Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts

I love roasting vegetables, and Brussels sprouts are delicious prepared this way.

What you need:

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

How to prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Toast nuts in a frying pan (no oil) till golden; set aside.
3. Cut Brussels sprouts in half; place in a large bowl.
4. To the bowl add oil, salt, pepper and toss well.
5. Place sprouts into a baking dish.
6. Roast for 15 minutes.
7. Stir to even out browning, then continue roasting 30 minutes more.
8. Stir once more, then drizzle maple syrup on top and roast 15 minutes more or till tender.
9. Toss with nuts.

6 servings.  Weight Watcher Points Plus value:  6  (4 without nuts)

Sorry, I can’t remember which cookbook this recipe came out of.

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Peas with Spinach and Tempeh Bacon in Lettuce Cups

Fun way to eat your peas!

What you need:

• 4 slices vegan tempeh bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces ( I used Light Life Smoky Tempeh Bacon)
• 2 leeks, cleaned, halved, then sliced
• 2 bunches of spinach, cleaned,  stems removed
• 2 cups of fresh or frozen peas
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• Dill and tarragon to taste
• 12 leaves of Boston or Bibb lettuce

To prepare:

1. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook tempeh till crispy, set aside.
2. Spray skillet again and add leeks and 1 tsp salt; cook till translucent.
3. Add spinach; cover and cook for about two minutes.
4. Add peas and broth and cook till peas are tender.
5. Stir in dill and tarragon, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in tempeh.

To serve:

1. On each plate, take two lettuce leaves and form into a cup shape.
2. Fill each with 1/6 of the pea mixture.

6 servings.  Weight Watcher PointsPlus value: 2

I modified this recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

 

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Hominy and Poblano Pepper Saute

I now love hominy thanks to this recipe, and the hominy and poblano peppers are a fantastic pairing.  This dish can be on the table in ten minutes.   If you’re not into a little spicy food, substitute another pepper, although the poblano is great.

What you need:

• 1 tsp olive oil and/or olive oil spray if desired
• 2 medium poblano chiles, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 15 oz. can hominy, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

To prepare:

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Add peppers and onion and saute until almost tender.
3. Stir in garlic, cumin, salt.  Cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add hominy and water, cook for 4 minutes stirring often.
5. Remove from heat and add lime juice and cilantro

4 servings.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus value:  3

Original recipe from weightwatchers.com

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Easy Baked Falafel

I love falafel, but they’re usually fried at restaurants.  The baked version is definitely a healthier choice.  This is a great baked recipe that is so simple and fast.  They’re great in a traditional wrap or you could even make a salad with them.

1. Preheat oven to 450, spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor:  pulse 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, and 2 cloves of garlic.
3. Add 3 tbsp chopped onion, 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, 2 tsp olive oil, and 2 tsp of hot sauce and blend till smooth.
4. Transfer to mixing bowl and mix in 3 tbsp chickpea flour, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch of pepper.
5. Mixture should be the consistency to shape into balls, if not, add 1 tbsp more of chickpea flour.
6. Form mixture into walnut sized balls and then flatten into a patties.
7. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and spray falafel with cooking spray, then flip them over.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more.

Serve on pita bread, flat bread, or over lettuce, add vegetables and tahini sauce.

4 servings.  Weight Watcher PointsPlus value:  3

Recipe from the awesome Appetite For Reduction.

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Grilled Portobello Steaks with Onion, Tomato, and Spicy Mayo

Seriously, is it portobello or portabella?  Anyway, I’ve been vegan for quite some time and have never tried a portobello “steak.”  Saw this simple recipe and had to try it.  This is such a wonderful dish!!!  So easy to make too, minutes to prep, minutes to cook.  Grill indoors or out.  Eat as an appetizer, side, or main dish.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup reduced fat Vegenaise
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp (or to taste) Sirracha or Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste* I used this and it was awesome!)

• 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil

• 1 large onion, red or sweet cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 4 large portobello caps
• 4 thick slices of heirloom or beefsteak tomato

To Prepare:

1. Heat grill and spray with cooking spray.
2. Stir together Vegenaise, ginger, Sirracha or Gochujang in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Stir together soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil in another bowl.
4. Place onions and mushrooms on grill and brush with soy sauce mixture; grill about 5 minutes, turn, brush, cook about 5 more minutes, remove from grill.
5. Place tomato slices on grill for about a minute.

To Assemble:

1. Place mushroom caps rounded side down on serving plate.
2. Top each with one onion slice, one tomato slice.
3. Top with spicy mayo.

4 servings.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus value:  4

original recipe from Fresh, Fabulous, Fast

Portabella Mushrooms

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Jab Chae 잡채 Cellophane Noodles with Vegetables

Jab Chae (aka Japchae, Chapjae, Chapchae) is a Korean dish made with cellophane noodles called dangmyeon, stir-fried in sesame oil with various vegetables (typically thinly sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms),  and flavored with soy sauce and sweetened with sugar.  It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili.  It may be served either hot or cold.

Ready for some more Korean food?  Sure you are!  This is a great summer dish because it’s delicious cold!  Great for picnics and potlucks.  I love summer!  I used to be a winter person, but after being in Seattle for nearly 20 years, I am officially now a summer person!  Enjoy this noodle dish everyone!

You will need these Korean noodles (shown below) from an Asian market.  You might see the words “Vermicelli Coreen” on the label.  They have a sheer look to them, but are darker than rice noodles.

Recipe:

1. Cook 8 ounces of Korean vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Rinse, stir in 1 tbsp of sesame oil, set aside.

2. Stirfry in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray:

• 1/2 large sweet onion chopped
• 2 stalks of scallions sliced
• small handful of oyster mushrooms roughly chopped
• add small amounts of chopped spinach, carrots, peppers, whatever you would like; have fun with it

3. For the sauce, mix together:

• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• pinch of black pepper

4. Add noodles and sauce to skillet and mix well.  Tongs are really great for doing this.

5. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

You can add veggie strips, ground crumbles, tofu if you like (be sure to add WW pts).

Enjoy these right away or let them cool down or chill in the fridge.

4 servings.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus value:  7

Cellophane Noodles

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Jjajangmyeon 자장면 (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)

Jjajangmyeon is a popular Korean dish.  It consists of wheat noodles topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang (a salty black soybean paste) and diced vegetables.  Jjajang is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters which literally means “fried sauce.”  Myeon (also spelled myun) means “noodle.”

I have a love affair with Korean food!  Try this delicious and filling noodle dish.  It’s easy to make with few ingredients.  Take a trip to an Asian market to pick up the wheat noodles and black bean paste.

1. Boil noodles to package directions, drain, mix in 1 tsp sesame oil, set aside.
2. In a small nonstick saucepan, coat with cooking spray and stir in 7 tbsp black bean paste, stirfry a few minutes, set aside.
3. In large nonstick pan, coat with cooking spray, cook 1 large chopped onion, 2 chopped zucchini, and other vegetables you might like if desired such as carrots and mushrooms.  Add 1/2 pound of cubed tofu if desired.
4. Add 1 cup potatoes peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces, saute for a few minutes.
5. Add  3 cups of water, enough to cover the vegetables, cover with lid and boil for 15 or so minutes till potato is tender.
6. Stir fried black bean paste into pan.
7. Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch with enough water to make a liquid and stir into pan.
8. Add 1 tbs of sugar into pan.
9. For each serving, put 1 cup of noodles in a large bowl and top with 1/4 of the sauce.

4 servings.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus value:  8,  with tofu 9

ZucchiniOnion

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Barley with Mushrooms and Onions

Oh, how I love barley!  Have you tried it?  Do you use it in your meal planning?  A few years back, Weight Watchers got me reacquainted with this satisfying grain.  I love it in casseroles and even for breakfast with vanilla almond milk and sugar.  It is a great rice substitute as well and is perfect with mushrooms.  Here’s a delicious simple recipe to try.  Go barley!

1. Coat a nonstick saucepan with cooking spray and melt 2/3 tbsp margarine.
2. Add  1 cup finely chopped onion and cook for about five minutes.
3. Add 1/2 pound chopped cremini or shiitake mushrooms and cook about five minutes.
4. Add 3 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup uncooked barley, and 1 tsp salt; bring to a boil.
5. Partially cover pan, reduce heat to low, simmer till barley is tender, stirring occasionally, about 60 minutes.

6 – 1 cup servings.   Weight Watchers PointsPlus value:  6

Original recipe by Weight Watchers.

Barley

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Asian Vegetable Soup

Truly my favorite vegetable soup!  Make a big pot of it because you’ll want seconds.  Serve with a little bit of rice for a great lunch or dinner.

Put all of these ingredients into a large soup pot:

• 2 cups chopped bok choy
• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp minced ginger root
• 4 oyster mushrooms chopped
• 2 cups chopped scallions
• 1 cup chopped water chestnuts
• 1/2 cup red pepper sliced
• 1/4 tsp crushed pepper
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups snow peas halved
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

Bring to a boil; cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with soy sauce and Srirachu sauce.  I liked to add a little rice to my bowl.

12 servings.  Weight Watchers PointsPlus value:  1

Vegan

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Healthier Chile Rellenos

I used to love these years ago pre-veg and before I gave thought to how much fat was involved in this dish.  This is just a simple non-deep-fried version with vegan cheese.  Definitely satisfies the craving.

• Roast 6 large poblano peppers till they’re blistered, let cool, and peel the outer layer of skin.
• Cut a small slit on one side of each pepper towards the top and stuff each with 1/4 cup Daiya cheddar or other vegan cheese.
• Lightly dredge in a little cornmeal.
• In a nonstick skillet prepared with olive oil cooking spray, saute peppers till browned.
• Top with salsa.

I’m sure this could also be baked in a 350 to 400 oven till golden brown, turning to brown both sides.

I also stuffed an Anaheim pepper alongside the poblano.  Experiment and have fun.  Don’t forget the new Daiya Pepper Jack will be out in stores soon.  I tasted it at VegFest and it’s awesome!

6 servings.  Weight Watcher PointsPlus value:  4 (There’s about 10 points in a restaurant chile rellenos!)

PoblanoCheese AnalogueYellow CornmealVegan

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