Showing posts with label perfect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perfect. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Easy Black Bean Corn And Quinoa Stuffed Peppers With Enchilada Sauce Vegan And Gluten Free Perfect For Your Super Bowl Buffet
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| Stuffed bell pepper halves are perfect for a casual buffet. Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Easy Entertaining
Its football season and friends and family may be gathering around the big screen, especially on super bowl weekend. Heres a simple crowd pleaser that can be made early in the day and baked right before half time.
Diet Friendly
No need to abandon our Vegan, High Fiber Diet. Each stuffed pepper half is less than 200 calories and provides a healthy 7 grams of dietary fiber. Quinoa and beans deliver high quality protein with all of the essential amino acids.
And if you select a gluten free enchilada sauce, such as La Victoria, this dish is completely gluten free!
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Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce
Vegan, Gluten Free
Requires a 9" x 13" casserole dish
[makes 8 servings]
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
4 large green or red bell peppers
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can (no salt added) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
3/4 cups Daiya cheddar style shreds
1 3/4 cups gluten free enchilada sauce, medium spice
Rinse the quinoa in cold water for several minutes. Place in a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Carefully cut the peppers in half vertically. Remove the seeds and rinse. Steam or boil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
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| Partially cook the peppers until they begin to soften |
Heat the oil in a medium fry pan and cook the onions on medium low heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
Mix in the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, cumin, black pepper, salt (if desired), Daiya cheddar style shreds and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir until well combined.
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| Combine the rest of the filling ingredients with cooked onions |
Place 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
Fill each half pepper with the filling and place in the casserole dish.
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce over the peppers.
Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve.
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| Bake in the oven covered with foil until hot. |
Per serving (8): 195 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 90 mg omega-3 and 603 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber and 540 mg sodium.
For a complete meal, serve with Mango Avocado Salad with Lime Chia Dressing. This salad recipe can serve at least 4 people as a side salad. Double it to serve 8.
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| Mango avocado salad with lime chia dressing |
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Vegan And Gluten Free Antipasto Salad The Perfect Start To A Holiday Dinner
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| Everyone loves antipasto salad- A real holiday pleaser! Follow Foods For Long Life on Facebook. Preview Health Begins in the Kitchen. Follow me on Pinterest. |
Antipasto Salad
You know its Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter when my cousins all post pictures of their gorgeous antipastos. But this year, Im leaning towards an antipasto salad. Whats the difference you might ask? Well, an antipasto is usually a large platter with ingredients such as olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, etc., all laid out in a beautiful and creative fashion. If youre not vegan, youll see provolone, bocconcini (small mozzarella balls) or chunks of salami on the platter as well. An antipasto salad has many of the same components but also has more raw salad ingredients such as cucumber, romaine lettuce, raw onions, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and more, in a Italian dressing. I find the antipasto salad a little easier to serve and you dont have your guests picking out their favorite ingredients :-)
So for those of you coming to my Thanksgiving feast this year, expect to see a huge platter of this delicious vegan and gluten free antipasto salad!
Feel free to substitute your favorite fresh salad or olive bar ingredients for the ones listed in this recipe. Or just add more ingredients. At dinner last night, while consuming (and testing!) an entire platter of this salad, my husband mentioned that I left out radishes, his favorite. So we quickly cut up a bunch of them and threw them on! So if I left out something you love, please dont hesitate to make modifications.
Box Beans - A Healthy Alternative to Most Canned Beans
My fathers favorite antipasto ingredient was garbanzo beans. Even though he is no longer with us, I always include garbanzos in my holiday salad to make me feel like hes at the table.
When shopping for garbanzos this week, I was very excited to discover that Whole Foods now sells them and other beans in little boxes that are BPA free! BPA, or bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical that is commonly found in the lining of cans. Beans are one of the only things that I still buy in cans so it is worrisome. There are companies, like Eden Foods, that make cans without a BPA lining but these companies are few and far between. BPA is an endocrine disruptor because it mimics the bodys hormones and is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and other cancers. So if you can find these cute boxes of BPA-free beans, they are a better choice than canned beans that have BPA linings.
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| Whole Foods sells beans in boxes. A great option when trying to avoid BPA linings in canned goods. |
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Antipasto Salad
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive or cold-pressed hemp oil (or a mixture of both)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 large clove pressed or finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup peeled, halved and sliced English cucumbers
1 cup seeded and sliced red bell pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup mixed, pitted marinated olives
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup marinated button mushrooms
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (15 oz can or 13 oz box)
1 large head of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped
Mix the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Stir in the onions and let them marinate while you are preparing the remaining ingredients.
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| Let the onions marinate in the dressing while you prepare the remaining ingredients. |
Add the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined.
Spoon onto a large, shallow platter and serve.
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| A large shallow platter makes a nicer presentation than a tall salad bowl. |
Check out other healthy and delicious vegan and gluten-free Thanksgiving and holiday favorites.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad With Orange Chia Seed Vinaigrette Dried Cranberries Or Pomegranate Seeds And Almonds Perfect For Thanksgiving!
Love Them or Hate Them?
Most people have a strong opinion about these petite little cabbages. Me and the kids love Brussels sprouts and I made them every Thanksgiving when they were young. But my husbands not a fan and my daughter-in-law, who is just starting to come around, has in the past practically banned my son from eating them. But fear not, Brussels sprouts lovers, I think Ive developed a recipe that everyone can enjoy. Try presenting this colorful dish at your next Thanksgiving or winter holiday feast! Double or triple the recipe for more guests. If youd like, substitute pomegranate seeds for the dried cranberries.
Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
Last Thanksgiving I posted a Complete Raw Vegan Thanksgiving or Winter Holiday menu from raw appetizers to dessert. Its been a very popular post so check it out for lots of great "raw" ideas for Thanksgiving.
Amazing Health Benefits
On cup of Brussels sprouts provides over 100% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and K. Besides broccoli, it contains more glucosinolate (a phytonutrient associated with protecting our cells against cancer) than any other vegetable! They are also a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and manganese.
This recipe also gives you all the benefits of the amazing chia seed! Each serving provides over 400 mg of ALA omega 3 fatty acid. Check out all my Chia Seed Recipes.
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Raw Vegan Brussels Sprouts Salad with Orange Chia Vinaigrette
[makes 4 servings]
2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
1 tablespoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 packed cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons dried cranberries (or pomegranate seeds)
In a small bowl, mix chia seeds with water and stir well. Stir several more times over the next 30 minutes while the chia seeds absorb the water.
After the chia seeds have formed a gel, add zest, orange juice, olive oil, agave nectar, apple cider vinegar and sea salt and mix thoroughly. (This dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated).
Mix dressing with the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, almonds and cranberries and serve.
Per serving: 74.8 calories, 3.2 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 404 mg ALA omega 3 and 603 mg omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.5 g protein, 11.5 g carbohydrates, and 2.7 g dietary fiber.
Low Calorie Vegan And Gluten Free Zucchini And Turnip Soup With Fresh Ginger Perfect For Weight Loss!
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| Zucchini turnip soup has less than 50 calories per cup! Follow Foods For Long Life on FACEBOOK . |
Turnips
Have you ever eaten a turnip? Theyre a delicious root vegetable which when peeled looks a lot like a potato but with fewer calories and carbohydrates. Turnips have a slightly bitter taste and add a wonderful and interesting flavor to soups. You can also mash them up like potatoes or roast them with a little olive oil and salt.
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| Turnips are a great source of fiber, vitamin C and manganese and are also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, calcium, potassium and copper. |
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| Peeled turnips look like potatoes. Potatoes have 116 calories per cup and 28 g of carbohydrates. Turnips have only 36 calories and 8 g of carbohydrates! |
Great Soup for Weight Loss!
This soup uses up lots of that garden zucchini. Its quick and easy to make with a few simple ingredients and blends up into a delicious, low calorie, low fat soup. Eating a 45 calorie cup of this soup before a meal will definitely curb your appetite. Or make a whole meal of it with a 2-cup serving and a mixed green salad.
Zucchini and Turnip Soup
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 8 cups]
8 cups diced zucchini
4 cups peeled and diced turnips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 cups water
1 large Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste if needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the zucchini, turnips, garlic, ginger, water, bouillon cube and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, partially covered, until the vegetables are soft.
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| After vegetables soften, remove bay leaf and blend. |
Remove the bay leaf and place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth. If you dont have a high-speed blender, make sure you mince the ginger very small.
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| Place in a blender. |
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| Blend until smooth. |
Adjust for salt (remember many bouillon cubes already contain a lot of salt) and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with additional freshly ground black pepper if desired.
Per cup: 45 calories, 0.5 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g protein, 8.6 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g dietary fiber and 309 mg sodium.
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