Veggies Could Save 2021!

Ok. Maybe that's a stretch. But they could save your resolutions! One of the major resolutions people make is eating healthier. One easy way to do that is by trying to eat a vegetarian meal one day a week. But fear not - vegetarian doesn't mean it isn't delicious. I've made 4 recipes that even the most meat-loving people can appreciate (even my husband loved them!). Luckily, I have a hydroponic system called a Gardyn (picture below), and that admittedly helped greatly by letting me have fresh produce right next to my desk (bonus that I get to look at lovely plants all day). But most all of the produce I used is easily found in any grocery store, no matter the time of year. I hope you enjoy!

Vegetarian Taco Bowl

This recipe makes its own red rice using riced cauliflower, but you could easily just use regular rice if you prefer. And though I made homemade refried beans (they aren't hard), you could also used canned. Just make sure they  are the vegetarian kind if you are truly trying to stay vegetarian. Most refried beans are made with lard, though most don't know this. (So are a lot of tortillas for that matter.)

 

One very important step that cannot be skipped in this recipe is salting the eggplant. I have a short video below that explains how and why we do this.

 
Salting Eggplant

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the cauliflower rice:

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil)

1/4 cup diced onion (learn one way to do this here)

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (learn how to mince here)

3 1/2 cups riced cauliflower

1, 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, including juice

 

For the “filling” mixture:

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil)

1/2 cup diced onion (learn a different way to do this here)

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (learn how here)

3 cups cubed eggplant, salted and set aside to drain for 5-10 minutes

1 cup cubed zucchini

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika, or to taste

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 cup water or vegetable stock

 

For the refried black beans:

1 Tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil)

1/2 cup diced onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup water

 

For serving:

Toppings as desired, such as cheese, sour cream, cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado (learn how to cut an avocado here), etc.

 

Procedure:

For the cauliflower rice:

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add oil. When hot, add onion and cook until translucent. Add spices and garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30-60 seconds. Add cauliflower rice and cook until water has released and cauliflower is tender. Add in tomatoes and continue to simmer until tomato juice has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

 

For the “filling”:

To a skillet set over medium high heat, add oil. Add onions and peppers and cook until onion is translucent. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook until squashes have softened. Add garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, approximately 30-60 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook until paste turns a rust color. Add water and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water has reduced and formed a “sauce” for the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

 

For the refried beans:

To a non-stick skillet set over medium heat, add avocado oil. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, approximately 30-60 seconds. Add beans and mash with potato masher until desired texture. Add water, a little at a time, until the beans have reached the appropriate creaminess and are heated through.

 

Assemble and serve:

Place cauliflower rice at the bottom of a bowl. Add beans and filling mixture. Top with any garnishes desired and serve immediately.

 

Tuscan White Bean Skillet

This is an amazing "clean out the pantry" dish. If you don't have fresh tomatoes, use sun-dried to make it even easier! I know that most people don't have quite the home herb setup that I have and that unless you do, basil isn't currently in season. So I made a pesto using kale! By chopping it in to such fine pieces, you don't need to cook it, and the nutrition stays even more intact. If you can't find basil, you can use any fresh her for garnish here. Oregano or even parsley would be perfect. 

 

Also, the recipe calls for a roasted red pepper. I have a video on how to do this below, but if you are having a day where you Just. Can't. Even. anymore, a jarred red pepper works just fine!

 
Roasting a Pepper

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup plus 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1 cup diced onion

Pinch baking soda

8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (learn a "hack" for this here)

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2 cups tightly packed kale leaves

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed
Chiffonade of basil, for garnish (learn how here)

Crusty bread, for serving

 

Procedure:

Place a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When hot, add onions, season with salt, and add the pinch of baking soda. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and caramelized, about 10 minutes (see why the baking soda works here). Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms have released their water and are softened. Add tomatoes, garlic, and rosemary, and cook until tomatoes start to soften and garlic is very fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add bell pepper, artichoke hearts, beans, and water and cook until beans are heated through and water has mostly evaporated. Keep warm.

 

Place pine nuts, kale leaves, parmesan, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until kale is very finely chopped. While machine is running, slowly drizzle in remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Stir kale pesto into bean mixture. Garnish with basil and parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Who doesn't love a stuffed pepper? And did you know that quinoa is actually one of only a few grains that is a complete protein? So you don't have to worry about not getting your full nutrition with this dish.

 

One thing we found is that by using a green pepper, you really tasted all the flavors of the filling more. By using a riper pepper (yellow, orange, or red), you will get much more sweetness in the dish and the pepper flavor will be the predominant one. So for those of you who have family members that like sweetness and peppers, but maybe not quinoa as much, use a colored one. For those that prefer the flavor of the quinoa to really sing, use the green. Either way, it's delicious!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers

3 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup plus 1 teaspoon water, divided

1/2 cup quinoa

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil such as canola or vegetable)

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced zucchini

1/2 teaspoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh dill

1/2 Cup crumbled Feta cheese

4 tablespoons finely shredded parmesan

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

 

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

 

Slice approximately ¼” off the tops of each bell pepper (just enough to remove the stem). Remove seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper. If needed, slice a thin layer off the bottom to allow the pepper to sit straight up. Finely dice removed pieces of the pepper and set aside.

 

Coat hollowed out peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place, upside down, in a small baking dish. Place baking dish in the oven and roast peppers until the skin has slightly blistered and the pepper is tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

 

While peppers are roasting, place 1 cup of water and the quinoa in a small saucepan set over medium heat and season lightly. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until quinoa is tender, approximately 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat, strain out any excess water, and set aside.

 

While quinoa is cooking, cook remaining filling ingredients. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, add avocado oil. Add celery, carrot, onion, and reserved diced pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, and vegetables are starting to tenderize, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add zucchini and continue to cook until zucchini has started to soften, approximately 2-3 minutes more. Add tomato paste and cook until paste changes to a “rust” color, approximately 1 minute. Add remaining water, scraping bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and stir in cooked quinoa.

 

In a separate bowl, stir together vinegar, mustard, dill, and remaining olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing to quinoa mixture. Fold in Feta. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed.

 

Turn cooked peppers right side up and divide filling evenly between them. Top each pepper with 1 tablespoon parmesan. Place peppers back into the oven until warmed through and parmesan is melted, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Beluga Lentils with Herbed Yogurt

I love beluga lentils. They hold their texture better than any other lentil, in my opinion. If you can't find them, you can substitute any other lentil. You will just need to follow the cooking directions on the package rather than the boiling times below.

 

If you don't like yogurt, you can stir the herbs directly in to the lentils, but it does need acid. So you will need to add crumbled goat cheese or a vinaigrette to make this a balanced dish. Luckily this dish can be served hot, room temperature, or cold, and it still tastes delicious. So make a big batch, put it in the fridge, and eat it for a quick, healthy lunch any day!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small butternut squash, diced in to 1/2” pieces

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil)

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup diced celery

1 cup beluga lentils

3 cups water or vegetable stock

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, divided

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed

 

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

 

Toss squash with olive oil and garam masala and season with salt and pepper. Spread in a flat layer on a sheet tray (you can line with parchment or a Silpat if you like) and place in the oven. Roast until tender and slightly caramelized, 30-40 minutes. Remove and set aside.

 

While squash is roasting, place medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add avocado oil. When hot, add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Add lentils and stir until coated. Add water or stock, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer until lentils are tender, approximately 25-30 minutes. Strain out any remaining liquid and set aside.

 

While lentils are cooking, make herbed yogurt. In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, mint, cilantro, cumin, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

 

Gently stir butternut squash in to drained lentils. Stir in half of the toasted almonds. Divide equally among bowls and top with a large dollop of the yogurt mixture. Garnish with remaining almonds and serve immediately.

 

If serving chilled, stir in almonds and add yogurt only right before serving, or they will get soggy. Lentils will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

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