Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili

This is a fantastic vegetarian meal option that I highly recommend! Cooking Light magazine has so many delicious, light options in each issue (which they post online at the My Recipes website) that I always find myself debating which ones to try, and I'm glad I went with this one this week because it did not disappoint! There really isn't much to it, but the peppers and zucchini and quinoa work really well together and give it a hearty feel. Its a perfect light yet filling meal - thanks to that quinoa superfood! - that the whole family can enjoy.

One note I have is that at the original link, some reviewers mentioned it was much too spicy, but I followed the recipe almost exactly and I didn't have that issue at all - I actually wished mine had had a little more spice to it. I think this comes down to the poblanos, because you just never know what each one's heat level will be until you use them! So, just keep that in mind when you go to make this that you may need to watch out for your spice level!



Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili 
adapted from Cooking Light


Ingredients 
2 red bell peppers
2 poblano chiles
4 tsp.olive oil
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp.chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with chipotles, undrained (I couldn't find these, so I used regular fire-roasted tomatoes and added 1 tsp. of adobo sauce)
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers and chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet, and flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add zucchini, onion, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and paprika; sauté for 30 seconds. Add roasted peppers and chiles, 1/2 cup water, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

Zucchini "Noodles"

What. A. Delight.

Healthy, low-carb eating has been soooo much easier for me this time around with all my newly discovered carb substitutes. First quinoa and now zucchini.

I've always been a fan, but have never thought to make it this way before. By using a vegetable peeler to get thin strips and then slicing those strips even thinner, the zucchini takes on an almost noodle-like quality and appearance and therefore turns into a fantastic sub for pasta! Bonus: It looks pretty too!

I made these to go with the Cheese-stuffed Meatballs below, and topped with some homemade tomato sauce, which I would recommend over a store-bought sauce for this because the chunky, fresh tomatoes helped to bulk up the delicate zucchini - I think a smooth sauce wouldn't hold up as well.

No recipe needed - just peel into thin strips, and then roll up and cut into even smaller strips if you prefer. Saute just for a few minutes in a little olive oil with salt and pepper and there you have it - zucchini "pasta"!

Quinoa Fried "Rice"

I need to do a whole post on my new-found love for quinoa. This stuff is amazing! Its my new favorite "healthy eating" food, because what I miss most when trying to scale back is grains and carbs, and this one fills in for those perfectly so I never have to feel like I'm missing something! It has a nice little chewy bite to it that makes it a fantastic substitute for rice in particular, which is how I used it in this recipe.

Not only is this super easy to put together, using quinoa instead of rice makes it a really light yet hearty-feeling side dish. Feel free to sub in any veggies you prefer.


Ingredients 

2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
4 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, mined
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
3 cups cooked quinoa
3 Tbsp. soy sauce

Directions 

1. In a wok or large skillet, heat oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in peas and carrots and quinoa, and stir-fry 3 minutes or until heated through. Add soy sauce and stir to combine. Serve warm.

Baked Zucchini Fries - No Recipe Needed

An easy, light, and delicious way to enjoy zucchini! Best part - no recipe needed!

Here's how:

Cut 2-3 zucchini into thin strips

Lightly coat in flour, dip in beaten egg, and then roll in seasoned Panko bread crumbs (I seasoned with garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, and chili powder)

Place on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray

Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 or until golden and crispy

Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll-ups

A little less time-consuming than a traditional lasagna, with all the same taste! I went with a spinach and mushroom combination for these, but you can use any filling you want...next time I'm going with a chicken and alfredo mix!

Ingredients

8 lasagna noodles

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

10 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup part-skim Ricotta cheese

2 oz. (1/4 block) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. dried basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain.

3. In a medium skillet,combine olive oil and Worcestershire sauce over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

4. In a large bowl, combine spinach, Ricotta, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Mix well and season with basil, salt and pepper. Stir in mushroom mixture.

5. Lay out lasagna noodles on parchment paper or foil. Spread about 2-3 Tbsp. filling across each noodle, leaving about 1" free on one end. Roll up noodle over filling, then place seam side down in a square baking dish. Top with marinara sauce and remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted and golden, about 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

I enjoy a good bowl of French Onion soup any way its prepared, but that extra time in the crock pot really does make a difference in both mellowing and enhancing the flavor of the onions. There is still a little prep time required at the beginning for this one, but luckily it isn't one you will "set it and forget it" because of the yummy smell throughout the house all day :)

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. butter
4 large onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
Sliced crusty bread, lightly toasted
Sliced cheese (Swiss, Mozzarella, or Gruyere)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic, and cook over medium heat until onions and soft and lightly caramelized, about 20-25 minutes.

2. Transfer onion and garlic to slow cooker. Add broth, Worcestershire, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

3. To serve, place soup in oven-safe bowls and put bowls on a large cookie sheet. Top soup with bread, then a few slices of cheese. Place cookie sheet on top rack of oven, and broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Eggplant Gratin

Although I find Ina Garten insanely boring to watch and listen to, I have to admit she does make good food. Eggplant was on sale at my Sprouts this week for $0.69 each (each!)- so I couldn't resist picking up a few. I was going to just make Eggplant Parmesan again, but then I found this recipe and I'm glad we tried this instead. Yum!

I did follow the advice of some of the reviews and add some garlic powder, oregano, and basil to the ricotta mixture to enhance the flavor, and I used one large eggplant (not sure of the weight) but doubled everything else, and it came out perfect. We enjoyed this with some buttered pasta on the side and I'll definitely be making this again.

Final note: The recipe reads as if you are going to make this in two individual gratins, which confused me as I was preparing because I was preparing in just one 9x13... note that that the layers are as such: eggplant, Parmesan, marinara, eggplant, ricotta mixture, more Parmesan.

Eggplant Gratin
from Ina Garten


Ingredients

Good olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra-large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

Eggplant Parmigiana

I've always loved restaurant Eggplant Parmesan, but haven't ever been able to make a really good one at home. I figured out this is because in trying to be health conscious, I've always breaded and then baked the eggplant before assembling the dish. Which works fine, but of course it lacks the super-yum factor.

I found this recipe in the Martha Stewart Living magazine, and since eggplant was on sale this week I decided to try it. Simple, easy, and super-yum! Even my 15 month-old loved it. A really good (homemade if you can) marinara sauce is key.

Eggplant Parmigianafrom Martha Stewart Living, January 2011

For Breading and Frying
2 cups fine plain fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed

For Assembling
Marinara Sauce
3 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions1. Bread and fry the eggplant: Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Put flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture in 3 separate dishes. Dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. (If oil gets too dirty, discard, and heat an additional 1/4 cup.)

3. Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 375. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 Parmesan. Repeat twice to form layers with eggplant, sauce, then cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.

Pasta Taco Salad

I was looking for a different sort of side dish to bring to a family BBQ this past weekend, and I found this pasta salad on a blog called Cara's Cravings (her picture is definitely better than mine, I was only able to capture the leftovers). There were rave reviews, and I just happened to have some leftover wagon wheel pasta, so I gave it a go.

My review: It was a nice change from the usual pasta salad, and the flavors were good. I used a very mild salsa and limited chili powder to cater to some picky palates, and I definitely think it needed more spice. In fact, we kicked up the leftovers with some spicy picante-style salsa later on, and I liked it much better. Also, I don't think the "vinaigrette" is necessary - do we really need to be adding a 1/2 cup of oil to this otherwise pretty healthy salad? I used a lot less, and I think it would be fine omitting it completely and just mixing in the lime juice and spices right into the pasta. But, I'll post the recipe as-is and you can judge for yourself!


Ingredients

1 lb. wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10 oz. package frozen corn (if you are going to make this at least several hours ahead, no need to defrost first)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 oz. shredded Mexican-blend cheese (I didn't add this)
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. cumin
1-2 tsp. chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Directions

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

4. Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado