Broccoli, Pumpkin & Peanut Stir-fry

During autumn, local Farmer's Markets will have pumpkins of all shapes, colors and uses. Be sure to ask him or her for the most flavorFULL for your recipes and which is best for carving the jack-o-lantern for decorating your porch!

Lenise, my friend from church, gifted me with Basmati Rice from India! I couldn't wait to stay home long enough to get creative in the kitchen using the fragrant rice. A rice cooker is my preference while cooking the veggies, because it will automatically cut-off and I don't have to babysit a pot of rice. WINNING!

For this stir-fry recipe, I diced a little more than 1 cup of the cute little Sugar Pie Pumpkin and roasted the rest to be used, later, for other recipes. Stir-fry is a quick cooking dish perfect for after work. Taking only a few minutes, the veggies cook until slightly softened. If including meat or tofu with this dish, prepare and cook before the veggies.

Broccoli and Pumpkin Stir-fry

1 Onion, diced

1 cup Pumpkin, peeled & diced

2-3 cloves Garlic, minced

1-3 large Carrots, peeled & cut

1-2 large Broccoli heads/bunches, cut into florets a.k.a. "little trees"

8 oz sliced, fresh Mushrooms

1-2 tablespoons Oil (coconut or olive)

For "heat" - Red Pepper Flakes  -OR-  Sriracha

Creamy Peanut Butter & Low Sodium Soy Sauce  -OR-  Chinese Brown Sauce (scroll toward bottom of this post)

Basmati Rice

(optional: Extra Firm Tofu drained and large diced, Chicken or other meat thinly sliced)

• Heat oil in large skillet to medium high.
• Sauté onion, pumpkin and carrots until slightly softened. Keep stirring to prevent scorching.
• Add garlic, broccoli and mushrooms. Keep stirring to prevent scorching.
• Here's when you add your choice of sauce. Turn down the heat. Pour in enough soy sauce to cover the bottom of the skillet and stir in a big glob of creamy peanut butter  --OR-- use Chinese Brown Sauce in the place of soy sauce. Because veggies are different sizes, just play around with measurements until your veggies are coated and the consistency is where you like it!
• Add heat...if you're not a wuss!
• Serve over cooked Basmati Rice and garnish with chopped peanuts.
• Enjoy!

NOTE: If using meat, cook in heated skillet, then set aside and add before serving

Chinese Brown Sauce

(Forks Over Knives... I've subbed in Molasses & Corn starch)

1/3 cup Low-sodium Soy Sauce

1/3 cup Vegetable Stock

1/4 cup Molasses

1 tablespoon Grated Ginger or Ginger Paste

2 cloves Garlic, peeled & minced

1-2 teaspoons (or more) Corn Starch, dissolved in cold orange juice (water or pineapple juice would work, too)

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. If there are any left-overs, serve with meal or store refrigerated in airtight container.

OK! Go Play with Your Food!

2-on-Tuesday: Bean and Mushroom Chili

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.
What?
Yes, in chili! As it turns out, cocoa powder is a classic ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Nah, the chili doesn't taste like chocolate. Instead, it takes on an earthy, dark flavor which could be brightened with fennel...if I liked fennel...which I don't...but you might. ;)

Bean and Mushroom Chili
(Forks Over Knives, page 129)

1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 lb button mushrooms, chopped (I used Baby Portabella mushrooms.)
6 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (I used habañero sauce.)
1 tablespoon Hershey's Unsweet Cocoa Powder
1 (28 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups Water
Salt, to taste
**optional: dollop of plain Greek yogurt & shredded sharp cheddar

• Sauté onion and mushrooms in a large pot over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Use 1-2 tablespoons of water to keep the veggies from sticking OR, if you're crunched for time, use a splash of olive oil or coconut oil to sauté the veggies.
• Add garlic, cumin, chile powder, cayenne and cocoa and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, beans and water and simmer, covered for 25 minutes.

TIP:
*Never wash mushrooms. Brush or wipe to clean mushrooms.

Curl up on the couch with a snuggly blanket and a deep bowl of this chili on a cold, rainy night. Mmmm. Toasty inside and out!

2-on-Tuesday: Portobello Mushroom Tacos

Isn't it great when family jumps-in to help make dinner? I love for my honey to strut hisculinary stuff which tends to happen more often in the summer and early fall grilling months! This is another plant-based food offering from Forks Over Knives  ...courtesy of my honey and me.



Portobello Mushroom Tacos

1 package Corn Tortillas (corn are less fattening than the flour tortillas)
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms (I figured 2 caps per person)
Salsa Verde
Homemade Salsa
Shredded Romaine Lettuce

• Marinate the mushrooms 1 hour or overnight in fridge - optional. We used a low-sodium marinade. 
• While mushrooms are grilling (3-5 minutes each side), heat tortillas  on a dry, nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat, turning until soft.
• To serve, put a few mushroom slices on tortilla and top with either Salsa Verde or a salsa of your choice and some crunchy, shredded Romaine.

Salsa Verde (Green Sauce)

1 pound Tomatillos, husks removed, coarsely chopped
1 Jalapeno, chopped (we use the seeds for a hotter flavor)
6 Green Onions (white & green parts), chopped
2 cups Cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
4 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
2 Limes, zest and juice
Salt, to taste

• If you have a food processor, simply coarse-cut the tomatillos, onions, jalapeno and garlic into large chunks, toss into processor and zip-down with lime juice and zest! Otherwise, get to choppin'!

Salsa
(Terry makes the salsa. Salsa is salsa. You add what you like!)

4-5 Tomatoes (large, ripe, deep red), chunked
1 Onion, chunked
4 cloves Garlic, peeled and halved
1 Jalapeno, chunked (we use the seeds for a hotter flavor)
1 fistful Cilantro - optional
1 Lime, juice
Salt, to taste

• Again, we use a food processor! We have used a blender in the early days to make smaller batches.

You will absolutely love the fresh flavors YOU create! So good! My honey got extra kisses for his salsa ... which we served, also, with baked tortilla chips!

2-on-Tuesday: Lentil "Meat"balls

Who'd have thought when the recipe arrived in my inbox from Shelly at Vegetarian Ventures that I'd be serving it to my family as a meatball sub and my son would like it! I liked it, too! Ummm...my hubby? Not so much. He'd prefer meat.

The recipe takes some planning because some ingredients must cool before the next step. I cooked my lentils a couple of days before and kept them chilled in the fridge until ready to proceed. The "meat"balls formed easily and baked perfectly on parchment. To serve, I stuffed several into a whole wheat hotdog bun, ladeled in some warm spaghetti sauce, sprinkled on a generous portion of shredded mozzarella (which added animal protein) and placed under the broiler until the cheese was melted. Not bad at all! And, any leftover "meat"balls were tossed into a baggie. I was gonna freeze them, but my son and I kept sneaking another one and another one and...

Lentil "Meat"balls

2 cups Lentils, cooked and cooled
1 tablespoon Olive Oil (I started off dry sauteing and decided to go with a little oil)
1 Onion, diced small
3 Carrots, diced small
2 Celery Ribs, diced small
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Fresh Thyme
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
8+ oz Mushrooms, chopped
3 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, finely shredded
3/4 cup Breadcrumbs
Salt (I minced my garlic with salt and didn't add extra)

• Prepare lentils with water until tender, but not mushy where they begin to turn into mush. Drain and let cool.
• In large skillet heat oil and add onions, carrots and celery until tender and just beginning to brown. Add, minced garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Let cook for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste, cooking for a couple of minutes longer, careful of scorching.
• Add mushrooms, cooking until the mixture is dry-ish.
• At this point, either add veggies to cooled lentils or cool veggies until ready to proceed.
• Combine lentils, veggies, eggs, parm and breadcrumbs...and let cool, again.
• Preheat oven 400 degrees while forming 1.5-2 inch "meat"balls.
• Place "meat"balls on a cookie sheet lined with Reynolds Genuine Parchment and bake for 30 minutes or until tops start to brown. Clean up is a snap!

These were perfect for a "meat"ball sub, but easily could be served as spaghetti & "meat"balls. OR, for those who like "meat"loaf, the infamous "meat"loaf sandwich is well within your grasp.

Either way... Lentils are a good protein, fiber and mineral rich FIT FOOD with no animal protein...unless you add the cheese!

2-on-Tuesday: Just Wild About Mushrooms Lasagna

This has nothing to do with the recipe.
I just thought it was funny!

We're at the beginning of the holiday season when you'll prepare more and consume more calories than you quite possibly have prepared and consumed all year long! So, let me just help you out...with more tasty calories! 

The first time I made this dish, my honey took one bite, nodded his head and declared, "Oh, yeah. This is what you'd serve to company." I knew I had a keeper! If you love mushrooms, you'll doubly love it!

Just Wild About Mushrooms Lasagna

Prepare Lasagna noodles to al dente.

Thick White Sauce:

• 1 quart Milk, heated (Soy Milk will work)
• 1 stick Butter (or Pressed Coconut Oil)
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour

In a saucepan, heat the above ingredients over medium to medium-high heat until thickened. Then, add:

• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Saute sliced mushrooms. Tip: Too many mushrooms in saute pan will cause unwanted steam, instead saute to desired doneness in smaller batches.

• 2 tablespoons Butter (or Pressed Coconut Oil)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2-4 fist-fulls of Mushrooms (I prefer to use 2 different varieties)

In a smaller, deep casserole dish, layer in order, the following:

• Sauce
• Noodles
• Sauce
• Mushrooms
• Sprinkle Parmesan & Mozzerella Cheeses
• (repeat)
• Ending with noodles and cheese!

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with a side salad and a great bread!

~"Sam"