I BELIEVE IN BROCCOLI AND BROWNIES
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Green, red, orange, and yellow sweet peppers are packed with nutrients and low in calories. Despite their different colors, the nutrient content of peppers varies little from color to color. Peppers are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Green peppers are really just unripened red peppers (or maybe even a yellow or orange pepper). A green pepper is more bitter than a red pepper. As the pepper ripens natural sugars develop giving a red pepper a sweeter taste. Roasting peppers can enhance the sweetness. The best way to store peppers is in the produce drawer of the refrigerate. Whole peppers will keep 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. Once the peppers are cut, they only keep for 2-3 days. My simple recipe for roasted peppers and feta only enhances the sweetness of a red pepper. Start by slicing up some red peppers and placing them in a bowl. Add a few cherry tomatoes. Cube up a brick of feta cheese. Be sure to buy the feta in a brick, not crumbled. Now add some Kalamata olives. Black olives work as well. Drizzle the mixture with some olive oil and add some freshy cracker black pepper. Toss everything on to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 425° F oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and cheese is browned and just starting to bubble. You can’t believe how delicious that browned feta cheese is – YUM! These red peppers go great with my Black Bean Burgers [link]. You can also serve them as an appetizer with toasted pita chips. Or try it as a part of a grain bowl with quinoa, chopped kale, chickpeas, avocado, and a tahini style dressing. ![]() Roasted Red Peppers and Feta 2 medium Red Peppers, seeded and sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup Kalamata or black olives 8 oz feta cheese, cut into cubes 3-4 Tbs Olive Oil Freshly ground Black Pepper Heat oven to 425° F. Toss vegetables, cheese, oil, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Spread onto a baking sheet. Roast 12-15 minutes. What do you call this? A Puff Pancake, German Pancake, Dutch Baby, Monsters, or something else? As a kid my mom made German Pancakes (that’s what we called them) only on special occasions such as Christmas morning. My brothers and I would watch in awe as the pancake grew and got puffy in the oven. And then we would try to eat it as fast as we could so the puff wouldn’t fall. Because we only got this “treat” on special occasions I thought it was hard to make, but it is embarrassingly simple to make and only takes a few common ingredients – flour, milk, eggs, salt, and butter. Start by pre-heating your oven to 400 degrees F. The hot heat is key to getting the pancake to puff. Place a little butter in a 9-10 inch skillet or quiche pan. Put the pan in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes until the butter melts and the pan is hot. While the butter is melting mix together 3 eggs, ½ cup milk, ½ cup flour, and ¼ t salt. I like to mix the eggs and milk together and then add the dry ingredients. I mix it really well with a hand whisk. A handheld electric mixer works well too. Pour the mixture into the hot pan with melted butter and place in hot oven. Bake for 18-25 minutes until the pancake is puffy and golden brown. Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar and fruit. I also make a version where I pour the batter into muffin cups. It makes 12 individual servings. Spray each muffin cup with non-stick spray, pour in the batter, and reduce cooking time to 12-15 minutes. The mini version seem to stay “puffed” longer than one big pan. ![]() Puff Pancake (aka Dutch Baby, German Pancake, and more) Serves 3
You can easily double this and bake in a 9 X 13 inch pan 2 Tbs butter 3 eggs ½ cup milk ½ cup flour ¼ t salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butter in a 9-10-inch oven proof skillet or dish for 2-3 minutes until melted. Beat eggs and milk together. Add flour and salt. Mix until smooth with a wire whisk or electric hand mixer. Pour the batter into the hot skillet/dish. Bake for 18-25 minutes until the pancake is puffy and golden brown. .Having grown up in the 1970’s watching “Chia Pet” advertisements, I was a skeptic when it came to Chia pudding. Why would someone eat a seed that was designed to put green grass hair on a ceramic animal? But then I tried some Chia Pudding and it was good. And for a pudding it is pretty nutrient dense providing fiber from the seeds, calcium from the milk, and little added sugar. Making Chia Pudding is simple. For the base you only need milk, chia seeds, vanilla, and sugar. With that base you can add cocoa or berries or nut butter to make any flavor you like.
![]() When I was a kid shopping for yogurt was easy, you just had to choose the flavor you liked. Now there is Greek, Australian, Icelandic, traditional, whole milk, low-fat, fruit on the bottom, sheep milk, cow’s milk, – wow! The choices are endless. So, what is yogurt? Yogurt is a food made by fermenting milk with bacteria called yogurt cultures. The bacteria produce lactic acid, which gives yogurt its distinctive tart flavor. Different yogurt brands use different bacteria to create the brand’s unique flavor profile. Smoothies are great for breakfast, snacks, or a light dinner. Just toss some fruit, yogurt, and spices into a blender and in 90 seconds you are ready to eat. Use the amounts in this basic mix, then unleash your imagination to create various flavors. Adjust the liquid to get the consistency you like. Add ice or frozen fruits for a slushy smoothie. Basic Smoothie Recipe ½ cup yogurt ½ cup fruit or veggie (fresh or frozen) ½ cup liquid (milk, juice) Add ins (oats, peanut butter) Spices (cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg) Sweetener (honey, sugar, molasses) Ice if desired Blend all ingredients on high speed for about 90 seconds Here are a dozen flavor combinations to try. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with flavors. If a combo doesn’t work, try something different next time.
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