Quinoa Vegetarian Chili

I have wanted to try some vegetarian chilis and stumbled on this recipe from Midwest Living magazine.  The recipe was for Quinoa Harvest Chili (from Brianne Jamerson of Indiana). I played with this a quite a bit and loved the way that it turned out.  It thickened up nicely and you can easily eat this in a bowl by itself or over rice.  I am not sure how it comes out with calories and fat, but I am sure that it is pretty healthy.  There are only two tablespoons of oil and no meat.  This does not taste like a vegetarian dish, which is really great.  I cannot wait to make this for family.

Ingredients (8 servings)

2 Onions (medium), chopped
2 tbsp Olive oil
4 tsp Garlic, chopped (or 4 cloves)
2 (two) 15oz cans Black beans, rinsed and drained (see note)
2 Sweet potatoes (small or 1 large), peeled and cubed into 1/2" pieces
4oz Mushrooms (white or baby bella), sliced thin
1 28oz can Crushed tomatoes
4 cups Vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth if you want)
2 tbsp Chili powder
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 cup Quinoa, rinsed and drained
NOTE: If you are using dried black beans, you may replace the two cans with one cup off dried beans that are soaked overnight.

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or chili pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in the black beans, diced sweet potatoes, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, kosher salt and black pepper.  Mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil and then cover.  Reduce heat to a simmer (low) and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in quinoa and bring to a boil.  Once again, return cover to the pot and lower the heat to a simmer.  Cook for an additional 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Roasted Tilapia With Vegetables

The recipe was my second one adapted from Real Simple Magazine's Roasted Tilapia, Potatoes, and Lemons. What I wanted to do here was cut down on the potatoes and add more vegetables.  So from the other entry, we cut the potatoes in half, added peppers, and the beans.  We also increased the number of olives in the recipe.  It came out so great and we loved it.  This might be the way that we prepare tilapia from here on out.

Ingredients (Serves 4):
12 oz Baby potatoes or fingerling potatoes, halved
2 Bell peppers, diced into large (3/4") pieces
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp Thyme leaves, dried
2 tbsp Olive oil, plus some olive oil spray
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp Black pepper (or to taste)
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
8 oz Green beans, trimmed
4 Skinless tilapia fillets (about 1 lbs)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, bell peppers, lemon, thyme, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/4 tsp each of kosher salt and black pepper. Arrange in a single layer.
3. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
4. Then toss the olives and green beans with the potato & pepper mixture.  Move the vegetables to the outside of the pan. Lightly spray the cleared center with olive oil and place the tilapia fillets in the opening.  Season the fish with the paprika and the remaining 1/4 tsp of kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
5. Continue to roast for around 16 to 18 minutes - the fish will be opaque throughout.

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

This is a recipe that is making the rounds on facebook and other social media venues (Life Health Travel With Kate - I think!).  It looks like a really nice and healthy way to prepare chicken fajitas at home.  It also looks very easy, which makes it even more appealing!  So sign me up...I am in.  I played with the ingredients to get in more peppers and a little less spice.  It was amazing and this will be a staple in our house.  We have been looking for a nice lower-calorie Mexican option.  I am going to make this for lunches and serve it over rice.  We are also going to play with this a bit and add different vegetables, especially mushrooms.

Ingredients (serves 4)
Cooking spray (or olive oil spray)
3 Chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Chili powder, divided (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Dried oregano
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 Onion (medium), sliced into wedges
1 Red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips (or you can use another red or green pepper)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray cooking spray or olive oil on the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish.
3. Place the chicken on the bottom of the pan and drizzle the olive oil on top.  Combine the 1 tsp chili powder (leaving the remainder for the end), cumin, garlic powder, oregano, kosher salt and black pepper.  Sprinkle the spice mix atop the chicken.
4. Add the tomatoes (with liquid), peppers, and onions to the baking dish and stir to combine.  Sprinkle the last 1/2 tsp of chili powder on top of the baking dish.
5. Bake uncovered for 28-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through

Enjoy!

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Adapted from a Recipe for French Onion Soup at the Vegetarian Times. This soup is nothing short of amazing.  It does take a long time to make, but it is totally worth it.  I loved the sweetness that comes from the Vidalia onions and I do not miss the beef broth at all.  The soup has some calories (I am sure), but it is really not that bad.  You can also modify some of the calories by reducing the cheese on the toast topping (or by using light Swiss).  You want to make sure that you have a large pot - because the onions cook down a lot during the process.  This is a soup we are going to definitely have the next time we entertain.

Ingredients (6-8 portions)

• 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
• 2-3 tbsp Olive oil
• 5-6 Vidalia onions (about 3 lb.), halved and thinly sliced (3/16" on the mandolin)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper
• 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
• 6 cups Vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup Dry sherry or cooking sherry
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Bread and cheese topping

3 4" sections of a Baugette, sliced in half and lightly toasted

1/2 cup shredded or thin sliced Swiss cheese

• Directions:

1. Heat butter and oil in heavy, large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, kosher salt and black pepper, and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 60 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes.

2. Stir in flour, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more (stirring constantly). Blend in broth, sherry and mustard. Cover, and simmer over low-medium heat for 15-17 minutes.

3. Prepare bread and cheese topping.  Slice the baguette pieces in half and toast for a few minutes.  Place Swiss cheese on the bread and place under the broiler (on high) for around 2-3 minutes (until the cheese bubbles).  Remove from the oven and place one in each of the bowls of soup (as shown).

Enjoy!

Corey's Veggie Pasta Bake

I wanted to create a vegetarian pasta bake that we could put into our rotation.  This could work nicely for meatless meals or when you are entertaining vegetarians.  This was adapted from one of my recipes that includes turkey sausage. I love the way this tuned out and think it could be a regular addition to our menu.  In regards to the peppers, I used a green, red and orange.  The key is that you use three peppers, the color is less important.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 12-14oz. box Rotini or penne pasta (NOTE: you can use 80% of the box just fine for this dish)
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 medium Onions (or 1 large yellow), chopped
1 Green pepper, cut into thin strips of around 1 1/2" long
1 Red pepper, cut into thin strips of around 1 1/2" long
1 Orange or yellow pepper, cut into thin strips of around 1 1/2" long
1 pkg (12 oz.) Mushrooms (white), sliced in half
2 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)
1 28 oz can Crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can Petite diced tomatoes (any flavor or variety)
1 tsp Basil, dried
1 tsp Oregano, dried
2 tsp Parsley, dried
2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13"x9" (or larger) baking dish with cooking spray. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Cook and stir for around 8-9 minutes. Add both cans of tomatoes and spices; heat 2 minutes or until bubbling.
3. Add pasta to tomato mixture; stir until pasta is well coated. Spoon half of mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers once more. Bake 15-17 minutes or until hot.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Barley Soup

Inspired by the recipe for Onion-Barley Soup with Mushrooms from Prevention Magazine, we made this great soup tonight. What I loved about it is that it is perfect for a vegetarian meal (got "Meatless Monday"), but that it is a soup that really tasted different.  So many soups really taste simple (which is OK).  This soup had a great taste and really was not like soup I had before.  I would love to have this with a salad or another side - but this is hearty enough to be a main course.  For mushroom lovers like us, this is a definite keeper.

Ingredients (serves 6):
1 oz. Dried shiitake mushrooms
3 tbsp Olive oil, divided
2 Onions, medium, finely chopped
2 tsp Ginger, minced
5 tsp Garlic, chopped (or five cloves)
12 oz Mushrooms (white or baby bella), sliced with stems
2 1/2 cups Vegetable stock (low sodium or unsalted)
2/3 cup Quick-cooking barley
1/4 cup Cooking sherry
3 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Sesame oil
Kosher salt, one pinch (to taste)
Black pepper, one pinch (to taste)

Directions:
1. Bring two cups of water to a boil and combine with dried mushrooms in heatproof bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid.  Slice the mushrooms and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, ginger, and garlic and cook for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and mushrooms and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in broth, barley, sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil, mushroom liquid, shiitake mushrooms, and a pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer, and cook for around 15 minutes.
Enjoy!