Orzo Stuffed Peppers by Heather

I've been making a lot of stuffed veggie recipes this fall.  Most stuffed veggie recipes are warm and hearty, and even if they are covered in cheese, well, you're still eating your vegetables!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mint, chiffonade
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano, plus 1/4 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini (or two medium) grated with a box grater
1/4 cup olive oil
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
6 bell peppers (choose a few colors like red, orange, and yellow)

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna by Heather

Even though September and October are apparently the "summer" months in SF, I'm ready for fall.  While this may be a pasta dish, it's still relatively healthy- there's mushrooms, squash, kale, and Greek yogurt!  I'd save this dish for a Sunday supper, though, as it does take some time to prepare, but trust me- it's worth it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped lengthwise (you could also use a blend of chantrelle and oyster mushrooms)
3 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and roughly chopped lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot (or 3 small), minced
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves separated and chopped
3 tbs. sage leaves, chiffonade
2 lbs (2 packages) chopped butternut squash
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup part-skim ricotta
5 oz. shredded parmesan
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
3 leaves kale, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (note: since butternut squash gets quite sweet when roasted, you'll have to add a good deal of salt.  The best rule of thumb is to taste as you go and season the squash mixture thoroughly once blended)

White Bean and Feta Dip by Rachel

Another dip from me!  I know I've been lagging behind in the recipes, but Heather is about to embark on a journey to Japan for the next couple weeks so I'll be taking that time to catch up! :)  In the meantime, enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can of cannellini beans
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Balaboosta's Fried Cauliflower Recipe by Heather

Balaboosta is a great Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Restaurant on Mulberry Street in Nolita.  If you haven't been, I highly recommend you go!  If you don't live in NYC, you can enjoy this recipe at home, and it's just as good as the original.  You'll make a cauliflower lover out of anyone with this recipe.

Ingredients:

For the crispy cauliflower:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 cup flour
5 cups canola oil
3 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the white wine vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs. honey
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 parsley, chopped

Special Ingredient: Sweet Pea and Roasted Garlic Dip by Rachel

I'm so behind!

I've been doing a lot of cooking, but I've been bad about sharing them with you.  Sorry!

So I had some friends over for dinner this weekend and in thinking about what to make with the bag of peas that I had, I thought to make a dip.  It was a hit!

Ingredients:
10oz of good, frozen peas
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste

Cauliflower Risotto Cakes by Rachel

Having ordered too many vegetables all at once, rather than letting them go bad, I had to find creative ways to make use of them.  Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies, but, unfortunately, my fiancé isn't crazy about it, so I had to find a way to work it into a dish that would be more appealing to him.

One thing that we both really love is risotto, which is where my idea started.  Inspired by polenta cakes, I thought that adding cauliflower to some risotto and shaping it into cakes would make hold together like polenta does and I was right!

While I love to fry things, I wanted to make a healthier dish, so I baked them and they were delicious and crispy.  With some fresh tomato sauce on the top, they were perfect.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup risotto
2 tbsp cornmeal
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups cauliflower, chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste

To batter:
1 egg
1 cup italian bread crumbs

Smokey Beet Burgers by Heather

I made these last weekend and they were a huge hit with Brandon.  The combination of walnuts, lentils, and beets give this a nice meaty texture.



Ingredients:
1 cup cooked beets, grated
1 cup cooked green lentils
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. olive oil

For the feta spread:
8 oz. feta, crumbled into cubes
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Garnishes:
arugula micro greens
mesquite BBQ or sriracha
avocado, sliced

Indian Spiced Swiss Chard Wraps by Heather

It's still very cold in NYC, so I wanted something warm and hearty for dinner.  These Swiss chard wraps deliver just that with a nice amount of spice.



Ingredients:
1 cup cooked green lentils
1 carrot, finely diced
1 package shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 package of extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 in. piece ginger, skinned and grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bundles Swiss chard (I used rainbow chard)
28 oz. carton diced tomatoes
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Shiitake and Lentil Tacos by Heather

I love this recipe.  It's packed with flavor and comes together quickly. This recipe is from Sprouted Kitchen, and I don't change a thing because it's perfect the way it is.  You'll have leftover sauce and you can use it on a quinoa bowl with a fried egg in the morning or as a salad dressing.  This is a vegetarian recipe, but you could easily add chicken or salmon instead of the lentils if you wanted to add meat.

Ingredients:

Green sauce:
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbs. white miso
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. soy sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. OJ
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 packed cups basil leaves
1 packed cup cilantro
3 Tbs. sesame oil

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
half yellow onion, diced
6 oz. (2 cartons) shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
salt to taste

avocado, diced
1/2 carrot, shredded
micro greens or sprouts
corn tortillas or cabbage leaves
1 lime, quartered
Sriracha