View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ellen (@ellenmscholey)

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tin of diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jemima Food Blogger (@dailyjemimawilch)

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add finely chopped onions and minced garlic, sautéing until softened and aromatic. Add your diced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper, and stirring them well.
2. Pour in diced tomatoes and tomato paste, creating a luscious base for your ratatouille. Sprinkle dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary over the vegetables. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, adjusting the flavors according to your preference. Cover the pot and let the ratatouille simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables to become tender.
3. Just before serving, stir in freshly chopped basil for a burst of freshness and color. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more herbs or salt as desired.
4. Serve the warm and comforting ratatouille on its own, with pasta and cheese, or with crusty bread for dipping to soak up the delicious juices. Enjoy!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Giovanna Ryan (@giovannaryan)

The post This Ratatouille Will Warm You This Winter appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here’s how to perfect the art of creating the perfect halloumi burger.

Prepare Filling

Chop up some red onion into long strips—or so that it falls into its circular layers. Slice a tomato lengthways with cucumber and lettuce. Mix in extra virgin olive oil.

Cook Halloumi

Buy a slab of supermarket halloumi and fire up the barbeque or heat a pan with olive oil. Cut the halloumi into thick slices. If the slices are too thin, they will burn and lose that beautiful flavor. You want the outside to be crispy and flavorful, while the inside is moist and rubbery.

Toast Bun

Once the halloumi has been nicely cooked, it’s time to toast your bun. Take a brioche bun and cut it in half. Then, place both halves onto the barbeque or under the grill. You want both sides to be nicely toasted. Ideally, the top of the brioche bun will have a little chargrilled mark.

Assemble

Put some salsa on the bottom of the bun before putting in the halloumi, the red onion, the lettuce, the cucumber. Top with some sweet chili sauce and a little dollop of hummus.

The post How to Make the Perfect Halloumi Burger appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here is a winning combination of vegetables and how to roast them.

Peppers

First, you’re going to need peppers. These can be red, green or yellow depending on your color scheme. Given the combination we’re going for today, red peppers or yellow peppers are probably the best option.

Garlic

The best way to roast garlic is to roast the whole clove. A perfectly roasted garlic clove should be browned on the outside and slightly juicy on the inside. This offsets the freshness of the pepper.

Red Onion

You want your red onion cut into large slices so it can be chargrilled on the outside but retain moisture on the inside. This will hold lots of flavor and combine deliciously with the peppers and garlic.

Zucchini

Cut your zucchinis into fairly thick slices so that they can stay juicy and succulent. The green of the zucchini contrasts nicely with the red of the onion, white of the garlic and the red or yellow of the peppers.

The post What is the Best Combination of Roasted Vegetables? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Eating one sweet potato will give you one full serving of vegetables for the day, as well as filling you up with no more than 150 calories and a ton of vitamin A. Here are some fun toppings for you to try out on your sweet potato toasts!

Tahini

Mix the sweetness of the sweet potato with savory tahini sauce. Mix tahini with water, garlic, and lemon juice and pour over the toast. Add slices of cucumber and you’re set!

Avocado

Take your avocado toast to the next level by putting it on a sweet potato toast! Add chia seeds, tomato, and a squeeze of lime and enjoy.

Yogurt

Sweeten things up even more by adding some yogurt to your blueberries! Drizzle some honey over the top, along with slivered almonds and the fruit of your choice and you have a balanced breakfast.

The post Three Sweet Potato Toast Ideas to Sweeten Your Morning appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Recipe

This recipe is really flexible because you can add whatever toppings you like to it. But, the base for this recipe are roasted chickpeas. Cover your chickpeas in olive oil, salt, and smokey paprika, and bake at 400 F for about 25 minutes until they are nice and crispy.

While the chickpeas are cooking you can saute some peppers, or simply chop up tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, or whatever you have on hand. If you’re using fresh vegetables, mix them with a little vinegar and salt to make a nice crispy topping for the fajitas. To assemble, put the tortillas in a pan to crisp them up a bit or right onto a grill pan. Put down the sour cream if you want to use it, then the chickpeas, followed by the vegetables and top with cheese if you like or leave plain.

The post These Tex-Mex Chickpea Fajitas Are So Yummy! appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Intructions

1. Chop up half a celery stick, one carrot, half an onion, 1 medium sized sweet potato and 2 cloves of garlic. If you don’t have a sweet potato you can use a regular potato.
2. Put all the vegetables minus the garlic into a pot with some olive oil and cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add in chili powder, curry powder, cumin, onion powder, and cook for another minute.
4. Throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before putting in a few pinches of salt, 1/2 a cup of green lentils, and 1 1/2 cups of water.
5. Bring it to a boil and then down to a simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Puree in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender and leave to cool before adding 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1 egg.
7. Mix well and divide the mixture into 4 sections.
8. Make each section into a patty shape, fry each side in oil for 4-5 minutes, and serve on a bun with your favorite condiments.

The post Make These Yummy Vegetarian Lentil Burgers! appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Fret not! There are still many ways for you to get in protein quickly by following these simple tips and recipes.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Eating an egg is a great source of protein, and if you hard boil them, you don’t have to add any fat or oil to cook them. Boil as many as you want at a time and keep them in your refrigerator, so you can quickly pull them out and peel them whenever you need a quick boost.

Hummus

Hummus is made of chickpeas and tahini, which are both sources of plant-based protein. Spread a couple tablespoons on some rice cakes, much of which only has 30 calories per cake, and you have a low calorie but incredibly high protein snack!

Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, as long as you grind them up so they are easier to digest. Sprinkle some on top of a banana, your favorite toast, or really just about anything to transform it into a protein-packed snack.

The post Easy Ways To Get Vegetarian Protein In Fast appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Instructions:

1. Drain and rinse a can of black beans. Dry them with a paper towel if they’re still very wet, and put them into a bowl.
2. Mash them with a fork or potato masher until they are all smashed.
3. Finely chop half a small onion, half of a bell pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic. To make sure they bind well together, try to get out as much water as you can from the vegetables with a fine mesh strainer before you add them to the beans.
4. Put the vegetables into the bowl with the beans and add in cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk an egg and add it into the bean mixture, along with 2/3 cup of breadcrumbs. Combine the mixture until everything is well incorporated.
6. Form into patties, pan fry or grill and enjoy!

The post Black Bean Burgers Are The Move For Dinner Any Night Of The Week appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bda0HcdHDK3/?tagged=veganhoppinjohn

Ingredients:

For delicious southern style vegetarian black-eyed peas, you will need onions, garlic, veggie stock, black-eyed peas, water, tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRA0XBAAGz/?tagged=blackeyedpeas

Method:

1. Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl of water.
2. Cut the onions and add them to a pot and cook until translucent.
3. Add in the garlic for just a minute to cook it but not burn.
4. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar along with the following spices: cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and chili powder.
5. After a few minutes, add in the vegetable stock and the black-eyed peas and bring to a boil.
6. Let the beans cook for about 20-30 minutes or until soft.
7. Right before the end add in salt and pepper to taste and serve!

The post Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas Will Blow You Away appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ellen (@ellenmscholey)

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 onion
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tin of diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jemima Food Blogger (@dailyjemimawilch)

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add finely chopped onions and minced garlic, sautéing until softened and aromatic. Add your diced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell pepper, and stirring them well.
2. Pour in diced tomatoes and tomato paste, creating a luscious base for your ratatouille. Sprinkle dried thyme, oregano, and rosemary over the vegetables. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, adjusting the flavors according to your preference. Cover the pot and let the ratatouille simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables to become tender.
3. Just before serving, stir in freshly chopped basil for a burst of freshness and color. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more herbs or salt as desired.
4. Serve the warm and comforting ratatouille on its own, with pasta and cheese, or with crusty bread for dipping to soak up the delicious juices. Enjoy!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Giovanna Ryan (@giovannaryan)

The post This Ratatouille Will Warm You This Winter appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here’s how to perfect the art of creating the perfect halloumi burger.

Prepare Filling

Chop up some red onion into long strips—or so that it falls into its circular layers. Slice a tomato lengthways with cucumber and lettuce. Mix in extra virgin olive oil.

Cook Halloumi

Buy a slab of supermarket halloumi and fire up the barbeque or heat a pan with olive oil. Cut the halloumi into thick slices. If the slices are too thin, they will burn and lose that beautiful flavor. You want the outside to be crispy and flavorful, while the inside is moist and rubbery.

Toast Bun

Once the halloumi has been nicely cooked, it’s time to toast your bun. Take a brioche bun and cut it in half. Then, place both halves onto the barbeque or under the grill. You want both sides to be nicely toasted. Ideally, the top of the brioche bun will have a little chargrilled mark.

Assemble

Put some salsa on the bottom of the bun before putting in the halloumi, the red onion, the lettuce, the cucumber. Top with some sweet chili sauce and a little dollop of hummus.

The post How to Make the Perfect Halloumi Burger appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here is a winning combination of vegetables and how to roast them.

Peppers

First, you’re going to need peppers. These can be red, green or yellow depending on your color scheme. Given the combination we’re going for today, red peppers or yellow peppers are probably the best option.

Garlic

The best way to roast garlic is to roast the whole clove. A perfectly roasted garlic clove should be browned on the outside and slightly juicy on the inside. This offsets the freshness of the pepper.

Red Onion

You want your red onion cut into large slices so it can be chargrilled on the outside but retain moisture on the inside. This will hold lots of flavor and combine deliciously with the peppers and garlic.

Zucchini

Cut your zucchinis into fairly thick slices so that they can stay juicy and succulent. The green of the zucchini contrasts nicely with the red of the onion, white of the garlic and the red or yellow of the peppers.

The post What is the Best Combination of Roasted Vegetables? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Eating one sweet potato will give you one full serving of vegetables for the day, as well as filling you up with no more than 150 calories and a ton of vitamin A. Here are some fun toppings for you to try out on your sweet potato toasts!

Tahini

Mix the sweetness of the sweet potato with savory tahini sauce. Mix tahini with water, garlic, and lemon juice and pour over the toast. Add slices of cucumber and you’re set!

Avocado

Take your avocado toast to the next level by putting it on a sweet potato toast! Add chia seeds, tomato, and a squeeze of lime and enjoy.

Yogurt

Sweeten things up even more by adding some yogurt to your blueberries! Drizzle some honey over the top, along with slivered almonds and the fruit of your choice and you have a balanced breakfast.

The post Three Sweet Potato Toast Ideas to Sweeten Your Morning appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Recipe

This recipe is really flexible because you can add whatever toppings you like to it. But, the base for this recipe are roasted chickpeas. Cover your chickpeas in olive oil, salt, and smokey paprika, and bake at 400 F for about 25 minutes until they are nice and crispy.

While the chickpeas are cooking you can saute some peppers, or simply chop up tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, or whatever you have on hand. If you’re using fresh vegetables, mix them with a little vinegar and salt to make a nice crispy topping for the fajitas. To assemble, put the tortillas in a pan to crisp them up a bit or right onto a grill pan. Put down the sour cream if you want to use it, then the chickpeas, followed by the vegetables and top with cheese if you like or leave plain.

The post These Tex-Mex Chickpea Fajitas Are So Yummy! appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Intructions

1. Chop up half a celery stick, one carrot, half an onion, 1 medium sized sweet potato and 2 cloves of garlic. If you don’t have a sweet potato you can use a regular potato.
2. Put all the vegetables minus the garlic into a pot with some olive oil and cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add in chili powder, curry powder, cumin, onion powder, and cook for another minute.
4. Throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before putting in a few pinches of salt, 1/2 a cup of green lentils, and 1 1/2 cups of water.
5. Bring it to a boil and then down to a simmer for 25 minutes.
6. Puree in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender and leave to cool before adding 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs and 1 egg.
7. Mix well and divide the mixture into 4 sections.
8. Make each section into a patty shape, fry each side in oil for 4-5 minutes, and serve on a bun with your favorite condiments.

The post Make These Yummy Vegetarian Lentil Burgers! appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Fret not! There are still many ways for you to get in protein quickly by following these simple tips and recipes.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Eating an egg is a great source of protein, and if you hard boil them, you don’t have to add any fat or oil to cook them. Boil as many as you want at a time and keep them in your refrigerator, so you can quickly pull them out and peel them whenever you need a quick boost.

Hummus

Hummus is made of chickpeas and tahini, which are both sources of plant-based protein. Spread a couple tablespoons on some rice cakes, much of which only has 30 calories per cake, and you have a low calorie but incredibly high protein snack!

Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are a great source of plant-based protein, as long as you grind them up so they are easier to digest. Sprinkle some on top of a banana, your favorite toast, or really just about anything to transform it into a protein-packed snack.

The post Easy Ways To Get Vegetarian Protein In Fast appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Instructions:

1. Drain and rinse a can of black beans. Dry them with a paper towel if they’re still very wet, and put them into a bowl.
2. Mash them with a fork or potato masher until they are all smashed.
3. Finely chop half a small onion, half of a bell pepper, and 2 cloves of garlic. To make sure they bind well together, try to get out as much water as you can from the vegetables with a fine mesh strainer before you add them to the beans.
4. Put the vegetables into the bowl with the beans and add in cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk an egg and add it into the bean mixture, along with 2/3 cup of breadcrumbs. Combine the mixture until everything is well incorporated.
6. Form into patties, pan fry or grill and enjoy!

The post Black Bean Burgers Are The Move For Dinner Any Night Of The Week appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bda0HcdHDK3/?tagged=veganhoppinjohn

Ingredients:

For delicious southern style vegetarian black-eyed peas, you will need onions, garlic, veggie stock, black-eyed peas, water, tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnRA0XBAAGz/?tagged=blackeyedpeas

Method:

1. Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl of water.
2. Cut the onions and add them to a pot and cook until translucent.
3. Add in the garlic for just a minute to cook it but not burn.
4. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar along with the following spices: cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and chili powder.
5. After a few minutes, add in the vegetable stock and the black-eyed peas and bring to a boil.
6. Let the beans cook for about 20-30 minutes or until soft.
7. Right before the end add in salt and pepper to taste and serve!

The post Vegetarian Black Eyed Peas Will Blow You Away appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.