Vegetarian Recipe #14: Pancake Banana Bread

Today I wanted to make banana bread, so I bought what I thought was all the ingredients.  Of course, when I got home I realized I did not have any baking soda.  Not to fear, in the midst of scouring the cupboard, I happened to notice that one of the ingredients in pancake mix was baking soda.  So I put away the whole wheat flour and opened the bag of whole wheat pancake mix.  Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat pancake mix
4 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. honey
3 large bananas (very ripe)
1/2 c. milk
3/4 stick butter (unsalted)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. raw cashews

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, mix eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla, and milk.  Stir in pancake mix until all is moist (your hand may hurt).    In a separate bowl, heat the butter until melted.  Then add the bananas and mash until barely chunky.  Chop the cashews and add to the banana/butter mix.  Stir the banana mixture into the pancake mixture.  Pour everything into two bread pans.  Bake for approx. 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. If the edges of the bread start to brown, but the middle isn't cooked all the way, cover the edges in tinfoil and continue baking.

Let cool slightly.  ENJOY!

Vegetarian Recipe #13: Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
1 medium green pepper
1 medium red pepper
1 small onion
3 stalks celery
1 small broccoli crown
4 large cloves garlic
3 large carrots
1/2 butternut squash
2 cans black beans
2 cans dark red kidney beans
4 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
(I bought 2 zesty and 2 original)
3 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. cumin
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Wash all vegetables.  Chop the first five vegetables and saute them on low heat. Mince the garlic and add it to the vegetables to saute.  Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.  Cut off the skin so only the squash flesh remains.  Dice into very small cubes.  Chop the carrots into small cubes, as well (I leave the skin on the carrots).  Place the squash and carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake at 300 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes, until soft but not mushy (approx. 35 minutes).  While the vegetables are cooking, open the cans of tomatoes, and puree half of them.  Add all the tomatoes, juice, and puree to a large pot.  Simmer at low heat.  Add the chili powder and cumin.  When the vegetables are just soft (not mushy), add them to the tomato mixture.  Open the cans of beans (or better yet soak dry beans over night then boil until soft), strain them, and rinse them.  Add beans to the tomato and vegetable mixture.  Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.  Let simmer on the stove for at least 2 hours.


Serve chili hot with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a slice of avocado.  Freeze half the pot in an airtight container to eat in a couple weeks!

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.

Recipe #11: Healthy Hummus Deviled Eggs

This is a great, healthy alternative to your typical deviled eggs! 

Ingredients: 

12 free range eggs

1 container Horseradish Hummus (Trader Joe's)

4 small dill pickles, chopped

1/4 cup skim milk

dried dill

cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place all 12 eggs in a large saucepan and fill with cold water until all eggs are covered.  Place on stovetop and slowly bring to a boil.  Once the water boils, reduce heat to low and cover.  Let sit for 12 minutes.  Strain eggs from water and run cold water over them until they are cool enough to handle.  Peel all eggs and cut in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks from eggs - throw away 6 yolks.  Place remaining 6 yolks in a large bowl.  Add the container of horseradish hummus to the bowl.  Combine.  Also add skim milk and chopped pickles.  Stir until even.

Fill egg whites with a heaping scoop of the hummus mixture.  Sprinkle dill and cayenne pepper on top of each egg for decoration (and great flavor)!

ENJOY!  These deviled eggs will disappear from the party table first, I promise!

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.

Vegetarian Recipe #9: Wheatberry Pancakes (from scratch)

I'm calling the "Wheatberry Pancakes" because they're made by grinding actual wheat berries. No box mixes or packaged flour required. This is as fresh as they come (unless of course you grow the wheat yourself....).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheatberries
• 1 cup skim milk (local if possible)
• 2 eggs (free range)
• 2 Tbs. honey (local)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbs. oil (I used olive oil)
• pinch salt

optional toppings:

• fresh fruit
• real maple syrup (strawberries, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
• raw nuts

Instructions:

Grind wheat berries using a grain mill, coffee grinder, or blender. If using a blender combine the whole berries with the milk and blend until smooth. If using a grain mill or coffee grinder, grind wheat berries alone. Then add milk. Stir together. Once wheat berries and milk are combined, slowly stir in all other ingredients. That's it! You have pancake batter from scratch.

Heat griddle or electric frying pan to about 300 degrees. Depending on the surface of your pan, grease lightly with cooking spray, oil, or butter so the pancakes won't stick. Pour batter onto pan. When the pancakes begin to bubble and dry out on the edges, flip with a spatula. When both sides of the pancakes are golden, remove from pan. Repeat until all batter has been used. Serve pancakes and top with your favorite toppings.

Note: If using maple syrup, make sure the bottle says "real maple syrup"....I just realized this year that many pancake syrups contain NO maple syrup - just high fructose corn syrup! You'll pay a little extra for real maple syrup, but it's worth it for the taste and your health.

Indoor Garden Update!

Planting began about 2 1/2 weeks ago....and already my plants are well on their way to producing fruits and vegetables. The tomato plants even have flowers. Who needs a real garden!? (I do...but this works for now).

Beans are growing like crazy:

Zinnias are up:

Tomato plants are huge and flowering:

Lettuce in progress: