Black Bean Hummus

Who says hummus has to be made with chickpeas??  This is great!  I enjoyed it for lunch with some warm pita bread and a tomato.

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic
1 (15 ounce) can black beans; drain and reserve liquid
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
10 black olives

Directions:

1.  Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add black beans, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add additional seasoning and liquid to taste. Garnish with paprika and Greek olives.

Asparagus Citrus Salad

It's the season for asparagus!  YUM!  Can't wait to add it to EVERYTHING!
This salad is perfect for this time of year when both oranges and asparagus are readily available.  Quite tasty.  Next time I might try adding a little bit of chopped red onion for a bit of an extra zing.


INGREDIENTS
Asparagus:
1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil  (I don't think it needs this much oil...)
sea salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese (I used grated percano romano cheese)

Vinaigrette:
3-4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
zest of half a lemon
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
extra virgin olive oil (not sure how much I used - maybe 1/4 cup??)
sea salt
pepper
1 blood orange, peeled and segmented (couldn't find - I used Cara Cara)
1 orange, peeled and segmented (navel)

PREPERATIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place asparagus on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup), and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until bright green and tender-crisp.

2. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, honey, lemon zest and mustard in a bowl and slowly whisk in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Plate asparagus and drizzle liberally with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Top with orange segments and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette, to taste. Garnish with thin ribbons of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Warm Broccoli and Quinoa Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

I was surprised that the kids actually liked this (or they were just hungry that day!).  It is quite gingery.  Great idea to make a dressing from pureed raw carrots and ginger.  Quite tasty.


INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons water
Salt
1 bag (10 ounces) broccoli florets
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2/3 cup chopped carrot (about 1 large)
3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

PREPARATION

1. In sieve, rinse quinoa with cold running water. In 3-quart saucepan, combine quinoa, 3 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Transfer quinoa to large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until tender-crisp. Add to quinoa in bowl.

3. In blender, combine carrot, ginger, vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 3 tablespoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; blend until pureed. Add to quinoa, broccoli, and tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve salad warm or at room temperature.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(based on individual servings)
Calories: 265
Total Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 605 mg
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 7 g

Thai-Style Chicken Thighs

I bought some local free-range chicken thighs at our local market.  $10 for 10 LARGE thighs (skin and bone-in).  A tiny bit of prep work and these were ready to pop in the crockpot. 
They turned out WONDERFUL!  Even the hubby ate them (minus the sauce).  And, I have leftover sauce that I'll toss on some noodles and vegetables for a yummy lunch.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2-1/4 pounds), skin removed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation:
Slow Cooker Directions
1.Combine ginger, salt and red pepper; sprinkle over meaty sides of chicken. Place onion and garlic in slow cooker; top with chicken. Whisk together coconut milk, peanut butter and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Cover; cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is tender.

2.With slotted spoon, transfer chicken to serving bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Turn slow cooker to high. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into slow cooker; cover and cook 15 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve chicken over brown rice; top with cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges.

Apple Buttermilk Muffins

I bought a bag of Gala apples at the market last weekend so it's time to do some baking.
Tasty.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil  (I used organic virgin coconut oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 medium apples  (I used Gala)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In large bowl, mix first 6 ingredients.
In a small bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat buttermilk, vegetable (coconut) oil,vanilla, and egg until blended; stir into flour mixture just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in apples and walnuts.

Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Mix some cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on the muffins.  Bake muffins 20-25 minutes or until they test done.

Immediately remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

Nutritional Info:
Approx. Per Muffin:

300 cal
25g fat
22 cholesterol
136 sodium
18g carbs
1g fiber
14g sugar
3g protein

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soupy Pilaf

This was a surprise hit.  Apparently my kids REALLY like mushrooms!  The wild rice has almost a sweetness to it which is really nice.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil  (I used butter)
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup wild rice
2 cups veggie stock
4 cups water (for soup) or 2 cups (for pilaf), plus more if needed

Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add mushrooms and saute until tender, and then stir in carrot and garlic and saute for another minute. Add basil, thyme, and salt and pepper, and stir well. Finally, add rice, stock, and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer until rice is tender (about 45 min), stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it and add more water if necessary. If making pilaf, wait until the rice is done and most of the water is absorbed, then remove from heat and let sit for 5 min. Serves 3-4.

Notes:
I covered the pot while simmering and it stayed VERY soupy.  After the 45 min., I took the lid off and let it simmer for another 20 min. and the soup thickened up quite a bit.  Next time I'd simmer with the lid off.

Sour Cream and Cumin Pork Tenderloin

This was real easy and real tasty.  I made a lot of sauce and served it over egg noodles.  Next time I would also add some mushrooms with the onion and garlic step.  I used good quality bacon from the deli and it wasn't so overpoweringly baconish the way bacon can be - just added a nice bacony touch.  Plus, it is a sure guarentee that my kids will eat anything flavoured with bacon.  And apparently my husband too - he actually tried and ate some!!!  Wow!  Unbelievable.  Of course, with meat, bacon and noodles I'm hitting three of his four food groups (just missing processed!).

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, diced  (I used 5 slices.  It's bacon!)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds lean pork  (I used a pork tenderloin cut into cubes)
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour + 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sour cream (I used 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped  (forgot.  too bad - bet that would have been good!)

Directions:
1. Saute bacon in Dutch oven. Remove. Fry onions and garlic in bacon grease until soft. Remove and reserve.
2. Cut pork into bite-sized pieces and brown over medium-high heat. Do this in two batches so the pan isn’t overcrowded. After you put pieces in the pan, don’t turn until well browned on first side. Turn and saute on the other side. You may need to add additional oil for second batch.

3. Add bacon, onion and garlic back to pork along with cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.
4. Whisk flour and water until smooth. Combine with pork and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Serve with chopped cilantro.

This tasted great over egg noodles.  I had lots of sauce so it was like a creamy gravy sauce for the noodles with a bit of meat.

Whole Wheat Mango-Blueberry-Coconut-Walnut Bread

Adapted from this Mango Bread recipe.

This bread turned out amazing.  It was moist and dense and healthy and delicious.  Kids and I loved it.
I didn't use very much sugar because the fruit is naturally sweet and because sugar is just not good for us and I'm trying to teach my kids to enjoy foods with natural sugars instead.

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil (organic virgin) + 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce  (OR 3/4 cups oil)
2 cups whole wheat flour + 1 cup white all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 to 1 1/4 cup diced mangos (I have a big bag of frozen mango from Costco)
1 cup blueberries (thaw if frozen)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on tow regular baking sheets stacked on on top of the other. This extra insulation will keep the bottom of the bread from over baking.
Whisk the eggs and the oil (and applesauce) together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, switch to a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix until blended- the batter will be very thick (really more like a dough than a batter) and not easily mixed, but persevere, it will soon come together. Stir in the mango, blueberries, coconut and walnuts.  Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the bread looks as if it's getting too brown as it bakes, cover loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before running a knife around the sides of the pan and unmolding. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Mexican Bean Salad

I took this simple salad to a work potluck and I got soooo many compliments on it.  It was certainly one of the favorites.  It's cheap, quick and easy to make and tastes wonderful.  Even my kids enjoyed it.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels  (maybe 1 cup?)
1 red onion, chopped  (seems like a lot but it really mellows and gives the salad some bite)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:
1.In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion.

2.In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.

3.Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts and Goat Cheese

This is amazing.  I wish I had a picture (but we ate it up too fast!) - it is a beautiful looking salad.  The bright red beets and crunchy walnuts and tart goat cheese on a bed of spinach - wowzers.  I found this to be a pretty easy way to eat beets.

Why eat beets?  Well, for one, they are gorgeous and make whatever they are paired with look gorgeous.  They are also insanely healthy.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnut halves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 medium beets, trimmed and washed
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onions
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lb fresh spinach leaves, de-stemmed and washed (I used bagged baby spinach)

3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Combine the walnuts with the olive oil, salt and pepper, mixing well to coat the nuts.  (I just dry-roasted them in the oven for 8-10 minutes - turned out fine)
3. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Wrap the beets individually in foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
7. Let cool for 20 minutes, then peel the beets by holding them under cold running water and rubbing off the skins.
8. Cut into 1/2-inch wedges, and place in a large mixing bowl with the walnuts and onion.
9. Combine all the dressing ingredients, taste and adjust the seasonings.
10. Pour over the beets and toss well.
11. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour.
12. Just before serving, arrange the spinach leaves in individual bowls or on a large platter.
13. Arrange the beets on top and crumble the goat cheese over.

Beef Stew

This was delicious and perfect for a snowy evening.  Very easy to make and tastes wonderful.  The meat was very tender and the spices combined nicely.  I have a feeling I'll make this on a regular basis.

Ingredients:

2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water or beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
potatoes
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:
Brown meat in hot oil.

Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots, celery (and potatoes). Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer.

To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

Banana Cocoa Nib Muffins

Time for more muffins!  It seems like I make a LOT of muffins but they are just the perfect food.  Easier than bread and healthier than cookies.  Plus, just like pancakes, you can always find a way to sneak super healthy bits into them and still get the little people (and occasionally the husband) to still eat them.

As for the cocao nibs, I bought them awhile ago but can't stand to eat them raw (bitter!) but they are ok in many baked things.  They are supposably a superfood, however, as always, there is a bit of debate about that.  Anyway, they taste ok in this recipe.  Add a bit of crunch and an teeny tiny bit of bitter chocolate flavor.  However, I wouldn't run out to the health food store and by a $10 bag just to make this recipe....  Regular dark chocolate chips would taste just fine.  Quite fine indeed I think.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups flour  (I used whole wheat)
1 cup mashed overripe banana  (I used 3 bananas)
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup light brown sugar  (I used 1/2 c.)
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature (I used Activia Plain yogurt)
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

optional: one sliced banana  (I opted out of this...)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease, spray with baking spray or line 18 wells in a muffin tin.

In a large bowl, whisk together the spices, baking powder, cocoa nibs, baking soda, flour and oatmeal. Set aside.

In another large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the yogurt then add the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Fold in the mashed banana. Divide evenly into wells. Top each with a slice of banana, if desired.

Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the center muffin (but not through a banana slice, go in through an angle) comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

My Thoughts:
I made 12 LARGE muffins and it took closer to 30 minutes to cook.

Sweet Potato Fries
My kids love these.  We have them at least once a week - usually with black beans and cottage cheese.  It's a favorite lunch around here.

Ingredients:
Sweet potato – 2, cut into 1/3 inch matchsticks
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss sweet potato pieces in oil. You can also transfer fries to the baking sheet and then spray oil, instead of tossing ‘em. It is important to arrange the fries in a single layer for even cooking.

Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400F. Turn the fries over gently using a spatula without mashing them. Bake for additional 20 minutes, until the fries are toasty and slightly crispy. Take ‘em out of the oven and immediately season with salt and pepper. You can also season the fries with garlic powder or any other seasoning mix of your choice. Let the fries rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Blueberries have been on sale lately, so I've been buying multiple containers and adding these "brain-berries" to everything I can - hot and cold cereal, muffins, snack bowls, yogurt and now pancakes.

I actually really love the addition of the sunflower seeds and wheat germ.  Great way to sneak in some extra nutrition. 

I served these pancakes with a dollop of vanilla yogurt - they were a HUGE hit with the kiddos.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. wheat germ
2 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 1/2-3 c. milk
2 tbsp. coconut oil
Fresh or frozen blueberries to taste
Sunflower seeds

Directions:
Stir together all dry ingredients. Beat eggs slightly in a separate bowl and add milk; then add to dry ingredients and stir briefly. Stir in oil with a few strokes.

Heat griddle, grease slightly. After pouring batter into griddle, add desired amounts of blueberries and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Turn when edges are slightly dry.

Vegetable (ok, fungus) of the Week....

....  Cremini Mushrooms

So, I've been teaching myself to like (or at least tolerate) mushrooms.  If I tell my kids that they can learn to like (or at least eat) anything, then I guess I'd better do it too.  Also, apparently they are insanely healthy.  Plus, as it turns out, my kids LOVE them.  Raw.  Ummmm... ok?

1.  Tortelli with Cremini Mushrooms.
I made a very yummy and very simple pasta dish.  I used a package of fresh porchini stuffed tortellini.  I then sauted in butter some green onions, cremini mushrooms,  grape tomatoes and fresh basil.  I tossed it all together and topped it with a bit of crumbled blue cheese (I would have used goat cheese if I had any on hand).  It was wonderful.  For the second time round (yes, I made it twice), I used shallots instead of green onions, added spinach and omitted the basil.  WOW!  I will do this again.  Like, weekly!  Toddlers love pasta so why not make the pasta worthwhile!

2.  Omlette with Cremini Mushrooms, Shallots and Spinach.
I made a wonderful omlette.  Wonderful.  I sauted in butter some shallots and cremini mushrooms.  Once softened, I added a big handful of chopped spinach (gotta get the greens into the kids!).  Once the spinach was softened, I then added 4 eggs (beaten) and cooked until set.  Then I topped it with some grated cheddar cheese and folded it in half.  We enjoyed it with veggies sticks and homemade blue cheese dip (can you guess what my "cheese of the week" is?!). 

3.  Barley Stew with Leeks, Mushrooms and Kale. 
Stay tuned for this recipe!

All in all, I am quite proud of my new mushroom-eating self.  I still can't bring myself to eat a "button mushroom" (just the thought makes me quiver with disgust), but these creminis are pretty darn good.  So good I think I'll keep some on hand to throw into all kinds of things.  Eventually I'll experiment with their giant cousins - Portabellos. 

Yay me.

Nut of the Week...

...  CASHEWS.

 

I bought a big container of raw, unsalted cashews last week and they are pretty much all gone.  They are super healthy and the kids and I have been eating them daily!  Here's a few of the ways we've been enjoying them this week:

 

• I've been tossing a few on our morning cereal (along with yogurt and blueberries).
• I added cashews instead of peanuts in my granola bars.
• I've been making a snack bowl for the kids with raisins, cashews and sliced apple or orange segments.  They love it.
• I tossed a few in a smoothy - banana, pineapple, coconut milk, plain yogurt and a few cashews.  YUM.
• I made an interesting and delicious dessert.  I blended a small handful of soaked cashews with a TBSP or so of coconut milk and poured it over sliced grapes.  WOW.  So So So Yummy.  Very rich.

 

Next week's nut?  We'll have to see what's on sale - maybe pistacios? or walnuts? or almonds?

Egg Nests

These are delicious.  Kids LOVED them. 

Ingredients:
(to make 4 egg nests)
4 slices of white bread
2 cubes of chopped frozen spinach (squeeze the moisture out)
butter
4 eggs
grated cheese (I used cheddar)
crumbled cooked bacon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a muffin tin.
Cut the crust off the bread.  Gently push each slice into a muffin tin making a little bread bowl.
Put a bit of spinach in the bottom of each bread bowl.  Top with a little bit of butter.  Slowly top with a raw egg.  (My egg spilled over the edge, and one yolk broke - still worked fine).  Top with salt and pepper if you wish.

(Fresh out of the oven)

Bake for 15-20 min. or until the egg is cooked and the bread is lightly toasted.  Top with a bit of cheese and the crumbled bacon.

I served these with a simple green salad and my kids LOVED it.  I thought they turned out really well too.  One of the easiest and best lunches we've had in a long time.

Homemade Granola Bars

The great things with granola bars is that you can adapt the "recipe" a million different ways and it still tastes good.  For these ones I used what I had on hand: pumpkin seeds, cashews, cranberries, goji berries, a few cacao nibs and prunes.  A great "clean-out-the-pantry" recipe.

However, I do have two small issues with this recipe:
#1.  They are way too sweet for me.  WAY too sweet.  The sugar and the honey and the dried fruit is just a bit too much for me.  I've ended up treating it like candy and just giving the kids little squares of it here and there.
#2.  They stuck to the wax paper BIG TIME and this nearly drove me batty.  Picking off teeny tiny strips of wax paper with a paring knife was not fun.  Not fun at all.

All in all, I am enjoying these granola bars as a nice treat however I think I'll have to really reduce the sugar in order to make these again!

Ingredients:
2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup sunflower seeds (I used pumpkin seeds)
1 cup peanuts, crushed  (I used cashews)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
approximately 8 oz. dried fruit  (cranberries, goji berries and prunes)

Directions:
1.  Crush the nuts.  (I put them in a ziploc bag and smooshed them with a dish)
2.  Mix the nut, oats, wheat germ, and seeds in a baking dish with sides. Toast them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t get burned.
3.  Meanwhile, prepare a glass baking dish (about 11 x 13 inches) for your granola by lining it with waxed paper lightly sprayed with a nonstick spray.  (I missed this step.  Do NOT miss this step! )
4.  Put the brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, and salt into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.
5.  Mix the toasted oats, nuts & seeds with the liquid in a large bowl. The grains, the liquid “glue,” and the dried fruit.
6.  Mix everything REALLY WELL because you want to make sure the “glue” gets all over everything.  Dump your granola mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.
7.  Fold over the sides of the waxed paper or add a sheet on top, and PRESS HARD all over the granola. You want to compact it together so that your bars won’t fall apart when you cut them.
8.  Wait 2-3 hours or until the granola has totally cooled.
9.  Then, open the waxed paper and carefully turn the granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.
10.  Firmly press down with a big knife (not sawing), cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.

Spicy Orange Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry

I LOVED this.  The kids tolerated it.  Scott ate spagetti.

Ingredients:

12 oz flank or sirloin steak (pound to tenderize and cut across grain into thin strips)

(I just used a package of stir-fry cut beef from the meat area of the supermarket)

grated peel of 1 orange (about 2 tsp)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger (grated)
5 Tbsp cornstarch
6 Tbsp orange juice
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp beef bouillon granules (I used 1 small packet of beef OXO low-sodium)
2 Tbsp sugar (I used 3 Tbsp by accident - worked fine....)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes  (I used a few shakes of Tobasco sauce)
1 cup water
2 tbsp oil  (I use only organic virgin coconut oil for frying)
broccoli
peppers (I used red and orange and yellow peppers*)

Directions:
Toss steak with orange peel, ginger and 1 Tbsp corn starch in a medium bowl to coat; set aside. Stir orange juice, soy sauce, bouillon, sugar, crushed red pepper, water and 4 Tbsp corn starch in a small bowl until blended. Heat oil in a skillet. Add beef and stir-fry until nearly cooked. Add broccoli and peppers and continue cooking until tender. Stir soy sauce mixture until blended and pout into skillet. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil for 1 minute. Serve over rice (or with tortillas).

* (Stock up on colored peppers when they are in season and you can get them fresh.  Cut them into strips and freeze them on a cookie tray.  Transfer them into a freezer bag and you have colored peppers year-round.  I add them into all kinds of recipes!)

Quick Chickpea Curry

- from Everyday Food Magazine, Jan/Feb 2010, pg. 62

 

The kids and I both liked this simple vegan curry.  We enjoyed it with brown basmati rice.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil (I used coconut oil)
1 large onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 cinnamon stick
ground cloves
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 c. water
salt and pepper
chopped cilantro (to garnish)

Directions:
1.  In a large straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown around edges, about 6 minutes.
2.  Add garlic, curry, cinnamon, and pinch of cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.
3.  Add chickpeas, ketchup, salt, pepper and water.  Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
4.  Uncover and increase heat to medium-high; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, 5 minutes.  Serve with cilantro.

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

This is a quick and easy weeknight dinner.  We enjoyed it with boiled white potatoes and brussel sprouts. 

Ingredients:

•12 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

•1/4 cup (50 mL) soy sauce
•2 tbsp (30 mL) liquid honey

•3 large garlic cloves or 2 tsp (10 mL) bottled chopped garlic

•2 inch (5 cm) piece fresh peeled ginger or 2 tsp (10 mL) bottled chopped ginger

•2 tsp (10 mL) Tabasco sauce

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Place chicken in an ovenproof dish, just large enough to snugly hold it, such as an 8-inch (2-L) square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir soy sauce with honey. Mince fresh garlic and finely grate ginger. You should have about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly grated ginger. Stir into soy sauce mixture along with Tabasco. Pour over chicken. Turn pieces to coat.

2.Bake, uncovered, in centre of 425F (220C) oven until chicken is springy when pressed and sauce is bubbly, from 30 to 35 minutes. Turn chicken halfway through cooking and baste with pan juices. To serve, skim fat from pan juices and pour over chicken or use as a dipping sauce. Great with new potatoes or rice.
 

The kids LOVED this meal!  Even Scott ate it.

Mango Muffins

These muffins turned out to be some of the best I've ever made!  LOVE the mango.  Big and moist and fruity without being sugary.  Next time mangos are in season, I'll stock up and freeze them so I can make these muffins year round.  YUM.

I modified this recipe quite a bit.  I like moist muffins so I added 1/2 cup of plain yogurt to the recipe.  I also cut the sugar in half, added some blueberries and used all whole wheat flour.
The recipe is for 18 muffins but I didn't want to do a double batch so I made 12 HUGE muffins instead.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour  (I used all whole wheat flour)
1 cup sugar  (1/2 c. sugar)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil  (I used half melted butter and half applesauce)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups diced ripe mango  (I only had 1 1/2 cups so I added some blueberries)
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil (& applesauce), (yogurt) and lime juice; add to the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the mango, (blueberries), banana, raisins and nuts.

2.  Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

  

How the kids spent the time while I made muffins....

Honey Roasted Sweet Potato

This is delicious!!  FINALLY, my kids ate sweet potato!

Ingredients:

2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (I don't generally weigh my sweet potatoes....  I used 3 large ones)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and put in a 9 by 13 baking dish. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Pour mixture over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt, and bake, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until potatoes are tender.

We enjoyed the sweet potatoes with black beans and cottage cheese.  Seems like a strange combination but it is super duper delicious.  Honestly.  Try it.

Fruit Loop Craft

Adrianna loves this craft.  So far she hasn't figured out that it's made out of Fruit Loops....

Ingredients:
Fruit Loops cereal - crushed into crumbs
Glue (white Elmer's type glue rather than a glue stick)
Colored construction paper

Directions:
Drizzle glue onto the paper in whatever design you want.
Sprinke the crushed Fruit Loops onto the paper (it will stick to the glue).
Shake off the excess cereal to reveal a multi-colored design.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Nate and I are spending the mornings when Anna is in preschool baking!  He's quite happy about it!

I used the basic recipe from this wonderful blog but adapted it a bit for my family.  My adaptations are in italics.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour (I used 1 c. whole wheat flour and 3/4 c. white flour)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (I only used 1/4 c. as I don't like sweet muffins)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I used 1/4 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. canola oil)
1/2 cup of vanilla yogurt ( I used buttermilk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large, very ripe bananas
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips  (I used 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, white sugar and brown sugar until well combined.

In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla and mushed bananas until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without over mixing. Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Sesame Lime Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Snow Peas,

Sesame Lime Soba Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Snow Peas,

I thought this turned out really good.  A bit labor-intensive but that may have been due more to the fact that I kept hauling my 1 yr old off the kitchen table than because of the recipe.  Kids liked the mushrooms but not the noodles so much.  I liked it all.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb (225 g) soba noodles
2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil
5 to 6 oz (140 to 170 g) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut in halves or thirds
1/4 lb (125 g) snow peas, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise in thirds
1 tsp (5 mL) tamari
1 cup (250 mL) green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 mL) black sesame seeds, or toasted or raw sesame seeds
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Lime wedges and toasted sesame oil (for finishing)

Sauce
1 Tbsp (15 mL) hoisin sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp (50 mL) tamari
1 1/2 Tbsp (20 mL) fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp (35 mL) toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp (45 mL) agave nectar (I don't know what this is.... I used 1 TBSP honey)

Directions:
In blender, purée sauce ingredients until smooth.

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in deep frying pan or large pot, heat oil on high. Add mushrooms; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly sear; add snow peas and tamari; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing to lightly sear vegetables. Remove from heat and toss in green onions.

Drain noodles (don’t rinse) and add to mushrooms and snow peas. Add sauce and toss to distribute through hot noodles. Add sesame seeds and cilantro; toss again and serve with lime wedge and drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Source: Alive magazine#323, September 2009

Homemade Bath Paints!

Ingredients:

Liquid baby soap
Cornstarch
Food coloring

Mix baby soap and cornstach together to a thick-ish consistency.
Add food coloring to make the color(s) you want.

Kids LOVED it!

Spicy Beef Ravioli with Kale

A yummy way to eat some greens. Although, chop them pretty small if you want the kiddos to eat them!

My kids loved this soup - especially the tortellini! Nate ate the greens (surprise, surprise) and Anna spit them out (surprise, surprise!). Quick and easy and satisfying. Felt a bit healthier than just plain old pasta and sauce.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 oz) (I used most of a 28oz can)
1 2/3 cups beef broth (I used veg. broth - and more like 2.5 cups)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (I used Tabasco sauce)
4 cups thinly sliced fresh kale
1 package (9oz) refrigerated beef ravioli (I used beef and cheese tortellini)
1 tsp oregano
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook about 3 min., or until tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth and red pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in kale, ravioli (tortellini) and oregano. Return to boiling; reduce heat.
3. Cover and let simmer 7 min. or until kale and ravioli (tortellini) are tender. Ladle into 4 shallow bowls and serve immediately. Garnish with cheese.

- from First magazine 12/28/09

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

These turned out GREAT! I think I'll use this oatmeal base recipe for many other flavors as well - cranberries; raisins & spice; nuts; apple and cinnamin; orange zest; dates and walnuts.

Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt (I used buttermilk)

1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats

1 egg

1/4 cup canola oil (I used butter)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

1. Heat oven to 400F. Lightly grease 12 muffin tins.

2. In small bowl, mix yogurt (buttermilk) and oats. In large bowl, mix egg, oil and brown sugar. Stir in flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and yogurt mixture (batter will be lumpy) - and my batter needed a bit more buttermilk as it was pretty dry. Gently stir in blueberries. Divide batter into 12 muffin cups.

3. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.