Soy Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I have always wanted to try cooking with Poblano peppers. I should mention that I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy food so the thought of a pepper that I could handle (aside from bell peppers) was intriguing. I tried them once in a Mexican restaurant with Joe and it was love at first sight. Now, how can I prepare them at home? Since I had them stuffed with rice at the restaurant, I figured stuffing was the way to go.

However, I wanted to place them over rice rather than filling them with it so I had to find a different substance, preferably rich in protein to keep me full for longer. Then it hit me, I had some organic soy chorizo that I bought at Trader Joe's the week before.  As a side note, if you haven't tried soy chorizo yet, you're missing out.  It's just as flavorful and versatile as the real stuff, minus all the fat.

Since I love veggies, I wanted to add some carrots and celery that I had to use before they went bad. Lastly.. black beans. I almost always add beans to a Spanish type dish. Since I wanted to melt some cheese on top, I wanted to place the stuffed peppers in the oven, but didn't want them to burn which gave me the idea to use some diced tomatoes on the bottom as a base.  

The aroma in the kitchen was overwhelmingly delicious! I was probably checking on them every 10 minutes because I couldn't wait for them to be done. Finally they were! And the result? Success! They came out looking beautiful and they tasted just as great. The zesty chorizo along with the mild pepper make the perfect combination.  Please comment below to let me know how you cook with poblano peppers!

Ingredients

·         6 poblano peppers

·         1chopped onion

·         1 chopped carrot

·         2 stalks of chopped celery

·         2 cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 12 oz. package of soy chorizo

·         1 15 oz. can of black beans

·         1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

·         Coconut oil (or any other oil for sautéing)

·         1 tsp paprika (because I'm Polish)

·         1 tsp chili powder

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         1/4 cup chopped cilantro

·         Shredded cheese (Any kind you like and however much your heart desires. I only had sliced cheese on hand so that is what I used)

Instructions

1. Add some oil to the pan* on high heat. After it's hot, add chopped onion and sauté for about 3 minutes.

2. Add chopped carrots, celery and garlic** and sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Once tender, add the soy chorizo, black beans and seasoning.

3. While the mixture is cooking on low heat, cut the top off the poblano peppers , then core and seed the peppers.

4. Move the mixture to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5. Once the mixture has cooled, begin stuffing peppers, along with some shredded cheese. I used toothpicks to secure the top and body of pepper together.

6. Once the peppers are stuffed, add diced tomatoes to the pan and place stuffed peppers on top. Sprinkle with cilantro and shredded cheese. Move the pan to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes.

7. Serve over rice.

*Use an oven-safe pan. If you don't have one, you can always use two different pots/dishes, one for sautéing on the stovetop and one for baking in the oven.

**Let your garlic sit for a few minutes after smashing and mincing so that flavors are released. This also helps enhance the health-promoting properties of garlic.

Save Your Ginger

I love ginger. Love it. However, just the thought of peeling it makes me grab the powdered version. Or, ..mincing it -eek! No thank you. Too much work for even me. I often cook Asian dishes and most of them call for fresh ginger so I always try to keep some on hand. Then, of course, I get a bit lazy and don't end up using it and it goes bad. I hate to waste. But as frustrating as this endless cycle seemed, I could never think of a solution. 

A few weeks ago, my sister was visiting and we decided to make a veggie teriyaki bowl so I pulled out my ginger from my fridge drawer along with the other ingredients we were planning on using. Engulfed in conversations and with a glass of wine, I didn't pay much attention as my sister grabbed my grater and proceeded to grate the piece of ginger, with skin and all! I almost chocked on my wine. Where did this idea come from and where has it been my whole life? 

Yes, grating ginger is a thing. And, wait for it, it gets better, you can freeze it too! Say good-bye to old and stale ginger. In fact, freezing it helps make grating easier. Now I always keep my piece in a freezer bag and simply grate an inch or so whenever I need it for cooking. 

Does anyone else know about this easy trick? Please comment to share your tips! :)

Spaghetti & Bean Balls

I'm pretty sure we all have those "I'm craving spaghetti" moments. You boil your pasta, make your tomato sauce (or open a jar of it) and ...yum? Something is missing.. Ah yes, the meatballs! But since I rather skip the meat, I decided to take to Pinterest for some other ideas. There had to be some alternatives. And of course, there were! Some posts used quinoa and others used beans and since I had some cans of beans on hand, I figured I'd try that recipe. So although bean "meat"balls are a genius idea, I am not the genius behind them. This recipe is adapted from Cookin' Canuck's blog.

The final test was having my meat-loving fiance take a bite. Success! His exact words were "wow, they're actually really good".  Not only were they delicious, but they also had the same fulfilling qualities of meat that left me satisfied for hours.

I made sure to use whole-wheat organic pasta from Trader Joe's, which unlike white pasta that is full of empty calories, has plenty of fiber and protein. Also, my general rule of thumb is that if you can't pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn't be eating them.

Ingredients of Trader Joe's whole-wheat spaghetti: Organic Durum Whole Wheat

Ingredients of generic white spaghetti: Semolina, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron), Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid,

Ingredients

·         2 cans of white kidney beans (also known as cannellini beans)

·         One whole roasted red bell pepper

·         1 onion (I used sweet since I didn't have yellow on hand)

·         2 cloves of garlic

·         1/4 cup fresh parsley

·         2 tsp Sicilian dry seasoning (or any Italian)  

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

·         1 egg

·         3/4 cups dried breadcrumbs

·         A jar of your favorite sauce (I usually like to make my own, but I also keep a jar on hand for those lazy days)

·         Cooked Spaghetti

·         Fresh Parmesan cheese for grating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine beans and roasted red peppers in a food processor and blend until pureed.

3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add in chopped onion, garlic, parsley (leave some for garnish at the end), seasoning, salt, pepper, egg and breadcrumbs. Stir till the mixture is evenly combined.

4. Depending on the size of bean ball that you want, roll some of the mixture in between your palms and place on a prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave some space in between the bean balls so that they don't stick together.

5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the bean balls are firm and golden. While the bean balls are baking, heat your sauce according to instructions.

6. Serve spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley!

To Add To The Hummus Post...

My boyfriend and I went to visit his parents this Memorial Day weekend and that's where I discovered this secret little ingredient! His parents know I make my own hummus and read somewhere to add Sesame Tahini to make it taste more authentic so they got a can for me to try.  And of course I did as soon as I got home!  

It's a puree of roasted sesame seeds and basically acts like the healthy peanut butter jars.  The oil separates since it doesn't contain any emulsifiers or thickeners so you have to stir it for a while before using.  I added a spoonful to a can of chickpeas, but you'll have to play around with the amount depending how much of a creamy nutty flavor you like.  I also cheated and added some olive oil instead of water this time to make it even smoother.  I added it to my vegetable sandwich today for lunch and it definitely made it more creamy instead of a dry taste like before.  I encourage you to play around with all the ingredients until you find what you really like.  

Save Money, Make Your Own Hummus

I looove hummus! But...it can be a bit expensive.  So I looked up the recipe and was surprised how easy and inexpensive it is to make.  

You'll need a food processor and the following ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup water

Freshly ground black pepper

Ground paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

In a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine all ingredients and process for about 2 minutes or until finely ground.  Now just serve!  You can cover and refrigerate leftovers for about a week.

Tip: Use as a spread with your veggie sandwiches or wraps for extra protein and flavor!

7 Poses To Help You Sleep

Some people have trouble falling asleep while others can lay their head on their pillow and be out in seconds, like me.  Either way, doing some yoga poses can help you get a better night's rest so you can wake up feeling rested and fabulous!

Below are the poses I do every night before going to bed.  They only take about a minute and a half total.  These exercises help me relax and release some stress to help me fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.  I started doing them about 2 months ago and have noticed a difference right away.  Now, I look forward to them before going to bed every night!  I even got my boyfriend to do them with me from time to time. 

1. Rag Doll

Stand with your legs slightly apart, right hand over left elbow, and bend over hips so that your head and arms hang down.  Stand for about 8 seconds while taking in slow, but deep breaths.  This pose helps ease tension in my back, neck, and shoulders.

2.  Seated Side Bend

Sit with your legs crossed, place right hand on the floor, and lean to the right with your left arm extending over your head.  Hold for about 8 seconds while breathing in deeply and switch to the other side.  This pose feels good on my neck, shoulders, and obliques.

3. Pigeon
Go down on all fours, place your left leg so that the knee is between your hands, and extend the right leg back.  Hold for about 8 seconds and switch legs.  Don't forget to breathe!  This pose stretches my hips, buttocks, and legs.

4.   Cobra

Lie down on your stomach, place your palms down on the floor by your chest, and lift yourself up while keeping your hips  on the floor.  Again, hold for about 8 seconds while taking in slow deep breaths.  This pose, more than anything, works on relaxing my ab muscles.

5. Bridge

Lie on your back with knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your arms by your side.  Lift up your hips while keeping your shoulders on your floor so that you make a diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees.  Rest for 8 seconds while taking deep breaths.  This pose really opens up my spine, chest and shoulders. 

6. Plow

Lie on your back with your hands beside you and lift your legs up over your head while keeping your shoulders on the floor.  Hold for 8 seconds and breathe.  This pose also helps relax my spine and helps with my backaches.  It also feels good on my abs.

7. Legs-Up-The-Wall

Lie on your back against the wall so that your legs are perpendicular to your body.  Try to keep your legs as straight against the wall as you possibly can.  Hold for 8 seconds and take deep relaxing breaths.  This pose is great to do last because it's very relaxing.  It helps flow blood to the parts of the body that need it and also helps with arthritis.  Ancient Hindu scriptures also claim it helps banish wrinkles and old age!  

Enjoy!

But Where Do I Get My Protein?

It doesn't matter who I tell I'm switching to a mostly plant-based diet, they always ask the same question: "but how will you get protein?"  Um...plants...  I'm not sure why everyone seems to think that protein only comes from animal products.  Plus, people don't need as much protein as they think.  Just read some of the facts below:

• "Forks Over Knives" shows a study done on mice and the ones that received 20%+ animal protein were actually more likely to get cancer.  The ones who got 5% or less turned off tumor growth.
• According to the World Health Organization's Food and Agricultural Organization, we only need about 5% of protein from our daily calories.
• If you're still not convinced, think about this: humans grow at the fastest rate when they're infants and infants hardly get any protein. Breast milk contains only about 5% of protein.  

I know what you're thinking now: "but only animal protein is complete because of the essential amino acids it contains." Wrong! Protein combining is actually a myth that started in the 70s but has been proven wrong since.  Your body can make proteins out of pooled amino acids as long as you eat a variety of plant foods, so you don't need animal protein to have complete protein.

This chart shows what plant-based foods have protein. (Source: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php)

FOOD	AMOUNT	PROTEIN	PROTEIN
		(gm)	(gm/100 cal)
Tempeh	1 cup	31	9.6
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	29	9.6
Seitan	3 ounces	21	17.5
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	18	7.8
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.7
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.8
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	15	5.4
Pinto beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.3
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.8
Black-eyed peas, cooked	1 cup	13	6.7
Veggie burger	1 patty	13	18.6
Veggie baked beans	1 cup	12	5.0
Tofu, firm	4 ounces	11	10.6
Tofu, regular	4 ounces	10	10.7
Bagel	1 med. (3.5 oz)	10	3.9
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Peas, cooked	1 cup	8	6.6
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked	1/2 cup	8	15.0
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	8	4.1
Veggie dog	1 link	8	13.3
Spaghetti, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Almonds	1/4 cup	8	3.7
Soy milk, commercial, plain	1 cup	7	7.0
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	7	5.2
Almond butter	2 Tbsp	7	3.4
Soy yogurt, plain	8 ounces	6	4.0
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	6	3.7
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	6	3.3
Cashews	1/4 cup	5	2.7
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	5	13.0
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	4	6.7
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24, 2011 and manufacturers’ information. The recommendation for protein for adult male vegans is around 63 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 52 grams per day.

This is great too! (Source: http://myjuicecleanse.com/juicing-for-health/calculating-vegetable-proteins/)