MEDITERRANEAN TOMATOES STUFFED WITH RICE

Mediterranean Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice are my favorite hearty side dish recipe or healthy vegetarian main. They can be made either vegan or vegetarian and are absolutely bursting with flavor. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, these stuffed tomatoes come together very easily!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato pulp, chopped (reserved from hollowing the tomatoes)
• 1 cup Floating Leaf Sprouted Crimson Lentils, Wild Rice, and Quinoa 
• 2 ¾ cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup pine nuts + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped green olives
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• VEGETARIAN OPTION: 1/4 cup feta cheese
• VEGAN OPTION: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 6 finely chopped pitted dates (can sub 1/4 cup dried currants or raisins)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the tops off the tomatoes, use a small spoon to scoop out the centers, then place them in a baking dish. Reserve the tops and insides of the tomatoes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Add the chopped tomato pulp, the Floating Leaf rice blend, and the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
5. 
   
6. While the rice cooks, toast the pine nuts in 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. Chop the olives, parsley, and dates. When the rice is soft, add the pine nuts, olives, parsley, feta cheese or nutritional yeast, oregano, and dates and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Stuff the rice into the tomatoes and place the tops on the tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to brown on top.

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PREP TIME: 30 MINS  COOK TIME: 30 MINS  TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR YIELD: 4-8 SERVINGS

MASHED CAULIFLOWER WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND ROASTED GARLIC

We love this Mashed Cauliflower recipe! Skip the spuds and try this mashed cauliflower with luscious caramelized onions and roasted garlic.

peasandcrayons.com

Since first falling in love with the dish in restaurants and recreating it at home, I just about OD-ed on mashed cauliflower.

Determined to keep things fun and exciting, I amped up the flavor with a few new add-ins and found a new veggie buddy for it to hang out with.  A few months ago it was all about the mashed cauliflower and spaghetti squash…. but now I’m really digging the cauli n’ kale combo!

These little tweaks are enough to  keep this veggie on my plate until my next foodie crush comes along.

Though, knowing me, I really like to get around when it comes to my veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 2 TBSP plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2-1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• dried or fresh parsley, to taste
• chopped green onions or chives, to taste

Instructions

1. First grab your gahhhhhlic! You can skip the roasting to save on time but having a some deeelish roasted garlic on hand is worth its weight in gold. You can add it to pretty much anything and everything, and in a pinch it makes some positively magical garlic bread. So snap your oven or toaster oven to 400F, grab a bulb of garlic, peel back a few layers of the skin, and chop off the top so you can see some meaty garlic on top. Drizzle with a little oil and season with S+P if you'd like, then wrap in foil or parchment paper and roast for 30 minutes.
2. While your garlic roasts, cut + separate into large florets. Blanch for approx 15 minutes in shallow, boiling water. (just enough to cover the tops) I'm in the habit of seasoning the water with some freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt -- feel free to follow suit! Once the cauliflower is tender enough to mash [test a small piece if you'd like!] remove from heat and strain in a colander. For whipped, texture-less cauliflower whip out your food processor, and for thick, smashed-potato-like cauliflower toss directly into a pot [my method. less clean up, great texture!]. I'm big on fork-mashing and then calling it a day.
3. While your cauli is blanching and your garlic is roasting its face off, caramelize your onions. It's just like sauteing, only you'll turn the heat up a teeny bit more and encourage the golden browning that you'd avoid otherwise. If this is your first time, allrecipes has a great tutorial. Heat your skillet to medium-high with approx 1/2 teaspoon of oil, add chopped onions, and stir frequently. Add a pinch of salt to help those babies give up a little liquid and feel free to add a little water or broth to the pan to help de-glaze the brown bits that stick.
4. So by now you should toss your cauliflower into a pot, adjust heat to medium, and add a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. If you haven't started mashing yet, go for it! Then add a few cloves of garlic and your gorgeously caramelized onions and stir to incorporate. Next give it a taste! Adjust seasonings as needed. I always add a little extra salt + pepper and a generous sprinkle of parsley. Garnish with chopped chives or dried parsley + paprika and serve steaming hot.

Recipe Notes

Finishing all the prep-work for the cauliflower and onion while your garlic roasts cuts down on total time for this dish!

Vegan? Use almond/coconut milk instead of greek yogurt + skip ze cheese

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        PREP TIME 15 MINUTES                   COOK TIME 30 MINUTES    

 TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES                SERVINGS 4 SERVINGS

PESTO VEGGIE MANICOTTI

Pasta night just got a healthy vegetarian twist with crazy delicious Pesto Veggie Manicotti!

peasandcrayons.com

This delish recipe has been in our family for ages, so it’s only fitting that I finally measure it out and type it up for you here. Yay!

There’s almost always a batch in my freezer at all times and my go-to when friends or family need a hearty vegetarian meal. Hopefully you’ll love it as much as we do!

SPECIAL DIETS AND SWAPS

T-Rex chefs, feel free to add ground turkey to the dish – it’s a delicious addition and frequently requested by my husband.  Simply brown the meat with your favorite Italian seasonings [parsley, oregano, basil, etc…] and a little garlic/onion powder to taste.  Mix into your cheesy veggie filling and you’re good to go!

No manicotti noodles? No problem! Simply boil up some lasagna noodles, spread them with the filling, and roll ’em up! The results are easy and delicious!

Feel free to use homemade or store bought pesto here. I love the one Buitoni makes and even have a few fun pesto recipes on ze blog. You can even make it with Kale Pesto!

Ingredients

• 8 oz box of manicotti noodles (one box)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup grated carrots and/or zucchini
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 5 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded parmesan/romano cheese
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 1/2-1 cup mozzarella cheese for topping (add as much as you want!)
• season to taste with black pepper, salt, parsley, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder.
• 16 oz fire roasted marinara sauce [see post for recipe] or your favorite red sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Gently boil shells for approx. 11 min or until tender/al dente.
3. Drain and arrange cooked noodles in a glass baking dish with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom.
4. Fun fact: if you roll the noodles in the red sauce it will help prevent them from sticking/wilting! Dice and sauté, onions and garlic together with shredded carrots and 1/2 tsp of olive oil.
5. In a large bowl, fold ricotta, parm/romano cheeses, pesto, and torn spinach together with all your herbs and spices. Season to taste.
6. Next, add your veggies to the mix.
7. You are free to use your fingers, but putting the stuffing in a bag with a hole cut in the corner and squeezing is muuuch easier! Stuff the noodles gently and pour a generous pile of sauce on top.
8. Top with sliced or grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese [use as much as you'd like!] and bake for approx. 20-30 minutes at 350 F. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• A little Italian blend seasoning in the filing is an amazing if you have any handy! Mushrooms (chopped and sautéed) are also an excellent addition.
• Nutrition Facts below are an estimate from an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!

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PREP TIME 10 MINUTESCOOK TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES

SERVINGS :  6 SERVINGS

TURMERIC QUINOA WITH ROASTED BEETROOT & SPINACH (GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN, CANDIDA FRIENDLY)

This simple bowl of turmeric quinoa with roasted beetroot and wilted spinach is packed with plant protein and fibre, as well as being vitamin dense thanks to easily accessible nature’s ‘superfood vegetables’ beetroot and spinach. Pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts add an extra sweet and crunchy note to this dish and merry all the flavours just beautifully.

It’s finally happened! The first ever post on my newly created blog… I’ve been nurturing the idea of a food blog for such a long time but I found a million excuses to put it off until ‘when the time is right’. If I’m being honest with myself though, the main reason stopping me was fear. Fear of something new and the unknown, sharing my raw and honest truth, fear of failing… (I could go on forever). Thankfully, my passion for healthy food and wellbeing overpowered the voice of fear and doubt and here I am, braving up to be sharing my humble journey in this little corner of the virtual universe.

Today’s recipe of turmeric quinoa with rosemary roasted beetroot and wilted spinach is very easy and simple to prepare and makes it a perfect healthy lunch or dinner.

fitfoodienutter.com

Quinoa is a staple ingredient in my cupboard and I almost always pair it up with turmeric to give it some extra flavour and increase the anti-inflammatory nutrients of this dish. Being one of the most protein-rich foods, as well as a great source of fibre and iron, quinoa finds its way into a lot of my post-workout meals. I tend to cook a little more quinoa than required for one recipe, as leftovers are a great addition to the next day’s lunch or dinner.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium size beetroots
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa (washed & rinsed)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• A small handful pine nuts
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 big handfuls spinach
• 1/2 fresh lime


• A small handful pomegranate seeds
• parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 190C (350F), or 170C for fan assisted ovens.
2. Clean the beets thoroughly, wipe dry and place onto the foil sheet. Pick the rosemary leaves off the sprigs and sprinkle over the beetroot. Wrap the beetroot in baking foil, place on a baking tray and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 35-40 minutes.
3. Whilst the beets are roasting, combine water with quinoa in a medium size pan and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and simmer until all the water is absorbed, around 15 minutes. Once cooked, flake it with a fork and set aside.
4. In the meantime, toast the pine nuts by heating a small size pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the pine nuts to the dry pan and keep tossing them every few seconds to ensure they don’t burn. As soon as they turn golden brown, take the pan off the heat, transfer the toasted nuts to a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Put the pan that you used for toasting pine nuts back on medium heat with 1 tsp of olive oil. Add the spinach and cook for 3-4 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Set aside.
6. Take the beetroot out of the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the beetroot and dice into medium size chunks.
7. Combine quinoa, beetroot and wilted spinach in a bowl. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and parsley and finish off with a generous squeeze of lime. Bon Appetite!

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Servings : 2 people

Prep Time : 5 mins

Cook Time : 40 mins

Total Time : 45 mins

SUSHI SANDWICH (GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN, CANDIDA FRIENDLY)

Is sushi sandwich a real thing? Yes, it is! Combine your favourite sushi ingredients with rice, delicately wrap it all up in a nori sheet and you have yourself a perfect breadless sandwich which tastes just like your favourite sushi. Have I won you over?

fitfoodienutter.com

The idea of combining my two favourite things, sushi and sandwich, instantly gives me goosebumps and makes my tummy rumble. Our whole family ‘have a thing’ for sushi. Even my fussy eight year old ‘teenaged’ daughter (she’s at the this stage when she thinks she’s old enough for a ‘teenager attitude’) tucks in if there’s sushi on the table.



Now that the days are getting warmer and hopefully, the summer is just round the corner (although you never know with the British weather), sushi sandwich is a perfect addition to your picnic basket. Yes, it’s a little messy to eat but that’s what makes it fun, doesn’t it?! You can be as creative as you like with your ingredients – I made this sandwich with wild rice instead of white rice (to pack in some extra fibre and essential minerals like phosphorus, zinc and folate) and also make it candida friendly. I used turmeric as rice replacement in the past and it worked really well too.




Below is a step-by-step guide of how to wrap a nori sandwich.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup wild rice (or white rice if you prefer)
• 2 cups water
• 6 nori sheets
• 1/2 cucumber thinly sliced in circles
• 2 carrots peeled and thinly sliced lengthways
• 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced lengthways
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced lengthways
• 1 beetroot (cooked) thinly sliced
• A big handful of mixed green salad leaves
• 1 avocado


• 1 fresh lime
• Salt & pepper to taste
• A bowl of cold water (to stick nori sheets together)
• Coconut aminos (or gluten free tamari sauce) for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a saucepan combine 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is soft.
2. Whilst the rice is cooking, slice all the vegetables and set them aside.
3. Cut the avocado in half, take out the stone, scoop out the flesh into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime, add salt & pepper and mix well. Set aside.
4. When the rice is cooked, take the pan off the heat and let the rice cool down for a few minutes
5. Prepare your sushi making area by placing all sliced vegetables, rice, mashed avocado, salad leaves and nori sheets within an easy reach. You will also need a bowl of cold water on the side to stick nori sheets together.
6. Take one nori sheet, place the cooked rice (around 2 tablespoons) in the centre of the nori sheet and gently flatten it out with the back of a spoon. Add a scoop of mashed avocado, vegetables (one layer at a time) and top with mixed salad leaves.
7. Pinch the opposite corners of the nori sheet with your fingers and join them up in an envelope shape. Use a little water to stick the corners of the nori sheet together. Repeat for the other side. Once you’ve assembled the ‘sushi square’, gently pat it with your hand to flatten it out slightly. Cut in half with a sharp knife.
8. Serve with candida friendly coconut aminos or gluten free tamari sauce.

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Servings : 6 sandwiches

Prep Time : 20 mins

Cook Time : 25 mins

Total Time : 45 mins

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BARS (VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE)

Crunchy and delicious, these chocolate peanut butter protein bars are  made with the new Kashi® GOLEAN™ Plant Powered Shakes are a sweet and perfect treat for breakfast, a snack, or pre/post workout meal. Plus they’re gluten-free and vegan!

whatmollymade.com

The greatest homemade protein bars to hit the internet: Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars.

They’re RAW(mazing) and no-bake and vegan and naturally sweet and extremely simple. And just everything good you likely have in your pantry right now. They remind me of the epic no-bake cookies we all know and love. But sans the sugar and gluten and with all the energy, diverse protein sources and flava!

To start us off making these chocolate peanut butter protein bars: coconut oil, peanut butter (or cashew butter) and 100% pure maple syrup. Pop these three ingredients in the microwave to get them all melty and happy and then mix em all up to get super marry together. At this point I tasted the combo (just to make sure it was edible, of course) and it was SO GOOD.

Like I want to drink it out of a coffee mug in the morning good. But I didn’t. Because these ingredients were destined for something much better.

Next, you add the vanilla, cocoa powder and Kashi® GOLEAN™ Dark Cocoa Powder. You end up with this naturally sweet and chocolate-filled mixture that I could totally eat with a spoon. But again, I didn’t (or did I?).

Stir in the organic rice puffs, or rice crispy cereal, and place in your pan. You only need about 15 minutes and these bars set just right! Drizzle some melted peanut butter on top and pop back in the freezer for a few minutes and you’ve got delish and convenient chocolate peanut butter protein bars, and you know exactly what’s in it!

I can’t tell you how many hours of my life I’ve spend in the grocery store health bar aisle staring at the back of every bar’s ingredient list to figure out if it’s actually healthy. Sometimes I can’t even read half of the ingredients on the back because they’re all chemicals and fake sugar-filled. No. Thanks.

These bars are gluten-free and naturally sweet and filled with so much protein! There’s 21 grams of multi-source plant protein in each serving of the Kashi GOLEAN powder. These bars are right up my alley. Hopefully you’re walking down the same alley.

I’ve been eating gluten-free for the last month because I’ve been having stomach problems, and I have to tell you, I feel awesome! And I hardly miss it. The only thing I’ve missed is my protein bars, and now I don’t have to! Double win.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter or cashew butter I used JIF natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup Kashi GOLEAN Dark Cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 4 cups organic rice puffs or rice cereal
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips optional
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter melted for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cover a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut oil and maple syrup. Place in the microwave and heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture then place it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds to melt completely. Whisk together until combined. Add the vanilla and mix well.
3. Add the Kashi GOLEAN Dark Cocoa powder and cocoa powder and mix well. Mixture should be thicker but still wet. Add the rice puffs and stir to coat completely. Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan and press gently to set the bars in place. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. While freezing, place the peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds until melted. When bars are set, drizzle peanut butter over top. Place bars back in the freezer for 10 minutes. Cut into bars and enjoy! You can keep them in the freezer for up to two weeks.

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Prep Time : 25 mins

Total Time : 25 mins

Servings : 12