Cranberry Orange Relish

This is a recipe I am tremendously thankful for.  Every year, my Aunt Jan makes this for Thanksgiving.  She knows how much I love it and always makes an extra bowl for me to take home.  It is great as a side, and even better for breakfast the next day.  I made it a little fancier by stuffing it into an orange, but served in a nice relish dish is beautiful too.   I’d like to add that it happens to be raw, but I’ve never thought of it as a health food.  It’s just that good!

Cranberry Orange Relish

1 bag fresh cranberries, washed and picked over

5 oranges

1 medium apple, cored and chopped (leave the peel on)

Agave or sweetener of your choice

1.      Zest one orange, and add the zest to a food processor.  Peel the rest of the orange and add the fruit to the food processor along with the cranberries and apple.

2.      Pulse until everything is chopped and about the same size.  Do not overprocess or it will become mush. 

3.      Stir in agave or sweetener of your choice to taste.

4.      Cut the tops off of the remaining oranges.  Using a paring knife, carefully cut around the inside of the skin.  Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of the oranges.  Set aside the insides of the oranges for eating or juicing.

5.      Fill the orange shells with cranberry relish.  Garnish with orange zest and serve.  The relish keeps well in the refrigerator.

Quinoa & Veggie Stuffed Peppers

I’m so excited to share this new stuffed recipe with you!  It is a super healthy option for lunch or dinner, and the colors give it that wow factor.  When I was making these, I couldn’t wait to dive in.  These would make an impressive lunch for holiday guests that visit a day or two early.  It is so tasty, but it allows you to save those calories to indulge during the actual holiday dinner.  They can be made in advance too, and then warmed in the oven before serving.  Enjoy!

Quinoa & Veggie Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4

4 rainbow colored bell peppers

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

4 large shallots, finely chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 zucchini (about 1 ½ cups), chopped into small cubes

1 yellow squash (about 1 ½ cups), chopped into small cubes

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt & pepper

½ cup white wine

½ cup fresh basil, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

1.      Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer with cool water.  Add to a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Quinoa is cooked when the seeds spiral out.  Uncover and fluff with a fork.  If the quinoa is still wet, it can be drained in a fine mesh strainer.  Set aside in a large bowl.

2.      Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan.  Saute the shallots and garlic until they become golden in color, taking care not to let the garlic burn.  Add to the pan the zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste as the mixture cooks.  Pour the white wine over the veggies.  Allow it to reduce down as the veggies soften.  Add the cooked veggie mixture to the quinoa leaving behind any extra liquid in the pan.

3.      Stir together the sautéed veggies, quinoa, basil, oregano, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  Add more salt to taste.

4.      Cut the tops off of the peppers.  Pull the seeds and core out by hand.  Stuff with quinoa filling and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the peppers are your desired softness.  Serve hot out of the oven.

I like to leave the tops off the peppers while they bake, so the filling gets crispy on top.  You can keep them in the baking pan or on the baking sheet, so they soften and can be placed on top after baking for a nice presentation.  If you love the crispy top on the stuffing, the peppers can be cut in half and stuffed.  This way you get more crispy quinoa with your peppers.

Kale & Tempeh Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

It’s already November, which means it’s time for stuffing!  Every Thanksgiving, I heap piles of stuffing on my plate.   It is hands down my favorite side dish.  This year I will be skipping the turkey, and happily indulging in all my favorite sides.  Wahoo!  Since there are so many delicious alternatives to stuffing a Turkey, I wanted to celebrate the month by sharing with you some new weeknight recipes that are stuffed full of goodness. Happy gobbling!

My first stuffed recipe combines baked sweet potatoes and a delicious sautéed kale filling.  It doesn’t get healthier than that! It’s nice and hearty too, perfect for chilly fall nights.

Kale & Tempeh Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes

1-7 ounce package tempeh bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large bunch of kale, finely chopped

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil for the pan

2 tablespoons vegan butter

1.      Roast the sweet potatoes on a parchment covered sheet pan at 400 degrees F, for about an hour, or until very soft when poked with a fork.

2.      About 15 minutes before the potatoes are done, start the kale stuffing.  In a large skillet, drizzle a little olive oil.  Crumble the tempeh bacon and sauté until it is browned and a little crispy.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

3.      Add the chopped onion to the pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sautee until the onion is soft and beginning to brown.  Add in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant and starting to become golden in color.  Add in the kale and salt well.  Add the vegan butter at this time.  Toss filling together and cook until the kale is soft and wilted.  Add in the crispy tempeh bacon.

4.      Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise.  Fill with kale stuffing and serve.

Note:  Kale can be very bitter if it doesn’t have enough salt or if it is under cooked.