Delicata Squash Stuffed With Spicy Black Beans and Saffron Rice

Delicata squash makes a whole meal when
stuffed with spicy black beans and saffron rice.

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Delicata Squash
Delicata squash grow easily and I harvested about 2 dozen of them a few weeks ago. Although I usually just roast them with rosemary , lately I've been stuffing them with various things. Since Doug loves black beans, for lunch today I baked the delicata squash, made some saffron rice in my rice maker, heated up a can of spicy black beans with some fresh red bell peppers from my garden, and voila - a yummy, meat-free meal! 

Black beans are a great source of high quality protein, folate, thiamin and fiber. Here's the recipe!


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Stuffed Delicata Squash
Vegan (if made with Earth Balance), Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

Ingredients
2 delicata squash
Earth Balance or ghee
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup rice (Tamaki Haiga or short grain white rice)* 
Pinch of saffron
1 small organic red bell pepper, finely diced
1 (15-ounce) can organic spicy black beans

* Tamaki Haiga rice has the bran removed but still contains the germ. I call it "white rice without the guilt!"

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off the stem of the delicata squash and then cut in half vertically. Clean out the seeds.

Liberally spread Earth Balance or ghee all over the inside of the squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Don't worry about the fat as most of it will steam off in the oven.

Place the delicata face down in a shallow casserole dish with a 1/2" of water. Place in the heated oven and bake until a fork can easily pierce the skin, about 30 to 40 minutes.

While the squash is baking, prepare the rice according to directions. If you are using a rice maker that takes almost an hour, you should start the rice before you make the squash. 

Crumble the saffron into the rice while bringing the water to a boil. If using a rice maker, just add the crumbled saffron to the water.

While the rice is cooking and the squash is baking, place the finely diced red bell pepper into a small saucepan with a small amount of water. Cover and steam until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the can of spicy black beans and its liquid to the peppers and simmer, uncovered, until heated and most of the liquid evaporates.

Make sure the organic spicy black beans
come in a can with a non-BPA lining.

Place the four delicata halves on individual plates and fill each half with one quarter of the cooked saffron rice .

Spoon the black beans over the rice and serve.

Enjoy!

It's Easy To Make Your Own TortillasWhole Wheat Black Bean Tortilla Recipe

Black beans add fiber and protein to these whole grain tortillas.

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So Simple to Make
Home-made tortillas, hot off the grill, are a great addition to any meal. And they are surprisingly easy to make. To add some nutritional goodness to today's recipe, I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour and organic black beans. Each tortilla provides 3 grams of dietary fiber and 4 grams of protein.

Let's get started!

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Whole Wheat Black Bean Tortillas
Vegan, Dairy Free
[makes Eight (7 1/2-inch) tortillas or a dozen (5-inch) tortillas]

Ingredients
1/2 cup canned organic black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or organic canola oil)
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water

Directions
Place the black beans, flour, salt, and oil in a food processor. Pulse to blend.

With the food processor running, add water slowly through the shoot until the dough forms a ball.

Remove the dough and roll into 8 balls. If you want smaller tortillas, roll into 12 smaller balls. 

Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Heat a non-stick pan. 
Roll out each ball to the desired size. I use a rolling pin on a a Tupperware Pastry mat. I don't think they sell those anymore but there are quite a few silicone pastry mats available.  Or, if you have a tortilla press, you can use that.

Place each tortilla in the heated pan and cook until the tortilla bubbles, about 1 minute.

Turn over and cook until both sides are brown, another minute.

One of my favorite possessions is my cloth tortilla warmer, a gift I received from my nephew Dave many years ago. NOTHING keeps tortillas warmer than this. Place your tortillas in the warmer as they come off the grill. If you don't have a warmer, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil to keep warm.

Tortilla warmers can keep tortillas warm as they come off the grill or can be used to heat them back up in the microwave.

Black bean tortillas can be served as your whole grain starch with any meal or use them to make quesadillas or fajitas. Our favorite way to eat them is spread with vegan cream cheese.  

Nutritional Information
Per serving (8): 164 calories, 9 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 84 mg omega-3 and 1,003 mg omega-6 essential fatty acids, 4 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 74 mg sodium.

Per serving (12): 109 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 56 mg omega-3 and 669 mg omega-6 essential fatty acids, 3 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 49 mg sodium.

Mexican Lasagna Or Enchilada CasseroleWhatever You Call It, It's Yummy!Vegan And Gluten Free

This Mexican Lasagna or Enchilada Casserole
is perfect for entertaining!

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Holiday Entertaining
Spring is here and guests will soon be arriving for the Easter holidays. If you are trying to think of easy meals that feed a larger group, this delicious casserole could be it. Since I'm Italian, I can turn anything into a lasagna. This recipe takes beans, rice, corn, my delicious homemade enchilada sauce, daiya pepperjack style shreds, and tortillas and makes a mouth watering healthy Mexican meal for eight people. 

Homemade enchilada sauce is easy to make!

I'm not generally a fan of fake cheese but's what's a lactose-intolerant girl gonna do when she's craving enchilada casserole? But I must say, of all the one's I've tried, spicy daiya pepperjack style shreds is my favorite. It has a nice little kick to it and adds just the right flavor to this dish.

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Enchilada Casserole (Mexican Lasagna)
Vegan, Gluten Free (If using corn or GF tortillas)
[makes 8 servings]
Requires 9x11 deep baking dish

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can organic corn, drained (or 1 1/2 cups fresh kernels)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups medium-heat enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups daiya pepperjack style shreds
12 (6-inch) tortillas, cut in half

This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice so if you don't have leftover rice, prepare ahead of time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot and cook the onion and bell pepper on medium-low heat until they begin to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Stir in the pinto and black beans, corn, rice, cumin, salt, and cilantro and turn off the heat.

To build the casserole, place one cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x11 baking dish. Spread evenly.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 8 tortilla halves in this manner.

Place one half of the bean filling evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the daiya shreds over the filling and 1 cup of the sauce.

Cover with an additional 8 tortilla halves in the same manner as above.
Place the rest of the bean filling over the tortillas.
Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of "cheese" over the filling and another 1 cup of sauce.

Place a final layer of tortillas over the filling and cover with the last cup of enchilada sauce.

Cover tightly and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of daiya shreds over the top and heat, uncovered, until melted. About 10 minutes.

Cut into 8 slices and serve with diced avocado and vegan sour cream.

Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Soup With Crispy Plantains Vegan And Gluten FreeWhy Black Beans Are So Good For You!

Black beans are low in fat and high in protein and fiber.

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Black Beans
Do you love black beans? If so, you're in luck as they are one of the healthiest foods in the world. In one small cup you get over half of your daily recommended amount of dietary fiber and an amount of protein equivalent to 2 ounces of meat (but without the fat and cholesterol.) They help stabilize blood sugar and support your digestive tract as well as a healthy heart.

Black is Beautiful!
Although I always encourage eating colorful fruits and vegetables to maximize the consumption of phytochemicals, the black coating of this bean is rich in anthocyanin flavonoids. 

One cup of cooked black beans is only 227 calories and provides:
15 grams of dietary fiber
15 grams of protein
41 grams of carbohydrates
Less than 1 gram of total fat, 0.2 grams of saturated fat, and zero cholesterol.
Only 1.7 mg of sodium

It also provides the following daily requirements:
64% folate - very important during pregnancy!
38% manganese
30% magnesium
28% thiamin
24% phosphorus
20% iron 

It's also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, providing 181 mg per 1-cup serving and 217 mg of omega-6 fatty acids giving it a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of nearly 1:1.

Advantage of Soaking Beans
It's important to soak beans before cooking and to discard the soak water. This helps remove some of the phytates and tannins that lower nutrient availability. It also gets rid of much of the substances in the beans that cause flatulence (which makes eating this dish a much more pleasant experience for everyone!) 

Spice Things Up
If you want to spice things up, buy some Rotel tomatoes! They are similar to diced tomatoes but contain green chilies and are quite spicy. I love their flavor in soups and chilies and use them in this recipe. If you can't find them in the grocery store, you can order an 8-pack on Amazon. 

If you enjoy the flavor of Rotel tomatoes, you might also enjoy Spicy Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Dahl with Cauliflower and Whole Grain Pasta. 

Plantains
Although plantains look like bananas, they are quite different. Instead of peeling them and eating them as a raw fruit, they are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They are a staple in Asia, Africa, and Central America, and served like potatoes.

Todays dish requires ripe plantains that are
dark yellow with spots, not the green ones.

Although you have never seen me fry anything, today I am pan frying these plantains in a very small amount of oil in a stick-free pan. Since there is no oil in the black bean soup, I felt that we could splurge a bit to get a nice, crisp plantain. 

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Spicy Black Bean Soup with Fried Plantains
Vegan and Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings, 8 or more if served over rice]
Requires a 5-quart soup pot or Dutch oven and 
1 large, non-stick fry pan

Allow 8 hours (or overnight) to soak the beans and about 3 hours to cook the soup.

For the soup
1 pound dry black beans (2 1/4 cups)
7 cups vegetable broth
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup diced, fresh cilantro plus some for garnish
2 tablespoons lime juice or more
Diced avocado (optional)

For the fried plantain
1 large, ripe plantain (darker with spots, not green)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Make the soup. Pick through the beans to remove any rocks and rinse with cold water in a colander. Place the beans in a large soup pot or 5-quart Dutch oven and cover with enough cold water so that it is at least one or two inches over the beans. Soak overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans. Place back in the pot and cover with the vegetable broth, onions, celery, garlic, and pepper. Bring to a boil on high heat. Skim off the foam, reduce heat, and cover. Cook until the beans are soft, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding additional broth if needed.

Remove 2 cups of the soup and place in a blender. Return to the pot.

Remove some of the soup from the pot.

Blend until smooth and return to the pot.

Stir in the Rotel tomatoes, cumin, salt, and cilantro and cook, uncovered, until you reach the desired thickness, about 30 minutes or more.

Meanwhile, fry the plantain.

Score the plantain from top to bottom. (Plantains do not peel like bananas.)

Pull the skin away from the plantain carefully and remove.

Slice into 3 pieces horizontally and then standing each piece on edge, slice vertically into thin pieces.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick fry pan. Place the sliced plantains in a single layer and cook each side, turning several times, until they soften on the inside but are crispy and golden brown on the outside. 

Place on a paper towel to remove the excess oil. 

Back to the soup:
When the soup reaches the desired thickness, stir in the fresh lime juice and serve garnished with fresh cilantro, diced avocado (optional), and a few pieces of fried plantain. If you'd like, you can serve it over rice.

Per serving of soup: 319 calories, 1.3 g total fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 213 mg omega-3 and 342 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 17 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates, 13 g dietary fiber, and 390 mg sodium.

Per serving of plantain (assuming 1/2 of the oil is absorbed): 46 calories, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 16 mg omega-3 and 123 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, and 1 mg sodium.

If you've enjoyed this recipe, you can download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen, available on Amazon and iTunes.

Vegan Black Bean And Pear Taco Sliders Simple And Delicious For Your Super Bowl Party And Less Than 100 Calories Each!

Simple, healthy and delicious vegan taco sliders.

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Great Dish for your Super Bowl Guests
One of the most important things for me, when I'm entertaining, is to make recipes that are simple to prepare and serve and will appeal to the most people. So if you are looking for a delicious, healthy, and simple dish to serve at your Super Bowl Party, these vegan and gluten-free taco sliders are an excellent choice.

Most of the ingredients for this dish are store bought, like the Tofutti sour cream, the shredded cabbage, the small corn tortillas, the canned black beans, and the salsa. Hopefully you can find all of these ingredients at your local super market.

I hope you  can find these wonderful tortillas.
They are 4 1/2 inches wide - perfect for sliders.
Organic means they are not GMO.
And they are only 30 calories each!

This ready-to-eat cabbage is very finely cut.
Of course you can make your own.

Fresh salsa is in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
Pick several spice levels for your guests (mild, medium, hot)

Seasonal Fruit
I love to mix fruit and beans together to make a salsa or taco filling. I usually mix mango or peaches in with my black beans. But I was curious to see if a nice ripe pear would combine well and I was delighted with the results! I know you will be too.


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Black Bean and Pear Taco Sliders
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes at least 16 sliders]

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 large pear, peeled and finely diced
1 avocado, finely diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño 
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 package of organic 4 1/2 inch corn tortillas (16 or more)
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1 to 2 cups finely shredded cabbage 
A selection of fresh tomato salsas (mild to hot)

To make the slider filling, place the lime juice in a medium sized bowl.

As soon as you peel and dice the pear, mix it with the lime juice so that it will not discolor.
Do the same thing with the avocado.

Add the red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, black beans, and salt to the bowl and gently toss until combined.

Black bean and pear salsa with avocado and cilantro.

To make the slider, heat the tortillas. You can do this in several ways.
Wrap in a towel or a cotton tortilla holder and microwave for 20 seconds.
You can also wrap in aluminum foil and heat in the oven, or heat each individually on a grill until warm and pliable, about 15 seconds a side.

This tortilla holder can be used to heat tortillas in the microwave
or to keep oven-heated or grilled tortillas warm.

Place a warm tortilla on a plate and spread with a little sour cream, about 1/2 tablespoon. Top will a small amount of cabbage, about 1 tablespoon. It's important not to load down the slider so use small quantities of every ingredient.

Spread sour cream and sprinkle with a little shredded cabbage.

Place a small amount of the black bean and pear mixture over the cabbage.

Top with some fresh tomato salsa (mild, medium, or hot) and serve with a good beer.

Top with fresh salsa.

For additional delicious and healthy recipe ideas, download my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen available on Amazon and iTunes.

Per slider (without the tomato salsa): 98 calories, 3 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 16.5 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 140 mg sodium.

Easy Black Bean, Corn And Quinoa Stuffed Peppers With Enchilada Sauce - Vegan And Gluten Free, Perfect For Your Super Bowl Buffet

Stuffed bell pepper halves are perfect for a casual buffet.

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Easy Entertaining
It's football season and friends and family may be gathering around the big screen, especially on super bowl weekend. Here's a simple crowd pleaser that can be made early in the day and baked right before half time.

Diet Friendly
No need to abandon our Vegan, High Fiber Diet. Each stuffed pepper half is less than 200 calories and provides a healthy 7 grams of dietary fiber. Quinoa and beans deliver high quality protein with all of the essential amino acids. 
And if you select a gluten free enchilada sauce, such as La Victoria, this dish is completely gluten free!

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Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce

Vegan, Gluten Free

Requires a 9" x 13" casserole dish

[makes 8 servings]

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 cup water

4 large green or red bell peppers

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

15 ounce can (no salt added) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn kernels

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

3/4 cups Daiya cheddar style shreds

1 3/4 cups gluten free enchilada sauce, medium spice

Rinse the quinoa in cold water for several minutes. Place in a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Carefully cut the peppers in half vertically. Remove the seeds and rinse. Steam or boil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain.

Partially cook the peppers until they begin to soften

Heat the oil in a medium fry pan and cook the onions on medium low heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Mix in the cooked quinoa, black beans, corn, cumin, black pepper, salt (if desired), Daiya cheddar style shreds and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir until well combined.

Combine the rest of the filling ingredients with cooked onions

Place 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole dish.

Fill each half pepper with the filling and place in the casserole dish.

Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce over the peppers.

Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Bake in the oven covered with foil until hot.

Per serving (8): 195 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 90 mg omega-3 and 603 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber and 540 mg sodium.

For a complete meal, serve with Mango Avocado Salad with Lime Chia Dressing. This salad recipe can serve at least 4 people as a side salad. Double it to serve 8.

Mango avocado salad with lime chia dressing