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:

Spring Planting (indoors)

Happy Spring! The warm weather has made me want a garden more than usual....my lack-thereof won't stop me though.

As a start, I dug out some old pots, a leftover bag of planting soil from last year, and some seeds. I also stopped at a local garden store to buy some mini plants....herbs, peppers, and tomatoes. Then I let the fun begin!

Vegetarian Recipe #8: Enchiladas with Tofu and Black Beans

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love Mexican food, but it's not always easy to find fulfilling vegetarian options. Enchiladas with Tofu and Black Beans is a great vegetarian Mexican dish that's full of so many goodies! I like to make a large dish of enchiladas so I have leftovers all week....otherwise I make this into two small dishes and freeze one prior to baking it. Then I simply pop it in the oven in a couple weeks for a quick, fulfilling dinner plus lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of fresh vegetables, chopped (ie. bell peppers, onions, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, spinach)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed (or dry beans, soaked overnight)
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 can refried beans, fat free
  
• sprouted tofu, strained
• 1 Tbs. chili powder
• 8-10 whole wheat tortillas, medium
• 1 12-oz. jar enchilada sauce (I really like Trader Joe's brand)
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• avocado (optional topping)
• plain Greek yogurt, nonfat (optional topping)
  
  

Saute vegetables until almost fully cooked, add about 1/2 Tbs. chili powder to the vegetables. While they are cooking, fold and place 8-10 tortillas in a large baking dish, or two square baking dishes. Divide black beans, refried beans, and corn among all tortillas. You should fill the bottom of all tortillas. Strain tofu, mash, and add remaining chili powder. Tofu takes on whatever flavor you give it, so be sure to add a sufficient amount of chili powder for good flavor. You may also want to add a dash of sea salt to the tofu for extra flavor. Add the tofu to the tortillas. When the vegetables are finished cooking, add an equal part to each of the tortillas.

Now for the hardest part -- folding the enchiladas! Carefully roll each tortilla and place the opening side down. You may have to squish all of them together, but the goal is to fill the baking dish(s). When all the tortillas are secure in the baking dish, pour the jar of enchilada sauce over all tortillas. Make sure to cover the outer edges of tortillas, to stop them from getting crispy. Then sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the entire dish.

Cover the dish with tin foil. To stop the cheese from sticking to the tin foil, spray cooking spray on the inside surface of the foil before placing it over the dish.

Cook at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the center of the dish is warm, and the cheese is melted. Cut into square pieces, like lasagna. Add a slice of avocado and a dash of plain Greek yogurt to each piece.