Italian Stuffed Zucchini

I have posted a couple other stuffed squash or zucchini recipes before. But none of them had couscous in them. We really enjoyed this dish and for some reason I forget how easy couscous is to prepare and how delicious it taste. You should make this before zucchini or yellow squash become unavailable.

• 4 large zucchini (yellow squash would also work), cut in half lengthwise, insides removed
• no-chicken chicken bouillon (for cooking the couscous)
• 1 box Whole Wheat with Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous, cooked according to package directions
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package vegan Italian sausage, crumbled (I pull it apart with my fingers so it more of a crumble)
• 1 can (15 ounce) diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 cup Diaya mozzarella cheese shreds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Set  aside. In a saucepan, cook couscous according to package directions.

In the meantime, slice zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller scoop out the insides leaving a thin shell. Be careful not to go to close to the skin, you want the zucchini to stand up to being stuffed.  Save the inside part.

In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high. Cook the crumbled sausage and zucchini insides stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup of the cooked couscous, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and Italian seasoning.

Place squash on the baking sheet, cut side up, season with salt and pepper.  Fill zucchini shells with the couscous/sausage mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, until squash is tender.

Sprinkle with some mozzarella and place cook for about 5 more minutes until the cheese melts.

Serve immediately on some of the leftover couscous and enjoy!

* I cooked mine in the toaster oven, it's still too hot some days to turn on the big oven. This is why you only see 2 zucchini (4 pieces) in my casserole. I refrigerated the other zucchini and cooked them a couple of nights later.
** If you have leftover filling you can freeze it for later, start with more squash, or stuff something else.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

On the weekends I love a sandwich for lunch and burgers are one of my favorites. There is no denying that I think Gardein Frozen Burgers are the best vegan patties on the market. But sometimes I don't want a processed burger regardless of how good it is, that's when I turn to Portobello mushrooms. I cooked these on a grill pan on the indoor stove but feel free to throw them on the outdoor grill, just keep on eye on them.

• 2 portobello mushroom caps
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 2 thick slices red onion
• Daiya cheese shreds, I used cheddar
• 2 slices tomato
• 1/2 avocado, sliced thin
• letttuce, spinach, romaine, whatever you have on hand
• 2 buns, I prefer whole-wheat but didn't have them

In a large bowl large enough to hold your mushrooms, whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, oil, and Montreal steak seasoning.

Place the mushroom caps in the bowl and toss with sauce, using a spoon to evenly coat. Let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, turning a few times.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Spray the pan lightly with oil. Cook the mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until tender, brushing with marinade frequently.

While the mushrooms cook, grill the onions about 1 minute on each side and top the mushrooms with cheese.

To serve, place the greens you chose and the grilled portobello mushrooms on the bottom bun and top with the grilled onions, sliced tomato and avocado.

This is a juicy burger, so be sure to lean over that saucer and have plenty of napkins handy.

Pho

One of my favorite local Thai restaurants has a vegan Pho. It's awesome. After eating it I knew I had to try my hand at making some. I went to trusty Google and did a search after viewing several sites/recipes I came up with the following.

I don't like long noodles in my soup so I broke the linguine noodles in half. It was the only long noodle I had on hand. But I think they are just too thick. In the ingredients below I'm listing angle hair - I know it would be better. But still break the noodles in half or even thirds.

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 package chicken-flavor seitan, cut into strips
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce, or more to taste
• 8 ounces cooked angel hair pasta
• 1 can straw mushrooms, drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the seitan strips and brown on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the onion, ginger, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

Remove 1/2 cup of the hot liquid to a small bowl. Add the miso paste to the liquid in the bowl and stir to blend well. Transfer the blended miso paste into the soup along with the chili sauce. Do not boil. Stir in the cooked noodles, mushrooms, lime juice, and the reserved seitan.

Divide the soup among individual bowls. Top with bean sprouts, scallions, jalapeno slices and cilantro, as desired. Serve at once.

Enjoy!!