Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potato

My mind is always thinking about new recipes. I get bored of the same old meat and veggies, so I love trying as many different flavor combinations as possible. This way, I expand my palette and creativity. One food I don’t eat too often is sweet potato, which is why I challenged myself to eat it. I randomly had a craving for it one day and decided to stuff a sweet potato for dinner. This was what my mind thought of after a long day of work. It came out to be a mix of chili without the beans and a sauce on top to add some brightness to the dish of mostly dark colors. I know it might sound like a lot of ingredients, but making your own sauces makes the meal taste that much better. Think about how much sugar you are saving when you make your own sauce. I understand it takes more time to do this, but it’s worth it in my opinion. Give my stuffed sweet potato recipe a try. I made a homemade chimichurri to elevate the dish to the next level.

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes

• 1 lb flank steak marinated overnight if you wish. I used bread and butter pickle juice

  ** (if vegetarian use 1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed, drained, and patted dry)

• 1 cup of cooked quinoa

• 1 Tbsp. Avocado Oil

• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/2 red onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced

• 1 Tbsp. chili powder

• 1/2 Tbsp. paprika

• 2 Tsp. ground cumin

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Roasted tomato sauce (see recipe below or used canned tomato sauce)

• Top with cilantro and chimichurri sauce (see recipe below)

For the roasted tomato sauce:

• 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved

• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1/4 red onion

• 5 cloves of garlic

• 1 tsp ground oregano

• 1/2 tsp ground basil

• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

• Salt and pepper, to taste

** Optional: Adding everything bagel seasoning to the sauce

For the Chimichurri:

• 2 cups packed parsley leaves (or one bunch), stems removed

• 3 to 4 garlic cloves (1 tablespoon minced)

• 1 medium shallot

• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 jalapeño or Fresno chili pepper, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

• 1/3 cup + 1 tsp red wine vinegar

Kitchen Tools:

• High Powered Blender (Vitamix)

• Large Skillet

• Cast Iron pan

• 2 baking sheets

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Wash your sweet potatoes thoroughly. Poke holes in each sweet potato and put on a foiled baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes.

3) On a separate baking sheet, add your tomatoes, red onion, and garlic. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper. Put it in the oven for 35 minutes.

4) While everything is cooking, make your quinoa with 1/2 cup dry quinoa with 1 cup water. Rinse your quinoa first before adding it to a pot. Set the heat to medium-high on your stove and let it come to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 15 minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

5) Chop your veggies. In a large skillet, heat up your pan to medium heat and add your oil. Add your veggies and saute until everything is soft. Season your veggies and keep stirring. Once they are done, turn the pan to low heat. If you're doing the vegetarian version, you can add the black beans at this point.

6) While the veggies are cooking, in a cast iron pan, cook your flank steak. First, heat up the pan to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp. of Avocado oil. Add your meat and cook for 5 minutes or until it has a nice sear. I added some leftover juice to help add some moisture before flipping. Stand back because it will splatter and yes I did splatter myself during this step. Cook for another 5 minutes or until it has a nice sear. Cook until it gets to the desired temperature. I cooked mine at 165 for medium, but you can cook it a bit less (3-4 minutes on each side if you want it more of a medium-rare). Remove from cast iron and let it rest before cutting into it.

7) When the sauce is done, blend everything in a high-powered blender. Add quinoa and sauce to the veggies. Only add as much sauce as you need to fully coat everything. There will be leftovers, which I used for chili the next day. At this point, you can cut your meat into strips or cubes, as I did.

8) When the sweet potatoes are done, let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half and mash them a bit. Add your veggie and quinoa mixture on top of the sweet potato. Top it with meat and throw it in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

9) Make your chimichurri sauce real quick by adding everything to a blender. I used a Nutri-bullet for this because there wasn't a ton and I didn't want to dirty up the Vitamix.

10) Top with cilantro and chimichurri. Enjoy! :) I ate about half a sweet potato, which I would say is an appropriate adult serving size. :)

If you want to jump in the screen and eat this sweet potato, I can help you manage your time effectively and create a meal plan with you that aligns with your goals. Contact Rachel for more information.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I have been craving stuffed peppers for a long time. However, I haven’t cooked these in 5 years. Stuffed peppers are something I would eat as a child on a regular basis. Either, my parents would cook them or I would eat it out of a Stouffer’s frozen dinners. They tasted like I wanted more. I could down 3 of those peppers and still be hungry. I wanted to find a way to amp the nutrition and quality without compromising the childhood nostalgia. Quinoa has become a staple for being able fill me up more than rice. Since quinoa is a complete protein, it digests slower in the body than your typical carbohydrate counterpart. You’ll get fuller faster while eating in a way that energizes your body. The added vegetables add more bang for your buck by being able to stuff more nutrients in each pepper. The best part is that this dish can be modified to fit your dietary needs. You can add ground beef or turkey for an extra protein kick or use beans to make this dish plant-based. Adding dairy is completely optional. My homemade cilantro lime vinaigrette is what takes this pepper to the next level because you won’t find anything like this in a restaurant. Find my out-of-this-world recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 5 red peppers, seeded and sliced in half

• ½ cup uncooked quinoa

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey (85% fat and 15% lean)

  ** Note: Can swap for 1 15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed) if vegetarian

• 1 cup water or vegetable broth

• 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• ½ onion, diced

• 3-4 ribs of celery, chopped

• 1-2 fresh tomatoes, diced

• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

• 1 5 oz bag of spinach

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp. chili powder

• 2 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp dried basil

• 1 cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese (can omit if dairy-free)

For the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

• ½ bunch of cilantro, washed and patted dry

• 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 Tbsp. water or vegetable broth

• 1 lime, juiced

• 1-2 Tbsp. honey

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 cap full of apple cider vinegar

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1)      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2)      Wash and rinse the quinoa before placing it in a pot with 1 cup of water or vegetable broth. Bring the water to a boil. Then, cover and let simmer until all the water has evaporated (15-20 minutes).

3)      In a sauté pan, begin cooking the ground meat until it is all browned (10-15 minutes). Drain in a colander to remove excess grease from the pan.

4)      Cut your vegetables. In a separate sauté pan, turn the heat to medium. Add the oil and wait for the pan to heat up for 1 minute. Add the onions and celery. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until they get soft. Add the jalapenos and stir for another minute. Add spinach, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir until the spinach is wilted.

5)      Prepare your peppers and place them on a 9x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Cut the pepper in half the long way. Clean the pepper by removing the white part and the seeds.

6)      Once the meat and quinoa are fully cooked, combine with the vegetables. Stir to combine and add seasonings to the mixture.

7)      It’s time to stuff the peppers now. With a spoon, evenly fill all the peppers and top them with cheese.

8)      Place the peppers in the oven foiled for 40 minutes.

9)      While the peppers are cooking, prepare the cilantro lime vinaigrette by placing all the ingredients in a high-powered blender. Adjust ingredients to preferred taste. Place the dressing in a bowl and set aside.

10)   When the peppers are done, remove from the oven, uncover, and serve with cilantro lime vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Looking for some more recipes to stay on track while being in quarantine? Check out my new recipe e-book “Quarantine Clean Eating” using ingredients you already have in your pantry.

Bean and Quinoa Burgers

This stay-at-home order has got me doing a pantry makeover. Over the last year or so, I’ve collected tons of dry ingredients, canned goods, and spices that have been sitting there unused. All that was unnecessary spending that could have been used more productively.

I had a huge craving for burgers, but not for meat. Lately, my body has been wanting more vegetables. I’ve been using this time to get more connected to my health and be more consistent about it. I would have spurts where I would eat super healthy for a week and then eat like shit the next. It was messing with my psyche by not staying on track. I started feeling bloated and was getting sick more often. Eating less meat has helped me maintain a healthier balance in my diet. Plus, I’m saving tons of money by not going out to eat. A lot of the ingredients are inexpensive while getting a ton of leftovers out of it.

Enjoy this family-pleasing burger with a side of sweet potato fries, sauteed spinach, and a homemade honey mustard sauce. The perfect well-rounded dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 29 oz cans beans of choice (or equivalently 3 15 oz cans), drained and well-rinsed ** Can use any other type of bean here as well like black beans or cannellini beans. I used pinto beans in this recipe.

• 2 cups cooked quinoa

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1/2 white onion, diced

• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs

• 2 large eggs

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 Tbsp all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used almond flour)

• 2 Tbsp Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning

• 1 tsp dried mustard powder

• Heaping ½ tsp dried basil

• Heaping 1 tsp oregano

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 2-4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sauteing

For the Vegetables:

• 2-3 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into fries

• 1 10 oz bag fresh spinach

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

• Salt, and pepper to taste

For the Mustard Sauce (optional):

• 1/4 cup veganaise (or regular mayo)

• 1-2 Tbsp dijon mustard 

• 1 Tbsp honey

• 1 Tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp dried parsley

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2) Dice onions and peppers. Add half the olive oil, salt, and pepper to a foiled sheet pan. Roast them for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

3) Cook quinoa by adding 1 cup of dry quinoa to 2 cups boiling water. Clean the quinoa to remove the bitter, gritty taste by rinsing them with water before adding them to the pot. Lower the heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

4) Place beans in a food processor and pulse several times until roughly chopped -- Add a bit of water to help the beans blend thoroughly. Try not to puree them all, leave a few pieces if you can.

5) In a large bowl place chopped beans, quinoa, diced peppers, diced onions, panko and stir to combine. Add eggs, flour, and remaining ingredients --> garlic, basil, oregano, paprika, pepper, and salt. Stir to combine.

6) Using your hands, divide the mixture into 12-15 equal parts and place on a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper. Form each part into a ball, then press gently to form a patty.

7) Gently cover and place the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator and let chill for 1 hour.

8) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the sweet potatoes into fries. It is recommended to cut them 1/4 inch thick for crispier fries.

9) Put the sweet potatoes on a foiled sheet pan. Use half of the olive oil, salt, and pepper to season them. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

10) Use the rest of the olive oil, salt, and pepper to saute the spinach in a separate pan for 5 minutes or until spinach is fully wilted.

11) After one hour, heat oil in a nonstick skillet (enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan) and in batches, saute burgers for about 6-8 minutes per side or until golden and crispy. Serve with the mustard and enjoy! Note: Burgers store well in the refrigerator in a sealed container for several days, or in the freezer for several months (if they make it that long). Reheat in the microwave or in a saute pan.

Does this recipe want to make you jump inside the computer screen and gobble up this dish? I can teach you how to cook this meal from the comfort of your own home. It will be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters because of its burger-like texture. You’ll barely realize you’re eating a ton of vegetables while enjoying the taste of the food. Find out more information below.

Southwest Quinoa Egg Cups

For the past 6 months, I have been working as a prep cook at a country club. Learning new knife skills in a fast-paced environment keeps me on my toes. It helps me improve my cooking speed and technique to be more of a professional chef. Honestly, since starting to cook for someone else, I lost a lot of my inspiration to cook for myself. I go out to eat more and it is greatly affecting my gut health. I am now taking responsibility for my health because the food you eat really does affect your mood. In order to ease my mind from negative thought patterns, eating at home keeps my cravings for carbs or sugar at bay. I notice that when I eat sugar, I feel bloated and my mind begins racing with beliefs of “not good enough”. The less I eat sugar, the more energy I have to work towards my life goals. While at work, I was asked to make pico de gallo. I prepared some quinoa a few days prior and had some leftovers. I wasn’t sure how I was going to use it but didn’t want to throw it away. I never went grocery shopping and had some eggs in the fridge. A lightning bolt idea came through me, which this recipe became a reality. I love that I can eat something quick that’s easy to take with you anywhere. As a bonus, this meal provides leftovers, is easy to freeze, and keeps you full for hours. For someone 5’2, ~120 lbs, and is very active, 2 of these egg cups hits the sweet spot. Enjoy my delicious recipe below:

Ingredients:

For the Egg Cups

** Makes 1 dozen Egg Cups

• 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa

• 5 eggs, lightly beaten

• ½ cup almond milk, unsweetened

• 1 cup homemade Pico de Gallo ** see recipe below or buy from the store

• 2 tbsp southwest seasoning

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the homemade Pico de Gallo

• 4 vine ripened tomatoes, diced small

• ¼ red onion, diced small

• ½ lime, juice

• ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced small

• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1.       Cook the quinoa ahead of time to make the preparation time shorter. Start by boiling 1 cup of dry quinoa on medium heat with 2 cups of water. Make sure to rinse the quinoa before boiling to remove the natural coating saponin, leaving the bitter, soapy taste behind.

2.       Once the water comes to a boil, cover for 15-20 minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Be careful not to overcook or the quinoa will burn at the bottom. This will make cleaning the pot a pain in the rear. :(

3.       When the water evaporated, stir the quinoa with a fork to fluff it up. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool.

4.       While the quinoa is cooling, cut and mix all ingredients for pico de gallo in a separate bowl.

** If you decided to opt out of the homemade option, you can skip this step.

5.       Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, F.

6.       Combine ingredients for the egg cups in a second bowl. I have provided an image of the southwest seasoning for reference.

7.       Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Scoop until basically full because they don’t really rise at all.

8.       Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are brown and bubbly.

9.       Carefully carve out with a knife and serve steamy hot.

For busy families wanting more on-the-go recipes like this one, contact me to set up a 60 minute meal-planning consultation.