Couscous with Pistachios and Herbs

Couscous with Pistachios and Herbs

This salty, sweet dish is a contradiction of the senses!

Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup Israeli couscous

1 cup water (add more if needed)

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons orange juice

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 tablespoon dried mint 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat a pot to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and couscous and toast the couscous until it is slightly browned.  Add the water, stir and bring the couscous to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.  (As the couscous cooks, you may need to add additional water.  Just keep an eye on it and once the couscous is soft it is done.  If you have ever cooked rice-a-roni, it's the same method.)  Add the remainder of the ingredients and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Beefless "Beef" and Broccoli

Beefless "Beef" and Broccoli

This vegan recipe is so delicious, everyone will be asking for seconds!

Add Edamame for extra protein.  Substitute tofu for the beefless tips to make this dish gluten free.

 

 Ingredients

1 package Gardein Beefless tips

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 carrot sliced very thin

2 green onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups boiling water

Directions

The first thing to do is to get the rice cooked, as this takes the most time.  I use a rice cooker to steam my rice and it comes out perfect every time.  Place 1 cup of brown rice into the steamer with 2 1/2 cups of water.  Put on the lid, set the steamer to cook and let the it work its magic.

Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and Beefless tips into the pan.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Flip the beefless tips, return the cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Now we can add our broccoli.  Remove the cover and add the broccoli and teriyaki sauce.  Toss it well, making sure there is an even coating of sauce on the broccoli and beefless tips.  Cook this for about 10 minutes.

While that is cooking, we can boil our edamame.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Drop in the edamame and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove the edamame from the water and add it to the pan of beefless tips and broccoli.  Turn off the heat.

Serve 1 1/2 cups of the stir-fry with 1/2 cup of the cooked brown rice.  Top with some thinly sliced raw carrots and green onions for a delicious crunch.  Enjoy!

Eggless Egg salad

Eggless Egg salad

Eggless Egg salad is not only quick and delicious, but it is also packed with protein.

Make Eggless Egg Salad ahead of time, for a great post-run recovery meal.

 

 

Ingredients

1 package firm tofu

3 tablespoons veganaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 celery rib, chopped

1/8 cup onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon celery salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Drain the tofu and soak up excessive liquid with a paper towel.  Roughly chop the tofu and place into a large bowl.  Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well.  I like to smash the tofu as I mix, to give it the texture of a traditional egg salad.   You can eat it by itself, or serve it with your favorite bread.  A side serving of fruit will complete the meal.  Enjoy!

 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

 This recipe requires some prep work, but it makes a ton of food and the leftovers are amazing!

Freeze leftovers in individual containers for quick and easy weeknight dinners.

 

Ingredients

1 eggplant

1 batch of marinara sauce

 2 cups breadcrumbs

2 cups water

1 cup Parmesan cheese

8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil

3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.  I like to leave the skins on as they are packed with nutrients.  If you find the skins to be bitter, you may prefer to peel your eggplant before slicing.  Fill one bowl with water and another with breadcrumbs.  You can use store bought breadcrumbs, but I like to use homemade.  Just place the ends of a loaf of bread (the slices that no one wants for their sandwich) into a blender with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley and set the blender to crumb.  It's just that easy!  Add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.  Take your eggplant and dip it into the water and then into the parmesan breadcrumbs, making sure that each slice is totally covered in crumbs.  Place the covered eggplant slices onto a cookie sheet that has been coated with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  You will need two cookie sheets to hold all of the eggplant slices.  Place the eggplant slices into a oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees.  Cook for 15 minutes on each side.

Now that the eggplant is cooked, we can begin to assemble our dish.  Take a 9 x 13 baking dish, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom and coat the bottom with marinara sauce.  Place the eggplant into the dish, followed by a layer of marinara sauce (completely covering the eggplant), and a 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.  Repeat.

 

 Cover the baking dish with foil and place it into the oven that is still at 400 degrees.  Cook for 40 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble at the sides of the dish.  Remove the foil, top with slices of fresh mozzarella and place the dish back into the oven.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Top the eggplant parmesan with fresh basil and the remainder of your parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!