Wild & Brown Rice with Mushrooms

January 7, 2010 by Susan

I am obsessed with side dishes lately. There are so many of them out there! To be honest, the sides really can make a meal very interesting. And, they can also make something like a grilled piece of chicken taste almost like a different meal on the second night – depending on which side you serve it with. Same goes with a piece of steak. Or a piece of fish. I like trying to figure out which side would go best with which protein.

My favorite side dishes are the ones that are chock full of ingredients and can actually be eaten as a meal themselves. It’s a side dish one night, the next day it’s a light lunch or a snack. This wild and brown rice with mushrooms (and peas and chick peas and pecans!) is one of those perfect side dishes. And, it’s healthy for you! Wild and brown rice are much better for you than all that bad white stuff, they have low glycemic indexes and are more filling.

This dish is chewy from the rice, crunchy from the pecans and earthy from the mushrooms and herbs…extremely satisfying. Pair it with your favorite protein and enjoy.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4 sides…

Recipe

1 cup uncooked brown & wild rice blend

5-6 medium sage leaves, minced

1 tsp thyme

2 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup frozen peas

1 package baby portobello mushrooms, sliced thick (stems removed)

1/3 cup pecans

15 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained

salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Prepare wild rice blend according to package directions (takes about 40 minutes to cook).

Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet for approximately 5 minutes, tossing often. Remove from pan.

In a large skillet heat the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme, sage and frozen peas. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add pecans to the skillet, mix and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes more.

Add the cooked wild rice blend and some salt & pepper to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine well. Finally, add the chick peas to the pan and fold in gently. Just before serving sprinkle with parsley.

Wild & Brown Rice with Mushrooms

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown & wild rice blend
5-6 medium sage leaves, minced
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
1 package baby portobello mushrooms, sliced thick (stems removed)
⅓ cup pecans
15 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Prepare wild rice blend according to package directions (takes about 40 minutes to cook).
Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet for approximately 5 minutes, tossing often. Remove from pan.
In a large skillet heat the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme, sage and frozen peas. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add pecans to the skillet, mix and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Add the cooked wild rice blend and some salt & pepper to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine well. Finally, add the chick peas to the pan and fold in gently. Just before serving sprinkle with parsley.

Bulgar Salad With Broccoli

July 28, 2009 by Susan

This is one big bowl of healthy goodness.

Most people will recognize bulgar from tabbouleh, the middle eastern dish often eaten as an appetizer. As it turns out, bulgar is much more nutritious than rice and couscous because it contains more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Also, it has a better glycemic index than white rice or couscous. I wanted to branch out from my current quinoa frenzy and give bulgar a try…and I’m happy I did. It is very versatile, has a slightly chewy texture and a lovely nutty flavor.

I got the idea for this bulgar salad while flipping through some magazines in a bookstore. For the life of me I can’t remember which magazine it was. I liked the idea of the salad, however, I wanted to bulk it up a bit more so I thought to add steamed broccoli. Anytime I can add broccoli to something, I go for it. It’s common knowledge, for anyone that hasn’t been living under a rock, that broccoli is one of the most healthy, nutritious, anti-cancer foods available today. It is one of the richest vegetable sources of calcium, iron and magnesium and is loaded with vitamins A and C and K. The edamame, tomatoes and fresh herbs contribute to making this salad clean and wholesome.

This dish is quick to assemble, light and refreshing. And at the risk of repeating myself, super healthy. Every time I eat it I feel as if I’m taking a big scrub brush and cleaning my insides of anything harmful.

The salad is a terrific side dish for a piece of grilled chicken or fish. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days and is great served at room temperature, or slightly cool from the fridge. I like to drizzle some olive oil over the leftovers just before serving.

Here’s what you will need to serve 4 as a side dish….

Recipe

1 cup cooked bulgar (follow directions on bag)

2 cups cut up broccoli, steamed until tender but not too soft, cooled

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

2 tablespoons dill, chopped

1 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup mint, finely chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

Method

Cook bulgar (boil in water, 2 to 1 ratio, simmer for 15 minutes). Allow to cool. Fluff and separate with a fork.

Steam broccoli, allow to cool.

In a large bowl add the broccoli, tomatoes, scallions, edamame, dill, parsley, mint and bulgar. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil , cayenne pepper and salt (pepper is optional). Pour over the bulgar salad and mix to incorporate. The salad should just glisten with the dressing, it should not be soaked.

It’s as easy as that!

Bulgar Salad With Broccoli

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

1 cup cooked bulgar (follow directions on bag)
2 cups cut up broccoli, steamed until tender but not too soft, cooled
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
½ cup scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup mint, finely chopped
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Method

Cook bulgar (boil in water, 2 to 1 ratio, simmer for 15 minutes). Allow to cool. Fluff and separate with a fork.
Steam broccoli, allow to cool.
In a large bowl add the broccoli, tomatoes, scallions, edamame, dill, parsley, mint and bulgar. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil , cayenne pepper and salt (pepper is optional). Pour over the bulgar salad and mix to incorporate. The salad should just glisten with the dressing, it should not be soaked.

Pasta With Lentils

December 6, 2008 by Susan

The Italian name for this deliciousness is Pasta e Lenticchie. The way I see it, this dish should really be called Lentils with Pasta. It is mostly lentils with some pasta thrown in, not the other way around. It is an Italian dish that I grew up eating, my mom cooked this for us all the time. It is traditionally from the Campania region of Italy, specifically the Naples area, which is where my family is from.

I can’t quite decide if this is more of a stew or a soup. I think it is a mixture of both. A stoup! It is quite hearty and as most of you might already know, lentils are super healthy. They are loaded with folate, fiber and potassium and are an excellent source of protein.

I put my own slight spin on this recipe, it is not the exact same one my mother makes. However, it’s very close. I saute my vegetables first in some olive oil (she doesn’t) and I thought to add the bay leaves and thyme. Basically, you make a big pot of the lentils and you store it in the fridge. When you want to eat it, you boil up some pasta and then add the lentils to the pasta. If you add all the pasta into the lentils and store it that way, the pasta tends to get mushy. About the pasta – you can use any small shape you like. Normally, this is made with spaghetti broken into 1 inch pieces, or the little elbows that I used in the photo above. Both are fantastic. I usually get the whole wheat or multi grain pasta.

Once the pot of lentils is made, this is a very quick and easy meal that you can enjoy all week long for lunch, dinner or a comforting snack on a cold day.

Here is what you will need to serve 4-6…

Recipe

2 cups lentils (picked through and rinsed)

3 cups water

3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

2 medium carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon pepperoncino

2 bay leaves

1 tsp thyme

4 whole peeled tomatoes, chopped with their juice

chopped parsley

short/small pasta (shape of your choice)

parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano cheese

Method

Coat the bottom of a dutch oven with olive oil and saute onions, carrots and celery for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add garlic and pepperoncino and saute for one minute. Add lentils and stir one minute. Add water, stock, tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer , cover and cook for approximately 70-90 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Lentils are done!

For reheating/serving: boil water and cook the pasta until just about done (one minute shy of the directed cooking time). Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. This is important! The lentils thicken up and you most likely will have to add some pasta water to the mixture to loosen it up a bit. Add some lentils to the pasta, as much as you like and depending on how many people you are serving. Stir and cook together for one minute. Turn off heat and add a handful of fresh parsley. I love alot of parsley in this, it really give a nice, fresh flavor. Top with a spoonful of cheese and enjoy!

Pasta With Lentils

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

2 cups lentils (picked through and rinsed)
3 cups water
3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepperoncino
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
4 whole peeled tomatoes, chopped with their juice
chopped parsley
short/small pasta (shape of your choice)
parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano cheese

Method

Coat the bottom of a dutch oven with olive oil and saute onions, carrots and celery for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add garlic and pepperoncino and saute for one minute. Add lentils and stir one minute. Add water, stock, tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer , cover and cook for approximately 70-90 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Lentils are done!
For reheating/serving: boil water and cook the pasta until just about done (one minute shy of the directed cooking time). Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. This is important! The lentils thicken up and you most likely will have to add some pasta water to the mixture to loosen it up a bit. Add some lentils to the pasta, as much as you like and depending on how many people you are serving. Stir and cook together for one minute. Turn off heat and add a handful of fresh parsley. I love alot of parsley in this, it really give a nice, fresh flavor. Top with a spoonful of cheese and enjoy!

Homemade Granola

November 4, 2008 by Susan

You have to watch out with some store bought granola, they can be quite fattening. When someone wants to be healthy and they think that eating granola is a step in the right direction, it can be frustrating to learn how fattening some of them could be! Granola is usually associated with health and goodness. It should be heart-healthy and surely not something that will make us fat. We’ve got chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting to do that!

Granola is usually filled with nuts and yes, nuts can be fattening, but they are the good kind of fat. I think where the store bought versions get us is with the oils. They really go overboard cooking it in alot of oil…the more the granola is sticking together in clumps, the more oil and sugar they used to cook it. I use a very small amount of vegetable oil or canola oil, a heart-healthy oil.

I make my own granola and quite frankly will never again buy it from the store. There is simply no reason to. It’s beyond simple to make and I know exactly what I’m putting into it. Not to mention the store bought ones can be quite pricey! Also, I really love my granola to have a nice crunch to it and I’ve noticed some store bought ones just don’t measure up.

My favorite way to eat this granola is in low fat vanilla yogurt. Dear lord, it’s delicious. Not sure about you, but I like a little crunch in my yogurt. I add about 2 tablespoons of granola to the little cup of yogurt and mix it all up. So simple! I have this for breakfast often.

I usually make a large batch, it keeps well in an air-tight container for several weeks. I would say I make a batch every 2-3 weeks or so. I get a wave of panic over me when I see my stash is getting very low. I like to have it on hand all the time.

Here’s what you will need…

Recipe

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (i usually use just a touch less than a 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup agave nectar (or any good honey)

1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, walnuts, pecans and cinnamon together in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, honey and vanilla extract (if you choose to include it). Pour the liquid mixture over the oat and nut mixture and mix well. You do not want the mixture to be soaked. You just want it coated and slightly moist. Most of the time I don’t even use all this oil/honey mixture if it starts looking too wet and clumpy. Use your judgement.

Pour into a large sheet pan (with a rim).

Bake until everything turns a nice golden brown color, roughly 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. You really must watch it, it goes from cooked just right to burnt VERY quickly. The color change is amazing, right?

And look, not one clump. Not one to be found.

Allow to cool completely before storing. I like to keep the granola in this ‘plain’ state, as opposed to adding in dried fruit. Once you add the fruit the shelf life decreases dramatically. However, it is a nice touch (change) to add some dried fruit to a small portion of the granola to eat immediately. I like adding dried cranberries and/or dried chopped apricots.

Homemade Granola

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup canola oil or vegetable oil (i usually use just a touch less than a ¼ cup)
¼ cup agave nectar (or any good honey)
¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)
¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, walnuts, pecans and cinnamon together in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, honey and vanilla extract (if you choose to include it). Pour the liquid mixture over the oat and nut mixture and mix well. You do not want the mixture to be soaked. You just want it coated and slightly moist. Most of the time I don't even use all this oil/honey mixture if it starts looking too wet and clumpy. Use your judgement.
Pour into a large sheet pan (with a rim).
Bake until everything turns a nice golden brown color, roughly 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. You really must watch it, it goes from cooked just right to burnt VERY quickly.
Allow to cool completely before storing. I like to keep the granola in this 'plain' state, as opposed to adding in dried fruit. Once you add the fruit the shelf life decreases dramatically. However, it is a nice touch (change) to add some dried fruit to a small portion of the granola to eat immediately. I like adding dried cranberries and/or dried chopped apricots.

Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

October 15, 2008 by Susan

I had no idea how nutritious red peppers are! They are an excellent source of vitamins C and A and they contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals (bad things) that cause some types of cancers and heart disease. Surprisingly, red peppers contain almost three times the amount of vitamin C as green peppers. Poor green peppers, they just aren’t up to snuff.

Traditionally, stuffed peppers are made with chop meat. I do make the meat version at times, however, I like to keep things on the healthy side over here, so I try to make it with mostly veggies now, or sometimes I will add some ground turkey. All versions are delicious. I like to bring a stuffed pepper with me to work for lunch, and since I make 4 or 5 of them I eat one a day, everyday for lunch that week. And NO, I don’t get sick of it! They are so delicious, healthy and filling. A complete meal stuffed inside a nutritionally packed red pepper. What more could I ask for?

Here’s what you will need to make approximately 6 peppers…

Recipe

4 large red peppers

1 cup brown rice, cooked

1 large zucchini, small dice

1 large yellow squash, small dice

1 large onion

1 small container crimini mushrooms, small dice

1 can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed up

1/2 cup chopped baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

pinch dried oregano

pinch pepperoncino

olive oil

Method

In a skillet over medium heat coat pan with some olive oil. Saute the zucchini, squash, onion and mushrooms until slightly softened, roughly 5 minutes. Add grated garlic, spinach, oregano and pepperoncino and some salt & pepper. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

While the filling is simmering away, carefully cut out the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper. It helps to have small hands! I usually discard the tops, but once or twice I did keep them and put them back on top of the peppers for decoration, like little hats. Up to you.

Once the filling mixture has cooked for awhile, add all the brown rice and parsley and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Mix well again. I’ll tell you, this sauce (minus the rice) would be perfect over some pasta! Here’s how things should be looking at this point.

Now for the fun part…stuffing! I love stuffing these guys. I use a teaspoon for this. Basically just stuff the filling mixture into each pepper, pressing the filling down into the bottom of the pepper. Fill them way up to the top. Just like this…

In the bottom of a baking dish, I put some water and oil (and some tomato sauce if I have some left over) to keep things moist. Arrange the now stuffed peppers in the baking dish and sprinkle the tops of the peppers with some olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 – 60 minutes, or until the peppers have become slightly wrinkly and soft. I prefer my peppers to still have a slight bite to them. Some people like to cook them alot until they are very mushy, again – up to you. As I said, I like mine with a bite, not too mushy.

Get stuffing people!

Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

Author: Feasts And Fotos

Ingredients

4 large red peppers
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 large zucchini, small dice
1 large yellow squash, small dice
1 large onion
1 small container crimini mushrooms, small dice
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed up
½ cup chopped baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, grated
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
pinch dried oregano
pinch pepperoncino
olive oil

Method

In a skillet over medium heat coat pan with some olive oil. Saute the zucchini, squash, onion and mushrooms until slightly softened, roughly 5 minutes. Add grated garlic, spinach, oregano and pepperoncino and some salt & pepper. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
While the filling is simmering away, carefully cut out the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs from the inside of the pepper. It helps to have small hands! I usually discard the tops, but once or twice I did keep them and put them back on top of the peppers for decoration, like little hats. Up to you.
Once the filling mixture has cooked for awhile, add all the brown rice and parsley and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Mix well again.
Once the filling mixture has cooked for awhile, add all the brown rice and parsley and stir well. Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Mix well again.
Now for the fun part...stuffing! I use a teaspoon for this. Basically just stuff the filling mixture into each pepper, pressing the filling down into the bottom of the pepper. Fill them way up to the top.
In the bottom of a baking dish, I put some water and oil (and some tomato sauce if I have some left over) to keep things moist. Arrange the now stuffed peppers in the baking dish and sprinkle the tops of the peppers with some olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 - 60 minutes, or until the peppers have become slightly wrinkly and soft.