Tag Archives: protien

Roasted Peppers with Quinoa and Corn Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup               Tofu, extra firm, crumbled

1 tb                  Lemon juice

¾ tsp               Paprika

½ tsp               Cumin

¼ tsp               Black pepper

¼  tsp              Coriander powder

1/8 tsp             Chili powder

1 tb                  Thyme, fresh, chopped

½ tsp + ½ tsp   Olive oil

1/4 cup              White onion, small dice

1 clove             Garlic, minced

¼ cup              Quinoa grain, red

¼ cup              Quinoa grain, white

1 cup             Vegetable stock

2 tsp                Vinegar, white wine

¼ tsp               Salt, sea

½ cup              Corn kernels, fresh cut off the cob

¾ cup              Zucchini, small dice

¼ cup              Scallion, chopped

¼ cup              Parsley, fresh, chopped

1/8 cup             Basil, fresh, chopped

2 each              Pepper, yellow bell, large, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 each              Pepper, red bell, large, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 each              Plum tomato, small, sliced into thin rounds

8 tsp                Feta cheese, low fat, crumbled*

As needed        Cooking spray

PREPARATION:

In a small bowl, mix crumbled tofu with lemon juice, paprika, cumin, black pepper, coriander, chili powder and thyme; refrigerate for several hours so flavors meld.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In small pot, heat vegetable stock. In a medium pot, sauté onion and garlic in ½ teaspoon olive oil until onion is softened. Add red and white quinoa and stir to coat grains. Add the hot vegetable stock and bring to a boil; reduce to simmer, cover and cook until stock is absorbed by quinoa, about 15 minutes.  Place quinoa into large mixing bowl; toss with white wine vinegar and salt.

In a sauté pan with ½ teaspoon oil sauté zucchini and scallion about a minute; add basil and parley and sauté about 1 minute more; remove from heat. Add the sautéed vegetables to the quinoa, along with the seasoned tofu, corn kernels, parsley and basil. Toss well to mix ingredients.

Stuff each pepper half with 1/8 of the stuffing mixture; top with a couple of tomato slices plus 1 teaspoon of feta cheese, then place on a sprayed baking sheet.  Cook in oven until pepper is roasted and cheese is melted, about 9-12 minutes.

Plating: Serve each person 1 red and 1 yellow stuffed pepper half on a small bed of baby arugula greens.

(*omit Feta Cheese if cooking Vegan)

YIELD: 4 servings


Black Eyed Pea, Wild Rice and Fresh Corn Salad

This is a great summertime salad. Serve it at your next picnic or barbeque.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Black-eyed peas

1/4 cup Onion, white, minced

2 tablespoon Olive oil

1/4 cup   Rice, wild, long grain, dry

1/2 cup   Vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon   Cumin

1/8 teaspoon   Black pepper, fresh ground

1/8 teaspoon   Sea salt

1/8 teaspoon   Chili Powder

1/8 cup  Thyme, fresh, minced

1/4 cup  Cilantro, fresh, minced

1 teaspoon  Vinegar, white wine

3 tablespoon Lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1/2 cup Corn kernels, fresh cut off cob

1/4 cup   Pepper, red, minced

1/8 cup   Pepper, green bell, minced

1/4 cup  scallion, diced

PREPARATION:

Cover peas in plenty of water and soak overnight.  Drain and rinse. Put soaked peas in small water with more fresh water and cook on a high flame until boiling. Reduce to simmer and cook until tender. Drain water and chill beans.

In a small pan, heat vegetable stock. Saute onion in a medium pot with a very small amount of the olive oil; cook until translucent; stir in rice.  Add heated vegetable stock, cover and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed by the rice.

In a small bowl, combine cumin, pepper, salt, chili powder, thyme, basil, lemon, vinegar, and remainder of oil. Whisk to combine.

In a large bowl combine cooked peas and rice with the corn, peppers and scallion. Toss with dressing to combine. Serve room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings

Serving size: 1/2 cup