Cooking for vegetarians featured on coming show

Creative Living

link Sheryl Borden

Information on teaching children to sew and cooking meals for vegetarians will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. and on Thursday at noon.

Carina Gardner is the Creative Director and Designer for Carina Gardner, Inc. and Carta Bella Paper Co. She’s going to show how to teach children to sew by using the Bella Stash Bag pattern she created. She’ll also show how to make the bag without a pattern. She covers all the basics of sewing in this project. Gardner lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Bonnie Matthews is the co-founder of Freekeh Foods, and she says that Freekeh is the perfect whole grain for vegetarians because it’s flavorful and still provides an abundance of nutrients, such as protein and fiber that can be difficult to find as a vegetarian. She’s from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Information on preparing recipes in a slow cooker, using computer software for scrapbooking, and ways to incorporate Dupioni silk in quilts will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” on Tuesday at noon and on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Connie Moyers is a New Mexico Extension Home Economist, and she will demonstrate some recipes that feature the slow cooker, an electric skillet and other common kitchen appliances that help to prepare meals that are quick and easy as well as delicious. Moyers is from Clovis.

Independent Creative Memories consultant Debbie Sorensen will show a software package that does more than just preserve your photos — it helps to preserve your memories as well. She’s from Carlsbad.

Fabric expert, Dorothy Brown will show how to incorporate Dupioni silk in different quilts and wall hangings. Brown is the owner of the International Fabric Collection in Fairview, Pennsylvania.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

• 1 8-oz. package cracked freekeh (1 cup) (use Original, Tamari, or Rosemary Sage variety of Freekeh)

• 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth

• 4-6 sweet peppers, sliced in half and seeds removed

• 1 15-ounce can Aduki beans, or pinto beans

• 1 12-ounce jar of your favorite salsa

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 limes, juiced

• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

• 1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen, thawed

• 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half

• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Step 1 - Preparing the peppers: Add about 2 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add in the sweet peppers. Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes until they’re slightly soft. Remove peppers from pot and set aside to cool.

Step 2 - Preparing the stuffing: Pour 2 1/2 cups water and the freekeh in a saucepan and bring to a boil for about a minute. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in tomato paste, onion and garlic. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes until the freekeh is tender. In a large bowl, add freekeh and all ingredients except the steamed peppers, stir and set aside.

Step 3 - Stuffing the peppers: Place the peppers in a 9 x 12” casserole dish. With a large spoon, carefully fill the peppers. The contents can come up above the edge of the pepper. Pour about 1/4 inch of water in the dish and place in preheated oven. Cook for about 30 minutes. Serves 6. Option: Sprinkle grated low-fat pepper jack cheese on top of the peppers after 20 minutes and continue to cook 10 minutes more.

“Creative Living" is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations in the U.S., Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico and is distributed by Westlink.