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

Melon-Mint Fizz

It's warming up here in Texas, so I thought it would be appropriate to post something super cool and refreshing! I'm not a huge watermelon fan (I know I'm weird), but this drink was actually really good. You can use fresh mint or even basil for a fresh twist, and substitute the lemon-lime soda for ginger ale. Try this out at your next family gathering and it's sure to be a hit!

Ingredients
- Watermelon
- Lemon-Lime soda- chilled
- Fresh Mint

Directions
- Cut watermelon into 1.5" cubes and freeze overnight or for a couple hours.
- Wash mint leaves and chop roughly or tear leaves in half.
- Place 2-3 cubes of watermelon in a glass with about a TSP of the mint leaves and give a quick stir. Pour lemon-lime soda over melon and serve immediately.

Mocha Cappuccino Cookies

In case I haven't mentioned it enough, two on my favorite things in the world are coffee and chocolate. Now don't get me wrong, I love both of them individually but when when the two marry, it is like pure heaven (the ahhhhh heaven sounding in my head right now)!  That is why this is one of my all time favorite desserts.  I have made these cookies for everything from bridal showers to New Year's Eve parties and they have been a hit EVERY SINGLE TIME! I would love to take credit for this recipe but it is one that I found in a cookbook that is just too good not to share.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I do.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup soy or almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBSP of your favorite ground coffee (don't use the instant stuff because it doesn't turn out as well)

1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips (or more depending on how chocolatey you like your cookies)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together sugars, oil, almond (or soy) milk, & vanilla.

3.  Add flour, banking powder, baking soda, salt, & coffee.

4.  Stir in chocolate chips.  If the dough feels too wet, add more flour.  If it feels too dry or won't hold together, add a splash more almond milk.

5.  Using a teaspoon, drop cookie dough a few inches apart on a non stick baking sheet.  You can also use a parchment lined baking sheet.  

6.  Bake for 12 minutes, then cool for one minute before placing them on a wire rack to cool completely. 

 

P.S. Make sure they space the cookies out when baking as they tend to spread a lot and store extras (if you have any) in an air tight container.    

      

Avocado Milkshake

This is my favorite milkshake flavor! I know what a lot of you guys are thinking, avocado's should only be used for guacamole! Give it a chance and I promise you'll love it. The great thing about this shake is because the avocado is super rich and creamy, you don't need a lot of ice cream, you can use Greek vanilla yogurt instead or leave it out all together!

Ingredients
- One medium/large avocado- pitted and scooped
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2-2/3 cup crushed ice
- 1-1/2 TBSP sugar, honey or agave nectar
- 1 scoop vanilla ice-cream or 1/3 cup Greek vanilla yogurt

Directions
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.
- Enjoy!

Rustic Tacos

Here we are, another Sunday and another week ahead of us and if your home is anything like mine, the question that always comes up on any given Sunday is, "what's for dinner?"And because most nights are usually busy for me, I try to make something low key, easy, filling, healthy, and quick so that we can eat at a reasonable hour and still get done all of the things I needed to do.  So when I think of quick and easy meals, I tend to lean towards Mexican food.  However, one of the drawbacks of Mexican can be the fact that a lot of things are deep fried.  For example, traditional taco shells are fried and therefore inevitably, you're taking extra unnecessary calories.  Today's recipe is the best of both worlds meaning it's not only quick & yummy but also healthy. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 corn tortillas
cooked black beans (or any bean you prefer)
cooked TVH protein (click here for details)*
diced tomatoes
sliced avocados
Mexican cheese*
chard & spinach mix
cilantro and lime for garnish
sauce or salsa of your choice

Directions:
1. Heat a stove top grill or pan over medium to high heat.
2. Once the grill has heated thoroughly, place corn tortillas on the grill and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Once that side is cooked, flip and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Remove tortillas from heat and cool for a couple of minutes.
5. Assemble each tortilla with beans, protein, spinach & chard mixture, tomatoes, & avocado.
6. Top with cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and your favorite sauce.

*Optional

Tortillas grilling 

   

Lemon Pepper Asparagus

This is one of my favorite spring time recipes! This really is a quick, no-fuss recipe and it comes together so easily! It's super healthy too! It has a ton of nutritional benefits, lots of fiber and protein, low in calories and a good source of potassium, Vitamin A and C. You don't even need to get the chopping board or knife out for this recipe. Just bend the asparagus (like you're snapping a twig) and it will break off the woody, inedible part which makes life easier! For extra zing, I zest the lemon and sprinkle it on top right at the end. Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

- 1 bunch of asparagus

- 2 TSP olive oil

- Half a lemon

- Generous pinch of salt

- Fresh cracked pepper

- Extra olive oil for drizzling

Directions

- Break off the inedible part of the asparagus by bending it (snapping it like a twig) and it will break off the woody part. Wash the asparagus thoroughly and dry with a paper towel.

- Place a shallow pan on medium heat and add olive oil, add washed asparagus to the pan and give them a quick mix to ensure they are all coated with olive oil. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt (about half a TSP). Add fresh cracked pepper. Let cook for about 7-9 minutes.

- Transfer asparagus to dish and squeeze half a lemon all over the veggies. Add zest (optional) and drizzle lightly with a little olive oil. Enjoy!