Baked Oatmeal

Are you ready for a delicious breakfast?! This was a fast preparation too. I made this the night before and than re-heated my portion for 40 seconds. I finished it off with pouring 1/2 cup of vanilla soy milk over. The aroma of this cooking in the oven is amazing too-Enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup soy milk (or skim milk)
- 1 apple peeled and sliced thinly
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 cup nuts (I chose almonds and walnuts)
- 1/4 cup raisins

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line the bottom of a 8x8 pan with the sliced apples
3. In a stand mixer or in bowl, cream the apple sauce, sugar and egg.
4. Add all other ingredients and mix well
5. Pour into the 8x8 pan and bake for 30 minutes

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

This is a delicious recipe! I made this last night and it was such a comfort food during our rainy Sunday evening. I served this with fresh bread and a mixed green salad. Of course this recipe excited me as it used tofu rather than ground chicken/turkey/beef. This is a must try!

Serving Size: 4-6

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup uncooked white rice
-3/4 cup water
-4 green bell peppers
-1 onion, chopped
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-8 ounces textured vegetable protein (tofu)
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
-2 cups tomato sauce

- 1/2 cup frozen peas
-4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
-salt to taste
-ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine rice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
3. Cut tops off peppers, seed insides, and arrange peppers in a large baking dish. Chop usable portion of the tops.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chopped peppers and onions in oil until soft. Stir in textured vegetable protein, peas and parsley. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Mix in cooked rice and 1 1/5 cups tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the peppers, and top each with remaining tomato sauce.
5. Cover, and bake about 45 minutes. Uncover, top each pepper with mozzarella cheese, and bake until cheese is melted.

Cilantro Tabouli

If you enjoy greek inspired dishes and are looking for a new twist on the tabouli salad, than this is a great one to try! Rather than using mint, this recipe uses fresh cilantro! Enjoy this healthy salad on top of a romaine salad with feta cheese, cucumbers or in a pita wrap with grilled chicken or tofu.

The hardest ingredient to find was the bulgar wheat. I found it at the Whole Foods store and I was able to measure out the exact amount needed as it was in their binds.

Ingredients:

- 2 1/4 cups waters

- 1 cup bulgar wheat

- 2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

- 2 green onions, slicked into thin slivers

- 3/4 cup chopped cilantro

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 lemons, juiced

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring water to boil in a sauce pan. Turn off the heat and stir in the bulgar wheat. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Place the bulgar wheat in a salad bowl and lightly toss with all ingredients.

3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 3 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold.

Vegetable Barley Soup

For the last seven days or so, we have had what California would call a "colder week." Now I am not complaining or anything, as compared to most parts of the country our cold spell is a heated day for them. We have had some rainy and cooler days, and nothing is better than cooking a fresh, hearty soup from scratch. This is by the far the easiest preparation with a huge benefit. This is a must try! Enjoy with grilled cheese or fresh bread or a side salad. I prepared the soup in a large dutch oven pot or you can use a large soup pot as well. This is a perfect opportunity to use fresh, organic ingredients picked up from your local farmers market (which I did!!)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2-3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with the juice; I used one with basil, garlic and oregano
- 1 cup uncooked barley
- 2 quarts vegetable broth
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; I used a vegan one

Instructions: Pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Add the barley, carrots, celery, tomatoes, onion, peas, and bay leaves. Season with garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 90 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving!

Tofu Peanut Stir-Fry

Here is another tested and tasted recipe from allrecipes.com! Enjoy with your favorite long grain rice or pilaf! As a first timer when it comes to using cornstarch with my tofu, this can me a messy production for the novice. I made a mess with the cornstarch stage when coating the tofu. Nothing a good clean-up cannot fix (lol). The time and mess is worth it! This is a delicious dish-Enjoy!

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup peanut sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in wok over medium heat, and cook the vegetables until tender. Mix in the ginger, and season with salt and pepper.
   
2. Remove vegetables from skillet, and set aside.
3. Place the eggs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dip tofu cubes first in the egg, then the cornstarch mixture to coat.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the coated tofu 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
   
5. Stir in the peanut sauce and peanuts. Continue to cook and stir until sauce has thickened and tofu is well-coated. Serve with the vegetables.

Lemon Cilantro Chicken

It's time to combine some delicious flavors together to create a healthy, flavorful marinade for your next chicken dish. This dish includes fresh squeezed lemons and fresh organic cilantro. Enjoy!

Tip: I picked up my chicken breasts at Whole Foods and received meat that was vegetarian fed, free range chickens.

Serving Size: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:
1. Marinate the chicken in a mixture of 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/2 of the chopped cilantro for one hour
2. Mix the rest of the cilantro with the remaining lemon juice. Add the lemon pepper seasoning and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of a 9x12 inch glass baking pan or Pyrex baking dish. Layer the potatoes and the chicken in the dish. Pour lemon pepper mixture over and cover.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.

Homemade Turkey Meatballs

I was shopping in our new local Trader Joes and instead of buying frozen meatballs for a dinner, I decided to be brave and buy ground meat. I did not choose red meat, but instead picked up a package of lean ground turkey, free of nitrates, additives and added chemicals. Turkey is a lean, high protein source and has lower levels of saturated fat compared to red meat.

So being the brave vegetarian that at I am (sarcasm!) I decided to be a sweet wifey and make homemade meatballs for my husband. Thankfully when it came down to the stage where you add the turkey meat and mix with your hands the rest of the ingredients, my husband gave a helping hand (literally!).

He said this was a great meatball too. I made fresh spaghetti with his favorite sauce...Traditional Ragu. I know! Not homemade sauce like I would have wanted to, but he loves this sauce.

Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs (I have Panko all natural)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tabelspoons fresh minced parsley

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Put olive oil evenly on a 9x13 baking dish
3. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well (best done with your hands)
4. Form golf size meatballs and place in the baking dish 1 inch apart
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes in the oven. Than flip and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Serve over your favorite pasta and add hearty vegetables for a complete meal. Enjoy!