Note: This recipe is especially for those with a gluten-free diet.

Ingredients:

3 bell peppers 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 c. corn 1 c. cooked rice 1/2 c. onions, finely chopped 1 1/2 tsp. cumin 1 oz. light cheddar cheese, grated 1 oz. Jalapeno Jack cheese, grated 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. cilantro 1/4 c. water nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9″ x 13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Combine remaining ingredients minus cheese. Fill peppers with bean mixture until half full and place in pan. Pour 1/4 cup water in bottom of pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle each half with cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Can be served with steamed veggies, a salad, or baked potato.

Note: You should be able to find most of these ingredients in a health food shop or specialty section in your supermarket. You can substitute the bok choy with any Asian greens. Dashi is available in powdered form in many health food stores or Asian stores. If you don’t have Dashi you can use vegetable stock in its place.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of spring onions (scallions) A large handful of chopped fresh cilantro 3 thin slices of fresh root ginger (or ½ teaspoon dried ginger) 1 small red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional) 5 cups of dashi or vegetable stock. 1 cup of bok choy (also known as pak choi), thinly sliced 1 cup firm tofu cut into small cubes 4 tablespoons red miso 2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (also known as shoyu)

Instructions:

Cut the green tops off the spring onions and thinly slice the rest. Place the coarse green tops in a large pan along with the cilantro stalks, ginger, dried chilli and dashi or vegetable stock. Heat the mixture gently until it comes to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and return clear broth to pan. Reheat until simmering.

Add the green portions of the sliced spring onions, with the chopped pak choi and tofu. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl mix 3 tablespoons of miso with a little hot broth in a bowl and stir into the soup. Add additional miso and soy sauce to taste.

Stir the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves into pan and along with the white part of the spring onions. Cook gently for 1 minute and serve into warm bowls. Sprinkle with thinly sliced chilli if using.

Ingredients:

1/2 medium spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2 pounds–See Note) 2 tablespoons water 14 1/2-ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained 1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Poke holes in the squash all over with a fork. Bake, uncovered, in a glass baking dish in a preheated 350:F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Using pot holders, hold squash in one hand and with a fork shred squash pulp into strands, letting them fall into the baking dish. Add drained tomatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tip: Buy a 3-pound squash and cut it in half lengthwise. Use one piece for this recipe, and cover and refrigerate the other piece for later. Uncooked squash will stay fresh for up to 1 week.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds 1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed 2 leeks, thinly sliced 1 onion, peeled and quartered 2 bay leaves 4 thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoons dried thyme 3 rosemary sprigs or 2/3 teaspoons dried rosemary 5 cups vegetable stock Salt and ground black pepper Crème fraiche or sour cream to serve

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and add the vegetables, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well until coated in oil. Place the vegetables on a non stick tray in a single layer. Roast the vegetables in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes or until tender. Turn them occasionally to ensure they brown evenly.

Remove from oven, discard herbs and transfer vegetables to a large pan. Pour the stock over the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Remove soup from heat and leave to slightly cool. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Return soup to pan and gently heat through. Serve into warm bowls and garnish with a swirl of sour cream or crème fraiche.

You can make this soup without roasting the peppers to save time but the roasting process gives the soup a rich, excellent flavor, worth the time.

Ingredients:

3 red bell peppers, washed and deseeded 1 yellow bell pepper 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 3 cups of vegetable stock 1 tablespoon plain all-purpose flour Salt and black pepper to taste Diced red and yellow bell pepper pieces to garnish Plain yogurt or crème fraiche to garnish

Preheat the grill. Wash and cut the peppers in half and remove stalks, core and seeds. Arrange the peppers in a non stick baking tray (skin side up) and place under the hot grill. Grill for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until skins begin to char.

Transfer the peppers to a plastic or zip lock bag, seal and leave to cool. Once cool (about 15 minutes) peel skins and discard. Roughly chop the remaining pepper flesh and set aside.

Place the onion, crushed garlic and 2/3 of the vegetable stock in a pan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until stock begins to reduce. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir to reduce lumping. Add the chopped peppers and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Let soup cool slightly and the transfer to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer soup back to pan and reheat gently, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in warm bowls and sprinkle a few chopped peppers and a little yogurt in the center of each bowl if desired.