Vegetarian Recipe #12: ChickPea and CousCous Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers are beautiful and tasty! Fill them with anything you have in the fridge.  Here's what we invented....

Ingredients:
5 large bell peppers
1 cup pearl couscous
vegetable broth
1 can chick peas
1 lime
1 small tomato
1 small zucchini
1/2 c. broccoli
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
small contained of feta cheese
1 Tbsp. chili pepper
1 tsp. oregano
1 pinch chipotle pepper
salt and pepper
1-2 ripe avocados

Instructions:

Start with about 5 beautiful peppers from your garden or Farmer's Market.  Choose peppers that are multi-colored, bright, and firm.  Cut off the stems and carefully remove the seeds from the center, while keeping the pepper in tact. These will be your bowls. Set them aside.

In a sauce pan, cook the pearl couscous, according to the package, except use vegetable broth instead of water, to add extra flavor.  While that is cooking, chop all vegetables into small pieces.  Saute zucchini, onion, garlic, and broccoli until cooked but still firm (you can also add scrap pieces of the bell peppers for color).

Once ingredients have finished cooking, combine them with the can of chick peas (rinsed) in a large bowl.  Add diced tomatoes, spices, and juice from the lime.  Add in at least half the container of feta cheese.  Taste this mixture before filling the peppers.  Add additional spices if necessary.

Fill the peppers with your couscous mixture and top with the remaining feta cheese.  Carefully cover the peppers with tinfoil and cook for 30 minutes at 350-degrees, or until the peppers begin to soften.  Remove the tinfoil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to crisp the tops of the peppers.

Serve warm with fresh sliced avocado on the side.  Eat the bowl and all.

Note:  If you have extra coucous mixture after you fill the peppers, don't throw it away!  It'll taste great by itself the next day.

Vegetarian Recipe #10: Pad Thai

OK this rocks! I love Pad Thai and have always wished I could make it. I finally tried it: I combined several recipes to make my own vegetarian health-ier version of this great dish! It take a little while to make (over an hour), but your guests will be super impressed or you'll have leftovers for a couple nights!

Ingredients:

• 3 large organic carrots (cut into matchsticks)
• 2 small organic zucchini (cut into matchsticks)
  
• 1 package Mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 cup raw cashews, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves (I like garlic)
• 3 eggs
• 1 package tofu, sprouted, extra firm
• 7-10 oz. rice noodles
• 1 cup pea shoots (optional topping, see photos)

sauce: (next time I'll fully make my own, but here's my cheater version...)

• 1 bottle Pad Thai sauce - it's mainly tamarind and tomato sauce
• 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. brown sugar
  
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 Tbs. chili pepper
• cayenne pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Follow package instructions for rice noodles. Often, soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then boil for 5 minutes.

Chop and saute garlic cloves and tofu (drained) in a pan with a little oil until lightly brown. Add zucchini and carrots and let cook until almost soft. In a separate bowl, crack eggs and stir briefly. When vegetables and tofu are almost finished cooking, pour eggs over vegetables. Mix well and often until eggs are cooked thoroughly. Add all ingredients for the sauce. Stir until vegetables are well coated. Add bean sprouts and cashews (only until warm).

When rice noodles are finished cooking, strain and place in a large bowl. Pour sauce and vegetable mixture over noodles. Mix well.

Serve in bowls. Top each bowl with extra cashews and pea shoots. Eat with chopsticks.