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

Roasted Vegetables are a great pre-dinner dish.  These roasted vegetables are extraordinarily tasty because they are marinated in our homemade balsamic dressing.

Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper sliced
• 8 baby bella mushrooms quartered
• 8 artichoke hearts marinated in oil
• 10 asparagus pieces –  chopped in 2 inch segments
• 10-15 brussel sprouts
• 1/4 cup balsamic dressing (click here to see recipe)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Marinate all vegetables in balsamic dressing, olive oil. sea salt and black pepper for a few hours
• Roast in oven at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-15 min

Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 package tofu – diced in 1 cm cubes
• 1 cup water chestnuts diced
• 1 cup mushrooms finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 red onion finely chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped peanuts
• romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder

Directions

• Make the sauce first by dissolving the honey in water in a small bowl.  Then add 2 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, mustard, 1 clove garlic minced, and red chili powder
• Mix well and store in fridge
• Heat coconut oil in a wok
• Saute tofu until browned, then add water chestnuts, mushrooms, garlic and onions and chopped peanuts
• Then add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp rice vinegar to the wok and saute for a couple of minutes
• Put about 2 tbsp of mixture from wok into romaine lettuce leave and then top with sauce from the fridge

Mushroom and Spinach Lasagne

Ingredients

• 1 package brown rice lasanga pasta (there is a no boil Rice Lasagna noodle available at Kroger the brand is called DeBoles)
• 1 jar marinara sauce (we use Trader Joes – Garlic Marinara Sauce)
• 1 onion diced
• 6 mushrooms chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 cups baby spinach
• Gluten free bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• Heat coconut oil in a medium sized sauce pan
• Add onions and saute until translucent
• Add mushroom and cook for another 4 min
• Add garlic and saute for another min
• Add your favorite jar of marinara sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer
• Add balsamic vinegar to sauce, stir well and simmer for another 10 min
• Place small amount of sauce at the bottom of a baking tray
• Add layer of pasta, then a layer of sauce, then baby spinach
• Start over again with a layer of pasta, sauce and spinach
• Finish with another layer pasta, then sauce and then top with bread crumbs
• Bake in oven at 375 F for 25 min

Thai Red Coconut Curry with Tofu

Ingredients

Sauce

• 4 tbsp tomato paste or crushed tomato
• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger peeled and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 heaping tbsp coriander seeds, ground
• 1-2 red chilies, depending on how spicy you want it
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 kaffir lime leaves (if available)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 can coconut milk
• juice of 1/2 – 1 lime
• sea salt to taste

Stir Fry

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves (roughly chopped if large) chopped
• 1 green pepper diced largely
• 1 red pepper diced largely
• 1 bunch bok choy
• 8-10 mushrooms quartered
• 1 package tofu diced in one inch cubes
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp grape see oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp cilantro for garnish

Directions

• In a food processor or Blendtec blender, combine all ingredients for sauce and blend well
• In a bowl combine lemon juice, tumeric, red chili powder, grape see oil, coriander seeds, and garlic and mix well.  Toss tofu in this mixture
• In a skillet heat coconut oil on medium heat.  Add tofu to skillet and brown on each side.  Remove from skillet once browned and set aside in a bowl
• In the same skillet sautee green pepper for 3-5 minutes on low to medium heat, ensure it is still crisp, add mushrooms and saute for an additional 3 min.  Add bok choy and saute for 3 min
• Add sauce to the veggies and heat
• Add basil and cook until slightly wilted.   Then add tofu
• Garnish with cilantro
• Serve with brown rice or quinoa

Variation: for those who eat chicken or shrimp, you can add it to this recipe instead of the tofu

Prep time and cook time 30-45 min

Serves 2-4

Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 red pepper sliced
• 8 baby bella mushrooms quartered
• 8 artichoke hearts marinated in oil (we buy ours from costco)
• 10 asparagus pieces –  chopped in 2 inch segments
• 1/4 cup balsamic dressing (click here to see recipe)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Marinate all vegetables in balsamic dressing, olive oil. sea salt and black pepper for a few hours
• Roast in oven at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-15 min

Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

• 10-15 brussel sprouts halved
• 8 mushrooms quartered
• 1 potato diced
• 1 clove garlic grated
• fresh rosemary to taste
• sea salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• You can roast any vegetables that you have in your fridge – such as red peppers, yellow peppers, eggplant, red onion

Directions

• Marinate all vegetables in rosemary, sea salt, black pepper and olive oil
• Roast in oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes

Mushroom Polenta

Ingredients

• 1 large prepacked package of mushrooms
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp fresh thyme
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp water
• sea salt to taste
• 1 roll of polenta sliced as seen in picture
• gluten free bread crumbs

Directions

• Heat coconut oil in a medium sized sauce pan on low-medium heat
• Add onions – saute until translucent
• Add mushrooms and garlic – saute until mushrooms with lid covered until they are soft (about 7 minutes)
• Add balsamic vinegar
• Add, italian seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, salt and fresh thyme
• Add water
• Saute for another 3 minutes with lid on
• Pulse blend until mushrooms texture is like a chunky spaghetti sauce (add more water if required – consistency should be like a thick spaghetti sauce) – set aside.
• Cut polenta into 1/2 cm slices and coat with extra virgin olive oil – bake in oven for 7-10 minutes, flip over and bake for another 5 minutes
• In a casserole dish layer polenta with mushroom mixture, then another layer of polenta and then lastly another layer of mushroom mixture
• Top with bread crumbs
• Bake in oven at 350 F, for 20 minutes

Serves 4-6

Recipe courtesy of my sister-in-law – Priya Malik-Patel!

Food of the Week – Mushrooms

Types of Mushrooms

1. Crimini – look similar to white button mushrooms.  Use for stuffing.
2. Portobello – large size and meaty flavour. The are overgrown crimini mushrooms. Use for roasting and grilling.
3. White Button – Commonly served raw in salads
4. Porcini – these mushrooms also have a meaty flavour
5. Oyster – tender, velvety, mild flavour
6. Shitake – Use in asian dishes

Best Way to Store and Select

• Looks for mushrooms that are firm, plump and clean.  Avoid mushrooms that are wrinkled or have wet slimy spots
• Mushrooms will remain fresh for upto 5 days when stored properly. Store them in the refrigerator in a brown paper bag and do not wash before refrigeration.  If mushrooms are prepackaged, they will last longer (about 7-10 days) before the package is opened.

Best Way to Prepare and Cook

• Some sources recommend wiping mushrooms and not washing them.  This is because they are very porous and will quickly absorb water and become soggy if washed. They can be cleaned with a mushroom brush and wiped with a damp paper towel.
• We usually give them a quick rinse since it is difficult to remove the soil from the mushrooms.
• Sauteing mushrooms for about 7 minutes is the healthiest way of cooking
• Grilled or Broiled mushrooms also taste great.  Avoid burning mushrooms.  Keep flame 4-5 inches away from mushrooms.
• If mushrooms are overcooked, they begin to lose their texture, flavor and nutrients

Health Benefits

• Help to protect against cancer
• Excellent source of B vitamins – riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, thiamin and vitamin B6 – needed for carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism
• Good source of folic acid
• Pantothenic acid – plays important role in prevention of fatigue since it supports the function of the adrenal glands
• They contain zinc, copper, manganese which help to scavenge free radicals
• Contain heart healthy fiber, magnesium and potassium
• Contain iron
• Contain calcium and phosphorus – which are excellent for your bones

Courtesy of whfoods.org and world’s healthiest foods book

Simple Stir Fry, Prep time 20 mins, Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 6 cups Kirkland brand – Vegetable Stir Fry Mix (or your favorite stir fry blend)
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1 tbsp ginger minced
• 1 green chili minced
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped finely
• 2 green onion chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (soy sauce replacement)

Directions

• Set your burner to medium heat, allow wok to heat up
• Add coconut oil
• Add cloves of garlic into the oil
• Add tumeric, chili powder, ground cumin and coriander seed to the oil
• Add onion to the wok and allow the ingredients to simmer lightly
• Add 6 cups of stir fry to the wok and mix the ingredients
• Add ginger to the wok
• Cover with a lid to cook the veggies faster
• Add Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to taste
• Add finely chopped coriander and green onion on top

Serves 4