Delightful Veggie-packed Dinner

I love a challenge.  I DON’T love to challenge people!  I am referring to when I hear someone say, “Oh, that can’t be done.” or “Only she can pull that off” or “I have no idea how that would be created.”  It sparks something in me that takes it from “No you can’t” to “YES YOU CAN!!!”

So, when our vegetarian friends were coming over for dinner to our meat-eating home, I thought, YES I CAN!  I can make a dinner that is filling, colorful and delicious enough so that even my hunting husband will be satisfied at the end of the evening. 🙂  For this challenge, I turned to my pinterest boards.

Menu

• Curried Cauliflower Soup
• Colorful Spinach Salad
• Cheesy Bread
• Blueberry Bars for dessert

Curried Cauliflower Soup

This dish is so easy and so delicious AND BONUS: you can MAKE IT AHEAD!!!  Win win!  From beginning to end, I was able to made this whole soup the day before our dinner party.  I even chopped the toppings (all except the basil which would brown) beforehand,  put them in glass jars with lids on them and stored them overnight in the refrigerator.  An hour before the party, I simply pulled the pot out of the refrigerator and reheated it over low heat on the stovetop.  Just like my Tortellini Soup, this one was a huge hit with the whole family, even my 8 and 10 year old kids!  Woohoo!  Veggies for everyone!!!

Colorful Spinach Salad

 

This is another dish I love from the Cookie + Kate blog.  What I love about this salad, just like the soup, I was able to prep it ahead of time!  I made the dressing the night before and stored it in a mason jar in the fridge.  I also made the quinoa, toasted the almonds and cooked the edamame the day before.

To also save time, I changed the original recipe to use pre-cooked beets and pre-shredded carrots.  You could make your own beets and shred your own carrots but Trader Joe’s pre-cooked beets are amazing and the shredded carrots are just one less dish to dirty and 3+ minutes of work to save.  By using these time-saving products, this salad comes together so quickly!

Cheesy Bread

I simply took a loaf of ciabatta bread, cut in half longways, drizzled with EVOO, and topped with fresh mozzarella (for the kids), adding sliced tomatoes and fresh basil for the adults.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and broil till cheese is melted (3-5 minutes).

Blueberry Bars

I have saved this recipe for years!  I use to subscribe to InStyle and would rip out the party article every month!  I loved how they came up with beautiful themes for each party that flowed thru every element of the event: from the invitation to the food and everything in-between.

This recipe was from director Renny Harlin’s 40th birthday celebration which, according to IMDb, he is now 58 years old!  Holy moly!  I’ve held on to this recipe for 18 years!!!  I mean, look at how young and innocent Jake Gyllenhaal looks in the article (such a cutie!):

I should have tried this recipe a LONG time ago because it was delicious! It’s a keeper!

Fresh blueberries with a light crumble topping, this is a perfect end to a lovely evening.

I would also consider making it for a special breakfast such as a baby shower or brunch gathering.  Cut into 1″ squares, this dessert is also sturdy enough to have as a finger food.  One thing I do need to experiment with is the crust. I think the puff pastry crust could puff up a little more than it did for me this weekend.

Let me know if you try any of these recipes.  I’d love to hear how your family and/or friends felt about them!

Here’s to vegetarian meals that are delicious and fullfilling!  Cheers!

xo, Melissa