Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Our garden is still producing massive amounts of peppers, cherry tomatoes and basil. Not that I’m complaining. I’m Italian- I never get tired of eating pesto on just about everything. I usually chop our peppers up for quick fajitas, soups, or sauces but loved the idea of stuffing them with roasted corn, quinoa, and seitan. It’s the perfect meal to finish up our summer garden, and hearty enough for the colder temperatures outside.

If you can’t find seitan or want to make this gluten-free, add another pound of mushrooms instead. Don’t skip the cilantro cream, the added sauce is totally worth it, especially against the heat from the peppers.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro-Tofu Cream

Stuffed Pepper Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cups roasted corn kernels
1/2 lb. (80z) seitan, diced
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 serrano chili, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder
salt/pepper to taste
3 large poblano peppers
1 recipe Cilantro Tofu Cream, recipe below

Prep the peppers: slice in half and remove the seeds and white rib. Bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil. Add the peppers and cook until soft. Carefully remove, drain any water from the inside, and set in a baking pan.

While the water is boiling, prep the filling. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, chili pepper and dried oregano and cook until translucent, about 5-10 minutes. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and let sit for 5 minutes until crispy on the underside. Stir and let cook a few more minutes. If the mushrooms stick to the skillet, add some water or vegetable broth. Add the chopped seitan, corn kernels, and serrano pepper. Season with salt/pepper and cook for another few minutes, stir in the cooked quinoa.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spoon the filling into the cooked peppers. Slowly add 1/2″-1″ layer of water into the baking dish making sure not to let the water touch the filling. Bake for 25 minutes. If the top layer gets too crispy, cover the dish with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro-cream.

Cilantro Tofu Cream:

1 bunch cilantro
12 oz. silken tofu
1/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender/food processor until smooth.

Enjoy!

I am so excited for this month’s Recipe Redux theme-  Sea what you’ve been missing! Besides Sushi, seaweed tends to be a foreign food for many so hopefully this months theme will inspire you to try it. Most types of seaweed are high in beneficial minerals- iron, calcuim, magnesium, potassium, iodine, and zinc. They also contain a good amount of lignans, compounds that have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol levels.

Two things to note: Seaweed is NOT a good source of B12. Seaweed contains B12 analogues which are compounds that mimic b12, not B12 itself. If you are vegan/vegetarian or have had low B12 levels in the past, don’t rely on seaweed as a B12 source. The analogues found in seaweed can actually prevent B12 from being properly absorbed.

Seaweed is also very high in Iodine, so if you have any thyroid issues you should first consult a Registered Dietitian before adding a lot of seaweed into your diet.

Sea vegetables that you will likely find in the grocery store are hijiki, arame, wakame, and kombu. If your local grocery store doesn’t carry seaweed, check with an Asian grocery store. I usually prefer the Asian store over the regular grocery store as they have a wider selection and usually better prices.

This dish features one of my favorite sea vegetables, and a good one to start out with, Hijiki. High in calcium, iron, and fiber, hijiki is a porous, black seaweed with a lot of texture. I love it in this quinoa salad but if you are timid with  trying it, try a small amount in your favorite stir-fry or brown rice and work from there.

Hijiki and Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. sesame seeds, lightly toasted

1 bell pepper, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup hijiki
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

Soak the Hijiki in cold water for 1 hour, drain.

Cook the hijiki: in a saucepan cover the hijiki with water to cover. Simmer over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes until hijiki is tender. Drain and rinse hijiki with cold water.

While the hijiki cooks, make the quinoa. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, add Quinoa, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook untouched for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk together the ginger, sugar, vinegar, oil, salt and tamari. Add the toasted sesame seeds to the dressing mixture.

Combine the quinoa, hijiki, bell pepper and dressing. I prefer this salad cold, so you can eat now or stick in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-1 hour before serving. Sometimes I add lightly fried tofu cubes to the salad for a heartier dinner.

Check out more Under The Sea dishes from my fellow Recipe Reduxers. What seaweed have you tried before? For you newbies- what prevents you from trying seaweed?

This is a super simple weeknight recipe, perfect on it’s own or as a side dish. Fava beans are a little bit of work but wow are they worth it! If you don’t feel like messing with them or can’t find them, sub lima beans instead.

This salad is not only delicious, it is also gluten-free. I am trying to be more conscientious in creating more gluten-free fare. If you have a smart phone, you should download the Find Me Gluten Free App! This app is great for finding gluten-free dining and I helped create the gluten-free dining cards! I also created a new ‘gluten-free’ tab on the side and am working on placing all of my recipes that fit the category into it.

How many of you follow a gluten-free diet? Is this something you would like to see more of?

Grilled Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1/4 cup good quality olive oil (I used my new favorite lemon OO. Addicting)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3-4 whole peppercorns
pinch salt
1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar

1 cup quinoa
1 small red onion
1 lb. fava beans, unshelled
2 tbsp. parsley
1 stalk green garlic, minced

Preheat the grill to medium high. Slice the red onion in quarters and lightly spray with cooking oil. Place the onions onto the hot grill, sliced side down. Add the fava beans as well and cook for 5 minutes until beans are soft and onions are cooked.

Remove the onions and beans from the grill. Place the beans in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let steam for 5 minutes. Remove from the bowl and  shell the beans from the pod and remove the wax coating. Set aside.

Finely dice the red onion, and place into a salad bowl along with the shelled fava beans.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-12 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Blend together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, peppercorns, and salt.

Combine the dressing, quinoa, fava beans, onions, and parsley.

This recipe came about as a happy accident. I had leftover quinoa and chipotle peppers from the week’s previous dinners and wanted to create something without having to head to the store again.

Well, needless to say these peppers were such a hit I made them again for my family and then used the leftover fillings in quesadillas for lunch. When I made them for my family, I used couscous instead of quinoa but I think I prefer the quinoa better. It stands out more from the smoky, chipotle sauce.

Ingredients:
4 bell peppers
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups baby spinach, cut into bite sized pieces

Chipotle Cashew Sauce:
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1/2 cashews, soaked in 1 cup water for at least 1 hour
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Place all the ingredients for the cashew sauce in a blender. Puree for 3-5 minutes until no graininess remains. Reserve for later.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring 1 1/3 cups of water to a boil and add quinoa. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then place quinoa into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, prepare the peppers. Remove pepper tops, stems, and seeds. If they don’t stand up on their own, slice a tiny bit of the bottom off taking care not  to create a hole in the bottom. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add peppers, boil for 3 minutes and drain. Place peppers in a baking dish.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and add the minced onion. Cook for 5-10 minutes until translucent.

Add shredded carrots, black beans, and chopped spinach to the quinoa. Add the onion mixture and the cashew cream sauce. Stir to combine, add the cilantro and season with salt/pepper if needed.

Fill the peppers with the quinoa mixture. Add enough water  to the baking dish to create a thin layer. This helps the peppers stay moist and steam.

Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are lightly browned.

If you want extra saucy goodness, reserve a few tablespoons of the cashew cream sauce to drizzle over the peppers the last few minutes of baking.

Per serving (1 pepper): 432 calories, 11g fat, 65g CHO, 15g fiber, 21g protein

Have leftover filling? Good! Try it stuffed into a quesadilla. Seriously good!