Vegetarian - Home-Ec 101

Ranch Seasoning Mix, from Scratch

Heather says: Ranch dressing from scratch with no MSG. Who knew? I spent maybe five minutes on this, ten if you count the phone call from the grocery store asking to double check the recipe. Why then have I not bothered to make homemade ranch seasoning, if it’s so easy? We could come up with …

Skip the narrative and get right to the calzone recipe Heather says: So, what’s fearless about a calzone? The fact that I have not been able to get a good picture of one in almost 3 years. So earlier this week I said to heck with it, that’s my fearless feat for Friday. I’m going to …

We were in the mood for tomato soup and grilled cheese. So we started Googling. After all, the best recipes are often found at your fingertips. We picked out and modified a recipe. Here’s what we came up with. Tomato Soup Ingredients: 5 very ripe tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped 1 large onion, sliced thinly …

Slow Roasted Tomatoes: Saving Summer’s Bounty

Heather says: I’m not a gardener, but I’m lucky enough to have family that is into that sort of thing. Produce is rolling into my mother’s garden faster than she and my stepfather can eat it. We are the lucky recipients of the excess. This weekend I had planned on preparing three tomato pies for …

Sautéed Cabbage

Dear Home Ec 101, Would you post about how you cook cabbage? That’s something I never cook… is it cheap and healthy? Thanks! Signed, Cravin’ the Cruciferous Heather says: Yes, cabbage when purchased in season, is both cheap and healthy. It is a great source of both vitamin C and fiber. Here in North America …

Cheese Sauce

Dear Home Ec 101,

My three year old son is allergic to eggs and I’m trying to find a cheese sauce for vegetables that is simple, but not greasy.
Can you help?

Signed,
Cheesin’ in Chester
Heather says,

Most of us who grew up in the 1980s can probably sing the jingle for Velveeta, “Cheddar’s greasy, cheddar’s oily.” I am not sure why I’m encouraging y’all to sing as I am not recommending Velveeta. That stuff is spendy and fake, a mortal culinary sin in the Handbook of Heather.

A little flour, butter, milk, and cheddar make a great kid friendly cheese sauce for vegetables. Ready? Good.

Peas and Almonds

Heather says: I used to hate peas. Deep down in my heart I knew the cafeteria ladies despised me each time they plopped a spoonful of wrinkly, mushy peas onto my tray. Thankfully, I have learned that most often it isn’t the original food item I have hated, but simply the manner in which it …

Lime and Salt Margarita Carrot Sticks

Heather says: Everyone says, “Eat your vegetables.” Here’s a quick and easy way to perk up the lowly carrot stick without adding fat. We love it as a side for summer meals and as a snack to take to work or the park. They’ve been nicknamed margarita carrots, but there isn’t a drop of alcohol …

Heather says: If you load this dish up with steamed broccoli it’s easy to pretend it’s healthy. This recipe makes four servings of alfredo and can create a variety of meals by varying the accompaniments. My favorites are blackened beef, chicken, or shrimp. If spicy foods are not your style, try grilled chicken, shrimp, or …

Heather says: Meatless meals are often great for the wallet. This recipe can be prepared with canned or dried beans. If you use dry black beans, cook 1/2lb dried beans until soft. I put mine in the crockpot the morning I want to make the burritos, cover them with water, and turn the crock on …