vegetable broth

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pasta Primavera

Pasta pasta pasta where do I even begin?
Pasta can get a pretty bad rap due to it’s often fattening cream sauces, high carbohydrate count, and low nutritional value, but I’m here to tell you that not all pasta is bad! You can still eat pasta and lose weight, or maintain your toned figure. The keys to eating pasta are knowing what kind, and how much.

“Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat.”
– Giada De Laurentiis (Health Magazine, May 2012)

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Weather you are trying to maintain or lose weight, you could virtually eat anything that you want, as long as you know the correct amount and portions!

Today’s recipe is a healthy Pasta Primavera made with whole wheat pasta. Whole wheat pasta is made from flour that uses the entire grain and contains slightly more protein, and two to three times more fiber than refined pastas allowing you to stay fuller longer while stabilizing blood sugar levels.


Pasta Primavera
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta
1 cup bell pepper (I used 1/2 cup red and 1/2 cup green)
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp  salt-free Italian seasoning (I use Frontier)
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Cook the pasta to package instructions. Chop the bell pepper, onion, and mushroom and cook in vegetable broth in a pan over high heat.  While the pasta and vegetables are cooking, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning, garlic, and pine nuts in a separate bowl and mix evenly. Once the pasta has finished cooking, strain and combine with the ricotta mixture. After vegetables have finished cooking, gently fold into the pasta and ricotta. Serve hot.
Note: If you are allergic to nuts, you can omit the nuts and cook your veggies in 1 Tbsp of olive oil (instead of vegetable broth) for your plant based fat serving.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, mushroom, onion
Whole Grain: whole wheat pasta
Protein: nonfat ricotta cheese
Plant Based Fat: pine nuts

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cashew Ginger Rice Bowl

First things first: This is my 100th post on Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth! I cannot even believe it! Seriously? I have 100 recipes & healthy tips on my very own blog?! WOW! I really cannot believe how much my blog has grown and what it is turning into. I cannot thank my readers enough for visiting my blog every day. I love you little bunnies and I cannot wait to see what else is in store for the future of RFFMBT!

Second: Congratulations to my Physique 57 Giveaway winner Sam B! I cannot wait to hear how your complimentary class goes!

Third: Do you ever crave a certain type of food? America, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, etc.?
One of my favorite types of cuisine is Chinese, but sometimes it’s hard to find something tasty without all of the added oil and super salty elements. Ordering steamed veggies isn’t always the most exciting dish…

Today I have a healthy Vegan Chinese inspired lunch/dinner recipe for you! This brilliant bowl is filled with colorful veggies and plant protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.


 Cashew Ginger Rice Bowl
 Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup bell pepper
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup spinach
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
2 Tbsp chopped cashews
1 tsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

Cook brown rice to package instructions. In a separate bowl, whisk the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and ginger together and place in a pan over medium heat. Chop the bell pepper, onion, celery, and add into the pan along with the spinach. Cook the vegetables until they absorb most of the cooking liquid and become tender. Add in the unshelled edamame and stir until cooked. Add the cooked brown rice and gently mix into the vegetables. Top with chopped cashews. Serve hot.
Note: You could serve the veggies and cashews on top of the bed of rice or mixed in, whatever you prefer.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, onion, celery, spinach
Whole Grain: brown rice
Protein: edamame
Plant Based Fat: cashews

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tofu & Wild Rice Stuffed Pepper

One of my favorite new tricks is to cook veggies in low sodium vegetable broth instead of oil. When cooking with oil, it’s easy to loose track of how much you are using, and the calories and fat can add up quickly. Olive oil contains about 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon compared to Pacific low-sodium vegetable broth, which has 15 calories per cup and zero grams of fat. This is an easy way to lighten up your dish, but still get the same sautéed texture. Olive oil is heart healthy and has tons of other benefits, but I usually like to use it with recipes that do not require heating/cooking it.

Tofu & Wild Rice Stuffed Pepper
serves 1

½ cup cooked wild rice
1/5 package tofu
1 large red bell pepper
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup baby spinach (packed)
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ low-sodium vegetable broth
¼ tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
½ tsp salt-free Italian herb seasoning

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook the wild rice to package instructions and set aside. Cut the bell pepper in half and remove seeds, set aside. In a pan over medium heat, combine the tofu, onion, carrot, baby spinach, celery, and garlic and sauté in the vegetable broth until vegetables are tender and liquid has been absorbed. After vegetables and tofu have finished cooking, combine with wild rice and Italian herb seasoning. Pour the mixture evenly into the bell pepper halves. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. If needed, add foil over the tops of peppers to eliminate burning.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, onion, carrot, spinach, and celery
Whole Grain: wild rice
Protein: tofu
Plant Based Fat: none in this dish

 

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