Vegan Stuffed Peppers
4 servings
Ingredients
Instructions:
In a pot, add rice, vegetable broth, 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, herbs, and onion. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done cooking and liquid is absorbed.
While rice mixture is cooking, prepare peppers. Cut tops off of peppers and hollow out, discarding inner seeds.
Place peppers into a large pot of salted water and boil for 10 minutes, turning half way though. Remove from water and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350*
Once rice mixture is cooked, add kidney beans and corn. Mix well.
Add garlic powder, onion powder & cumin. Mix well.
In the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish pour 1/2 can of tomato sauce and spread around.
Place peppers on top of tomato sauce. Salt inside of peppers well.
Fill peppers with rice mixture.
Pour remaining 1/2 can of tomato sauce over the top of each pepper.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Serve with side of left over rice mixture
Balsamic Reduction Dressing:
This dressing is great because it has the great flavor of balsamic vinegar but with a thick richness and a hint of sweet.
1 c balsamic vinegar
3 TBSP real maple syrup
Simply cook the vinegar and syrup over medium high heat until it begins to boil. When it begins to boil turn the heat to medium and cook down for about 30-40 minutes until it cooks down about half and has a thick, rich consistency.
This dressing is great on EVERYTHING!
Orange Ginger Dressing:
2/3 cup 100% pure orange juice (or use freshly squeezed)
1/3 cup 100% pure apple juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp ground flax
Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. This dressing is great with everything but especially good on a savory salad, with some nutritional yeast or toasted nuts.
Walnut Vinaigrette (adapted from Dr. McDougal):
-1/4 c raisins
- ¼ c balsamic vinegar
- ½ c water
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ c walnuts
Put all ingredients in blender and blend for several minutes until very smooth.
We use this dressing with field greens, blueberries and walnuts.
Chipotle vinaigrette:
This is one of our FAVORITES!
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
4 teaspoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 of 1 medjool date, pitted
1 small clove garlic
1 teaspoon white miso
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
additional milk or water as needed
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Let it sit for a minute and then check the thickness. Pour into a bottle or jar and refrigerate to thicken and allow flavors to develop.
This is the dressing we use on our burrito bowl. It’s great on ANY salad or rice bowl!
When I moved away to Boston for college, the last thing I thought would happen was gaining a large amount of weight. I had started gaining some weight after I quit dancing in my last year of high school. I decided that year to move to Boston for college. I did not have a car and walked EVERYWHERE. I thought I would begin to lose the weight I had gained. Instead I began to gain, and rather quickly. I was baffled, because I walked every day, everywhere. I still remember the day I saw my first stretch mark. I could no longer fit in the clothes I moved there in. I wore sweat pants and baggy shirts most of the time. It was a depressing time, and all I wanted was to move home. When I got home, things only got worse. I began to eat out even more (sometimes McDonalds twice/day). I would drink on occasion, and that would only lead to more junk. Finally, 4 years after I had graduated high school, I was a whopping 270 lbs. I became pregnant with my first son and although at first I started to lose weight, I was still heavy. I was sick with high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. I gave birth, luckily, to a healthy baby boy, but I was anything but healthy. I still had high blood pressure, I was 298 lbs, suffered with severe GERD, which was so bad that I had exacerbated my asthma symptoms and had pneumonia very frequently, requiring steroids and albuterol daily. I had depression, anxiety, and back pain every day. I suddenly developed chronic nausea and began vomiting a few times/week. I went to the MD where they performed an ultra sound. My doctor told me that I had the early stages of fatty liver disease. My doctor informed me that I was much too young to have such a problem and that I needed to lose weight and eat healthier. I was scared and I knew for a long time before that, what I needed to do.
I started with a points program that offered weekly support groups. That went well at first and I managed to shed some weight but I could not picture counting points for each meal for the rest of my life. I tried just about everything after that. I had lost some weight, but remained sick. I went to a personal trainer where I learned how to exercise properly and use weights. I also learned the importance of meal prep and having healthy food handy at all times. This was probably the most important thing I had learned thus far. I still could not manage to get my blood pressure where it needed to be and I was still sick and lethargic. At this point I had entered nursing school and could see the detrimental effects of chronic disease, especially heart disease. I was terrified this would be me some day.
A friend of mine that was vegan, offered me the best and most valuable advice I have ever received. She told me to read a book called “The China Study”. I began to read it and could not put it down. After reading it I watched several documentaries on whole food plant-based eating. I became obsessed with learning about nutrition and how it relates to health. As I was learning, I had adopted the whole food plant-based diet and could feel and see the changes almost immediately. This only motivated me more to learn. It was hard at first, so hard. I realized I had to strengthen myself mentally to stick with this. I read another book called “Within”. This did it. I realized at that point that I had control of where my life was headed, I had control of my thoughts, my hands and my mouth. I controlled what I ate and I controlled my path. I learned the importance of meditation and mindful eating. I learned that you could have whatever body you wanted and health that you wanted if you focused on the positive and what you really wanted to become. I dove in to the whole food plant-based diet and the rest is history.
I have lost over 120 lbs, reversed my high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, depression and GERD. I am off all medications, including steroids and only use my asthma inhaler sparingly. My second pregnancy was much different than my first. My health and blood pressure was perfectly within the range it should be. I had energy throughout, and went into labor while hiking for 2 days with my husband. My labor was short my delivery even shorter and I was up and walking around 1 hour after delivery. My motivation to stick with this lifestyle comes from the enormous amount of energy and stamina that I have developed, not even the weight loss. If you have been where I once was, you know the true value and importance of good health. I never thought I would run because I honestly didn’t feel I was capable. I ran my first race this past March (picture below), and with the help and support of my friends, finished without stopping my run once. It’s amazing to look back and see far that I have come. I really hope to inspire others to take on a similar path. When trying to lose weight and become healthier, it is important to take on a holistic approach. Follow the science. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. Avoid the fad diets, and read as much research as you can about nutrition and health. I encourage everyone to read as much as they can regarding a whole food plant-based diet. The startling implications for weight loss are only the tip of the iceberg.
