RED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH QUINOA AND VEGGIES

HEALTHY EATING...

    That's what my host wanted to share with her guests.


On Saturday, I taught a cooking class for a fitness trainer and her clients. She wanted to show her guests that healthy foods can be delicious. She brought over several recipes she had clipped from magazines or copied from her cookbooks. I used these recipes as a guide and remade them into time-friendly recipes...things we could easily do during a cooking class. This Red Pepper recipe can be prepared using whole peppers. I used quarters...

Here is one of the favorite recipes...

RED PEPPERS STUFFED WITH QUINOA AND VEGGIES

3 RED PEPPERS (ORANGE OR YELLOW WORK, TOO)

OLIVE OIL

QUINOA

BLACK BEANS

CHOPPED TOMATO (1 MEDIUM)

CARROTS (CHOP OR THINLY SLICE…I USED ABOUT 6 BABY CARROTS)

FRESH SPINACH (CHOP…ABOUT ½ CUP)

RED ONION (FINELY CHOPPED…ABOUT ¼ CUP)

GROUND RED PEPPER, TO TASTE (I USED 2 SHAKES…ABOUT ¼ TSP)

PARMESAN CHEESE (FRESHLY SHREDDED…APPROXIMATELY 1 TSP PER PIECE OF PEPPER)

Cut red (or orange) pepper into quarters. Clean out the insides really well. Brush with a little olive oil. Set aside.

Cook 1/2 cup Quinoa with 1 cup water*...in Medium Round Flexi-Mold with Octagonal Silpat on top...in the microwave for 8 min on H. Stir, then cook an additional 2 minutes (you many need to add 2 tbsp of water here, just use your judgement) To the cooked quinoa, add black beans, thinly sliced carrots, chopped fresh spinach, finely chopped onion, a tsp of Olive oil, a little ground red pepper (be careful here...start with just a LITTLE bit and add more if desired), chopped tomato (I actually used about 1/2 can drained Rotel tomatoes with green chilis...because it was in the fridge). Add a little salt, to taste (I sprinkled Sel Gris...really strong flavor. I had to add more cooked quinoa to cut the salty taste. Be careful!) Mix all together, then mound mixture into pepper slices. Place the stuffed peppers on the Silpat/Perforated Baking Tray. Sprinkle a little shredded Parmesan Cheese on top and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. The peppers were softer, but still firm and a bit crunchy. The filling was warmed and cheese was melted. (You could bake for a little longer, if you wanted softer peppers.)

We enjoyed these stuffed peppers either hot or cold... They were served with Chicken Roulades (recipe to come), and a simple spinach salad. It was a very colorful plate...the best kind! I will share more of these recipes next week...

*Directions for cooking Quinoa in the microwave were found online. I googled cooking quinoa in the microwave. Stove top directions are there, too.

Enjoy!!!
Jane

I am linking with FOODIE FRIDAY.

PARMESAN HASH BROWNS and BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE

Yesterday, I posted photos (on Facebook) of two more delicious dishes I made in my Demarle at Home FLEXIPANS...and I have had requests for these recipes over and over again... Since it's easier to share the recipes through my blog... here goes!

Parmesan Hash Brown Cups

By Monica  http://www.theyummylife.com            Servings: makes 12
(The original recipe has been modified to use in Demarle at Home Flexipans)

Ingredients

·         1 (20 oz) bag Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns; OR 3-1/2 cups shredded russet potatoes, rinsed and squeezed dry in a towel

·         3 green onions, chopped (approx. 1/3 cup), both white and green parts (I used 2)

·         1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper

·         2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the Muffin Flexipan on the medium perforated baking sheet and set aside. In large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss lightly with a fork. Drizzle on olive oil. Toss with fork again until mixture is well combined. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups. With the back of the spoon, apply gentle pressure to pack mixture into each cup. Bake for 60-75 minutes in lower third of oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. The potato cups should pop right out of the flexipan, but if needed, gently press the bottom of the muffin flexipan to release each potato cup out and place on serving plate. (The recipe suggests inverting the potato cup, serving it bottom side up, but there was no difference in the top or bottom. Both were perfectly browned . Good served warm or room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD FOR COOKING LATER: Combine mixture, spoon it into muffin flexipan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking time. May be made the night before to cook and serve for breakfast the next day.

MAKE AND COOK AHEAD FOR REHEATING LATER: These are best when eaten freshly baked. However, they can be baked ahead of time, refrigerated or frozen, and reheated before serving. They lose some of their crispiness when reheated, but the texture and taste is still good.

FOR BITE-SIZE TATER TOTS - make them in mini muffin pans. 

SERVING SIZE = 1-2 hash brown cups per person

BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE

(MacDaddy REALLY loved this! Light texture, full of fresh blueberries, and not too sweet!)

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/

Recipe modified to use in a Demarle at Home Flexipan

Serves 6-8

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup* 

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp. sugar for sprinkling on top of cake

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Place a Demarle at Home Flexi-pan on the Medium Perforated Baking Sheet. DO NOT USE OIL, BUTTER, NON-STICK SPRAY!!! Spread batter into pan.  Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before unmolding the cake onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the cake with the remaining sugar.

***I found both of these recipes on Pinterest and modified them to use in Demarle at Home Flexipans...Both dishes come out cleanly from the molds/pans. Cleanup is just a quick soap and water wash. These Flexis make cooking healthier and EVERYDAY EASY!!! If you would like to know more about these pans, please email me.

Enjoy!
Jane

I am linking up with Foodie Friday!

FINALLY...TASTY BAKED DONUTS!

For the past 2 weeks, I have been testing baked donut recipes to use in my new Donut Flexi-pan. Although the pumpkin donut recipe that's floating around Pinterest is tasty...MacDaddy is not a fan of pumpkin (except for pumpkin pie). The other recipes I have tested ended up in the trash...

except for the small plate that Rowdy snitched. (Doesn't he look innocent?)

This morning, I tried one more...and SCORE! It was delicious!!!

The texture was closest to a "DD" cake donut...fluffy and light...but without that "fried" taste. It worked beautifully in my new Donut Flexi-pan!

They were especially good after I dipped them in melted butter and cinnamon-sugar. (But then, what isn't good with butter/cinnamon-sugar?)

Baked Donuts

(Recipe is from Wilton)

2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (If using a Flexi-pan, do not spray/grease donut wells. If using a conventional pan, be sure to prep the pan)

2.  Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Mix until just combined. (Do not overmix!) Fill each donut well about 2/3 full.

3.  Bake 7-9 minutes***, or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched. Cool in pan for about 3-4 minutes before removing the donuts.

4.  Dip each donut into melted butter, then into cinnamon-sugar.

These donuts are best when eaten the day you prepare them!

***Using the Donut Flexi-pan, in my oven, it took about 15 minutes before the tops of the donut turned golden. Adjust your baking time according to your oven...

Makes 12 standard sized donuts or 20 donuts in the Demarle at Home Donut Flexi-pan*

       *If using the Flexi-pan, be sure to add a little water to any empty well, before baking.

Enjoy!

Jane

Linking with FOODIE FRIDAY!