Okra is plentiful in our CSA and this is our favorite way to eat it:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb whole okra, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces (2 cups)
2 large tomatoes, chopped, or 15oz can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1. In a large skillet cook and stir the onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in oil about 5 minutes or till tender.
2. Stir in okra, tomatoes, salt, pepper.
3. Bring to boiling. Add black-eyed peas, reduce heat and simmer, covered 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Serve as side dish or over rice for main dish.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Almond and Peanut Butter
Almond Butter/Peanut Butter
I have discovered making almond butter and peanut butter at home which is very good considering the insane amount we go through and the fact that Trader Joe's can't keep almond butter on their shelves
Basically, you dump almonds or peanuts in a food processor, add a little sea salt as desired and turn it on. That's about it. You may need to stop the processor and scrape the sides every once in a while. I have had no problems doing this with my food processor but I understand that sometimes the food processor may start smelling like it is burning - please turn it off if that happens :) You may want to give the processor a rest during this if you run into any of those issues.
I have used both raw unsalted almonds (Trader Joe's) and oven roasted unsalted almonds (Aldi's).
For the peanut butter I used dry roasted unsalted peanuts from Aldi's.
I sprinkle some sea salt in the mixture as it starts getting creamy.
Here are some pics of the almond butter.
 |
| The nuts will turn to flour first and then butter. |
Stuffed Cabbage
Stuffed Cabbage
1 head cabbage
1 lb ground turkey
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 egg, beaten
1 can beans (I used pinto, but whatever you have on hand should be fine)
1/4 cup minced onion
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage for a few minutes (this makes it easier to peel off the leaves).
In a large bowl, combine turkey, tomatoes, egg, beans, onions and salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of the mixture in center of each cabbage leaf and roll up, tucking in ends.
In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Place cabbage rolls in baking dish and cover with tomato sauce.
Cover and cook at 400. Check at 45 minutes to see if done.
1 head cabbage
1 lb ground turkey
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 egg, beaten
1 can beans (I used pinto, but whatever you have on hand should be fine)
1/4 cup minced onion
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage for a few minutes (this makes it easier to peel off the leaves).
In a large bowl, combine turkey, tomatoes, egg, beans, onions and salt and pepper. Place a spoonful of the mixture in center of each cabbage leaf and roll up, tucking in ends.
In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Place cabbage rolls in baking dish and cover with tomato sauce.
Cover and cook at 400. Check at 45 minutes to see if done.
Grilled Shrimp and veggies with black beans and salsa
Finally! It is warm enough to grill!
Grilled Shrimp
2 lbs shrimp - peeled and deveined (I either buy them on skewers or put them on skewers)
Marinate shrimp in following marinade for 20 minutes and then grill
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 TBSP hot sauce
3 cloves garlic minced
1 TBSP tomato paste or sauce (I have also used ketchup)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
With our yummy shrimp, we also grilled onions, asparagus tossed in olive oil, garlic and sea salt and skewers of grape tomatoes. We made black beans and salsa by combining 1 can of rinsed and drained black beans with 1 cup of salsa and warming on stovetop. The girls had corn on the cob and we made some roasted baby portobello mushrooms (see previous recipe). We definitely enjoyed our taste of summer.
The picture is of the veggies waiting for the grill
Grilled Shrimp
2 lbs shrimp - peeled and deveined (I either buy them on skewers or put them on skewers)
Marinate shrimp in following marinade for 20 minutes and then grill
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 TBSP hot sauce
3 cloves garlic minced
1 TBSP tomato paste or sauce (I have also used ketchup)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
With our yummy shrimp, we also grilled onions, asparagus tossed in olive oil, garlic and sea salt and skewers of grape tomatoes. We made black beans and salsa by combining 1 can of rinsed and drained black beans with 1 cup of salsa and warming on stovetop. The girls had corn on the cob and we made some roasted baby portobello mushrooms (see previous recipe). We definitely enjoyed our taste of summer.
The picture is of the veggies waiting for the grill
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Stuffed Green Peppers - Gluten Free
6 green bell peppers
salt to taste
1lb ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans condensed tomato soup
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper and place in a baking dish
In a large skillet, saute turkey and onions for 5 minutes or until browned. Drain off excess fat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, black beans and 1 can of soup. Cook until a low boil.
Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper with the turkey mixture and place open side up in baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the other can of soup with just enough water to make a gravy. Pour over the peppers. Bake 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil. (You can add grated cheese to top of peppers if you wish, but I see no reason to. They are yummy without it).
** Elsa does not like stuffed peppers, so I usually make 5 peppers and reserve some of the turkey mixture (adding some tomato sauce if necessary and some oregano, basil, garlic etc. to make a spaghetti type sauce). I cook her some noodles and top with the sauce. Everyone is happy!
salt to taste
1lb ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans condensed tomato soup
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper and place in a baking dish
In a large skillet, saute turkey and onions for 5 minutes or until browned. Drain off excess fat and season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, black beans and 1 can of soup. Cook until a low boil.
Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper with the turkey mixture and place open side up in baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the other can of soup with just enough water to make a gravy. Pour over the peppers. Bake 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil. (You can add grated cheese to top of peppers if you wish, but I see no reason to. They are yummy without it).
** Elsa does not like stuffed peppers, so I usually make 5 peppers and reserve some of the turkey mixture (adding some tomato sauce if necessary and some oregano, basil, garlic etc. to make a spaghetti type sauce). I cook her some noodles and top with the sauce. Everyone is happy!
Tortilla Soup
The recipe for this soup from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook calls for 3 cups of corn and no beans. Paul does not eat corn on his diet, so I substituted beans for the corn.
This soup is very thin. It is basically a broth with vegetables, but it has a great flavor and you can thicken it up with avocado, sour cream and cheese if you want.
1 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 canned chipotle pepper, diced *see note
2 tomatillos, husked, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
1 TBSP ground coriander
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
8 cups chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle pepper can
1 TBSP chopped cilantro, to taste
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
(the original recipe called for 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels instead of beans)
8 corn tortillas (6 inch) cut into 1/2 x 2 inch strips (we just used tortilla chips dipped in and/or crushed up in the soup
avocado cubes
monterey jack cheese
sour cream
*note* You can buy the chipotle peppers from the mexican section of the grocery. You only use 1 pepper from the can. You can freeze the remaining peppers. I put the peppers and adobo sauce in my food processor and processed. Then I froze 1 TBSP portions to use for later recipes.
In a soup pot, warm oil and saute onions, jalapenos, chipotle, tomatillos, bell peppers, and zucchini for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the coriander, cumin, and oregano and saute for about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, lime juice, and adobo sauce and bring to a simmer. Add cilantro and beans (and/or corn) and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bake the tortilla strips on an unoiled baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until crisp at 400.
To serve, place tortilla strips in bowl and fill with soup. Top with avocado, cheese and sour cream as desired. (Paul has his with mashed avocado only).
Here is a picture of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that I am going to freeze. I processed them in my food processor, put them in about 1 TBSP scoops on a plate covered in plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer. Once frozen, I will put them into a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. I will add 1 of them to other soups, stews, chili, etc.
This soup is very thin. It is basically a broth with vegetables, but it has a great flavor and you can thicken it up with avocado, sour cream and cheese if you want.
1 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 canned chipotle pepper, diced *see note
2 tomatillos, husked, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
1 TBSP ground coriander
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
8 cups chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle pepper can
1 TBSP chopped cilantro, to taste
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
(the original recipe called for 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels instead of beans)
8 corn tortillas (6 inch) cut into 1/2 x 2 inch strips (we just used tortilla chips dipped in and/or crushed up in the soup
avocado cubes
monterey jack cheese
sour cream
*note* You can buy the chipotle peppers from the mexican section of the grocery. You only use 1 pepper from the can. You can freeze the remaining peppers. I put the peppers and adobo sauce in my food processor and processed. Then I froze 1 TBSP portions to use for later recipes.
In a soup pot, warm oil and saute onions, jalapenos, chipotle, tomatillos, bell peppers, and zucchini for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the coriander, cumin, and oregano and saute for about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, lime juice, and adobo sauce and bring to a simmer. Add cilantro and beans (and/or corn) and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bake the tortilla strips on an unoiled baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until crisp at 400.
To serve, place tortilla strips in bowl and fill with soup. Top with avocado, cheese and sour cream as desired. (Paul has his with mashed avocado only).
Here is a picture of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that I am going to freeze. I processed them in my food processor, put them in about 1 TBSP scoops on a plate covered in plastic wrap and stuck them in the freezer. Once frozen, I will put them into a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. I will add 1 of them to other soups, stews, chili, etc.
Spinach, eggs and beans
For dinner Friday, we sauteed 2 cloves of garlic in 1 TBSP olive oil, added one can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans. Cooked until heated and then added 1lb of spinach and cooked just until wilted. I topped it with hard boiled eggs (like my momma used to do with spinach) and enjoyed with a baked sweet potato.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Chicken Taco Salad
Chicken Taco Salad
Mixed greens
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
taco seasoning (I used 1/2 a package this time)
1 can refried beans
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2/ green bell pepper, cut into strips (or any combo of peppers)
1 onion, sliced
salsa (we use this as the dressing, so we choose a mild salsa)
Cook chicken in olive oil over medium heat until done. Add taco seasoning (I used 1/2 package and 1/4 cup of water). Cook peppers and onion in skillet in a small amount of olive oil until crunch tender.
Heat refried beans
Prepare salad greens in bowl and top with chicken, beans, peppers and mild salsa for the dressing. Enjoy!
Mixed greens
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
taco seasoning (I used 1/2 a package this time)
1 can refried beans
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2/ green bell pepper, cut into strips (or any combo of peppers)
1 onion, sliced
salsa (we use this as the dressing, so we choose a mild salsa)
Cook chicken in olive oil over medium heat until done. Add taco seasoning (I used 1/2 package and 1/4 cup of water). Cook peppers and onion in skillet in a small amount of olive oil until crunch tender.
Heat refried beans
Prepare salad greens in bowl and top with chicken, beans, peppers and mild salsa for the dressing. Enjoy!
Four Bean Turkey Chili
Four Bean Turkey Chili
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, diced
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (16oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16oz) can chili beans, undrained
1 (16oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
In a large pot, cook turkey, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes, diced
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (16oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16oz) can chili beans, undrained
1 (16oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
In a large pot, cook turkey, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Lima Beans and Tomatoes
Lima Beans and Tomatoes
1/2 package frozen baby lima beans
2 diced tomatoes (or 1 15oz can diced tomatoes)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tsp herbs de provence (or other herbs such as oregano, basil, etc.)
cook lima beans according to package. Drain and add tomatoes, sauce and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes or longer.
1/2 package frozen baby lima beans
2 diced tomatoes (or 1 15oz can diced tomatoes)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tsp herbs de provence (or other herbs such as oregano, basil, etc.)
cook lima beans according to package. Drain and add tomatoes, sauce and spices. Simmer for 15 minutes or longer.
update
I am so behind in posting recipes. We had a pretty easy cooking week, so here is the update:
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday -
Wednesday - Quinoa with veggies
Thursday - Beans and Greens (Kale, Cannellini beans), Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Friday - cheese-less, veggie pizza on gluten free crust
Saturday -
Sunday - Chili
I can't even remember what we had on Tuesday or Saturday.... updates to come
**Update: on Tuesday we had black bean burgers but I didn't really like them. I still need a good gluten free recipe for them...
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday -
Wednesday - Quinoa with veggies
Thursday - Beans and Greens (Kale, Cannellini beans), Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Friday - cheese-less, veggie pizza on gluten free crust
Saturday -
Sunday - Chili
I can't even remember what we had on Tuesday or Saturday.... updates to come
**Update: on Tuesday we had black bean burgers but I didn't really like them. I still need a good gluten free recipe for them...
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs
Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs
This is a very delicious chicken thigh recipe. We love bbq chicken, but during winter we use this recipe. We all love it!
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
cooking spray
6 Tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar.
Preheat broiler. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan (I use a cookie sheet) coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven. Brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 more minute or until chicken is done.
We had our chicken thighs with baked sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. I haven't found a brussel sprout recipe that I love yet - if anyone has one, let me know :)
This is a very delicious chicken thigh recipe. We love bbq chicken, but during winter we use this recipe. We all love it!
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
cooking spray
6 Tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar.
Preheat broiler. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on a broiler pan (I use a cookie sheet) coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, stirring well. Remove chicken from oven. Brush 1/4 cup honey mixture on chicken. Broil 1 minute. Remove chicken and turn over. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 1 more minute or until chicken is done.
We had our chicken thighs with baked sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts. I haven't found a brussel sprout recipe that I love yet - if anyone has one, let me know :)
Acorn Squash, Bean, and Kale Soup
Acorn Squash, Bean and Kale Soup
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can diced tomatoes (mine were the ones with garlic, basil and oregano)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, copped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 acorn squash, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups kale, chopped
4-5 mushrooms, sliced
season with bay leaf, oregano, thyme, ground red pepper salt and pepper)
In large stockpot, saute celery, carrots, onion and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Add vegetable stock, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add seasonings as desired - I added 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp ground red pepper and salt and pepper. You may want more seasoning depending on your taste. Bring to low boil and add squash and mushrooms. Cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Add kale and cook until desired tenderness.
Serve with Parmesan cheese as desired.
You may want to add hot sauce if it needs a little more spice.
Here is the picture - I forgot to take it - so my bowl is 1/2 empty, but you get the idea...
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can diced tomatoes (mine were the ones with garlic, basil and oregano)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, copped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 acorn squash, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups kale, chopped
4-5 mushrooms, sliced
season with bay leaf, oregano, thyme, ground red pepper salt and pepper)
In large stockpot, saute celery, carrots, onion and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Add vegetable stock, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add seasonings as desired - I added 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp ground red pepper and salt and pepper. You may want more seasoning depending on your taste. Bring to low boil and add squash and mushrooms. Cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Add kale and cook until desired tenderness.
Serve with Parmesan cheese as desired.
You may want to add hot sauce if it needs a little more spice.
Here is the picture - I forgot to take it - so my bowl is 1/2 empty, but you get the idea...
Beans and Greens and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Beans and Greens
We got 4 bunches of kale at produce on Wednesday evening, so Thursday's meal had to be beans and greens.
1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans
hot sauce to taste
In large skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic and onions - cook for several minutes until onion is tender. Add kale and cook until wilted (you can add a few drops of water and cover as necessary to help steam the kale. Add drained and rinsed beans and heat through. Serve with hot sauce.
Yep, it is that easy. Once you start eating this stuff, you start craving it...really...you do :)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes (or however much you want)
olive oil
sea salt
Peel and cube sweet potatoes, toss in bowl until coated with olive oil and salt.
Arrange in single layer on rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes (may take longer depending on size of cubes).
We got 4 bunches of kale at produce on Wednesday evening, so Thursday's meal had to be beans and greens.
1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans
hot sauce to taste
In large skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic and onions - cook for several minutes until onion is tender. Add kale and cook until wilted (you can add a few drops of water and cover as necessary to help steam the kale. Add drained and rinsed beans and heat through. Serve with hot sauce.
Yep, it is that easy. Once you start eating this stuff, you start craving it...really...you do :)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes (or however much you want)
olive oil
sea salt
Peel and cube sweet potatoes, toss in bowl until coated with olive oil and salt.
Arrange in single layer on rimmed cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes (may take longer depending on size of cubes).
Salad
Salad, salad, salad
Okay, so I am behind on updating my meals. Let me catch up... On Wednesday we had salad. We have salad a lot. It is easy and we can basically use whatever is around. Wednesday's salad consisted of the following"
Greens (we had a mix of "super greens" that I bought in a package - it included kale, spinach, etc.)
chopped radishes
chopped green onions
sliced carrots
grape tomatoes
sliced mushrooms
hard boiled eggs
roasted pumpkin seeds
chia seeds
Our dressing of choice is balsamic vinaigrette. I love salads....
Okay, so I am behind on updating my meals. Let me catch up... On Wednesday we had salad. We have salad a lot. It is easy and we can basically use whatever is around. Wednesday's salad consisted of the following"
Greens (we had a mix of "super greens" that I bought in a package - it included kale, spinach, etc.)
chopped radishes
chopped green onions
sliced carrots
grape tomatoes
sliced mushrooms
hard boiled eggs
roasted pumpkin seeds
chia seeds
Our dressing of choice is balsamic vinaigrette. I love salads....
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Winter Minestrone
Winter Minestrone - Moosewood Cookbook
I made this Sunday afternoon but we didn't eat it until Monday evening. Monday is gymnastics night for Katy, so we need a quick meal when we get home. I try to make a soup or stew on Sundays to have for Mondays and to have for lunches throughout the week.
I like the Moosewood Cookbooks and just recently bought the Daily Specials one. They have a minestrone recipe for each season. The taste of fennel is pretty strong in this. It surprised me at first taste, but I ended up really liking it. I made a couple adjustments to the original recipe for our tastes and what we had available.
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (I used leeks since we had some and needed to use them)
5-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 cup diced celery
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup frozen green beans (the recipe calls for diced parsnips, but the grocery store was out and I had green beans in the freezer)
1 cup chopped fennel bulb
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground oregano (I used basil - didn't know I was out of oregano)
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 fresh rosemary sprig, minced
30 oz. canned diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth (original recipe calls for water, but I prefer using broth)
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional) - I used cooking sherry
15 oz can kidney beans (or whatever beans you have on hand)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
In large pot, saute onion, garlic and celery in the oil on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in carrots, parsnips (or green beans), and chopped fennel, then cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sweet potatoes, ground fennel, oregano, red pepper, and rosemary and simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth and wine. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 minutes.
Serve topped with Parmesan cheese
I made this Sunday afternoon but we didn't eat it until Monday evening. Monday is gymnastics night for Katy, so we need a quick meal when we get home. I try to make a soup or stew on Sundays to have for Mondays and to have for lunches throughout the week.
I like the Moosewood Cookbooks and just recently bought the Daily Specials one. They have a minestrone recipe for each season. The taste of fennel is pretty strong in this. It surprised me at first taste, but I ended up really liking it. I made a couple adjustments to the original recipe for our tastes and what we had available.
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (I used leeks since we had some and needed to use them)
5-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 cup diced celery
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup frozen green beans (the recipe calls for diced parsnips, but the grocery store was out and I had green beans in the freezer)
1 cup chopped fennel bulb
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
2 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tsp ground oregano (I used basil - didn't know I was out of oregano)
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 fresh rosemary sprig, minced
30 oz. canned diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth (original recipe calls for water, but I prefer using broth)
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional) - I used cooking sherry
15 oz can kidney beans (or whatever beans you have on hand)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
In large pot, saute onion, garlic and celery in the oil on low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in carrots, parsnips (or green beans), and chopped fennel, then cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sweet potatoes, ground fennel, oregano, red pepper, and rosemary and simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth and wine. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 minutes.
Serve topped with Parmesan cheese
Spinach, garbanzo beans and tomatoes
Spinach, garbanzo beans and tomatoes
We needed a quick meal tonight since we were getting home later than usual. This is a very quick dish - can be on the table in 20 minutes tops.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped (can also use garlic)
2 green onions, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
12oz fresh spinach (can use any greens you have: swiss chard, kale, etc.)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Stir in shallot and green onions; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes. Stir in garbanzo beans and season with salt and pepper as desired. Place spinach in pan and cook until wilted. Add tomato and squeeze lemon or lime juice over greens. Serve with hot sauce as desired.
Easy Peel and Eat Shrimp
We had shrimp with our spinach, beans and tomatoes. I use the recipe on the back of the Old Bay Seasoning box to make peel and eat shrimp
2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2/ cup water
1 lb frozen shrimp in the shell
Mix seasoning, vinegar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add shrimp, cover and steam for 5 minutes until done. Peel as you eat!
We needed a quick meal tonight since we were getting home later than usual. This is a very quick dish - can be on the table in 20 minutes tops.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped (can also use garlic)
2 green onions, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
12oz fresh spinach (can use any greens you have: swiss chard, kale, etc.)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Stir in shallot and green onions; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes. Stir in garbanzo beans and season with salt and pepper as desired. Place spinach in pan and cook until wilted. Add tomato and squeeze lemon or lime juice over greens. Serve with hot sauce as desired.
Easy Peel and Eat Shrimp
We had shrimp with our spinach, beans and tomatoes. I use the recipe on the back of the Old Bay Seasoning box to make peel and eat shrimp
2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2/ cup water
1 lb frozen shrimp in the shell
Mix seasoning, vinegar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add shrimp, cover and steam for 5 minutes until done. Peel as you eat!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Roasted Portobellos
Roasted Portobellos
This recipe is from the cookbook, Vegonomicon.
Marinade:
1/2 cup cooking wine (I use marsala)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (Tamari is gluten free)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large or 4 smaller portobello caps
Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a glass small casserole. Place the mushrooms upside down in the marinade and spoon a lot of the marinade into each cap to form a small pool. Preheat oven to 400 and marinate for 20 minutes.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, turn caps over and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.
We eat ours as is - with the marinade spooned on top. You can also use them as a burger in a bun or on top of a salad.
Sorry - no picture today - I forgot to charge my camera and couldn't wait to eat it!
This recipe is from the cookbook, Vegonomicon.
Marinade:
1/2 cup cooking wine (I use marsala)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (Tamari is gluten free)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large or 4 smaller portobello caps
Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a glass small casserole. Place the mushrooms upside down in the marinade and spoon a lot of the marinade into each cap to form a small pool. Preheat oven to 400 and marinate for 20 minutes.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, turn caps over and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.
We eat ours as is - with the marinade spooned on top. You can also use them as a burger in a bun or on top of a salad.
Sorry - no picture today - I forgot to charge my camera and couldn't wait to eat it!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Guacamole
Here is the Guacamole recipe we used for our meal tonight. It is basically from the Chevy's restaurant cookbook.
3 avocados
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp, stemmed, seeded and minced jalapeno
1 tsp salt
Pit avocados. Score avocado meat without cutting through the skin. Scoop out the avocado meat with large spoon and place in mixing bowl. Add lime juice and stir to coat the avocados. Stir in tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, jalapeno and salt. Gently mash and toss - careful not to overmash.
Since I am the only guac lover - Paul eats a little on top of his fajitas and the girls won't touch it - I usually only make 1/3 of this recipe (1 avocado). The avocado turns brown quickly, so only make what you will eat immediately.
3 avocados
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp, stemmed, seeded and minced jalapeno
1 tsp salt
Pit avocados. Score avocado meat without cutting through the skin. Scoop out the avocado meat with large spoon and place in mixing bowl. Add lime juice and stir to coat the avocados. Stir in tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, jalapeno and salt. Gently mash and toss - careful not to overmash.
Since I am the only guac lover - Paul eats a little on top of his fajitas and the girls won't touch it - I usually only make 1/3 of this recipe (1 avocado). The avocado turns brown quickly, so only make what you will eat immediately.
Mexican Night - Fajitas!
We all enjoy Mexican night at our house. We usually make tacos (made with chicken or ground turkey) or chicken fajita salad. Paul has been limiting his meat/fish intake even more so tonight we tried tofu fajitas adapted from Moosewood New Classics cookbook.
Mexican is one of those meals we didn't really have to change too much once we started eating for health. Basically, we eliminated the tortillas, cheese and sour cream. We eat the typical fillings on top of beans or on a salad.
.
To make the tofu fajitas:
1 cake firm tofu
1 onion
2 bell peppers (1 green and 1 of your choice - red, orange or yellow)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
salsa
optional - fajita seasoning
guacamole
*feel free to add other veggies to the mix, like zucchini or mushrooms. We used baby portabella mushrooms tonight
Cut the cake of tofu crosswise into 4 slices. Stack slices and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. Cut the vegetables into slices. Mix the olive oil, garlic, salt (or fajita seasoning) in a small bowl ( you may need to increase the amount depending on how many veggies you are making). Toss 1/2 of the mixture with the tofu and place tofu on cookie sheet. Toss the other 1/2 mixture with veggies and put on cookie sheet.
Roast in oven at 425 for 20-30 minutes until the veggies are tender and browned.
To eat, place refried or black beans on plate. Top with tofu and veggies. Add salsa and guacamole as desired.
We also had jicama chips for the first time.
Jicama is a mexican root vegetable often used in salads or salsas. I peeled the jicama and sliced it into very thin slices. We ate them dipped in the salsa and guacamole. They are crisp and cool - not like a real "chip" but pretty good with the salsa and guac. You can see them in the picture on the right top part of the plate.
The tofu was a bit crispy and crunchy - not sure if we overcooked it a bit, or it was supposed to be that way :) Regardless it was pretty good. Maybe not the prettiest meal, but it was yummy.
Mexican is one of those meals we didn't really have to change too much once we started eating for health. Basically, we eliminated the tortillas, cheese and sour cream. We eat the typical fillings on top of beans or on a salad.
.
To make the tofu fajitas:
1 cake firm tofu
1 onion
2 bell peppers (1 green and 1 of your choice - red, orange or yellow)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
salsa
optional - fajita seasoning
guacamole
*feel free to add other veggies to the mix, like zucchini or mushrooms. We used baby portabella mushrooms tonight
Cut the cake of tofu crosswise into 4 slices. Stack slices and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. Cut the vegetables into slices. Mix the olive oil, garlic, salt (or fajita seasoning) in a small bowl ( you may need to increase the amount depending on how many veggies you are making). Toss 1/2 of the mixture with the tofu and place tofu on cookie sheet. Toss the other 1/2 mixture with veggies and put on cookie sheet.
Roast in oven at 425 for 20-30 minutes until the veggies are tender and browned.
To eat, place refried or black beans on plate. Top with tofu and veggies. Add salsa and guacamole as desired.
We also had jicama chips for the first time.
Jicama is a mexican root vegetable often used in salads or salsas. I peeled the jicama and sliced it into very thin slices. We ate them dipped in the salsa and guacamole. They are crisp and cool - not like a real "chip" but pretty good with the salsa and guac. You can see them in the picture on the right top part of the plate.
The tofu was a bit crispy and crunchy - not sure if we overcooked it a bit, or it was supposed to be that way :) Regardless it was pretty good. Maybe not the prettiest meal, but it was yummy.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Lentil-Spinach Stew
This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Recipes Cooking for Today cookbook.
1 cup dry lentils
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups water
4 tsp instant vegetable or chicken bouillon granules (I substituted chicken broth for the water and bouillon)
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed (I used 1/4 tsp ground thyme and it was fine)
1/4 tsp fennel seed, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach
1 Tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
hot sauce to taste
Rinse lentils; set aside. In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in lentils, water and bouillon (or broth), tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, fennel seed, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add carrots and frozen spinach. Bring to a boil, breaking up spinach with a fork; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes more until lentils and carrots are tender. Stir in vinegar. Discard bay leaf. Add hot sauce as desired.
This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Recipes Cooking for Today cookbook.
1 cup dry lentils
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups water
4 tsp instant vegetable or chicken bouillon granules (I substituted chicken broth for the water and bouillon)
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed (I used 1/4 tsp ground thyme and it was fine)
1/4 tsp fennel seed, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach
1 Tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
hot sauce to taste
Rinse lentils; set aside. In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in lentils, water and bouillon (or broth), tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, fennel seed, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add carrots and frozen spinach. Bring to a boil, breaking up spinach with a fork; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes more until lentils and carrots are tender. Stir in vinegar. Discard bay leaf. Add hot sauce as desired.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry
The recipe for dinner tonight was from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cookbook. I added carrots and mushrooms and omitted chile from the original recipe.
Broccoli-Tofu Stir-Fry (Moosewood)
Sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce (purchased in Chinese food aisle)
2/3 cup water
3 Tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce or Tamari if you are gluten free
1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot flour
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced (we omitted this)
1 1/2 cakes tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes ( I bought one package of already cubed extra firm tofu and it worked great)
1 large head broccoli, cut into 1 inch florets
1 carrrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 small mushrooms, sliced (we used baby portabellas)
1/3 cup dry sherry (I used cooking sherry found near the balsamic vinegar in the grocery aisle_
1 bunch scallions, died
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
unsalted peanuts (optional)
Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl. Prepare the vegetables and have all ingredients at hand before cooking.
In wok or large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and chile and stir fry 30 seconds. Add tofu and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until tofu is lightly browned. Remove the tofu and set it aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and heat, add broccoli and carrots. Stir-fry for a minute and pour in sherry. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. If broccoli begins to scorch, add a tablespoon of water. Add scallions and bell pepper, continue to stir-fry for a minute. Add tofu and sauce, stir and bring to simmer. Simmer 3-4 minutes - sauce will thicken. Top with peanuts and serve over brown rice.
*Because Paul can not eat grains, he omits the brown rice.
I totally forgot about taking a picture until we were finished - I did get a pic of Katy's plate...
Broccoli-Tofu Stir-Fry (Moosewood)
Sauce
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce (purchased in Chinese food aisle)
2/3 cup water
3 Tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce or Tamari if you are gluten free
1 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot flour
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced (we omitted this)
1 1/2 cakes tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes ( I bought one package of already cubed extra firm tofu and it worked great)
1 large head broccoli, cut into 1 inch florets
1 carrrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 small mushrooms, sliced (we used baby portabellas)
1/3 cup dry sherry (I used cooking sherry found near the balsamic vinegar in the grocery aisle_
1 bunch scallions, died
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
unsalted peanuts (optional)
Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl. Prepare the vegetables and have all ingredients at hand before cooking.
In wok or large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and chile and stir fry 30 seconds. Add tofu and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until tofu is lightly browned. Remove the tofu and set it aside. Add another tablespoon of oil and heat, add broccoli and carrots. Stir-fry for a minute and pour in sherry. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. If broccoli begins to scorch, add a tablespoon of water. Add scallions and bell pepper, continue to stir-fry for a minute. Add tofu and sauce, stir and bring to simmer. Simmer 3-4 minutes - sauce will thicken. Top with peanuts and serve over brown rice.
*Because Paul can not eat grains, he omits the brown rice.
I totally forgot about taking a picture until we were finished - I did get a pic of Katy's plate...
Monday, February 25, 2013
Roasted turnips, carrots and leeks
We had a pound of turnips in our house and not much else so we had to eat them. It isn't that I hate turnips, they are just not something I rush out to buy at the grocery store. We got them in our coop and it was time to eat them. In the past I have roasted the turnips by cutting them into pieces, tossing in olive oil and sea salt and baking until tender. I like them that way with greens and beans. I didn't have any greens on hand and am trying to stretch my food budget - i.e. I know a trip to the grocery store will likely cost me at least $50 even if I only go for greens (how does that happen anyway?) I also had some leeks from coop, so I found this recipe at premeditatedleftovers.com and adjusted it a bit with what I had on hand. The girls were not really impressed, but they ate the carrots and a few turnips - so not a complete failure. We were going to an oscar party later so they were "saving room for party food" :)
Some recipes I use are not "outstanding" but I classify them as "good enough". As in, "it is turnips and this isn't a bad way to eat them". Sorry to all the die-hard turnip lovers out there. For me, if I can kind of enjoy them that is "good enough" for me. This recipe fit the bill.
Roasted Turnips, carrots and leeks
1 lb turnips (4 large or 6 small)
2-3 carrots
1 leek
1/2 cup apple juice
2 TBSP honey
Peel and cut the turnips and carrots into 1 inch pieces. Thinly slice the leek (I use the white and most of the green parts). Combine in baking dish and cover with mixture of apple juice and honey. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes, stirring occassionally.
We also had some roasted acorn squash. I feel kind of the same about acorn squash as I do about turnips - I love butternut squash and sweet potatoes, but acorn is not my favorite. I do not like them with butter and maple syrup/brown sugar - the way I think most people prepare them. I cut them into slices, tossed them in olive oil, sprinkled with parmesan cheese (Paul uses a veggie parmesan cheese substitute that we get near the tofu at Schnucks), and roasted them at 400 for 20 minutes. They were "good enough" that way - I even took the leftovers for lunch.
Some recipes I use are not "outstanding" but I classify them as "good enough". As in, "it is turnips and this isn't a bad way to eat them". Sorry to all the die-hard turnip lovers out there. For me, if I can kind of enjoy them that is "good enough" for me. This recipe fit the bill.
Roasted Turnips, carrots and leeks
1 lb turnips (4 large or 6 small)
2-3 carrots
1 leek
1/2 cup apple juice
2 TBSP honey
Peel and cut the turnips and carrots into 1 inch pieces. Thinly slice the leek (I use the white and most of the green parts). Combine in baking dish and cover with mixture of apple juice and honey. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes, stirring occassionally.
We also had some roasted acorn squash. I feel kind of the same about acorn squash as I do about turnips - I love butternut squash and sweet potatoes, but acorn is not my favorite. I do not like them with butter and maple syrup/brown sugar - the way I think most people prepare them. I cut them into slices, tossed them in olive oil, sprinkled with parmesan cheese (Paul uses a veggie parmesan cheese substitute that we get near the tofu at Schnucks), and roasted them at 400 for 20 minutes. They were "good enough" that way - I even took the leftovers for lunch.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Grated Carrot and Raw Beet Salad
We often have salads for lunch. We keep a salad spinner bowl full of mixed greens, already washed and ready to use. Today we had mixed baby greens and on top of it this grated carrot and raw beet salad taken from food.com. I never was a big fan of cooked beets - but raw beets...I like them!
Grated Carrot and Raw Beet Salad
2-3 carrots
2-3 uncooked beets
optional - 1/2 head cabbage
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
sea salt and pepper
optional: tabasco or hot sauce, other add-ins such as seeds (sesame, sunflower), other fresh or dried herbs, toasted nuts, fruit (raisins, chopped apples)
1. Trim, peel and grate the carrots and beets (you definitely want to use a food processor grating function for this). Be careful - the beet juice will stain!
2. Place the garlic, oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper in large salad bowl and combine. Add the carrots and beats - toss until well combined.
3. Add any desired add-ins and toss
4. Let stand for 30 minutes and serve
We like this on top of greens as a salad topper but can be eaten as a slaw/salad by itself too.
The original recipe did not call for cabbage but when I made it this time, I had a 1/2 head of cabbage that needed to be used, so I added it and thought it was even better!
Grated Carrot and Raw Beet Salad
2-3 carrots
2-3 uncooked beets
optional - 1/2 head cabbage
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
sea salt and pepper
optional: tabasco or hot sauce, other add-ins such as seeds (sesame, sunflower), other fresh or dried herbs, toasted nuts, fruit (raisins, chopped apples)
1. Trim, peel and grate the carrots and beets (you definitely want to use a food processor grating function for this). Be careful - the beet juice will stain!
2. Place the garlic, oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper in large salad bowl and combine. Add the carrots and beats - toss until well combined.
3. Add any desired add-ins and toss
4. Let stand for 30 minutes and serve
We like this on top of greens as a salad topper but can be eaten as a slaw/salad by itself too.
The original recipe did not call for cabbage but when I made it this time, I had a 1/2 head of cabbage that needed to be used, so I added it and thought it was even better!
Breakfast
Breakfast
Friends are often asking us for meal plans - ideas and lists of what we eat, so I thought I would make this post about breakfast. As many of you know, Paul was a big bagel eater prior to our diet change. He stopped every day at St. Louis Bread Company (Panera) for a coffee and blueberry bagel. Well, the diet plan did NOT include bagels, so he had a big adjustment to make. After some searching, he found a replacement....apples with almond butter.
He LOVES apples and almond butter. He slices the apples and smears delicious Trader Joe's raw unsalted almond butter on the slices and eats them just about every morning.
When he doesn't eat apples or *gasp* we are OUT of almond butter, he generally eats fruit: grapefruit and cantaloupe are his favorite breakfast fruits. When he eats fruit he will often have a Larabar (found in most grocery stores in the energy bar section) as a mid morning snack. Larabars are made of fruit and nuts - that's all - there is a wide range of flavors. Some we like, some we don't. Our favs are cashew, lemon, and apple.
I am not completely dairy or grain free - but I do limit them greatly and choose only low fat dairy and whole grain options. I will often have greek yogurt and granola in the morning when I am not having fruit or apples and almond butter.
Occasionally we have poached or hard boiled eggs in the morning. When we first started the new diet, we had eggs more frequently - I still think having some hard boiled eggs ready to go is a great option for breakfast or a mid morning snack.
Friends are often asking us for meal plans - ideas and lists of what we eat, so I thought I would make this post about breakfast. As many of you know, Paul was a big bagel eater prior to our diet change. He stopped every day at St. Louis Bread Company (Panera) for a coffee and blueberry bagel. Well, the diet plan did NOT include bagels, so he had a big adjustment to make. After some searching, he found a replacement....apples with almond butter.
He LOVES apples and almond butter. He slices the apples and smears delicious Trader Joe's raw unsalted almond butter on the slices and eats them just about every morning.
When he doesn't eat apples or *gasp* we are OUT of almond butter, he generally eats fruit: grapefruit and cantaloupe are his favorite breakfast fruits. When he eats fruit he will often have a Larabar (found in most grocery stores in the energy bar section) as a mid morning snack. Larabars are made of fruit and nuts - that's all - there is a wide range of flavors. Some we like, some we don't. Our favs are cashew, lemon, and apple.
I am not completely dairy or grain free - but I do limit them greatly and choose only low fat dairy and whole grain options. I will often have greek yogurt and granola in the morning when I am not having fruit or apples and almond butter.
Occasionally we have poached or hard boiled eggs in the morning. When we first started the new diet, we had eggs more frequently - I still think having some hard boiled eggs ready to go is a great option for breakfast or a mid morning snack.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Salmon on Baby Arugula
Broiled Salmon on Baby Arugula
The arugula salad in this meal is taken from epicurious.com
Salmon
1.5 lbs of salmon fillets - I have it cut into 4 fillets
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dried rosemary
salt and pepper
Combine lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper into a glass baking dish or other shallow pan. Place salmon fillets, skin side up on top of lemon mixture to marinate for 15-20 minutes (don't let it marinate too long or the lemon will start to cook the salmon)
Turn broiler on and let heat up. On rimmed cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil place salmon fillets skin side down. Sprinkle with dried rosemary and broil. Broilers cook at different speeds depending on how hot it is and how close the fish is to it. Keep a close eye on the salmon, checking every few minutes. Ours took about 10-12 minutes to cook.
Arugula salad
3 cups baby arugula leaves
2/3 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
Combine arugula, tomatoes and onion in bowl. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with combined oil and vinegar. Toss well.
Serve with salmon on top of salad.
We had this meal with roasted sweet potatoes. To roast sweet potatoes, peel and dice sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and sea salt - place on rimmed cookie sheet or baking pan and cook at 400 for 30 - 45 minutes.
This is Miss Elsa's favorite meal. She loves "Samson" as she calls it. Make sure you have extra lemon - both my girls love their fish with lots of lemon juice squeezed on it at the table!
Both Katy and Elsa loved the arugula salad (minus the onions). So did their neighbor friend who ate with us that night!
The arugula salad in this meal is taken from epicurious.com
Salmon
1.5 lbs of salmon fillets - I have it cut into 4 fillets
1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dried rosemary
salt and pepper
Combine lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper into a glass baking dish or other shallow pan. Place salmon fillets, skin side up on top of lemon mixture to marinate for 15-20 minutes (don't let it marinate too long or the lemon will start to cook the salmon)
Turn broiler on and let heat up. On rimmed cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil place salmon fillets skin side down. Sprinkle with dried rosemary and broil. Broilers cook at different speeds depending on how hot it is and how close the fish is to it. Keep a close eye on the salmon, checking every few minutes. Ours took about 10-12 minutes to cook.
Arugula salad
3 cups baby arugula leaves
2/3 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
Combine arugula, tomatoes and onion in bowl. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with combined oil and vinegar. Toss well.
Serve with salmon on top of salad.
We had this meal with roasted sweet potatoes. To roast sweet potatoes, peel and dice sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and sea salt - place on rimmed cookie sheet or baking pan and cook at 400 for 30 - 45 minutes.
This is Miss Elsa's favorite meal. She loves "Samson" as she calls it. Make sure you have extra lemon - both my girls love their fish with lots of lemon juice squeezed on it at the table!
Both Katy and Elsa loved the arugula salad (minus the onions). So did their neighbor friend who ate with us that night!
Acorn Squash Quesadillas
Acorn Squash Quesadillas - from smittenkitchen.com
We also had acorn squash in our coop basket this week. This recipe went perfectly with the Tomatillo Chicken Stew. Paul does not eat flour tortillas or cheese, but these looked so good, he had to take a bite to try them. Katy and Elsa both ate them up!
1 small/medium acorn squash
oil for roasting
3 Tbsp diced white or yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
10 inch flour tortillas
shredded mexican cheese
First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and cut into half-inch slices (they will be crescent shaped). Lay them on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until soft but not cooked to mush.
When cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove skin. Chop the squash and put in a bowl.
Saute onions, garlic and jalapeno in oil until translucent. Add squash and cook 5-10 minutes until squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread a few tablespoons of cooked squash onto 1/2 of flour tortilla and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan or griddle and cook until crispy. Cut into 4 wedges..
These are delicious dipped in the left over tomatilla sauce from the tomatillo chicken stew. If you do not have any - you can certainly dip them in homemade or store bought salsa verde - yummy!
NOTE: I am always looking for ways to adapt recipes to Paul's diet needs (no grains, no dairy). The squash mixture is delicious before you make the quesadillas. The squash would make a yummy meal served with black beans!
We also had acorn squash in our coop basket this week. This recipe went perfectly with the Tomatillo Chicken Stew. Paul does not eat flour tortillas or cheese, but these looked so good, he had to take a bite to try them. Katy and Elsa both ate them up!
1 small/medium acorn squash
oil for roasting
3 Tbsp diced white or yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
10 inch flour tortillas
shredded mexican cheese
First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds and cut into half-inch slices (they will be crescent shaped). Lay them on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until soft but not cooked to mush.
When cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove skin. Chop the squash and put in a bowl.
Saute onions, garlic and jalapeno in oil until translucent. Add squash and cook 5-10 minutes until squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread a few tablespoons of cooked squash onto 1/2 of flour tortilla and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan or griddle and cook until crispy. Cut into 4 wedges..
These are delicious dipped in the left over tomatilla sauce from the tomatillo chicken stew. If you do not have any - you can certainly dip them in homemade or store bought salsa verde - yummy!
Tomatillo Chicken Stew
Tomatillo Chicken Stew and Acorn Squash Quesadillas
Tonight's dinner was inspired by the fact that I bought 2lbs of tomatillos from our community produce coop and needed to do something with them! The recipe was taken from simplyrecipes.com - with a few adjustments for our taste.
Tomatillo Sauce
2 lbs tomatillos
1 - 2 jalapeno chile peppers (include seeds if you want heat, remove them for mild flavor). We used 1 jalapeno, no seeds and it was very mild
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lime juice
pinch of sugar
Stew
1 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces ( I used 2 of the frozen chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups of tomatillo sauce
1 tsp dry oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped
advocado or guacamole - optional
sour cream - optional
tortilla chips - optional
Cilantro *** the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup cilantro - I think this is too much... plus I have a cilantro hater in the family, so none on ours. I had some on hand to add at the table, but I liked it without it. If you love cilantro, you may want to add some at very end of cooking time.
Method:
1 Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from tomatillos and rinse will. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut side down on aluminum foil lined rimmed cookie sheet. Broil 7 minutes - skin will be blackened in spots. Let cool to handle. Place them along with any juice they released, jalapenos, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender and pulse until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use (if made ahead of time).
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot on medium -high heat until very hot. Pat dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces into hot oil - don't let the chicken pieces touch - you want to brown them, not steam them). You will probably have to do this in batches, adding olive oil as needed. Let pieces brown on one side, then turn them over and let them brown on other side. The chicken will not be done - just browned. When they are browned, remove them to a bowl.
3 Turn heat down to medium. Add onions to the pan, picking up the browned bits from the chicken that are sticking to bottom of pan. Add cumin and coriander and cook a few minutes, stirring and getting all the browned bits up. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
4. Add browned chicken, tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, kidney beans and oregano to pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
5. Enjoy! This may be served over rice since the soup is quite thin. Because Paul and I do not eat many grains, we add avocado or guacamole at the table to make soup creamier. You may also add sour cream , cilantro, and tortilla chips. ( I also bet corn would be delicious in this soup, but Paul can not have corn, so we haven't tried it that way).
You will have leftover tomatillo sauce - it is a delicious salsa verde and can be eaten with chips or on top of heuvos rancheros, beans, burritos, enchiladas, chicken....gosh I think you could add this to just about anything it is so good!
Our daughters - ages 9 and 6 had Acorn Cheese Quesadillas with their stew. See the next post for that recipe!
Tonight's dinner was inspired by the fact that I bought 2lbs of tomatillos from our community produce coop and needed to do something with them! The recipe was taken from simplyrecipes.com - with a few adjustments for our taste.
Tomatillo Sauce
2 lbs tomatillos
1 - 2 jalapeno chile peppers (include seeds if you want heat, remove them for mild flavor). We used 1 jalapeno, no seeds and it was very mild
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lime juice
pinch of sugar
Stew
1 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces ( I used 2 of the frozen chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups of tomatillo sauce
1 tsp dry oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped
advocado or guacamole - optional
sour cream - optional
tortilla chips - optional
Cilantro *** the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup cilantro - I think this is too much... plus I have a cilantro hater in the family, so none on ours. I had some on hand to add at the table, but I liked it without it. If you love cilantro, you may want to add some at very end of cooking time.
Method:
1 Make the tomatillo sauce. Remove the papery husks from tomatillos and rinse will. Cut the tomatillos in half and place them cut side down on aluminum foil lined rimmed cookie sheet. Broil 7 minutes - skin will be blackened in spots. Let cool to handle. Place them along with any juice they released, jalapenos, garlic, salt, lime juice and sugar in a blender and pulse until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use (if made ahead of time).
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot on medium -high heat until very hot. Pat dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces into hot oil - don't let the chicken pieces touch - you want to brown them, not steam them). You will probably have to do this in batches, adding olive oil as needed. Let pieces brown on one side, then turn them over and let them brown on other side. The chicken will not be done - just browned. When they are browned, remove them to a bowl.
3 Turn heat down to medium. Add onions to the pan, picking up the browned bits from the chicken that are sticking to bottom of pan. Add cumin and coriander and cook a few minutes, stirring and getting all the browned bits up. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
4. Add browned chicken, tomatillo sauce, chicken stock, kidney beans and oregano to pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
5. Enjoy! This may be served over rice since the soup is quite thin. Because Paul and I do not eat many grains, we add avocado or guacamole at the table to make soup creamier. You may also add sour cream , cilantro, and tortilla chips. ( I also bet corn would be delicious in this soup, but Paul can not have corn, so we haven't tried it that way).
You will have leftover tomatillo sauce - it is a delicious salsa verde and can be eaten with chips or on top of heuvos rancheros, beans, burritos, enchiladas, chicken....gosh I think you could add this to just about anything it is so good!
Our daughters - ages 9 and 6 had Acorn Cheese Quesadillas with their stew. See the next post for that recipe!
Introducing.....the Emily Family Meal Blog
Almost 2 years ago, our family changed the way we eat and since then we have had many friends and family ask us about our diet. I always intend to share recipes and meal plans when asked, but I haven't been too good on following through with that. So....I decided to start a blog. I will log meals and recipes that we enjoy and if you are interested, you can follow along :)
As an added benefit, I will have a place to look for my own recipes! Every week as I sit making out our menu and grocery list, my husband, Paul and I look at each other and say "what do we eat?" Not sure if you have this same issue, but meal planning is the hardest part of cooking. I hope this blog helps you as much as I think it will help us!
Almost 2 years ago, our family changed the way we eat and since then we have had many friends and family ask us about our diet. I always intend to share recipes and meal plans when asked, but I haven't been too good on following through with that. So....I decided to start a blog. I will log meals and recipes that we enjoy and if you are interested, you can follow along :)
As an added benefit, I will have a place to look for my own recipes! Every week as I sit making out our menu and grocery list, my husband, Paul and I look at each other and say "what do we eat?" Not sure if you have this same issue, but meal planning is the hardest part of cooking. I hope this blog helps you as much as I think it will help us!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)