Recipe: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe on my new favorite healthy recipe website. I've only had quinoa a few times so I was eager for new, Gluten-free ways to use it. The peppers were delicious, filling, and very good for you! I saved one for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Directions

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. (Debbie's note: I moved everything into a pot because my saucepan wasn't big enough) Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

Recipe: Gluten Free Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite foods (and vegetable now?) and I've been looking for a gluten free recipe to try. My best friend Katie tried out this recipe and loved it so she passed it along to me.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley
toppings
extra mozzarella for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Farenheit.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press evenly on the pan. Sprinkle evenly with fennel, oregano and parsley.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).

Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then toppings and cheese.

Place under a broiler (grill for the Europeans) at high heat just until cheese is melted

Recipe: Stuffed portobello mushrooms

This recipe is advertised as a "Delicious Healthy Pizza Recipe" and a "Gluten Free Pizza Recipe" but I just thought that the ingredients looked too delicious not to try! I've always been a fan of stuffed mushrooms so I was excited to have my own stab at it. I wouldn't say that the mushrooms reminded me of pizza but they did have a fresh, delicious taste and they were very filling! Next time I will add more toppings like olives, pepperonis, and peppers.

With fresh parsley that I grew at home.

Ingredients

4 tomatoes
4 large portobello mushrooms
4 cloves of garlic
Lemon
1 leek
1 onion
Fresh basil
Parmigiano reggiano cheese
Fresh parsley
Olive oil
Salt

Directions

1) Heat up about 2 table spoons of olive oil.
2) Chop the onion.
3) Stir the onion until it’s slightly brown.
4) Dice up the tomatoes.
5) Chop the garlic.
6) Chop the leek.
7) Add the tomatoes, garlic, leek, and pinch of salt to the onions. Saute the ingredients until the tomatoes are soft.
8) Squeeze about 1 table spoon of fresh lemon juice over the ingredients.
9) Add about 5 leaves of chopped fresh basil.
10) Spray olive oil on a baking sheet and place the mushrooms on the sheet with the bottom side up.
11) Add the mixed ingredients from the sauce pan into each mushroom and top with grated parmegiano cheese. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes at 400F
12) Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.