Tag Archives: vegetarian

Aug22

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Posted on August 22, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy!! When it comes to finding new recipes for dinner, I have been in a rut. I did away with Pinterest a while ago because I was sick and tired of pinning recipe after recipe and never making it lol. So, I decided on a different approach and have just been Googling dinners I am interested in trying. This has been so much easier because I limit myself to the first few five star recipes that show up rather than scrolling through and trying to find just the right one. With this new system, I wanted to try out a recipe I found for vegetarian stuffed peppers from The Modern Proper. It was alright but didn’t blow me away so I definitely plan on making some changes if I make them again! Let’s get to it:

When I am looking for new recipes, I always look for simple meals that require minimal ingredients. The recipe for the vegetarian stuffed peppers called for twelve or so different ingredients and you are likely to find quite a few of them in your own pantry or fridge. I did! The prep work for the peppers was easy peasy and only involved chopping an onion, a few green onions, and a bell pepper. What took forever, however, was cooking the rice! I had no idea it would take that long and it turned the prep time into an almost hour long process. I literally finished it in the knick of time during a quick work break and had to leave as soon as I was sure that the rice was fully tender.

After work, all that was left to do was top the peppers with tons of cheese and stick it in the oven. Johnny and I were both SO hungry and couldn’t wait to dig in after it cooked for about forty minutes. The end result was just okay. Johnny didn’t particularly care for it and I wasn’t surprised in the slightest. The biggest disappointment to me was the flavor because it was really bland. The recipe called for one packet of taco seasoning and salt and that was it. I would have preferred a lot more kick to it so if I make them again, I would do my own thing with the seasoning. Cayenne pepper, chili powder, maybe a bit of hot sauce too. This recipe was not the best or the worst and the jury is out on if I would try it again.

Even though we weren’t overly impressed with the vegetarian stuffed peppers, I am glad I gave it a shot. You never know if you don’t try!

How do you like to find new recipes? What are some of your favorite vegetarian dishes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

Best Husband Ever

Posted on June 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! In this day and age, it does not take much for me to feel overwhelmed. I have a lot going on and a ton of responsibilities and I am just one Lil Red, after all! This has definitely been effecting my mood and I just feel exhausted and under appreciated. Needless to say, I am SO looking forward to some much needed time off next week. This Tuesday, however, ended up being a banner day because of my Johnny. It’s not often that this happens, but he offered to make dinner for us and it was exactly what I needed. ❤

I will be perfectly honest – Johnny does not have a ton of recipes in his cooking arsenal lol. He is formidable at using the air fryer, though, and when he asked me if I wanted him to make my favorite of air fried commodities, I was so delighted. For dinner, Johnny made my go to meatless buffalo chicken patties and French fries and it was divine. A simple meal, yes. But it was really nice to be able to chill on the couch and take is easy while Johnny took care of everything. It was incredibly thoughtful and I felt spoiled – he totally clocked that that’s how I needed to feel and accommodated it in the best way he knew how. Taking something off of my plate while also putting something on my plate lol. What can I say, the way to my heart is through my stomach! 😀

Johnny is simply the best and I really am the luckiest gal in the world because of him. He is constantly doing sweet things like this just for me and even on the most stressful days, life is good when I get to come back to our apartment and see him there. He knows that I don’t want or need grand gestures because all of the little things mean so much more to me. It might seem silly, but the most basic meal ever felt like going to a five star restaurant. It was more than enough to make me feel seen and valued. Even more so because I knew that was what he intended and it worked like a charm. What a guy!

Since Johnny was an excellent sport with dinner, I returned the favor by indulging him in watching a WWII documentary together. It was a lovely evening in and I felt way better than I did before. ❤

What is something simple that makes you happy? What do you do when you are in a funk? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Fake Chicken & Waffles

Posted on April 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! Every once in a while, Johnny will announce that he is craving something or another. It might be a candy bar, it could be a cup of tea, a huge burger, and anything in between. This past week, he shared with the bunnies and I that he really wanted some chicken and waffles. He then went to the store after work for supplies and made himself the dinner of his dreams that evening. It was so nice to not have to cook lol! I had to admit that the food looked and smelled delicious so I wanted to try a modified version with my MorningStar buffalo chicken patties. Check it out:

I must give credit where credit is due and say that Johnny hit the nail on the head with his idea. I have never had chicken and waffles before and it was the bomb.com! The waffles that he picked out were an inspired choice because they were thick, fluffy, and infused with maple syrup. It was like a flavor explosion paired with the fake buffalo chicken and I have never tasted anything like it before. This meal required no prep whatsoever and it was a relief to make such an easy dinner after a long day at work. I can’t say that I would make this for myself all of the time, but it was definitely a treat.

If you haven’t tried the MorningStar buffalo chicken patties before, I can’t recommend them enough. They are mine and Johnny’s favorite and we always have them on hand at home. I am so happy that Johnny likes them too because I never have to worry about making something else for him. We love making classic chicken sandwiches with them and Southwest wraps. Now, apparently, we love them for chicken and waffles too. Who knew that I would try a new vegetarian creation thanks to my carnivore husband’s craving of the week?! ❤

Although the kitchen is definitely my domain, Johnny does a banner job making simple, innovative meals and I think that’s great. I can’t wait to see what he’s hungry for next and if I can modify it!

Which brand makes the best fake meat? What is your favorite easy meal to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr7

The Vegetarian Cooking Steak

Posted on April 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I have been a vegetarian for a very long time and Johnny very much isn’t lol. However, he eats all of the MorningStar and Gardein products and typically orders out if he’s craving a burger. In our almost half a decade long relationship, I think I have cooked bacon five times and steak once. Twice if you count this past Wednesday! I often get asked if it bothers me to cook meat and it honestly doesn’t so much. I just hate to touch it and also the fact that I’m serving a food that I can’t taste for quality control. I am pleased to report that the steaks I made were top notch according to Johnny and our best boy, Cliff, so that’s not bad at all for a second go! Check it out:

Our bestie has been feeling a little low and Johnny asked me if it would be okay if I cooked a homemade dinner to cheer him up. He is so thoughtful and I was more than happy to accommodate. The guys requested my seasoned baked potatoes and steaks and that seemed easy enough! I decided that if I was going to do steaks, I was going to do it right and wanted to find a mesquite marinade recipe to compliment the potatoes. I clicked around online for a bit and ultimately ended up choosing what was the most simple and had the fewest ingredients from The Spruce Eats.

The recipe for the marinade was easy peasy lemon squeezy and used less than ten items – most of which I already had at home. It needed red wine, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. On Tuesday, I mixed the ingredients and let the steaks sit in zip lock bags until it was time to cook them Wednesday evening. To cook the steaks, I fried them in butter with salt, pepper, and a dash of hope that all would go well…

It went… Fine lol. The meat thermometer I was using wasn’t the best and I couldn’t seem to get a clear read on it. The steaks felt like they took forever to cook and by the time I thought to just cut into it to see what was going on, they were already done and should have come off the heat a few minutes prior. Despite that mix up, I was thrilled that both Johnny and Cliff enjoyed them so much and that the marinade was bold, flavorful, and smokey. They both completely cleaned their plates and that was good enough for me!

The next time we have Cliff over for dinner, I’m going to try cooking chicken for the first time ever so we’ll see what happens!

What is something that you have never cooked before? What is a food that you refuse to eat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec27

Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Posted on December 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I always enjoy trying out new recipes and had a few random odds and ends of ingredients that I didn’t end up using for other meals. This included some lemons and a container of ricotta cheese. I originally planned on using the ricotta for baked ziti, but decided that I wanted to try something different. I knew that I could turn lemons into lemonade with these randos in my fridge and found a recipe by Savoring Italy for Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta on Pinterest. Both Johnny and I really enjoyed it and it is definitely one that I will make again! Check it out:

I am a huge fan of lemon pasta dishes. Well, let’s be real – any pasta dish lol. What I like about lemon pasta specifically is how light it is. The zingy flavor reminds me of summertime and after lots of snow in Ohio, it is just what I needed! I thought the last lemon pasta recipe I made was good, but the one by Savoring Italy was infinitely better. The ricotta cheese made it so rich and savory and every bite was a little slice of heaven. My only qualm with the recipe was that it tasted much better the second day. While it was very good freshly made, I always prefer something that I am making to taste its best immediately.

The recipe for this pasta was insanely easy and other than cooking the angel hair pasta that I opted for, the prep time took less than five minutes. All I needed to do was zest and juice the lemons, brown some butter in a pan, and mix it all together with the noodles and cheese. This is probably the fastest recipe I have ever made, which was excellent on a work night. It also used under ten ingredients and I didn’t have to buy anything different to make this recipe in its entirety. There is nothing better than that!

I am eager to make the Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta by Savoring Italy again. Now that I have made it once by staying true to the recipe, I plan on doctoring it up with some garlic, spinach, and pine nuts to give it a bit more variety. This meal was a huge success because Johnny was SO sure he wasn’t going to like it and ended up having seconds!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec17

Chipotle Taste Alike Recipes

Posted on December 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Taco Bell will always be my A1 ride or die fast food establishment. However, I also have a very soft spot in my heart for Chipotle too. I like to think that my homemade guacamole is very similar to their recipe and I found an awesome cilantro lime rice taste alike recipe on Pinterest that I love to make. I decided to try making the additional fixings for a Chipotle burrito bowl from home this past week and it turned out pretty good! Thanks to Pinterest, I found tons of recipes for black beans, fajita veggies, and steak for Johnny that all claimed to be just like Chipotle’s. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss further:

Recipes Used:

Cilantro Lime Rice: Downshiftology

Black Beans: Dinner Then Dessert

Fajita Veggies: Downshiftology

Steak: Culinary Hill

To make my at home Chipotle burrito bowls, I cooked five different recipes that took about two and a half hours to make in total. None of these recipes were difficult to make and the most time consuming thing was chopping all of the different veggies. To start, I prepared my own personal recipe for guacamole which wouldn’t have taken long at all, but the avocados were really hard. To rectify this, I cut each avocado in half, wrapped them in paper towel, and microwaved them to soften them up. It worked like a charm even though it was a slow going process and I was able to cross it off of my “to cook” list.

Next, I started prepping the fajita veggies and black beans. Overall, I was happy with the fajita veggies but they were missing that extra something. The only seasoning this recipe called for was oregano and salt and pepper to taste. When I make it again, I plan on adding a bit of spice to give the veggies some more kick. The black beans was my biggest bugaboo from this cooking session and is the one recipe I wouldn’t make again. This recipe turned out really saucy and I didn’t care for the amount of onions it called for. I almost think I would be better off cooking the beans in vegetable broth along with the seasoning so I will be winging it the next time I have a taste for Chipotle taste alikes.

The final steps in my cookathon was making the rice and steak. As always, the cilantro lime rice turned out delicious and was easily the best copycat recipe out of all of them. It definitely helped invoke all of the Chipotle vibes and I really think it tastes exactly like theirs. This was my first time ever cooking steak and I can’t say if it was a true Chipotle taste alike or not as a vegetarian, but Johnny loved it and that’s good enough for me! The only thing that I would do differently about the steak is marinate it longer. I let mine sit for over an hour and we both felt that it could benefit from some more time. I definitely breathed a sigh of relief when Johnny gave me his stamp of approval, though, because I had no idea how it would turn out!

The finishing touches on my burrito bowl was adding lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa on top. Even though I wasn’t wowed by the black beans, I was pleased with everything else and it was fun to try and make recipes from one of my favorite eateries from scratch!

What is your favorite copycat recipe? What is your favorite fast food spot? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec9

Linguine With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Posted on December 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Linguine With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Howdy!! Johnny and I finally went grocery shopping this past week and I could not wait to try out some new recipes. I am planning on doing a Chipotle taste alike meal this weekend and I am most excited for that! During the week days, however, I am always looking for recipes that are easy to make with a limited amount of ingredients. My original plan for a meal this past week was to make sun dried tomato, spinach, and ricotta stuffed shells. Unfortunately, jumbo shells weren’t available at the grocery store, but I bought the ingredients anyways thinking the filling would still be good over linguine.

Later that evening, however, I began to pivot as I was fearful that the filling wouldn’t have enough sauce to coat the noodles with. I decided to start searching for a sun dried tomato sauce that would use some of the ingredients that I already had. After lots of scrolling through Pinterest, I found a recipe for a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce by Midwest Foodie that I thought would work. The end result was, sadly, one that I was not pleased with. Let’s discuss:

The Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce recipe was an incredibly easy one to make. All I needed to do was blend the tomatoes, oil from the jar, and garlic in a food processor. After everything was blended to a pesto like texture, I put it in a pan with more oil from the tomato jar and let it cook for about a minute. Herbs and vegetable stock came next and once that mixture had a chance to simmer, all that was left was to add the cheese and heavy cream. I followed the instructions to the letter and the only things I changed was using dried parsley instead of fresh and grated Parmesan instead of shredded.

This meal took me about thirty minutes to make and I was really excited to try it. I wanted to like it so badly and Johnny and I both agreed that it was good, but not great. The flavors in this sauce were fairly subtle and they didn’t pack as much of a punch as I would have liked. Granted, this might be due to the fact that I didn’t have fresh parsley or shaved Parmesan. This wasn’t a huge deal and could be fixed with some additional seasoning. The biggest issue was the sauce’s consistency. It was very, very thin and runny. Was it because I didn’t use the shaved Parm? Who’s to say? But, I don’t think it would have made that big of a difference.

I expect this sauce to thicken in the fridge and I’ll add more seasoning to it as I heat it up on the stove top for leftovers. I think that will help a lot, but I do not plan on making this Midwest Foodie recipe again. It’s always disappointing when a new recipe doesn’t go accordingly to plan, but it was fun to cook something brand new!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov19

veg+ Review

Posted on November 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! My Misnyland weekend was a very eventful one. After hanging out with Tim, Johnny and I visited his parents, then we met up with my sister and her family for dinner. The following day, my mom, Kristen, my nieces, and aunt and uncle hit up a new vegetarian restaurant in my neck of the woods for lunch. The restaurant is called veg+ and it has been open for a few months or so. It’s actually pretty crazy because I just so happen to drive by it almost every day for work and I never noticed it lol. In my defense, the outdoor signage is lacking and I’m more focused on driving than checking out the scenery! Our experience was alright so let’s chat some more:

From the outside, veg+ leaves a lot to be desired but it was quaint and cute in the restaurant itself. We were graciously seated all by our lonesome at a big table in the backroom and that couldn’t have been better. It gave Val and Raya ample room to roam and play while the big people talked and we didn’t have to constantly remind them of their inside voice! Although it was great to have an entire room to ourselves, we were pretty sure that we had been forgotten because it took forever for our order to be placed. Our uncle had to track the waitress down after a solid twenty plus minutes, but she was very sweet as was the other staff.

The menu at veg+ was fairly limited and we all ordered the same thing – either a veggie burger or a hummus wrap. Val got the pretzels and cheese and Raya had some beans and rice. They were also able to make me a mimosa and that was very tasty! When our food arrived we were famished and had to laugh over the ginormous size of the veggie burgers. It would have been impossible to eat them normally so we cut them in half – some being more successful than others lol mine was a hot mess.

The general consensus we all came to was that the food was good. It didn’t blow us away, but it was a nice meal altogether. I liked the sweet potato fries with the aioli sauce the best. The fries were crisp on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside and the dipping sauce was delish. Val’s pretzels were actually the favorite among the table, but the vegan cheese it came with was a very strange texture and we opted for the mustard to dip instead. The veggie burger was just alright. The buns were obviously a bit of an issue and they were a tinge hard. The burger patty itself was also rather dry and there didn’t seem to be any sauce on it. I expected the veggie burger to knock our socks off but, unfortunately, it left everyone less than impressed.

Despite the food not being our favorite, it was so great to be able to get together for lunch at veg+. I wouldn’t be opposed to visiting it again if someone suggested it, but it wouldn’t be my first choice!

What is your favorite type of restaurant to go to? What is your favorite vegetarian dish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun19

Almost All Aldi’s Dinner – 2.0 Veggie Burgers

Posted on June 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Almost All Aldi’s Dinner – 2.0 Veggie Burgers

Hello! Last week, I learned the joys of grocery shopping at Aldi’s when Johnny and I decided that we had enough of the high prices at Giant Eagle. We went on our shopping trip after work, which resulted in a cart full of almost everything that we needed for over one hundred dollars less. My mind was blown, my wallet was happy, and I was thrilled to have gotten all of our essentials for a fraction of the price.

I have been making excellent use of our grocery haul and have been cooking dinner every other night. On Thursday, I made doctored up veggie burgers with every ingredient minus the MorningStar patties from Aldi’s. They were a hit! Check it out:

Shopping at Aldi’s was, honestly, so exciting lol. I have always really enjoyed grocery shopping and it was fun to buy so many new to me items like the everything bagel brioche buns and aioli spreads. I was also stoked to find a Southwest salad kit, which I would get at Giant Eagle all of the time until they stopped carrying it. And, can we talk about their resealable cheese packages? I’m amazed that this isn’t the standard because it’s such a simple but revolutionary idea!

Our burgers with all of the fixings turned out wonderfully and took ten minutes to make. You just can’t beat that! The brioche buns were so thick and fluffy and our taste buds went on a spin with the smoky Gouda on top. The Southwest salad was crisp and it was accentuated even more with a dollop of the chipotle aioli for good measure. My 2.0 veggie burgers with Aldi’s ingredients completely blew the ones I was making before out of the water.

Although I love to try new recipes on Pinterest, I still make a lot of standby dishes that Johnny and I will always enjoy. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t a bit bored with it, but simple and quick meals are often the best thing for me to make during the work week. Being able to make our usual dinners with a twist on the ingredients used has been an absolute game changer. Now, if only there were an Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s right down the street from me!

If you are feeling bored with your standard groceries, go to a different store lol. Aldi’s has turned our go to meals into something special again and what we saved is unmatched. A change of scenery for grocery shopping goes a long way!

What are some of your standby meals to make? What toppings do you like on your burgers? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May24

Super Easy Baked Potato Dinner

Posted on May 24, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After a long stint of craziness in my life, I have finally found some extra time and energy in the evenings to cook again. It makes me so happy to be able to make dinner and mine and Johnny’s wallets have been happy because we haven’t had to DoorDash in weeks! Despite having the additional time to cook, that doesn’t mean I want to spend all evening cooking and if the meal takes longer than a half hour to make than I say forget about it lol. The same goes for if the recipe has a million ingredients because that’s a hassle and a half too!

With my time and ingredient limit in mind, I racked my brain for dinners that I could make fairly effortlessly when putting in my curbside order. I came up with several, one of them being baked potatoes. I cannot tell you the last time I have had one and as soon as I thought about it, I was craving them something fierce. This past week, I made a baked potato meal with all of the fixings for me and Johnny and my dad and brother and it turned out SO bomb. 20/10 would make again! Check it out:

Although baked potatoes are crazy easy to make, I have never made them before. In my youth, I remember my parents just sticking the potatoes in the oven and calling it a day. I wanted to make the 2.0 version, however, and began consulting different websites to find the best way to make them. The resounding theme that I found was to coat the potatoes in olive oil and seasoning and bake it on a foil lined sheet. I did just that and coated the skins with salt, pepper, parsley, and rosemary and let them bake for about an hour at 425 degrees. Once they were close to being done, I steamed broccoli and dinner was ready to go.

The final result of my baked potato effort was a huge hit and everyone who I cooked for loved it. The oil and seasoning truly made all of the difference. The skin of the potato was so crisp and flavorful and the inside was soft and fluffy – they were the dictionary definition of “just right”. This meal required no skill or thinking, but it was the favorite thing that I have made for my captive audience in a minute. Often times, simple is best when it comes to making dinner and this is one that I would definitely make again soon!

I have been working hard at setting small goals for myself and cooking was at the top of my list. I am beyond thrilled that I am holding true to my goal and accomplishing it and the reward is everyone enjoying what I am making. That’s the best part of all! ❤

What is your favorite easy dinner to make? What is your go to baked potato toppings? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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