Zucchini Bread

This recipe is from my sister-in-law- Priya, she loves to cook and bake just as much as I do, and she always finds these awesome recipes, and I can't thank her enough! So this weekend she made this yummy Zucchini bread and forwarded the recipe to me along with a sample and it was really yum! It is moist, sweet-but not too sweet, a little spicy and it's got zucchini in it! Try it out and let us know what you think!

Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini shredded
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 TSP baking powder
-1 pinch of salt
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1 TSP ground cardamon (optional)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar-packed
- 1 cup oil
- 3 TBSP sour cream
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup greek vanilla yogurt.
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Whisk sugar, oil, sour cream, vanilla extract and yogurt in a bowl until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients in thirds and mix together. Add shredded zucchini and walnuts (optional) and mix until shreds and nuts are distributed evenly through out  batter.
- Pour batter evenly into two lightly greased loaf pans.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.

Smart Street Tacos

A while ago, I posted a picture on Instagram of some street tacos that my hubby whipped up one night for dinner and quite a few people asked for the recipe because they are roughly 38-46 calories each (depending on if you put cheese on top).  This has quickly become a "go to" meal in my house because it can be whipped up in 15 minutes total and I don't feel so bad for eating so many. ;)  Here's how we make our tacos at home.

Ingredients (for 1 taco):
3 TBSP cooked black beans
1 Marcela Valladolid brand Street Taco Corn Tortilla (found at Safeway or Tom Thumb grocery stores)
Handful of spinach (shredded)
Handful of tomatoes (diced)
1 tsp Mexican blend cheese
Fresh lime
Cilantro
Sliced avocado or guacamole (optional)
Hot sauce or salsa (optional)

Directions:
1.  Heat tortilla on a warm skillet for a minute or so (until it feels like a soft taco in consistency)
2.  Once tortillas are warmed up, spread guacamole on the tortilla, and add beans on half of it.
3.  Fold tortilla and add spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro. Squeeze lime on top and add hot sauce or any other condiments.
4.  Enjoy!

Here's a calorie breakdown per taco:
1 Street Taco corn tortilla - 25 calories
3 TBSP black beans - roughly 14 calories
1 tsp Mexican blend cheese - roughly 7 calories
Total calories = 46 if you use cheese...now that's something to scream about!!!

Street Taco Tortillas

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I saw a similar recipe to this a few months back on Pinterest, and it looked so good! The recipe I saw used rice and veggies as the stuffing (which I'm sure is just as good). I hadn't gotten around to trying it until a couple weeks ago and let me tell y'all, bell peppers have never tasted so good!  This is an awesome gluten-free dish also, and really healthy too!

I like to use red, orange or yellow peppers because of their natural sweetness, but feel free to use green if you like. You can also flavor it up to whatever you're feeling that day; add fresh basil and parsley for Italian with chunks of mozzarella or for a Mediterranean  twist add parsley, lemon and feta. You can add whatever veggies you like best, I made the roasted veggie quinoa posted on our blog, and added some mushrooms and spinach with crumbled feta, SO good! However you make it, you'll love it...trust me! Try it out at your next get together.

Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers cut lengthways
- Roasted veggie quinoa
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- Shredded cheese blend to top peppers
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms sauteed (optional)
- 2 cups fresh chopped spinach sauteed and drained (Optional)
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (Optional)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Make roasted veggie quinoa according the directions, add sauteed mushrooms and spinach (optional). Cool for 10-15 minutes and then add crumbled feta.
- Stuff bell peppers with about 1/2 cup quinoa mixture.
- In a 2-3 inch deep tray (pyrex lasagna trays are ideal), pour tomato sauce on the bottom and place bell peppers (cut side up) on top of the sauce, cover lightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove foil and sprinkle with desired amount of shredded cheese, and place back in the over for additional 10 minutes or until cheese in golden and bubbly.
- Allow peppers to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serving size- Serves 4

Serving suggestions- To make this dish really flavorful, use pasta sauce for Mediterranean or Italian stuffed peppers, or enchilada sauce for Mexican stuffed peppers.

Indian Style Cream of Wheat "Cornbread"

This is one of my all time favorite quick and easy recipes that was inherited from my mom.  Now I must explain that even though the title says "cornbread", this is not really cornbread but it is the only thing I have to compare the consistency or texture of the actual bread.  I do hope you try this recipe at home because it will quickly become one of your favorites just as much as it has become one of mine.  A side note for this recipe is that most, if not all, of the ingredients can be found at any local ethic/Indian store; these items are denoted with a * beside them.  

Ingredients:
1 cup Sooji/ Cream of Wheat* (found at any local ethnic/Indian store)
1/4 cup chick pea flour*
4 heaping TBSP non fat plain yogurt
1 tsp ginger & serrano mixture (serrano peppers and ginger blended together)
1 cup water
3 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tsp salt (maybe a bit more)
1 heaping tsp ENO* (soda bicarbonate)
Pinch citric acid*
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

For Sauté on top:
1-2 TBSP EVOO
1 tsp mustard seeds*
1-2 dry red chili pepper* (optional)
2-3 curry leaves* (optional)
Cilantro to garnish
Your favorite chutney*

Directions for cake:
1.  In a deep pot, add water (roughly 2-3 cups), and heat over medium.
2.  Place a metal bowl upside down in the pot and place a flat 8 inch cake pan that has been sprayed with PAM on top of the bowl and cover the pot.  Essentially, you are going to steam your corn bread.
3.  In a separate bowl, mix all of your ingredients except the cayenne pepper and whip until you've created a batter.
4.  Once you're done with the batter, pour about 4-5 ladles worth in the sprayed cake pan and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
5.  Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
6.  You will know the bread is done cooking when you insert a knife or toothpick in it and it comes out clean (similar to making a cake).
7.  Remove pan from heat & spoon sautéd oil on top.
8.  Cool completely before cutting into square or diamond shaped pieces.
9.  Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with a chutney.

Directions for Sauté:
1.  In a small pot, heat EVOO.
2.  Add mustard seeds and leave on heat until they crackle (roughly 2-3 minutes).
3.  Add dry red chili pepper & curry leaves.
4.  Once the oil has cooled, spoon over cornbread.

Cornbread before it is ready to serve