Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Robyn's awesome white bean chili (makeover--Kandis)

So our family loves this soup that Robyn makes. It has chicken, cream and sour cream--but even if you leave those ingredients out, it still tastes awesome. So when I make the soup--just prior to adding the meat and dairy, I dish out some just for me and then add the other ingredients for Colby:) Here's Robyn's original recipe:
White Bean Chicken Chili (Robyn Gadd):
1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed (I tripled the recipe, so I just used a whole roasting chicken)
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans white beans
1 can chicken broth
2 cans green chilies, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup cilantro
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Mix together everything but sour cream and whipping cream. Heat thoroughly. Add sour cream and whipping cream.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Best Bread Ever! (kandis)

My friend Brita gave me this recipe and I'm addicted--I make 4 loaves each week for my fam... 5 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1 T sea salt
1/4 tsp ascorbic acid (citric acid--you can buy it at 'Kitchen Kneads' on Redwood Rd.)
3 T yeast

Combine above ingredients and let stand until yeast is dissolved and starting to rise.

Add 11-12 cups whole-grain flour of your choice.

Knead for 10 minutes

Shape into loaves or buns and place into pans--let rise until double in size.

Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes until golden on top.

Remove from oven and turn onto cooling racks immediately.

Makes 4 loaves.

My variations:
I like to divide the ingredients equally into two separate bowls and knead different ingredients into the separate flours. Some I've tried and loved:
raisins with pumpkin pie spice (brushed with olive oil/cinnamon/sugar)
dried oregano, garlic salt, cracked pepper (would also make excellent dinner rolls) (brushed with olive oil, cracked pepper, garlic salt)
coconut, pistaccio, honey-roasted sunflower seeds (pulsed in food processor) with either dried blueberries or cranberries and fresh orange zest. (Gotta love that bulk section at Winco!)

After the breads cool, I slice them all, place the loaves in bread bags and freeze two so they stay fresh for later in the week...
I love this recipe because I only use my hands:) I feel like a pioneer, and my boys like to beat the heck out of the dough (and get flour all over my kitchen:)

Thai Peanut Pasta (kandis)

My neighbor Angie brought this sauce over to me other day and Colby and I loved it! It's completely restaurant-worthy--it's pictured here with chicken--but I had it with only veggies and it was amazing! Noodles of your choice (you can use linguine, but I like to use noodles from the 'asian' isle...)
1 T sesame oil
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cups finely shredded carrots
6 T minced fresh garlic
1 T ground ginger ( or 2 T fresh mined ginger)
1 cup honey
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup soy sauce
6 T rice vinegar
1 T chili-garlic sauce
cilantro and green onions to garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Heat sesame oil on med-high heat; add green onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Saute until veggies softn--about 4 minutes. Mix honey, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili-garlic sauce and add to veggies. Mix well and simmer 2 minutes. Add pasta and toxx--garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.

**notes: this is a copycat recipe from The Cheesecake Factory's dish by the same name. It can be spicy, so use less chili-garlic sauce if you don't want spicy. The recipe has been doubled above so you can freeze half and use it again later (simply thaw, heat and toss with cooked pasta). Enjoy!

Monday, November 1, 2010

how to love a parsnip (kandis)

cut into chunks:
2 peeled yams
2 peeled parsnips
4 red skinned potatoes
small red onion

Place in large ziploc bag:
oil, cinnamon, honey, ground chipotle pepper

Toss veggies in ziploc, then

Roast on cookie sheet at 400 degrees to desired tenderness (about 35 minutes)
drizzle with chipotle cholula for added kick and smile at the yummy goodness...

Friday, October 22, 2010

Indian Roasted Pumpkin Soup (kandis)


2 cups chopped pumpkin
4 shallots
2 chopped carrots
1 granny smith apple--peeled and sliced
1 chopped medium onion
4 cloves garlic
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp groun cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup coconut milk

1. heat oven to 425. On cookie sheet combine pumpkin, shallots, carrots, apple, onion, garlic, olive oil, coriander,cumin, and turmeric. Toss to coat and spread in single layer. Roast 30 minutes or until tender.
2. Transfer mix to blender. Add broth and coconut milk. Blend until smooth--add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 5 cups.

My variations: I used canned pumpkin and just added it to the blender at the end (although I will be using this recipe next year on our pumpkin carving night!). I also used more coconut milk and chicken broth because I didn't have veggie broth. If you like Indian flare--this dish is for you! (the spices aren't too pricey--so go for it!)

Fettuccine with Mushroom Sauce (Kandis)

Original Recipe from Sandra Lee:

2 pckgs. refrigerated Buitoni fetuccine
3 T olive oil
2 pckgs. (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 packet (1/5 oz) beef stew seasoning
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion--drained
fresh, chopped parsely

1. cook pasta according to package directions--keep warm
2. heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and stir for 7-8 minutes.
3. Create a well in center of mushroom mixture. Add beef broth, sherry, vinegar... stirn in beef stew seasoning until dissolved. Add drained tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-8 minutes.
4. Garnish with parsely and serve hot over cooked pasta...
My variations: substituted more beef broth for wine and just used plain diced tomatoes. I also used whole wheat fettuccine instead of the Buitoni. Served with ciabatta bread dipped in oil/basalmic vinegar. For kids I just left off the mushrooms--they loved the sauce...

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Thai coconut peanut curry.... aaahhhhh

I was lazy and only had green peppers--it looks a lot prettier with red ones too! This is quite possibly my favorite Thai recipe... my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it--if you love coconut, you with LOVE this recipe!Peanut Curry veggies: 2 T oil, 2 cups frozen green beans (the yellow/green mix), 2 cups pepper strips(one green/one red), 1 can white beans.

Sauce: 1.5 cups light coconut milk, 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 2 T packed brown sugar, 2 T lime juice, 1 T red curry paste.

Heat oil over medium high heat in large skillet. Add frozen green beans and pepper strips, cook and stir for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk coconut milk, broth, peanut butter, brown sugar, lime juice and red curry paste. Pour into skillet over veggies, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over coconut rice (recipe below).

Coconut Rice: 1 cup rice, 2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1/4 cup light coconut milk, 1 T lime juice, 1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut. In medium saucepan, combine broth, coconut milk and lime juice. Bring to a boil and add rice. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. Fluff with fork and stir in toasted coconut. Serve hot with above recipe. Note: to toast coconut, seeds or nuts: place in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and stir occasionally until golden brown.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Grandma J's Bundt Cake

Okay...this isn't exactly a "healthy" recipe, but it's my favorite cake in the whole world, and it's VEGAN! Woo hoo!

1 can applesauce (16 oz.)
2 cups flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat flour & 1 cup all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Cream sugar and oil. Add flour, salt, and spices. Heat applesauce to a boil. Add baking soda and stir into hot applesauce. (Make sure the pan you boil the applesauce in is big enough so that when you add the soda it doesn't overflow!) Pour the hot applesauce mixture into the flour, sugar, and oil mixture. Stir together. Add the chocolate chips to the warm mixture. (They will melt). Grease and flour a bundt pan and pour the mixture into the pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Let cool. Frost with (Vegan) cream cheese frosting: I use about 3 oz. non-dairy cream cheese, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, a little salt (maybe 1/4 tsp.), and almond milk (a little at a time so it doesn't get too runny). If the cake is a little warm when you frost it (not hot), the frosting melts a little and sets up quite nicely. YUM!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Refried Bean and Cornmeal Waffles

I've often said that my kids will eat ANYTHING if it's in the form of a pancake or waffle. This recipe was no exception, and was a super fast, easy, and tasty dinner!

Here's the recipe from waffleparty.com:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups plain almond milk (or soymilk, rice milk, etc.)

1 can (15 oz) refried black beans (I only had refried pinto beans on hand...still worked great)

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp canola oil

3 Tbsp lime juice

3 Tbsp sugar

Sift or whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, cumin, onion powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix the (almond) milk, beans, canola oil, lime juice and sugar.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until blended.

Cook on a waffle iron for 1 to 2 minutes past the iron manufacturer's suggested average cooking time, GENEROUSLY SPRAYING BOTH GRILLS with oil before each waffle. Reduce the salt if using refried beans that are already heavily salted.

We topped our waffles with fresh salsa, avocados, and cilantro lime dressing. YUM! The whole family LOVED this easy dinner, and the savory waffles were a delicious twist on one of our favorite breakfast foods!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

I love cookie dough! Raw eggs always make me a little uneasy, though, so I was excited when I came across this recipe from love veggies and yoga. These are Averie's Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls.

2/3 cup raw cashews, 1/3 c oats, 2 Tbsp agave nectar, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Blend oats and cashews in high power blender or food processor. After you have the oat and cashew flour, add the agave nectar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend again. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand, then roll into cute little cookie dough balls. Refrigerate, or dehydrate for more of a "cooked taste" chocolate chip cookie.

My opinion: These were just OKAY! My blendtec blender actually had a hard time mixing the oats and cashews, so I had to keep stopping the blender to scrape it all down. A food processor or vitamix blender would probably work better. They tasted pretty good, and definitely satisfied my sweet tooth, but weren't quite the same as real cookie dough! Healthier, though, and I didn't worry about my kids getting salmonella! The recipe really doesn't make very many little balls, though!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Salsa, Guacamole, and rice, oh my!

Here are a few of my favorite Mexican dishes! For my birthday, I requested these!

SSSSSSSalsa
1 (26 oz) can crushed tomatoes, or about 10 fresh tomatoes chopped (if you have a garden overflowing with tomatoes, this would be a great recipe to try!)
2 (7 oz) cans salsa verde (I use Herdez brand)
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 anaheim chili, chopped (discard the seeds if you don't want it to be too spicy)
2 limes, juiced
1/4 t. salt

Mix all together, and refrigerate until ready to serve!

Guacamole
3 avocados--peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 t. salt
1/2 c. diced yellow onion
3 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tomatoes, diced
1 t. minced garlic

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime, and salt. Mix in the remaining ingredients, refrigerate, and serve.

Black Bean Corn Salsa
1 large bag petite white corn thawed
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 avocados diced
4-5 tomatoes diced
2 packets dry good seasonings Italian dressing mix
4 limes juiced
1/2 cup oil (I use EVOO)
1 bunch cilantro chopped

Mix all together until well blended. Refrigerate 1 hour. Makes a lot!!!

Cilantro Lime Rice
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cups rice (I used brown rice)
2 1/4 cups veggie broth (I added another 1/4 cup of water since it was brown rice)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
juice and zest of 1 large lime
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cumin

In a skillet, melt butter and add rice. Let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes (I cooked it for about 45 minutes with brown rice). Fluff with a fork and serve.

Cilantro Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe...I substituted the mayonnaise with vegenaise, and I made buttermilk using 1 Tbsp. lemon juice + enough plain almond milk to make 1 cup)
2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (use the seeds if you like it spicy. I usually just throw in 1 or 2 seeds. You could also add a few drops of green tobasco instead of the jalapeno)

Use a food processor or blender to mix all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

We piled all of the stuff listed above on top of fresh tortillas, lettuce, and a few tortilla strips. Yummmmm!

Hawaiian Haystacks

I'm WAY overdue in posting some of my favorite recipes of late. I just want to get a few on here for you to enjoy, so they'll have to do without any pictures!

Hawaiian Haystacks were a lifesaver a few weeks after my baby was born. I made the sauce on Sunday, and we ate them all week long!

Sweet and Sour Sauce
2 Tbsp smart balance butter
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups veggie broth
4 1/2 cups pineapple juice
1/4 vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. cornstarch

Combine ingredients in sauce pan without heat. Stir until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Heat sauce on high until it boils and thickens. Serve with fresh pineapple, mandarin oranges, olives, coconut, tomatoes, raisins, green onions, celery, chow mein noodles, any other fresh veggies you like, and rice/quinoa.

We all LOVED this meal. My husband would have liked having cheese and chicken on the side, but was actually really satisfied without! My kids liked choosing their own toppings and building their haystacks. The sauce makes a lot, but can easily be frozen for later!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Brussel Sprouts?

I HATED when we had to each mushy, microwave heated frozen brussel sprouts at dinner when I was a kid! Here's the solution: Chop fresh brussel sprouts to resemble chopped cabbage and saute with garlic and olive oil (Colby likes it best when the leaves are slightly charred). Serve with your favorite fish and the rice recipe below and you have a hit!

Possibly the best rice ever created...

For the 24th of July, I was treated to veggie kabobs and this rice pilaf at my Mom's house...
The kabobs included: pineapple, red potatoes, red/green/yellow peppers, whole mushrooms and red onions--all slathered in a sweet and light BBQ sauce.
She also made this rice, which is to die for! Here's the recipe:
Colby's Favorite Rice Pilaf (Mom):
Heat 1/2 cube butter, add 1/2 medium onion--diced and 1 bay leaf. Saute until tender--not browned Add 1 cup rice, stir to coat (don't brown) Pour in 2 cups hot stock, salt and bring to boil. Cover and simmer 18-20 minutes, fluff and remove bay leaf.
(My alterations: I used Smart Balance instead of butter and oregan instead of a bay leaf---Mmmmm. You could also sub veggie broth for the chicken broth...)


Sunday, June 27, 2010

Easy and filling salad (kandis)

I needed to use my lettuce before it went bad, so I did as follows:
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 bag lettuce
1 tomato
Colby's guac (in burrito bar post below)
cilantro
freshly toasted tortillas
home-made ranch dressing This was good and filling--and easy! It would be even better with this dressing:
Creamy Tomatillo dressing:
Combine in blender: buttermilk ranch dressing package, 1 can diced green chiles, mayo, 1 lime, 1 jalapeno, 2 tomatillos, ½ bunch cilantro, 1 yellow onion. So yummy! (but spicy!)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

what to do with boc choy... (kandis)

Ok, here is yet another meal made with what I had around (no, I don't usually have boc choy in my kitchen, but Robyn gave me a bunch and I couldn't let it go to waste!). I found a recipe online (below), didn't have all I needed and made this up as follows:
Ingredients:
chopped fresh broccoli, carrots, onion and boc choy, 1tsp garlic.
chow mein noodles
teriyaki sauce
olive oil (and sesame if you have it handy--if not, you probably won't miss it!)
Boil noodles (you only need to cook them about 3 minutes--if you do it too long you won't like them as well!) first and set aside on plate.
Heat olive oil (and a little sesame oil) in skillet, put in garlic and veggies and stir-fry until desired 'crisp-tenderness.' Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add more oil and place noodles in skillet to 'pan fry' (you may need to turn the heat up for a minute) with a few shakes of Teriyaki sauce.
**for kids: at this point I put some noodles on their plate with some broccoli and carrots from the veggie plate.
Return veggies to skillet with noodles, add more Teriyaki sauce (around 1/4 cup) and toss--serve.

**alternatives: add peanuts or cashews, toss with hot chili sauce for some kick. You could also add some shrimp if you needed a sea food meal for the week.
Here is the original recipe I found online (I'll be trying this next--minus the meat and wine--you can sub chicken stock for wine):
Szechuan Noodles recipe:

Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh noodles (Shanghai thin noodles are good)
1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into strips
4 ounces shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1/2 bok choy, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup carrot, cut on the diagonal
1/2 cup broccoli or cauliflower, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot bean sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cooking oil for stir-frying
Marinade:
1 teaspoon wine
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sauce:
1/2 cup stock
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Preparation:
Mix together marinade ingredients. Marinate chicken for at least twenty minutes. While marinating chicken, mix together sauce ingredients. Set aside. Also while marinating chicken, parboil noodles in a pot of boiling water for three minutes. Loosen up noodles with chopsticks as they are boiling. Drain.
Heat wok. When heated, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add garlic and chicken and stir-fry. When the chicken is nearly done, push the chicken up to the side of the wok and add the shrimp in the middle of the wok. Stir-fry. When the shrimp are done, mix the chicken and shrimp and remove from the wok to a platter.
Reheat the wok and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onions, bok choy, carrot and broccoli and stir-fry until tender and crisp. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the vegetables and mix it in. Remove the vegetables to a platter.
Clean out the wok with a paper towel. Heat wok again and add 3 tablespoons oil. Place noodles in the wok, using chopsticks to break them up. Add 2 tablespoons hot bean sauce and 1 tablespoon light soy sauce. Stir-fry until the noodles are heated through. Add cooked chicken, shrimp and all the vegetables. Restir sauce mixture and add. When it comes to a boil, test and adjust the seasoning if desired, then remove and serve.

Veggie enchiladas (kandis)

Here is my lazy attempt at simply using what I had on hand...


I chopped the veggies, steamed rice and toasted fresh tortillas--then mixed whatever sounded good (beans, rice, cilantro, olives, onion, canned chilies)--rolled into tortillas, placed in pan and topped with enchilada sauce. I baked it at 350 for 30 minutes--then topped with cilantro and tomatoes before serving.
**alternative suggestions: topping with Colby's home-made guac (recipe below in 'burrito bar'), using sliced peppers as well. (If you don't want super crunchy veggies--sautee onion and peppers for a few minutes to bring to 'crisp-tender' state before mixing all ingredients and baking).
**one more variation: I also love to omit the enchilada sauce and brush rolled tortillas with olive oil and sprinkle with salt before baking--it makes them crunchy and delicious!
**for my kids: I didn't put enchilada sauce on theirs and simply put rice and beans inside their tortillas and served with ketchup.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Made-up favorite: (Indian flare?)

This week I've been trying to make dinner with what I have in my kitchen. I made this up the other night and was shocked at how much I loved it! (I've now made and eaten it at least 4 times in the last week!)
Rice
Sautee: red/yellow/orange pepper slices, onion slices, zante currants (tiny raisins--normal ones would work great too), cashews. Season with olive oil, lemon juice and cumin in the pan (red pepper flakes if you like spicy). I topped with cilantro and just toasted some tortillas for presentation...
This week I've also tried it with white beans... you can't go wrong.
To make it even more flavorful, Colby suggested to add a yellow curry sauce (you can buy mix near the coconut milk down the 'asian/exotic' isle at the grocery store... remember--red curry is spicy!)
My grade A++, Colby's grade B (but with curry--A)


No-cook pasta sauce:

This was part of my attempt to only use what I had on hand in creating a edible dinner.
Whole-grain pasta, 5 fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, 1 can tomato sauce, salt/pepper.
Colby loves his pasta 'pure' (as he calls it)--'slightly boring' is what I call it. He gave it a B, but I like my pasta to be a little more adventurous, so I would have added sauteed veggies like zucchini, onion, peppers, etc. It was filling--which was a plus... (a touch of grated parmesan cheese couldn't hurt either...)

Zucchini Herb Casserole

(before the cheese)

I'm always looking for a good zucchini recipe since we produce BUCKETS of it!! So I found this one on http://www.allrecipes.com/ but modified it to make it delicious!

Zucchini Herb Casserole

1 cup uncooked brown rice (the browner the better I say when it comes to grains)

vegetable broth (if you want your rice cooked in it, yummy flavor!)

2 Tablespoons EVOO - extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. zucchini, cubed

1 green pepper, diced

1 cup sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. sweet paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped tomatoes (I used canned diced tomatoes, could use any kind)

1/2 - 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Cook the rice according to directions (use vegetable broth in place of water if you want). Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the zucchini slightly then add the green pepper, green onion and garlic another 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with garlic salt, basil, paprika, and oregano. Mix in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and cheese. Continue to cook until heated through. Transfer to casserole dish.
Bake uncovered 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Notes: So really I didn't mix the cheese in, I was short on time so I did everything else and put the cheese on top to melt (no cheese is fine too) while it was still in the skillet and then served it straight from there. Although I do think it would be that much better to let all the flavors combine while in the oven.

This is a great dish to take out or put in anything you want. I put in more vegetables, rice and spices, and did less cheese than the original recipe called for. You can too!! I think some onion, red pepper, yellow squash or even lentils, couscous or quinoa would be great!! Have fun with this creation.

Quote from my hubby, "When we eat stuff like this I don't even miss meat."
HALLELUJAH!!!!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Raisin Coleslaw

I am soooo happy to be your personal guinea pig...and share the results!! Here is to a healthier us!!

Raisin Coleslaw
Dr. Joel Fuhrman - Eat to Live


You'll need:


1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 baked potato (I had leftover baked red potatoes so I used those)
1 tsp. mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 cups cabbage, shredded
2 cups carrots, shredded (I went the easy route and got the coleslaw mix with cabbage and carrots -1 bag)
1 cup beets, shredded (optional) I passed!
2 cups apples, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped

Blend the raisins, apple juice, potato, mustard, and lemon juice, then mix all the ingredients together. Use this in place of a lettuce salad for lunch or dinner.

Well, I love coleslaw and this was really great for how healthy it is, just remember it is not as creamy and juicy without all that mayo but has a great flavor!!

If you're counting calories like me this makes about 10 servings so each serving is a cup and 65 calories. Now that is what I call nutrient dense calories (well really what Dr. Fuhrman would call it!!).

Enjoy!

Burrito bar:

This is what I was going to feed you Friday, but ended making for Sunday dinner at my Mom's instead (we'll do it again--I promise!).
The set up:
freshly toasted tortillas, rice, black beans, shredded romaine, freshly made salsa, freshly made guacamole, grilled peppers/red onion, small dish cilantro for garnish and for those to love to add it for flavor.
I just set it all out and let people create their own burritos, or salads (tomatillo dressing would have been a perfect side as well). Since my entire extended family hasn't read the book yet, I also set out some grilled chicken, ranch and cheese for those who were so inclined (which made this the perfect meal for all of us...)

Recipes:

Fresh Salsa:
6-8 large ripe tomatoes, 2 seeded jalapeno peppers, 1 large onion, 1 T cilantro, ½ tsp crushed garlic, 1 T onion salt, 2 T lime juice. Chop all and mix. Chill and serve.

Colby’s Guacamole:
Ingredients: 4 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 ripe, medium Roma tomato, seeded, diced, ½ Cup minced sweet white onion, 2 serrano chilies, seeded (I just used a can of diced green chiles), minced, ¼ Cup chopped cilantro leaves, 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice, Hot pepper sauce, sea salt, pepper to taste.
Instructions: Cut avocado in large chunks and mash coarsely in large bowl with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and blend gently - leaving some small chunks is fine. Taste and adjust seasoning with more pepper sauce, salt and pepper if desired.
For dessert:
Original recipe:
Healthier Krispies!
Ingredients: 3 tbsp. Smart Balance 37% Light Buttery Spread, 3 cups miniature marshmallows, 2 cups Fiber One cereal, 5 cups Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs or puffed wheat cereal.
Directions:Melt butter spread in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add both cereals. Stir until well coated. Using a spatula, press mixture evenly into a baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Allow to cool. Cut into 25 squares.

My modifications: 3 T Adam's peanut butter, 1 cup chocolate chips (that I melted with the marshmallows). I also topped half with coconut and toffee chips.
Note: Some people prefer the 'crispiness' of rice crispies instead--so if you're going for the perfect crowd pleaser--just use rice crispies cereal...

Dutch Babies

This is a staple for breakfast at our house--but it's mostly milk and eggs!
Original recipe:
Dutch Babies (Susan Whittenburg):
Ingredients: 3 eggs, 2/3 cup of milk, 2/3 cup flour, ½ tsp. Salt, 2 Tbl. butter
Preparation: melt butter in 8x8 casserole dish while oven preheats (can use 9x13—pancakes will be thinner), place all other ingredients into blender—eggs and milk first. Pour into dish with butter and bake at 450 degrees for 15 min. serves 6. Cook’s notes—this is a great ‘breakfast for dinner’ meal and tastes great with syrup, powdered sugar, or jam—yum! Serve with juice and side of fruit.
When my kids ask for eggs in the morning, I make this instead:
Kandis' Dutch Babies:
Ingredients: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 2/3 cup of rice milk, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, ½ tsp. Salt, 3 Tbl. Smart Balance.
Preparation: melt smart balance in 8x8 casserole dish as oven preheats (double recipe for 9x13 pan), place all other ingredients into blender—eggs and rice milk first. Pour into dish with melted smart balance and bake at 450 degrees for 15 min. serves 6.
Note: you need to watch the Smart Balance closely (it melts faster than the butter and will burn if you don't take it out of the oven as soon as it melts!). Each time I make this I top it with sliced strawberries and powdered sugar. I know it has eggs (I'm still working on finding a way around that!), but I feel better about feeding it to my kids with these modifications. Also, you can just use the egg whites for all 3 eggs, but it won't 'puff' at all--although it still tastes great--just thin...
Kid Grade: A (they don't notice the difference at all...)

Vegan Waffles (R)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups soymilk (I used ricemilk)
1/4 cup canola oil
3 Tbsp. brown sugar

First, I sifted the dry ingredients.

Next, I mixed the rice milk, oil, and brown sugar. I poured this into the flour mixture.

I stirred everything until just blended (leaving it a bit lumpy).

I sprayed the waffle iron with cooking spray (and sprayed it after EACH waffle...very important!)

I poured some mixture onto the iron, added some frozen blueberries,

let it cook for a few minutes, then topped each waffle with some pure maple syrup and fresh strawberries and pineapples. (And was too busy eating to take a picture of the end result!)

JOE'S GRADE: A-

These were so good! My husband actually preferred them to my non-vegan waffles. They were moist, had the perfect touch of sweetness from the ricemilk and brown sugar (I made these another time and used 2 Tbsp of agave nectar instead of the sugar...they were still awesome! You could also use a touch of stevia...). I loved the blueberries and fresh fruit!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Israeli Moroccan Couscous (R)

I found the recipe for Israeli Moroccan Couscous here.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, diced, 3 cups vegetable broth, 2 carrots, peeled and julienned, 2 turnips, peeled and julienned, 1 sweet potato, julienned, 1 zucchini, julienned, 1 red bell pepper, julienned, 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 pinch saffron, 1 pinch curry powder, 2 cups uncooked couscous

DIRECTIONS:

First, I chopped the onions, and julienned the veggies (minus the turnips...the ones at the store looked pretty nasty, so I left them out). By the way, a "julienne" (also called a "matchstick") is a type of cut that makes a long, thin strip. You could also just cube the vegetables...you may just have to cook it longer (and they wouldn't look as pretty)!

Next, I poured the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; and sauteed the onion until golden. I poured in some veggie broth, brought it to a boil, then stirred in the carrots and sweet potato. (If I'd used turnips, I would've added them at this point). I reduced the heat, and let these simmer for about 15 minutes.

After some simmering, I added the zucchini, and red bell pepper and simmered for another 20 minutes.

When the veggies were all soft, I stirred in the garbanzo beans, tomato sauce, cinnamon, turmeric, and curry powder. (I ommitted the saffron...I wasn't going to spend $15 for a little jar...I'm not sure what flavor it would have added). I simmered until everything was heated through.

The recipe calls for cooked couscous, but I used cooked quinoa instead.

JOE'S GRADE: B

My husband claims that he would never "crave" this dish, but he would definitely eat it again! My kids loved it, and I thought it was great! The sauce was savory, yet sweet. I would love to try it with turnips, and I'm curious what flavor the saffron would add. I loved it with the quinoa, but I'm sure it would also be great on rice or couscous. I will make it again when I'm in the mood for a warm, hearty meal.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Black bean burgers/strawberry-pear cobbler (K):

ORIGINAL RECIPE:

Home-cooked Beans:
1 bag (16 oz) dried red kidney beans, 1 small onion--cut in half, 1 pressed clove of garlic, 1 sprig parsely, 1 bay leaf.
Rinse beans in colander well with cold water; discard any stones or shriveled beans. In 5 quart saucepot, place beans and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Cover pot and let beans soak overnight. drain beans and return to saucepot. Add onion, garlic, parsely, bay leaf, and 6 cups water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and simmer 45-60 minutes or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain beans. Discard parsely and bay leaf. If not using right away, cover and chill for up to 5 days.

Veggie Bean Burgers:
2 cups home-cooked beans (recipe above), 2 T mayo, 1/3 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, 1 T plain dried bread crumbs, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp cayenne pepper sauce, salt, nonstick cooking spray, 1 T olive oil, 4 lettuce leaves, 1 large tomato cut into 4 slices, 4 hamburger buns split and toasted.

In large bowl, with potato masher or fork, mash beans with mayo until almost smooth (some lumps should remain). Stir in cilantro leaves, bread crumbs, ground cumin, hot pepper sauce, and 1/4 tsp salt until well combined. Divide mix into quarters; with lightly floured hands, shape eash into a 3-inch round patty. Lightly spray both sides of each patty with nonstick cooking spray. In nonstick skillet, heat olive oil on medium for 1 minute. Add bean patties, and cook about 10 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides and heated through. Arrange lettuce and tomato slices on bottoms of buns; top with patties and bun tops.


What I did:
I used a can of black beans instead and also put it in the food processor--which was a bad plan. Way too runny and I had to throw out half of the beans and add a ton more bread crumbs to get the consistency right. Case in point--just follow the recipe... and substitute black beans for red kidney beans to get that 'black bean spice.'
COLBY'S GRADE: B
SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE IT BETTER:
#1: Slice of swiss (or soy cheese for the perfectly devout), sauteed mushrooms, Teriyaki sauce. It was way too dry! But the patty was AMAZINGLY GOOD...
#2: Don't make the mistake of tauting this as a 'burger'--it is delicious as a black bean patty and it won't sell as a piece of meat!



Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie (healthy make-over from GHK):

Ingredients:

1 small orange
1 pound(s) strawberries, hulled and cut in half (or quarters if large)
10 ounce(s) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
1/3 cup(s) old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup(s) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup(s) whole-wheat flour
1 pinch(s) salt
3 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine, slightly softened


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. From orange, grate peel and divide between 2 large bowls; squeeze 1/4 cup orange juice into small bowl.
In 1 large bowl with peel, combine strawberries, rhubarb, and granulated sugar until well mixed. Into small bowl with juice, add cornstarch; stir until well mixed. Stir juice mixture into fruit mixture until well combined. Pour into 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate; spread filling in even layer.
In other large bowl with peel, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and pinch salt. With pastry blender or with fingertips, blend in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs with a few pea-size pieces remaining.
Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over strawberry mixture. Place pie plate on foil-lined cookie sheet to catch any drips. Bake 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and fruit filling is hot and bubbling.
Cool pie on wire rack until filling is set but still slightly warm, at least 1 hour. Serve warm.

What I did:
I didn't have rhubarb, so I diced two pears into large chunks instead. I didn't use granulated sugar, cornstarch, or the orange because I didn't have the orange and wasn't using the rhubarb. I also used Smart Balance instead of butter. So I ended up with a strawberry-pear cobbler instead and it was delicious!
COLBY'S GRADE: C (he said it needed whipping cream... of course!)
SUGGESTIONS: Colby doesn't love cobblers, but I do--so I give in an A+!!! It was easy, healthy and really good--the kids and I ate the whole dish without an once of guilt. I was happy Colby doesn't love cobbler because it left more for me! I can't wait to try the actual recipe when I get my hands on some rhubarb.