It's a New Year with New Foodie Possibilities

Happy 2021 everyone! 

Here's to starting a new year with delicious and healthy foods. 

Don't you want to dive into this wholesome stuffed pita goodness? 

The pitas are filled with fresh vegetables and fruit and sprinkled with a chutney made from herbs. These cute stuffed pitas can be enjoyed as an appetizer or an entree. It depends on how hungry you are! 

Check out the recipe below and let us know how you liked it in the comments section. 

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 3/4" long thin slices
• 1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
• 7 to 8 oz (200g) firm Tofu
• 2 oz Pepperjack or Feta cheese, grated or crumbled
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 to 3 green chilies, cut finely or crushed
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup mint chutney (or as needed)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Whole wheat Pita

Procedure

1) Cut out the portion of tofu from the block and gently press it between your palms to squeeze water. Press various sides. Alternately dab the tofu block on the towel folds to absorb water.

2) Heat oil in a skillet and add chilies and ginger garlic paste, onions followed by Green pepper. Sprinkle some salt and toss well, then cook under a closed lid on medium for 1-2 min. Add carrots and mix well, and continue to cook under a closed lid for another 2 minutes.

3) Crumble the tofu and add to the pan and sprinkle the remaining salt and toss well for another minute and remove from heat. Mix in the cheese, and pomegranate seeds.

4) Cut the pita in half and open the pocket and fill it in with the Veggie-Tofu mixture. Spoon in the mint chutney on the top and enjoy!

5) The mixture fills 3 whole pita or 6 pita pockets. 

Happy Eating!

Quick Note

• Can use crushed red pepper instead of green chilies. 
• For a greater taste, mix the mint chutney into the veggie blend instead of topping.

All-in-One Cheesy Pepper Cups

Although I started my vegetable garden later than expected this year, I managed to grow some delicious vegetables like sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. 

One of my favorite ways to cook sweet bell peppers (red, orange, and yellow-colored ones) is by stuffing and then baking them. The flesh gets soft when you grill or char it and then you can stuff it with whatever you want. 

I've made this dish several times but never wrote the recipe down. My mom nudged me to share it since I'm always at her back to write all of her recipes so I can make them at my leisure. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. 

Ingredients

• 3 Bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow can be used) 
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 10 oz mushrooms (Baby Bell or white button mushrooms), chopped
• 1 tomato (vine or plum variety), finely chopped
• 8 oz fresh spinach* leaves
• 1/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp salt (adjust salt as per your taste)
• 1.5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup cooked rice* (plain or brown)
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or mozzarella cheese)

Instructions

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add ginger-garlic paste and onions. Saute them until the onions are translucent, and then add garam masala, turmeric powder, and chili powder. Mix well. 

• Reduce the heat to low-medium and add mushrooms. Cover with lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until mushrooms reduce in size. Remove the lid and add tomato and salt and cook for a few more minutes. Next, add spinach and cook uncovered until the leaves are wilted and the mixture is not as watery. 

• Lastly, add the cooked rice or your favorite carb like quinoa or brown rice. Mix well and remove from heat. 

• Chop the bell peppers in half so you end up with 6 halves (or cups) so they can be stuffed. Then place them on a dinner plate, season each pepper cup with a little salt, and microwave them for 4 to 5 minutes. Let them cool down. 

• Grill/char the halves on a griddle or flat pan to your liking. Transfer the pepper cups to the desired baking sheet/dish safe to use in the oven. Sprinkle cheese into each of the grilled pepper cups. 

• Scoop about 1/3 cup of stuffing into each pepper cup. You can stuff as much as you want. 

• Sprinkle the top of each stuffed pepper with more cheese. 

• Preheat oven to 350 °F and bake peppers for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

• The stuffed peppers are ready to be served. I can easily eat one to two pepper halves for lunch or dinner. 

Quick Tips

1. Frozen spinach can be used but make sure that you pick up frozen spinach leaves. 
2. You can substitute with quinoa as well. 
3. You can make the stuffing, while you are preparing the bell peppers.  
4. I sometimes add some cheese to the stuffing to hold it together. 

I like using red, orange, and yellow bell peppers because they have a sweeter flavor than the green ones. Add some cooked lentils or legumes to increase the nutritional value of this recipe. I like making this dish because it is heart-healthy and you can use up whatever vegetables and/or rice you have on hand for the stuffing. 

Please feel free to share your comments about this recipe. Let us know if you end up making it or have any questions. 🙏

🎊🎉🎇 Happy Holidays 🎇🎉🎊