Vegetarian dinner: stuffed peppers

The other night my family was looking for a break from meat and decided to whip up a delicious vegetarian dish. After pondering for a while I finally came up with the idea of stuffed peppers.

What started as a way to increase our vegetable content and give our digestion a break turned into an amazingly delicious (soon to be repeated) dish!

It was so good I immediately stopped eating to post a pic to Instagram (@friendlytreats), as I do with all my recipe favourites!

This recipe is not only delicious but loaded with tons of health benefits! From protein packed quinoa, potassium rich spinach, and liver loving onion, cauliflower and lemon it’s got a lot going on…in a good way!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock (low sodium)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander
6 peppers
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 cauliflower, florets
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
3 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
1 lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. goat cheese (I used a herb variety)

Directions:
•In a large pot combine quinoa, stock, chili powder and coriander. Bring to a boil and then simmer, with a lid for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until the quinoa is cooked and liquid has disappeared.
•While the quinoa is cooking cut the tops off the peppers and dice. Make sure your onion and zucchini are diced and grate the cauliflower florets so they slightly resemble rice.
•In a large skillet sauté peppers and onions with 1 Tbsp olive oil until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
•Add zucchini and cauliflower along with paprika and sriracha, sauté another 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
•Add sautéed vegetables to the cooked quinoa and toss to combine. Add zest of one lemon and goat cheese. Toss to combine.
•Stuff peppers with filling and stand up in a baking pan (one with raised sides).
•Loosely cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 8-10 minutes, until peppers are slightly softened.
Enjoy!

Special cookies for a special man!

Calling all cookies monsters! This delicious and healthy version of a childhood favourite is sure to satisfy any Cookie Monster!

Last weekend was Father’s Day, and one of the easiest ways to my dad’s heart is cookies! Combine that with peanut butter and there’s no way he can refuse!
Being a daddies girl I had to do something special, and what shows love better than baking!

I decided to take his favourites and create a delicious and tummy friendly Father’s Day treat!

Let’s just say they barley lasted till the next day and I made them after dinner!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup GF oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 chia egg (1tbsp ground chia + 3 Tbsp warm water)
1/4 cup sugar, unrefined
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 banana, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter (can replace with other nut/seed butter)

Directions:
•In a large mixing bowl combine the peanut butter with the mashed banana until combined.
•Mix in vanilla, sugars, and chia egg.
•In a separate bowl combine flour blend, baking soda, oats, and salt.
•Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine.
•Scoop 1 Tbsp of dough at a time and roll into a ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and lightly press down.
•Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottom. Cookies with still be soft, but will harden slightly as they cool.
Enjoy!

Cinnamon Crunch Pancakes

What’s better than fluffy pancakes in the morning? Can anyone say cinnamon crunch pancakes! This recipe combines the great fluffy pancake with a delicious cinnamon streusel running through the middle. Is your mouth watering yet?

It’s the perfect recipe for company, brunch parties or even a lazy Sunday around the house. Everyone is sure to enjoy this surprising pancake!


Ingredients:

Pancake:
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup + 2 Tbsp brown rice flour
2 Tbsp potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp guar gum
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Streusel:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 Tbsp quinoa flakes
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp vegan butter

*to make vegan pancake batter substitute the eggs with ground chia seeds and water. 1 Tbsp chia plus 3 Tbsp water equals one egg!

Directions:
In a measuring cup combine almond milk and vinegar, put to the side.
Combine eggs, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add milk mixture to the rest of the wet ingredients.
In a separate mixing bowl combine all of the pancake dry ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined.
Prepare the streusel by mixing all ingredients in a bowl.

Pour 1/4 cup amount of pancake batter on a pre-heated pan over low heat. Cook until the under side is set, sprinkle with streusel and flip. Cook for another couple minutes until fully set.
Serve with pure maple syrup.

*sautéed apple would also go really well!

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Apple Crumble Parfait

Have you ever craved an apple pie or crumble but didn’t want to make an entire pie? Why not satisfy your craving with this dessert perfect for 2 or one really hungry person (like me 😉)!

It’s quick, easy, and incredibly delicious! Ready to eat in 15 minutes, that means no need to wait 30 minutes for it to bake in the oven! Yahoo!

Enjoy the taste of apple pie/crumble without the wait time or having to slave over a large batch.

Ingredients:
Apple layer:
2 apples, chopped
2 tsp vegan butter
4 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp almond milk

Crumble layer:
1 Tbsp hemp seeds
2 Tbsp brown rice flour
4 Tbsp quinoa flakes
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
3 Tbsp vegan butter
2 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped

Directions:
For the apple layer: melt butter in a skillet on medium-low heat. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon, and milk and cook until apples are tender and a caramel has formed. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the apples and caramel from burning.
In the meantime get started on the crumble.

For the crumble layer: combine all ingredients ( reserve 1 Tbsp vegan butter) in a bowl and mix to combine. Add the reserved butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the crumble ingredients and cook until just heated through and slightly toasted. Stir to prevent burning.
Layer apples and crumble in a glass dish and enjoy!

You can also ditch the fancy parfait and just eat straight out of a big bowl 😉