Category: Dinner

Zucchini -Chickpea Veggie Burger with Tahini Ranch Sauce

Zuccini- Chickpea Veggie Burger with Tahini Ranch Dressing.

I have tried making veggie burgers a variety of ways but honestly this recipe could win awards. I cannot completely claim rights to it. I found it in Eating Well magazine. I made a change though. I baked them in the oven as opposed to pan frying as the recipe suggests. I did this to eliminate the need for olive oil making the recipe healthier.

These zucchini chickpea burgers have the perfect blend of ingredients and seasonings which make them super delicious. The burgers are firm, no crumbling up or falling apart yet so juicy and moist. They are also super filling. I honestly could have these every day of the week if it weren’t for hubby saying otherwise.

I eat my burgers on a whole wheat bun for greater nutrition and fiber and add plenty of arugula and other salad greens, tomatoes, sliced zucchini and thin slices of vidalia (sweet) onions. This burger is delicious on its own, but if you prefer a sauce, the tahini ranch dressing works really good. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

This recipe yields 2 generous size burgers or 4 smaller ones.

Ingredients

Zucchini – Chickpea Veggie Burger-

  • 1 15 oz can drained chickpeas
  • 2 tbsps tahini
  • 2 tsps miso paste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives
  • 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (squeeze out juice)
  • 1/3 cup oats
  • 2 tbsps water
  • Arugala and other salad greens, tomato slices, sliced zucchini, vidalia onions
  • Whole wheat bun

Directions

Puree first 7 ingredients then add zucchini and oats. Form into patties. Place in a baking dish lined with a silicone mat. Bake in oven set at 350 degrees until browned (approximately 30 minutes) flipping halfway.

Ingredients

Tahini Ranch Dressing

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp white miso paste
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Stir the ingredients together. Slowly add some water until mixture is smooth.

To make my burgers nice and uniform I use an inexpensive plastic burger press that I puchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Don’t want to purchase a burger press? No problem. Just use a mason jar lid. It works perfectly every time!

Veggie Cabbage Rolls

If I were to add another category to this blog called comfort food this recipe would definitely be in it. It is the perfect meal to make on a cold autumn day. When I dreamed this little baby up it happened to be a cold rainy day in September. The aroma of sautéed garlic and tomatoes permeated throughout the kitchen and then bam – once the red wine vinegar, black strap molasses and cinnamon were added that’s when the explosion of flavor happened! The smell of my veggie cabbage rolls baking in the oven literally drove me crazy. Finally, once pulled out of the oven and dished on my plate, I was able to enjoy this comfort meal while listening to the pouring rain and bolts of thunder. It is impossible to eat just one cabbage roll but you know what? The more you eat of this completely whole food, plant based, no salt, oil or sugar recipe the healthier you are. So second and thirds please!!

This meal works well alone or can be served with mashed potatoes. I mash up my potatoes with unsweetened almond milk and add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Yes, it is possible to make dairy-free mashed potatoes that are creamy and flavorful. Want a little extra flavor? Mix in little snippets of fresh chives.

Veggie Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients

  • 8 cabbage leaves
  • 4 garlic toes
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
  • 1 cup cooked couscous
  • 1 can reduced sodium tomato soup
Cabbage, Roma tomatoes, garlic, couscous, tomato soup, molasses and cinnamon
Couscous stuffing mixture

Directions

  1. Boil cabbage leaves until soft about 5 minutes
  2. Sautee 4 minced garlic toes and cut up tomatoes in a little water until aromatic
  3. Add 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses and stir for 8 – 10 minutes
  4. Stir in the cooked couscous
  5. Stuff the cabbage leaves and form into rolls
  6. Dilute the tomato soup with 1 can water. Pour a small amount on the bottom of a baking dish. Line the cabbage rolls over the tomato soup mixture. Pour the remaining tomato soup over the cabbage rolls. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the top.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

A Deep Dive at the Health Benefits

The ingredient that takes center stage in this recipe is cabbage. Cabbage belongs to a family of vegetables referred to as cruciferous. Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts) have a pretty interesting sulfur rich compound in them called sulforaphane. This compound has anti-cancer abilities. There are some pretty compelling evidenced based studies suggesting sulforaphane can protect chromosomes against damage and stop the metastasis (spread) of cancer.

There has also been some fairly recent studies on the effect of cruciferous vegetables on autism. A placebo controlled, double blind, randomized study of boys with autism found that eating 2 – 3 servings of cruciferous vegetables a day improved social interaction, behavior and communication within a few weeks. The medicinal properties of foods is rather intriguing isn’t it?

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/chemical_derived_from_broccoli_sprouts_shows_promise_in_treating_autism

Roasted Applesauce Stuffed Acorn Squash with Peppered Seeds

This recipe circles back to my childhood. I remember the distinctive smell in my moms kitchen most notably during the autumn months. I remember the dark green shell set against the bright orange inner flesh and how pumped up, energized and happy those colors made me feel. I remember the sweet earthy aroma throughout the house. I also remember the delicious buttery nutty flavor of this amazing squash. As a kid I would eat acorn squash outer skin and all and that hasn’t changed as an adult! By the way, the outer skin is perfectly edible but if you aren’t keen on eating it, it separates away from the flesh quite easily when cooked.

I always thought all acorn squash was dark green. Well that by far is the most popular color but there are also white, pale yellow, tan and bright orange varieties. In my opinion they all taste pretty similar but white and pale yellow seem to have a smoother texture whereas the green are firmer.

Roasted Applesauce Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash (any color)
  • 3 peeled apples cut into cubes
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. ground black cumin seeds (optional)
Pumpkins may take center stage during autumn months but acorn squash is second runner up!
Acorn squash seeds have a sweet and nutty flavor and are a personal favorite of mine. Just place them in a baking dish, spray a little water on them and spice them up with lots of black pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Eat the entire seed – OMG so delicious!

Directions

For the applesauce peel and dice 3 apples. Place them in a pan, add enough water to cover the apples and boil until soft (just like boiling potatoes). Drain the water and pulse in food processor. If you don’t have a food processor use a blender or mash by hand.

  1. Place the whole acorn squash in the microwave for about 3 minutes. This softens the outer skin and makes it easier to cut.
  2. Using a sharp knife cut the acorn squash in half starting at the stem.
  3. Scoop out the seeds and set aside for roasted squash seeds.
  4. Scoop the applesauce into the hollow of each half.
  5. Sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg and black cumin (optional) on the applesauce.
  6. Bake in preheated oven set at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (or until the tops are browned and flesh is soft).

A Deep Dive at the Health Benefits

There are many varieties of winter squash – butternut, acorn, hubbard, spaghetti, sugar pumpkin, buttercup and kabocha. Hands down all these varieties deliver on the nutrition front but there is one that is the absolute champion of them all. You guessed it – acorn squash!

Acorn squash is packed with soluble fiber. Soluble means dissolves in water. So the fiber dissolves in water to form a gel. The gel binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and exits the body in the stool. This prevents it from entering the blood stream. So how about that? Acorn squash can control cholesterol. Another serving please! Soluble fiber also help regulate blood sugar.

Acorn squash is an amazing source of potassium. Adults need 4,700 mg. of potassium each day. One cup of cooked acorn squash is packed with 896 mg. of potassium. Most people associate bananas with potassium but one banana has only 422 mg. of potassium. Additionally one cup is packed with one-third the daily requirement of calcium, magnesium and folate.

Now even though acorn squash is the star performer give other squashes a try. Butternut squash comes in second place and excels in Vitamin C, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene which helps protect against cancer.

Spaghetti squash has the lowest overall nutrition score but it is a low calorie and low carbohydrate alternative to traditional pasta noodles.

Couscous Stuffed Chili Poblano Peppers

I have always been a fan of Mexican food. It’s fun, colorful and happy. But the high sodium and high fat cheeses, sauces and meats I can do without. We took a trip to Tucson in September and hubby was looking forward to eating Sonoran-style Mexican food. I, on the other hand, was simply hoping there would be some vegetarian options on the menus. To my delight, every restaurant we ate at had a few honest to goodness whole food plant based entrees! One of the restaurants at Hacienda Del Sol resort where we stayed, had two delicioso plant based meals. This post will feature one of them which was a stuffed pepper dish. Now while I didn’t exactly ask for the recipe, I payed close attention to what it was I was eating and came up with a pretty close match. Because I cannot recall the exact name of the entrée I am calling it Couscous Stuffed Chili Poblano Peppers.

Couscous Stuffed Chili Poblano Peppers
Topped with fat free mozzarella cheese (optional). See note section.

Ingredients

  • 4 poblano peppers
  • 2 cups cooked couscous
  • 1 can rinsed black beans (reduced salt or salt free)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 1/2 chopped jalapeño pepper
  • 16 oz. tomato sauce
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • Fat free shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
Note: If using fat free cheese keep in mind it is not whole food or plant based.  It has a fair amount of sodium (280 mg. sodium / 1/4 cup). Because the fat is removed it is resistant to melting and tends to scorch in the oven.
Tip: Thoroughly rinsing canned goods removes 50% of the added salt.
Ingredients: poblano peppers, jalapeño pepper, couscous, black beans, corn & black pepper
Mix ingredients together

Directions

  1. Grill or roast the peppers until they are soft. Place the charred and hot peppers in a large plastic zip lock bag, close tightly and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove the outer skin as this can be difficult to digest. Personally, I keep the skin on for added fiber and nutrients. The grilling or roasting process chars the peppers which expresses their flavor.
  2. Make a slit in the peppers and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Wear gloves to avoid contact with capsaicin which is the chemical that makes peppers hot. The capsaicin is not on the seeds but on the white fleshy innards.
  3. Mix the couscous, black beans, corn, minced jalapeno pepper and black pepper together. Stuff the peppers.
  4. Spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Line up the peppers over the sauce. Top with salsa. If you are adding the cheese do so the last 10 minutes of baking.
  5. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Slice in half lengthwise and remove seeds
Roast in a 425 degree preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes until charred and skin blisters

Place in sealed zip-lock bag for 10 minutes allowing the steam to loosen the skin
Peel off the translucent skin

A Deep Dive at the Health Benefits

Everything about this meal speaks health. But lets take a closer look at the star ingredient – poblano pepper. Poblano peppers are a great source of insoluble fiber which supports gut health by promoting easier passage of stool. But they are an excellent source of soluble fiber as well. Soluble means dissolves in water. So the fiber dissolves in water to form a gel. The gel binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and exits the body in the stool. This prevents it from entering the blood stream. So how about that? A poblano pepper can control cholesterol. Another serving please!

Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers hot, has anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to fight off cancer cells. Yes, you read that correctly. Capsaicin has been shown to alter the expression of several genes involved in cancer cell survival, growth and metastasis. 1 Poblano peppers are mild and therefore have much less capsaicin then, say a habanero or ghost pepper, but there is still enough to make a difference.

Poblano peppers are stocked with vitamins A and C. They are very rich in potassium which is important in the regulation of blood pressure. They are very low in carbohydrates and have zero cholesterol. And if that wasn’t enough they are also rich in antioxidants.

I really hope you try and enjoy this recipe. I love comments. To the best of health – Diana

1 Anticancer Properties of Capsaicin Against Human Cancer. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26976969/

click here for Capsaicin research