TexMex Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans or the equivalent of homemade
2-3 oz. grated cheddar (but you can never go wrong with more)
4 bell peppers
salsa

Directions:

1) Slice the top off of each pepper, removing the stem, seeds, and membrane.  Fill each one with layers of cheddar and beans.  Finish with a layer of salsa and a sprinkle of cheese.
2) Place each pepper standing upright in an 8"x8" pan.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for around 25 minutes, or until the pepper begins to get a bit soft and wrinkly and the cheese is melted.  Then turn the oven off and use the broiler setting on low for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to make sure that you don't burn anything.
3) Let stand for about 5 minutes and then eat.

We love this and it's easy.  Serve with Spanish rice and/or a side salad.  I also like to add guacamole and chopped tomatoes when serving, if I happen to have them on hand.

Lazy Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:
1-2 eggplants, sliced into 1/2" medallions
2-3 eggs, scrambled but uncooked
planko bread crumbs
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce
grated parmigiana cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425.
2) Heat 1-2 T. olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat.
3) Dredge each eggplant slice in egg, then bread crumbs.  Add to preheated skillet.  Lightly salt and pepper.  cook each slice for 1-2 minutes per side, or until each side is nicely browned (adding more oil as necessary).
4) Layer the cooked eggplant slices in a 9"x13" pan.  Cover with the spaghetti sauce.  Top with cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely melted on top and the dish is hot.

We love this dish.  It's good with a simple side salad.

Roasted Mushroom and White Bean Soup

Quick, easy, and delicious.

http://shewearsmanyhats.com/roasted-mushroom-soup/

For us, it was perfect to cut this recipe in half (plenty for tonight, enough for leftovers for lunch).  My kids don't usually like soup, so I reserved some of the beans for them to eat plain, alongside the biscuits I served with the soup.  Eden also likes plain, uncooked mushrooms (weirdo!), so I saved some for her.  We're not sage fans, so we omitted that.

Fast and Tasty

I've really been trying to cut back on my time in the kitchen without sacrificing quality. (We can all agree that two hours of dinner prep is excessive, yes?) Here are two great recipes that have helped me out:

The first is a new version of the Wonderpot.

 http://damndelicious.net/2014/06/13/one-pot-zucchini-mushroom-pasta/

Fyi, that blog has a pretty good vegetarian section.

The second recipe I'm loving is the best quinoa salad I've ever had. It's only a few changes away from my usual, but those changes are awesome. I do usually add a little more honey than called for and use red and yellow sweet peppers. Adding about a half cup of pine nuts does wonders. Also, we obviously leave out the steak (though keeping it in is a great way to make an omnivore meal that you'll still enjoy).

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-quino-salad

Happy cooking!

Balsamic Pepper Stir Fry

Because I grew up in a picky eaters household, I really haven't eaten a lot of peppers in my lifetime. Since I started trying a plant based lifestyle, I have made an effort to eat more of them, but bad habits die hard.

This recipe is a keeper in our family. We just omit the chicken. I'm so proud of myself after I've literally licked the plate clean - I just ate a whole bunch of peppers, different colors too!

The recipe is great on it's own but I like to bring the vinegar to the table for an extra punch of flavor.

Best Friends Granola

While my sweet mother in law has been in town we've been eating well at our house. I have had this granola recipe for a while, and with Trudy's help I finally have my own batch! This recipe was given to me by a good friend in Utah and so I decided to call this "Best Friends Granola" because is just makes me smile to pass it on to my best friends here in Louisiana! Although it takes some planning to get all the ingredients, the effort will pay off in scrumptious flavors and big smiles. 

Tip: Go to Sunshine Market where you can buy some of this stuff in their bulk foods section. It's probably the best bargain.

Best Friends Granola

1 c wheat germ

1 1/2 c oat bran

1 c raw sunflower seeds

1 c chopped almonds

1 c milled flax seed

1 c raw pumpkin seeds

1 c chopped walnuts 

8 c rolled oats

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 c raw coconut sugar, sucanat or brown sugar

1/2 c maple syrup

3/4 c raw honey

1 c coconut oil

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 c dried fruit

Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine first 8 ingredients. Combine next 7 ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil.

Pour wet over dry and spread on sheets.

Cook about 20 min, stir 1/2 way through baking time. Cool and add fruit.

Refreshing Summer Cabbage Salad

The credit for this recipe goes to Charity Lighten, who is one of the authors of the blog WholeFoodMommies.com. She is a representative of The Cancer Project and is very well trained in nutrition. I went to her class where she talked about eating a whole food, plant-based diet back in August of 2012 and that's what hooked me on this extraordinary way of life that I aspire to live. She passed out recipes at this free course based on the foods she served that night and I will include her version and mine. This salad is light, refreshing and mysteriously sweet. I served it to the missionaries (elders and sisters) and they all ate it (some even had seconds), so take that as you will. It's definitely a fibrous salad--I love a good crunch--but if you enjoy a softer side of life just let in marinate in the fridge overnight. You can't beat the raw goodness of this combination and it's a great change from the traditional green salad or the stand-by Asian salad laden with sugar, salt, and processed/fried noodle bits.

Let me expound on the benefits of eating cabbage. As a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, cabbage and it's relatives have been associated with low cancer rates in those people who eat generous amounts. "Phytochemicals in cruciferous vegetables have demonstrated the ability to arrest the growth of cancer cells (cited in two medical journals Nutrition and Cancer 2001 and International Journal of Oncology 2002). Specifically, cruciferous vegetables affect the hormones that influence the progression of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast cancer. They change the way estrogens are broken down and eliminated so that the type of estrogen (estradiol) that encourages the growth of cancer cells is converted to a different estrogen (estrone) which has anti-cancer actions." 

Cruciferous Vegetables

They get their name from the cross-shaped flowers that blossom just before the plants go to seed.

arugula 

bok choy
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
collard greens
horseradish
kale
kohlrabi
mustard greens
radishes
rutabaga
turnip
greens
turnips
watercress

(Source: The Cancer Survivor's Guide by Neal D Barnard, MD and Jennifer K Reilly, RD) 

Charity's version: 

Sensational Salad (this is more an ingredient list than a recipe :)

1/4 Head Green Cabbage

1/2 yellow squash

4 Radishes

1/2 Zucchini

Red Cabbage

2 Granny Smith Apples

Zest a lemon

1 medium carrot 

Squeeze Lemon for flavor

Add about 2 TBS of Balsamic Vinegar

It’s more fun to eat if veggies are cut up in different shapes

My version:

1/2-2/3 head green cabbage slivered

1/2 head red cabbage slivered (approximate less than the quantity of the green)

2 carrots grated

2 green onions sliced (only green part, discard the stiffer whiter part)

1 red delicious apple sliced to the same size as the cabbage

1 large lemon: grate the rind and use all the juice

3 TB balsamic vinegar (If you can find one infused with orange juice it is doubly good. Napa Valley brand makes one infused with blood orange juice. Maybe even try adding a little orange juice with balsamic as an alternative.)

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

Might be good with slivered almonds but I haven't tried it. 

Let it marinate in the fridge at least four hours.