Tilapia Tinfoil dinners

For the first time ever, I have a garden.  And not one of those fake plastic aquarium gardens... a garden that actually produces things that you can eat!  And even though I mistakenly cared for a weed for awhile because I thought it was a basil plant, the plants that I intended to grow have grown abundantly.  So yesterday I harvested my first zucchini (a big baseball bat of a thing that created a huge dinner and enough shredded stuff for zucchini muffins).  We also have some great cherry tomato plants.  And I had bought some tilapia earlier in the week.  And Richard had given me a challenge to only spend $60 on groceries that week. Naturally, I was looking for a recipe that would incorporate what I already had on hand.  I found this recipe and was really happy with the results.  So was Richard.  We had almost no leftovers.  We baked it in the oven, but this could easily be a grill or campfire dinner.  The original recipe had each tilapia filet in its own individual tinfoil packet, but I decided to bake the whole thing together and conserve foil. I served the tilapia and roasted vegetables over a simple pasta that was tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Tinfoil tilapia with roasted vegetables (adapted from cooksillustrated.com)

1 lb zucchini sliced crossways into 1/4 inch rounds (cut rounds into quarters if your zucchini is huge)

8 oz mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauteed (in frying pan for about 5 minutes) and set aside

8 oz of tomatoes, chopped (about a cup) (any kind will do)

2 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

4 TBSP dried white wine or lemon juice (I used lemon juice)

1 lb tilapia filets (I had about 5 filets in mine)

Toss zucchini with salt and place in colander for 30 minutes to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and while the oven preheats to 450 degrees.  The zucchini will release a few TBSP of liquid-- just drain and blot dry with paper towels.

Toss the tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp of pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic together in a bowl.  Sprinkle the tilapia filets with a little additional salt and pepper.

Tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil and place on the counter, spread your zucchini slices evenly in the middle of the foil, leaving a sizeable edge of foil around the zucchini so that you have room to fold.  Drizzle the lemon juice or white wine evenly among the zucchini.  Top with the tilapia filets, the mushrooms and the tomato mixture.  Place another equally large piece of foil on the top and gently fold each side of the foil to form a large, sealed packet.  Or you can do 4 smaller packets with equal parts of each of the ingredients, layered in the same manner.

Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes for the large packet.  Remove from the oven, cut a slit in the top and let the steam escape.  Serve on its own, over pasta, or with rice or potatoes.  Its a winner no matter how you look at it.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Raspberry Muffins

And you thought that the only recipes you would get on my blog would be savory.....

well, here is my sweet (albeit mostly healthy) side!  When you have freezer bags full of handpicked raspberries, you find a way to put them in everything!  This was originally a recipe for chocolate chip muffins, but I decided to jazz it up and replace most of the butter with plain yogurt (my favorite secret muffin ingredient), substitute whole wheat flour for white, decrease the sugar, and add in whole raspberries and dark chocolate chunks.  Its like a healthy smooch.  And the kind of muffins that you secretly hope your daughter won't like because its more for you! Here you go:

whole wheat chocolate chip raspberry muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 TBSP butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup plain yogurt

1/3 dark chocolate chips

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg until combined.  Beat in yogurt and vanilla.  In separate bowl mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently.  Fold in chocolate chips and raspberries.  Fills about 12 muffin cups.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

My award winning "you won't feel awful" Falafel burger

That is right-- this is an award winning burger (though it is not shown with its bun counterpart in this picture). Last Saturday night Richard and I went to a "build a better burger" contest and I brought a falafel burger to represent the vegetarians of the world and because, well, I haven't bought ground meat in almost three years.  I knew I couldn't just bring out the same awesome burger I made last year.  I really wasn't expecting this mediterranean spiced patty to be able to compete with a thick juicy sirloin burger topped with cheese and chipotle mayo (mmmm, I got to admit, sometimes I really just want a nice juicy burger), but everyone really loved it and it came away with second prize!  I recommend serving the "burgers" in pita bread with a large dollop of the cucumber yogurt sauce.    They are another super cheap way to eat well and eat healthy!

And did I say award winning....

Falafel and cucumber sauce (adapted from allrecipes.com)

2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 large onion  coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic
2 eggs
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp baking powder
2 TBSP olive oil
2 cups dry panko bread crumbs

1 cup plain yogurt (preferrably greek)
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pulse garbanzo beans in a food processor until coarsely ground.  Empty into a large bowl.  In the same food processor, blend the onion, parsley and garlic until smooth.  Add to the garbanzo beans.  Add in remaining ingredients except for the bread crumbs and mix well.   Slowly add the bread crumbs to the bean mixture until the mixture is no longer sticky but will hold together.  Add more or less crumbs as needed.  Shape mixture into 8 patties and roll in some extra panko bread crumbs.  Set aside on a baking sheet until ready to fry.

Heat a couple of TBS olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Fry the patties until crispy and brown on both sides and cooked through (4-5 minutes each side?).

For the cucumber sauce, just combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill, and salt and pepper.  Chill until ready to use.

Serve your falafels hot with pita bread and cool cucumber sauce!

Crockpot refried beans

This is perhaps the most used recipe in our house.  I make a huge pot of these beans at least every other week, if not more.  We eat it throughout the week and it never gets old.  It is also the recipe that requires the least effort (about two minutes of prep total).  It only takes slightly more effort than opening a can of refried beans, but tastes infinitely better.  It also ends up being fat free!  And if you are wondering how to get enough protein in your diet without meat, you need look no further than beans.  I LOVE BEANS!  And they love me, and like that little black dress in your closet, they go with everything!  This recipe makes a lot, so feel free to half it!

Refried beans
1 onion peeled and halved
2 lbs of dry pinto beans (no need to rinse or sort or soak)
1 jalapeno, halved
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 TBSP chili powder
9 cups chicken broth (or 9 cups water with 9 chicken flavored bouillion cubes)
3 cups water

Directions:
Basically, dump everything into a crockpot and cook on high for about 6-8 hours and then puree with an immersion blender (onion, jalapeno, and all).  You can add more water if needed.  Easy, right?

Edamame Lo Mein

I just rented another four vegetarian cookbooks from the library.  The one I have put the most tabs in is called "Eating Well: Fast and Flavorful Meatless Meals."  This was the first recipe I tried and I was not disappointed!  It is a noodle stirfry with whole grain spaghetti, edamame, carrots, red peppers, and mushrooms in a really easy sauce.  It took very little time to prepare and make and I really liked the finished product.  And edamame is one of the most underutilized of foods in my estimation, so I like finding recipes that use it because it is such a great source of protein and fiber in addition to being wonderfully delicious!  The only real specialty ingredient is oyster sauce, which can be found in any asian aisle of any supermarket.  The trick to acquiring and using ingredients that you haven't used before or used often, is to specifically search for recipes that use that item.  Pretty soon, you acquire an awesome pantry of ingredients.  I actually happened to have everything for the sauce already on hand.

Edamame Lo Mein
12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (obviously, you can use the white stuff too!)
2 cups frozen, shelled edamame (I just add the whole bag, I don't measure)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (it calls for scallions, but aren't those the same?)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 TBS soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (or more if you like it spicier)
2 TBS canola oil
2 large carrots, cut into matchstick size pieces (mine look more like chopstick size pieces)
2 large red peppers, cut into matchstick size pieces
8 oz mushrooms, sliced

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add spaghetti AND edamame and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked according to package directions (anywhere from 7-10 minutes).  Drain.  Meanwhile, whisk together the green onions, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and crushed red pepper in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until the veggies are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the pasta and edamame and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add the sauce and the stir to combine for another few minutes until everything is heated through!

Mushroom broccoli Alfredo (light)

I could have named this dish Alfredo with broccoli and mushrooms, or broccoli mushroom Alfredo, but I chose to use mushrooms as the lead as a nod to my husband.  He loves mushrooms.  Its his favorite fungus.  Although I use a guiltless Alfredo sauce recipe from Our Best Bites, I make this dish my own by adding in a lot of sauteed mushrooms and their juices as well as some roasted broccoli.  The result is really, really good, and again, this recipe is versatile because you could add whatever you want to the sauce recipe to make a meal.  I have added sauteed red peppers and spinach.  I have served it with salmon.  It is very versatile and very easy.  Enjoy.

Guiltless Alfredo sauce
2 cups lowfat milk
1/3 cup (3 oz) lowfat cream cheese
2 TBS flour
1 tsp salt
1 TBS butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (not the powder stuff)

1 lb preferred pasta of choice
1 lb broccoli florets
8 oz-1 lb sliced mushrooms
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


To make sauce:
In a blender or food processor, blend the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt until smooth and set aside.  In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat and add the minced garlic.  Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.  Add the milk mixture to the butter and garlic and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes until it comes to a simmer.  Keep stirring and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in the grated cheese.  Cover the pan and allow the sauce to stand for about 10 minutes before using.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the broccoli florets on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 15 minutes or until the broccoli starts to get just a little bit of char on the edges (but it should still have a nice bright green color).  When the broccoli is finished roasting, turn out on to a cutting board and roughly chop (if you want smaller pieces)

While the broccoli is roasting, make the pasta according to package directions, and begin the mushrooms.  Heat a little olive oil in a very large saute pan (mushrooms like to have their room!) over medium to medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle with some salt to allow the mushrooms to release all their awesome juices.  Saute until the mushrooms are nice and tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally (up to 5-10 minutes depending on how many mushrooms you are cooking).  When the mushrooms are done, add the Alfredo sauce right into the mushroom pan and gently stir.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the pasta water and add the mushroom Alfredo sauce and the chopped brocooli right into the pasta pan.  Test the finished pasta for seasoning.  I like to add a good amount of fresh cracked pepper to my pasta at this point, but its up to you!

Tilapia with Mango salsa

So this is one of those 10% moments, if you count fish as meat. If you don't count fish as meat...which never made sense to me...because then what is it....vegetable?...mineral? But however you define it, fish is definitely our preferred meat/protein, and we try to include fish into our diets at least once a week.
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare fish because Tilapia is generally the least expensive fish to buy, and mango salsa tastes good on everything. Also, you could use this recipe and make it elegant with risotto and broccoli (as pictured) or you could totally just create fish tacos with it or pair it with rice and beans! The salsa, by the way, is just a rockin salsa! You could prepare it alone and just have a date night in with a bag of chips! And mangos are in season right now (I think).

Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Basic Tilapia
1 lb Tilapia fillets
1 TBSP olive oil
lemon juice from half a lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

optional seasoning:
fresh chopped or dried basil to taste, or
chili powder and cayenne pepper (for more southwestern flair)

Mango Salsa
1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
1 jalapeno, minced (seeded if you want less heat)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 TBSP lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno in a bowl.  Add in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse fish and pat dry.  Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray.  Place the fillets on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then season with the garlic, salt, and pepper. At this point you can choose to add either basil or a combination of southwest seasonings depending on how you choose to serve your fish. Bake for 8-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fillets).

Serve the fish fillets topped with the mango salsa.

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I have been out of town with my family for the past week.  On our vacation, we had the opportunity to eat at a real vegetarian restaurant in Victoria, BC called "Rebar" and it was awesome!!  The funny thing is that as we were considering where we should eat, I found myself thinking the same stereotypical anti-vegetarian thoughts that I usually make fun of: "Will I feel satisfied?," "Will the food be weird?,"and "I think there is a Fatburger down the street..."  Richard and I ordered an amazing curry dish and an almond burger with sweet potato fries.  We left feeling full and awesome!
This recipe is not from that restaurant. I picked this recipe because I had some leftover rice and this is my go-to recipe for leftover rice. I combine rice, beans, tomatoes, corn, cheese and some awesome spices and bake them in bell peppers.  And when I feel like it, I smother them in enchilada sauce before baking.  Did you know that rice and beans together make a complete protein? I am not sure WHY that is good, but I have been told that it is, so I repeat that rice and beans together make a complete protein.  And this is a versatile recipe because you could put pretty much any combination of ingredients inside that pepper and it will probably taste good.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers (adapted from Our Best Bites)

4 large bell peppers (whatever is cheapest, but red tastes best)
1-2 cups rice or quinoa (I just add however much I want proportionately in the mixture)
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 onion diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 jalapeno (or a whole one, if you like more heat)
4 oz canned mild green chilies (or 1 canned chipotle chili, if you like more heat)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I sometimes add two cans)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar, jack, colby...whatever)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste
red enchilada sauce (optional)

 Preheat oven to 350. Slice the tops off of your bell peppers and remove the insides.  Boil the whole peppers in a large amount of water for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from water, drain, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and any chilies and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add corn, beans, green onions, chili powder, and salt and pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes and then remove from heat.  Add in rice, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.  Stir to combine, and then add in the lime juice.  Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding in more salt or spices if you want.  Divide the mixture between the bell peppers.  At this point, you can put a little more cheese on top, or you can smother the peppers with enchilada sauce and then add more cheese on top-- however you like it.

Bake for 25 minutes in prepared oven.  Tonight we had them with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh pineapple on the side.  Yummm.

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My favorite soup: crock pot split pea

This is the best soup I have ever made.  I crave it, and it is split pea soup for goodness sake.  And seriously, when I make it for other people, they always want the recipe.  That shows how much confidence I have in it, that I will make it for company.  It is that good.  But I almost feel like its cheating to take credit because it requires almost no effort-- so it is a really good soup for any family where you don't have a lot of time and want a good, comforting soup to serve.  And it is chalk (chock, chaulk?) full of protein and fiber, and requires absolutely no ham, hamhocks, or pigs of any kind.

1 lb dried split peas (I don't sort or rinse or anything...kind of lazy that way)
1/2 onion diced
2 potatoes diced (I don't peel potatoes)
3-4 carrots sliced (or really as many as you want)
2-3 stalks of celery sliced (or diced, depending on the kind of chunks you want)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika (or more if you like it)
2 bay leaves
6-8 cups of hot chicken stock (I just use boiling water and bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice, and olive oil (optional)

Just layer in a crockpot, in the order listed, and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  You don't even need to stir until after it is all done cooking, at which point the peas have softened so much that it is has turned into an almost creamy mixture.  I like to drizzle a little olive oil onto the raw vegetables because I generally don't trust fat free concoctions and I think a little olive oil is healthy.  Also, I like to squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the soup after it is all done cooking because I think it gives it a nice bright flavor!  Again, you can follow the directions according to taste, making modifications as necessary (or adding more water if it is too thick).  It is fool proof!

Veggie burgers

The ultimate veggie burger (in my humble but correct opinion), and the best place to start if you are wanting to add in more meatless entrees into the rotation. You won't be dissapointed.
This was what we ate Superbowl Sunday. Veggie burger (from "the Food Network"), baked sweet potato fries (from "Our best bites") and a curred pea and cabbage cole slaw (from "Allrecipes.com"). So good. I entered it in a burger competition (okay, so it was just a bunch of friends), and I got 4 votes for best burger. Even meat eaters like it.

adapted from "Morgan's Veggie Patties"
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup diced black olives
1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
1 diced jalapeno
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup diced artichoke
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can white beans, drained
2 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 eggs

Basically, just saute all the veggies in olive oil until tender, and then let them cool. Add the veggies to the beans and all the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. I like to mash this together and mix it with my hand, kind of smashing the beans into the mixture along the way. If it seems too wet, add a little more bread crumbs. It won't look perfect because the beans will still look like beans.

Shape into large patties and place on greased baking sheet, and then chill for about a half hour. It will help the patties to firm up and they will hold together better when you cook them.

I have had great success both with baking and frying. Usually I fry these in a little canola oil-- a few minutes on each side (depending on the size of the patty). The recipe makes quite a few veggie burgers (unless you make them huge), and from what I hear they freeze well. So go at it.