Old Settlers Beans

This is an old recipe of my mother's that needed a "redo." The original recipe was loaded with way too much sugar, along with ground beef and bacon.

I always liked this recipe as a kid growing up, but decided that it was time to make it vegetarian and cut down on the sugar.

I eliminated the bacon, added some "vegetarian crumbled meat (found by the Boca Burgers at your grocer) and substituted agave nectar for the brown and white sugar. Both my guys gave it 2 thumbs up, which means I can pass it along to you. :)

Old Settler Beans:

1 can kidney beans

1 can butter beans

1 can vegetarian baked beans

1 medium onion

1 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 tsp mustard

2 tbs. molasses

1 bag of "vegetarian meat substitute" You could also use Boca Burgers and break them into pieces. You could also make this without a meat substitute and it would be good too.

Drain the 3 cans of beans. Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir to mix all the ingredients. Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until cooked through.

At our house, we make a meal out of this dish. A slice of whole grain bread is all you need.

Enjoy!

Garlicky Grilled Patty Pans and Veggie Kabobs

Tonight we grilled some more veggies. I picked up some Patty Pan squash at the farmers market a couple of days ago (mostly because they are so cute looking), and decided to marinade and grill them. Their flavor resembles that of summer squash.

For the kabobs, Stephe and Kyle created a wonderful marinade that is a hit time, after time, after time. Simple, easy and fast.

Below are the two marinades that we used. I hope you enjoy them.

Garlicky Grilled Patty Pan:

6 Patty Pan, cut in half horizontally

2 Tbsp Olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the Patty Pan. I would suggest allowing the Patty Pan at least 30 minutes to sit in the marinade before grilling. If you are planning ahead, let them marinade longer and the flavors will be even better.

Place the Patty Pan on a hot grill. Grill on each side about 4-5 minutes. Don't grill too long, or the Patty Pan will get too soft.

Veggie Kabob Marinade:

2 Tbsp honey or agave nectar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp pepper

2 gloves garlic, minced

Mix the above ingredients together and pour over the vegetables of your choosing. We used pepper (red, orange, yellow), onion, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, and patty pan. When grilling veggie kabobs you'll want to make sure that you are using vegetables that have about the same grilling time, or you can make each kabob a different vegetable and just put them on the grill according to the time they need to cook. The vegetables that we used, all take about 8-10 minutes to grill.

To complete the meal, a simple side of rice, couscous, quinoa, etc would be great. Or perhaps your favorite veggie burger :)

Happy Grilling!

Grilled Marinated Zucchini and Summer Squash

With the abundance of zucchini and summer squash, I thought I would share a tasty way to prepare them. Grilling zucchini and summer squash is so easy. If you have a favorite marinade, go ahead and use it with your veggies as well. Below is a marinade recipe that we used in our home.

And as always, as far as I'm concerned, homemade is always best way to go. You control the ingredients and it takes just a few minutes to throw together. Most marinades can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator for several days.

According to my step son, Kyle these tasty "veggie planks" taste like something prepared at the Rain Forest Cafe or the Hard Rock Cafe. I'll take that to be a compliment :) I'll let you judge for yourself.

Basic Herb Marinade:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped or 2 tsp dried

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, basil, oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the EVOO and whisk constantly until the oil in emulsified.

To prepare the zucchini and summer squash:

For this recipe you want to use small to medium size veggies. Slice the zucchini/summer squash lengthwise into "planks" about 3/8 inch thick.

Place the veggies in a plastic bag or glass dish and pour the marinade over it, coating the veggies well.

If you have the time, I would recommend letting the veggies marinade for a couple of hours so the flavors really have a chance to soak into the veggies.

When you are ready to grill, simply lay the planks out on the hot grill. Grilling time is only 8-10 minutes. About half way through the cooking time, turn them over. Don't let them cook too long, as they will get overcooked and mushy. I prefer to veggies to have a little crunch left to them.

For a variation on this, you could also cut your veggies up in chunks, marinade and put them on skewers.

Either way, you will have found another way to prepare the bounty of zucchini and summer squash that we are blessed with this time of year!

Happy Grilling.

Minty Orzo Lentil and Feta Salad

This is a great summer salad. Our friends made this for us a few weeks ago. You can serve it as a side dish, or do as we did and eat it in a pita. For the vegan in your life, simply leave out the feta or replace it with a vegan cheese.

Minty Orzo Lentil and Feta Salad:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups orzo pasta

6 Tbsp olive oil, divided

3/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

1 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes; drain. Transfer pasta into a large bowl, and mix in 1 Tbsp olive oil; cover, and refrigerate until cool.

Place lentils into a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer over low heat until lentil are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Combine the remaining olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.

To the pasta add the lentils, oil mixture, olives, feta cheese, red onion, mint and dill; stir until thoroughly blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.