Recipes from Miller Manor

Roasted Chicken with peppers and onions

2011-10-31T10:56:00.001-05:00

In deep dish stoneware baker:
Drizzle about 1 Tbsp. olive oil over bottom of baker to keep from sticking. Place chicken parts on top of oil. I used 2 thin-sliced breasts and six thighs. Sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, marjoram, poultry seasoning and about 1 tsp. Kosher salt.

Slice 1/2 to 1 whole onion and place over top of seasoned chicken. Slice 1 red pepper and put on top of that. Drizzle about 1/2 tsp. black strap molasses and 1 T olive oil over vegetables. Cover with lid and bake at 350 45-50 minutes- until chicken is done.

Butternut Soup

2011-10-25T18:08:00.001-05:00

I had 1/2 of a butternut squash in the fridge; my measures are approximate because when I am experimenting like this I never measure.

In Crock Pot
1/2 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 whole large onion
1 tsp. vegetable flavored Better than Bouillon (or vegetable bouillon cube)
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. garan marsla
1/2 tsp. Black strap molasses
(+/-) 2 cups distilled water--enough to cover vegetables

Cook on high for a couple of hours, then turn to low (or cook on low all day, whichever is convenient). Just before serving, use immersion blender to blend until creamy. Stir in about 1/4-1/2 cup 1/2 and 1/2.

I served it with Dill Havarti grilled cheese sandwiches on multi-grain bread, but it would be a very nice addition to any meal as a starter course.

Cornish Hens

2011-10-25T13:23:00.001-05:00

Today for dinner I fixed stuffed Cornish hens, baked yams and roasted Brussels Sprouts. Ornery calls them green eggs, and launches into a monologue of Green Eggs and Ham (I do not LIKE green eggs and ham; I do not LIKE them, Sam I am!) He ate them, and I actually thought that cooked to death they were a little less distasteful.

I got a recipe from AllRecipes.com, and altered it just a bit. Mostly, I used more celery, added Blackstrap Molasses, (1/2 tsp) and cut the butter in half and added a T of olive oil instead. I used olive oil on the outside as well. I cooked them in my Pampered Chef covered stoneware baker for about 2 hours at 350 degrees F and they came out great. I cooked the yams wrapped in aluminum foil for the same length of time. They were tasty, but I couldn't finish all the food!

Lettuce Wraps

2011-10-06T19:57:00.001-05:00

The first time I heard about lettuce wraps I thought, "That sounds disgusting!" Imagine my surprise when I tasted them and loved them! I found a recipe through Pinterest for P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps. The note says it is from Food.com, but I couldn't find it there to link back. Anyway, my recipe is a lot different, less complicated and quite a bit lower in sodium than the original.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small can mushroom stems and pieces
3 T finely chopped onions
3 stalks finely chopped celery
1 garlic clove minced or pressed
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 T soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

(Their recipe had a special sauce to dip it in, but it had a lot of stuff in it that I didn't have on hand, so we just did without. It was quite tasty.)

If you aren't starting out with cooked chicken (which is what I did) saute your chicken breasts 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done. Chop finely--about the size of small peas. Chop mushrooms, onions and celery to about the size of small peas. Cook mushrooms, onions, celery and garlic in 1 T olive oil in hot wok or skillet. Add chicken and stir fry sauce and mix well. When it is mixed and heated throughout, remove to a bowl. Serve in lettuce "cups".

Depending on whether you have other foods with it (I cooked brown rice to serve with it) the recipe could feed 4.

Parmesan Crumbed Asparagus

2011-10-06T19:41:00.002-05:00

Tonight we tried a new recipe I found somewhere on the internet. I wish I could give credit where it is due, but I just copied and pasted it to a word doc and printed it out with several other new ones. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
250 g. fresh asparagus spears (one bunch)
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
olive oil for frying

Wash asparagus and pat dry with paper towel
Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a wide bowl or plate. Mix well with a fork. Set aside.
Lightly coat asparagus in flour, then dip in egg and finally, coat in breadcrumb mixture. Ensure asparagus is coated evenly. Repeat process with remaining spears. Set aside
Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Cook asparagus until golden. Transfer to the plate lined with paper towels.
Serve immediately with a side of garlic and herb mayo (or ranch dressing like we did!) for dipping.

Garlic and herb mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T finely chopped parsley

1 T finely chopped chives.

We didn't even wait to get it to the table to eat it. As one pan finished cooking we noshed on it while waiting on the next. It was DEEE-lickity!!

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2011-10-06T13:16:00.002-05:00

I bought some stew meat the other day and didn't want to spend any time in the kitchen but thought beef stroganoff sounded good. This recipe uses only the crock pot--no boiling the noodles!--and a fairly small number of ingredients I already had on hand. I am just putting down what I did--you can alter it in any way that suits you!

1# beef stew meat
2 cups beef stock (I used distilled water mixed with 2 tsp. Beef Better than Bouillon)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 small cans mushroom bits and pieces, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. dried thyme

Put ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. I started it at 7:00 AM to eat for lunch, but if you were cooking all day, cook it on low. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve it, add

1/2 small bag of egg noodles to the crock pot, stir and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Stir noodles again and add

2 T flour mixed into 1/2 cup water and
1/2 cup or so sour cream. Cook for another 10 minutes until noodles are done and sauce is thick and bubbly.

Pancakes

2011-09-24T06:12:00.002-05:00

I made these in my stoneware 9x13 baking pan. Preheat pan in the oven while the oven is heating up to 375 degrees. Takes about 8 minutes to bake the pancake (no need to flip it over). Touch the top of the center of the pancake lightly to make sure it is done. Slice and serve. Also works great using the usual method in a skillet on the stove top. You could also substitute buttermilk for the milk and vinegar. Can add in 1/2 cup banana, cooked sweet potatoes, blueberries, etc.

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup 50/50 flour (half white, half whole grain of your choice)
2 tablespoons sweetener of choice (I alternate--agave, honey, molasses, brown rice syrup, maple syrup)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 large or extra large egg
2 tablespoons oil

Put milk, the egg and oil in medium mixing bowl and beat well. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix. Poor into a lightly greased, preheated baking sheet and place into the oven. You could make the batter the night before and have it ready to go in the morning.

Marvelous Mocha Fudge

2010-12-22T18:47:00.002-06:00

1 1/2 c. sugar

2/3 c. evaporated milk

3 T instant coffee granules

2 T. butter

1/4 t. salt

2 c. mini marshmallows

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. cinnamon

Combine first 5 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat. Mix in remaining ingredients; stir until marshmallows are melted. Spread into an 8X8" baking pan lined with aluminum foil; refrigerate 2 to 3 hours until firm. Lift fudge from pan, remove foil and cut into one-inch pieces. Makes about 4 dozen pcs.

(For a double recipe, I decrease the amount of coffee granules, of which I only put 4 T into a double batch. Pour onto 9X13 foil lined pan to chill.)

My son-in-law sent a note that said, "This is absolutely, hands-down the best fudge I have ever had." I think he might have liked it. ;)

Molasses Sugar Cookies

2010-12-22T08:51:00.002-06:00

These cookies won the best tasting cookie at this year's cookie exchange!! They really are quite delectable!

Molasses Sugar Cookies
Makes 30 cookies

3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use coconut oil, but NOT olive oil!)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour (can mix 1/2 white and 1/2 whole grain)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda

Mix oil, sugar, molasses and egg; beat well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. If dough is too soft to handle, refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Form into 1" balls (I use a scoop); roll in granulated sugar. Place 2" apart on un-greased cookie sheets. Do not flatten balls. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Potato Soup- The Ultimate Comfort Food!

2010-12-08T17:38:00.004-06:00

Potato Soup

6-7 pieces of bacon, chopped up to about 1/2 inch pieces

2 ribs of celery, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (about 3/4" cubes)

3 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup frozen sweet corn

1/4 tsp. dill weed

dash of marjoram

1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste-my broth was low sodium, so it needed a bit of salt)

2 cups whole raw milk

4 T whole wheat flour

1/2 stick of butter

Put the bacon in the bottom of a dutch-oven size pan on the stove and begin cooking. When some of the fat is tried out into the pan, add the celery and onion. Stir until tender, then add broth, potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are not crispy any more. Don't overcook or they turn to mush (unless that is what you want)

While the soup is cooking, make a white sauce with the butter flour and milk. Lightly brown the flour in the butter, then stir in the milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 3 oz. cream cheese and continue stirring until it is all mixed in. By this time, the potatoes should be just right, so stir in the white sauce and mix in thoroughly. When the soup is boiling again, it is ready--serve immediately.

This makes quite a big batch- at least six servings I think. We served it for Christmas dinner this year, and it was a huge hit!

Cranberry Bread

2010-12-06T17:09:00.003-06:00

Normally, the cranberry bread is one of the last to get eaten, but this year I made it a bit differently. We chopped the cranberries fairly small (used the food chopper from Pampered Chef), and I used coconut oil for the shortening. It was really the best cranberry bread I have ever had, and even Ornery, who has never liked it before, went for this before the pumpkin or banana bread!

Cranberry Bread

1 cup chopped cranberries

3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 T grated orange peel (zest)

2 cups all purpose flour (can mix 1/2 and 1/2--white and whole grain)

1 cup sugar

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 T shortening (or coconut oil)

3/4 cup orange juice (juice the oranges used for peel)

1 beaten egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour loaf pan or line muffin cups. Prepare cranberries, nuts and orange peel; set aside. Mix dry ingredients; cut in shortening. Stir in juice, egg and orange peel until moist. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon into prepared loaf pan. Bake 60 minutes or until pick inserted in middle comes out clean. Remove loaf after 15 minutes cooling on rack.

No Sugar Glazed Pecans

2010-10-04T19:53:00.002-05:00

I had to delete the maple syrup due to the high fructose content, so I increased the cinnamon and used some English Toffee flavored liquid stevia for the sweetener. I overdosed on the cinnamon... I think less than half would have been plenty! BUT they are tasty, and sugar free, so I am happy!

1 lb. pecans

3 T. coconut oil

2 to 3 tsp. cinnamon (I used two TABLEspoons! wow, that was a lot of cinnamon!)

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla

about 1 full dropper of English Toffee stevia (or to taste)

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through to prevent burning, and to coat the nuts again. While they are cooling, continue to stir it occasionally to keep the "glaze" on the nuts.

My Favorite Egg Dish

2010-09-30T05:20:00.000-05:00

I am a huge fan of scr-omelets. They are basically eggs scrambled with all the fillings of an omelet mixed in and cooked together. This is the general list of ingredients, although it varies from time to time depending on what I have on hand.

Scr-omelet

Serves 2

1 T organic extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil or butter

1/2 cup of fried sausage crumbles

3-4 green onions, chopped with tops

1/4 red pepper, chopped fine

4 baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1/2 -3/4 cup chopped yellow summer squash OR grated zucchini

1 slice tomato

4 whole pasture raised eggs

1/4 cup shredded cheese (my favorite is havarti...)

Heat oil in a medium skillet until hot. Add all the veggies except the tomato. (I have even added green peas!) When the onion and pepper are soft, whisk the eggs and cheese into the veggie mix and cook until the eggs are cooked through, stirring fairly often.

Coconut Treat

2010-09-29T17:04:00.005-05:00

These are a great sweet treat for programs that limit sugar intake.

1 T Coconut oil

2 t ground flax seeds

1 T finely chopped walnuts

1 T finely shredded unsweetened coconut

2-3 drops liquid stevia (any flavor)

1/4 t vanilla

1/8 t cinnamon

dash sea salt

dash nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together and chill till coconut oil hardens. You can shape into a flat "cookie" or just eat like dry cereal. Makes one serving.

Spaghetti Squash Dinner

2010-09-29T05:46:00.005-05:00

No gluten means no pasta. Good thing there is spaghetti squash to fill in! Here is a new recipe I concocted last night--very tasty, filling, and healthy!

Prepare squash: pierce one end of a small spaghetti squash with a sharp knife. Bake at 375 degrees (I placed it in a loaf pan, but any shallow pan would work) for about 1 hour. Test with a knife to see if it is tender.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the sauce.

1 lb. ground bison

1-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup grated zucchini

4-5 chopped fresh mushrooms

1 T olive oil

Brown the meat mixed with the veggies in oil, and add seasonings to taste. (Kosher salt, Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, bay leaf etc.)

Add 1 small (4 oz) jar organic tomato paste and 2 cups distilled water. (the jar is the only way I have ever liked tomato paste as it does not have a tinny flavor to it. If you can find it you will be really pleased with the results.) Stir until well mixed, reduce heat to simmer until the squash is done. The longer it simmers the better the flavor. You can add a little more water if you prefer a runnier sauce, but taste to see if it needs more salt.

When the squash is done, carefully remove it from the pan to a cutting board and slice off the stem end. Cut in half length wise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; discard seeds. Using a fork, scrape the meat of the squash away from the peeling and place into a bowl. Add a little butter and salt. Serve the sauce over the squash. (serves 4)

Peachy Pancakes

2010-08-21T06:40:00.004-05:00

I wanted waffles, but the recipe I needed was online and I wasn't. So, I made pancakes instead from the recipe below. However, I was not yet fully awake thus somewhat bumbling in the kitchen. This is probably how many delightful dishes are created...

Pancakes

(from Cooking with Coconut Flour by Bruce Fife, ND)

2 eggs

2 T coconut oil

2 T coconut milk (I used fermented)

1 tsp. sugar

1/8 tsp. Kosher salt

2 T sifted coconut flour

1/8 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Blend together eggs, oil, coconut milk, sugar and salt. Combine coconut flour and baking poweder and thoroughly mix into batter. Heat 1 T coconut oil in a skillet. Spoon batter onto hot skillet making pancakes about 2.5 - 3 inches in diameter. Batter will be thick but will flatten out when cooking. Makes 6-8 small pancakes.

Seeing the small amount of batter in the bowl had me a little worried, but I figured if the pancakes didn't satisfy our hunger, we could have some eggs later. Or something. I followed the directions and had some of the pancakes cooking when I realized I had maple syrup in the refrigerator, which meant that when I put it on the pancakes they would turn instantly cold. Yuk. So, I poured some syrup into a small pan, set it on the back burner and turned it on. Then promptly forgot about it. :(

I thought about the pecans and decided they would be good, so I chopped those up. Meanwhile I am still cooking the pancakes and managing to keep them from burning (although I am not sure HOW!). I ended up chopping a few extra pecans (I failed to read the suggested amount, and just guessed as to how many to put in) and decided to toast them in the now empty pancake skillet in just a few more drops of coconut oil. I started those and then I happen to glance at the maple syrup and realize it is almost to boil over. So I whipped that off the burner and raced over to the counter to chop up a peach. By the time I had the peach chopped up, the pecans were starting to burn, so I tossed the peach in to heat it up and take some of the heat off the pecans.

I arranged the pancakes on the plates, spooned on the peach mixture and drizzled hot syrup over the top. They were very tasty--different than the normal pancake of course, but certainly much more nutritious. We both enjoyed them and other than the disaster I left behind in the kitchen, I dub it a success!

Peachy Keen Pancakes

Chicken Sausage

2010-08-15T18:52:00.003-05:00

This is SOOOO Good!! I couldn't find the savory, but I made it as directed and cooked it all at once and froze it in serving portion size bags. It doesn't taste like pork sausage, but it is very close, and so much better for you!

1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken, half white, half dark (Whole Foods will grind for you)
2 Tbsp. hot water
1 Tbsp. powdered, not rubbed, sage
1 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. savory
1/8 tsp. garam masala
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Before adding ground chicken, put all the other ingredients into a large bowl. Mix and add the chicken. Use your hands or a large spoon to knead the mixture long enough to distribute the spices evenly.

Form into small patties or crumble and fry until brown, using some olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

Cowboy Cookies

2010-08-14T11:43:00.006-05:00

I used to make these cookies when the kids were young, and Elizabeth mentioned them to her husband who said, "What are Cowboy Cookies??" So, in the interest of son-in-law education and appeasement, I made them. Here is the recipe!

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour (can mix 1/2 white with 1/2 whole grain)

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups rolled oats

6 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or raisins if you prefer)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients and stir in. Add oatmeal, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by a teaspoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes 8-9 dozen cookies.

(Note: for RBTI, use Kosher salt, raisins and no nuts.)

Maple Pecans

2010-08-13T16:46:00.004-05:00

Whole Paycheck sells the most delicious maple pecans in their bulk section. I love the taste but not the price. So, I decided to try my own. For inspiration, I used this recipe.

16 oz. shelled pecan halves

3 T. coconut oil, melted

1 T. vanilla extract

3 T. maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. sea salt.

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and spread out on baking stone. Bake for about 25 minutes in 300 degree convection oven (or 30 minutes at 325 degrees in a regular oven), stirring often to prevent burning. They will be slightly brown. Watch closely so they don't burn!

I used a stoneware bar pan and sprayed it with coconut oil to prevent sticking. The glaze was fairly liquid, even when the pecans were browned, but once they cooled, they were only slightly sticky--they sort of dried out once they cooled. The flavor reminds me a lot of the Valdosta Pecans I have bought in the past--only without the pepper flavor and cranberries. :) They are very tasty--not too sweet.

Trail Mix a la Ornery

2010-08-08T14:59:00.002-05:00

I don't really measure the amounts for this so amounts vary from batch to batch--here are the ingredients of the trail mix Ornery packs in his lunch every day. I admit, I like this too. :)

Walnuts

Raw Cashews

Roasted/salted Pumpkin seeds

coconut flakes (large flakes)

raisins

dried papaya

chocolate chips

GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-03-20T14:42:00.002-05:00

1/2 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup organic sucanat (evap. cane juice)
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 whole pasture raised eggs
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 cup organic coconut flour
1/2 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup organic chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs and salt. Then add flour, coconut and chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls (I use a small scoop for uniform size) onto slightly greased stone or parchment lined pan and bake for 14-15 minutes or until slightly browned. They do not spread out, so you can put them fairly close together. Makes about 36 cookies.

Amaranth w/ Apples

2010-01-29T20:30:00.004-06:00

Amaranth with Apples and Walnuts

1 cup amaranth

3 cups milk (any variety--I prefer skim cow's milk, but have made it with soy, hemp, coconut and almond milk before with good results)

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black strap molasses

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or more-- I like a lot!)

1 or 2 apples cored and chopped (with skin on)

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on low for 30 to 35 minutes, until amaranth is soft and milk is all absorbed. Sweeten to taste with maple syrup or agave nectar. Sprinkle ground flax seed over it if you like, and serve with a little milk or yogurt.

GF Pizza on Zucchini Crust

2010-01-29T19:37:00.005-06:00

I tried making a gluten free pizza crust recipe a while back and was not impressed. At all. So, my sister mentioned in passing that she used to make a crust out of zucchini, and I thought I would see what I could come up with. I researched several sites and found some recipes for zucchini crusts, but they were not all gluten free, nor were they as simple as I wanted to make mine. Here is what I ended up with:

Zucchini Crust:

about 2 cups grated zucchini w/ peel (I had 4-5 small squash)

about 1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 whole eggs

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder or a pressed clove of garlic (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and spread thin on an oiled (olive oil) pizza stone--I used a stoneware bar pan by Pampered Chef, but I suppose you could use another type of pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch it carefully as you don't want to burn it, but you do want it cooked well so it will hold its shape.

Remove from oven and top with:

Marinara sauce*

slices of uncured turkey pepperoni

diced chicken sausage

pieces of red onion

sliced fresh mushrooms

grated cheese (try different types of cheese and grate them together including raw cheddar, more Parmigiano Reggiano, and other Italian flavored cheeses. There is one at Whole foods made with sun dried tomatoes and garlic that is fabulous!)

(or your favorite toppings--this was just what I had on hand)

(*I used a jar of organic tomato paste mixed with a whole large clove of garlic and some Italian seasoning--heat through on the stove and allow to set while making the rest of the pizza. The tinny taste that often comes with canned tomato paste was absent, and the sauce was just enough for one large pizza.)

Return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

This pizza does not reheat well so only make as much as you will eat. This was a really REALLY good pizza, and I will certainly make it again!

Not Yo Momma's Brownie

2010-01-24T08:56:00.003-06:00

Not Yo Momma's Brownie
Makes 12 servings

1 c. hazelnut meal (can sub. pecan or almond, but hazelnut is very tasty!)
6 T. extra virgin coconut oil, plus extra for the baking pan
1/2 c. agave nectar
2 whole omega-3 eggs
1/2 c. raw cocoa powder
1/4 c. arrowroot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Mix together all ingredients. Stir to blend. Pour into an oiled 8x8x2 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, cut into 12 bars. These are really good warm, but if you have leftovers and want to keep them awhile, wrap each one in a piece of waxed paper and freeze.

Homemade Brownies

Nut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2010-01-15T12:06:00.001-06:00

Nut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies
(no wheat or sugar)

Beat two eggs in bottom of mixing bowl. Beat in 1/2 cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup milk (1/2 and 1/2, almond, hemp, etc.) and 1 cup fresh ground nut butter (this time I mixed cashew and almond. Mmm.) Stir into egg/honey mixture 1 -1/4 cups almond meal, hazelnut meal, or other nut flour.

Cut up 3.5 oz of 70% dark chocolate into approx.1/4 inch chips (or 1/2 bag dark chocolate chips), Stir into mixture.

In blender, blend three cups of oats into flour. Sift two cups of this flour with one tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir into mixture until mixture can keep it's shape (not runny). Add more oat flour if you need to.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls (scoop works great) onto buttered cookie sheet and flatten slightly with moist fingertips. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350. Makes about 4 dozen.

Mimi's Corn Meal Waffles

2009-12-19T17:38:00.005-06:00

Mix together in large bowl:

2 T coconut flour

2 T almond flour
1/4 cup hazelnut flour

1/2 cup spelt flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. raw sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 cup organic cornmeal

2 eggs (separated)

Mix with whisk:

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup coconut oil (melted and allowed to cool)

2 cups buttermilk

Add wet mixture to dry ingredients.

Whip egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.

pour onto hot waffle iron, and sprinkle chopped nuts on batter before closing lid.

Goody Box/Bag Recipes

2009-11-30T15:08:00.007-06:00

If you have come to find the recipes for the items in the goody bags/boxes, they are linked to the names below.

Molasses Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

Mimi's Sugar Cookies

Peanut Butter Creme Fudge

Marvelous Mocha Fudge

English Toffee

The caramel recipe is a closely guarded family recipe, and since my aunt was gracious enough to share it with me, I have consented to not share it.

Granola

2009-11-27T15:41:00.004-06:00

The people who have been given bags of this keep coming back for more, so I guess it must be pretty tasty!

In large bowl:
12 cups rolled oats
2 cups chopped dates
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raisins

1 cup dried papaya
1 cup sesame seeds
2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

In medium bowl:
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup filtered water
1 cup applesauce
1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 heaping tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla

Whisk everything in the second bowl together well

Pour liquid into oat bowl, mix thoroughly, (I used my hands and had it mixed in no time). Divide evenly onto four stoneware bar pans (jelly-roll) and bake 45 minutes at 300 degrees in a convection oven, stirring every 15 minutes. For more crunch, bake a little longer. Cool thoroughly before storing in glass containers. Makes 27 cups of granola.

(eta: I have found that if I add some of the wet ingredients to the fruit and add it to the oat mixture during the last twenty minutes of baking, the fruit doesn't get so leathery.)

Ideas for Smoked Turkey Leftovers

2009-11-26T13:05:00.001-06:00

Not big turkey fans at Miller Manor, but for some reason I thought I really needed a smoked bird this Thanksgiving. Because I was too late to get one for the family gathering and someone else did that, I ended up with the whole 12 lbs. to use for the two of us. We don't eat pork anymore, so I figured I could substitute the smoked turkey for ham in some of my old recipes. Here are some of the ideas I came up with:

Split pea soup (I have yellow split peas, but green would also work)
Black eyed peas (Great for New Years!)
Quiche Lorraine (I use a gluten-free crust, either store bought or one made from almond flour)
Turkey Salad

Sweet Potato (natural sweeteners)

2009-11-26T09:54:00.003-06:00

The old family favorite (here) needed to be healthier to align with our commitment to eating better, although I am not certain this is a huge improvement with all the butter... We went with fresh instead of canned sweet potatoes, (big health savings) and did away with the brown sugar and marshmallows (another giant improvement), replacing it with a little stevia and agave nectar. I increased the spices to give it more zip and hopefully disguise the fact they aren't as sweet. It is a holiday food, though and no one seems to mind venturing out from the healthy fare a few times a year. Here is the new version:

Three large whole sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick. (consistency is the important thing, as they will need to cook evenly)
3 apples (wash and core, do not peel) sliced 1/4" thick
1 T cinnamon
1/4 t.allspice
1/8 t. cloves
1/4-1/2 cup unsalted butter
agave nectar or maple syrup (to taste)

Melt about 2 T butter in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Mix together nuts and spices (I added 1/4 tsp. stevia powder as well, since the family is used to these being really sweet).

In the bottom of the buttered casserole dish, layer slices of sweet potatoes, apples, nut mixture, agave nectar (drizzle over) and slices of butter. Make several layers of this, finishing with the butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees about an hour, until sweet potatoes are tender. This will make about 12 servings.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-11-24T12:57:00.003-06:00

4 (5-6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 slices uncured turkey bacon

8 basil leaves

4 T. shredded fotina, dill havarti or garlic cheddar cheese

2 tsp. olive oil

Butterfly breasts and pound to 1/4" thickness

Layer 1/2 slice of bacon, 2 basil leaves and 1 T cheese over 1/2 of each breast, leaving 1/2" border. Fold over other 1/2 to cover filling and press to seal.

Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add chicken. Cook till golden brown and cooked through--4-5 minutes on each side.

Serve with steamed baby spinach leaves and fresh fruit salad Makes 4 servings

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

2009-11-21T14:50:00.001-06:00

Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup plus 1 tsp. sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 13 oz. package Rolo candies

In mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup of sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of pecans. Unwrap Rolo candies. Shape dough by tablespoonfuls around each candy. In a small bowl, combine remaining pecans and sugar. dip each cookie 1/2 way into mixture. Place cookies, nut side up, on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until top is slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes on sheet, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

2009-11-03T19:01:00.002-06:00

1 cup heavy cream

5 T raspberry jam

4-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine

1-2 T cassis or to taste

In a heavy saucepan bring the cream to a simmer with the jam, whisking. Remove pan from the heat; add the choclates and a pinch of salt. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, whisk it until it is smooth, and whisk in the cassis. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve set over a bowl, and serve it warm over ice cream. This sauce hardens into a chewy candy when poured over ice cream. Yield: About 1-1/2 cups.

(We used this over cheesecake, it was delicious!!)

Mimi's Sugar Cookies

2009-11-03T18:57:00.002-06:00

1-1/4 c. soft butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

5 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Stir together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Chill 2 to 12 hours. Roll 1/4 inch thick on floured board. Bake 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely, then glaze with:

Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar

4 T milk

1 tsp coconut oil

almond extract to taste

Combine sugar and milk. Stir until smooth. Add oil and flavor; stir till blended.

English Toffee

2009-11-03T18:54:00.002-06:00

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups butter

2 tsp. vanilla

6 T water

Put all ingredients in a heavy 3 qt. saucepan; bring to a boil, stir constatly until a test sample becomes very hard in cold water. Pour on 2 buttered cookie sheets, spread as thin as possible. Lay 6 lg. milk chocolate Hershey bars on top and spread on top of each tray. Sprinkle finely chopped walnuts or almonds over top. Let sit until chocolate is completely hard. Break into pieces. Store closely covered with waxed paper between layers.

Peanut Butter Creme Fudge

2009-11-03T18:50:00.002-06:00

1/2 cup butter

1 lg. can evaporated milk

4 c. sugar

7 oz. jar marshmallow creme

12 oz. jar peanut butter (1-1/4 c.)

Combine butter, milk and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to soft ball stage; stirring frequently. When soft ball stage is reached, remove from heat and add marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Cool; stir occasionally as it cools, then beat until creamy and thick. Pour into buttered 13x9x2 pan Let set until cold and firm.

Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

2009-11-03T18:42:00.005-06:00

2 c. butter, softened

4 c. brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

5-1/2 c. flour

1 c. cocoa powder

1/4 c. instant coffee granules

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

10-oz. pkg. cinnamon chips

Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, beating until blended. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in cinnamon chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 8 dozen

Veggie Pasta Concoction

2009-10-12T19:09:00.003-05:00

One organic grab-bag + one refrigerator gone bad = a tasty experiment!

2 leeks, sliced from bottom to top of light green (no dark green)

2 yellow squash, sliced

1 ripe tomato, seeded and chopped

fresh spinach leaves (quantity was what hadn't spoiled from one bunch, but could have used more)

2 large cloves garlic, pressed

3-4 Tbsp. butter

Put a little bit of the butter in the bottom of a 1.5 qt. casserole dish to keep from sticking. Layer leeks, spinach, garlic, tomato and squash in dish and add the rest of the butter on top. Sprinkle with salt if desired, and any other herbs you might have on hand. (I didn't have any fresh basil, but I think it would have been really good...)

Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the veggies are soft as you like them. Mine were a little too soft, but they still tasted good.

While the veggies are baking, cook 1 package of rice pasta spirals. Then, sautee some mushrooms (I had about six or eight left) in a little butter, then pour a cup of tomato juice and some Italian seasoning/basil over them and simmer until ready to serve. You could use some store bought marinara sauce for this, but I was using up stuff in the refrig....

When the pasta is done, mix with veggies, and sauce then serve with slices of mozzarella cheese over the top. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry you are. :)

Chicken Tacos (ish)

2009-09-27T16:25:00.000-05:00

Another new recipe from Miller Manor Kitchen! Today I was cleaning out more stuff from my refrigerator, and put this together. Mmm. It was mighty tasty!

1/2 rotisserie chicken, boned and chopped
1 onion chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finely chopped
2 small cloves of garlic, pressed
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large tomato
1-2 T. olive oil

Combine all above ingredients and cook over medium heat until heated through and veggies are tender. Then add 8 oz. fresh baby spinach and cover. Steam will cook spinach until wilted. Remove from heat. Mix together and put in prepared taco shells, or over corn chips, or just serve plain topped with:

shredded cheese
guacamole made with green onions, one avocado, 1/4 large tomato, 1/2 lime, cilantro and salt to taste.

Whatzit

2009-09-27T06:05:00.008-05:00

After creating this conglomeration of noodle-less, vegetable lasagna with meat, my son-in-law Jeff, and I discussed at length ideas for a name, and never could figure one out. So for now, it's called "Whatzit." Because it is "light" (no pasta) you can eat more than you would regular lasagna and still not stuff yourself. This is what we did:This is a photo of the casserole before we put it in the oven.
First I poured a thin layer of bottled marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish. Then we layered

slices of eggplant (1 small)

2 each yellow and zucchini squash and 1 very small patty pan squash from the garden

1 small onion sliced

More marinara

a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

a small block of Argentinian Parmesan cheese (shredded)

a small container of cultured cottage cheese

mixed with two eggs

four chicken sausage links--mild Italian flavored--sliced lengthwise

three mushrooms (that is all I had on hand)

1/2 large tomato

about 12 sun-dried tomato stuffed green olives, sliced

a few drizzles of olive oil

salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning

swiss chard

I skinned the chicken sausages first. Just slice along one long side from end to end and peel it back. It comes off very easily, and you avoid that eternal chewing that never really does get rid of the skin.

We were cautious with the seasonings, and the assembly process was somewhat of an experiment, jointly discussed and crafted by consensus. I baked it covered with a dome on top, thinking to keep it moist, but there was really too much liquid in it, so when we took it out, it was more like a chunky vegetable soup. In the future, (and I do think I'll make something similar again, because it was very tasty and nutritious) I think I will either roast the veggies ahead, or partially cook them on the stove top. They weren't raw, but even after baking for an hour, they were still crisp tender, which was fine if you had an hour to wait on dinner... Also, I would substitute baby spinach for the chard, or else cut the chard in small pieces before adding it in as it was fairly tough. I think diagonal slices of the sausage might have been easier for serving, and baking it uncovered would have helped rid some of the excess moisture.

This was not an inexpensive meal to make--the cheese alone in it was over $10.00!-- but I think next summer when my garden is producing many of the ingredients, I will try it again. It was also time consuming, taking almost two hours for the two of us to put together and for it to bake. Jeff loves to be creative in the kitchen, and putting this together was fun for both of us. I think you always learn something when you cook with new people.

Roast with Onion Soup

2009-09-04T10:00:00.005-05:00

The bountiful crop of onions from my garden inspired this attempt at "healthy" French Onion soup.

1 Arm roast --grass fed if available (the one I used was about 2 lbs. before I trimmed off the fat)

10 small onions or three large ones

2 large cloves of garlic- or more if you like

3 cups filtered water

2 tsp. "Better than Bouillon" Beef flavor

1/4 tsp. whole cumin seeds

2 whole bay leaf

Trim all visible fat from roast, and place in bottom of crock pot. Slice onions and put on top of meat. Press garlic on top. Mix Better than Boullion into water with fork or whisk, then add cumin seeds. Pour water over meat and onions in crock pot, toss in bay leaves, cover and cook for about 7-8 hours on low. Makes about 6 servings, depending on how much fat is trimmed off the roast.

Zucchini Bread

2009-07-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

This was my mom's recipe. Wow, it is good!!

Makes 2 loaves or 24-30 muffins

Prepare pan with Baker's joy or lightly grease and flour to keep from sticking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat 3 eggs in large bowl.

Add 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of oil, and 2 tsp. vanilla extract.

Add 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (with peel still on it), 3 cups flour sifted with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 3/4 cup raisins and 3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans--optional).

Bake loaves for 1 hour, muffins about 35 minutes or until they test done. (Not gooey in the middle when you put a toothpick in them

Fresh Guacamole

2009-07-04T18:19:00.000-05:00

There must be as many different ways to make guacamole as there are people who make it, but this is the way we have been making it lately. Frequently. Often. A lot. We love it!

Guacamole

2 ripe medium sized Haas avocados
1 medium sized ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
cilantro to taste
Kosher salt to taste
fresh lime juice

Finely chop onion and place in small mixing bowl. Add salt and cilantro and mash/grind together. Add avocados, tomatoes and squeeze of fresh lime juice and mix well. If the avocado is a little chunky, that is OK. Serve in fresh warm corn tortillas, or with blue corn chips, or on tacos, or in burritos, or... Yeah, anything is better with guacamole!

Chocolate Sauce

2009-07-01T06:50:00.003-05:00

This is actually a recipe for frosting, but it is SO good on ice cream. If you make it for a cake, you will need to whip it until it is fluffy, and put it on a cold cake or it will all run off.

Chocolate Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 T cocoa

1/3 cup milk

Stir and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.

add 1 tsp. vanilla.

For ice cream, serve warm. For a cake, cool until thick. Do not spread while hot.

Enchiladas

2009-06-30T19:25:00.004-05:00

There must be as many variations of enchiladas as there are cooks who make them, but this is what I am making right now...

Enchiladas

Makes 12

One dozen corn tortillas

1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken (thighs, breasts or combination)

Enchilada sauce (see recipe below)

finely chopped onions

shredded jack cheese

sour cream

Cook chicken in crock pot with salsa and a little water until it falls apart--about 4-5 hours. Shred chicken and set aside. Lightly fry tortillas in hot oil until soft, but not crispy. Stack on a paper towel. Shred cheese, chop onions and set up all in an assembly line fashion.

Assemble enchiladas: dip tortilla in enchilada sauce, place on the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish (9X13). Add about 2 Tbsp. of chicken, some onion and cheese, then roll tightly and set at edge of dish. Continue assembling until tortillas are all used up. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top, sprinkle with additional cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream.

Enchilada Sauce

2 whole tomatoes

1 whole jalapeño pepper

1/4 onion

2 cloves fresh garlic

water

2 T butter

Salt

Boil tomatoes and pepper in enough water to mostly cover them in a small saucepan until the skin pops on tomatoes and pepper turns slightly brownish green. About 10-15 minutes ?

Pour contents (including water) into blender jar. Add onion and garlic and blend about 2 minutes until thoroughly liquified. In the same small saucepan, melt butter, then add blender contents and salt or other seasoning to taste. (Ale uses the chicken bullion mix, but I avoid MSG, which is the primary ingredient, so I used some chili seasoning mix I had.) Cook until thick and bubbly. I added some sour cream because the jalapeño pepper I used was REALLY hot!

Spinach Quiche

2009-06-30T12:21:00.006-05:00

I use spelt pie crusts or gluten free, but any pie crust would be fine. I also use all organic ingredients, and uncured turkey bacon instead of pork. You can adapt the ingredients to suit your needs!

Spinach Quiche

makes 2 pies

6 eggs

3 cups 1/2 and 1/2

1/2 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

6 oz. (+/-) grated cheese--swiss, dill-havarti, jack, etc.

8 oz. turkey bacon, fried crisp and crumbled/chopped

spinach, fresh or frozen*

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Prepare pie crusts or thaw frozen crusts. In large mixing bowl, beat eggs, 1/2 & 1/2, mustard, salt and cayenne with whisk and set aside. Using 1/2 of each ingredient, place spinach on the bottom of the pie*, then sprinkle onion, bacon pieces and cheese until even distributed. Divide the egg mixture (I use a measuring cup) between the two pies. DO NOT OVERFILL! There may be more egg mixture than you need.

Bake for 15 minutes in 425 degree oven, then reduce temperature to 300 and bake another 35-40 minutes until quiche is lightly browned, and knife comes out clean when inserted in middle. Let set for 10 minutes before serving to firm.

*If I am using fresh spinach it is helpful to blanch it a little before you put it in, so it doesn't take up so much space. If using frozen and it is loose, I put it in still frozen. If it is in a box, thaw and drain thoroughly first. The amount? I just sprinkle it in there until it covers the bottom of the pan. One box of frozen will make two quiches, but a bag is way more than you need for two.

Salmon Cheese Ball

2009-06-30T11:48:00.001-05:00

Salmon Cheese Ball

2 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
10 oz shredded dill havarti cheese
1 bunch chopped green onions (including tops)
4-6 oz smoked salmon, flaked (may substitute smoked tuna if you don't have salmon)
Dash of garlic powder
a few drops of Liquid Smoke

Mix all ingredients and pat into whatever shape you want it to be (ball, log, ring, etc.) Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm. When ready to serve, remove wrap and press shredded cheese and/or chopped pecans onto the outside to help keep it together. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Death By Chocolate

2009-05-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

Death by Chocolate

1 box (19.8 oz.) fudge brownie mix (prepare according to directions)
1/4-1/2 cup leftover black coffee + 1 tsp. sugar
3 pkg (3.5 oz each) instant chocolate mousse
8 Skor or Heath bars, crushed
1 container (12 oz) Cool Whip, thawed

Bake brownies according to package directions. Prick with a fork and pour sweetened coffee over them. Set aside. Prepare mousse according to package directions. Break candy bars. Using 1/2 of each layer in a large clear glass bowl (like a trifle bowl) in this order: brownies, mousse, candy, cool whip. Repeat with remaining 1/2 of all ingredients, ending with cool whip. Sprinkle with a few crumbs of candy bar if you like. Refrigerate until serving time.

Strawberry Lemonade (for a crowd)

2009-02-09T06:51:00.005-06:00

One bag of organic lemons (about 10)

2 quarts of fresh strawberries

2 bottles of Sprite, chilled

Sugar to taste -- about 1.5-2 cups

crushed ice

Press the juice from all the lemons into a bowl with about 1.5 cups of granulated sugar. Mix thoroughly--there will still be a little sugar that doesn't dissolve but it will once mixed in with the rest of the ingredients.

Core the strawberries and blend in the blender with 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on how tart the berries are, and enough filtered water for them to blend well--maybe 1/2 cup? These can be refrigerated until you are ready to use them.

When you are ready to serve the punch, pour 1/2 of the strawberries and 1/2 of the lemon juice mixture into a large punch bowl. Add one 2 liter bottle of Sprite and enough ice to fill the bowl--I used about 1/2 of a bag.

I have made this before with frozen strawberries and frozen lemonade, and while it was good, it was MUCH better with the fresh lemons and berries.

Ornery's Banana Bread

2008-11-07T19:40:00.003-06:00

This is not a gluten free recipe. It is an adaptation of a recipe my mom used to make.

1/2 cup coconut oil
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 and 1/2 blend w/ all-purpose unbleached)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sour milk (add 1 T. vinegar to milk to sour)
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream sugar and oil, add eggs and banana. Combine dry igredients and add to mixture alternately with milk and vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees in greased and floured loaf pan (we love the Pampered Chef stoneware) for 45 - 60 minutes until done. Makes one large loaf or 12 muffins.

(adapted for RBTI by removing the nuts. If you like nuts, and have no problems with them, add them at the end--about 1 cup)

Enchilada Casserole

2008-05-04T15:15:00.002-05:00

Poor memory on my part necessitated a substitution in my usual enchilada casserole. We liked the results so well, we may not go back!

Easy Enchilada Casserole

1/2 recipe of Mango Salsa Chicken (I used 1 lb. boneless skinless thighs, and 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast-about one pound.)
1 package corn tortillas (12)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I buy the organic kind that doesn't have MSG in it)
1 cup mild salsa
2 cups shredded mild cheddar (or pepper jack if you prefer more heat)

In medium sized bowl, mix soup and salsa until smooth. Spray or lightly oil 9X13 glass baking dish. Pour about 1/2 cup of soup mixture in bottom of dish and spread around to prevent sticking. Dip corn tortillas in remaining soup mixture, tearing to fit shape of the dish. Evenly distribute layers in this order: Sauce, dipped tortillas, chicken, dipped tortillas, 1/2 cheese, chicken, all of the chopped onions, dipped tortillas, chicken and remaining sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and bake in preheated (350 degrees F) oven for about 35 minutes.

Party Fare: Strawberry Lemonade

2008-04-27T08:09:00.001-05:00

Today is a party for Ryan's birthday. For the beverages we are going to serve Iced tea and Strawberry Lemonade, which is one of our family's favorite punch type beverages.

Yesterday I made an ice ring with some of the lemonade and some fresh strawberry slices. This will go in the bottom of the punch bowl. All other ingredients should be chilled ahead of time so the ice ring doesn't melt too quickly.

Strawberry Lemonade
(Original recipe)

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, mixed according to directions on the can
1 small container frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed and whirled in blender until smooth
1 two liter bottle of Sprite

Mix strawberries into lemonade, pour over ice ring in the bottom of a punch bowl. Slowly add Sprite and stir gently. Garnish with fresh lemon slices, if desired and available.

Altered Recipe: That nasty high fructose corn syrup lurks in almost everything these days, and while I couldn't avoid it in the Sprite, I thought I'd at least switch out the lemonade mix, so I bought Simply Lemonade, which is sweetened with regular sugar. It isn't a lot better, but I feel a little better about it! I also bought real strawberries and am using natural sweeteners (agave and turbinado sugar) on them instead of white processed sugar. If I had the time to experiment, I might look at what it would take to use club soda or some other carbonated beverage instead of the Sprite. Any ideas?

Refried Beans

2008-04-25T18:14:00.000-05:00

FRIJOLES DE OLLA
(Pot Beans)

1 lb. dry beans, such as pinto or black turtle beans
2 tsp. minced garlic
salt to taste, at least 1 tsp

Run beans through your hands to pick out any small stones or trash. Wash twice in cold water and drain. Place beans and boiling water to cover by about 4" in a 3 qt crockpot. Turn heat to high and let simmer for 1 hour. Add the garlic then turn on low heat and cook for about 8 hrs, depending on temperature of crockpot. Simmer until skins of beans are soft, then add the salt and continue cooking until the beans are very soft and the broth soupy. Example: (I put mine on about 10 pm and at 7 am added the salt and cooked another 30 minutes.) Beans are better eaten the next day after they are cooked, when the flavor matures, so cook yours ahead.

FRIJOLES REFRITOS
(well-fried beans)

(This is how you re-fry after they are cooked, and I take the garlics out once they are cooked)

1/2 recipe of Frijoles de Olla
6 Tbsp. lard (or substitute vegetable oil)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped white onion

Heat the lard in a heavy 10" frying pan. Add the onion and fry over gentle heat until transparent, about 1 minute. Add a cupful of beans and their broth and mash down over fairly high heat. A wooden potato masher works best. As they begin to reduce, add some more and keep mashing until they have all been incorporated. Continue frying, scraping sides and bottom of pan to prevent sticking, until the mixture becomes a thick paste and you can see the bottom of the pan as you stir.
Shortening can be substituted for lard, but the taste won't be as good!

(This recipe is from Alejandra. I am going to experiment with them to see if I can make them tasty w/o the lard.)

Beef and Roasted Vegetables

2008-04-25T17:54:00.000-05:00

Beef and Roasted Vegetables

1 cup baby carrots, washed
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 to one whole onion, cut in chunks and separated
2 yellow squash, sliced about 1/4-1/2 inch thick
1.5 lbs. stew meat browned in 1 T olive oil (could use less or chicken or whatever, but it's what I had that needed to be used!)
8 oz. smallish mushrooms, washed and quartered
1/4 head of cabbage
Cooked Brown rice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown meat in 1 T. olive oil on the stove until all sides are seared. Layer all the vegetables and meat in the order listed in a large baking bowl (I used my covered stoneware baker from Pampered chef). Season to taste (I didn't add any seasonings except some Italian seasoning and a little sea salt to the meat, but probably should have). Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until all vegetables are cooked. While the vegetables are baking, cook brown rice in pure water, with sea salt and Mrs. Dash's garlic and herb seasoning mix. Rice and vegetable dish should be done at about the same time. Serve meat and veggies over rice.

This was originally going to be shish-ka-bobs--or parts of it were, but I just couldn't get excited about that tonight, so I thought I'd experiment a bit.

Espresso-chocolate Banana Muffins

2008-04-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

This recipe is adapted from one in the Super Natural Cooking book by Heidi Swanson. The recipe called for several ingredients I didn't have, couldn't use or needed to alter for some reason, so this is the revision as I made it. For the original, you'll have to get the book. It's worth the money.

Espresso-chocolate Banana Muffins

2 cups whole grain barley flour
2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1-1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts
6 T. softened, unsalted butter
1/4 cup turbinado natural cane sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 lg. omega 3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup half and half (or 1 cup plain yogurt)
1-1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large)
6 squares Ghardelli intense dark chocolate w/ espresso, chopped

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line muffin cups with paper liners (original recipe says it makes 12, mine made 20)

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 3/4 cup of walnuts and chopped chocolate in a bowl. Whisk to combine well.

In a separate large bowl or a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and agave, then the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla, half-and-half or yogurt, and masked bananas. Briefly and gently mix in the dry ingredients; over-mixing will result in tough muffins.

Spoon into the prepared muffin pan (I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pan) and top with the remaining walnuts. Bake until golden, about 25-35 minutes. Mine were a little gooey at 25 minutes, but still very moist after 35. The yogurt might make them a little less soft, but when my sister made her variation of them when I was there, they were still very moist.

The changes I made were the flour, in her recipe she uses white whole-wheat flour,
the chocolate, which she does not put in, but adds 1 T fine espresso powder,
and the sugar, which she uses 3/4 cup natural cane sugar and I substituted in the agave for a lower glycemic load. The recipe calls for yogurt instead of half-and-half, but I didn't have any yogurt, so I used what I had on hand. I probably should have cut it back a bit more.

Beef & Bean Burritos

2007-12-27T16:30:00.000-06:00

Beef and Bean Burritos

makes 16

For Ryan!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can ro-tel style tomatoes and chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
2 large cans vegetarian Refried beans
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 - 1-1/2 lb. shredded colby cheese
2 pkg. 10" flour tortillas

Brown ground beef with chili powder and drained rotel. Pour into large pan or bowl with refried beans; add onions and mix well. Use a large spoon to put about 1/3 cup of bean mixture in a row down the middle of the tortilla. Sprinkle cheese over top of beans. Tuck both ends in about 1 inch, then roll up. Wrap in waxed paper to freeze and store in the bag that the tortillas come in. To heat, microwave in the paper on a plate for 2-3 minutes, or until hot. From thawed state, these can also be fried like a chimichanga.

Baked Beans

2007-12-23T14:06:00.000-06:00

Baked Beans

4-6 cans Van Kamp's Pork and Beans
1/2-3/4 cup catsup
1-2 T. prepared mustard
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4-1/2 cup molasses
1 pkg. beef franks, but into bite-sized pieces

Drain beans and pour into 2-3 qt casserole dish. Mix iin catsup, mustard and brown sugar. Drizzle molasses over top and mix it in. Add franks. Bake at 325 degrees about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly, and franks bulge on the cut ends. Let stand several minutes before eating, as the brown sugar and fat from the franks hold the heat.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2007-12-05T16:57:00.002-06:00

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 apples, sliced
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 (17 oz) cans yams, drained
1/4 cup butter
2 cups mini-marshmallows

Toss apples and nuts with sugar and cinnamon. Alternate layers of apples and yams in 1-1/2 quart casserole dish (or 8X8" square) Dot with butter. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows over top. Place under broiler or in very hot oven until lightly browned. (watch carefully, this doesn't take long!)

Cream Cheese Roll-ups

2007-12-05T16:52:00.000-06:00

Cream Cheese Roll-ups

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4-1/2 lb. pastrami, finely chopped
1-2 cups finely shredded cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped including green tops
Enough mayonnaise to make mixture spreadable-about 1/2 cup
1 pkg. large (10 inch) flour tortillas

Mix first five ingredients together and spread a thin layer on tortillas. Roll tightly and slice into 1 inch rolls. Serve with salsa.

Southwestern Chile Dip

2007-12-05T16:38:00.001-06:00

Southwestern Chile Dip

8 oz. shredded cheddar or Colby cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped ripe olives, drained (divided)
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained
1/4 tsp garlic powder
few dashes Tabasco or other pepper sauce
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup sliced green onions, including tops

In large bowl, stir together cheese, mayonnaise, 1/2 of the olives, chilies, garlic powder and Tabasco sauce. Spread in 9" quiche or pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with tomato, green onions and remaining black olives. Serve warm with corn chips.

Toll House Pie

2007-12-05T16:33:00.000-06:00

Toll House Pie

2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 unbaked 9" pastry shell.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend eggs until foamy. Add the flour and sugars and beat until blended. Blend in melted butter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into pie crust. Bake 1 hour. Serve warm.

Millionaire Pie

2007-12-05T16:31:00.000-06:00

Millionaire Pie

1 prepared regular pastry or graham cracker pie shell
1 cup sugar
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 oz) carton Cool Whip, thawed

Cream sugar and cream cheese. Add drained pineapple. Fold in Cool Whip until well blended. Place in shell. Refrigerate and serve cold. Serves 6

Turkey Salad

2007-11-25T17:02:00.000-06:00

Roasted Turkey Salad

2 cups chopped turkey
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1 gala apple, cored and chopped (leave peel on)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 heaping Tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Grapeseed Vegenaise)

Make a dressing with apple juice and mayo. Pour over all other ingredients. Serve on toast, a bed of lettuce or just plain. Mmm.

Brazil Nut Bars

2007-11-12T11:56:00.000-06:00

Brazil Nut Bars
Makes 16 pieces

Grapeseed oil
1-1/2 cups whole Brazil nuts
1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup dried organic cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups high-fiber, low-sugar sprouted grain cereal (Ezekiel 4:9 original sprouted grain)
3/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1 cup natural nut butter (calls for cashew, I used almond)

Lightly coat a 9X13" baking dish with grapeseed oil. Set aside.

Grind Brazil nuts into fine powder in blender or food processor. Transfer to large bowl and add pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, cranberries and cereal. In a large saucepan, heat the nectar or honey, nut butter and cinnamon until very hot and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Pour over the mixture in the bowl and mix well. Immediately, press mixture firmly into the baking dish. Let mixture cool in the refrigerator. Cut into 16 pieces. Wrap each bar individually in waxed paper and store in the freezer.

These are like granola bars only better for you!

Quinoa Applesauce Cake

2007-11-04T15:32:00.000-06:00

Quinoa Applesauce Cake

1-3/4 cups quinoa flour
1 cup currants or other dried fruit
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted, sweet butter or 1/2 cup walnut oil
1 cup maple sugar
1 large Omega 3 egg
2 cups unsweetened, organic applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the flour over the currants and nuts and set aside. Blend the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cloves with the remaining quinoa flour. Separately mix together butter or oil, sugar and egg. Combine all ingredients, adding the fruit and nuts at the end. Spoon into an oiled 8X8 inch cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spinach Salad

2007-11-04T15:25:00.000-06:00

Spinach Salad
serves 6

2 bunches fresh spinach
1 bunch scallions, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Wash spinach well. Drain and chop. Sprinkle with salt, allow to set, then squeeze excess water (or put in a salad spinner). Add remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Apricot Fruit Bread

2007-11-04T15:21:00.000-06:00

Apricot Fruit Bread

1-1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 Omega 3 egg
1 cup apricot conserves (fruit juice sweetened)
2 cups brown rice flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped, dried, unsulfured apricots
1 cup currants

Grease a standard-size loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-size bowl, combine yogurt,egg and jam. Add 1 cup of flour and half of the spices plus baking soda. Stir until batter is evenly moist. Add remaining flour and spices. If consistency feels too thick, you can add a few drops of cold water or vanilla soy milk to mixture. Fold in fruit. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until done. Remove bread from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Maple Walnut Granola

2007-11-04T15:17:00.001-06:00

Maple-Walnut Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup rice bran
1 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried currants
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup organic grapeseed or walnut oil
3/4 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, rice bran, seeds, dried fruit, nuts and vanilla. Add the oil and maple syrup and mix well until mixture is evenly moistened. Mixture should be crumbly and sticky. Spread mixture on a lightly oiled cookie tray and bake for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes for even toasting. Mixture should be golden brown and dry. Cool thoroughly and store in an airtight glass container.

String Bean Salad

2007-11-04T15:14:00.000-06:00

String Bean Salad
Makes 4 Servings

1 lb. green string beans
juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 tsp. sea salt

Wash tender, fresh, green string beans. Remove stems and strings. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Cook until tender by boiling in plenty of water. Drain. When cool, place in a salad bowl. Dress to taste with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt.

Arabian Baked Fish

2007-11-04T15:10:00.000-06:00

Arabian Baked Fish
Makes 6-8 servings

1 large bass or whitefish (3-4 lbs)
dash of sea salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped and sauteed in olive oil
2 to 2-1/2 cups tahini sauce (see below)

Wash fish and dry thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and lemon juice. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain fish. Place in baking pan after brushing with oil. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Cover with sauteed onions and tahini sauce, and add a dash of salt. Return to oven and bake until fish is easily flaked with a fork (30 - 40 minutes)

Garnish with lemon slices and parsley

Tahini Sauce

1 cup organic tahini
juice of 3 lemons
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dried, organic parsley flakes or fresh parsley, copped finely

In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Add enough water to make a thick sauce. Makes 2 cups.

Carob Chip Cookies

2007-11-04T15:09:00.000-06:00

Carob Chip Cookies
Makes 3-1/2 to 4 dozen

1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
tsp. vanilla extract
1 omega 3 egg
1-3/4 cup oat or brown rice flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup carob chips (unsweetened)
dash allspice (optional)

Oil two baking sheets and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium-size mixing bolw, combine the oil, syrup and vanilla. Beat the egg and stir into the oil mixture. Gradually stir in flour and baking soda to form a stiff batter. fold in carob chips and drop the batter onto the baking sheets by the teaspoon. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cookies are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool.

Whole Lotta Nuts Granola

2007-11-04T14:58:00.000-06:00

Whole Lotta Nuts Granola

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup slivered almonds (I use whole almonds chopped because they are cheaper and fresher)
1 cup unsweetened large flaked or ribbon coconut
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup almond oil (or other oil of your choice)
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, blueberries or a combination

Preheat oven to 300 F.
In a large bowl stir together the oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut. In a small bowl combine the oil, agave, and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Spread the granola evenly onto a large baking sheet, like a jelly roll pan with an edge, sprayed with non stick spray if you wish. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or burning, until golden brown and crisp, about 15-20 minutes. Because ovens vary, the first time you make this stay close by. I set a timer for five minutes each time because it can over bake quickly. Do not over bake, the granola will crisp more when cooled. Cool on the pan stirring occasionally. Stir in dried fruit and then transfer to an airtight glass container. Keep at room temp for up to a week. (I actually keep my longer and it is not a problem.)

It is good just to smack on, to top yogurt, but also with fresh fruit and some kind of milk over the top.

Vegetable Soup

2007-11-04T14:57:00.001-06:00

Vegetable Soup

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 c. carrots chopped
1 small head green cabbage
2 tomatoes, chopped
2-3 c. Asst. vegetables from the freezer including lima beans, green beans, corn, peas*
1 c. wild rice
1 t. dried basil (or 3-4 leaves fresh)
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. sea salt
6 cups chicken or vegetable low sodium broth

Heat oil in large dutch oven sized pan. Add garlic, onions and carrots and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on the stove for about 45 minutes, or until rice is cooked. If you don't like your vegetables cooked that long, you can add the seasonings, broth and rice to the pan and cook for about 30 minutes, then add the rest of the veggies, cooking until they are tender. When the soup is almost done, add 1-2 sliced yellow or zucchini squash.

*we have used mixed vegetables, green beans, limas, etc. based on what is in the freezer at the time and how many other fresh veggies we have on hand to add. I really did like the lima beans, though.

Avocado & Bean Burrito

2007-11-04T14:55:00.000-06:00

Avocado and Bean Burrito
Serves 2

2 c. shredded romaine lettuce
2 T. yellow onions, chopped
1/2 (or whole) avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
2 T. chopped cilantro (optional)
4 T. chunky tomato salsa
1/2 c. nonfat vegetarian refried beans
2 sprouted corn tortillas (frozen section of the health food store)

Mix the lettuce, onion, avocado and salsa in a medium bowl until the vegetables are evenly coated. Smear half of the beans on each tortilla, fill with vegetable mixture and wrap burrito style. OR double the ingredients and layer two bean smeared tortillas and two layers of the veggies like a tostada. These are really good!

Trail Mix

2007-11-04T14:54:00.000-06:00

Trail Mix
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup organic raisins

Mix all in a large, sealed glass container and store.

Other nuts and seeds, as well as cocoa nibs, can be added or substituted. The original recipe calls for dried (unsweetened) blueberries instead of the raisins, but they are VERY expensive ($26.99/lb) where I shop, so I substituted the raisins. I found some sprouted pumpkin seeds that had been seasoned with sea salt and they really added some flavor, but they are QUITE expensive ($16.99 bag)! This jar-full doesn't last long around here as it is the main mid-morning snack food! (Click on the image and see it up close!)

Smoothies

2007-11-04T14:47:00.000-06:00

Fall Flavors Smoothie

8 oz. pure water
4 ice cubes
1 whole unpeeled, cored apple
1 whole unpeeled, cored pear
hand full of seedless grapes
1 T ground flaxseed
1 T freshly ground almond butter
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 t Silver Shield
1 pkg. vanilla meal replacement shake mix

Whirl together everything except the cinnamon and shake mix. Once everything is homogenized, add the dry ingredients while the blender is still going. This keeps the powder from adhering to the blender sides, enabling it to mix in well.

Variation: Replace pear and grapes with 3-4 T cooked pumpkin, add 1/4 tsp. cloves
Both these shakes are high in fiber, protein, and a host of vitamins. They have great "staying power" and provide you with two of your fruit servings for the day!

Berry Blast Smoothie

8 oz pure water
3 ice cubes
6-8 fresh or frozen whole, unsweetened strawberries
1/4-1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries
1/4-1/2 cup frozen sweet dark cherries
1 "jigger" Thai Go (Acai berry drink by Nature's Sunshine)
1 T ground flaxseed
1/4 t vanilla extract or vanilla flavoring
1 t Silver Shield
1 pkg. vanilla or chocolate meal replacement shake mix

Whirl together everything except the shake mix. Once everything is homogenized, add the dry ingredients while the blender is still going. This keeps the powder from adhering to the blender sides, enabling it to mix in well. (This is the "anti-oxidant" smoothie!)

Chocolate Covered Bananas Smoothie

8 oz. pure water
4 ice cubes
1 whole banana
1 T ground flaxseed
1 T freshly ground almond butter
1 t Silver Shield
1 pkg. chocolate flavored meal replacement shake mix

Whirl together everything except the shake mix. Once everything is homogenized, add the dry ingredients while the blender is still going. This keeps the powder from adhering to the blender sides, enabling it to mix in well.

Taste of the Tropics Smoothie

8 oz. pure water
4-5 chunks frozen pineapple*
4-5 chunks frozen mango*
4-5 chunks frozen papaya*
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 banana
1 T fresh almond butter
1 T ground flaxseed
1 t Silver Shield
1 pkg. vanilla flavored meal replacement shake mix

Whirl together everything except the shake mix. Once everything is homogenized, add the dry ingredients while the blender is still going. This keeps the powder from adhering to the blender sides, enabling it to mix in well. (*If you use fresh fruit in this recipe instead of frozen, add some ice to it to give it a chill and thicker texture.)

Buffalo Chili

2007-11-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

Buffalo Chili

3 lbs. ground buffalo (or very lean ground beef)
2 T. chili powder
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
1 T. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 t. paprika
3 cans Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chiles
1-2 cans (12 oz) tomato juice (depending on how thick you want it)
2 cans pinto beans or red or white kidney beans (whatever I have on hand)

Brown the meat with the spices. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 30-60 minutes. Serve with chopped onions and grated cheese, over corn chips, or just plain. Makes about 16 cups of chili. We freeze it in individual serving sized glass storage bowls, and Ornery takes it for lunch.

(For a spicier flavor, substitute with any or all of the following: Replace Ro-tel with Picante medium or hot salsa. Replace tomato juice with spicy V8 juice cocktail. Replace plain beans with seasoned beans containing jalapeno peppers. You can also increase the chili powder, add tobasco, etc. We are not very spicy folk, here!)

Wild Salmon ...

2007-11-04T14:44:00.000-06:00

Wild Salmon with Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Lemon Asparagus
Serves 2

2 small sweet potatoes
1 small yellow onion
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 t dry mustard
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed
Grated zest of 1 lemon
8 oz. wild salmon fillets cut into two 4 oz. portions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a shallow baking pan. (I cooked it on my Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan w/o the parchment and it worked great) Wash the sweet potatoes. Slice the potatoes and onion 1/4 inch thick. Put sweet potatoes and onions on the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and rosemary to make a paste and set aside.
Remove the sweet potatoes and onions from the oven, keep in the baking pan. Place the asparagus on the paper around the sweet potatoes and onions. Sprinkle the lemon zest on the asparagus. Lay the salmon on top of the asparagus and onions. Spread the paste on top of the salmon.
Return to oven and roast for 12 minutes. Salmon is done with the flesh flakes with gentle pressure.
(We skip the fancy stuff and just do the sweet potatoes, onions, olive oil and salmon with a twist of lemon on it. But this is the original recipe. I didn't care for the strong flavor of the mustard or the lemon zest on the asparagus, but I am new to this style of cooking, so maybe I will learn.)

Lamb & Vegetable Curry

2007-11-04T14:43:00.000-06:00

Lamb and Vegetable Curry with Steamed Brown Rice
serves 4

1 cup brown rice
2 t olive oil
1 med. yellow onion, sliced
1 med. red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 T grated fresh ginger
1/4 t red curry paste, or more to taste
1 lb. boneless lamb loin, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 T reduced-sodium, gluten-free soy sauce
2 cups cauliflower florets
4 cups spinach, rinsed and drained will
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine the brown rice and 2 cups filtered water in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and steam for approximately 45 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

When the rice has been cooking for 25 minutes, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste and mix well. Add the lamb and cook, stirring often, for approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, coconut milk and soy sauce, and bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Toss in the spinach and lime juice, and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Serve immediately over the steamed brown rice and top with chopped cilantro.

(This meal is a lot of work. I start chopping meat and veggies as soon as I have the rice on, and I barely have everything done by the time it is time to start cooking it. But it is SOOOO good, I keep making it anyway!)

Chicken Vegetable Fajitas in Sprouted Grain Tortillas

2007-11-04T14:40:00.000-06:00

Chicken-Vegetable Fajitas in Sprouted Grain Tortillas
Serves 4

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2 inch strips or 1 lb. chicken tenders
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 med. green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 med. red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 med.yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Four 10 inch sprouted or whole-grain tortillas (I am using hemp)

Optional garnishes:
Avocado
Chopped green chiles
Low-fat sour cream
Salsa
Shredded cheese

Combine the lime juice, chili powder, cumin and garlic in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken and vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Divide the mixture among the tortillas.

You can substitute hickory-smoked tofu or tempeh in place of the chicken in this recipe for a delicious vegetarian meal.

Black Bean Salsa

2007-11-04T14:38:00.000-06:00

Black Bean Salsa
makes 6 cups

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 large avocado, chopped
1 purple onion, chopped
2-3 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
3-4 T. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground pepper

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Refrigerate for a few hours if possible for the flavors to mix. This keeps fairly well for a few days in the refrigerator, and added to lettuce, corn chips and a bit of dressing makes an outstanding taco salad!

Tuna Melt

2007-11-04T14:35:00.000-06:00

Tuna Melt
(Makes enough tuna salad for 5 sandwiches)

1 large can Prince Albert Albacore tuna, (no salt added, in water) flaked
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion, yellow or green
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
2 T. roasted red peppers, chopped
2 hard-boiled omega-3 eggs, peeled and chopped
2 T. mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients. Lightly butter one side of two slices Spelt, Brown Rice or other whole grain bread (we are wheat free). Mound tuna salad on unbuttered side of one slice of bread, and place in heated non-stick skillet on medium heat, buttered side down. Lay slices of reduced-fat organic Colby style cheese on tuna, and place other slice of bread on top, buttered side out. Grill slowly so all the ingredients heat up and the cheese melts before the bread burns.

Dill Dip

2007-11-04T14:34:00.000-06:00

Dill Dip
Makes about 2 cups

2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use grapeseed Vegenaise)
2/3 cup light sour cream or fat-free Nancy's organic plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 tsp. Beau Monde seasoning (contains celery salt, garlic powder)
1 T. dried Dill Weed
Combine all ingredients and chill several hours before serving. Great veggie dip, and works well as a sandwich spread, too.

Hobo Dinners

2007-11-04T14:32:00.000-06:00

Hobo Dinners

For each serving:
1 boneless loin pork chop OR boneless skinless chicken breast
1 small russet potato, washed and sliced (skins are full of vitamins, but you can remove if you want)
1 scrubbed and sliced carrot or a handful of baby carrots
1/4 of a yellow onion left in "petals"
slices of cabbage, eggplant or other vegetables you like/have on hand.
2 T. organic butter (You could probably use olive oil, but I never have tried it.)
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Tear off a piece of wide heavy-duty foil a little longer than it is wide. Place meat in the center, season to taste; add vegetables and butter. Wrap tightly, sealing all edges by folding over two or three times. Wrap packet again with a second layer of foil and sealing the same way. Cook on medium hot grill for 20 minutes on each side. (Try to have the meat side on the grill first, especially if it is a thick cut.) Open very carefully to avoid burning from the steam. (This is a great meal for a busy day, as you can prepare the packets ahead of time and put on the grill later. They are very filling and nutritious. We tailored each one to suit our kids' taste, adding or removing a preferred ingredient. This works just as well without the meat, but you would need to reduce the cooking time a bit.)

Soy Garlic Marinade

2007-11-04T14:31:00.001-06:00

Soy Garlic Marinade

1/4 cup extra virgin or light olive oil
1-1/4 cup gluten-free, reduced-sodium soy sauce (may be reduced to 1/2 to 3/4 cup, depending on how much marinade you are making)
1 T. catsup
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed or mashed

Mix all ingredients together, place meat in marinade in refrigerator for thirty minutes to 2 hours. You can also use it to baste the mean while it is grilling, but it really isn't necessary. (This marinade is good on fish, chicken, pork, and beef.)

GF Goulash

2007-11-04T14:30:00.001-06:00

Goulash
(gluten-free)

2 c. Tinkiyada Rice Pasta Spirals or Fusili, cooked according to directions
1 lb. lean ground turkey breast or ground bison
1 whole onion, chopped
1/2 finely chopped bell pepper, either red or green (optional)
1 jar Seeds of Change Tuscan Tomato & Garlic sauce
1 whole tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella or low fat cheddar cheese

Brown turkey, (or lean ground beef or bison if you prefer) onion and bell pepper in 1 T. extra virgin olive oil. Add sauce, tomato and spices. Simmer about 30 minutes to infuse spice flavors into sauce. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Stir in cheese if you want, but it is good without, too.

Dilled Green Beans

2007-11-04T14:28:00.000-06:00

Dilled Green Beans

2 cups frozen green beans
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dill weed or Deliciously Dill Seasoning Mix
Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a microwavable glass dish with glass lid. Cook on high for about 4 minutes, stir, let set for a couple of minutes, and if needed cook another minute or two, depending on how done you like the beans and how strong your micro is.

Hash Brown Casserole

2007-11-04T14:26:00.000-06:00

Hash Brown Casserole

2 lbs. frozen hash brown potatoes
1 tsp. salt; pepper to taste
½ cup butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream or celery soup
½ cup corn flakes or canned fried onions

Sautee onion in butter. Mix together all other ingredients with onion. Top with corn flakes or fried onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Breakfast Casserole

2007-11-04T14:25:00.000-06:00

Breakfast Casserole

1 lb. pork sausage, browned and drained.
6 eggs
2 cups milk
¼ tsp. dry mustard (not prepared)
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 slices of broken bread
1½ cups shredded longhorn or other yellow cheese
1 can or mushroom slices

Butter a 9X13” pan or casserole dish; set aside. Brown and drain sausage; set aside. Mix eggs and milk until well blended; then add seasonings. Stir in bread, cheese, mushrooms and sausage. Mix well and pour into casserole dish. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate over night. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8

Peaches & Cream Pie

2007-11-04T14:23:00.000-06:00

Peaches and Cream Pie

Filling:

¾ cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. cook-n-serve vanilla pudding (small size)
1 egg
3 T. butter
½ cup milk

Beat all ingredients for 2 min. at medium speed. Pour into 10” deep dish pie plate (spray with Pam). Drain 1 large can of peach slices, reserving syrup. Place peach slices on top of filling to within one inch of sides of pan.

Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sugar
3 T. reserved syrup from peaches

Mix together 2 minutes at medium speed and spoon on top of peaches to within 1 inch of pie pan sides. Sprinkle all over with 1 T sugar mixed with ½ tsp. cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Crab Bunwiches

2007-11-04T14:21:00.000-06:00

Crab Bunwiches

6½ oz. can crab, flake & remove any hard bits
¼ cup chili sauce
1 T. lemon juice
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 T. grated onion
½ cup grated cheese

Mix all together. Toast on bun halves in broiler until hot and bubbly. Serves 4-6.

Blueberry Jello

2007-11-04T14:19:00.000-06:00

Blueberry Jello

Gelatin:

2 pkg. (3 oz) raspberry jello
2 cups boiling water
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 can (15 oz) blueberries (not pie filling)

Dissolve jello in water; add blueberries and pineapple. Chill overnight.

Topping:

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
8 oz. sour cream
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla

Stir together until well blended; spread over firmed gelatin. Sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans over top. Keep chilled. Serves 12

Chicken Packets

2007-11-04T14:17:00.000-06:00

Chicken Packets

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 T. chopped chives
2 T milk
Salt to taste
1/2 cup crushed seasoned crouton crumbs
2 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix chicken, cream cheese, chives, milk and salt in a medium bowl (mixing with hands works best) to make filling. Unroll crescent rolls. Each tube will contain 4 rectangles of dough with a diagonal perforation. Press dough along each perforation so the rectangle halves will not separate. Place about 1/4 cup of chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Fold dough over the filling, and pinch the edges to seal tightly. Dip each packet in melted butter, and coat with crouton crumbs. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Packets are good either hot or cold. Makes 8 packets.

Scalloped Carrots

2007-11-04T14:15:00.000-06:00

Scalloped Carrots

2 lbs. carrots, peeled, sliced, and steamed or boiled until tender.

Drain carrots and set aside. In small sauce pan over low heat, melt together

¾ stick of butter or margarine
8 oz. Velveeta cheese

Mix into carrots and put in casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together:

¼ cup melted butter or margarine
½ cup cracker crumbs
1 T. parsley flakes
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Spread over carrot mixture. Bake at 350° about 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly and topping is browned.

Peach Muffins

2007-11-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

Peach Muffins

1½ cups flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. soda
1 cup sugar

Combine dry ingredients and make a well in the center.

2 eggs (beaten)
½ cup vegetable oil

Pour into the well in the flour mixture, and stir just until moistened.

1¼ cups coarsely chopped peaches (one 15 oz can drained)
½ tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. almond extract
½ cup chopped almonds

Stir in remaining ingredients gently just until blended. Put 1/3 cup batter in paper lined or Pam sprayed muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Yield 1 dozen

Mouthwatering Meatloaf

2007-11-04T14:08:00.000-06:00

Mouthwatering Meatloaf

1-1/2 lb. very lean ground beef (or ground Buffalo)
2 eggs
2 T. Worchestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and form loaf in loaf pan, making a furrow in the middle and around the edges of the loaf. Cover with topping (below) and bake at 325 degrees for one hour.

Topping:

4 T. brown sugar
1/3 cup catsup
1½ tsp. prepared mustard
¼ tsp. nutmeg
2 T. peach jam

Fried Rice

2007-11-04T14:05:00.001-06:00

Fried Rice

You need to have 2-3 cups left over brown basmati rice (or any cooked rice) waiting to be used. Saute 1/2 onion, two stalks celery and a bell pepper finely chopped in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the rice, stir and cook a few minutes, Beat 3-4 eggs with salt and pepper, Make a hole in the rice mixture, pour in eggs. Stir and cook until eggs are firm and mixed throughout rice and veggies, Serve with a little soy sauce.

Guacamole

2007-11-04T13:52:00.000-06:00

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
1 T minced (really fine) onion
1/2 t chili powder
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
2-3 T mayonnaise (I use Grapeseed Veganaise)
dash of sea salt

Scoop out avocado from peel with a spoon. Mash with a fork or ricer, add onion, chili powder, lime juice and salt. Spread mayo over top and refrigerate until ready to use. Mix all ingredients together and serve with corn chips, quesadillas, etc.

Swiss Steak in the Crock Pot

2007-11-04T13:50:00.000-06:00

Swiss Steak in the Crock Pot

(Recently I found some Bison Loin steak on sale, and decided to try this instead of my old beef tenderized steak. I don't know how it will taste, but we like ground bison in everything we used to make with hamburger, so I imagine the results will be acceptable. I asked the butcher to run it through the tenderizer for me, which he happily did.)

1-2 lbs of tenderized steak (however much you need for your family)
1 can stewed tomatoes (two if you are making a lot)
2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and chopped in bite sized pieces

Put all in the crock pot and cook all day on low.

Spaghetti Squash w/ Chicken Cacciatore

2007-11-04T13:47:00.000-06:00

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Cacciatore

In an 8 qt stock pot, immerse and boil a whole spaghetti squash for 30-45 min.
While it is boiling, saute boneless, skinless chicken breast meat, one or two as you like, along with 1/2 tsp each sweet basil and oregano, a finely chopped onion, and a pressed clove of garlic. Take the chicken out of the skillet and pour in a jar of marinara sauce to warm with the onion, garlic and herbs. Chop the breast meat in small pieces and add back into the sauce.

Butter a medium casserole dish on the bottom.

When squash gives to the touch, take it out of the pot and cut it in two. Take out the seeds and seed strings to discard. Scoop the stringy flesh into the bottom of the casserole dish, spread the sauce with meat over the top and sprinkle Parmesan cheese liberally over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or just broil to melt the cheese.