Best Beet Salad

I love beets and I have loved them for a really long time. There is something about their abilities to taste wild and earthy while being versatile enough to handle all of the cooking methods like pickling, boiling, roasting, sautéing, or raw that really draws me in!

In fact, my most favorite kind of hummus is HUMM! Roasted Beet hummus (which you should try if you like beets too). I was eating this hummus while creating the Best Beet Salad recipe. 

Its a BEET you should seriously try because IT'S A HIT. (I couldn't help myself.)

Best Beet Salad

1/2 cup of brown rice

1 1/4 cup veggie broth

4 medium sized beets, cut in to half inch chunks

1/2 tsp Monteal steak seasoning

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup diced cheese, like fontanella

Dressing:

2 tbsp minced, fresh dill

1 tsp whole grain mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Start the rice by lightly toasting the rice in 1 tbsp olive oil, in a small sauce pan. Add the veggie broth, turn the burner to medium low, and cover with a lid. Follow package directions, but mine cooked about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and toss on the beets. Lightly spray them with cooking spray as well and sprinkle with the Montreal steak seasoning. Bake for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Mix the dill, mustard, lemon, 3 tbsp olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

Add the tomatoes, warm rice, warm beets, and cheese chunks to the dressing and toss together.

Serve warm or cold! So yummy!

xoxo Sam

Side Stuffed Peppers

I love going to Mexican restaurants. They have some of my favorite things- fresh salsa, tortilla chips, melty cheese, and margaritas. YUM!

I currently live in a part of the city with no Mexican restaurants nearby, so unless I want to have some margs and stumble back to my house on public transit, I have to make Mexican food at home. 

One of my favorite side kicks to a taco or burrito is refried beans with melty cheese on top! So in the spirit of light but hardy wintertime foods, Side Stuffed Peppers were born.

Side Stuffed Peppers

1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/4 cup veggie broth
3 medium sized green peppers, cut in half, seeds/ stems removed
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 can vegetarian refried beans
3 slices of cheese (like provolone or cheddar)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Start the rice by lightly toasting the rice in 1 tbsp olive oil, in a small sauce pan. Add the veggie broth, turn the burner to medium low, and cover with a lid. Follow package directions, but mine cooked about 30 minutes.
Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the 6 pepper halves inside. Lightly spray them with cooking spray as well and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake for 20 minutes.
In another small sauce pan, soften the onion and garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the taco seasoning, smoked paprika, and refried beans. Stir until warmed through.
Remove the pepper halves from the oven. Add about 1 tbsp of cooked rice to the bottom of each pepper. Add about 1.5 tbsp of refried beans on top of the rice. Top with 1/2 slice of cheese.
Bake for 5 more minutes. Then place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly.
Serve with your favorite taco toppings, like chopped tomatoes and guacamole. (I bought guacamole instead of making it because I didn't feel like making it- thanks Whole Foods.)

xoxo Sam

Apple Walnut Custards

Happy New Year, friends!!

If you know me, you know that I always have a random apple hanging around, slowly dying on my food shelf. So I wanted to make something that wouldn't scare away the New Year's Resolutioners and wouldn't turn away the peeps out there that also just don't give AF.

Here's a sweet thing that isn't really a sweet thing, its kind of just a lovely custard surprise.

Apple Walnut Custards

3.5 very ripe bananas
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon + extra to sprinkle
1 tbsp ground flax
1 large apple, washed well and diced small, microwaved for 1 minute
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups well.
In a blender, mix the bananas, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and ground flax until smooth.
Evenly distribute the diced apple and walnuts in each muffin cup. Sprinkle with a small amount of cinnamon. Evenly distribute the banana egg batter into each cup.
Bake for 14-16 minutes until the centers don't jiggle. Serve warm or cold!

For the original recipe check out Valerie Bertinelli.

xoxo Sam