I love the idea of stuffed peppers, pumpkins, squash, ect. There is something so classic and fall-friendly about stuffing produce and then baking it! I was at the farmers market this past week and saw these gorgeous peppers. I thought they would be perfect stuffed with the rage I made the previous evening.

I’m usually not that concerned with calories (thank you plant-based diet!), but the other nice thing about stuffed peppers is that they are very filling without adding extra calories. I added couscous to these, but you can do quinoa to make it gluten-free or double the ragu to stuff with instead.

Mmmm. Flavorful, colorful, these peppers are also BL approved. Quite the stamp in my opinion. Healthy, ‘man food’ doesn’t get much better than this.

Ragu Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
4 large peppers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup couscous
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (or vegetable parmesan cheese)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Ragu, recipe below

To prepare: Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds and membranes. Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly soft. Drain peppers and set aside.

Whisk together 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tsp. vinegar, the tomato paste and 3/4 cup water. Pour into the bottom of a glass baking dish.

In a large saute pan, add the couscous and 1/2 cup water. Stir and let cook for 3 minutes until al dente. Add the ragu, parsley, basil, remaining red wine vinegar & cheese.

Place the peppers into a baking dish, cut side up. Stuff the couscous mixture into the bell peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, about 25 minutes. Drizzle with remaining cooking liquid.

Ragu:
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package beef-less crumbles (like the kind from Trader Joe’s or Tempeh)

In a food processor, pulse together the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and rosemary. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened about 5 minutes. Add the crumbles, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes & 1/2 cup water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

This is one of those recipes where I contemplate the actual need to post. It’s a pretty basic vegetarian sandwich: spread, tofu, and grilled vegetables on a hearty bun. Nothing too out of the ordinary but the simplicity and the perfect combination do warrant it’s own page.

I’ve been in quite the sandwich mood lately and needed a reason to use up my still producing basil plant.  If your like me, ready for fall but not ready to give up summer favorites like eggplant, tomatoes, and basil you must try this sandwich. I made a bunch of the ingredients and packed them for work last week. Whenever cravings or mealtime struck, I was able to quickly assemble a gourmet sandwich in a matter of minutes.

Creamy Basil & Eggplant Sandwiches

Ingredients: (make 4 sandwiches)
4 whole wheat hoagie rolls
1 globe (Italian) eggplant, sliced 1/4-1/2″ thick
1 tomato, sliced
1 package extra-firm tofu
2 lemons
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. cup olive oil
1 tbsp. all purpose seasoning (Like 21 Salute)
1 cup basil, packed
1/4 cup mayo (Veganaise is the best!)
salt/pepper

To make the basil spread: finely chop the basil leaves. Combine with mayo and juice of 1 lemon. Set aside. Alternatively, you can combine the basil, mayo, and lemon juice in a food processor/blender.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the eggplant slices on a baking sheet. Combine the all-purpose seasoning, pinch salt, and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a small dish. Brush the eggplant slices with the olive oil mixture and place in the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes each side until translucent on the inside and lightly crisp on the edges.

Squeeze the water out of the tofu and slice into 1/2″ slices. Combine the juice of the other lemon, olive oil, and pinch salt/pepper. Place the tofu in a baking sheet and cover with lemon marinade. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the basil sauce on either side of the hoagie roll. Layer with eggplant, tofu, tomato slices.

What’s your favorite type of sandwich?

Is it flatbread or pizza? I like calling these flatbreads, reminds me of dining outside in a cafe, sipping wine and munching on artisan flatbread sandwiches.

The farmer’s market had these gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and I wanted to make something yummy to celebrate the end of summer. These grilled flatbreads hit all summer birds with one recipe: grill, tomatoes, zucchini, and red peppers.

Make extra of these vegetables, they are great as leftovers and in sandwiches for the rest of the week.

Don’t have a grill? No worries, you can use a grill pan or bake in the oven.

Grilled Vegetable Flatbread

Ingredients:
1 recipe Sun-dried tomato spread, below
1 recipe whole wheat pizza dough, below or prepackaged pizza dough
2 large zucchini
1 large heirloom tomato
1 red pepper
1/2 onion
olive oil, for brushing vegetables and pizza dough

Make the sun-dried tomato spread, see below for recipe and instructions.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium high. Divide the dough into four even pieces. Roll out dough into an oval shape. Really, it’s a flatbread so any shape will do. Brush with olive oil or cooking spray so dough won’t stick to the grates.

Prepare the vegetables: slice the tomato, zucchini, onion, and red pepper into thin slices. Toss with salt/pepper and oil. Place vegetable slices onto the grill or grill pan for 5-10 minutes per side until cooked. I used a vegetable basket for the onion and tomato slices so they wouldn’t fall through the grates. Alterantivly, you could roast the vegetables in the oven beforehand.

Set the vegetables aside. Once you start grilling the flatbread you want to have the vegetables and spread ready and close by.

Place the dough onto the grill and cook for ~7-10 minutes until lightly charred on the bottom and heated through. Remove from heat and spread sun-dried tomato onto non-grilled side. Place grilled vegetables on top. Place back on the grill, topping side up, for 3-5 minutes until warmed. Serve immediately.

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread:

1 can white-northern or canneleni beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp. water
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
salt/pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Yum!

This meal is all about letting the flavors of the roasted vegetable and fresh lemon juice shine. I know I say it all the time but roast, roast, roast your vegetables for maximum flavor!  Using fresh vegetables in a pasta sauce reduces the need for excess oil, cheese, or other flavorings. The trick to this dish is making a fresh, uncooked tomato sauce with just lemon juice, heirloom tomatoes, and salt/pepper. When the hot pasta combines with the sauce it slightly warms it and allows the flavor to coat the noodles. I used whole-wheat penne here but feel free to use whatever pasta or whole grain you like.

So refreshing!

Roasted Cauliflower Penne

Ingredients:

8 oz. whole wheat penne pasta
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 large lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the cut cauliflower with oil and a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss together and  place cauliflower onto a roasting pan; bake for 25-30 minutes. Cauliflower will be cooked and slightly brown at this point.

While the cauliflower is roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente. Combine the cooked pasta with the roasted cauliflower, pan juices, lemon zest, lemon juice,  and chopped tomatoes. You want the hot pasta and cauliflower to lightly cook the tomatoes.  Finely chop the rosemary and add to the pasta along with the red pepper flakes.

Per serving (4): 255 calories, 5g fat, 49g CHO, 9.6g fiber, 11g protein

Serve warm or room temperature!