quinoa stuffed peppers

makes: 2 large servings or ~4 side servings

loosely based on the {Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes} cookbook p. 44

{ingredients}

• 2 bell peppers, tops removed, seeded & hollowed out
• 1/2 c. uncooked quinoa
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 TB butter

{directions}
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place quinoa in fine-mesh strainer and rinse well. Bring water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil, and stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer 12-14 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed (like you would with rice).

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and tomato. Cook 7-10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in quinoa, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and Italian seasoning. Add butter and stir until melted.

3. Arrange peppers in baking dish. Fill peppers with quinoa mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes or until peppers are tender (we did ours until peppers were slightly al dente still).

4. Serve warm. A main dish for a vegetarian, or if you cut the peppers in half after cooking, it would make ~4 side servings.

tomato salad

This is one of my newest favorite meals/appetizers/salads... it's super simple, super quick, and easy to scale for any size dinner or party!! This recipe came about as a combination of a caprese salad and cucumber salad. You'll see those two listed as "variations" below!

MAKES:: side dish for 2

.: ingredients :.

3 roma tomatoes

1/3 c. sweet onion

2-3 TB balsamic vinegar

1-2 TB extra virgin olive oil

Adobo {optional}

.: directions :.

1) Slice tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.

2) Dice onions.

3) Toss together onions and tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add additional olive oil and balsamic to fit your taste buds :)

4) I like to sprinkle on a thin layer of Adobo {a garlic powder-based Latin spice}.

5) Chill or serve as is!

.: variations :.

- sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, or other spices

- add about 3/4 cup of mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces. Garnish with fresh basil or sprinkle dried basil.

- substitute the tomatoes with 1 cucumber, and switch out the balsamic vinegar with white vinegar. Let marinate for 2-3 hours in the fridge to enhance the flavors.

black bean burgers

vegetarian low-fat burgers from recipezaar- super scrumptious! I substituted Adobo for onion powder and celery salt for seasoning salt and it was fabulous, so feel free to add your own spices! I also used spelt flour instead of whole wheat flour- I used one TB though will probably up it to the 2 or 3 next time. I cooked them for about 3-5 minutes per side on medium-medium high heat in my cast iron skillet.

MAKES 3 burgers {or 6 smaller ones}

Ingredients
1 1/2-2 tablespoons pureed onions (I prefer green onions)
1 cup black beans, well drained
1-3 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 slice whole wheat bread, very well crumbled
1-1 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
salt and pepper
oil (for frying)
* can substitute seasoning and bread with pre-made seasoned bread crumbs

Directions
1) In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth (or puree with the onions).
2) Add onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is at your desired consistency.
3) Form bean mixture into flat patties and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm.

Momma's Veggie Soup

So this recipe is from my mother-in-law and is a huge hit anytime it's served! You could easily leave out the blending and just chop the veggies, whichever you prefer! I added a dash of salt and Italian blend spices, in addition to a can of black beans.

Ingredients:

2 carrots

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion

2 celery stalks

3-4 potatoes

4 c. water

2 bullion cubes

a few TBs olive oil

pepper to taste

-optional-

1 zucchini

1 can beans, drained

noodles

handful of rice

other spices

Directions:

Chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Put the other vegetables through the blender. Saute the vegetables in the olive oil in a large soup pan for a few minutes, then add the water and bullion cubes. Bring pot to a boil. Add pepper and any other spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add beans, rice, and/or noodles shortly after bringing to a simmer.

Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel

Adapted from Gourmet, March 2008 via smitten kitchen

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-ounce package)
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115°F)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 pound yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I use a bit more)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I like it coarsely grated for this)

Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

Put 1 1/2 cups flour in a medium bowl, then make a well in center of flour and add yeast mixture to well. Stir together egg, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with a fork. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or your fingertips, gradually incorporating flour, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead, working in additional flour (up to 1/4 cup) as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While dough rises, heat remaining 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté fennel seeds until a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Stir in onions, remaining teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover onions directly with a round of parchment paper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

[Do ahead: I made the dough several hours in advance and let it rise in the fridge, and the onions too, which I let sit covered at room temperture until I was ready to assemble and bake the tart.]

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Knead dough gently on a floured surface with floured hands to deflate. Pat out dough on a large heavy baking sheet (preferably blue steel) into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle, turning up or crimping edge, then brush mustard evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Spread onions evenly over mustard, then sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Bake tart until crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares or diamonds and serve warm or at room temperature.

classic minestrone

recipe can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month, it takes a while to defrost in the refrigerator, so leave plenty of defrosting time! feel free to tweak the amount of each vegetable- I'm not a huge celery fan, so I used more potatoes and carrots, two cans of black beans instead of just one can of cannellini, and Italian seasoning instead of just rosemary. As you can see, you can really tweak this to your personal preferences! This recipe just fits into a 4 1/2 quart pot. Since the base is just water, it really brings out the vegetables' natural flavor. If you prefer the broth to be flavorful as well, you could substitute with chicken or vegetable broth, or simply throw in a bullion cube or two!

SERVES 6-8

Ingredients
3/4 cup leek, white and light green parts sliced thin crosswise, rinsed well
3/4 cup diced carrot
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
1 1/4 cups diced baking potatoes
1 1/4 cups diced zucchini
3 cups spinach leaves
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, packed in juice, drained, and chopped
8 cups water
1 pinch salt
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/4 cup basil pesto (or 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary mixed with 1 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon extra-vir)
1 pinch ground black pepper

fresh parmesan to garnish

Directions
1) Bring vegetables, tomatoes, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in a soup kettle or pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, about 1 hour.
2) Add beans and cook just until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Stir in pesto (or rosemary-garlic mixture). Adjust seasonings, adding pepper and more salt, if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls, top with grated fresh parmesan, and serve immediately.

originally from recipezaar

Rice & Beans

this is essentially the recipe that's on the back of the Goya black bean can, but tweaked some over time by my husband and myself. This is a staple in our home!

RICE
.: ingredients :.
2 c. rice
4 c. water
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
½ c. sweet onion
dash of flour
dash of salt

.: preparation :.
In a large pot over medium heat, saute onion in olive oil until clear and soft. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook until the water has absorbed fully into the rice, about 20 minutes.

BEANS
.: ingredients :.
1 16 oz. can black beans
1 c. water
1 packet Sazón Goya
2 cloves garlic
1 TB cider vinegar
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
¼ c. sweet onion
¼ c. green pepper
¼ tsp dried oregano
dash of Adobo {optional}

.: preparation :.
In a medium pot, saute onion, pepper, and garlic over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
NOTE: Adjust amount of water added based on your preference- additional water will create more of a broth for the beans. If too much water cooks out during the simmer, additional water can always be added.

END
.: to make the meal :.
Place desired amount of rice on a plate or bowl. Add rice on top. Top with Mexican Cheese Blend if desired.