Baked Falafel

I recently found this recipe for baked falafel. I never realized making falafel didn't have to be complicated. In actuality, this recipe is super easy and overall very healthy. It turned out even better than I had hoped. We will definitely be making this recipe again in the future. Next time I will serve it with some turmeric rice, in addition to the hummus and tomato/feta salad I served it with tonight.

Ingredients

1 onion (I used a little more than a half an onion, but I'm not a huge onion fan)

3 cups of cooked chickpeas (I used 2 cans)

1 cup fresh parsley

1 cup fresh cilantro

2 large or 3 smaller garlic cloves

1 tablespoon cumin

2 tablespoons of flour (I used ground up oats)

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 480 degrees.

In a food processor, blend the onion until it's chopped.

Add the chicpeas, parsley, cilantro, garlic, and cumin. Blend until the ingredients are well mixed but before they are pureed. 

Add the flour, olive oil and salt and process until well mixed. 

Form patties with your hands to the size of your liking and place onto foil or parchment paper that has been oiled with Pam or olive oil. Once all patties are on the baking sheet, spray or brush them with Pam or olive oil to ensure they will crisp in the oven.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Michael and I are both huge couscous fans. I really like to try new combinations of flavors using couscous as the base. This Mediterranean salad may be one of my favorites yet. It's super easy to make and always turns out well. 

Ingredients

1 package Trader Joe's Israeli couscous

15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

kalamata olives, halved

baby arugula, chopped

fresh basil, choped

crumbled feta

olive oil

lemon juice

garlic powder

salt

ground pepper

Cook the couscous according to the package and let cool in a large bowl. Once the couscous has cooled, add in the remaining ingredients and toss until well combined. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Marinara Zoodles

We have recently been playing with some new appliances in our kitchen. We were both eager to give our new spiralizer a try. We found this recipe and thought it would be a good transition into the world of spiralizing. It turned out pretty well. We both liked it, but were still hungry after we finished our bowls. In the future I would consider adding some meat, like ground turkey, to the sauce.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 24 oz jar marinara sauce (or any other type of tomato sauce)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 yellow onion, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 glugs of red wine

Zoodles

2 medium zucchinis, spiralized

cherry or grape tomatoes (I used a handful, but it's really up to your preference)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil at medium/high heat in a medium-sized pot. Then, add the onion and garlic and saute until onions are translucent.

Add the tomato sauce, pumpkin puree, Italian seasoning and wine and bring the sauce to a boil. 

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Next heat a tablespoon of olive oil at medium/high heat in a large sauce pan. Add in garlic and tomatoes and saute for about three to five minutes. 

Add in the spiralized zucchini and saute for an additional 5 minutes or so until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top with cheese and pumpkin seeds if you happen to have them on hand.

Enjoy!

Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew

Ethiopian food has always held a special place in my heart (or stomach). I've always thought going out for Ethiopian food was such a treat, but I never thought of ever cooking it myself until I stumbled upon this recipe. I was surprised how easy it was to throw together and how delicious it was.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (I used ground ginger)

1-2 tablespoons berbere spice blend (I found on Amazon)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups red lentils

14 oz can diced tomatoes

3 medium red potatoes

3 cups fresh spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat. Add onion and saute until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, the berbere spice and cayenne and saute for one additional minute.

Add the broth, lentils, tomatoes and potatoes. Stir a few times, raise the heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow to cook until the lentils are very soft and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue to cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. 

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. For some extra tasty rice - add some turmeric and and a little bit of oil to the rice when cooking it.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Crusted Quiche

Michael and I are both huge fans of quiche. This quiche is a healthier version of the standard quiche but is so delicious if you like sweet potatoes. We will definitely be making this recipe again.

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 (5 oz) bag baby spinach

1/2 cup milk (we used almond milk, but soy or regular milk can work as well)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes, into fairly thin slices. Coat a pie dish with cooking spay. Fill the bottom of the dish with a layer of sweet potatoes slices. Cut the sweet potato rounds in half and fill around the edges of the pie dish; round side facing up. 

Once the entire dish is filled, coat one more time with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine milk and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Arrange spinach mixture in the crust and pour the egg mixture over the spinach. Sprinkle with feta. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Corn and Chickpea Salad

This salad is such a great option when it's really hot outside and fresh corn is in season. It's really easy and quick to throw together.

Ingredients

4 ears fresh corn on the cob, cleaned and washed

1 10 oz package grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces

10 leaves fresh basil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the corn off the cob and place into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes and mozzarella and sprinkle with the basil.

In a small bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Enjoy!

Maple Glazed Tofu with Garlic Bok Choy

I am a huge fan of both tofu and bok choy, so it was no surprise when I saw this recipe I couldn't wait to give it a try.

Ingredients

6 baby bok choy (I just use a whole package of Trader Joe's bok choy)

1 12 oz package extra firm tofu

4 cloves garlic

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons pure maple sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

salt, to taste

Drain and pat dry the tofu. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with oil. Add the tofu and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Trim the ends of the bok choy and separate into leaves.

Peel and mince the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together half of the garlic (the rest is for the bok choy), soy sauce, maple syrup and rice vinegar.

Add the sauce to the tofu. Cook until the sauce thickens and coats tofu, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Transfer the tofu and sauce to a bowl or plate and return skillet to the stove. Add more oil, the remaining garlic and pepper and cook for about 15-30 seconds.

Add bok choy and soy sauce. Cook until the greens are wilted and the stalks are tender, 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Serve the tofy and bok choy in a bowl, over rice.

Enjoy!

Rice and Bean Casserole

I am always on the lookout for Mexican inspired dinner recipes that are also somewhat healthy. I found this recipe and thought it was a great combination of being healthy and tasty, but also easy to make. It was a hit with Michael and made great leftovers the next night.

Ingredients

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice

15 oz can kidney beans (can sub for another kind of bean)

2-3 large handfuls of spinach, shredded

2 cups frozen corn (or fresh if in season)

3 cups vegetable broth

Optional toppings:

shredded cheese

avocado

sour cream

fresh cilantro

Over medium heat, add olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until translucent and golden. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl add uncooked rice, tomato mixture, broth, beans, spinach, and mix until well combined. Pour into a lightly oiled 13x9 inch cooking dish.

Top with corn and shredded cheese, if desired. I tried adding black olives, but didn't really like the texture after they had been cooked for so long so I will omit next time.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the rice is tender.

Serve with any optional toppings.

Enjoy!

Spicy Kimchi Stew

While we have bought and eaten kimchi at home several times in the past, it has only been a snack or side dish. I found this recipe and it looked too good to pass up. While it took a while to make, it turned out really well. We ate it with a side of white rice. While I could eat it as my dinner, Michael thought it was better as an appetizer. Either way we both loved it!

Ingredients

16 oz package silken tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups gently squeezed cabbage kimchi, chopped

1 cup of the liquid from the kimchi package/container

2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

8 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

freshly ground black pepper

salt

6 large egg yolks (optional)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat and carefully add the tofu pieces. Simmer until the tofu is slightly puffed and firmed up or about 4 minutes. With a slotted soon, transfer tofu to a medium bowl.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the kimchi and gochujang and cook, stirring often, until it begins to brown, or about 5-8 minutes. Add the kimchi liquid and 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until kimchi is soft and translucent, about 35-40 minutes.

Add scallions, soy sauce, and tofu. Simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes. Add sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Ladle the stew into bowls; top each with an egg yolk and sesame seeds, if desired.

Enjoy!

Crustless Spinach Quiche

We had a lot of extra cheese and eggs in the fridge so I wanted to make a quiche. I found this recipe that looked quick and easy enough. It turned out really well, it was easy and delicious.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

10 ounces (or more) of fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) spinach

5 eggs, beaten

3 cups cheese (you can use any kind/combination, I used ricotta, crumbled feta, and mozzarella)

1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley (or dried parsley flakes) 

pinch nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

pinch of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large skilled, over medium-high heat.

Add garlic, and stir-fry for about a minute.

Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, it should lose its' moisture. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, herbs and spices.

Pour mixture into a pie plate that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake in the oven for 30 - 45 minutes or until the mixture has set.

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Soup

We had a very cold and rainy day here in New York so I was craving some nice warm soup. I found this recipe while looking for any type of Vitamix soup recipes. It turned out really well, especially with a little bit of extra salt and pepper to taste. It was very easy, but did take a bit of time for a Vitamix recipe. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups chopped leeks (white parts only, from 2 or 3 leeks)

salt

1 head cauliflower, chopped

7 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup unsalted cashews, soaked

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the garlic, leeks, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Add the cauliflower and saute for another minute.

Add the vegetable brother, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly; stir in the nuts.

Pour the soup into your blender in batches and blast on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Return the soup to the saucepan and warm it over low heat. Stir in salt to taste and it's ready to eat!

Enjoy!

Healthy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I was in the mood to try some new Vitamix recipes today. Both turned out in strange colors but were really good. This "spinach and artichoke" dip is more like a bean and artichoke dip, but is very good and healthy, nonetheless. Next time I will probably use a food processor instead of the Vitamix. It was hard to pulse in the Vitamix which is why it turned out so smooth and green instead of chunky like normal spinach and artichoke dip.

Ingredients

about 1 cup scallions, chopped

1 15 oz can cannellnni beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

1 to 2 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

5 ounces fresh spinach

1 15 oz can artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender,except for the spinach and artichoke hearts, until very smooth.

Add the spinach and artichokes and pulse through to keep some chunky texture.

Put in an oven safe dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Homemade Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli

Dough:

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tbsp water

Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined. Turn out onto floured surface. Add water until the dough comes together (mine took an additional 3 tablespoons - but add it incrementally). Knead for about 5 minutes. Form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, make the filling.

Filling:

4oz goat cheese (softened)

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

8oz finely chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)

Chop mushrooms and saute in olive oil. Drain excess liquid. Combine ingredients in medium size bowl. 

Making the Ravioli:

Take the dough ball out of the refrigerator and cut into quarters. Use one quarter section at a time, keeping the remaining dough wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter so as not to dry out. Cut the quarter section in half. Roll out each half to desired thickness. I used a pasta maker and did several passes, each pass setting the pasta maker incrementally thinner, until the sheet has passed through the thinnest setting. This make the ravioli thin and delicate, so as not to be too doughy. Lightly flour the dough between passes so it doesn't stick. 

Place one sheet over a ravioli mold. You can buy these online or in kitchen supply stores, but I just used a miniature cupcake pan which worked well. Gently poke the dough over each cup in the mold to make a little pouch for the filling. Using a tablespoon put in as much filling into each cup as will fit. Gently pat down the filling in each cup to remove air pockets that have formed. Place the second sheet on top and, holding the ends of the dough and the pan, flip quickly onto a lightly floured surface.  

Gently press down around the filled pouches for each ravioli to remove air pockets. With a ravioli stamp, or cutter, cut out the ravioli into your desired shape. Stamps or cutters are preferable to using a knife because they crimp the ends of the dough together, sealing the ravioli. This works better than pinching it by hand, and looks a whole lot more professional.

Cooking:

Once your ravioli are all made, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Boil ravioli for 3-4 minutes. Drain and serve.  

Pizza Dough

For the last six years our so we have been really into making our own pizza. However, we were not so ambitious as to make our own crust until very recently. We found a recipe and thought we would give it a shot but had little expectations it would turn out well on our first try. It ended up turning out so well and was surprisingly easy to make. I don't think we will be able to go back to making pizza using Trader Joe's premade crust. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup water. Stir in a 1/2 cup of flour and mix well. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and let it rise until it's foamy, about an hour.

Mix in the remaining water, flour, and salt and beat well.

When the dough starts to form as you're mixing, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 15 minutes.

Place the dough in a large bowl, dusted with flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled, about 2 or 3 hours.

Deflate the dough and separate it out into two equal pieces. Bring one piece out to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to half of its final size. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Stretch out the dough with your hands or a rolling pin until it is slightly larger than your pizza pan (room for the crust). Put dough on the pan, evenly spread some tomato sauce around, and form the crust. Add desired toppings, and bake for about 10 or 15 minutes, or until the crust becomes crispy.

For an even tastier crust, once it has been formed but before you put pizza in the oven, brush some olive oil and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on the crust. It's super easy but really brings the pizza up a notch. 

Side note - we often play around with different toppings but our favorite toppings are normally goat cheese and olives.

Enjoy!