Hearty Vegetarian Breakfast Hash

Here's a recipe that is very easy and so quick to prepare!

Ingredients

2 veggie burger patties, cooked

2 large potatoes, cooked and rough cut 

1/2 of 1 onion, chopped

1 small bunch of green onions

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 T soy sauce

1 T olive oil

Chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

1. Cook veggie patties and potatoes. I use a George Foreman grill for the patties (I use Trader Joe's brand, but any brand will do!) because it makes them kinda crispy. Cut or tear into pieces.

Toss the potatoes in the microwave until they are cooked through. Let them cool enough to handle comfortably, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

Add olive oil to a hot pan, coat the bottom, and add patties pieces and potatoes.

 2.  Add all onions and bell peppers. Season with soy sauce and spices.

 3. Saute.

 4. Dish will be ready when the potatoes are browned on the sides. Serve hot!

Turkey Taco Soup

Taco soup is typically made with ground beef, which can be high in fat and cholesterol. This recipe uses ground turkey instead. I always use www.nutritiondata.com to help me estimate the nutritional value of the ingredients I choose. Ground beef: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beef-products/6206/2

Ground turkey: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/932/2

Not an exact comparison, but 3oz of cooked beef (80/20 mix) has 15g (6g saturated) of fat and 231 calories, while 4oz of cooked turkey has 11g (3g saturated) of fat and 193 calories. 

Ingredients

1lb ground turkey

2 ears fresh corn

2 tomatoes

1 can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies

1 carton broth

1 onion

Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic to taste

Optional ingredients for topping: avocado, light sour cream, reduced fat cheese, baked tortilla strips

  

1. Brown 1lb of ground turkey and season as desired with garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. 

 2. Fresh corn makes a big difference in taste and adds a nice crunch to the meal. Use a knife to remove kernels from the cob.

 3. Add corn and 1 onion, chopped.

 4. Add fresh tomatoes and roasted tomatoes with green chilies. You can use any brand, but I prefer Trader Joe's because they  use BPA free cans. Add 1 carton of broth, either chicken or vegetable will work well.

 5. Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes so the flavors can properly infuse.

6. Serve with chopped cilantro, avocado pieces, some light sour cream, and reduced fat cheese. I tend to buy cheese that is made with 2% milk so the fat content is lower.

Simple Strawberry Jam

This is an extremely easy way to make a flavorful strawberry jam for a nice brunch or breakfast. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

2 pounds of ripe strawberries

 1. Zest and juice one large lemon and add to sugar in a deep pot. Cook over very low heat (I use setting 2 or 3 on a 10 setting dial) until the sugar has dissolved. Stir as needed.

 2. Here's what the sugar will look like after it's dissolved.

3. Remove stems from strawberries (hulling is a good approach). I like to leave about half of them whole and cut the others into quarters. This leaves nice berry chunks after the mixture has cooked down. Carefully place berries in sugar and lemon liquid, and coat them thoroughly. 

4. Cook for about 30 minutes on low heat until it looks like the above picture. One way to check the consistency is to drizzle a small amount of the liquid on a cool plate. Turn the plate on its side to see if it has reached desired thickness. 

5. Pour hot mixture into a jelly jar or serving dish and cool. 

Portobello "Pot Pie"

This is a variation of a stuffed portobello "pot pie" recipe a friend told me about. You will get all the flavor and richness of a more traditional pot pie, but the phyllo dough is much lower in fat and calories than most other crusts. 

Ingredients

Several large portobello caps

1 large onion

2 medium sized carrots

4 small red potatoes

1 cup shredded chicken (optional)

1 carton of condensed portobello mushroom soup

1 package of phyllo dough sheets (thawed)

Olive oil

1. First, clean several large portobello mushroom caps. 

2. Chop onion, potatoes, and carrots into bite size pieces. Saute in one tablespoon of olive oil until onions are transparent. 

 3. Add condensed soup and half of the recommended amount of water to the veggies. Season as desire. I usually add garlic, salt, pepper, and basil.

 4. If you forget to thaw your phyllo dough the night before baking, you can put the roll in the microwave for 30 - 60 seconds. (Tip courtesy of Alton Brown on the Food Network).

 5. Place portobello cap on the phyllo dough. Sometimes larger portobellos are a little bland, so adding a little spice before you add the filling improves the flavor. Top with veggie filling and shredded chicken.

 6. Wrap portobello and filling with a phyllo sheet. Brush with olive oil so the corners will stick to each other. I used four sheets on this one, but you can add more or less based on how flaky and how many layers you prefer. Brush each layer lightly to increase flakiness and ensure that the dough stays wrapped around the veggies.

 7. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees depending on the number of pies and their size. Once the dough becomes golden brown, it's done.

8. Here's what it will look like after it's been cut.

Whole Wheat Ravioli Stuffed with Browned Turkey

Sometimes I like to make my own pasta. This is not a quick task by any means, but playing with the dough and shaping it can be a lot of fun. I use a pasta machine, but the dough can be rolled out on a flat surface and cut with a knife or ravioli cutter.

Dough Recipe:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
7 egg whites ( I really never use egg yolk, but if you do, use four whole eggs.)
2 tsp olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well (hollow spot) in the center of the mixture, and add the olive oil. Add the egg whites one at a time while stirring with a fork or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer. I always use my mixer because it's a lot easier on my arm. Mix until all of the ingredients come together to form a mass. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

After resting, roll out the dough with a rolling pin or run it through your pasta machine. Cut into long strips or follow the directions on your ravioli attachment.

Here's my process:

1. I placed part of the dough in my pasta machine.

2. I made these into fettuccine style noodles. Here's the wikipedia entry for pasta shapes and sizes. I put them on a drying rack for about an hour, then stored them in a large sandwich bag in the refrigerator for later use. 

3. I also wanted to make ravioli, so I browned some lean turkey with garlic, basil, and rosemary for the filling. 

4. I rolled out two flat sheets of pasta and placed them on either side of the opening on the pasta machine. Then, I added the filling about 1 tbsp at a time while rolling the dough through the machine. Here's what it looked like.

5. I pulled them apart and dusted them with flour to help prevent sticking.

6. I let the ravioli sit for about 15-20 minutes so they were more likely to stay together through boiling. I boiled them in salted water until they rose to the top and plumped, then served them with a basil and garlic tomato sauce and the remaining browned turkey. 

This definitely takes more time than opening a box of pasta and boiling it, but there's really nothing like enjoying fresh pasta. 

Favorite Recipe: Veggie Burgoo

Burgoos are very popular in Kentucky, but there is no real agreement on what ingredients constitute the dish. They are usually spicy and include meat, vegetables, and some type of thickener. Then again, that describes a lot of soups! I use the term burgoo anytime I want to clean out my fridge and make a thick vegetable stew.

Note: I tend to avoid canned food, but when I do use it, I look for brands that use BPA free cans. Here's a list of companies and brands that are BPA free:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/7-bpa-free-canned-foods.php

Ingredients:

1 carton chicken stock (Veggie stock can be used to make this dish completely vegetarian.)

1 bell pepper (any color will do)

2-3 zucchini or yellow squash

1 small package of carrots (I use shredded because they cook faster than whole.)

1 lb shredded cabbage (I buy coleslaw mix if I don't have time to chop my own.)

1 large can of diced tomatoes (I like to use canned items from Trader Joe's because they use BPA free cans.)

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

corn meal to thicken

garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

Other veggies I like to add:

Garbanzo beans, yellow or green onions, corn, and potatoes

1. Chop all veggies. Over medium heat, add oil and saute veggies, adding them in order of cooking time. (Thick, moisture heavy veggies like squash should be added first.)

2. Add canned tomatoes with juice after veggies have started to lightly brown.

3. Add chicken or veggie stock. I usually add the cabbage near the end so it isn't overcooked. If the soup seems thin, add corn meal one tbsp at a time to reach desired thickness.

4. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and serve warm. Cornbread makes a nice accompaniment.

Super Food: Quinoa

Super foods are typically good sources for things like omega three fatty acids or antioxidants, which have been shown to help reduce the risk for health problems, such as heart disease. There is not a universal consensus on what makes a super food, but from a nutritional aspect, quinoa is a great choice for fiber and vitamin E.

I like to use quinoa in place of rice or pasta as a side with many main courses. It's also great as a base for cold summer salads like this one:

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-salad.php

As the above website notes, quinoa has a high oil content, so make sure you store it in a container with a good seal so it doesn't become rancid.

Here's a blurb from WebMD about the health benefits of quinoa:

Quinoa is now readily available in many supermarkets and is one of the best whole grains you can eat, according to Zied. "It is an ancient grain, easy to make, interesting, high in protein (8 grams in 1 cup cooked), fiber (5 grams per cup) and a naturally good source of iron," she says. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) also has plenty of zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control your weight and lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes, she says. Quinoa is as easy to prepare as rice and can be eaten alone or mixed with vegetables, nuts, or lean protein for a whole-grain medley. Try to make at least half your daily grain servings whole grains. In addition to quinoa, try barley, oats, buckwheat, whole wheat, wild rice, and millet.

A Very Helpful Nutrition Website

Nutrition Data is an easy to use website that can help you identify which foods make the most sense for your personal health goals. Here is the link:

http://nutritiondata.self.com

You can enter different foods, and it will give you nutritional data and charts so you develop a better understanding of the foods you like to eat. I like to use it when planning a meal, so I can make sure I'm incorporating healthy and filling foods.

Here's an example of quinoa, cooked:

Guacamole

Ingredients:

1 Hass avocado

salt, garlic, and cumin to taste

*You may also want to add diced tomatoes, onion, or chopped cilantro for extra flavor.

1. Use an avocado slicer or a fork to scrape out the inside of 1 avocado.

2. Place in a small bowl.

3. Mash with a fork until creamy. Add garlic, salt, cumin, and cumin to taste.

Favorite Recipe: Simple Sweet Potato, Leek and Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of leeks

3 large sweet potatoes

1 package of lean chicken sausage

1 carton chicken stock

1 1/2 cups of milk

garlic, salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop leeks and sausage.

2. Saute leeks and sausage in a large soup pot until sausage is browned.

3. Bake sweet potatoes in the microwave (time will vary based on potato size). Remove the skin and place potato in a food processor with 1/2 cup of milk.

4. Pour sweet potato puree over leeks and sausage. Add stock and milk. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Sauteed Veggies with Turkey Ham Over Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini Squash

2 Yellow Squash

1 Bunch Green Onions

2 Large Portobello Caps

1/4 - 1/2 lb Lean Turkey Ham

2 Crushed Garlic Cloves

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Chop veggies and saute with olive oil and crushed garlic cloves. Dice ham and add to mixture.

Boil whole wheat pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Spoon mixture over cooked pasta and top with goat cheese.

A little cracked pepper adds a nice flavor.

Easiest Dessert You've Never Tried

Banana & Peanut Butter "Ice Cream"

1. Slice 2 bananas into 1/4 inch rounds and place them in the freezer. I usually put them on a metal cake pan because they freeze a little faster than just putting them in a plastic sandwich bag.

2. Place frozen sliced bananas into a food processor.

3. Pulse until bananas have a silky appearance. I always add one tablespoon of peanut butter, but it tastes great on its own!

4. Serve immediately. This does not store well, so a good rule of thumb is two bananas = one large bowl of "ice cream."