On The Ninth Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

Polenta is made from corn.  Corn is high in carotenoids, which are great antioxidants.  Corn is also a good source of dietary fiber. Eggplant is high in a phytonutrient called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. Eggplant also lowers cholesterol which is a good thing during the holiday season!

Eggplant and Polenta Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1  medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 log polenta, sliced into thinly
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar, italian seasoning, basil and black pepper. Remove sauce from heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat
5. Lightly brush eggplant slices with the remaining tablespoon oil. Working in batches, lay slices in skillet in a single layer; cook until browned and they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
6. In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom.  Add polenta slices and cook until slightly brown on both sides
7. Spoon about 1/2 cup tomato sauce into a baking dish, spreading to coat evenly. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer. Spoon about 1 cup tomato sauce over eggplant, and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Repeat with sauce and another layer of eggplant. Finish by dotting with remaining tomato sauce.
8. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes
9. Remove foil and continue baking about 15 minutes more
10. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living with adjustments made by me!

Vegetable Pad Thai

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried, wide, and flat rice noodles (pad thai noodles)
• 1/4 tsp raw honey
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• 4 tbsp soy sauce or 2 tbsp Bragg’s liquid amino’s soy sauce alternative
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 large red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 & 1/2 cup green cabbage thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce (add more if you would like it more spicy)
• 2 large eggs (optional), lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts

Directions

1. Soak noodles according to package instructions. Drain.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, lime juice, and soy sauce.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high.
4. Add onion and cook until translucent, then add one clove garlic and red bell pepper and stir fry for 2 min.  Then add green cabbage and ginger and stir fry for an additional 3 min.  Add 1/4 of soy sauce mixture and cook for additional 2 min. Transfer to a plate.
5. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add eggs (if using) and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set, about 30 seconds. Transfer egg mixture to a plate. If not using eggs, just stir fry scallion whites and garlic and set aside.
6. Add noodles and remaining soy-sauce mixture to skillet; cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add veggies and egg mixture (or just scallion whites and garlic if not using eggs) and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently. Add Sriracha sauce and mix well.
7. Serve noodles with lime wedges, garnish with scallion greens, cilantro, and peanuts.

Prep Time and Cook Time: 35 min

Serves: 4

Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 1/2 ounces) firm tofu, drained, cut in half into 2 slabs and then cut diagonally into triangle shaped pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stalks trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
• sea salt
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten free)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup cashews, toasted

Directions

1. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels. Top with more paper towels and another baking sheet; weight with canned goods. Let tofu drain, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook broccoli (stalks and florets) in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, 2 minutes. Drain; set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together 1 tbsp grape seed oil, tumeric, sea salt to taste and red chili powder.  Then add drained tofu to bowl and coat each piece with mixture
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook until golden brown on each side, turning gently.  Transfer to a bowl once browned.
5. Meanwhile, make sauce.  In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, garlic, cornstarch, and 3/4 cup water; set aside.
6. Add broccoli to skillet; cook over high heat, stirring often, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Whisk reserved sauce to combine; pour into skillet. Return tofu to skillet; stir to coat, about 1 minute more.
8. Serve topped with cashews.

Cook Time and Prep Time: 40 min

Serves: 4

recipe and picture courtesy of marthastewart.com with adjustments made by me!

Congratulations to the Winner of Our Contest – Kristie Wasnesky! Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Thank you to all the participants for submitting your healthy recipes.  We had a great time going through each recipe.  Choosing a winner was a difficult task! But we are confident that we made the right choice and we hope you agree.  Check back frequently for future contests for your chance to win!

Kristie has kindly requested that we donate the $25 dollars to Whiz Kids charity instead of receiving the Whole Foods Gift Card.

Thank you Kristie!

Here is Her Recipe and Photograph:

Ingredients

• 3 acorn squash
• 10 baby carrots, chopped finely
• 2 celery stalks, chopped finely
• 1 apple, chopped finely
• 1 small red onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 can black beans
• 1 cup cooked Quinoa, made according to package directions
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp garlic grape seed oil
• 6 tbsp vegetable broth (optional)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place cut side down in dish and bake for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a pan and saute carrots, celery, apple and onion about 5 minutes. Add cooked Quinoa, cumin and beans. Saute about 1 minute more. At this point mine looked a little dry so I added 6 Tbsp. of vegetable stock to moisten.
4. Add mixture to cooked squash

Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 green chili minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 inch ginger piece minced
• fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 minutes.
2. Add curry paste and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add red chili powder, tumeric, green chili, and garlic
3. Stir in coconut milk and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
4. Add potato and cauliflower and season with salt, pepper and ginger.
5. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Stir chickpeas into curry and increase heat to high. Simmer rapidly until liquid reduces slightly, 2 minutes.
7. Serve curry over rice with cilantro.

Cook Time and Prep Time: 30 min

Serves: 4

recipe courtesy of marthastewart.com with adjustments made by me!

Eggplant and Polenta Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1  medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 log polenta, sliced into thinly
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar, italian seasoning, basil and black pepper. Remove sauce from heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat
5. Lightly brush eggplant slices with the remaining tablespoon oil. Working in batches, lay slices in skillet in a single layer; cook until browned and they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
6. In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom.  Add polenta slices and cook until slightly brown on both sides
7. Spoon about 1/2 cup tomato sauce into a baking dish, spreading to coat evenly. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer. Spoon about 1 cup tomato sauce over eggplant, and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Repeat with sauce and another layer of eggplant. Finish by dotting with remaining tomato sauce.
8. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes
9. Remove foil and continue baking about 15 minutes more
10. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living with adjustments made by me!

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

These tacos were so yummy and an excellent change and flavor to your traditional tacos! A must try!

Ingredients

• 4 medium portobello mushrooms (or 10-15 baby bella mushrooms), stems removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp taco seasoning (we use blend-it-up brand)
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• 2 zucchini, cut into 2 inch sticks
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 6 corn taco shells
• Fresh salsa
• Guacamole

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 tsp oregano, 1 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp taco seasoning, sea salt and black pepper.
3. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining tsp oregano, tbsp grape seed oil, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp taco seasoning, sea salt and black pepper.
4. Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes
5. To serve, fill each taco shell with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, salsa and guacamole.

Makes approx 6 tacos

Cook time and Prep time: 50 min

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living with adjustments made by me!!!

Tofu Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp italian seasoning
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 jar vegan marinara sauce
• 2 bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped (red and green)
• 1 onion diced
• 5 mushrooms chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups baby spinach chopped
• 9 rice lasagna noodles
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Wrap tofu in 3 or 4 layers of paper towels and gently press out as much water as possible, changing the paper towels once or twice as needed
3. Transfer tofu to a large bowl and add garlic powder, italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper and mash with a fork. Set tofu mixture aside.
4. Heat coconut oil into a medium pot on low-medium heat until translucent.  Add peppers and mushrooms and simmer until tender
5. Add marinara sauce into pot and bring to boil and then simmer for 10 min
6. Spoon enough marinara sauce into baking dish to cover the bottom and then arrange 3 noodles on top
7. Spread one-third of the tofu mixture over the noodles and then sprinkle spinach over the tofu mixture.
8. Spoon more sauce over the spinach. Repeat the process 2 more times, ending with sauce and tofu.
9. Bake for 40 min and then set aside for 10 min before serving

Serves 8

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Grilled Asian Salad

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 12 asparagus spears, julienned
• 1/4 red pepper, julienned
• 1/4 yellow pepper, julienned
• 1/4 zucchini, julienned
• 1/4 red onion, julienned
• 2 tbsp grape seed oil
• 45 g tofu, firm
• 4 English cucumbers, seeds removed, julienned
• Handful cilantro leaves
• 4 handfuls watercress

Directions

• Preheat barbecue or grill to high.
• For dressing: Place all ingredients in a bowl, whisk together, and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
• For salad: Add asparagus, red pepper, yellow pepper, zucchini and red onion to medium-sized bowl.
• Add 1 tbsp grape seed oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
• Place vegetables on grill and grill until vegetables begin to soften
• Cut tofu in half to make two flat pieces. Brush on all surfaces with remaining grape seed oil
• Grill tofu until crispy on all sides. Slice width-wise into 1/2-cm strips and add to grilled vegetables.
• Add dressing, cucumber and half of the cilantro, and gently toss together.
• Place equal amounts of watercress on four plates. Top with equal amounts of salad.
• Sprinkle with remaining cilantro leaves.

Serves 4

Asian Rice Noodles with Spicy Almond Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1 package rice noodles
• 1/2 head broccoli, tops cut into flowerets, stems peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 cups of snow peas, trimmed
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup unsalted almond butter
• 1/4 cup of reduced sodium soy sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili-garlic sauce
• 1 scallion, green part only chopped finely
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medum heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden, about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet into a bowl
• Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package.
• Heat coconut oil in skillet
• Add broccoli, snow peas and red pepper for 2 min ensuring they still remain crispy
• While the rice noodles are cooking, make the sauce.
• Place the almond butter, soy sauce, lime juice, chili-garlic sauce and 3 Tbsp of boiling water (from the rice noodle pot) into a large bowl and whisk until smooth
• Drain the noodles
• Add the sauce and rice noodles to the vegetables in the skillet and toss to coat
• Serve garnished with the toasted almonds and scallion greens

Serves 4-6