Meatless Monday: Zucchini With Quinoa Stuffing

It’s Monday again!

Are you worried that giving up meat will mean less protein in your diet? Fear not! This week’s recipe includes the super grain of the future! Quinoa is one of the most protein rich foods out there; it is a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids.

Recipe and photo posted by Real Simple.

Zucchini With Quinoa Stuffing

Ingredients: 

1/2  cup  quinoa, rinsed

4  medium  zucchini

1  15-ounce  can cannellini beans, rinsed

1  cup  grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2  cup  almonds, chopped (about 2 ounces)

2  cloves garlic, chopped

3/4  cup  grated Parmesan (3 ounces)

4  tablespoons  olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F.

2. In a large saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish, cut-side up.

4. Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 3 tablespoons of the oil.

5. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining tablespoon of oil and ¼ cup Parmesan.

6. Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

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Live Peace with Preserve

As part of our ongoing series of  posts highlighting groups and organizations making Good Happen, this week we bring you Preserve. For those of you who may be exploring more sustainable shopping choices, Preserve offers toothbrushes, kitchen items, and a recycling program that their items are eligible for!

The Preserve toothbrushes and other items can be found online at the Preserve website, or in store at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, and some Target locations. Find a location near you that carries the products in-store here.

Photo from the Preserve website.

Like the idea of “peace,” the idea of “sustainability” can have different meanings to different people. At Preserve, sustainability means “socially and environmentally responsible business practices.”

Here at Center for Living Peace, we celebrate different forms of both peace and sustainability. When it comes to peace, different people may have different ideas of what is peaceful to them, whether it is participating in a meditation class, reading a book, or watching a documentary film. Similarly, depending on the person, sustainability can include ideas like properly disposing of waste, recycling when possible, using alternative methods of transportation, or making different purchasing choices.

What does sustainability mean to you?

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Kindness is a Treasure

Photo shared by Action for Happiness.

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Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Pizza

Happy Monday all!

Let’s talk about butternut squash. This squash is stuffed full of vitamin A and B complex. Vitamin A is an immunity booster and great for your vision, and vitamin B complex can lower stress, anxiety and depression! Put down that meat lover’s pizza; it’s time for some butternut squash topped pizza pies!

Recipe and photo posted by Real Simple.

Butternut Squash Pizza

Ingredients: 

1  butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled

1  small yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings

3  tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2  teaspoons kosher salt

1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

1  1-pound package refrigerated pizza dough

1  tablespoon cornmeal

1  tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2  cup fresh ricotta

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F

2. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice into 1-inch chunks.

3. Place the squash and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss.

4. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

5. Increase oven temperature to 450° F.

6. Roll the dough out 1/4 inch thick. Clean the baking sheet and sprinkle it with the cornmeal. Place the dough on top.

7. Scatter the squash and onion mixture over the dough, sprinkle with the thyme, and add dollops of the ricotta.

8. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Slice into wedges.

This recipe serves 6!

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Live Peace with iSanctuary

Today is Saturday and you know what that means: highlighting an organization that is making Good Happen in our world.  Today we are Living Peace with iSanctuary, an organization that has been working to end human trafficking since 2007. Human trafficking is defined as the trade in humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery or forced labor. 

Image from iSanctuary.

iSanctuary rescues women of all ages from the world of human trafficking. They then have the chance to be brought to Orange County, California or Mumbai, India to learn and practice creating jewelry. The survivors are welcome to make mistakes, they are welcome to grow, and they are welcome to learn as they please. It is all about assisting the women in entering the professional world and giving them the confidence and the dignity they need. iSanctuary also helps to educate people about what human trafficking is and ways to help end it.

The beautiful hand-made jewelry is sold by iSanctuary  in select stores and online. iSanctuary is also having an online Mother’s Day sale!

If you are interested in helping end human trafficking, you are welcome to make a donation to iSanctuary. There are also other ways to get involved!

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Center for Living Peace Turns 3!

That’s right: we’re turning 3 this month! Join us as we celebrate being open for 3 wonderful years!

This year our birthday party will be bigger and better than ever. We’re celebrating with two full days of free classes, events, and cupcakes! Join us as we celebrate on Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th!

Wondering what all will be going on? You can check out the full schedule of the weekend online. No signups are necessary– just drop in and celebrate with us!

We’re so thankful for all of you who have joined us these past 3 years in making Good Happen! We wouldn’t be here if not for your love and support.

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Random Act Of Kindness

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.”

- Diana Spencer, Princess Of Wales

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Meatless Monday: Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

Happy Monday!

We are starting this week of with some desserts vegan and gluten free style!  According to Dr. Oz “beans are a super healthy, super versatile and super affordable food. Beans are high in antioxidants, fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc. Eating beans regularly may decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and helps with weight management. Beans are hearty, helping you feel full so you will tend to eat less.”

Recipe and photo originally by  MinimalistBaker

Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can (~ 1¾ cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
• 2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)
• 3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• heaping ½ cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture
• 1 1.2 tsp baking powder
• Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).
3. Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
4. Add black beans through baking powder and puree – about 3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
5. If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
7. Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
8. Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 140 calories Fat: 6 g Carbohydrates: 22 g Sugar: 9 g Sodium: 163 mg Fiber: 7 h Protein: 5 g

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Live Peace with The Road Less Traveled

The Road Less Traveled is a store located in Santa Ana with the mission of being “a store that provides natural and unique gifts and home goods and host workshops on general DIY living.” The store carries an assortment of great items ranging from handmade jewelry to how-to books and more. We are excited to announce that we are collaborating with The Road Less Traveled!

In the new store curated by The Road Less Traveled, we offer beautiful pillows, books, and even wooden spoons! The store opened within the last 2 weeks and we are already thrilled with your response.

The photos are just a sneak peek– stop by to see the great assortment! Or head over to The Road Less Traveled location to see how they Live Peace.

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Pay it Forward

Today is the 7th annual Pay it Forward Day!

The inspiration for the day is the idea that one act of kindness can inspire many others. You can probably see why we are excited for the day, given that part of our mission is the idea that “good begets good. It’s a belief that the we heed every day — the idea that one simple act of kindness can inspire another person to ‘pay it forward.’ The result is a stronger sense of spirit and community for all.” Read more at our website!

We found this image here. Know the original source? Let us know!

So how will you mark Pay it Forward Day? Hopefully in a way that will have ripple effects beyond just one day!

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