Recipe: Spicy Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Stuffed Peppers

4.8 stars

Today.com (a Kevin Curry recipe)

I loved this recipe! It was super flavorful -- but I have to say that we did add some additional spice so perhaps that really "made" it. See tips below. I can't wait to eat these leftovers.

To make this vegetarian, we left out the chicken and swapped the smoked turkey sausage with Impossible Sausage

Ingredients: red bell peppers, green bell pepper, turkey sausage, chicken, yellow onion, celery, avocado oil, chili powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, ground fennel, frozen jasmine rice, chicken broth, tomato paste, Mexican-blend cheese, black pepper

Tips/Notes:

• Eliminated chicken
• Swapped turkey sausage for Impossible sausage
• There was a lot of filling left over so get 5 large red bell peppers next time
• Didn't have Italian seasoning so added dried basil, oregano, parsley
• Added ground cumin and red pepper flakes
• The bell peppers got a bit soft in step 2 (baking them for 20 min before adding the filling) -- next time, try 14 min

Recipe: 30 Minute Creamy Sesame Miso Ramen with Crispy Mushrooms

30 Minute Creamy Sesame Miso Ramen with Crispy Mushrooms

4.8 stars (after thinking about it, we won't make this one again -- we prefer Marcus Samuelsson's Vegetable Ramen recipe)
HalfBakedHarvest.com

So this dish did not take 30 minutes to make (it took 50 min), and the mushrooms weren't crispy, but overall this was still a really nice ramen recipe. 

We changed some things as you'll see from the notes below, but think next time it'll be even better with double the soup base and the addition of hot chili oil (I didn't realize we didn't have any so used some hot chili crisp).

Ingredients: ramen noodles, kale or spinach, mixed mushrooms, shallots, vegetable broth, dried porcini mushrooms, sesame seeds, chili flakes, cilantro, salted butter or olive oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, tahini, white miso paste, hot chili oil

Serve with: eggs, carrots, green onions

Tips/Notes:

• Because of everything extra we added ~ tofu, a ton of kale, cabbage... make 2x the entire soup base
• Added tofu! (definitely add!)
• Instead of using dried porcini mushrooms, we had some dried porcini powder from another recipe. Used 1.5 tsp but would use at least 2 tsp next time ~ and then double that for the doubled soup base.
• Used a whole head of kale which is much more than 4 cups
• Chopped the mixed mushrooms ~ baby bella, white button and shiitake
• Didn't have carrots but had purple cabbage so added to the soup
• Added green onions to the soup at the end
• Mushrooms weren't crispy as they release so much water in the sheet pan
• Could serve with egg rolls!
• Per Half Baked Harvest's note on the recipe, she recommends storing the soup and noodles separately as the noodles will soak up the soup and become mushy.

Drink Recipe: Orange Spritz (non-alcoholic)

Orange Spritz

4.6 stars
Today.com (a Geoffrey Zakarian recipe)

This was not too bad for a non-alcoholic drink. I just happened to have a bottle of sweet tea so this was easy to make. Note that it required quite a few splashes of bitters for the bitters to come through.

Ingredients: orange juice, sweet tea, orange bitters, top with sparkling water

Recipe: Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa

Crockpot Spicy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Quinoa

4.7 stars
HalfBakedHarvest.com

We made this on the STOVE, and it tasted so much better than I thought it was going to taste! As usual, chipotle in adobo and also fire-roasted tomatoes give recipes like this a great flavor.

Really FAST and EASY for a weekday meal -- took about 30 min with most of the time (20 min) needed for the quinoa to cook.

Ingredients: quinoa, yellow onion, poblano, jalapenos, fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, vegetable broth, cilantro, lime juice and zest, garlic, ground cumin, oregano, Kosher salt, pepper

Serve with: cilantro, mango, avocado, feta, yogurt

Tips/Notes:

• Saute the onion, poblano, jalapens and garlic 
• Use 1/2 the amount of lime juice and zest
• Used cotija instead of feta
• Definitely needs the avocado!
• Could add potatoes and lentils into the soup next time
• The mango was extra and not really needed

Recipe: Vibrant Spring Broccoli Buddha Bowl

Vibrant Spring Broccoli Buddha Bowl

4.7 stars
HalfBakedHarvest.com

This was definitely a "vibrant" Buddha Bowl full of texture and fiber -- with much of the vibrancy coming from the ginger in the dressing.

There are a lot of ingredients, as usual, in a Buddha Bowl. This was easy to make, just took a bit of time to chop and roast and make all of the components. 

Ingredients: quinoa, green lentils, broccoli, sweet potato, purple cabbage, carrots, avocado, blood orange or caracara, lemon, sesame seeds, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Ingredients for Turmeric Ginger Vinaigrette: roasted cashews, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, lemon, turmeric, cayenne, Kosher salt, pepper

Ingredients for serving: sprouts and hemp seeds

Tips/Notes:

• Double the amount of sweet potatoes from 1 to 2
• Used half of a large lemon in both places
• Added sauteed tofu!
• Need more blood oranges as they're very small -- probably 3 instead of 1 for leftovers
• Didn't add sprouts and hemp seeds
• Need to make 2x the amount of dressing
• In the dressing, used 1 garlic clove

Recipe: Asada Mushroom Tacos with Lime Smashed Avocado

Asada Mushroom Tacos with Lime Smashed Avocado

4.9 stars

HalfBakedHarvest.com

Delicious vegetarian tacos -- better than I expected! Loved the pineapple salsa along with the avocado. To get more protein, we served this with a side of seasoned black beans. 

Ingredients: tortillas, portobello mushroom caps, orange juice, garlic, chipotle in adobo, smoked paprika, limes, cilantro, extra virgin olive oil

Salted Lime Avocado Ingredients: avocado, lime, sea salt

Pineapple Salsa Ingredients: pineapple, jalapeno, lime, cilantro, feta or cotija

Tips/Notes:

• Used garlic powder instead of garlic
• Used 1 lime instead of 2 in the marinade
• Sliced avocado instead of making the smashed avocado
• Used serrano instead of jalapeno as jalapenos haven't been hot lately
• Used 1/2 of a lime in the pineapple salsa instead of a whole lime
• GRILL the mushrooms next time -- OR remember to put a rack on the baking sheet under the mushrooms because there is a lot of liquid from the mushrooms and marinade

Recipe: Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice

Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice
4.7 stars
HalfBakedHarvest.com

For a stew of this type (healthy!) this was pretty good. It definitely needed the Greek yogurt to make it creamy and to add another dimension. We served this with falafel on the side.

Ingredients: rice, chickpeas yellow onion, vegetable broth, spinach, cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, garlic, turmeric, red pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Serve with: Greek yogurt, mint

Tips/Notes:

• Didn't add lemon zest but needed to and will next time -- needs the brightness
• Used more baby spinach that it called for
• Used dried parsley
• Didn't add dill
• Didn't add mint for serving
• It was a little bland so added 1/4 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp dried basil and more red pepper

Recipe: Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili (but cooked on stove and made vegetarian)

 

Crockpot Spicy Queso Beef Chili 

HalfBakedHarvest.com

4.9 stars

Really good chili recipe that we made vegetarian. It's similar to the SmokyTofu Chili recipe in flavor but has a higher heat level because of the hot chiles and a slightly different flavor. I wish I could taste them side by side to taste the differences. 

Ingredients: ground beef (but see Impossible Beef and tofu sub below), yellow onions, poblano peppers, crushed fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, diced green chiles, broth, cream cheese, mixed chili beans, hot sauce, butter, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, salt

Toppings: cheddar, cilantro, green onions, avocado, Greek yogurt

Tips:

• Used 1 package of Impossible Beef and 1 block of firm tofu instead of 2 pounds of ground beef
• Used 2 Tbsp of hot sauce instead of 1/3 cup 
• Used unsalted butter + salt instead of salted butter
• Used 2 cups of vegetable broth instead of the "2-3 cups of chicken or beef broth"
• Didn't add in the cream cheese
• Didn't add in the cheddar in the chili -- used as topping instead
• Added 1 can of black beans 
• Serve with Frito dipper chips

Recipe: Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole

Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole
Alton Brown
5 stars

We've been watching old episodes of Good Eats and just watched the one about Ancient Grains. This recipe looked so good that we made it just a few days after watching the show! It doesn't "look" delectable, but it is -- especially if you like broccoli cheese casseroles which it essentially is. As Alton Brown mentions, you could technically eat this every day and be good because it has many nutrients including complete protein from the quinoa.

Ingredients: quinoa, broccoli florets, sharp Cheddar cheese, button or cremini mushrooms, onion, chicken stock, half-and-half, egg, mayo, unsalted butter, dry mustard, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, black pepper, ground white pepper

Tips:

• Used vegetable stock
• Used more broccoli than was called for (over a pound) and could actually add more broccoli as long as it fits in the Pyrex dish
• Definitely put a sheet pan on a rack under this dish in the oven in case it overflows as it was filled to the brim

Recipe: Kahlua Coffee Chocolate Layer Cake

Kahlua Coffee Chocolate Layer Cake

Live, Love & Sugar

4.8 stars

Instead of making this as a layer cake, I decided to make it as a Bundt Cake... something I hadn't made in years. I mean, I don't even own a bundt pan and had to borrow one from a friend!

This cake turned out really great -- super MOIST, and while I wish I personally could taste more of the Kahlua, friends and family said that they could taste it. It does use 1/2 a cup of Kahlua!

I did not make the Kahlua Coffee frosting; instead we topped it with a chocolate ganache.

Ingredients: all purpose flour, sugar, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, Kahlua, vanilla extract, hot coffee

Tips:

• If making this as a Bundt cake, it will need to bake for 87 minutes

Tiramisu

Tiramisu

savorysimple.net/tiramisu

5 stars

I'd never made Tiramisu before -- and it was surprisingly very easy! Authentic Tiramisu uses raw eggs, but this recipe has directions for cooking the yolks over a double boiler (note that it took almost 25 min to get the eggs up to temp vs. 10-15 min noted in the recipe) -- this was the "hardest" part.

For our guests, we eliminated the alcohol and used decaf coffee.

DELICIOUS!!!!

Ingredients: ladyfingers, strong coffee or espresso, rum or brandy or amaretto, egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, granulated sugar, Kosher salt, bittersweet chocolate, Dutch-processes cocoa powder for dusting

Recipe: Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Food & Wine Magazine, Dec 2022/Jan 2023, p. 49

5 stars

The photo above doesn't show the apples because we ran out of apples when I took this photo the second time we made this. Great salad to serve at a dinner party with lots of textures.

Salad Ingredients: spinach, Honeycrisp apples, blueberries, feta cheese, sliced almonds, Kosher salt, black pepper

Warm Maple Dressing Ingredients: avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, honey, smoked paprika, Kosher salt, black pepper

Tips:

• Use half of the balsamic vinegar (tasted too vinegar-y)
• Used crushed marcona almonds and mixed greens since we had them on hand
• Apples do turn brown because of the dressing so put on top when serving

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad with Broccoli

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad with Broccoli

HalfBakedHarvest.com
4.8 stars

Delicious! Tastes like it would be unhealthy but it's much better for you than getting a dish like this in a restaurant. We had this hearty salad along with a Japanese/purple baked potato.

Ingredients: quinoa, chicken, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, blue cheese, avocado, green onion

Buffalo Dressing Ingredients: hot sauce, olive oil, seasoned salt

Tips:

• Used Impossible Chicken Patties for the chicken (cooked in the air fryer so they were crispy!)
• Go light/easy on the seasoned salt

Recipe: Rajas Con Crema

Rajas Con Crema (or Papas Con Rajas)

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2023, p. 20
4.6 stars

Easy weekday dish with pretty nice flavor. Since there isn't any protein in it, we served it with black beans on the side -- plus chips and margaritas!

Ingredients: corn or flour tortillas, Yukon Gold potatoes, poblano chiles, white onion, chicken bouillon paste, crema mexicana or heavy cream and sour cream, lime wedges, garlic, jalapenos, butter, Kosher salt

Tips:

• Used Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste
• Used heavy cream and sour cream

Recipe: Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet

Ravioli and Mushroom Skillet

Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2023, p. 22

4.7 stars

Easy recipe for a weeknight meal, but being a dish that has heavy cream in it, it was a bit rich and well, heavy.

Ingredients: fresh or frozen cheese raviolis, mushrooms, heavy cream, grated parmesan, store-bought fried onions, shallot, garlic, white wine, thyme, lemon zest, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips:

• Cooked ravioli first (boiled) as we were afraid it wouldn't cook thoroughly in the pan
• Added red pepper

Recipe: Roasted Beet-Citrus Sorghum Bowls

Roasted Beet-Citrus Sorghum Bowls

Better Homes & Gardens, Oct 2020, p.124

4.8 stars

Another super delicious bowl recipe! As we were having this for dinner, I thought to myself -- this would be at least $15 at a restaurant. Great texture and flavor.

Ingredients: beets, sorghum, chickpeas, baby arugula, cucumber, avocado, lemon, orange, mayonnaise, sour cream, feta, garlic, olive oil, thyme

Tips:

• Used farro instead of sorghum
• Thawed frozen beets we had already and roasted them
• Put the roasted garlic in the dressing
• Add pepper to the dressing

Recipe: Salad Ramen

Salad Ramen

Bon Appetit Magazine, Jun/Jul 2020, p. 27

4.6 stars

EASY, tasty weeknight meal. The only reason I gave this 4.6 stars and not higher was because the sauce was more on the acidic side -- need to reduce the lime juice. It also needed another flavor like sriracha.

Ingredients: ramen noodles, seasoned rice vinegar, red pepper flakes/Aleppo-style, toasted sesame oil, extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, Kosher salt

Vegetable Ingredients (not limited to the following shredded/shaved): radishes, carrots, scallions, cabbage, lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers

Tips:

• Add seared tofu
• Add sriracha at the table to taste
• Serve with spring rolls or gyoza

Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Romesco

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Romesco

MinimalistBaker.com

4.9 stars

This was YUMMY and so easy to make! I almost gave this 5 stars. There's so much flavor and texture in these tacos -- beats almost any other vegetarian taco I've had!

Cauliflower Ingredients: cauliflower, oil, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, sea salt

Sauce Ingredients: fire-roasted tomatoes, almonds, chipotle in adobo, garlic, lime, smoked paprika, cumin, sea salt, maple syrup, olive oil

For Serving: tortillas, cilantro, red cabbage, pepitas, avocado, lime

Tips:

• Used roasted almonds instead of raw almonds to save time
• Didn't add in the 1-2 raw garlic cloves into the sauce
• Preferred flour tortillas to corn tortillas
• Used the pepitas from a Chick-fil-a salad (had extra packets) that I had in the pantry
• If using just 1 head of cauliflower, make half the sauce as there was a lot of sauce left over

Recipe: Quinoa Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Tuscan Kale

Quinoa Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Tuscan Kale

Food & Wine Magazine, Feb 2017, p. 91

4.8 stars

Super healthy and tasty -- you don't even really miss the "meat" in these meatless meatballs. Note: This did take a bit of time to make so it's not a quick weekday dinner meal

Pilaf Ingredients: quinoa, onion, basil, parsley, scallion, dill, dry white wine, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt

Quinoa Meatball Ingredients: eggs, semolina, whole milk, fine dried breadcrumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, Parmigiano-Reggiano, extra-virgin olive oil, baking spray, Kosher salt, pepper

Tomato Sauce Ingredients: canned whole tomatoes, kale, onion, garlic, dry white wine, oregano, red pepper, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, pepper

Tips

• Left out scallion and dill
• Used cornmeal instead of semolina

Recipe: Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

Bon Appetit Magazine, Mar 2023
5 stars

A delicious and easy meatless lasagna recipe. Loved this so much! It tastes rich because of the heavy cream and cream cheese. FYI - It's so interesting how this lasagna doesn't use any mozzarella, and it doesn't need it!

Ingredients: lasagna noodles, 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, frozen spinach, whole-milk ricotta, cream cheese, heavy cream,  Parmesan, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, ground pepper

Tips:

• The grocery store was out of frozen spinach so we cooked down some fresh spinach
• Added in basil and oregano
• The ingredients/contents filled up our Pyrex dish completely so don't add anything to this dish!
• Place the Pyrex on a sheet tray as it almost bubbled over
• It looks watery but the noodles will soak up the liquid
• Had to bake it for an hour, not 45 min.