Victorious Vegetables

I LOVE LOVE LOVE vegetables! I find ways to sneak them into almost everything I eat. Here are my favorite recipes for them. :)

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MEXICAN STUFFED PEPPERS

• 6 large bell peppers of assorted colors
• 1.5 cups sargento reduced fat shredded cheddar
• 10 Tablespoons fat free sour cream (1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons)
• 1 package goya spanish rice (low sodium), prepared
• 1 large zucchini, diced small
• 1 can red kidney beans (goya), drained
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (1/2-1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• nonstick cooking spray

1.- chop zucchini, prep rice, cut tops off peppers (use paring knife) and clean out inside

2.- combine cheese, sour cream, zucchini, rice, spices and beans in a bowl

3.- heat oven to 375*, fill each pepper with mixture, place on tin-foil lined baking pan and spray top with nonstick spray

4.- bake 20-30 minutes until soft and roasted

enjoy!

Makes 6 servings (1 pepper per serving):

328 calories, 7g fat, 53 carbs, 18g protein!

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Super Speedy Thai Red Curry!

• 1 red pepper, chopped into squares
• 1 green pepper, chopped into squares
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 cans bamboo shoots
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into half circle rounds
• 2 bags frozen broccoli cauliflower mix (allow to thaw a bit to make cooking easier)
• 1 jar Thai Kitchen Red Curry Simmer Sauce
• 2-3 Tablespoons Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups water
• red chili flakes if you want heat

1.- add peppers and scallions to pan over medium heat with 1 cup water, cook 3 minutes

2.- add remaining veggies, 1 Tablespoon curry paste and water, cook until water has reduced by half

3.- add simmer sauce and about 1 more Tablespoon curry paste, allow to cook for 5 minutes

4.- add milk, reduce to low heat, simmer 5-10 minutes

Makes 6 servings:

128 calories, 15 carbs, 5g fat, 4g protein

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Lemon Garlic Quick Spinach

• 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• salt, pepper, dried oregano

1.- chop all ingredients, heat pan to medium heat

2.- cook onion for 1 minute with 1/4 cup water, add garlic and cook another minute, season with salt pepper and oregano

3.- add spinach, 1/4 cup water and juice from the lemon half, cook until spinach is wilted but still bright green (and almost all liquid is evaporated)

Makes: 4 servings

30 calories, 1g fat, 5 carbs, 3g protein

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Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower Curry) with Ginger Rice!

• 1 medium potato (poke holes in it, microwave 4 minutes then remove skin and chop into small cubes)
• 2 bags frozen cauliflower (microwave 3-4 minutes)
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 package Nasoya lite FIRM tofu (cut into roughly 40 cubes)
• 1 small onion (1 cup worth, chopped)
• 1.25 cup dry long grain rice
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt, pepper to taste

1.- prep all ingredients
2.- stir fry tofu over high heat with nonstick spray to slightly brown edges
3.- reduce heat to medium high, add tomato and onion, cook 2 minutes
4.- add potato, simmer another minute then add cauliflower, 1 cup water and spices, cover and let simmer
5.- heat 1 and 2/3 cup water to a boil, add about 1 teaspoon ginger to water
6.- add rice, cover and cook until done, stir curry until all water is evaporated and everything is fully cooked, adjust spices
serve and enjoy!

Makes 5 servings:

300 calories, 62 carbs, 2g fat, 15g protein

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Baked Cheesy Mashed Butternut Squash

• 1/4 cup italian style bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons land o lakes light butter
• 1 large egg white
• 2/3 cup parmesan cheese (divided into half cup and then remainder)
• 7 cups frozen chopped butternut squash

1- heat oven to 400*

2- microwave butternut squash

3- put squash and milk in large bowl and mash (potato masher works best here)

4- add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and butter, combine well

5- put squash mixture in casserole dish

6- in a separate bowl combine bread crumbs, parmesan and egg white, mix well and distribute evenly over top of squash

7- bake 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown

Makes: 10 servings

94 calories, 2g fat, 3g protein

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MAPLE ROSEMARY ROASTED POTATO AND CARROTS

• 6 small potatoes
• 16 fresh baby carrots
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 cloves garlic
• crushed rosemary

1- place potatoes in shallow pan with 1 cup water, bake on 500 for 30 minutes

2- drain any excess liquid, reduce oven to 400

3- cut potatoes in half and use a mug to gently smash them

4- peel carrots and chop garlic, place on baking sheet with potatoes

5- drizzle pan with maple syrup and olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary

6- bake 30-45 minutes

Makes 6 servings, each has 2 halves of potato and 3 carrots

161 carrots, 1 fat, 35 carbs, 5 fiber, 4 protein

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FALL RATATOUILLE with CHEESY COUSCOUS

• 1.5 cups roughly chopped onion (1 medium)
• 3 cups rough chopped zucchini (2 medium-large)
• 1.5 cups chopped butternut squash
• 1 container sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 4 medium vine tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 1.5 cups rice select couscous (uncooked)
• 3 laughing cow light original wedges
• 4 tablespoons parmesan
• 2 9x9 trays

1- chop all veggies, toss together

2- prepare couscous (a bit dry) according to package

3- while couscous is hot mix in cheese wedges, combine well (some clumps are okay thoguh)

4- make a layer of couscous in the bottom of each pan, you should get at least 1/2 an inch

5- top each tray with veggies, they’ll be a bit high but cook down enough

6- bake for 40 minutes on 400* (it will start to smell fantastic =])

7- sprinkle parmesan over the 2 pans (2 T on each), bake for 5 more minutes

8- serve and enjoy! Each pan has 3 servings

Makes 6 servings:

258 calories, 2 fat, 49 carbs, 6 fiber, 10.5 protein!

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BALSAMIC GLAZED ROASTED VEGGIES

• 1/2 fresh eggplant, sliced lengthwise
• half onion (red preferably) cut into thick slices
• 1 zucchini, sliced .25 inch thick and on an angle
• 1/2 red pepper, cut into squares
• 3/4 yellow squash, cut the same as the zucchini
• salt and garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• fresh basil+ rosemary (1 tablespoon each)

- heat oven to 425*

- cut all veggies, spray pan with nonstick spray

- spread veggies except pepper so none touch (i needed 2 trays), sprinkle over salt and garlic powder (I was a bit heavy on the garlic) bake 10 minutes

-  flip veggies, distribute red pepper over top of trays, bake another 10 minutes

- put all veggies on one tray (they can touch now) pour balsamic vinegar over veggies, bake another 10-20 minutes until balsamic starts to smell sweet and all veggies are soft

- take veggies off trays, stir in basil and rosemary

Makes: 2 servings 

29 calories, 0.5 fat, 21 carbs, 7 fiber, 3 protein

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ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS

• 2 cloves garlic
• .5 C chopped onion
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 4 cups fresh spinach, torn
• 8 spears asparagus, cut into .5 inches
• .5 cup dry rice select couscous
• 4 peppers (red green or yellow) that can stand up
• .25 cup parmesan cheese
• .5 cup fat free ricotta
• .5 cup shredded fat free mozzarella
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• red pepper flakes, salt, crushed rosemary

1- cook garlic and onions 3-4 minutes (with water over medium high heat)

2- add all chopped veggies, cook 10 minutes until soft

3- prepare couscous, add herbs and spices to it

4- in large bowl combine ricotta and mozzarella, add slightly cooled filling, stir until cheese is mostly melted

5- add couscous and most of the parmesan (save about 1-1.5 tablespoons), stir until combined and thick

6- cut circle around top of pepper, remove top and seeds, spray with nonstick spray (your hands have to get a little messy now)

7- divide filling into 4 servings, use spoon to stuff each pepper, top with a thin layer of parmesan

8- bake on 375* for 20-30 minutes until peppers are soft but and just starting to blacken

Makes: 4 servings, 1 pepper= 1 serving

206 calories, 3 fat, 33 carbs, 5.5 fiber, 15 protein

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CHEESY BAKED LEEKS

• 1.5 oz nonfat plain chobani
• 6 leeks (cut a slit down length of leek and clean really well! )
• 1.5 oz herbed goat cheese
• 1/6 Cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 Cup parmesan cheese

1. preheat oven to 350
2. simmer leeks in boiling water for 6-8 minutes until somewhat soft
3. spray baking dish with nonstick spray, place leeks in a single layer in dish
4. mix together chobani, goat cheese, egg white and half parmesan (2 Tablespoons)
5. spread mixture evenly over the leeks making sure you fully coat each one
6. mix together remaining parmesan (2 Tablespoons) and breadcrumbs, sprinkle over the top of leeks in an even layer again making sure everything is covered
7. bake about 45 minutes until top is golden and leeks are tender
8. each leek is one serving!

6 servings: 111 calories, 3 fat, 15 carbs, 2 fiber, 6.5 protein!

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