Lemon Broccoli Spinach Fettuccine

Ingredients


One Box of Organic Spinach Fettuccine (I used De Boles Brand which is made with wheat, spinach, and artichoke flours)
2 Cups of Vegetable Broth
Water for pasta (amount will vary according to type of pasta used)
2 Cups of raw broccoli
2 Cups of raw arugula
1 yellow onion diced
1 cup of roasted garlic (you can buy roasted garlic prepared by the deli at Kroger or roast your own)
1 cup of sundried tomatoes diced (I used the kind in a jar soaked in olive oil)
2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes
Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning to taste
Zest and Juice of 4 lemons
Olive Oil to coat pasta and sautee onions
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions


1) Cook pasta in salted water mixed with vegetable broth according to package directions. Also, add some Mrs Dash lemon pepper seasoning to the pasta water while boiling pasta.  Drain pasta...do NOT overcook!

2) Roast the broccoli in olive oil and the juice of one lemon for 10 minutes in the oven set on 350.  Sprinkle broccoli with a little Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper seasoning and a tiny bit of sea salt.  Remove broccoli when it is almost finished cooking, but not quite

3) In a wok (can use a sautee pan, I just used my new wok to test it out), sautee onion in olive oil for about 2-3 minutes by itself then, add the broccoli, roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, juice of one lemon, and zest of one lemon.

4) Turn the heat to low and add the pasta to the broccoli mixture and toss to mix veggies with pasta. Coat with a little olive oil, and squeeze the juice of the remaining 2 lemons and add the zest of the remaining 3 lemons.

5) Once mixed, add the raw arugula and toss it into the warm pasta until it is slightly wilted.

6) Add sea salt and pepper to taste and more Mrs. Dash lemon pepper if desired (I love lemony flavors can you tell???).  


Note:  Feel free to replace the spinach pasta with a gluten free pasta instead or a low carb version...I just decided to use an organic spinach pasta which had a good amount of iron and protein and fiber.

This pasta is full of wonderful citrus flavor which means this is a dish packed with vitamin C.  Broccoli is loaded with nutrients and has fantastic anti-inflammatory benefits, lots of vitamins A & K, as well as a ton of calcium. Arugula is an excellent source of vitamin A, C, folic acid, potassium, iron, zinc, riboflavin, and calcium.  Arugula stimulates natural detoxifying enzymes in the body.  Meanwhile, the olive oil offers us a healthy monounsaturated fats which can lower cholesterol among other things.  This pasta was very tasty and rivaled pasta dishes at fancy authentic Italian restaurants.  I hope you try this and enjoy it as much as I did.  Happy Flavorful Eating, All!!

Vegan Quinoa & Black Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Vegan Quinoa & Black Bean Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

8 bell peppers, seeded and tops cut off , plus 1 bell pepper diced to be used in the stuffing
(use whatever colors you like, I used 4 green and 4 red and 1 red to sautee)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 green onion, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa (rinsed thoroughly)
2 1/4 cups Vegetable broth
1 15 oz can of organic, low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup salsa ( I used low sodium organic black bean and corn salsa)
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons Hungarian Paprika (I love this stuff...can you tell?)
Dash of hot sauce to taste (I use Cholula hot sauce chili lime flavor...can get it in Kroger)
Juice of one lime
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Cook bell peppers in boiling water for 4 minutes to soften a little. Remove and place

2) Cook quinoa in vegetable broth, NOT water...the veggie broth enhances the flavor.

3) In a saucepan, sautee onions, 1 red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, green onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of Hungarian Paprika.

4) Add the vegetable mixture and black beans to the quinoa after fluffing the quinoa and mix and cook together for about 2 minutes.  Add the salsa, cayenne pepper, chili powder, lime juice, hot sauce and rest of the paprika and mix well.

5) Add the peppers to baking dish and put a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the dish too.  Stuff the peppers with the quinoa mixture.

6) Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

7) Remove and serve with the baked bell pepper on top for a nice presentation (not necessary...I just liked how it looked with the top and ate around the stem)

This was a really pretty and yummy dish yet oh so healthy.  The quinoa is packed with protein, iron, and fiber and is an ancient grain that has been cultivated in the Andes Mountains of South America for more than 5,000 years.  It is locally referred to the "Mother Grain" and as a "Protein Powerhouse" and historically kept the Incan armies strong and healthy.  The bell peppers which look like the Christmas ornaments of the veggie world have a ton of vitamin C and carotenoids which of course gives them a wonderful antioxidant capacity.  Black beans regulate blood sugar because of their "protein plus fiber" content and enhance our digestive tract health in particular our colon's health, which is pivotal for good health.  Regularity is a must for a healthy body, period.  Meanwhile, the garlic and onions provide a nice dose of sulfur-containing compounds, which fight and prevent cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.  Garlic also has selenium which promotes a healthy mental health, which I find nice especially during winter months with so little sunlight.  Lastly, we all know tomatoes give us healthy amounts of lypocene and vitamin E and have a huge amount of antioxidant properties. The intake of tomatoes has been linked time after time with heart health.  I hope you all love this recipe as much as I do.  This vegan dish is loaded with nature's medicine and full of flavor.  Let's eat to our health. Enjoy and bon appetit!!!

Vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

I know what you're thinking....another Mexican/Latin dish?  Come on!! Yes, my second post is an entree influenced by Latin culture.  But, to be fair, I had some Mexican ingredients left over from my Mexican pizza dinner that I needed to use.  And so, as luck would have it, the yummy sweet potato and black bean enchilada entree made its debut in my kitchen.  Here's what you can do to make your very own vegan sweet potato and black bean enchiladas...

Ingredients:


2 Large Sweet Potatoes - peeled and cubed (cut into bite sized pieces) 


1 15 oz low sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained


1 large yellow sweet onion - diced 


3 cups of enchilada sauce 
(note:  you can use homemade enchilada sauce or your favorite low sodium store bought enchilada sauce; here's a link to a quick red enchilada sauce online:  http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianmexicanrecipes/r/enchiladasauce.htm  For those of you in Memphis, my Garden to Groceries students make a yummy pepper pumpkin pesto that would go great in place of the enchilada sauce...and yes, it's vegan...no cheese!  To order some, shoot me an email at work:  tiffanieg@bgcm.org)

10 small tortillas (you can use corn tortillas, flour tortillas, buckwheat tortillas, low carb tortillas, spinach tortillas...it is your choice)

1 jalapeno pepper


1 Avocado


1 Lime for juice


1/2 cup green onions chopped


Cayenne Pepper & Hungarian Paprika to taste


Salt & Pepper to taste


3 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil 


Directions:


1) Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F


2) Place sweet potatoes and onions on a baking sheet and toss in coconut oil (or olive oil...I prefer coconut oil b/c of how it enhances the natural sweet flavor of the sweet potato) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are easy to pierce with a fork and onions are browned.  Take out of the oven and set aside.


3) Peel and chop the avocado into cubes.  Dice the jalapeno pepper and remove the seeds. 


4) Mix the avocado, jalapeno pepper, and green onions together and toss.  Add lime juice, cayenne pepper, hungarian paprika and salt to taste.  Cover and set aside.  


5) Mix black beans and sweet potato mixture in a bowl and toss together.  Add Hungarian Paprika to taste.  


6) Heat a cast iron skillet and place each tortilla in the skillet for 30 seconds on each side so the tortilla will be soft and pliable. Have a bowl handy with about 1/2 cup of the red enchilada sauce.  Dip each tortilla in the sauce ---front and back.


7) Next, place each saucy tortilla in a casserole dish and put 3 tablespoons of the sweet potato/black bean mixture and roll each enchilada tightly.  Continue with the rest of the tortillas --10 total.  Pack each enchilada beside each other in a single layer only.  


8) Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce over the entire casserole(you will have extra enchilada sauce left over to serve with the enchiladas once they are done).


9) Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until edges of the tortillas are slightly browned.  


10) Remove enchiladas and cool for 5 minutes.


11) Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce first and then the avocado mixture.  Serve and enjoy!!!


This dish is especially delicious and it makes 5 servings....chances are if you are like me, you'll have plenty left over for the next day's lunch and then some depending upon your family size.  Now I need to bore you with a bit of health stuff - Sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A and actually have more beta-carotene than carrots!!!  Black beans are very high in folate, fiber, and are great antioxidants and can also help to lower cholesterol.  Avocados serve as a good source of healthy fat; jalapenos kick up your metabolism along with the cayenne pepper...put all of this together makes for one healthy, tasty vegan dish.  Enjoy and happy flavorful vegan eating!!!


Cheers to health with flavor,


~Tiffanie


P.S.  Next time I think I will mash the sweet potatoes and then mix the black beans in...you may want to try yours this way :-) 






  

Vegan Mexican Pizza Delight

After trying to create a pizza that I frequently ate non-vegan style and failing miserably, I decided to create a vegan pizza that I thought would definitely be a hit.  This particular recipe does use quite a few processed vegan food items (i.e. vegan tofu sour cream, vegan cheese, and refried black beans), however using processed items occasionally is not so bad.  However, I do suggest you check the sodium content and also the list of ingredients.  Processed foods are often loaded with sodium or sugar, so be careful.  I use low sodium refried black beans (which incidentally you can make homemade if you have the time).  In short, please note that most of my recipes will not call for a lot of processed ingredients.  This one just so happens to call for some, which by most standards, are not so bad.  And really after eating this delicious recipe, the vegan sour cream and cheese are optional.  Next time I will probably leave off the vegan cheese, because the creaminess from the avocado on top was enough for me.  Enjoy and happy flavorful vegan eating!!!

Ingredients:

1 Thin Whole Wheat Prepared Pizza Dough (note:  you can use gluten free if you wish, I didn't for this particular recipe.  You can make your favorite pizza dough or buy it prepared...your choice)

2 tablespoons Vegan Sour Cream-optional (note:  I used Tofutti which is a tofu version of sour cream)

1/2 cup Shredded Vegan Cheddar Cheese-optional (I used the vegan brand of "daiya" b/c it melts...not all vegan cheese melts)

1 15 oz Can of Low Sodium, Fat Free Refried Black Beans (note:  you can make your own refried black beans to avoid the processed version or substitute regular refried pinto beans...you have lots of flexibility here to really utilize what you have)

1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes

1 Avocado

1 Chopped Sweet Yellow Onion

1/4 cup roasted garlic cloves or 2 tablespoons minced garlic - optional

1/2 cup of Black Olives - optional

1/2 Cup of Green Onions

1 jalapeno pepper diced with seeds removed (for spicier taste buds, leave the seeds in)

1 Lime for lime juice

Olive Oil

Pinch of Hungarian Paprika

Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.


In a medium skillet, saute your onion, jalapeno and garlic until slightly browned in olive oil (or coconut oil) seasoned with a little salt, pepper, and paprika. (Note bell peppers would be nice in this mixture, too, I just did not have any at time.)

Brush your prepared pizza dough with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Chop avocado into chunks; cut cherry tomatoes and black olives in half. Toss avocado, tomatoes, and olives in lime juice from half of a lime, small pinch of cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt and pepper.

Next, you will make an assembly line with all your ingredients to begin constructing the pizza.  On the bottom, spread the refried black bean mixture using the entire 15 oz can and top with 2 tablespoons of the vegan sour cream.  Next add your sauteed onions, jalapenos and garlic.  Then add the avocado, tomatoes, and olive mixture.  Squeeze the other half of the lime over the pizza.  Lastly, sprinkle with the vegan cheese, which is optional.

Place pizza directly on your oven rack and back for about 12-15 minutes.  Please check on your pizza because times do vary from oven to oven.  Once the cheese is melted and slightly browned  (my preference for a slightly browned pizza), remove and cool pizza for 5 minutes. 

Top with fresh green onions as a garnish.  I like the raw fresh green onions as a topping to give it some crunch.  Enjoy this flavorful Vegan Mexican Pizza!!!

***Again, you can get creative with this recipe.  Next time I will definitely add red bell peppers and omit the cheese.  The creaminess of the avocado was enough creaminess to balance this pizza out without the use of the cheese.  Also, feel free to omit the use of the sea salt.  I like to use the sea salt when sauteing onions because it brings out the natural sweetness to me...the same goes for the use of it in the avocado/tomato mixture.  I only use a little, because I try to eat a low sodium diet.  This pizza is so yummy and is loaded with nutrients.  We get a good dose of healthy fat from the avocado (so great for your hair and skin), lypocene and other fabulous nutrients from the tomatoes, vitamin c from the lime juice (also great for detoxification purposes), a multitude of health benefits particularly for lowering blood pressure from the garlic, protein from the black beans, good source of whole grains from the pizza crust, and a little boost for our metabolism from the heat of the jalapenos and cayenne pepper.***

I look forward to your feedback.  Who says vegan food can't be packed with flavor???

Cheers to your health with flavor,

~Tiffanie