Vegetarian Times' Quinoa Zucchini Burgers

Vegetarian Times has a lot of really great recipes, and I have found some of my favorite quinoa recipes on their website. These quinoa burgers were great, and held together really well too. They have so many healthy ingredients in them, and the ground flax seeds mixed in are an awesome way to get omega-3s. To grind the seeds, I just pulled out my little coffee grinder. You could use a small food processor as well, but the amount of seeds may not be enough even for a small food processor. Red onion and tomato were perfect toppings to go with the flavors in these burgers. If I had had an avocado in the house, I would have tossed some of that on them too!

Vegetarian Times' Quinoa Zucchini Burger

Ingredients

2 cups organic vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 cup organic canned chickpeas

1 cup organic zucchini, grated

1/2 cup organic pumpkin seeds

5 Tbsp ground flax seeds

4 tsp fresh organic basil, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp fresh organic thyme, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil + extra for oiling baking sheet

Directions

1. Combine vegetable stock, sweet potato and quinoa in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until quinoa is tender. Let cool enough to handle. 

2. Add remaining ingredients, except for olive oil, to quinoa mixture. Lightly mash chunks of chickpeas and sweet potato. Shape into 8 patties.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in large pan and cook patties for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly golden. Place on oiled baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Serve on whole wheat buns with your favorite burger toppings.

(Recipe adapted from vegetariantimes.com - July/August 2014 issue)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A (one cup provides over 400% of the daily value!) and are a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Garbanzo beans are packed with fiber as well as lots of great nutrients, including protein, molybdenum, manganese, folate, tryptophan, copper, phosphorous, and iron. Zucchini is a good source of  fiber and vitamins A, C and folate. Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, and copper, and a good source of zinc and iron. Flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Quinoa is a whole grain and is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a great source if fiber, iron, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin and manganese. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. 

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

This is by far the best quinoa recipe I have made thus far! The filling is so good, it can be eaten all on its own if you don't have the time to bake the peppers for over an hour. This filling would even work for vegetarian tacos in a soft whole grain tortilla. Or with the right binding agent, it would be great for making quinoa cakes. These stuffed peppers were really good with some steamed broccoli on the side, but any green vegetable or tossed salad would go with these well.

The biggest change I made to the original recipe for these stuffed peppers is that I used vegetable stock for cooking liquid for the quinoa instead of water for additional flavor. I also combined some vegetable stock with the reserved liquid from the diced tomatoes for cooking liquid in the bottom of the baking pan for steaming the peppers. 

Especially with the long baking time, these stuffed peppers do take some time and prep work. I chopped all of vegetables in the morning and then made the filling in the early afternoon when I had a few minutes. Then at dinner time, all I had to do was fill the peppers and toss them in the oven. This recipe makes a lot more filling than is needed, but it can be easily frozen, or eaten on its own as leftovers the next day. 

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 ribs organic celery, finely chopped
3 organic carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-oz package organic frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove water
1 15-oz can organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained - liquid reserved
1 15-oz can organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can organic black beans, drained
3/4 cup organic quinoa
3 cups organic vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups organic pepper-jack cheese, grated
4 large organic red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir in black beans, quinoa and 2 cups vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of cheese.

3. Fill each pepper half with quinoa mixture - about 3/4 cup. Place in large baking dish. Combine reserved liquid from diced tomatoes and remaining 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock. Pour into bottom of baking pan. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. 



4. Remove foil and top each pepper half with about 1 Tbsp pepper jack cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered, to melt cheese. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

(Recipe adapted from vegetariantimes.com: Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers from the Feb 2009 issue, p.66)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese.  Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Celery provides vitamin K and folic acid. Grapes are a good source of vitamins C, A and K. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Spinach is packed with fiber,  vitamins K, A, C, B2, B6 and folate, and the minerals iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C. Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Quinoa is a whole grain and is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a great source if fiber, iron, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin and manganese. Pepper jack cheese provides a great source of protein and calcium. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium.

Ceviche

We were recently introduced to the ceviche prepared at Sunset Foods and are hooked on it, so I decided to try to recreate it myself. It is very simple to make and is a perfect appetizer for the summer time. And the best part (besides it being delicious) - it is made from only fresh and healthy ingredients so doesn't come along with the guilt of a lot of appetizers. Serve it with some good water crackers (or any cracker of your choice), and enjoy!  The longer this ceviche is allowed to marinate in the refrigerator, the better. I let it sit for about 6 hours the day I made it, but it just kept tasting better and better over the next 2 days. So if you are going to make this for a get-together, I would recommend trying to make about 24 hours ahead of time to have a really great flavor. 

Ceviche

Ingredients

1/4 pound small cooked shrimp, cut into thirds
1 small avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium organic tomato, seeded an cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 organic white or yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh organic cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 large fresh lemon
Juice of 1 large fresh lime
Salt, to taste

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl or container and stir until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate, allowing to marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

2. Serve cold with crackers.

What are the nutritional benefits of this ceviche? Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 24g of protein in a 4oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tomatoes are an excellent source if vitamin C and lycopene. Both jalapeño peppers and cilantro are packed with vitamins C, A and K, and provide small amounts of B vitamins. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Lemon and lime juice are both high in vitamin C.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Avocado Lime Dressing

I found this recipe on a blog called Mind Body Green, and it was fantastic! The Avocado lime dressing is what drew me to this recipe, and both the dressing and the cakes tasted really good, and went together perfectly. I have had trouble keeping quinoa cakes to hold together in the past, but these ones held together much better, due to the mashed sweet potatoes acting as a good binding agent.    I decreased the amount of crushed red pepper from the original recipe, and there was just enough heat for me. If you like more kick, add more crushed red pepper. I will say that the "dressing" is really more of a whipped "topping" because it is pretty thick, but if you used less avocado or increased the amount of tahini and lime juice, it would be thinner. We had these along with a mixed raw vegetable green salad for a complete balanced meal. Definitely a keeper!

Sweet  Potato Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, baked and skinned

2 cups organic quinoa, cooked

2 green onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place sweet potatoes in in large mixing bowl and mash with fork or potato masher. Add remaining ingredients, except for olive oil, and mix until evenly combined.

3. Using hands, shape mixture into patties and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of cakes with olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through.

4. Remove from pan and top with avocado lime dressing (below).

Avocado Lime Dressing

Ingredients

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

1 Tbsp tahini

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh organic cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth.

(Recipes adapted from www.mindbodygreen.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A (one cup provides over 400% of the daily value!) and are a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Quinoa is a whole grain and is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a great source if fiber, iron, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin and manganese. Green onions are rich in vitamins A, C and K. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc. Tahini, made from sesame seeds, is a good source of protein, and provides some calcium and B vitamins. Cilantro is a very good source of vitamins A, C and K. Lime juice is packed with vitamin C.

Chicken Piccata

If you are a fan of lemon chicken, you will love this chicken piccata! The sauce was so flavorful without being too heavy. I made some organic steamed broccoli and wild rice to go with this - making the broccoli the main part of the meal. While meat and poultry are good for us, we try to make the vegetables the focal point of our meal and the meat the "side." So we cut each of the pieces of chicken in half and had 2-3 ounce servings of chicken. This is a great meal for a weeknight if you have a half an hour to prepare it, but would also be a great meal for company without taking too much time! 

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

1 pound organic free-range boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

1/3 cup all purpose flour

4 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup organic chicken stock

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup fresh organic parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts in gallon-sized sealable bag and pound with meat tenderizing mallet until thin (~1/4 inch thickness). Season with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour, shaking to remove excess.

2. In large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter with 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Transfer chicken to a plate.

3. Add lemon juice, chicken stock and capers to pan and bring to a boil, scraping brown bits from bottom. Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Place chicken on serving dish. Whisk remaining 2 Tbsp butter into sauce in pan and pour sauce over top of chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

(Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentils' Chicken Piccata recipe from 

foodnetwork.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Butter is rich in vitamins E, K and D. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium. Wild rice is a great source of protein and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C and E.

Pine Nut & Parmesan Kale Salad

We recently had a kale salad made by Sunset Foods that was so amazing, I had to try to re-create it! So here is my attempt, and I have to say it turned out pretty darn close to what I was trying to re-create. Luckily for me, Sunset included a list of ingredients on the deli label, so all I had to do was play with amounts. The salad from Sunset had currants in it, but I couldn't find them fresh or dried in the store I went to, so just left them out. I made this as a side to go with pasta, but would be good as a side with pretty much anything. This is a really great tasting way to get some fresh dark leafy greens in and is a nice alternative to a plain old salad for summer meals and get-togethers! 

Pine Nut & Parmesan Kale Salad

Ingredients

6 oz fresh organic baby kale leaves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. If not pre-washed, wash and pat-dry kale. Place kale in large bowl.

2. In small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, honey and olive oil. Drizzle dressing over kale leaves and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan and gently fold in.

What are the nutritional benefits of this salad? Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. It is also a good source of minerals calcium, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorous. Balsamic vinegar is rich in polyphenols - a type of antioxidant. Rice vinegar contains lots of essential amino acids, which play a role in countless processes in the body. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Pine nuts contain lutein (which is good for vision), monounsaturated fats (shown to help reduce bad cholesterol - LDL - and increase good cholesterol - HDL), Vitamins C and D, and minerals iron and magnesium. Parmesan cheese is a great source of protein and calcium.

Slow Cooker Lemon Dill Chicken

This was definitely an easy slow-cooker keeper! Baking a whole chicken in the oven is pretty simple, but being able to toss the chicken in the slow cooker and leave the house is really nice. This chicken was so tender, it was falling apart when I went to take it out of the crock pot. This would be great at any time if the year, but the lemon and dill combination would make a really nice summer time dinner. For some healthy sides, I made brown rice and some steamed broccoli - a great, healthy, balanced meal!

Slow Cooker Lemon Dill Chicken

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
4-5 pound organic free-range whole broiler/fryer chicken
1/4 cup organic chicken stock
4 sprigs fresh organic parsley
4 sprigs fresh organic dill
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Place chopped onion in bottom of slow cooker. Combine butter and lemon peel in small bowl.

2. Tie legs together with cooking twine and rub whole chicken with butter/lemon peel mixture. Place fresh parsley and dill sprigs in cavity. Place chicken in slow cooker, breast side up, and tuck wings underneath. 

3. Drizzle chicken stock and lemon juice over chicken and sprinkle with remaining dried seasonings. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

4. Remove chicken from slow cooker and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

(Recipe adapted from April/May 2014 issue of Taste of Home magazine)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium.