Author Archives: Chef Julie RD

Cheesy Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Quinoa

Dietary, Egg Free, MAIN DISHES, Meat, Nut Free, PREP, Quick & Easy, Recipes

August 12, 2014 by Chef Julie RD

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Cabot recently released their new line of farmers’ legacy collection of aged cheddar cheese.

Traditionally, stuffed pepper recipes call for beef and rice. I swapped out rice for quinoa to incorporate whole grains and a little extra protein punch!

I served these peppers with green beans on the side for a complete satisfying meal.

Cheesy Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Quinoa

Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

4 large bell peppers
1 lb ground beef, 96% lean
2 tbsp, onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 (15 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup Cabot white oak cheddar, shredded

Instructions

Cut a thin slice on the top each bell pepper to remove top stem of the pepper. Remove seeds and membranes inside. Cut a thin slice from bottom of each pepper to help the peppers stand up. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peppers and cook for about 2 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add the beef and cook for about 8-10 minutes until browed; drain. Return beef back to the pan and add the quinoa and fire roasted tomatoes; cook until heated through. Stir in ¾ cup of cheese.
Heat oven to 350°F.
Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in baking dish.
Cover tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

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What would you make with one of the three new farmers’ legacy collection aged cheddar cheeses?

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

Salads, Snacks

July 16, 2014 by Chef Julie RD

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my privacy policy.

I know there are many variations of this recipe. I like to keep it really simple – let the minimal ingredients develop powerful flavors that marinate together. The ingredients of this recipe contribute 3 out of the 5 taste sensations.

So what are the 5 tastes you experience everyday when eating?

There are five known tastes that are detected by taste buds: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Although these tastes are detected by all taste buds, some regions of the tongue have a slightly higher sensitivity to some tastes than others.

The sweet taste is created by carbohydrates such as sucrose and fructose, as well as artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine.
The salty taste is generally created by salts containing sodium ions, such as sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Salts containing potassium, lithium, and other alkali metal ions also produce a mildly salty flavor.
Acidic compounds, such as citric acid and vinegar, produce sour flavors.
Bitter flavors are produced by a variety of organic compounds and are generally considered an undesirable or unpalatable flavor. Many toxic chemicals produced by poisonous plants have a bitter taste, thus leading to the negative reaction to bitter foods.
Umami, or savoriness, is the most recently discovered taste, found in foods that have a “meaty” taste due to the presence of the chemical glutamate. Meat, cheese, mushrooms, and the chemical monosodium glutamate (MSG) all contain glutamate.
(source)

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins
Yield: 6-8 1x
Category: Fruit, Salad, Fruit Salad

Print Recipe

Description

Light and Refreshing Summer Salad. This salty and sweet combo adds a new twist to watermelon. Bring it to your next BBQ!

Ingredients

Scale

6 cups watermelon, cubed
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Instructions

Combine watermelon, feta cheese, and mint in a large bowl.
Pour in lime juice and gently toss together.
Serve immediately.

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Watermelon – Sweet

Feta Cheese – Salty

Lime juice – Sour

Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger

Uncategorized

March 22, 2014 by Chef Julie RD

7 Comments

It’s that time of month for the Recipe ReDux theme recipe! What were all the Recipe Redux-ers up to this month?
A Play on Patties: While St. Patty’s Day will be over by the time The Recipe ReDux rolls around this month, we’re celebrating the ‘patty’ all month long. We’ve seen images of stacked patties go crazy on food photo sharing sites like HealthyAperture.com; so stack ‘em up! Think healthy tuna burgers, potato patties, or veggie stacks.

Honestly, right now I have been so busy, I just remembered tonight about Recipe ReDux. It’s quite alright because I has just the ingredients I needed to whip up a tasty “patty”.

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Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger

Makes 4 patties

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 cups spinach, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup panko
1 egg
salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, spinach, feta cheese, panko, egg, salt, & pepper until all ingredients are distributed throughout the turkey.

3. Form turkey into 6 patties.

4. Spray a large pan with cooking spray and put over medium-high heat. Add the turkey burgers to the pan to sear both sides. Transfer the burgers to a baking sheet and cook in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until cooked through.

5. Assemble you burger on a whole wheat bun and healthy toppings.

(nutrition facts based on calorie count)

Enjoy!

Look what the other Recipe ReDux members made this month:

Whole Wheat Pizza with Veggies and Feta

Uncategorized

January 22, 2014 by Chef Julie RD

11 Comments

Growing up, every Friday night was pizza night. I kept that tradition going even when I went off to college. My roommates and I would make pizza together with all different topping combos. My favorite is topping pizza with a variety of veggies! I was excited for this month’s Recipe ReDux theme of Pizza Party! I made this pizza Friday night with my boyfriend. It’s safe to say that is pizza is awesome considering it was devoured.

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Try this simple recipe for a healthy whole wheat pizza crust! Top your pizza with this healthy combo or create a new version with your favorite pizza toppings.

Whole Wheat Pizza with Veggies and Feta

Makes 1 medium pizza, 8 slices

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 packet yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar

Pizza Toppings:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red onion. sliced
3/4 cup sliced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions:

1. Combine yeast, water, and 1 tsp sugar. Set aside and let sit for 5 minutes

2. In a stand mixer combine, 2 cups flour, salt, the rest of the sugar. Make a well in center and add the olive oil and yeast mixture.

3. Using the paddle on the stand mixer, mix ingredients until just combined. Then, switch to the dough hook and work for the dough for another 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining flour slowly until combined and until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl.

4. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly greased with cooking spray. Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (dough should double in size).

5. Once the dough has risen, punch down the center of the dough. Lightly flour the pizza stone. Roll out the dough evenly. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

6. Brush the dough with olive oil and garlic. Start assembling the toppings with half the mozzarella cheese, spinach, mushrooms, onion, remaining mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, and tomato.

7. Put the pizza in the oven and lower the temperature to 425 degrees F. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese has melted.

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Look at those layers of toppings!

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(nutrition facts based on calorie count – per slice)

Enjoy!

Check out the other Recipe ReDux Pizza Party posts:

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Whole Wheat Waffles

Breakfast & Brunch

January 3, 2014 by Chef Julie RD

4 Comments

What to do on a snowy day? .. Make waffles of course! Had to experiment with my new waffle maker! I am so happy how these came out. These waffles can easily be frozen and toasted up again for an everyday breakfast. The nutrition breakdown of these waffles is great that they can become part of your daily breakfast options.

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These heart healthy whole wheat waffles are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Providing 6 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein, these waffles will power you through the whole morning.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Makes 5 waffles

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
2 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup liquid egg whites (or 4 egg whites)

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, ground flax seed, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. In a sperate bowl, combine the banana, egg whites, and almond milk. Slowly pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until combined.

4. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the waffle iron and cook according to your waffle iron directions, until waffles are golden brown.

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(nutrition facts based on calorie count – 1 full waffle, no toppings)

Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Soups & Stews

December 16, 2013 by Chef Julie RD

Nothing is better than coming inside from a cold winter day and warming up with a hearty bowl of soup. Making soup from scratch is by far better than the canned stuff. Canned soups are packed with a ton of sodium. The recommended intake of sodium is < 2,400 mg per day. In some soups thats 75% of your sodium intake right there!

Making homemade soup is simple. Plus, if you make a big batch you can freeze half and bring it back out later in the winter season. Stick to the broth based soups with tons of vegetables for fewer calories and for a nutrient dense meal.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into a small dice
4 celery stalks, chopped into a small dice
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium red onions, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
2 quarts low sodium vegetable stock
2 quarts water
3 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 lb whole-wheat ditalini pasta
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot over add the bacon and cook until crispy. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 7-8 minutes more.

2. Add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Add the stock and water to the pot, and bring up to a boil.

4. Add the kale, pasta, and chickpeas to the soup pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls.

(nutrition facts based on calorie count)

Enjoy!

Secrets to making perfect granola

Breakfast & Brunch, Snacks

December 11, 2013 by Chef Julie RD

2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of granola are those big chunks. I prefer making my own granola versus buying it. A lot of the store bought granolas are packed with a ton of sugar. A lot of recipes I tried to make at home left me with just little pieces of oats and nuts with anything barely sticking together. With a little research I discovered a way to make the perfect granola.

Tips to making chunky granola:

1. Add egg whites. – By adding beaten egg whites, it works as a binding agent to help the granola clump together.
2. Don’t stir. – A lot of recipe say to stir the granola mixture a couple times when it is baking in the oven. By not stirring, it will let the ingredients stay together in larger clumps.
3. Let the granola cool completely. – By letting it cool completely will ensure clumps stay put. You can then break them into whatever size pieces you prefer.

Granola
Makes 18 servings
(1/3 cup = 1 serving)

Ingredients:
3 cups oats
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup walnuts
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Toss to combine.

3. Add in the maple syrup and syrup. Toss to combine until all the dry ingredients are coated.

4. Spread out on a large baking sheet and pat down. Bake for about 40 minutes. Check to see if granola is evenly browned. (May need a few more minutes)

5. Take out of the oven and let granola completely cool in the pan. This will help the large chunks stay together. Then break up granola to whatever size chunks you like. Toss in the dried cranberries and dried blueberries.

* This recipe is very versatile and ingredients can be substituted with different nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

(Nutrition Facts based on Calorie Count)

Enjoy!

Hoisin & Lime Salmon

Uncategorized

November 9, 2013 by Chef Julie RD

1 Comment

This recipe has minimal and simple ingredients that really work well together to a create simplistic, delicious salmon dinner.

Hoisin & Lime Salmon
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime (1/2 for juice, 1/2 for garnish slices)
4 (4 ounce) salmon fillets
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and/or cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, garlic and lime juice. Let the salmon marinade in the sauce mixture for about 20 minutes.
3. Place salmon on the baking sheet. Reserve the rest of the sauce mixture. Bake for about 6 minutes.
4. Drizzle on the rest of the sauce mixture and broil salmon for about 2-3 to create a glaze on top.
5. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve.

* Pair your salmon with garlic green beans with pecans.

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(Nutrition Facts based on Calorie Count)

Enjoy!

Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis

Uncategorized

September 4, 2013 by Chef Julie RD

So I went to Trader Joe’s today and picked up a few things. My friend Kim told me about these mini raviolis they had there. I just had to get them. They are just so little and cute! I also picked up 2 small eggplants that I wanted to use for dinner tonight. The rest of the ingredients were inspired from just rummaging through my kitchen and used what I had on hand.

Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package of mini raviolis (can be substituted with any type of pasta)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small (or 1 large) eggplant, peeled and diced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (make sure it’s in it’s own juices – no salt added)
3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:

1. Cook mini raviolis (or other pasta) according to package directions
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the eggplant to the skillet with 1 tsp of the salt. Eggplant is very porous and adding a little salt will help release the moisture and allow it to absorb the flavors in the dish.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, spinach, and oregano. Season with the remaining salt and pepper, to taste.
5. If you want the mixture to have a little more liquid, add a ladle of water from your pasta pot.
6. Drain the pasta, and top with the tomato, eggplant, spinach mixture. Top with parmesan cheese (optional).

(nutrition facts based on MyFitnessPal)

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Uncategorized

August 26, 2013 by Chef Julie RD

4 Comments

I know it’s not Fall yet .. but I am anticipating the PUMPKIN extravaganza that’s coming soon! I am obsessed with anything pumpkin. If you are too, definitely try these muffins!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree*
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top (optional)
* Make sure to get pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin puree is purely pumpkin, whereas pumpkin puree has lots of sugar added.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, eggs, and sugar until blended and smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture in batches, until combined. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Spoon in the batter in the muffin tin, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tins.

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(per muffin)

Enjoy!

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Author Archives: Chef Julie RD

Cheesy Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Quinoa

Cheesy Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Quinoa

Ingredients

Instructions

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Spinach & Feta Turkey Burger

Whole Wheat Pizza with Veggies and Feta

Whole Wheat Waffles

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Secrets to making perfect granola

Hoisin & Lime Salmon

Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Ingredients

Instructions

Description

Ingredients

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