I don't really know what to call what I made tonight but it was pretty quick and tasty. It reminded me of other recipes that I've seen for "skillet lasagna" so I dunno. Here's what I did
Cook 1 package of whole wheat egg noodles - boil water and cook for 6 minutes
Then add about 1/2 cup of frozen spinach to the noodle water to de-thaw (like 3 more minutes)
while that is all cooking throw about 15 to 20 frozen meatballs mixed with 1 can of Italian diced tomatoes into the microwave to heat up (about 5-6 minutes)
Drain the water and mix it all together in the pot; add a handful (or two) of shredded colby-jack cheese and half a can of tomato sauce. add a scoop of cottage cheese on top of each serving.
October 18, 2011
Peppered squash chutney
Great way to use the last of the summer squash. So good on hot dogs.
This is the real recipe but I only made like a quarter batch.
Ingredients 3 pounds yellow summer squash, finely chopped 3 pounds zucchini, finely chopped 6 large onions, finely chopped 3 medium green peppers, finely chopped 3 medium sweet red peppers, finely chopped 1/4 cup salt 2 cups sugar 2 cups packed brown sugar 2 cups white vinegar 4 teaspoons celery seed 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground mustard Directions In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain vegetable mixture. Rinse in cold water and drain again. Place vegetables in a Dutch oven. Add the sugars, vinegar, celery seed, turmeric and mustard. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is clear. Remove from the heat; cool. Spoon into containers. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Yield: 4 quarts.
This is the real recipe but I only made like a quarter batch.
Ingredients 3 pounds yellow summer squash, finely chopped 3 pounds zucchini, finely chopped 6 large onions, finely chopped 3 medium green peppers, finely chopped 3 medium sweet red peppers, finely chopped 1/4 cup salt 2 cups sugar 2 cups packed brown sugar 2 cups white vinegar 4 teaspoons celery seed 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground mustard Directions In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain vegetable mixture. Rinse in cold water and drain again. Place vegetables in a Dutch oven. Add the sugars, vinegar, celery seed, turmeric and mustard. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is clear. Remove from the heat; cool. Spoon into containers. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Yield: 4 quarts.
October 6, 2011
flour tortillas
This is really flatbread because it puffs up pretty thick. For tortillas use 1/2 to 2/3 t baking powder instead. I make it both ways and it is SO good. Its a major improvement from the store bought stuff. Just put it in a big ziplock bag and it keeps in the refridgerator really well. I loke to add a little garlic to the flatbread dough and use as pizza crust when I dont want to wait for the yeast to do the rising.
Texas Flour Tortillas
Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk
Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
Makes eight tortillas.
2 cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk
Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
Makes eight tortillas.
September 9, 2011
I made grape Jam!!!
So I saw this 3lb box of black grapes at kents for 99cents! Talk about cheap! So I grabbed one up with my chicken and headed home. Now personally I've never been a big fan of grape jelly (or any jelly) im more of a berry jam kind of gal, but a certain someone I know just loves him some pb and grape jelly. So I decided to try a grape jam (made with pieces of friut instead of just juices) and see what happens.
I pulled all the grapes off the vine and gave them a wash, them I just threw them in the blender to puree (it made about 4 cups 'juice' cuz there were some bad ones and I ate some too). I put it in a pot and mixed it with a box of pectin, bring to a full boil (while during constantly) and add 1, thats right 1!, cup of sugar. Boil for about 10 minutes (spooning out a little onto a chilled plate to test that if it is thinkening how you want) then pour into 4, sanatized, half pint mason jars and let cool completely. If you want to store them in the pantry you need to do a water bath immediatly after filling the jars. so put the jars in your canner covered by 2 inches of water and boil for 15 minutes.
I gotta say; black grape jam is WAY better than super sugary concord grape jelly!!
August 22, 2011
Cauliflour soup
I really need to take more pictures of this delicious food for you to see but we just gobble it up to quick!
I'd be wanting to make some cauliflower soup for a long time because a guy I used to work with talked about how excited he was to go back to Wisconsin for Christmas to have it. Apparently it's another thing Wisconsin is famous for....and here I thought it was all about cheese, beer and Green Bay.
Anyway here's the recipe. It was smooth and creamy and delicious. We ate it with whole wheat salteens (which taste the same as regular salteens by the way) but it would be even better with a loaf of sour dough or french bread to dip it in. Yumm...
1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp parsley
1/3 cup milk
Salt (1tsp?) and Pepper (2tsp?)
Optional additions 3-4 sticks of celery (i didnt have any in the fridge so i left this out), water to help with softening the veggies and thining the soup (if you use too much water just add some cornstarch mixed in cold water to thicken it back up), and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (not my favorite kind of cheese so i dont keep it in the house either)
Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower the chop coarsely.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and, using whatever blender you have (immersion or standard), puree the soup and return it to the pot.
Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper and parsley Add milk (and cheese) Keep warm until ready to serve.
I'd be wanting to make some cauliflower soup for a long time because a guy I used to work with talked about how excited he was to go back to Wisconsin for Christmas to have it. Apparently it's another thing Wisconsin is famous for....and here I thought it was all about cheese, beer and Green Bay.
Anyway here's the recipe. It was smooth and creamy and delicious. We ate it with whole wheat salteens (which taste the same as regular salteens by the way) but it would be even better with a loaf of sour dough or french bread to dip it in. Yumm...
1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
1 Tbsp parsley
1/3 cup milk
Salt (1tsp?) and Pepper (2tsp?)
Optional additions 3-4 sticks of celery (i didnt have any in the fridge so i left this out), water to help with softening the veggies and thining the soup (if you use too much water just add some cornstarch mixed in cold water to thicken it back up), and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (not my favorite kind of cheese so i dont keep it in the house either)
Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower the chop coarsely.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and, using whatever blender you have (immersion or standard), puree the soup and return it to the pot.
Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper and parsley Add milk (and cheese) Keep warm until ready to serve.
August 16, 2011
Green Beans with biscuits and gravy
I hate canned green beans. Seriously we got like 12 cans from the hubby's grandma years ago and every time he would open a can i literally had to CHOKE them down UGH :P So when we got like a gallon size bag of them from Bountiful Baskets I was NOT looking forward to eating them. But hubby sauteed them with olive oil and salt and they were nice and edible so long as they were still hot. Then I made a casserole with them and can I just tell you that green beans have never tasted so good! I was surprised! Plus it was super easy.
Here's what you need :
1 can cream of mushroom
a splash of milk (maybe 1/4 cup)
three big handful of great big green beans
Onion powder (maybe 1 Tbsp)
1 batch of buttermilk biscuit dough (or a tube of refrigerator stuff if you have to)
First trim grab your kitchen sheers and trim the ends off and cut into 1 inch strips and put in a 8inch square dish
sprinkle with onion powder (i sauteed mine for a minute or two but it was probably unnecessary)
then add the cream of mushroom and milk and mix it all together
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes to get it all heated up (you could even microwave it for like 7 or 8 minutes instead of baking it for this part)
Top the heated mixture with biscuit dough and bake for another 15-18 minutes. Just till the biscuits are nice and golden brown on top.
scoop it out and enjoy!
PS this reheated really well also.
Here's what you need :
1 can cream of mushroom
a splash of milk (maybe 1/4 cup)
three big handful of great big green beans
Onion powder (maybe 1 Tbsp)
1 batch of buttermilk biscuit dough (or a tube of refrigerator stuff if you have to)
First trim grab your kitchen sheers and trim the ends off and cut into 1 inch strips and put in a 8inch square dish
sprinkle with onion powder (i sauteed mine for a minute or two but it was probably unnecessary)
then add the cream of mushroom and milk and mix it all together
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes to get it all heated up (you could even microwave it for like 7 or 8 minutes instead of baking it for this part)
Top the heated mixture with biscuit dough and bake for another 15-18 minutes. Just till the biscuits are nice and golden brown on top.
scoop it out and enjoy!
PS this reheated really well also.
July 22, 2011
Mongolian Chicken (or beef)
Mongolian sauce
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 tsp ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp COLD water
in a pot over medium heat fry the garlic for about 20 seconds (helps bring out the flavor) then add the soy sauce, water, ginger, and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar and boil for a few minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue stirring for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove from heat and pour into a bottle so you can pour some over the chicken and over your noodles/rice. Store the rest in the fridge.
Cut one large chicken breast into 1" chunks and sprinkle 2 Tbsp of cornstarch over them to coat just as you start cooking them. When the chicken is all browned and cooked through set a side and stir a little of the sauce into it to soak up the flavors.
Stir-fry your veggies and rice. Mix it all together and serve. Don't forget to garnish with a lot of diced green onions!
(PS keeping green onions fresh on hand is kind of a hassle so what I do is buy one bunch for when i need it and chop up the whole thing into the little tiny rounds. Use what i need that day and freeze the rest. They keep really well in the freezer and then you just have to add them in for the last minute of cooking or sprinkle them on your enchiladas right before you put them in the oven or whatever you want to use them on)
July 20, 2011
BBQ chicken pizza
I cooked a chicken breast in a small pot on the stove with bbq sauce 1tsp garlic and 1 Tbsp thyme over low heat (3 on my stove) for like 30 minutes while I was waiting for my dough to rise. Since it was such low heat i didn't even have to watch it, just put a lid on and came back to rip it into small chunks. I only used about 1/2 the breast on the pizza too so now i have leftovers for a sandwich or more pizza later in the week.
Roll out your dough to about 1/4 in thick put it on your cookie sheet and stab it with a fork all over (this way when it cooks it wont bubble up) then bake it at 400' for 3-5 minutes.
Do this with either homemade dough or use a package of Jiffy pizza dough, it tastes good, it's less than 50cents, it's easy and takes 5 minutes, I usually add just a couple tablespoons of wheat flour when I use the Jiffy kind because it just seems too sticky otherwise
Take it out of the oven and top with
1/3 cup (more or less) bbq sauce, I use sweet baby rays
1/2 of a chicken breast, in small chunks
some diced red onion
slices of peppers red, green, yellow, whatever you have/like. i just thawed some pepper stir fry
1/8 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheeses you want)
Put it back in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, til the edges brown nicely.
Here is the recipe I used for the pizza dough. I've also used this to make bread sticks, just brush some butter mixed with garlic and a sprinkle of salt and finely shredded cheese.
Delicious Dough
1-1/2 cup warm water (like 110' don't do super hot water, over 125' will kill your yeast)
1 Tbsp sugar
2-1/2 tsp (or one envelope) yeast.
I use dry active yeast that i keep in the fridge so you have to let the yeast sit out for a minute or two in the bowl before you sprinkle the sugar and water on top. Then use a fork to mix it together and let it poof (foam up) for about 10 minutes. Then add
3-1/2 cup flour (I use half whole wheat half all purpose but you can use what ever you want)
1 tsp salt
Use the fork to mix it all together for a minute then when switch to you hand. You want to kneed the dough for at least a few minutes so that it all comes together smoothly and helps the yeast do it's job. Kneading the dough is important for the gluten to develop properly, you don't want the dough to rip, just use your palms to stretch the dough and fold it over and stretch it some more. This way your bread/rolls/crust will be sturdy and chewy.
Using a firm hand roll the dough into a nice tight ball, place it into a bowl that has a light spray of cooking oil and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow it to rise to double in size, like 2 hours or so. If your house is cold it wont rise properly. what you can do to help it rise on a cold day is turn on your oven just to 200 and as soon as it heats up turn it off, place the bowl with the dough in the oven and leave the oven slightly cracked.
Pepperoni Pinwheels
Roll out the dough into one big rectangle.
in a blender put 1/4 cup pizza sauce, 1/2 c shredded mozzarella, and 20 or so pepperoni slices,
pulse a couple times and then spread it onto your dough (you can also skip the blender and just layer it on but the pepperoni makes it hard to roll up)
Make sure you don't over fill or it will spread apart in the oven.
roll the dough up like you would cinnamon rolls and freeze it for 30 minutes (so that it slices easier)
Slice into 1 inch rounds and place on a sprayed cookie sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes at 400'
Enjoy for dinner or lunch :)
Lime Sorbet
And I don't even have an ice cream maker. Hence sorbet not sherbet. I figured it would be easier to just work with, mostly frozen, flavored water and some time in the future I'll attempt the creamy frozen milky-ness.
Honestly, it took less work than I thought and it turned out pretty good. I wouldn't quit my day job (bu dum bum chush) but i'll do it again with other flavors i'm sure.
Lime sorbet
squeeze the juice out of 5 limes (about 1/2 cup) and get the zest from 2 or 3 of them
1 cup of sugar
1/8 tsp salt and
1-1/2 cups water
Mix together until sugar is completely disolved
Add 1 Tbsp vodka (or use rum to make it Magrarita Ice!)
the alcohol will help it be creamy and prevent it from freezing TOO much so you can still scoop it. If you want to omit the alcohol add 1/4 cup more sugar to help prevent it from freezing too solid.
Then all you have to do is put it in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
Make sure you mix it up every hour or so to help it all freeze and cream together nicely.
June 27, 2011
Just found my new favorite purse snack!
Purse. Diaperbag. Backpack. Desk, wherever you keep your out and about snack foods these need to go in the rotation. Seriously! I got a dozen of them at Winco and im going back for more. You get 5 for $1 and they are all natural no sugar no nothin' added. Woot woot! So perfect for trips out hiking or to the pool or when I just don't want think about what to snack on while at home.
Mmmm delicious fruit leathers.
June 14, 2011
Cous-cous
Just a quick easy side dish. So quick it only takes like 6minutes from the moment you decide to make it to the moment you get to actually eat it. Cous cous is a kind of pasta but you'd think it was a kind of rice if you've never had it. They are super tiny pasta balls (kinda resembling rice cernals) and I love the change in texture it provides. Love!
"Near East" has some scrumptious flavors but it is a little pricy (like $2/box) compaired to just buying plain cous-cous and adding your own flavors (which is like $0.15/serving for the whole wheat cous-cous i got at Winco)
All you do it heat up 1 cup water on the stove and add 1 chicken (or veggie) boullion cube, about 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp garlic
Bring it to a boil and pour in 1 cup cous-cous
Remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and enjoy :)
"Near East" has some scrumptious flavors but it is a little pricy (like $2/box) compaired to just buying plain cous-cous and adding your own flavors (which is like $0.15/serving for the whole wheat cous-cous i got at Winco)
All you do it heat up 1 cup water on the stove and add 1 chicken (or veggie) boullion cube, about 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp garlic
Bring it to a boil and pour in 1 cup cous-cous
Remove it from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and enjoy :)
June 9, 2011
Pork tenderloin with Maple glaze
1 pork tenderloin
1 tsp dried sage (also good with terragon)
salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
5 tbsp pure maple syrup
5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dejon mustard
rub pork with dried sage sea salt and pepper heat olive oil in large skillet over med-hi heat onve it's hot add the pork tenderloin and cook untill it's brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 5-6 minutes. reduce heat to medium low, insert a meat thermometer in the thickets part and cover and cook til thermometer registers 150' turning occasionally, about 10 minutes longer.
transfer prk to a platter and cover with aluminum foil tent to keep warm.
whisk together maple syrup apple sider vinegar and mustard in the same pan the pork was cooked in be sure to scrape up any burned bits and mix in with the sauce (it'll add good flavor). bring to a boil then reduce to med heat and cook until the sauce thickens a bit, 2-3 minutes. return pork to the skillet to coat in the glaze. then you can pull it out and cut into 1/2 inch slices. spoon additionall glaze over the sliced pork and serve.
Swiss Chard and baked sweet potato
I haven't really jumped on the "meatless mondays" bandwagon like Ive seen so many people do but I do ramdomly make dinner that doesn't have any meat in it. (Half the time it's because i'm too lazy to prepair/cook the meat :) ) Anywho, when I got this big bunch of swiss chard I had no idea what to do with it. I'd never eaten swiss chard before so I wasn't even sure what it tasted like. I found this recipe that looked really promising and I've got to tell ya, it was a pretty good quick, easy, and filling dinner.
Ingredients:
-1 large sweet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
-1 bunch swiss chard
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
-1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- cheese of your choice (I used shredded colby jack but mozzarella, Parmesan or cheddar would work well too)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced sweet potato onto one side of the baking sheet with the stems of the chard on the other. Sprinkle a little olive oil and cheese on the chard stems and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
2. Wash the swiss chard and chop the leaves into 2-inch wide strips. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Add swiss chard, garlic and red pepper flakes to pan, toss swiss chard around the pan until it starts to wilt a little.
3. Place lid on pan and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
4. Remove sweet potato chunks from oven and toss into pan with swiss chard for last few minutes of cooking.
5. Sprinkle ground nutmeg over the swiss chard and sweet potatoes. Toss them together and serve with the stems on the side.
Ingredients:
-1 large sweet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
-1 bunch swiss chard
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
-1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- cheese of your choice (I used shredded colby jack but mozzarella, Parmesan or cheddar would work well too)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced sweet potato onto one side of the baking sheet with the stems of the chard on the other. Sprinkle a little olive oil and cheese on the chard stems and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
2. Wash the swiss chard and chop the leaves into 2-inch wide strips. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan. Add swiss chard, garlic and red pepper flakes to pan, toss swiss chard around the pan until it starts to wilt a little.
3. Place lid on pan and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
4. Remove sweet potato chunks from oven and toss into pan with swiss chard for last few minutes of cooking.
5. Sprinkle ground nutmeg over the swiss chard and sweet potatoes. Toss them together and serve with the stems on the side.
June 1, 2011
Smoothies
Have you seen all the "green smoothie" hype going around? Well there is good reason for it! Smoothies can be full of hundreds of discretionary calories OR they can be some of the HEALTHIEST things you eat ALL DAY!
If you are like me (and most of the rest of America) you don't get nearly enough vegetables, especially your dark green cancer fighting, nutrient dense goodness (I'm talkin' iron, calcium, potassium, vitamins B C K and E not to mention the fiber). The trick with these green smoothies is to acclimate your taste buds. If you just jump right in with 2 cups of greens add some flax (or chia) and protein powder with a handful of berries you are going to hate it. Start with something you will Look Forward to eating and build from there.
As you get used to the less sweet taste of your home made smoothies add more and more greens to it. You will feel FAN-freakin-TASTIC if allow yourself to enjoy a nutritious smoothie everyday.
Here is a great way to start.
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
Like 4 or 5 frozen cauliflower florets
1/4 cup frozen mixed berries (ive found that target has the best price for Big 3lb bags of mixed berries [like $7] and tropical fruit [like $10])
And like 1/2 cup (or more if it doesn't mix up well) of walmart brand of the v8 Fusion stuff or orange juice.
Play around with it and add fresh tomatoes or some other veggie that you have in the fridge.
Frozen cauliflower works well but broccoli not so well, carrots don't mix up well raw but would work fine if they were cooked to be softer, we've put frozen peppers in and those worked well too they do add a slight peppery taste unlike the cauliflour or zucchini or yellow squash which just kinda help mute the taste of the greens.
I don't really like adding yogurt but sometimes ill do half juice half milk.
Remember: variety is the spice of life! As amazing as spinach is for you with all that K and folate in it change up the greens you use with kale, swiss chard, and romaine lettuce. Try a variety of other vegetables and fruits too to make sure you are getting a great balance of vitamins and minerals.
If you are like me (and most of the rest of America) you don't get nearly enough vegetables, especially your dark green cancer fighting, nutrient dense goodness (I'm talkin' iron, calcium, potassium, vitamins B C K and E not to mention the fiber). The trick with these green smoothies is to acclimate your taste buds. If you just jump right in with 2 cups of greens add some flax (or chia) and protein powder with a handful of berries you are going to hate it. Start with something you will Look Forward to eating and build from there.
As you get used to the less sweet taste of your home made smoothies add more and more greens to it. You will feel FAN-freakin-TASTIC if allow yourself to enjoy a nutritious smoothie everyday.
Here is a great way to start.
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
Like 4 or 5 frozen cauliflower florets
1/4 cup frozen mixed berries (ive found that target has the best price for Big 3lb bags of mixed berries [like $7] and tropical fruit [like $10])
And like 1/2 cup (or more if it doesn't mix up well) of walmart brand of the v8 Fusion stuff or orange juice.
Play around with it and add fresh tomatoes or some other veggie that you have in the fridge.
Frozen cauliflower works well but broccoli not so well, carrots don't mix up well raw but would work fine if they were cooked to be softer, we've put frozen peppers in and those worked well too they do add a slight peppery taste unlike the cauliflour or zucchini or yellow squash which just kinda help mute the taste of the greens.
I don't really like adding yogurt but sometimes ill do half juice half milk.
Remember: variety is the spice of life! As amazing as spinach is for you with all that K and folate in it change up the greens you use with kale, swiss chard, and romaine lettuce. Try a variety of other vegetables and fruits too to make sure you are getting a great balance of vitamins and minerals.
Chocolate Cake
I promise I'll post some more dinners soon :) but today it's chocolate cake. ReAlly good chocolate cake. As silly as it may be, when I test out recipe after recipe for somethings I'm really trying to recreate a box version...without the preservatives and stuff. It's just the perfect amount of fluffyness and moistness and ... chocolatey-ness. So next time you want a devils food cake try this one instead. You wont be dissappointed!
1 1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 lg eggs and 1 egg white
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 butter milk
1/2 c vegetabel oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350
1 1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 lg eggs and 1 egg white
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 butter milk
1/2 c vegetabel oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350
May 10, 2011
Cheesecake the easy way
I love cheesecake. I would eat it every month if it was healthier but alas a desert made out of cream cheese and whipping cream can't really turn healthy so it'll remain a couple times a year treat for me. There are only two ways I will make cheesecake. The very time consuming, very precise new york style (that isn't even guaranteed to turn out the same each time) or the never fail, wonderfully creamy easy cheesecake. It's delightful plain or with fruit topping. I like to use canned cherry pie filling on my piece :) So when that next bbq comes around and you want a lick the plate delicious desert to bring whip up this bad boy!
Graham cracker crust
smash one package graham crackers in large baggie using a rolling pin until fine crumbs
add
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
mix well
press into 9 inch pie pan
Cheesecake filling
1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
in a separate bowl whip until stiff
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla after it's pretty thick
mix together and pour into crust
refrigerate until served
Slice into 8 pieces and top with anything you like! Cherries, strawberries, chocolate candy pieces the options are endless.
Graham cracker crust
smash one package graham crackers in large baggie using a rolling pin until fine crumbs
add
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
mix well
press into 9 inch pie pan
Cheesecake filling
1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
1 cup powdered sugar
in a separate bowl whip until stiff
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla after it's pretty thick
mix together and pour into crust
refrigerate until served
Slice into 8 pieces and top with anything you like! Cherries, strawberries, chocolate candy pieces the options are endless.
May 1, 2011
Granola and Trail Mix
I did something I never really thought I'd do. Not because it seemed hard our time consuming but just because I never saw the point before. Granola was never my favorite thing to munch on but with all the nutritional reading I've been doing lately, all the raw food/whole food diet stuff, figuring out how best to compile a diet for my family to grow up healthy and the "how to cook everything" book by mark bittman that my hubby gave me for my birthday I decided to give it a shot.
Not onl is it super easy but its pretty tasty if do say so myself. And its 100% natural. I started out doing a small batch but the hubs has been eating it with milk in the morning so I'm going to make a biggerbatch this morning so he can have it for breakfast and I can eat my trail mix. Maybe ill even turn it into granola bars sometime. I'll let you know.
Granola
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray then combine
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4c flax meal (for added nutriunts and fiber but if you want to mke it without a trip to the bulk food isle it still works fantastic if you omit it)
A pinch of salt (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)
Then add
4Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp maple syrup (it must be REAL maple syrup not that icky fake stuff)
1/4 cup apple juice (i've also used orange juice cuz I didnt have apple and it was still good just a different flavor)
Stir untill it is all evenly combine and bake at 325for 15 minutes. Stir once breaking up any large clumps and bake for another 8 minutes so its all nice and dried out again.
This will store indefinently in the fridge or (im told) for a few months in the pantry. It is enough to fill a quart sized baggie.
Trail Mix
Take your granola and separate into two quart size bags (after its fully cooled). In one bag add a heaping 1/4 cup scoop on each peanuts, and dried cherries, and a handful of chocolate chips, m&m's or chocolate covered rasins.
In the other bag add 1/4 cup of crasins and almond slices (if you toast the almonds in a skillet over med-hi heat for about 45 seconds, just till they are fregrant it adds a nice flavor).
Then all you have to do is shake up each bag a bit and you're good to go.
The almond one is really good as cereal. :)
I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
Not onl is it super easy but its pretty tasty if do say so myself. And its 100% natural. I started out doing a small batch but the hubs has been eating it with milk in the morning so I'm going to make a biggerbatch this morning so he can have it for breakfast and I can eat my trail mix. Maybe ill even turn it into granola bars sometime. I'll let you know.
Granola
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray then combine
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4c flax meal (for added nutriunts and fiber but if you want to mke it without a trip to the bulk food isle it still works fantastic if you omit it)
A pinch of salt (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)
Then add
4Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp maple syrup (it must be REAL maple syrup not that icky fake stuff)
1/4 cup apple juice (i've also used orange juice cuz I didnt have apple and it was still good just a different flavor)
Stir untill it is all evenly combine and bake at 325for 15 minutes. Stir once breaking up any large clumps and bake for another 8 minutes so its all nice and dried out again.
This will store indefinently in the fridge or (im told) for a few months in the pantry. It is enough to fill a quart sized baggie.
Trail Mix
Take your granola and separate into two quart size bags (after its fully cooled). In one bag add a heaping 1/4 cup scoop on each peanuts, and dried cherries, and a handful of chocolate chips, m&m's or chocolate covered rasins.
In the other bag add 1/4 cup of crasins and almond slices (if you toast the almonds in a skillet over med-hi heat for about 45 seconds, just till they are fregrant it adds a nice flavor).
Then all you have to do is shake up each bag a bit and you're good to go.
The almond one is really good as cereal. :)
I hope you enjoy it as much as I am!
April 24, 2011
Sweet Potato Fries
Yams and sweet potatoes have more to them then your classic russet potato. Though all of them are generally pretty good for you when you leave the skins on and bake them in the oven. Given you leave the skins on when you chop them into your fry shape if you eat 1 medium size potato (of either kind) you get 30-50% of your daily recomended fiber intake. They are also packed with potassium. What ever way you go here is a good way to bake them
wash your vegetable and scrub clean with you hands.
slice into long fry shape. Toss with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and maybe a little chili powder bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. If you're using russet potatoes throw on a little shredded cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes for aome extra yummy-ness.
wash your vegetable and scrub clean with you hands.
slice into long fry shape. Toss with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and maybe a little chili powder bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. If you're using russet potatoes throw on a little shredded cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes for aome extra yummy-ness.
April 18, 2011
Grilled corn on the Cob
Heres a quick tip if your bbq-ing, skip the pot and grill the corn, it's SO much better that way. Of course there is more than one way to skin a cat. You could leave the husk on and grill it for about 25 minutes (rotating every 5 minutes or so) OR you could do it my way,
Remove the husks and get out a large bowl.
Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the corn
add 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of sugar
stir until the salt and sugar have desolved completely
let the corn soak for 1-3 hours
Then grill your corn for about 16 minutes turning every 4 minutes so you get a nice grill on all 4 sides.
I promise if you do it this way you will ALWays end up with perfectly sweet corn and that girll flavor is fan-tas-tic!
Remove the husks and get out a large bowl.
Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the corn
add 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of sugar
stir until the salt and sugar have desolved completely
let the corn soak for 1-3 hours
Then grill your corn for about 16 minutes turning every 4 minutes so you get a nice grill on all 4 sides.
I promise if you do it this way you will ALWays end up with perfectly sweet corn and that girll flavor is fan-tas-tic!
April 11, 2011
Cranberry Banana cookies
These cookies are moist and delicious. If you want some yummy oatmeal cookies that are a bit different than the classic chocolate chip or raisin ones give these a try and you wont be disappointed.
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 med ripe banana
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup apple juice
1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t baking soda
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 med ripe banana
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup apple juice
1 egg 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t baking soda
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.
Baked Oatmeal
In my effort to eat more healthy I've been eating less processed food and that includes those packages of oatmeal. Here is an tastier way to eat oatmeal and it keeps well in the fridge so you can just make it once and eat it all week. Just put some in a bowl and microwave it for about a minute. That's even less time than the packets *wink wink*
Since it's already baked you could just cover it an leave it on the counter but it'll last longer in the fridge.
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/4 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup dried cranberries ( if you decide to skip tht craisins I would add more apple peices)
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large apple, grated using the large holes of a cheese grater or chopped into really small pieces
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
Real maple syrup
Cooking spray
Since it's already baked you could just cover it an leave it on the counter but it'll last longer in the fridge.
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/4 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup dried cranberries ( if you decide to skip tht craisins I would add more apple peices)
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large apple, grated using the large holes of a cheese grater or chopped into really small pieces
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
Real maple syrup
Cooking spray
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, cranberries, walnuts, and baking powder; set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, grated apple, butter, and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
- After if you went light on the brown sugar drizzle a couple tablespoons worth of maple syrup on top to amp up the sweetness with a natural sweetner. (Please Please get the REAL maple syrup, it tastes SOO much better. I know it's more expensive, at walmart i get it for 6.75 instead of buying the fake crap for like 1.50, but it's definently worth it. It's sweeter and has better flavor, you use less than half of what you would on your breakfast foods than you do with imitation. Plus it's natural and there in no denying that too much processing isn't good for you long term)
March 15, 2011
Pancakes vs Waffles
Have you ever had the frozen pancakes from the grocory store? We used to get them when my hubs and I were first living together before I started making my own. After having the baby I bought them again for some easy breakfasts but man was that a MISTAKE! They were SO much worse than I remember. Our babe is 7 months old now and they are still in the freezer. I've never been a huge fan of the Bisquick pancakes either. Cooking pancakes is like an art, they have to been perfectly golden on the outside and not at all gooey on the inside for me to really enjoy them. That's why I prefer waffles :) But our waffle maker was crappy and broke and I haven't felt the need to replace it. This recipe works Great for either one. I actually LIKE pancakes with this recipe.
2-1/4 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
Use a whisk to combine all the ingredients until smooth. (Idealy you'll always combine the wet and dry separately and then mix them together. But truthfully I hate having to wash out two bowls so I just combine all the wet ingredients and then try and spread out all the dry ingredients evenly over the top.)
using a 1/4 measuring cup spoon the mixture onto a skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side over medium-high heat (like between 6 and 7) When bubbles start for form on the top it should be ready to flip without oozing all over.
These work Fantastic to make ahead of time. Just make a whole batch and allow to cool completely, then place 3 or 4 in each plastic baggie and put it in the freezer. When you need it in the morning just pull it out of the baggie and microwave for 1 minute, rearrange the order of the pancakes and microwave for 30 more seconds. Sometimes I will fold in 1/2 cup blueberries or chocolate chips when i make them and then when I re-heat them in the morning I can just grab and go cuz they don't need syrup.
(I've eaten my own pancakes from the freezer up to about 2 months after being made and they were still good, not sure what the upper limit is on them though)
On a related note, if you are still using imitation syrup you should really try the real maple syrup. I know it's only like $1 for the fake stuff and like $6 for the real stuff but i PROMISE you it is totally worth it. Your pancakes will taste SO much better and you don't have to use as much syrup either. So it's really not the 6 to 1 price difference you thought it was.. more like 3 to 1 :) :)
2-1/4 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
Use a whisk to combine all the ingredients until smooth. (Idealy you'll always combine the wet and dry separately and then mix them together. But truthfully I hate having to wash out two bowls so I just combine all the wet ingredients and then try and spread out all the dry ingredients evenly over the top.)
using a 1/4 measuring cup spoon the mixture onto a skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side over medium-high heat (like between 6 and 7) When bubbles start for form on the top it should be ready to flip without oozing all over.
These work Fantastic to make ahead of time. Just make a whole batch and allow to cool completely, then place 3 or 4 in each plastic baggie and put it in the freezer. When you need it in the morning just pull it out of the baggie and microwave for 1 minute, rearrange the order of the pancakes and microwave for 30 more seconds. Sometimes I will fold in 1/2 cup blueberries or chocolate chips when i make them and then when I re-heat them in the morning I can just grab and go cuz they don't need syrup.
(I've eaten my own pancakes from the freezer up to about 2 months after being made and they were still good, not sure what the upper limit is on them though)
On a related note, if you are still using imitation syrup you should really try the real maple syrup. I know it's only like $1 for the fake stuff and like $6 for the real stuff but i PROMISE you it is totally worth it. Your pancakes will taste SO much better and you don't have to use as much syrup either. So it's really not the 6 to 1 price difference you thought it was.. more like 3 to 1 :) :)
Ming's "Asian" meatloaf
Okay so this one isn't quite as 'healthy-ish" as my classic meat loaf but it's damn good.
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 large onion diced
2Tbsp Traditional spicy sambal (or your favorite hot sauce)
2 T minced garlic
2 T soy sauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup spiced panko bread crumbs (you can use store bought or make your own using: 1 c bread crumbs 1/4T thyme 1/4 T basil 1 t ginger 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp chili powder)
3 strips of bacon
In a large bowl use your hands to combine all the ingredients except for the bacon. Gently press the mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan and top with the bacon strips.
Bake at 350' for 50 minutes
Serve with more sambal or ketchup to dip it in.
recipe from Ming Tsai - Blue ginger restaurant
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 large onion diced
2Tbsp Traditional spicy sambal (or your favorite hot sauce)
2 T minced garlic
2 T soy sauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup spiced panko bread crumbs (you can use store bought or make your own using: 1 c bread crumbs 1/4T thyme 1/4 T basil 1 t ginger 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp chili powder)
3 strips of bacon
In a large bowl use your hands to combine all the ingredients except for the bacon. Gently press the mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan and top with the bacon strips.
Bake at 350' for 50 minutes
Serve with more sambal or ketchup to dip it in.
recipe from Ming Tsai - Blue ginger restaurant
Spicy Sambal
Make your own hot sauce. It's easy and delicious.
2lbs dried red or fresh jalapenos stemmed and chopped very roughly
10 fresh thai chiles or 1 T red pepper flakes
1 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
In a med saucepan combine jalapenos chiles garlic and oil and cook over low heat until the ingredients soften and blend, about 15 mins, add vinegar and cook until reduced by half, about 15 mins more.
remove from heat and add sugar and salt
cool to room temp and transfer to food processor and pulse 4 times to a salsa like texture
store in refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar.
Oh the things you never thought you would do eh? :)
2lbs dried red or fresh jalapenos stemmed and chopped very roughly
10 fresh thai chiles or 1 T red pepper flakes
1 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
In a med saucepan combine jalapenos chiles garlic and oil and cook over low heat until the ingredients soften and blend, about 15 mins, add vinegar and cook until reduced by half, about 15 mins more.
remove from heat and add sugar and salt
cool to room temp and transfer to food processor and pulse 4 times to a salsa like texture
store in refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar.
Oh the things you never thought you would do eh? :)
March 1, 2011
Oatmeal Breakfast Bread
This is a great way to get some nutritious food in the morning that you don't have to prepare. (Well after the initial baking of it the day before of course) Just grab two slices with your coffee or orange juice and enjoy!
When I first made this bread my husband took about 1/4 of the loaf with him as he ran out the door to work, and when he came home this is what he said:
"What WAS that bread you made? It was SOOO good! You should keep that in the house always! At first I thought it was banana bread (cuz that's what I made in the loaf pans the last 5 times lol) then I saw the walnuts on top. Yum!."
This bread will keep well wrapped in plastic wrap for 3-4 days on the counter or you can slice it and freeze for up to 2 months. Just pop slices in the toaster or microwave to thaw.
When I first made this bread my husband took about 1/4 of the loaf with him as he ran out the door to work, and when he came home this is what he said:
"What WAS that bread you made? It was SOOO good! You should keep that in the house always! At first I thought it was banana bread (cuz that's what I made in the loaf pans the last 5 times lol) then I saw the walnuts on top. Yum!."
This bread will keep well wrapped in plastic wrap for 3-4 days on the counter or you can slice it and freeze for up to 2 months. Just pop slices in the toaster or microwave to thaw.
Bread ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk (regular milk will work fine too but buttermilk somehow just makes everything taste better)
1 1/4 cups flour (I used 3/4 cup all-purpose, 1/2 cup whole wheat)
1/4 cup buttermilk (regular milk will work fine too but buttermilk somehow just makes everything taste better)
1 1/4 cups flour (I used 3/4 cup all-purpose, 1/2 cup whole wheat)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup oats
1 cup oats
1/2 cup diced dried fruit you can use apples, apricots, raisins, figs or do what I did and use craisins yummy
Topping:
Topping:
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix together and set aside
Mix together and set aside
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350' Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together the wet ingredients: eggs, applesauce, oil and buttermilk until well blended.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and oats. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and stir just until everything is evenly moistened. Scatter the dried fruit over the batter and stir to blend. Scrape the batter into the pan and sprinkle on the topping, tamping it down very lightly with your fingers so it sticks.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the bread is browned and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the bread to a rack to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold. Cool to room temperature. This recipe makes 1 loaf, feel free to double it and (after letting it cool completely) slice up the second loaf and put it in the freezer.
Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe | ||
| 10 Servings | ||
 | ||
Amount Per Serving | ||
| ||
| Calories | 237.6 | |
| ||
| Total Fat | 9.0 g | |
| ||
| Saturated Fat | 1.0 g | |
| ||
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2.7 g | |
| ||
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4.7 g | |
| ||
| Cholesterol | 36.3 mg | |
| ||
| Sodium | 322.8 mg | |
| ||
| Potassium | 123.8 mg | |
| ||
| Total Carbohydrate | 41.2 g | |
| ||
| Dietary Fiber | 3.2 g | |
| ||
| Sugars | 17.3 g | |
| ||
| Protein | 4.0 g | |
| ||
| Vitamin A | 1.7 % |
| |
| Vitamin B-12 | 2.0 % |
| |
| Vitamin B-6 | 2.6 % |
| |
| Vitamin C | 1.0 % |
| |
| Vitamin D | 0.8 % |
| |
| Vitamin E | 13.3 % |
| |
| Calcium | 7.1 % |
| |
| Copper | 6.1 % |
| |
| Folate | 4.0 % |
| |
| Iron | 9.4 % |
| |
| Magnesium | 7.9 % |
| |
| Manganese | 48.1 % |
| |
| Niacin | 4.2 % |
| |
| Pantothenic Acid | 3.0 % |
| |
| Phosphorus | 12.8 % |
| |
| Riboflavin | 7.6 % |
| |
| Selenium | 3.6 % |
| |
| Thiamin | 12.2 % |
| |
| Zinc | 5.6 % |
| |
|
|
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
February 28, 2011
Baked Couliflour
I can't understand why so many people seem to hate cauliflower. I think they just don't know what to do with it other than steam and throw a little butter on it, which is really just setting yourself up for a bland, 'eh' kind of side dish. There is so much more you can do with it and I'll show you how.
Here is the first of a handful of great ways to prepare it
Dump a bag of frozen (I hate chopping veggies, don't you?) cauliflower into an 8x8" oven safe dish; you don't want a ton of extra room around the cauliflower since you are throwing in it in there directly from the freezer and you want the seasonings to stick to the food not the dish
drizzle with about 3 Tbsp olive oil
sprinkle with about 2 tsp garlic powder (minced garlic is better if you've got it but usually i take the easy way and just use the powder)
add 1 tsp pepper
1tsp paprika
and 1 Tbsp parsley
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes stirring half way through
If you want to jazz it up a little more throw on a handful of store bought bread crumbs and cheese (cheddar, parmesan or mozzarella will all work great) and broil the last 5 minutes.
Here is the first of a handful of great ways to prepare it
Dump a bag of frozen (I hate chopping veggies, don't you?) cauliflower into an 8x8" oven safe dish; you don't want a ton of extra room around the cauliflower since you are throwing in it in there directly from the freezer and you want the seasonings to stick to the food not the dish
drizzle with about 3 Tbsp olive oil
sprinkle with about 2 tsp garlic powder (minced garlic is better if you've got it but usually i take the easy way and just use the powder)
add 1 tsp pepper
1tsp paprika
and 1 Tbsp parsley
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes stirring half way through
If you want to jazz it up a little more throw on a handful of store bought bread crumbs and cheese (cheddar, parmesan or mozzarella will all work great) and broil the last 5 minutes.
February 27, 2011
Bigos ... or Hunters Stew, it's polish :)
So, we still had 1/2 a head of cabbage to use up, (aside from the head that was made into coleslaw that is sitting my fridge and will probably be lucky if 1/4 of it gets eaten) and a friend of ours said that we should make 'bigos' out of it. I'd never heard of it but he assured us that they all make it in Poland and it's delish. So I gave it a go. Three bowls later he gave it the official thumbs up.
Here's what i did
1/2 a head of cabbage chopped
1/2 a red onion chopped
1 jar sauerkraut drained and rinsed
1/2 lb Kelbasa
1 cup apple cider
2 large roma tomatos diced
2 beef boulion cubes
2 lbs pork shoulder - bone in
1/2 bag frozen pepper stirfry (green, red, & yellow peppers with onion all cut in strips)
2tsp - ish of garlic powder
Put your pork shoulder in the crock pot and a boulion cube on either side. Add the apple cider(or juice if that's what you have) and then pile everything else in. cook for at least 6 hours.
Traditionally most bigos has mushrooms in it but i wasn't in the mood today so i skipped it. I'll be honest when I opened the jar of sauerkraut my first thought was "I'm going to ruin this dinner if I put this in... Oh well gotta do it right or not at all" I was wrong. So wrong! As everything heated up and the flavors started to mingle I got less worried. Then we served up this stew and I was thrilled with how it tasted! The sweetness of the pork and apple juice mixed with the spice and sourness of the cabbage and sauerkraut blew my mind. I had no idea there was a way to make cabbage taste THAT GOOD. Next time we get cabbage from the co-op I'm totally making this again and next time I'm going to add more than 1/2 the head.
Here's what i did
1/2 a head of cabbage chopped
1/2 a red onion chopped
1 jar sauerkraut drained and rinsed
1/2 lb Kelbasa
1 cup apple cider
2 large roma tomatos diced
2 beef boulion cubes
2 lbs pork shoulder - bone in
1/2 bag frozen pepper stirfry (green, red, & yellow peppers with onion all cut in strips)
2tsp - ish of garlic powder
Put your pork shoulder in the crock pot and a boulion cube on either side. Add the apple cider(or juice if that's what you have) and then pile everything else in. cook for at least 6 hours.
Traditionally most bigos has mushrooms in it but i wasn't in the mood today so i skipped it. I'll be honest when I opened the jar of sauerkraut my first thought was "I'm going to ruin this dinner if I put this in... Oh well gotta do it right or not at all" I was wrong. So wrong! As everything heated up and the flavors started to mingle I got less worried. Then we served up this stew and I was thrilled with how it tasted! The sweetness of the pork and apple juice mixed with the spice and sourness of the cabbage and sauerkraut blew my mind. I had no idea there was a way to make cabbage taste THAT GOOD. Next time we get cabbage from the co-op I'm totally making this again and next time I'm going to add more than 1/2 the head.
Classic Meatloaf
Do you have a dinner that is just comfort food with a side of childhood memories? That's what meatloaf is to me. I have made some improvements on my mothers recipe but I still like to serve it with a nice big baked potato and broccoli. I've tried to "healthy" up the meatloaf, at least as much as you can really expect to. But the biggest difference between now and growing up... I actually eat the potato, skins included! :)
So here's what you need to do,
1 lb 97% lean ground beef
1 lb ground turkey (mama used ground pork but the turkey is SO SO much leaner)
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1 or 2 slices whole wheat bread ripped into small pieces
1/2 cup dry oats
1/2 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp pepper
use your hands to mix together all the ingredients in a bowl
transfer the mixture into a 9 x 5 loaf pan
Bake for 1 hour at 350'
Optional topping,
Mix together
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T brown sugar
2 T Dijon mustard
After the meat loaf has been baking for 45 minutes spread on this topping and put in back in the oven to bake for 15 minutes longer. (it can also be served on the side if you don't want to force everyone to eat it)
So here's what you need to do,
1 lb 97% lean ground beef
1 lb ground turkey (mama used ground pork but the turkey is SO SO much leaner)
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1 or 2 slices whole wheat bread ripped into small pieces
1/2 cup dry oats
1/2 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp pepper
use your hands to mix together all the ingredients in a bowl
transfer the mixture into a 9 x 5 loaf pan
Bake for 1 hour at 350'
Optional topping,
Mix together
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T brown sugar
2 T Dijon mustard
After the meat loaf has been baking for 45 minutes spread on this topping and put in back in the oven to bake for 15 minutes longer. (it can also be served on the side if you don't want to force everyone to eat it)
February 25, 2011
Mango Salsa
And you can to ;)
Dice up two mango's into 1/4 inch cubes
Dice up about 1/4 of a red onion
Add 2 Tbsp lime juice
a couple shakes of hot sauce (I put about 1-1/2 tsp in mine)
1/4 tsp ginger
Optional: add a pinch of salt and pepper
Stir it up and enjoy with tortilla chips or put a big spoonful on your next burger. It's fantastic!
I'm enjoying with my burrito as we speak :)
recipe addapted from Ming Tsai
February 20, 2011
Sausage rice caserole
This dish is super simple to throw together and is a nice change from your run of the mill stuff. So lets get to it...
Stir together in a glass 8x8 casserole dish:
1 cup uncooked rice
1 pkg dry chicken noodle soup (Lipton: the small single serving packet)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 lb sausage, uncooked
2 cups water
Cover with aluminum foil (or a lid of your cookware is nice like that, but I've got Pyrex so it's aluminum foil for me) and bake for 1-1/2 hours at 350'
there you have it. Did it tell you it was simple or what.
Stir together in a glass 8x8 casserole dish:
1 cup uncooked rice
1 pkg dry chicken noodle soup (Lipton: the small single serving packet)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 lb sausage, uncooked
2 cups water
Cover with aluminum foil (or a lid of your cookware is nice like that, but I've got Pyrex so it's aluminum foil for me) and bake for 1-1/2 hours at 350'
there you have it. Did it tell you it was simple or what.
Produce Co-op
I decided to finally take advantage of the produce co-op called Bountiful Baskets in my area. Can I just say what a fabulous idea! I looked into it a few years ago and the closest place they had a pick up location was like 20 miles from my house and at 7am on a Saturday, that was just WAY to far to drive. But now it's only about 3 minutes from my house and since i've gotten used to getting up at 630 for work and by about 730 on my days off because of the baby I figured I'd see what it was all about. It's only $15 for a bunch of fruits and veggies. You don't get to pick what you get though so you are bound to get stuff you normally wouldn't think of, which is great for us cuz we love to find new recipes and try new things.
I got strawberries bananas apples mangos, a cantelope, and little pears. Yams (or sweet potatoes, I honestly don't know the difference) carrots, crook neck squash, spinach, asian artichokes (i'm told they are kinda like waterchestnuts but i haven't tried them yet) and the think i never would have bought... cabbage, two heads of it.
Have I ever mentioned that i hate colslaw? Well I do. I'm not sure where I've even had it except maybe KFC but I stopped even trying it years and years ago. So my hubs and I ended up making cabbage soup with the first half a head, and I got to tell ya. It wasn't half bad. Cabbage has a mildly spicy kind of flavor and it's one of those things that you eat lots of if you are trying to loose weight because it's got a lot of good nutrients in it but very few calories. So for those of you who get bountiful baskets and don't know what to do with all that cabage, this one's for you.
Cabbage Soup
1 package low sodium chicken broth I think it said it was 1.5 cups
1/3 red onion roughly chopped
1/2 head cabage roughly chopped
1/2 bag baby carrots cut in half
1tsp garlic powder
1 tsp season all
1 tsp chili powder
Honestly i'm not sure how much water we added, the hubs did it. I'd guess it was about 5 cups. added 1 cup at a time.
Chop all veggies. Sautee onion in the pot for 2-3 minuts then add the rest of the veggies and the chicken stock. Add a cup of water every few minutes until it get as "brothy" as you like. Total cook time is about 20 minutes. We ate ours with some kebler sea salt and olive oil flatbread crackers and that just made it even better.
I got strawberries bananas apples mangos, a cantelope, and little pears. Yams (or sweet potatoes, I honestly don't know the difference) carrots, crook neck squash, spinach, asian artichokes (i'm told they are kinda like waterchestnuts but i haven't tried them yet) and the think i never would have bought... cabbage, two heads of it.
Have I ever mentioned that i hate colslaw? Well I do. I'm not sure where I've even had it except maybe KFC but I stopped even trying it years and years ago. So my hubs and I ended up making cabbage soup with the first half a head, and I got to tell ya. It wasn't half bad. Cabbage has a mildly spicy kind of flavor and it's one of those things that you eat lots of if you are trying to loose weight because it's got a lot of good nutrients in it but very few calories. So for those of you who get bountiful baskets and don't know what to do with all that cabage, this one's for you.
Cabbage Soup
1 package low sodium chicken broth I think it said it was 1.5 cups
1/3 red onion roughly chopped
1/2 head cabage roughly chopped
1/2 bag baby carrots cut in half
1tsp garlic powder
1 tsp season all
1 tsp chili powder
Honestly i'm not sure how much water we added, the hubs did it. I'd guess it was about 5 cups. added 1 cup at a time.
Chop all veggies. Sautee onion in the pot for 2-3 minuts then add the rest of the veggies and the chicken stock. Add a cup of water every few minutes until it get as "brothy" as you like. Total cook time is about 20 minutes. We ate ours with some kebler sea salt and olive oil flatbread crackers and that just made it even better.
February 19, 2011
Banana bread
For those of you who don't know, I have a carb addition obsession. I LUV the stuff. Breads are like my all time favorite things. Toasted, plain, smeared with stuff, bagles, frech bread, whole wheat, love it. And I seriously CAN NOT get enough of this banana bread. Oh it is SO good, my hubs and i polished off a whole loaf between it coming out of the oven at 4pm and going to bed at 10pm. Not those little sissy loaf pans either these are the big pans that I make 2lbs + of meatloaf in. I've made 3 loaves in the past 2 weeks and I am going to stop at the store on my way home from work tonight to get more bananas.
Here's the skinny
soften 1/3 cup butter in one bowl
add 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour ( I use whole wheat for this part)
mix well
In another bowl mash up your browning over ripe bananas.
They MUST be browning to get a really nice banana flavor to the bread
if you use yellow bananas that you would actually cut up and eat with your rice crispys it wont be nearly as good.
add about 1/2 cup of the banana mixture to the flour/butter mixture
add another 3/4 cup flour (I use all purpose this time) and mix again
add 1/2 to 3/4 cup banana mush and mix one last time
Pour into 1 nice big (I'm thinking it must be like 9x5 or something size) loaf pan
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350' until you can insert a knife into the center and have it come out clean.
After you can't bear the wonderful smell any longer pull it out of the oven and run a knife along the sides after it cools for 5-10 minutes dump it out on the counter and slice a big hunk off and slab some butter on there.
Devour it. No, i take it back, savor it because it will be gone way too soon.
Here's the skinny
soften 1/3 cup butter in one bowl
add 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour ( I use whole wheat for this part)
mix well
In another bowl mash up your browning over ripe bananas.
They MUST be browning to get a really nice banana flavor to the bread
if you use yellow bananas that you would actually cut up and eat with your rice crispys it wont be nearly as good.
add about 1/2 cup of the banana mixture to the flour/butter mixture
add another 3/4 cup flour (I use all purpose this time) and mix again
add 1/2 to 3/4 cup banana mush and mix one last time
Pour into 1 nice big (I'm thinking it must be like 9x5 or something size) loaf pan
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350' until you can insert a knife into the center and have it come out clean.
After you can't bear the wonderful smell any longer pull it out of the oven and run a knife along the sides after it cools for 5-10 minutes dump it out on the counter and slice a big hunk off and slab some butter on there.
Devour it. No, i take it back, savor it because it will be gone way too soon.
February 15, 2011
Chicken Stir-Fry
OMG so tasty, simple, easy and quick...and cheap. Just cook a cup of rice per the package suggestions. Grab some precooked chicken if you've got it in the fridge or cut up a couple breasts and cook with some seasonings (I used cajun) for about 10 minutes. Then toss in the whole bag of frozen veggies. Continue cooking until the veggies are warm and tender and chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. For the sauce you can either use a jar of stir-fry sauce from the store or use the following ingredients
Stir-fry Sauce:
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1tsp ginger
1-1/2 tsp garlic
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Ingredients needed:
1 cup rice
1 bag frozen asparagus stir fry mix
1 lb chicken (seasoned)
about 1/2 cup stir-fry sauce
February 10, 2011
Granola Bars
Well how about I apologise for my 2 month hiatus with some super yummy granola bars. Forgive me? Whew! (that's the sound of me dodging a bullet) Somewhere in the mix of all the holidays and birthdays and general busyness I managed to still make food.... just not blog about it. But now that my job is coming to an end I forsee just a smidge more time to do some blogging... and baking!
These granola bars are fantastic. So easy to make and change up too.
Heres what you need.
2 cups of oats
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup seeds
1 cup shredded coconut
and 1 can of sweetened milk (I think the can is like 12 oz or something)
in a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Then heat up the sweetened milk in a small sauce pan just til it flows easily. (I set my stove top to the number 4 and it took just a few minutes.) Then pour the milk over the nut mixture and stir well. Dump it all into a 9x13 pan and Lightly press it in, (if you press it in too hard they get super dense and become hard to bite after they cook and sit for a few days.) bake at 200' for about an hour. Let them cool slightly (for like 15 minutes) before cutting them into 16 pieces. Store in an airtight container or zip lock bags. They keep well for about 3 weeks.
Tips: Last time I went to winco's bulk food area and got a really good trail mix that had the seeds and nuts mixed together already and it was super cheap! Just used shy of 3 cups of that with about a cup of dried mixed fruit and about 2 cups of oats and it worked beautifully.
These granola bars are fantastic. So easy to make and change up too.
Heres what you need.
2 cups of oats
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 cup dried fruit
1 cup seeds
1 cup shredded coconut
and 1 can of sweetened milk (I think the can is like 12 oz or something)
in a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Then heat up the sweetened milk in a small sauce pan just til it flows easily. (I set my stove top to the number 4 and it took just a few minutes.) Then pour the milk over the nut mixture and stir well. Dump it all into a 9x13 pan and Lightly press it in, (if you press it in too hard they get super dense and become hard to bite after they cook and sit for a few days.) bake at 200' for about an hour. Let them cool slightly (for like 15 minutes) before cutting them into 16 pieces. Store in an airtight container or zip lock bags. They keep well for about 3 weeks.
Tips: Last time I went to winco's bulk food area and got a really good trail mix that had the seeds and nuts mixed together already and it was super cheap! Just used shy of 3 cups of that with about a cup of dried mixed fruit and about 2 cups of oats and it worked beautifully.
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