Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Apparently I've been sticking with my "trying new things" kick! I've never cooked with poblano peppers before. I'll start out by saying this was indeed successful. However, it wasn't without its surprises along the way.

For example, did you know that peppers vary in how spicy they are?

The author didn't say anything about it being spicy, and I knew my dad liked chile relleno, which is made with poblanos, and he had never said they were spicy. So I didn't think twice. 

My mistake.

I had a fun time putting the peppers under the broiler. I was nervous about keeping them under it so I took them out a bit too early. So two of the peppers separated easily from their skin. The other three were uncooperative.

So lesson #1: really let them blister enough or it will be quite difficult to get the skin off. 

So that's when my hands started burning a little. "Hmm, that's odd," I thought. I had an extra pepper so I cut off a piece and tried it. And it was spicy!! What?!?! Gasp!

I figured I had no choice though and I continued to make them. I filled them with a lovely brown rice that had been cooked like pasta (in a ton of water and then drained - this actually produced a very fluffy rice) and mixed it with salsa, cilantro and cumin. Then I topped them with pinto beans, and then finally a cooling cilantro avocado sauce (http://minimalistbaker.com/mexican-quinoa-salad-cups-with-creamy-cilantro-lime-dressing/). 

So how did it go? Well I thought they were delicious. I love mexican food. Any combination of beans with avocado has my vote. But the peppers were like Goldilocks and her oatmeal. My pepper was 100% mild. Mom's was slightly spicy. And Dad's was more substantially spicy. So mom and I switched plates and it all worked out for the best, with Dad surviving his unexpected heat. But let this be a warning to you, do not assume that poblanos are mild!

Another word of wisdom. When you are dealing with peppers (taking the skin off for example) please wear gloves! My hands quickly started to burn in an awful manner. If you forget this advice though, it did seem to help me to coat my hands in olive oil and then wash them. Something about the oil breaking down the oil from the peppers?

Next time I'll just make them with bell peppers.

The more you know!

http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-stuffed-poblano-peppers/

Miso-Tahini Soup

What an unusual and delightful little soup. I've been very interested recently in making use of the unique ingredients we have in our fridge. I noticed we had both tahini and miso going unused so I looked up ways to use them. Lo and behold, I found one recipe that used them both! How fortunate!

Introducing Miso-Tahini Soup: a quick to make soup with a delicate broth. I substituted quinoa for brown rice, but imagine rice would have been a pleasantly different texture among the otherwise soft ingredients. The soup has cooked turnip and delicata squash ladled over the rice. The broth is then poured over those ingredients. I substituted red miso for the white miso the recipe called for, using a bit less than suggested, and it turned out fine. Then the soup is topped with sliced avocado, green onion, sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed.

A nice way to mix things up and intrigue the palate.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/miso-tahini-soup-recipe.html

Fast Metabolism Diet: More recipes

So I'll say it again: this diet is too intense. It definitely wasn't healthy, at least for my mental wellbeing.

Despite that, I did make some pretty great food.

I made my second attempt at vegetarian meatballs and unfortunately once again fell a bit short.  I was short on breadcrumbs and didn't feel like making more. Big mistake, as they were too loose couldn't easily be formed into a ball. You really need all the breadcrumbs to bind it together. Yet despite all that they were still very tasty and I would recommend the recipe.. 

Cannellini Bean "Meatballs" 
http://www.cookincanuck.com/2011/11/cannellini-bean-vegetarian-meatballs-with-tomato-sauce-recipe/?m

This next recipe is one that I would make again in a heartbeat. So delicious! Homemade white bean hummus gets baked on top of zucchini, onion and eggplant with marinara sauce-so delicious! Never would have thought of that combination!

http://hayliepomroy.com/greek-eggplant-and-zucchini-with-white-beans/

Vegetarian tom yum

I wasn't crazy about this soup (probably just because I ate it for four meals in 2 days) but it was a good learning experience, as I used lemongrass and kafir leaves for the first time. The broth had a complex array of flavors. Wonderful ingredients! 

http://thaifood.about.com/od/vegetarianthairecipes/r/vegtomyum.htm

Healthy Yiddish Kugel

This kugel is unlike anything I have ever had before. It is a true comfort food, and not only that, but it has a wonderful connection to my roots.

One day as I was visiting my grandmother in the home where she lives, I spotted The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook in the gift shop. I started to flip through the introductory pages and was fascinated by what I read. This cookbook was written in Yiddish by a woman in 1938. She owned a vegetarian restaurant in Vilna, Lithuania and wrote this cookbook that included every recipe under the sun. She was a lover of healthy living and truly unique for her time. It was an honor to learn about her and read through her recipes, especially given that I have ancestors of my own from Vilna.

So I managed to choose one recipe to start with, a Cauliflower and Carrot Kugel. And after making it I know for sure I want to try everything else in the book, it is that good.

It has pureed cooked cauliflower mixed with bread crumbs, raisins, apple, almonds, and honey. I made it even healthier by substituting whole wheat breadcrumbs and flour, using 2/3 the called for honey, using coconut oil in place of butter, using dried orange peel instead of candied, and skipping the butter sugar topping. This mixture was layered with cut up carrots and covered with a cup of milk before being baked. Despite all my substitutions, it was sublime. Sweet and creamy, the savory nature of the cauliflower and carrots melded perfectly with the sweetness of the raisins and apple. Every bite was a delight.

I can't wait to try more of her recipes!

Fast metabolism diet: week 1

Hello again!

Well the fam just got back from a week of family time in Virginia and immediately jumped into a new healthy eating project.

If you are interested, it is called the Fast Metabolism Diet. However, I warn you that it requires an insane amount of prep work and really is pretty difficult for a vegetarian unless you are happy to eat egg whites or tofu for 6 meals in a row. I wasn't, and I honestly felt rather sickly for those two days a week.

It divides the week into three phases that each incorporate different types of food. By doing this it supposedly helps heal the metabolism. It's a lot more complicated but that's what I'm gonna leave you with for now. 

Anyways, this week was a whirlwind. It felt like we spent all day either cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, or eating (takes time to eat all these veggies!).

Phase 1 went pretty well. I made a delicious sweet potato with black bean. It had onion, tomato, spices, and crunchy green onion on top. Very filling and satisfying. I would eat this for dinner on a regular basis (and it is good cold too the next day).

http://hayliepomroy.com/loaded-sweet-potatoes-with-black-beans/

Phase 2 was honestly a bit hellish. Mom and I felt rather sluggish, probably due to the lack of carbs. As a vegetarian I found it a bit too difficult to eat egg whites at every meal so I decided to incorporate lox, and soy this week. Who knew I could get tired of lox?!? Anyways we made it through this high protein phase. Eating tons of veggies.

Phase 3 has been lovely. Avocado, raw nuts and seeds, hummus; makes you appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Lots of recipes for this phase. Indian spiced chickpeas were a grand success: my first ever use of garam masala! Also made Kabocha and black bean stew which is an absolutely A+ dish. So filling and the squash is incredible, who knew? A delicious pumpkin relative.

http://hayliepomroy.com/kabocha-squash-and-black-bean-stew/

So I made it through the first week and I will admit that total family weight loss  was 14 pounds between the 3 of us! Gold stars all around. Here's hoping we'll make it through the next three weeks. 

Ps. While this may sound like fun and games, the food prep is seriously hard core. So attempt at your own risk!

Update: In hindsight, I don't think this diet was the best thing for us. It made me feel pretty lousy and our weight loss plateaued quite a bit after the first week. However, it it did result in some tasty new dishes, so lets focus on that. 

Mexican Street Corn

I made a new recipe for dinner tonight: Mexican Street Corn Salad.

Made with:

Charred corn

Red onion

Cilantro

Cotija cheese

Avocado

Lime juice

Jalapeño

Chili powder

Garlic

mayo

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/05/mexican-street-corn-salad-with-avocado/

Some comments: 

-a really nice salad! Very yummy

-only used 2/3 the called for mayo, cause mayo is gross, blech, next time I may not use any

-cotija cheese is interesting! It is aged and is dry and has a sharpness to it

- I recommend adding more lime juice and maybe would double the jalapeño if you're looking for spicy because this  dish was very mild  

All in all a success!!

-Melissa 

Miso Quinoa with grilled cucumber and eggplant

Well folks I've done it again! I've found a perfectly delicious and nutritious veggie filled quinoa dish! 

And it uses one of my new ingredient discoveries...miso!

This dish was so smooth, creamy and sweet. The crisp cucumber paired perfectly with the juicy eggplant and silky quinoa: a match maid in heaven.

I used green onion in place of cilantro, red miso instead of white, and almond milk instead of 2%. So I can't vouch for the flavor of the original recipe but I will yell from the rooftops about my version. 

Seriously addicting 

1. Grill eggplant and cucumber (I used a panini press)

2. Toast quinoa in a little butter till nutty (my dad walked in and said it smelled like popcorn)

3. Mix in milk, water, and whisk in miso

4. Cook the delicious soy balsamic sauce

5. Combine! 

10/10 recommend 

http://food52.com/recipes/18653-miso-quinoa-pilaf-with-grilled-cucumber-eggplant-and-soy-dressing

Update: I made this dish again about 6 months later and found out some things:
1. It is equally good with cilantro, so up to you between that an green onion.
2. Maybe don't use vanilla flavored almond milk.
3. Richer balsamic will contribute a darker color and richer flavor.
4. Yellow miso works great too!

Farmers Market Stuffed Portobellos

This recipe is thanks to a bountiful day at the farmers market. I got there early enough to get portobello mushrooms! Jackpot!

I had been doing some sneaking around on the Internet, looking at different recipes. I found this one, chock-full of veggies. So at the farmers market I also bought zucchini, onion, and eggplant, which wasn't actually in the recipe but turned out to be a lovely addition. 

This recipe involves a lot of dicing. I also ended up roasting my own red pepper in the toaster oven which was a new experience for me.

So basically I sautéed a bunch of veggies together, added some breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and stuffed them into Portabellos, which were baked for a solid hour almost.

They turned out delicious. Filling and bursting with nutritious vegetables and yummy cheese. I think next time I may add some quinoa for more protein and also look into the possibility of freezing them. A grand success!

http://www.tasteloveandnourish.com/2013/04/17/vegetable-stuffed-portabella-mushrooms/

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

A 100% farmers market dish! So fresh and crisp!
Using farmers market cherry tomatoes, onion, basil, and even feta - this is sure to be good!
I got some special goats milk feta from a cheese vendor at the market. It was quite expensive but it's nice to support local folks and wow can you taste the difference. It's unlike any feta I've ever had! Real depth of flavor and a lovely texture.
The cherry tomatoes are sweet and delicious. I also chose to use orange bell pepper instead of the red and green in the recipe, which will add a sweetness.

Overall a lovely summer side dish.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/mediterranean-chopped-salad-with-tomatoes-peppers-feta-basil-recipe.html

Grilled vegetable salad

Sorry for the delay, but here I am again, bringing back the healthy eating recipes! I haven't been taking pictures lately but I will start to again. In the meantime, here is a nice salad I made with grilled vegetables: mushroom, carrot, zucchini. And of course a lettuce base with tomato, cucumber, avocado and bell pepper. Topped with a nice salmon burger for the parents. Stay tuned for more recipes to come!

Quinoa Primavera and Chard with Chickpeas (DOUBLE RECIPES!)

Ok, so I didn't actually make these on the same day. But I thought I would condense this into one post.

I made two amazing dishes!!

The first was pretty revolutionary for me because I have never cooked with chard.
All I needed to buy at Safeway was a bunch of chard and some shallots and I was set!

http://www.foodiecrush.com/2013/04/garlicky-swiss-chard-and-chickpeas/

Chard
Chickpeas
Garlic
Shallots
Veggie Broth
Lemon Juice

I ended up overcooking the chard (check it before 10 minutes) but it was still delicious. I would definitely make this as a side dish again (although I ate it as a main course), and next time I won't half it, because I wish I had more!

The second recipe, which I made today, was Quinoa Primavera.
It is a versatile recipe, and you can basically put in whatever veggies you want.
I decided to stick with the suggested radishes, as I have never tried cooking with them before. They were quite mellow and delicious and I even threw in the radish greens at the last minute for some additional healthy nutrients.
I also used broccoli (stem and florets) and zucchini.
I unfortunately could not find the suggested "labneh" but instead used cream cheese and low fat yogurt. It was creamy and delicious. That, plus the veggie broth, ensured that the quinoa was quite flavorful. Finally, I used dried basil instead of fresh, which worked out fine.

Quinoa
Veggie Broth
Garlic
Veggies
Cream cheese!

http://www.thevintagemixer.com/2015/04/quinoa-primavera-recipe/

So simple! Filling and nutritious!

Smashed White Bean Avocado Sandwich

Wow, what a sandwich. I have not made a sandwich like this all year. In fact this is the first time I have even bought tomatoes this year either. Also the first time I've ever purchased sprouts. Now I have so many I don't even know what to do with them!

Anyways, this white bean and avocado spread turned out delicious.  The dried mustard, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice contributed to a really balanced and intriguing flavor. I'll probably put it on top of salads and toast in the future, as I have quite a bit left.

But today for lunch it made a glorious sandwich. Almost too big to handle!

See the recipe here for details and pictures that do the dip better justice:
http://veggiechick.com/smashed-white-bean-and-avocado-sandwichdip-vegan/

Lentil Sweet Potato Salad

Yummy salad. Made lentils in the rice cooker.

They came out ok, a bit dry so maybe will use more water next time.

Roasted sweet potato and sautéed kale. Some balsamic, maple syrup, and thyme for seasoning.

And finally some goat cheese on top!

Yum! Had some on a spinach salad for dinner last night. :)

http://www.thehealthymaven.com/2013/12/lentil-sweet-potato-salad.html

4 part tofu cabbage noodle stir fry

So this meal may have required quite a bit of oil in the cooking, but olive oil is entirely healthy in moderation.

I made a stirfry in 2 pans and 4 stages.

1. Marinated the tofu a few hours. First time marinating and it really does make a difference. Gives the tofu so much more flavor. Marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lime juice and rice vinegar. Very flavorful. Then pan fried it a bit.

2. Cabbage. Sautéed an entire cabbage! It's hard to tell in the photo but all the other stuff is really sitting on a base of cabbage. Some soy sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar in there too. Yum.

3. Sautéed frozen vegetables in leftover marinade and stir fry sauce.

4. Stir fry noodles!!!

I think this dish is nicely balanced with mostly veggies but carbs and protein too. And it is quite delicious. Good thing I'll be eating it for days!

Spontaneous Pesto and Zucchini Pasta

So I had extra cilantro from my last recipe and didn't know what to do with it. So naturally I thought of pesto! Last time I made pesto at school was disastrous because the blender was quite inadequate. However, this time I had a magic bullet to use and it had enough power. So I arbitrarily mixed cilantro, kale, cheddar cheese, garlic and almonds plus a bit of vegetables broth instead of oil to help it mix. And it turned out delicious!

Or at least intriguing.
The moral is that all you really need for pesto is something green and leafy, a cheese, a nut, a liquid, and garlic. Customizable deliciousness.

Then of course I needed something to eat it with. Pasta naturally came to mind. But pasta takes time and I didn't want all the carbs. However I did have an extra zucchini, also nearing the end of its prime. So I made something I've been wanting to make for a long time. Zucchini pasta! I thought I needed a spiralizer for it but just using an peeler was really quite alright. I peeled noodles and then sautéed them all with some olive oil and a bit of lime juice. 

Then I put my pesto on top and added a few Gardein beefless tips and Voila!

:) pretty darn gourmet!

One pan Mexican quinoa

One pan. Quick and easy! A nice healthy quinoa dish with beans for protein, avocado for healthy fat, and tomato and bell pepper for veggies. Great on it's own or on top of a salad :)

I put it on a kale salad today with other raw veggies and it was delish!

http://damndelicious.net/2014/04/09/one-pan-mexican-quinoa/

quinoa, black beans,  fire-roasted diced tomatoes, corn kernels, chili powder, cumin, avocado, lime, and cilantro. Oh and I added a yellow bell pepper!

Update: This was a big hit at a gathering with some friends back home Everyone loved the flavors! Great dish to bring to a potluck. 

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chickpeas

OH. MY. GOD. This is incredible. I am so sad my dad doesn't like brussel sprouts, because this is unreal. Haha I get so excited by vegetables. 

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/01/spaghetti-squash-roasted-brussels-sprouts-chickpeas.html

spaghetti squash

Brussel sprouts

Onion

Roasted garlic (sooo good)

Chickpeas

Dried basil

Lemon juice

The flavors are so spot on, the squash is super filling... it is just an incredible vegetable dish!

Veggie soup!

Made a huge pot of soup: onion, garlic,
carrot, squash, parsnip, broccoli, turnip, kale, garbanzo, tomato and lentil! So much nutritious stuff! Didn't even take that long. Gonna be eating this all week!  :)

No-noodle Layered Veggie Lasagna

I'm back! Starting the semester off with a bang. Since we had no classes today I decided to be ambitious and made a multi step dish of basically veggies and cheese. A delicious mix of sweet potato, zucchini, kale, onion, broccoli, ricotta, and mozzarella with tomato sauce. Mmmmm! So much nutrition! At 350 calories a serving! (Although I think I ate 2 servings) Also went for a half hour walk today and even made it to 11,000 steps for the day.

Here's the link!
http://thechicbrulee.com/2012/11/14/no-noodle-sweet-potato-lasagna/

It's a lot of work with cutting, roasting and blanching but I think it was worth it. Note to self: recipe says sweet potato but meant yam because in their pictures it is orange, oops!