Veggie fajitas

In our household Tuesday means taco Tuesday. It's hard to find meals that feed all five of us simply because my kids are very picky. Since tacos are liked by all of us we started taco Tuesday a few weeks ago. I usually make two different kinds of tacos; ground meat for the kids and vegetarian tacos for the adults.
I  make ground "beef" tacos with the soy crumbles by morning star. But I was craving something a little different this week and wanted to make veggie fajitas.
I absolutely LOVE veggie fajitas and was excited for a change of pace for tacos. This recipe is so easy and turns out great every time. I served these fajitas on Mission tortillas artisan brand wheat and black bean blend. These tacos go great with a side of re fried vegetarian black beans.

Here's the easy recipe, enjoy!

Vegetable Fajitas (foodgawker)

Serves 2

• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 peppers (any color), seeded and cut into strips
• 1 garlic clove, crushed (I always add at least 4 cloves, garlic lovers)
• 8 ounces mushroom caps, sliced
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4-6 flour tortillas, warmed (you could use any type of tortilla to your liking)
• Garnish: cilantro, lime, *sour cream, **guacamole

1. In a large bowl, combine the onion, peppers, garlic and mushrooms.
2. Mix the oil and chili powder in a cup, pour over the vegetable mixture, and stir well. Set aside.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet or wok until very hot. Add the marinated vegetables, and stir-fry over high heat for 5-6 minutes, until the peppers and mushrooms are just tender. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a little of the filling onto each tortilla and roll up. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream and guacamole.

*I first garnished these fajitas with sour cream then the next time I made these I garnished them with Mexican creama and it was delicious!
**I haven't served them with guacamole yet but I'm sure that would be amazing. I'll post my easy and tasty guacamole soon.

Trisha Yearwood's blueberry pancakes

I have to admit I was a little surprised and impressed when Trisha Yearwood debuted her cooking show on The Food Network called Trisha's Southern Cooking. I liked her tv personality and her easy take on simple country cooking right away. I also loved hearing all those personal family stories and guests that tie in with her yummy recipes.
As usual I was drooling over her cooking one Sunday when I saw her yummy fresh blueberry pancakes sizzle in her skillet. They looked so good and of course my boyfriend was in the room and wanted to taste them as well. (He's a HUGE foodie)
Since I'm a Cali gal I'm able to buy fresh blueberries year round. But since they are in season that's best time to try these yummy treats.
Another reason I wanted to try this recipe out was because she used a couple ingredients I've never used before in my blueberry pancakes which was lemon zest (duh, what a great idea) and sour cream. When I made these they didn't turn out super light and fluffy but rather rich and has a great blueberry lemon flavor!
I think I mentioned before that I only bake or cook using the best ingredients I can. For instance I used non bleached flour, non refined bleached sugar, organic eggs, whole milk, and ALWAYS real vanilla extract. I'm telling you can taste the difference and the extra effort does pay off.
I included a pic of my daughter Alyssa simply because she's a berry-holic! She eats berries like their candy and so do I. I also included a picture of my brand new beautiful measuring spoons which were a recent birthday gift, love them!
So please try this recipe out on a lazy Sunday morning and you will not be disappointed.
Oh a quick side note, if you use fresh blueberries they will pop while cooking and it leaves quite a mess so make sure your skillet is non stick with plenty of butter.

Recipe:
Blueberry Pancakes by Trisha Yearwood

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk, plus more if needed
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the milk, sour cream, half the melted butter and the vanilla, whisking to blend. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into it. Whisk the ingredients together just until blended. Fold the blueberries and lemon zest into the batter.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and coat with some of the remaining melted butter. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the hot skillet. Cook 3 or 4 pancakes at a time, depending on the size of the skillet. If the batter seems too thick, thin it with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. When bubbles begin to form and "pop" on the pancake's surface, after about 1 minute, and the outer edge looks done, flip it over and cook briefly for about 30 seconds on the other side.

Eating healthy

As a foodie I love to cook. And most of all I'm obsessed with recipes. I love cookbooks, cooking magazines & shows, and food apps.
On this journey to become healthier I'm always on the lookout for tasty vegetarian and calorie conscious recipes. I recently subscribed to Vegetarian Times and Cooking Light magazines. I experimented with Vegan Vietnamese sandwiches, chickpea curry, and today's recipe Spaghetti with Bok Choy with poached eggs.
This recipe is low cal and packed with vitamins and minerals. The bok choy is rich in vitamin A,C, and K. It also has a lot of potassium and calcium. I love this recipe because not only does it tastes good but it's also a complete meal with protein (egg), veggies, and complex carbs (wheat pasta). Also when you slice into the poached egg and mix the pasta all together it creates a rich and yummy sauce. 😋

Here is the recipe I tried from my Vegetarian Times magazine. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Spaghetti with Bok Choy, Poached Egg, and Ramano cheese. (vegetarian times)
Serves 4
Per 2-cup serving (395 cal, 14g fat)

1 Tbs. olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced bok choy (about 1lb)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
5 cloves of garlic (I used 7-garlic lovers)
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
4 large eggs
1/2lb whole wheat spaghetti
4 green onions (I used about 6)
2oz grated Romano cheese (1/2 cup)

1) heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add bok choy, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes; sauté 8 minutes, or until vegetables turn golden. Stir in garlic, then broth. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and keep warm.
2) Bring skillet filled with 2 inches of water to boil. Crack eggs into skillet; reduce heat to low, and poach 4 minutes. (I use my handy poachpod).
3) Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Toss cooked pasta with bok choy mixture. Divide pasta among serving bowls, and top each serving with a poached egg, 2 Tbs green onions, and 2 Tbs Romano cheese. Season with salt and pepper if desired.