Pizza Bagels

Happy Friday!

I am so excited about this weekend.  It is Memorial Day weekend so that means no school on Monday AND I am going to Madison with my family.  I can't wait to see all my Madison friends and my bestie, Tamara, and I are running the Madison Half Marathon on Sunday.  This will be Tamara's first half and I could not be more excited to be sharing the experience with her.  This race was my first half three years ago!  It is a great race and I am super duper pumped about it.  The weather doesn't look so great, but that won't even matter because we are going to have so much fun together!

More exciting news: Brian is DONE with law school!  He has accomplished so much and I am so excited and proud.  I know he has worked so hard.  Now he has to study for the BAR exam, but at least he doesn't have any more finals!  We went to Hamburger Mary's in Andersonville last night to celebrate.  This was the place we went after his first day of law school orientation so it seemed appropriate to end here as well.  The food is great (Bri loves their veggie burger) and they brew their own beer.  It is an adorable restaurant and we always love it there.  Plus, Andersonville is a great place to just wander around to check out shops or other restaurants.

Now, I am just counting down the minutes until the end of the school day.  I can't wait to get on the road and head up to Wisconsin!  To celebrate even more, I am sharing this recipe for pizza bagels.  At my wedding shower, the hostesses gave me a cookbook with recipes from all of the people who were invited.  Bri's mom shared a recipe for pizza bagels and so I decided to make them for him! I had to adapt the recipe based on what I had in the kitchen, but they came up super yummy!  I kept thinking that this is the perfect recipe to make for my future children :)

Pizza Bagels

Ingredients:15-20 mini bagels, sliced
6 oz of tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3-4 egg whites, cooked and chopped
pepper and garlic powder, to taste
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Turn oven broiler on high and make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.
2. In a bowl, combine the tomato paste with the chopped onion, red pepper, and egg whites.  Season with pepper and garlic powder and stir to combine.  Pour half of the shredded cheese in and stir to combine.
3. Place bagel halves on a greased baking sheet.  Spread a little tomato mixture over each half and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.  Place in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly (about 4-5 minutes).

Enjoy :)

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Is it summer yet?  I feel like I am just trudging my way towards summer. I swear each school day is a little longer than the previous one.  Any other teachers out there feel me?  I know you do because this facebook link keeps getting shared:


Now, don't get me wrong, I love my job and I love my students and I love my fellow teachers.  I just am also super freaking excited for this summer.  I have a pretty big summer ahead of me and with my first wedding shower (there are 3) this weekend, I just can't focus on anything else.

The weather is also (finally) getting nicer and that makes it extra hard to focus.  The longer days and warmer weather are making me so much happier.  I have also been cooking more because when it is lighter out I just feel less tired.  This lasagna happened because of one of those nights.

You are going to love this.  You roast a TON of vegetables and then you layer them with some pasta and a TON of cheese.  Then you bake it and someone it magically becomes a crazy good lasagna.  Even the vegetable haters out there are going to love this!  I was inspired by How Sweet It Is and then I just used my own vegetables and cheese and had way too much fun with it.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

8 oz sliced portobello mushrooms
10 oz broccoli florets
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered
1 pint red grape or cherry tomatoes
1 pint yellow grape or cherry tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups light ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1 burrata ball
1 8 oz container of pearl mozzarella balls
1 8 oz container shaved parmesan cheese
8 oz smoked provolone cheese, shredded
1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce (your favorite)
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

Directions:
1. Line 3 pans with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425.
2. Place mushrooms, broccoli, onion, pepper, and zucchini into a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste).  Spread out the veggies onto two pans.
3. Place all the tomatoes in a bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Spread these guys out on the third pan.
4. Place the pans in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes.  Take out from oven.
5. While the veggies are roasting, in a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with half the parmesan, half the provolone, and the basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
6. In a 13 by 9 inch pan, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce.  Place three long lasagna noodles on this.  Spread some ricotta mixture on top and then sprinkle a few mozzarella pearls.  Then, take about 1/3 of the veggies and sprinkle on top.  Drizzle with marinara sauce, and in a few roasted tomatoes, and then shred about 1/3 of the burrata ball and sprinkle over the top.  Place more lasagna noodles over this and repeat with two more layers.  For the final layer, drizzle some marinara sauce on top and then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and provolone.  Also add the remaining tomatoes on top.
7. Reduce the heat of the oven to 400 and bake the lasagna for 45 minutes.  Let sit for about 30-60 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Vegetarian Paella

I decided to take a blog-cation.  I'm not sure that is a real thing, but I am officially making it a thing.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed with how much I have going on in my life and I just couldn't keep up.  It happens.  All the stuff is really good and I totally kept cooking up a storm, but I just didn't feel like writing.  However, I am pretty pumped to tell you about this Vegetarian Paella:

Here is a quick re-cap on all the good stuff that is keeping me occupied.  First, school is busy.  I am teaching the AP Calc and Precalc groups right now, so I have a lot to plan for.  I have never taught these classes before this year and so I need more time to plan and prepare myself.  Plus, this math stuff can be really difficult!  I give these kids a lot of credit because they are learning some tough stuff and doing a really nice job! Then, I also have cheer practice or basketball games after school.  On Saturday, we attended a college basketball game and talked to the cheer team there.  It was really fun and the girls had a great time meeting the college cheerleaders.  We are also getting ready for a winter pep rally and that means lots of practice.  On top of all that, I also had a meeting on Monday with the park district to start preparing for my summer job.  Summer seems really far away, but now is the time that we start planning/hiring for summer camp.  Finally, Bri and I have been doing a lot of house shopping.  We think we found our condo and are getting ready to make an offer!  And, all of this is in addition to wedding planning and marathon training.  Jeez!  

So, needless to say, I just have a lot on my plate.  

I also found out that next year I will be teaching 12th grade.  For any of you who keep up with my life, I am currently teaching 11th grade and this means I will be teaching the same kiddos next year! I am turning into Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World!  This is just awesome since Mr. Feeny is the best! 

How can you not love that guy???  

Well, now that you are all mostly updated on my whirlwind life, here is a fabulous recipe for Vegetarian Paella.  I made this on a weeknight, which means that it takes like no time, and it was crazy yummy.  Please make this and enjoy!

Vegetarian Paella

(adapted from The Kitchn)

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

1/4 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp paprika

5-6 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 red peppers, sliced

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tbsp hot paprika

1 cup green beans, trimmed and halved

1 can artichoke heart quarters, drained and roughly chopped

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the brown rice, and boil for 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2. In another pot, bring the broth to a simmer.

3. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet and saute the onions until translucent.  Add in the peppers and garlic and cook until the peppers soften.  Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tumeric, paprika, hot paprika, and season with salt and pepper (to taste). Let this simmer for 5 minutes

4.  Fold in the green beans, artichoke hearts, chickpeas and cooked rice.  Ladel the warm broth into the mixture until the rice is almost covered.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in the frozen peas and let simmer for 5 more minutes.  Then, serve! 

Enjoy :)

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Remember that time I made Homemade Pretzel Rolls?  Well, then I made some seriously awesome sandwiches with said rolls.  This is their story:

Bri and I love food.  Bri is a vegetarian.  I am trying to eat a little healthier and I've been trying out all sorts of fun veggie-filled recipes.  Then, I came across this recipe and I was like "OMG I HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"

So that's how these Veggie Sandwiches came to be.  I had one for lunch at school and made everyone a little jealous.  Now I am just drooling thinking about them.  

School has been pretty great lately.  My students did a fantastic job on their last quiz and I am excited by how well they are doing overall!  We are in the middle of a unit on solving systems of equations, inequalities, and matrices.  It's pretty fun.  My cheer-girls are also awesome.  They had their first pep rally on Friday and it was a total success.  They did this amazing cheer, dance, and stunt and it was so cool to see them looking so happy and doing such a great job.  I am coming up with a new dance for them and I am also working on incorporating some fun math activities for my students.  I'll keep you all posted! 

Veggie Sandwiches on Homemade Pretzel Rolls

Ingredients:

2 portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 red pepper, sliced

1 orange pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

1 avocado, sliced

Goat Cheese Spread:

8 oz goat cheese

1 bulb of garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper

Red Pepper Sauce:

1/2 cup roasted red peppers

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tbsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:
1. You need to roast the whole bulb of garlic for the goat cheese spread.  Cut off the base of the bulb so that the cloves are visible.  Place this on a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil.  Wrap in the tinfoil and place in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.  Once done, you should be able to squeeze the roasted garlic cloves right out of the bulb.
2. Make the roasted red pepper sauce: In a food processor, place all the ingredients except for the olive oil and salt/pepper.  Process until you have a smooth sauce then continue to process as you add in the olive oil.  Stir in the salt and pepper to your taste.  Set aside.
3. Wrap the sliced portabellas in tinfoil with the 1 minced garlic clove for the sandwiches and 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Place foil packet in a small pan over the stove and heat over warm until the mushrooms are cooked, about 5-10 minutes.  
4. Wrap the sliced peppers and onion in a packet of tinfoil: Place all the veggies on the tinfoil and then sprinkle with 2 tbsp of olive oil, the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, some salt and pepper and paprika.  Wrap the veggies up and place in a pan over the stove.  Heat on warm until veggies become translucent, about 10-15 minutes.  

5.  Once veggies are done, remove from heat.
6. Make the goat cheese spread, once your garlic bulb is roasted, squeeze the cloves out into a food processor with the goat cheese, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Process with adding in the 2 tbsp of olive oil until you have a nice spread.  Use a spatula to get the goat cheese into a bowl.  (I ended up with a lot of extra of this stuff so place it in a container so you can put it in the fridge when you are done.)
7.  Assemble the sandwiches!  Spread some goat cheese on one piece of bun and some red pepper sauce on the other piece.  Place some peppers and mushrooms over the goat cheese and then top with a slice of avocado.

Enjoy :)

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

I love meals that are super easy and super delicious.  This is definitely one of those.  All you do is throw a bunch of stuff into a pot, let it get warm, and then enjoy!  Now that the weather is getting colder, this is the perfect type of meal to come home to.  

In other news, I'm a cheer coach at my school and this is the first year we have a cheer team.  Almost none of the girls had any prior experience and we just had our first game!  It was so exciting to see them out there cheering and they did a really great job.  I love that I became involved in this and I can't wait for more games.  This Friday we have a pep rally and the girl's are performing a cheer and a dance.  They're pretty nervous, but they are looking so great!  They have worked really hard and it is exciting to see them become so invested in something.  Today we have a practice and then a dinner where we are going to hang out about make some cheer bows!  It's gonna be awesome.  

So, although tonight I am having pizza with my cheerleaders, I still wanted to share this great chili recipe that I made recently.  Then, I can't wait to share how the bow-making goes and how the pep rally goes tomorrow!  The chili recipe is totally relevant because now that cheer is taking over my afternoons, I ahve less time to cook when I get home!  This chili recipe is going to be making quite a few appearances in our apartment in the near future...

3 Bean Vegetarian Chili

(adapted from Cait's Plate)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 red peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup water

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp southwest chipotle powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo, drained and rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

Toppings: Crumbled Goat Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, heat olive oil.  Add in the peppers and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add in the rest of the ingredients.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  

2. Serve with whatever toppings you want.

Enjoy :)

Southwest Salad

Camp training is off to a great start.  We got to move into the schools yesterday and start decorating.  I'm really excited to see what this summer has in store!  

In general, this week has been really great.  Bri and I were in the Wicker Park area a few days ago and we decided to check out Mindy's Hot Chocolate for a special dessert.  Now, I know I'm trying to avoid desserts, but we had a special occasion to celebrate so I figured it didn't really count...that works right?  This place is super cute.  The atmosphere is great and although we didn't eat dinner there, the food that came out of that kitchen looked fantastic.  And then the desserts, wow.  I mean, we split a Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart and a Chai Hot Chocolate and both were just fantastic.  They even have these amazing homemade marshmallows!  If you are ever in the area, you gotta stop by.  

Chai Hot Chocolate 

I'm pretty excited to eat this for lunch today.  I have this goal of eating healthier this summer by watching my portions and avoiding desserts.  This salad was the springboard for the whole plan.  This salad is super delicious, full of nutrients, and it fills me up.  I found some Chili Spiced Chicken Breast at the grocery store which really inspired me to make a southwest style salad.  So here you go! 

Southwest Salad with Skinny Buttermilk Avocado Dressing

Southwest Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup whole kernel corn

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 Chili Chicken Breast, chopped

2 tbsp Skinny Buttermilk Avocado Dressing

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together and then toss with the dressing.  You can use any kind of chicken that you want and any kind of dressing, but this combination is really great! 

Quinoa Salad with Corn, Tomatoes and Red Pepper

Let the countdown begin! There are only 9 more days of teaching and 3 days of finals until the end of the school year! I can't believe I am at the end of year 2!  I have gained so much confidence and experience in these past two years and I can't wait to embark on year 3. But first, summer!

This is a great, light summer recipe.  Quinoa recipes are awesome becasue you know they are a little healthier and gluten-free!  I have quite a few friends who can't have gluten and so this is the perfect recipe for a picnic or BBQ with them!  I was inspired by a recipe from Fitness Magazine.  This site comes up with great ideas for lighter recipes and with summer right around the corner I know these kinds of recipes are on my mind.  I am eating healthier because I am going to start wedding dress shopping soon! 

Quinoa Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Red Pepper

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijion mustard
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups corn kernels
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, dijion mustard, and vinegar.  Whisk in the salt, pepper, chopped shallot, and minced garlic.
2. Place quinoa and 3 cups water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cover.  Let simmer for 20 minutes and then use a fork to fluff the quinoa.  Place cooked qunioa in a large bowl.
3.  Add the pepper, corn, and grape tomatoes to the quinoa and toss to combine.  Pour in about half of the dressing and toss.  Add more dressing as needed.  Let the mixture chill in the fridge.

Enjoy :)

White Bean Verde Enchiladas

Today is one of my bestie's birthday!!! Happy birthday, Caryn!  To celebrate, we are going to dinner at this fun BYOB Mexican restaurant and then were probably gonna end up doing Karaoke after! I am so excited to celebrate with her and I even made a special birthday dessert!  I can't tell you about that because it is a surprise, but here's what I had going on in the kitchen last night:

Friday night cake baking :)

Last night was pretty chill and it was amazing! I baked, had a glass of wine, and whipped this yummy concoction up for dinner!  I mashed up an avocado with a few squirts of lime juice and some salt and pepper.  Then, I cooked a couple eggs to perfection and put everything on top of some toasted whole wheat toast.  Finally, a few dashes of Frank's Hot Sauce and I was ready for one amazing meal.  It was super simple and I know everyone really into this "toasts" craze.  This is a great recipe to try! 

Avocado Toast with an Over-Easy Egg

Finally, in honor of my excursion to a BYOP Mexican place, I am sharing with you a yummy Enchilada recipe! I am a huge fan of Enchiladas. We make them all the time over here.  This recipe was really easy, totally vegetarian, and super yummy.  Since I am in the mood for some Mexican food, I figured this was the perfect thing to share! 

White Bean Verde Enchiladas

Ingredients:8 large corn or flour tortillas

1 can verde enchilada sauce

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of your favorite guacamole

1 red pepper, sliced

1 cup shredded, light Mexican blend cheese

1 cup non-fat, greek yogurt (I love Chobani :))

2 tsp lime juice 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and pour some verde enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan.

2. Dip each tortilla in the sauce so that it is mostly covered, then spread some beans, guacamole, a few pepper slices, and a sprinkle of cheese down the middle of the tortilla.  Wrap the tortilla and place seam down in the pan.  Repeat with all of your tortillas and filling ingredients.

3. Pour the rest of the verde enchilada sauce over the finished enchiladas and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. 

4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with a little greek yogurt and lime juice.

Enjoy :)

Vegetable Fajitas

Well, I just enjoyed some good ol' TGIT time with Grey's and Scandal.  I don't want to give anything away, but I am a little bit in shock...which is basically how I feel at the end of every Thursday after watching these shows.  I am also pretty pumped that tomorrow is FRIDAY.  And I can finally sleep in and enjoy some relaxation after a LONG week of school.

I am so excited to tell you about another great weeknight meal I have cooked up!  This recipe is so simple and you can make it with whatever you have in the kitchen.  It is a great recipe when you don't have a ton of time, but you want something delicious and healthy.

One of our favorite places to go to is Garcia's in the Lincoln Square area.  It is super yummy, they have great margaritas, and it is super reasonable.  Plus, you end up with leftovers for days.  One of my favorite dishes there is there Vegetarian Fajitas.  They throw in a ton of different vegetables and it is unpredictable every time!

Today, I was at school all day, took an hour train home, ran 4.5 miles and then just about crashed into the couch because I was tired, and I had to watch Grey's Anatomy and Scandal (of course).  Homemade Vegetable Fajitas were easy, quick, and absolutely perfect for dinner!

Vegetable Fajitas

Ingredients:
About 3 cups of vegetables
Here is what I used:
Squash, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Onions, Whole Kernel Corn and Red Peppers
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
pinch cayenne
olive oil
salt and pepper
corn or flour tortillas
Toppings:
Guacamole
Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt
Salsa
Shredded Cheese

Directions:
1. Chop vegetables and heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add in the onions and garlic first and cook until the onions become translucent.  Add in the rest of the veggies and the seasonings and cook until they also become soft and translucent.
3. Create your fajitas with your tortillas and any toppings you want.

Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

I love when I get to cook on Sundays.  Today has been a particularly productive day for me.  I had breakfast, did my lesson plans for the whole week, finished a project for one of my graduate school classes, did my favorite Jillian Michaels video (No More Trouble Zones), and made this casserole! All before noon!

This casserole is so simple and super yummy.  I was inspired by the recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod which is one of my favorite blogs.  I love that this all ends up in one big bowl and then you just bake it! I adapted the recipe a bit because I wanted to incorporate some other ingredients (I had to clean out my fridge a little!) and it turned out great! Plus, now I have enough leftovers for a few lunches this week!

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, pre-rinsed
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 15 oz can low-sodium black beans, rinsed
1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, rinsed
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup packed baby spinach
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chile powder
salt and pepper
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 cups low-fat shredded mexican cheese
1 green onion, chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place olive oil in a large sauté pan with the garlic and onion.  Let cook for 5 minutes and add in the pepper and tomatoes. Sauté another 5 minutes and add in lime juice, cilantro, cumin, chile powder, and salt and pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Place in large bowl.
3.  Add beans and corn to bowl along with the cooked quinoa.  Stir to combine.  Stir in the enchilada sauce and half the cheese.

4. Pour into a greased 13 by 9 inch pan and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.  Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with green onions and serve with sour cream if you want.

Enjoy :)

Easy Quesadillas

I have a day off of school today due to the extremely cold temperatures!  It is currently -15 degrees where my apartment is and since school is so far north, it is -17 up there!  Jeez!  It is really really cold and so I am planning on staying in, cooking up some comforting Healthy Mac and Cheese, and watching a movie!

I am also going to get an extra head start on more of my schoolwork since I want to be prepared for the next four days as well as the week after.  Finals are coming up and I want to make sure that I am ready with plenty of review activities so that I can help my students be as successful as they can be!

Today, I wanted to share another good "Cold Day" recipe.  It is easy, uses ingredients that you just have lying around, and is delicious.  I love a good clean-out-the-fridge recipe that is also comforting and yummy!

Easy Quesadillas

Ingredients:
medium whole wheat tortillas
light cheddar cheese (or your favorite)
pepperjack (this is the only must-have, it makes them so good)
sliced vegetables (I used red peppers)
avocado, sliced

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place tortilla on skillet for a few seconds and then cover half with some cheese, then peppers and avocado slices, and then more cheese.  Take empty half of the tortilla and fold it over to cover the other side.  Let it heat up for about 2-3 minutes and then flip the quesadilla and continue to warm for a few more minutes.  The cheese should melt and the quesadilla should stick together.
Serve with salsa or sour cream if you want!

Enjoy :)

Benny's all set for this crazy cold day :)

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Oh hey there! It's only been three weeks since my last post.  I just can't find enough time to get everything that I want to do done!  Teaching is crazy since it is so hard and exhausting, but I am also loving it.  This is definitely the profession for me because while I feel tired and overwhelmed, I also feel happy.  However, it also means very little time for anything else!  I'm pretty sure Bri is starting to feel similarly since he just started law school.  I'm pretty sure we are in for a really tough year, but we are also doing what we have always wanted to and that makes it exciting!

I have been cooking (a girl's gotta eat) I just haven't had time to share it all!  I seriously have about 15 "drafts" with recipes that I made that are just waiting to become a post.  Well, here's one!  I am a huge fan of stuffed peppers because I think they are super yummy and you can make them in crock pot!  This recipe took some of my favorite flavors and turned it into a really yummy dinner that did not take that much time or work!  This is wonderful since I don't have much time! I just threw this together on morning and then we had amazing peppers for the week!  They stay well if you keep them in the fridge and they are quite delicious.

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers 
(adapted fro Avocado Pesto)

Ingredients:
5 or 6 red peppers (good stuffing ones), tops removed and seeds taken out
1 cup quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. portabella mushrooms (sliced)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
handful of fresh basil
1-2 tbsp dry white wine
salt and pepper
shredded cheese (your favorite, I used cheddar)

Directions:
1. In a medium pot, warm 1 tbsb olive oil over medium heat.  Cook garlic until aromatic.  Add in quinoa and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water and increase heat until boiling.  Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked.
2. In a pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat, add in sliced peppers and cook until translucent and soft.  Place in a bowl.  To the same pan, add the mushrooms and cook until soft and fragrant.  Place into the same bowl with the peppers.
3.  When the quinoa is done, add to the mushroom and pepper bowl.  Combine with the feta, basil, wine and salt and pepper.  Toss to combined.
4. In your crock pot, place the peppers.  Stuff the peppers with your quinoa mixture.  Top with the shredded cheddar and let cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust and Yummy Pizza Ideas

It's another Monday! That means its back to camp.  This week's theme is Reality TV and today is all about Top Chef! We are playing a bunch of food related camp games and competitions and I am excited!

After camp, I am going to get in a run and then I have Monday Night Pilates with Al Pal!  This is my little nickname for my friend Alyson who just turned 21!  I celebrated with her this weekend downtown and it was such a fun time! We went to Navy Pier to eat at Harry Carry's and watch the fireworks off the Pier.  It was a beautiful night! Afterwards, we waited until midnight and then Alyson got to have her first legal drink! We stayed overnight at this great Sheraton in the area and it was just great!  Happy Birthday Al Pal!

Today I have a yummy pizza crust recipe to share.  I made these pizzas for the 4th of July potluck my friends and I put together before the fireworks in our hometown.  I used whole wheat flour for this crust, but you can do any mix of all purpose and whole wheat.  After I made the crust, I decided on two different pizzas: Spinach, Red Pepper, and Feta and Carmelized Onion  Honey  and Goat Cheese.  Both were amazing!

Whole Wheat Pizzas

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups water

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, salt and yeast together.  With the mixer on, slowly pour in the water and mix until the dough just comes together.  Form the dough into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, and place in a dry spot.  I put mine in the turned-off oven. Let rise for 18-24 hours.  I just do this part the night before I want to make my dinner.
2.  When you are ready to make the pizza.  Dust a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet with cornmeal.  Take half your dough and stretch it out to form the crust.  Place on the cornmeal, top with your pizza toppings and bake at 500 for about 8-10 minutes or until crust begins to brown.

Enjoy :)

Veggie Pasta with Red Peppers and a Cheesy Avocado Sauce

I can't believe they did it again! The Hawks won the Stanley Cup! I have a great evening last night where a bunch of my girl friends came over and we watched the game.  We were all pretty into it and got super nervous right at the end.  It was a lot of fun, I provided tons of snacks, and I even baked some awesome cookies (get excited for that recipe post).   It was a fun night and now I am way too tired for camp, but also very happy that my hockey team won!

I will be sharing that new cookie recipe soon, but first I wanted to talk about a new find of mine:   Barilla Veggie Pasta.  I made this pasta, tossed it with smashed avocado, pepperjack cheese, a splash of lemon and other veggies and I had one amazing meal.  Plus, the pasta has a whole serving of vegetables in it! This was one of my last meals in Madison with Bri because we needed to clean out my fridge.  What seemed like a random assortment of ingredients turned into a really yummy pasta dish.  Seriously, this dinner is so easy and so tasty!

Veggie Pasta with Red Peppers and Cheesy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Box Barilla Veggie Pasta
1  avocado
1 red pepper, sliced
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a blend of pepperjack and cheddar)
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Make pasta according to directions until al dente, drain and place back in pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, peel the avocado and place it in a bowl with the lemon juice and cheese.  Mash every thing together.
3. In a small pan, saute the red pepper slices with a little olive oil until translucent.
4. Mix the avocado mixture and red pepper slices into the hot, drained pasta.  The cheesy will become melted and the avocado should coat the pasta.

Enjoy :)

Vegetarian Quesidillas

Back to camp! I am starting yet another summer as a site director at a day camp in my home town and I am pretty pumped about it! This week we have camp training and I am excited to see all my counselors and get ready for the summer.  Plus, it will be a nice week of getting back into the swing of things after a great last week at school.  

I have been doing a lot of work for camp, catching up with my friends from home (MNL!!!!) and looking into recipes that I want to make this summer! So far, I have been too tired/lazy to do much, but I promise some great things are on the way!

Bri and I have gotten into making quesadillas and these were really yummy! Quesadillas are a great way to use up leftover veggies or try a new kind of cheese.  Since we are both pretty big fans of both, this was an awesome dinner.  

Vegetarian Quesadillas

Ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas

4 green onions, chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 avocado, sliced

cheese (we used a mix of pepper-jack and mexican blend)

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and place tortilla in skillet.  Sprinkle cheese on one half of the tortilla and top with the onions, avocado, and peppers.
2.  Let cook until cheese starts to melt, about 3 minutes, then fold over and flip and let cook for another 4 minutes.  Serve with salsa and maybe even some chips or sour cream!
Enjoy :)

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

I keep getting so behind on all my fun recipes! I have been cooking a lot now that it is the summer and the chef who typically brings food during the year is on break! However, I am still here and I gotta eat! So I have been having a good time inventing yummy lunches and dinners to have during and after school.  This was one of my fun ideas.  I had a ton of leftover Lightened Up Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip.  So, I sautéed some peppers, made some pasta, and had a lovely meal!

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

Ingredients:
8 oz whole wheat angel hair pasta
1/2 cup Lightened Up Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Make pasta and Spinach and Artichoke Dip according to directions.
2. In a small pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute pepper slices until lightened in color and translucent.
3. Drain pasta and place back in bowl.  Stir in dip and peppers.

Enjoy :)

Farmer's Market Veggie Burgers with Chipotle Avocado Sauce

I have another great Kosher for Passover recipe and it's vegetarian! Bri and I recently went to the Soulard Farmers Market and we got: sweet potatoes, spinach, red peppers, onions, avocados, and a chipotle spice mix.  We then, made some Homemade Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with a Chipotle Avocado Cream Sauce.  This was some delicious food and to keep the veggie burgers together we used a little quinoa and eggs.  Everything is Gluten Free and everything is healthy! It was an amazing meal and definitely a great option for your vegetarians on Passover!

I am also on Spring Break and so in between Passover Seders and getting some much needed sleep, I'm doing a lot of running, cooking, and applying for jobs.  So relaxing? It's a tad stressful, but I'm glad I have all this time to get some applications complete.  Anyone hiring teachers in the Chicago-land area?  I'm pretty good...and I make a mean veggie burger!

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
For the Burgers:
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 red peppers, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp chile power
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the Avocado Sauce:
3 small avocados, peeled and sliced
1 packaged chipotle spice seasoning (about 2 tbsp)
1 cup non-fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1/2 fresh lime juice

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa according to directions and set aside.
2. Place sweet potato slices in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 7 minutes or until you can pierce the pieces with a fork.  Smash sweet potatoes with a fork.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan.  Place in minced garlic and onion.  Sautee until onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add in red pepper and wine.  Let cook until wine mostly evaporates, about 10 minutes.  Add in spinach and stir until wilted.  Season with salt, pepper and chile powder.
4.  Stir the sweet potato with the veggie mixture.  Add in the cooked quinoa and stir to combined. Stir in the eggs until mixture is well combined.
5.  In a non-stick skillet, form veggie burgers and cook for about 4 minutes on each side.  Burgers will be lightly browned and should stay together when flipped.
6. To make the sauce, puree the avocado in a food processor until creamy.  Stir in greek yogurt and spices.  Stir in the lime juice and serve with the burgers.

Enjoy :)

Spring Break! St. Louis Adventures

It's Spring Break! I am finally off on Spring Break and I couldn't be more ready to relax.  I left for St. Louis on Friday and I have been having an amazing weekend.  Of course, I kept up with my running and this week officially starts the beginning of my 10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule! I even got in a 7.5 mile run through beautiful Forest Park before St. Louis got hit with a crazy snowstorm! But anyways...

Friday was great because I got to just chill with Bri before heading off to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with a bunch of his friends.  After, we hit up FroYo for some great dessert.  I know you must think I am crazy for skipping the cheesecake for froyo, but I just can't handle a dessert that rich.  I know I'm lame, but I wanted to do something light and healthy.  Maybe next time I will splurge a little.

On Saturday, after my 7.5 mile run, Bri and I got ready to head out and check out the Soulard Farmers Market.  It was a ton of fun.  We had yummy mini donuts, bought a ton of produce to make dinner and dessert (more on that later) and then found a great place for lunch!

We had lunch at Blues City Deli.  This was great because they had awesome vegetarian options (I got the Cheese Po Boy and it was amazing) and we heard some great live music! After lunch it was off for a few groceries to complete our dinner.  We planned on Homemade Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with a Spicy Chipotle Avocado Sauce and Zucchini Bread for dessert.

Dinner was a hit.  We had a ton of food leftover for Sunday night dinner and then some! Plus, it was so cheap with all those veggies from the farmers market! After dinner, we got ready to go out and check out a great bar in the area with a bunch of friends.

We went to the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium.  It was right by Busch Stadium and had a crazy huge selection of beer as well as wine and other drinks! I got to try two new ciders and both were great.  Then, of course, I got super tired and we came home.

Sunday turned out to be quite snowy.  I woke up and did a little work out in the apartment, and then Bri and I went to Jilly's Cupcake Bar and Cafe for an amazing brunch! It was $15 dollars a person and it included drinks, an all-you-can-eat buffet and a dessert bar.  Oh my it was awesome.  The food was great (definitely get the scrambled eggs and 6-cheese macaroni) and then dessert was fantastic.  They even had a make-your-own cupcake table.  We left pleasantly stuffed and headed home for a cozy "snowed in" Sunday filled with movies and leftovers.

Now, it's time for me to head home for a nice week off from school! Happy Spring Break!

Foodie Friends Friday: "Green Foods" for St. Patrick's Day

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back with Eco Natural Soaps!  This week you can win from our sponsor, Alicia, at Eco Natural Soap.  Alicia is giving away 5 items ($29.95 retail value!).  Winners may select two bars of bath & body soap, one Dry Skin Balm, one Lip Balm, and a Cuticle Relief Balm!  This is a great giveaway! Just follow the rules and link up your green recipes! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up Cream of Asparagus Soup, Green Veggie Risotto, and Green Bean Almondine.

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