Good day! Today I present to you a recipe for a snow pea salad that I made for our Easter dinner at my Mom’s house. This recipe was inspired by another snow pea salad that I recently tried at a Whole Foods lunch buffet. I did not have their recipe so I came up with this one. This salad is super tasty, but I especially enjoy the fragrance of this salad…ginger, toasted sesame, soy sauce, red onions…mmm. This salad could work as a simple side dish or as a meal (if you have a big bowl). Check out below to see the nutrition facts.

Recipe: Snow Pea Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups snow peas (blanched)
• 1 raw yellow pepper, washed, seeded and cut into long strips
• 1 raw red pepper, washed, seeded, and cut into long strips
• 1/2 red onion, raw (about 3/4 cup) cut into long slices
• 1 cup edamame (beans)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (blanched)
• Organic toasted sesame oil – 2 tablespoons
• Kikkoman Light Soy Sauce (or Gluten Free Tamari) – 2 tablespoons
• Fresh ginger, grated (1 teaspoon)
• Sea salt (to taste) (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• Garnishes: sesame seeds, scallions

This recipe makes about 8 servings. Nutrition Facts below.

Directions:

1. Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and ice cold water.
2. Fill a large sauce pan full of water, cover and bring to a boil so that you can blanch the snow peas and carrots.  Once water is boiling, submerge snow peas and shredded carrots for 60-90 seconds (more if you do not like your veggies to be too crisp).
3. Using a pair of tongs, carefully remove the shredded carrots and snow peas from the boiling water and place into the bowl with ice and water to quickly stop the cooking process and to maintain the beautiful bright color of the vegetables.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the sliced peppers, red onion, edamame beans, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and salt (optional). Stir to combine ingredients & flavors.
5. Now add the snow peas and shredded carrots. Stir.
6. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

After some personal debating I have decided to post nutrition facts for my recipes (moving forward…and if I have time, moving backward). I have often gotten comments and emails from readers asking about nutrition facts.  I did not always believe that  nutrition facts were that helpful for people (from what I have seen from counseling patients). It seems as though there is a large amount of misinterpretation that goes along with nutrition facts (i.e. sometimes people avoid a recipe with 10 grams of fat/serving when all 10 grams are unsaturated and heart healthy because they believe that all fat is bad). I see this often in counseling so I had made the decision that for the website I would create healthful recipes but leave out the analysis. BUT….alas there are many many people out there who could potentially benefit from having this information (i.e. people doing Weight Watchers) so I have decided to post it. I am going to do my best to ensure that this data is accurate, but I’m only a human and I can make mistakes.

Today I give you zucchini parmesan! Zucchini parm is the delicious vegetarian cousin to the other parmesans…chicken, eggplant, veal, etc. This recipe is baked and lower in fat than the traditional fried version….but still full of flavor and loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of zucchini/yellow squash (combined) – about 5 zucchini and 3 yellow squash (quantity will vary due to size)
• 4-5 cups of veggie primavera sauce
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1.5 cups breadcrumbs (seasoned) I used plain Panko for this recipe and I seasoned it with garlic powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Drizzle of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Step 1:

Prepare veggie primavera sauce.

Step 2:

Rinse zucchini and yellow squash.

Step 3:

Slice zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into thin strips about 1/4 inch or less in thickness. This part is a bit tedious, but oh so worth the effort.

Step 4:

In a small mixing bowl, crack 4 whole eggs into the bowl and set aside.

Step 5:

Add some freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt to the eggs (about 1/4 teaspoon each) then whisk together until well combined. Now, set up a work station so that you have 3 separate bowls/dishes.

• First = flour
• Second = egg mixture
• Third = breadcrumbs

Step 6:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, dip each slice of zucchini/yellow squash first in the flour, then in the egg mixture, and finally into the breadcrumbs. Place each coated slice onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave a small amount of space between each slice. Drizzle with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons). You will need 2-3 large baking half sheets (18×13). Place baking sheets into the oven and bake for 25-35 minutes (flipping every 10 minutes) until golden brown and crispy. Alternatively, you can fry each slice in olive oil, but this is a lower fat version.

Step 7:

Using a 9×13 baking dish, place about 1.5 cups of veggie primavera sauce in the bottom and spread to coat evenly. Layer baked zucchini slices on top of one another until all slices have been used.

Step 8:

Place the remaining sauce on top of the zucchini and top with mozzarella cheese.

Step 9:

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Step 10:

Dig in and enjoy! Serves about 10-12. I challenge even the most enthusiastic veggie haters to take a bite!

What are some of your favorite vegetarian meals?

This is a very simple, healthy and hearty tomato sauce recipe. It works well with most pasta dishes or the way I like to eat it – sauce bread (dunking a chunk of fresh Italian bread in a big bowl of sauce) Yum! I grew up eating a lot of sauce bread in our home. My husband is not a fan of sauce bread (for the record, he is also not Italian). He gets overwhelmed with large quantities of sauce – something most Italians simple cannot comprehend. Ah – sauce bread!

Veggie Primavera Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 yellow pepper, rinsed, seeded and diced
• 1 red peppers, rinsed, seeded and diced
• 1 orange pepper, rinsed, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 zucchini, rinsed and diced
• 1 yellow squash, rinsed and diced
• 1 cup button mushrooms, rinsed
• 48 oz crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is my favorite brand)
• 1/2 cup water
• Sea salt, black pepper (to taste)
• Fresh basil – 1/4 cup rinsed and chopped
• Fresh parsley – 1/4 cup rinsed and chopped
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese – 1/2 cup

Directions:

Step 1:

In a large sauce pan, heat onions, garlic and olive oil on medium heat until golden brown.

Step 2:

As the onions are cooking, prepare the veggies. Wash, rinse, and chop.

Step 3:

Once the onions have caramelized, add peppers, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli florets, mushrooms and 1/2 cup of water. Put cover back on pot and allow veggies to “steam” cook until bright in color and tender.

Step 4:

Add crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir. Continue to cook on low/medium heat for 30-45 minutes stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Step 5:

Now add the basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Stir, reduce heat to simmer and allow sauce to sit for a few minutes before serving. Turn heat off and enjoy with pasta or zucchini parmesan (coming up next!)

Well, basil seemed to be the clear winner in the Friday Flavor Face-off, so today I present you with a spring pasta salad featuring that flavorful herb – basil! This is a very clean tasting salad. It’s loaded with lots of fresh spring vegetables and works really well as a side dish or as an entrée.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of orecchiette pasta
• 1 “bunch” (about 1 cup chopped) fresh asparagus spears, blanched
• 1 cup shredded carrots, blanched
• 1/2 cup edamame
• 1 can artichoke hearts in water, rinsed and drained (sliced in half if needed)
• 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
• fresh basil, rinsed and roughly chopped, about 1/4 cup
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• sea salt and fresh black pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, cook pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and place into a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate sauce pan, bring 6-8 cups of water to a boil, submerge asparagus spears and shredded carrots for 60-90 seconds. Remove with slotted spoons and place in bowl of ice cold water (to stop cooking process). Veggies should be very bright in color and slightly tender.
3. To the large mixing bowl with the cooked pasta, add edamame, artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, and tomatoes then stir.
4. Now add basil, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss.
5. Serve at room temperature. Makes about 6 servings.

Coming soon…Zucchini Parmesan!

Ever since I watched the documentary, Forks Over Knives,  I have been even more sold on the idea that stuffing your face with vegetables is really the way to live. Although I am not officially a vegetarian, I eat a ton of vegetables, but sometimes I get bored with eating the same old ones day after day. To add some variety to my veggie intake, I decided to make my own version of a Mexican Stuffed Pepper (which is essentially a veggie burrito inside a pepper vs a flour tortilla). Check out the recipe below for step by step instructions. Enjoy!

Recipe: Mexican Stuffed Peppers – Step by Step Instructions

Ingredients:

• 6 large bell peppers (red, green, orange, yellow)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1.5 cups of cooked brown rice
• 1 can (15 oz) of organic pinto beans, drained and rinsed (you can also use dry beans that have been soaked overnight…this will significantly reduce the amount of sodium in the meal)
• 1 zucchini, washed and diced
• 1 yellow squash, washed and diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red pepper, rinsed, seeded, and diced
• Spices: Sea Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin
• Garnishes: Mexican cheese shredded blend, scallions, cilantro, guacamole, salsa, low fat sour cream, lime juice

Directions:

Step #1

Rinse peppers with cold water. Dry with clean towel.

Step #2

On a clean cutting board, slice off the tops of each pepper and scoop out the seeds with clean hands or with a spoon. Your hands should be clean regardless.

Step #3

Fill a large pot or sauce pan 3/4 full with cold water. Place the peppers and tops of the peppers in the pan and cover. Place the pot on the stove and place on high heat. Allow peppers to cook (blanch) in boiling water for 3-5 minutes until very bright in color and somewhat tender (but NOT soft). If the peppers get too soft at this stage they are difficult to work with and in my opinion (don’t taste very good).

Step #4

Carefully, remove peppers from the boiling water using tongs. Drain on a clean towel or paper towel. Turn off stove.

Step #5

Place peppers and tops in a large baking dish (about 9×13)

Step #6

In a separate pan, cook the brown rice according to package instructions (about 35-40 minutes until it has small holes in the top like this)

Step #7

In another pan, saute garlic, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, carrots with olive oil on medium/high heat until tender about 5-10 minutes. You might want to add a little bit of water to the pan to “steam” saute vs adding any olive oil. Once vegetables are tender, add the beans and stir to combine.

Step #8

In the mean time, chop up garnishes (scallions and cilantro) and place in small bowls.

Step #9

Once the rice has finished cooking, prepare your work station, and get ready to fill up the peppers!

Step #10

Fill each pepper with 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup of brown rice (varies depending on the size of the pepper).

Step #11

Next, add the veggie/bean mixture.

Step #12

Now top each pepper with shredded cheese. For vegan peppers, try rice or soy cheese.

Step #13

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place pan into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and is golden brown. Note* leave the tops of the peppers off for the baking.

Step #14

Carefully, remove the pan from the oven and place on a heating pad or heat safe surface. Turn oven off. Place the tops of the peppers back on for serving.

Step #15

Slice peppers in half for serving and adding toppings.

Step #16

Top with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, chopped cilantro, scallions, fresh lime juice and serve with ice cold water and some tortilla chips.

This is a great meal to make if you have guests or if you really enjoy leftovers!

Orange and yellow peppers are my favorites, but even the green ones are tasty!

Good to the very last bite!

One of my favorite things about working on this blog (besides taking photos) is all of the delicious food I get to experiment with! I had to remind myself of that. It’s good to do that from time to time. Especially on the days when your work seems fruitless and pretty much like an enormous waste of time….keep moving forward. If it’s helping even one person, it’s worth the time and energy.

Recipe: Tofu Peanut Stir-Fry (serves 4)

Ingredients Stir-Fry:

• 1/2 package of rice vermicelli
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 package of extra firm tofu, chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 2 red peppers (rinsed, seeded, and thinly sliced)
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup mushrooms (rinsed and diced)
• 2 cups of broccoli florets
• 1 cup red cabbage (chopped)
• 1/2 cup edamame
• Garnishes: cilantro, peanuts, sesame seeds, scallions

Directions Stir-Fry:

1. Fill a medium size sauce pan filled with water (about 4 quarts) and bring to a rolling boil. Add the rice vermicelli and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then drain and place cooked noodles back into empty pan and cover.
2. In a large wok or stir-fry pan on medium/high heat, add 1/2 cup water and add all vegetables. Cover the wok/pan and “steam” vegetables until bright in color, tender, but still a little crisp.
3. In a separate frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium/high heat and then cook the tofu until golden brown on each side.
4. Remove the cooked tofu from the pan and set aside.
5. Serve vegetables over cooked rice noodles and topped with tofu and peanut sauce.

Ingredients Peanut Sauce:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (low sodium)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

Directions Peanut Sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl using a whisk until a smooth consistency is achieved. You may want to add a bit more water depending on how thick you like the sauce.

I will admit, the first time I made gluten free pizza crust I did it as more of an experiment than for the sheer enjoyment of eating it. I really did not know what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that gluten free pizza crust is actually easy to make and super tasty!

Recipe: Gluten Free Mini Pizzas (makes 4 mini pizzas)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of Bob’s Red Mill – Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
• 1 1/2 cups simple Italian tomato sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheese: you could use a classic shredded mozzarella cheese or for non-dairy cheese you could try soy or rice cheese
• 1 cup sauteed baby broccoli
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• Other great toppings: fresh basil, olives, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, the list goes on…

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare gluten free crust according to directions on the back of the package. Simple and easy to make! (it is helpful to keep this dough very moist as you spread it out into the desired shape)
3. Once dough has been baked and ready for toppings, start by spreading some sauce on top of the pizza crust, then top with cheese, vegetables, or other toppings.
4. Bake and enjoy! This is a tasty pizza crust mix, it is a bit more “cake” like and definitely less “doughy” than a traditional pizza crust but that is to be expected because gluten is what gives the “stretchy, doughy-ness” to baked goods. The entire package actually makes enough dough for 2 large (12″) pizzas.

Here are a few other yummy looking GF pizzas…

Make your own pizza night by Sprout & Pea

Melanzana Margherita Pizza by The Food Lovers

Gluten Free Pizza with Mozzarella, Olives and Anaheim Peppers by Shooting the Kitchen

Gluten Free Pizza Crust by The Best of This Life

Black beans and rice is one of the first meals that I learned to make when I was in college. All culinary exploration in college began with the following prerequisites…

• Super easy
• Super cheap
• (if you’re a nutrition major) Super healthy

I started off my freshman year with a hot pot and an entire drawer full of ramen noodles so graduating to beans and rice was a pretty big day for me. After 13 years, beans and rice is still one of my faithful dinner staples.

Meal Planning Tip:

Make a list of 10 easy, cheap, and healthy meals that you can make in under 30 minutes. Stick the list on your fridge so that you’ll have some inspiration when mealtimes sneak up on you. It’s easier to make a healthy choice when you have some healthy options to choose from.

Recipe: Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients:

• 1/4 small white onion diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 cup carrots diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 red pepper rinsed, seeded, and diced
• 1/2 green pepper rinsed, seeded and diced
• 1 can (15 oz) of organic black beans with liquid (alternatively you can rinse the beans to remove excess sodium and replace the liquid with 1/4 cup of water)
• Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
• Spices: today I used curry powder, paprika, chili powder, and celery salt. I like to experiment with spices so what I use this time I might not use again. This happened to be a nice combination but I missed the cumin (I ran out).
• Garnishes: scallions, diced red onion, cilantro and some raw diced red and green peppers. You could also add diced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, etc.

Directions:

1. In a medium size sauce pan heat olive oil over medium/high heat until sizzling. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent and fragrant.
2. Add carrots and saute with onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until texture of carrots softens slightly (about 2-3 minutes)
3. Add peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Next, add can of black beans and stir.
5. Add spices and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve with white rice, brown rice, or as a topping for nacho chips
7. Makes about 2 adult size portions.

I used white rice today. Brown rice is certainly healthier alternative to white rice.  It takes a little longer to cook and has a slightly different texture, but it has more fiber and has a lower glycemic index.

Personal Fact: Scallions and other members of the onion family are some of my very favorite vegetables. I have been known to fry up an entire onion and eat it with my breakfast. Look out.

Which recipes are on your top 10?

Red Quinoa Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 cup of organic red quinoa
• 2 cups of water
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 package of extra firm tofu, chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 red pepper, rinsed, seeded, and sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, rinsed, seeded, and sliced
• 1 cup of pea pods
• 1/2 cup edamame, shelled and defrosted
• sesame seeds (for decoration)
• soy sauce or stir fry sauce (to taste)

Directions

1. In a medium size sauce pan on medium/high heat, bring the water and quinoa to a rolling boil.
2. Turn to low, cover, and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
3. In a large saute pan or wok, heat the oil on medium/high heat and then cook the tofu until golden brown on each side.
4. Remove the cooked tofu from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the onion, carrots, peppers, pea pods, and edamame. Saute on medium/high heat until tender and bright in color.
6. Add the soy sauce or stir fry sauce to the vegetable mix.
7. Serve the vegetable mix on top of the cooked red quinoa and sprinkle sesame seeds on top for decoration.
8. Enjoy!

The best part about making this recipe is having leftovers for lunch the next day.

This chunky chili is pretty chunky. I have a feeling you won’t miss the meat.

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper (about ½ teaspoon each used to season the onions)
• 5 carrots (rinsed, peeled, and sliced chunky)
• 5 celery stalks (rinsed and sliced)
• 1 green bell pepper (rinsed and diced)
• 1 zucchini (rinsed and diced)
• 1 cup of corn kernels
• 1 can (15 oz) of organic kidney beans
• 1 can (15 oz) of organic black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes (no added seasonings)
• 1 small can (6 oz) of tomato paste (optional)
• 1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup of mushrooms (rinsed and sliced)
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of freshly cracker black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• Toppings (scallions, shredded cheddar cheese, low-fat sour cream)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan with a lid, cook the onions in the olive oil (about 5 minutes until slightly translucent and brown around the edges), and then add the salt and pepper.
2. Add the carrots and celery, and then cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until celery and carrots become softer (cook with the lid on), medium-high heat.
3. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, corn, beans and diced tomatoes with the liquid from the can. Stir to blend all ingredients together and then cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste along with the mushrooms and spices.
5. Allow the soup to come to a complete boil and then turn the temperature to low-medium heat and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
6. Serve the soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, scallions, diced red onion, and sour cream.
7. This recipe make a bunch of chili….maybe 15+ (8 oz) servings. It is perfect for freezing in individual containers.

How do you make your chili?

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