Stuffed Bell Peppers

  A very healthy alternative dinner.  We always change the ingredients and use what we have. This day, we happened to have smoked gouda which was a really flavourful change. 

Ingredients

4 medium size peppers
1 Cup white basmati rice
3-4 Tbl olive oil
3-4 cloves of minced garlic

1 medium chopped onion

6 -8 assorted chopped mushrooms
500 grams extra lean ground turkey meat
1 C corn
1 /4 Cup variety of fresh herbs
(thyme, sage, oregano, basil or chives)
salt and pepper
1 -2 Cups cheese

Directions

Half the peppers and clean them out.

Cook rice.

Saute onion, garlic, mushrooms and turkey meat with olive oil in large pan. Add corn, rice and salt/pepper. Mix together. Add half the cheese to mixture. Fill peppers with mixture and top with remaining in cheese.
We used a Cup of smoked gouda and parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 25 -35 minutes. Remove cover and cook until tops are golden brown.

We served with a salad and this makes a great meal.

Spaghetti Squash No Dish Casserole

I got this wonderful recipe from a friend years ago and it is fabulous. 

A great dish to for your spaghetti squash and guests! 

Preparing the Squash 

Cut spaghetti squash in half; remove and discard the seeds.

Place the spaghetti squash halves (filled with a quarter inch of water in each) on a baking pan in a preheated (350 Degrees F) oven and bake for 40 minutes till tender.

Scoop out the insides of the squash (after it cools) using a fork and shredding lightly.  Leave some on the bottom for support.  Make sure you save the shell to fill with the mixture as this is your baking dish.

Ingredients for the Casserole

1 Cup cooked rice  
4 garlic minced cloves
Assortment of diced peppers
1 diced onion
oil for cooking vegetables

We added some other vegetables that were in the fridge ie rapini, broccoli, corn etc.




Sauté 4 cloves of garlic, one onion,
and vegetables.

Add the cooked rice to the pan, and then the squash.

Add fresh or dried herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

Mix thoroughly.

Add the mixture to the squash shell.

Grate cheese -cheddar and parmesan and place on top of squash dish.  Be generous.

Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes till cheese is golden brown and melted.

BBQ Sardines

BBQ Sardines is very easy to make and a healthy meal choice!

First to clean the sardines, take a pair of scissors and insert at the anal opening and cut up to the gills. Then make a cross section cut towards both gills.  

Scoop out the insides.

It is good to eat small fish which are low in mercury.

Marinate in olive oil, lemon and salt and pepper.


Rich in minerals and vitamins, sardines give you loads of vitamin B12 great for the nervous system and energy; omega 3 oils which can prevent hypertension and Alzheimer's. AND MUCH MORE! Protein, tryptophan, Vit D, calcium, selenium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, potassium.........

Put on barbaque 4 minutes each side.
We cooked with the heads and tails for presentation.

We served with rice and salad. The rice dish had onion, garlic, spinach, yellow pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, paprika, and curry powder cooked in stock. Saute the veges (garlic, onion and pepper) first and then add everything to rinsed brown basmati rice and simmer for 40 minutes. The salad was a simple lettuce, tomato, radish and cucumber  sprinkled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and hemp seeds. YUMMY!

Tomato Bean Greek Soup

I got this recipe from my sister ... I did alter it a bit but here is the original recipe.  

I made it with some black beans as well which according to Dr. Oz helps fight fat.

Ingredients

1.5 Navy Beans

1 Tlb. Baking soda

6 cups of water ( or part stock to taste)

1 can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 of each chopped -celery, carrot, yellow onion

one whole potato

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp red chilli pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

Topping

1/4 cup feta cheese

lemon juice 

parsley

Soak beans overnight and then drain.  Add new water and soda and boil for 5 minutes till tender.  Drain and add 6 cups of water and then the chopped vegetables, tomatoes, whole potato, oil and spices. Boil for one hour. Add the feta, lemon and parsley on individual bowls and serve.

This soup is amazing! the flavours blend so well together.  The kicker is the feta, parsley and lemon topping!  And the subtle flavour of chilli and ginger and the yummy navy beans.