixture (top-left).

Bake until the marruths are light golden brown and crisp, about 25 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees and switching racks halfway through baking (top-right).

Set the baking sheets on wire racks, cool the pastries for about 5 minutes, and serve hot.

NOTE: Despite the recipe only being supposed to make 12, I’ve always gotten somewhere between 18-22 marruths from the filling.

NOTE: You’ll notice the BIG marruth I’ve made on the tray. I was trying to see if I could make a larger version of this recipe since I’d made smaller ones of the Hand Pies (p. 21). However, the consensus was that the smaller ones were better. Expect 4-5 more marruths than shown if not making the big one.

Overall, I would give this recipe a 5/5. I’m usually not a huge fan of vegetable-based dishes, but these veggie turnovers are awesome. I’ve made them for weekend lunches and many a movie night and they’re always a massive hit!

The vegetables really work together with the soy sauce and herbs to create a great flavour with a texture reminiscent of a spring roll. If you’re looking for a more savoury turnover, this one’s for you.

MAKE SURE TO EAT THEM WARM though. It might just be me, but they don’t really work if they’re any colder than room temperature.

I would also recommend making the filling and pie crust on one day and assembling them the next day. It makes the cooking time a lot less daunting and not eat up your free time :)

P.S. You can make these for someone who doesn’t like onion by leaving it out. I’ve made them like this before and they said they were great!

Feywild Eggs

(w/ my favourite add-ins)

[Feywild Eggs are] a delightful presentation of creamed, herbed, and fluffed eggs, completed over even heat for a golden crisp finish. Some have even claimed this simple recipe descended from the leShay, an immortal breed of fey “elves” with incredible, godlike powers. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 58

Eggs are one of the most versatile foods around. Scrambled with cheese, added to rice, mixed with greens - there’s nearly no limit to the variations. Easy to pick up the basics, they make a great introduction food for anyone looking to start their cooking journey. The only trick to these eggs is to make sure you have the proper pan for the job!

The Feywild Eggs frittata in Heroes’ Feast makes a great base for any number of combinations you can think of, anytime of the day. Due to all of the possibilities, I couldn’t possibly cover all options in this post. So, I’ll be covering the base recipe through the post and will discuss my favourite add-ins and how I cooked them in the results section!

For a complete feast, eat them with the Yawning Portal Buttermilk Biscuits (p. 31) and Otik’s Skillet-Fried Spiced Potatoes! (p. 20)

See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep Time: 10 mins             Cook Time: 35 mins               Overall: 45 mins*

* Will take longer if you are preparing and cooking add-ins.

For the ingredients:

9 eggs

¼ cup (23 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

⅓ cup (20 g) finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (ex. parsley, basil, dill, mint, tarragon, lovage, or celery leaves

½ tsp. (3 g) kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

5 oz., about ½ cup, (140 g) Fontina, Colby, Monterey Jack, Havarti, or Gouda cheese, finely diced*

* If looking to reduce the fat content, feel free to use half the suggested amount of Parmesan cheese and cubed cheese.

Warning: Make sure the skillet you use is oven-safe to 400℉

NOTE: The cook’s note in Heroes’ Feast gives suggestions for veggies and meats to use with the frittata (asparagus, sautéd bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, etc. and cooked crumbled bacon or sausage). The only point of concern is to make sure they have all been seasoned and cooked through in the pan before adding the egg mixture.

First, I preheated the oven to 400℉ (204℃).

Next, I beat together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, herbs, salt, and some pepper until the mixture was uniformly blended.

After combining the egg mixture, I heated my 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and warmed the olive oil until shimmering. Then, I added the onion and let it cook, stirring frequently, until it softened - about 3 minutes.

REMINDER to cook all of your add-in veggies and meats in the skillet before adding the eggs! See the results section for my favourite add-ins and how I cooked them up.

Once the onion softened, I added the egg mixture to the skillet and let it cook, undisturbed, until the edges began to set and bubbles appeared in the center - about 1 minute (upper-left).

Then, I sprinkled the diced cheese evenly over the eggs (upper-right).

After assembling, I transferred the skillet to the middle oven rack and baked the frittata until the center had set and it puffed up - about 14 minutes.

NOTE: The frittata will puff a lot in the oven, so make sure your oven rack is in the middle!

After taking the skillet out of the oven, I ran a flexible nonstick spatula around the edges of the frittata to loosen it for transfer onto a serving plate.

I let it cool for about 15 minutes then cut it into wedges. It can be served warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: Don’t panic when it deflates as you loosen it from the skillet and transfer - it’s meant to do that!

Overall, I would give this recipe a 3.5/5 on its own and a 4.5/5 when you include add-ins. As stated in the introduction, the base Feywild Eggs recipe is a great starting point to build on but really needs the extras to not taste bland.

For my personal favourites, I used Italian parsley, 1 cup (130 g) chopped asparagus, and 1 cup (70 g) sliced mushrooms. Like the original recipe, I mixed in the finely chopped Italian parsley with the eggs. To cook veggies, I heated 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium heat until shimmering and then added the onion, asparagus, and mushrooms at the same time. I seasoned them with salt and pepper in the pan then cooked, stirring frequently, until the asparagus softened and the onions were a translucent golden brown - about 5 minutes.

Vedbread

Traditionally prepared with sharp “ved” cheese and presented with onion butter, these crusty buns are best served warm, [...] this particular recipe comes from Lorren’s Bakery in Faerûn’s Village of Red Larch, and features mushrooms and cheese from local, outlying farms. - Heroes’ Feast, p. 27

Ever since I first started looking through Heroes’ Feast, Vedbread has been one of the recipes I’ve been most interested in trying. Although they may appear a little strange at first glance, the best way to describe them would be a ‘savory cinnamon rolls’. The mushroom filling mixed with the cheesy dough gives the buns an awesome flavour combo!

Delicious and filling, these buns are sure to make an interesting alternative to a typical lunch or midday snack. Not only that, but they’re great for a fall aesthetic as the perfect match for a steaming cup of broth!

See below for my notes on the results and for some helpful tips and tricks when making this yourself! Get Heroes’ Feast here: https://dnd.wizards.com/heroes-feast

Prep:  15 mins                           Cook:  60 mins                           Overall:  1h 15 mins

For the filling ingredients:

12 ounces (345 g) cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped*

2 tbsp. (28 g) unsalted butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

Kosher salt

1 tsp. (1 g) finely chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup (23 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

For the dough ingredients:

2¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 tbsp. (14 g) baking powder

1 tsp. (4 g) sugar

½ tsp. (3 g) kosher salt

6 ounces (170 g) Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated

¾ cup (177 ml) buttermilk, cold

6 tbsp. (85 g) unsalted and butter, melted and cooled

1 egg

Truffle oil for brushing (optional)

* Heroes’ Feast mentions you can substitute the cremini mushrooms with the same amount of shiitake.

For the filling:

First, I pulsed the mushrooms in the food processor until they were very finely chopped (about 8-10 pulses).

Next, I cooked the mushrooms:

I melted the butter over medium heat and cooked the shallots until they began to soften - about 2 minutes;

I adjusted the heat to medium high and added the processed mushroom and ¼ tsp. salt. While stirring I cooked them until all of the liquid from the mushrooms had evaporated - about 9 to 12 minutes (keep an eye on it);

I added the thyme and cooked, stirring, until fragrant - about 1 minute;

I removed the skillet from the heat and stirred in the Parmesan.

After cooking, taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. I found there was enough salt but needed a couple shakes of pepper.

After seasoning, I spread the mixture on a plate to cool for assembly.

Then, I preheated the oven to 425℉ (218℃) and lined a large rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment (you could also use a reusable silicone liner).

For the dough:

To prepare the dough, I started by whisking the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Then, I stirred in the grated Gryère cheese.

Next, in a small bowl, I whisked together the buttermilk and cooled melted butter. The butter will clump, this is normal.

I added the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and used a wooden spoon to form a chunky dough.

Heroes’ Feast notes that the dough should be sticky at this stage. However, I found it to be rather dry - with bits and pieces of cheese and flour not being incorporated. Don’t worry if your dough turns out similarly. Mine incorporated into a stickier dough while kneading.

After creating a chunky dough, I turned it out onto my breadboard and kneaded until it held together and was mostly smooth - about 4-5 minutes. Take care not to overknead.

After creating the dough ball, I floured the board and under the ball to keep it from sticking to the surface while rolling out.

TIP: The techniques I use for kneading (and a helpful video) can be found on my post about Dwarven Flatbread.

Assembly:

To start the assembly, I rolled out my dough ball into a roughly 12 by 18-inch rectangle. Dust off any excess flour from the surface.

Next, I spread the mushroom mixture over the entire surface. Expect the layer to be thin and patchy.

To roll the vedbread, I started by working with the widest side (18-inch) furthest from me. I then rolled the dough into a very tight, even, compact cylinder towards me.

When I finished rolling, I pinched the seam along the entire length of the cylinder to close it.

Next, using a serrated knife in a sawing motion, I trimmed off the ends of the cylinder to discard and cut the remaining cylinder into 1 ¼-inch pieces.

NOTE: When you make these, you will find it makes about 14. I only have 11 because I misread the dimensions for rolling out the dough.

I arranged the buns cut-sides up on the baking sheet and brushed the top and sides with eggwash - an egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water (above-left).

I cooked them for 18 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until they were golden brown, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. I let the buns cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

I let the buns cool on the wire rack for a little while before storing them. They are best eaten warm or at room temperature (would not recommend cold).

If using, brush the buns with some before serving.

Overall, I would give this recipe a 4.5/5. If it’s not already obvious from the ingredients list, these buns are very mushroomy.

I would suggest trying these buns both at room temperature and warm out of the oven to see how you best enjoy them. Personally, I found the taste of the mushrooms mellowed when left at room temperature and made them much more enjoyable. On the other hand, my dad, who doesn’t particularly enjoy mushrooms, found them tastier warm. So make sure to try them both ways and see how you feel.

There’s a general tip that it’s best to store baked goods in a paper bag at room temperature to keep the crust harder on the outside and softer on the inside. However, I would advise against this for these buns. The dough is too thin to benefit from this and will just go stale-ish  - like they’d been left uncovered on the counter. Keeping them in an airtight container is the best way to preserve that softness that you get right out of the oven.

Want to enjoy them again later? No trouble! Reheat them at 300℉ (149℃ ) for about 8 minutes to snack on them warm.

National Vegetarian Week 2014 Aubergine Lasagne

Me,thinking about going vegan:

My mum from the other room: NO YOU FUCKING WON'T

What I love about frozen veggies meant for panfrying is that they're good for you, low in calories and you can customize them up to your liking. Today for lunch I made this stir-fry using:

❤️150g of frozen vegetables (came out to 75kcal for me)

❤️90g of cooked rice (117kcal)

❤️1 tablespoon of light soy sauce (3kcal)

❤️1 tablespoon of oil for frying (91kcal)

Seasonings: curry and garlic powder

This whole portion came out to 286kcal for me and it tastes super good ^^

Remember that I do NOT promote ana or any other eating disorders, you deserve to eat, you need to eat to survive, I don't encourage you to get yourself into an ED if you don't have one (don't do it. It's not just a diet, it's dangerous), I'm just sharing some of my low calorie recipes/meal ideas to help you and perhaps encourage you to recover because you do deserve to recover, you deserve to be happy and eat without feeling guilty ❤️

You can only eat 2 foods for the next 2 years (with no health repercussions)

Spin this wheel twice to figure out what they are!

Happy 4th of July. Stay healthy my friends. 🇺🇸

And the rest of the world! Eat responsibly for yourself! Eat for your health! Eat for the environment! Eat for the kind of world you want to live in! Think about your choices and if they help or hurt you or anyone else in the world!