Deconstructed Brown Rice and Avocado Sushi

Today, I really wanted Whole Foods' brown rice and avocado sushi for lunch, but I didn't really want to spend $6 on it. I had some left-over, cold brown rice, an avocado, and a cucumber. Figured I'd make my own, deconstructed sushi. It looks kind of funky, but it tastes just like the sushi I was craving.


Serves 2
9 WW points/serving

1 c. cold brown rice
1 medium avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp wasabi paste (or more or less, to taste)

Combine soy sauce and wasabi paste in a small bowl. Toss rice, avocado, and cucumber in a large bowl. Top with soy sauce. Divide into two servings. Enjoy!

Mexican Casserole

I made this the other night. It is my take on the delicious-looking version that Renae posted on I Eat Food (you can see her version here), made with what I had in my pantry. It was *awesome*, thanks to Renae's yummy nacho sauce. Chris devoured it (hence why there are no pictures of it), and requested that it be included in "the rotation," which is our standard dossier of go-to recipes that are sure to please. Thanks again, Renae!

Makes 8 servings
6 WW pts/serving

Nacho Sauce:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 c. water
1 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1 tsp prepared mustard (I used French's yellow)
2 c. your favorite salsa

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour, yeast, salt, garlic, and water until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat until it thickened and coating the back of a spoon. Stir in buttery spread, mustard, and salsa. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until heated through.

For the "Beef" Filling:
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-oz) pkg vegan ground beef (such as Gimme Lean)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

---------------

4 c. spinach, cooked (I just sauteed mine in cooking spray over medium heat until it wilted)
8 corn tortillas
1 c. fat free, vegetarian refried beans
1 c. frozen sweet corn

To Assemble:
(1) Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
(2) Place 2 tortillas on the bottom of the dish. Top with about 1/3 of the "beef" filling, then 1/4 of the nacho sauce, then 1/3 c. of corn.
(3) Spread 1/4 c. of refried beans on each of 2 tortillas, then put them in the dish. Top with 1/4 of "beef" filling, 1/4 of nacho sauce, and 1/3 of corn.
(4) Repeat Step 3 again.
(5) Top with spinach, last 2 tortillas, then last 1/4 of nacho sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 8 servings

7 WW pts/ serving

1/2 lb lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles), cooked according to package directions and drained on paper towels until ready to use.

For the Vegetable Filling:

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 large summer squash, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into quarters

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large baking dish, tossing to combine. Coat with cooking spray and stir again. Bake veggies for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring at least once, or until very tender. Set aside.

Note: This can be done ahead of time.

For the Tofu Cream Filling:

1 (12.3-oz) pkg firm tofu

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 bulb roasted garlic (see recipe below), cloves removed from paper skins

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.

For Roasted Garlic:

1 bulb garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

pinch black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, then place in a small ramekin (to avoid dripping). Pour olive oil over garlic, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until garlic very soft and fragrant.

(I do this when I roast the veggies. Takes the same amount of time).

For the Sauce:

1 (1 lb. 10-oz) jar spaghetti sauce (I like Ragu's No Sugar Added Light Tomato Basil)

1 (14-oz) can no-salt added diced tomatoes

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan, using the back of a spoon to get an even layer. Top with 3 noodles, then top with about 1/3 of the tofu cream, 1/2 the veggies, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat once. Top with remaining noodles, remaining tofu cream, and remaining sauce.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until bubbly and heated through.

Note: Can be made ahead and frozen. Just cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Just to be safe, I like to write on the foil what the hell is in the dish and what date I made it on. This avoids mystery. If you like mysteries, by all means, throw caution to the wind.

Peasant-Style Siberian Pierogies

When Chris and I lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, one of our favorite restaurants was a place called Moscow on the Hill (also the only Russian restaurant in St. Paul). They serve a dish called Siberian Pelmeni Dumplings (Peasant Style), which are beef-and-pork filled dumplings in a mushroom and cheese cream sauce. They are the ultimate in comfort food - creamy, cheesy, savory, and rich. I'm also half Polish, so they taste kind of like something my grandmother would make.

I've been making a lightened-up non-vegan version of this dish since 2007, after we first ate at Moscow on the Hill. If you are a vegetarian, it is still friendly to you. But I figured out how to make it vegan. It is so easy and quick when you've had a long day and don't want to spend a lot of "hands-on" time in the kitchen.

Peasant-Style Siberian Pierogies

Serves 6

8 WW pts/serving

3 c. button mushrooms, roughly chopped

One (8-oz) container non-dairy sour cream (such as Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)

1 tsp vegetable bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon)

1 Tbsp cooking sherry

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dried sage

1 pkg frozen potato pierogies (such as Mrs. T's)*

1 c. cheddar-style veggie cheese*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add mushrooms and saute for 1-2 minutes until nicely browned. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Lower heat to medium and add sour cream mixture to mushrooms. Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until just slightly thickened.

Coat a 9 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Place frozen pierogies in baking dish (DO NOT cook or defrost them!). Top with mushroom sauce, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese melted.

* If non-vegan, can use potato-and-cheese pierogies and real cheddar cheese.

Mediterranean Chickpea Hash

Day Twelve. The snow and ice persist. I think it's getting worse. What appears to be snow is actually ice. Our poor dog is so confused; she keeps sliding on the ice/snow when she tries to go to the bathroom. Thank goodness I went to the store last week and stocked up on random items. The only things we've run out of so far are olive oil and Mrs. Dash garlic-and-herb seasoning (which I put on everything when I'm lazy). I bought dried chickpeas instead of canned for the lower sodium content, and have been soaking and cooking them constantly for hummus, falafel, etc. Had some extra cooked chickpeas in the fridge and some veggies I wanted to use up before they spoiled, so I made this version of a "hash" for breakfast this morning (although I'm sure it would be good for lunch or dinner, too).

Serves one very hungry person.

Canola oil cooking spray

1/2 c. mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 c. zucchini, quartered

1/4 c. red bell peppers, chopped

1/2 c. chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked for 1-1/2 hours, rinsed, and drained

4 large Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, and cook for 3 minutes. Reduced heat to medium, adding zucchini and red pepper, cooking for another 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables crisp-tender. Add chickpeas, olives, and seasonings. Saute for 2 minutes, or until heated through. I suggest serving with whole wheat toast with fig preserves.

Potato Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce

I made this last night for dinner, and it was so delicious! It tastes really rich and decadent. Chris even said it looked like it should be in Southern Living. I served it with some simple zucchini, red bell pepper, and onion sauteed in cooking spray and sprinkled with sea salt, black pepper, and savory.

Makes 4 (1-c.) servings
7 WW pts/serving

1 pkg. potato gnocchi, cooked according to package directions (or, if you're really handy, make your own. I didn't. But good for you if you've got that kind of time and patience.)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1 c. white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 c. yellow onions, finely chopped
1 (14-oz) can pumpkin (WARNING: do not use pumpkin pie filling)
1 c. unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp black pepper

Cook potato gnocchi according to directions, usually boiling for 2 minutes or until gnocchi rise to the top of the water. Drain, and set aside.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Melt Earth Balance, then add mushrooms and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until onions translucent. Add remaining ingredients, stirring well. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. Add gnocchi, remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes for sauce to thicken a bit. Serve immediately.

Red Lentil-Cauliflower Coconut Curry

Makes 8 (1/2-c.) servings
5 WW pts/serving

1 c. red lentils, uncooked
3 c. water
2 c. cauliflower florets
1 Tbsp Earth Balance organic buttery spread
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
1 c. coconut milk
2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsp sea salt

In a medium saucepan, combine water, lentils, and cauliflower. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils become mushy, cauliflower very tender, and most of liquid absorbed.

Meanwhile, melt Earth Balance in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add jalapenos, onion, and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until onions become translucent. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, and spices. When lentil-cauliflower mixture finished cooking, add that mixture to tomato mixture. Let simmer 15 minutes, covered.

Serve over basmati rice.

Note: Can be made ahead and frozen.