Recipes

I feel the need to post a few recipes just because...

This first one is something I recently discovered and I have it on good authority that it really helps with all sorts of head cold issues.

Head Cold Relief Recipe
1 Whole Lemon
1 inch knob of ginger w/skin
1 cup apple juice
1 TBS honey
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper

Throw all these into a blender and blend blend blend
Strain through a fine strainer
Drink cold or warm in the microwave
NOTE:  The taste is somewhat bitter/tangy & spicy...but it works!


Colorful Veggie Frittata

1 cup broccoli florets
3/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 oz fully cooked ham or Canadian bacon
4 eggs
6 eggwhites
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Mrs Dash Italian Medley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 oz Parmesan cheese (grated)
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute the broccoli, mushrooms and onions in olive oil until tender. Add ham; heat through. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites, water, mustard, Mrs Dash Italian seasoning and garlic powder until foamy. Stir in the cheese, tomatoes and broccoli mixture.
3. Pour into a greased(nonstick spray like pam) shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutrition: Per serving (4 servings)
Calories: 267
Fat: 14.5g
Carbs: 4.25g
Protein: 27.75g
Fiber: 1g


Good Tastin' Turkey Burgers (Neal Approves!)
20 oz Lean Ground Turkey (99% fat free)
1 Small Onion finely chopped/minced
3 Cloves of Garlic minced
1/4 C Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 C Seasoned bread crumbs
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS Soy Sauce (low sodium)
2 Egg whites or 1/4 cup All whites
1 TBS EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Mix first 8 ingredients together and form into patties...this should make 6-8 burgers.
Heat Olive oil in frying pan and place patties in pan...fry on both sides until cooked through...about 10 mins total.  If you cover them they tend to cook a little faster.
Serve on whole wheat non HFCS buns with lettuce/tomatoes/avocado or other favorite toppings...

Nutrition: 6 Burgers w/o bun or toppings
Calories: 168
Carbs: 5 g
Fat: 3.6 g
Protein: 27 g
Fiber: .5 g
Cholesterol: 62 mg
Sodium: 335 mg
Sugars: 1 g


Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers
4 Tbs toasted sesame oil (or 2 Tbs oil, 2-3 Tbs water, as needed to avoid sticking)
1 tsp sea salt
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger root, grated (or 1 tsp dry)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, grated
2 Tbs tamari or soy sauce
4 leaves of kale, chopped (alternately, can use 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli)
1 lb or 1/2 kilo lean ground turkey (chicken/beef also an option)
1 large sweet potato, grated
1/4 cup almonds, ground in a coffee grinder (or flour of choice)

Preheat oven to 350
In a large pan heat oil and salt. Saute onion, garlic and ginger in oil over medium heat until softened
Add in celery, carrots and tamari.
Turn heat to low and add kale once other veggies are just about ready and allow kale to soften in heat.
In a large mixing bowl, fold vegetable mixture into meet. Add ground almonds and shredded sweet potato.
Keeping hands moist, form into patties and place on parchment lined or lightly oiled cookie sheet.
Bake burgers for 15 minutes on one side, remove from oven and turn over. Bake for another 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.
Recipe makes 12 patties. Freeze whatever you don’t cook for a quick meal later in the week. You can make this burger entirely vegetarian by using 1.5 cups of your grain of choice instead of meat. Just follow the cooking directions on the package.

From Tania who shared this recipe: "what i liked the most is that even cold the burger stays juicy (i tried lot of recipes and once the burgers are cold, they are like bricks, not this one though;)"

Salmon Cakes
¼ C Eggbeaters (or 1 egg-this changes nutritional values)
1 TBS Reduced Fat Sour Cream
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
Several dashes of hot sauce
½ Tsp Old Bay Seasoning
½ Tsp Dill
½ Small Onion finely chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic minced
¼ C Seasoned Bread Crumbs
8 oz. Salmon fillet (cut into bite size cubes) don’t use canned salmon.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Gently mix all ingredients together and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.
Heat a frying pan and add 1 TBS Olive oil.
Scoop your desired amount of salmon mixture into pan and form the cakes.
Fry until golden brown and turn over…fry other side until patties are done. Should be finished cooking in about 5-10 minutes. :-) I covered mine for a minute or so after the initial flip. :-)

Nutrition per each Salmon Cakes
6 evenly portioned
Calories: 111
Carbs: 4 g
Protein: 10 g
Fat: 5.5 g
Cholesterol: 24 mg
Sodium: 251 mg
Sugars: .5 g
Fiber: <1 g

Black Bean Brownies
1 box any commercial prepared brownie mix
1 15.5-ounce can black beans (drained & rinsed)

Directions:

Open can of beans
Place beans in blender or food processor.... Blend.
Mix thoroughly with brownie mix. (No eggs, oil or other ingredients needed.)
Place in oiled baking pan.
Bake according to package directions...(discovered with mine I had to bake about 5-10 mins longer than recommended). Cool and serve.

Nutrition using 1 box of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
Per1 square from an 8x8 inch pan (makes 9 brownies of a cakelike consistency)

Calories: 282
Fat: 6 g
Protein: 3.7 g
Carbs: 54 g
Fiber: 3.4 g


Turkey Chili
1 lb. ground turkey, extra lean
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large can (28 oz.) tomatoes, crushed or diced
1 can (12 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
2 tsp. chili powder (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, brown ground turkey in olive oil. Spoon out any excess fat. Add onion, garlic, and pepper, and sauté until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Can be served immediately (although leftovers are great, too). Serve with hot sauce to taste. Serves 4.

Preparation time: 15 to 20 minutes

Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 296
Fat            9 grams
Carbs     24 grams
Fiber        7 grams
Protein   33 grams


Stuffed Peppers
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, extra lean (less than 5 percent fat)
1 cup brown rice, cooked
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 green bell peppers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops off peppers, and remove seeds and membranes. Mix all ingredients (except peppers) and stuff mixture into the bell peppers. Bake for 1 hour and serve! Serves 6 (although they're pretty low cal, you could eat two easily).

Preparation time: 10 minutes (more, if cooking rice from scratch)

Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 208
Fat 5 grams
Carbs 23 grams
Fiber 6 grams
Protein 19 grams

Greens & Mushroom Panini Sandwich

For these greens-packed panini, try to find a bag of washed, stemmed greens. If you blanch your greens after bringing them home from the market, you can make the panini in no time.

1/2 pound stemmed and washed sturdy greens, like kale, chard, turnip greens or mustard greens
1 medium-size portobello mushroom (for stuffing), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 ounces Gruyère or a mixture of Gruyère and Parmesan, sliced very thin or grated (about 1/3 cup)
4 slices whole grain bread
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add the greens. Bring the water back to a boil, and boil for two to three minutes, depending on the sturdiness of the greens. Transfer to the ice water to cool for a few minutes, and then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely.
2. Preheat a panini grill. Brush both sides of the mushroom slices with olive oil, and grill for one to two minutes. Season if desired. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the greens. Toss to coat with oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Sprinkle half the cheese over two of the bread slices, and top the cheese with a few mushroom slices. Next, pile half the greens on top, and press them down with the back of a spoon. Top the greens with the remaining cheese, and cover with the remaining bread. Brush the outside of the sandwich with a little olive oil. Place in the panini maker, and grill for three to five minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is toasty.
Yield: Makes two panini.
Advance preparation: You can prepare the mushrooms and greens through step 2 several hours or even a day ahead of assembling the panini. You can assemble the panini several hours before grilling. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate.

Black Bean Soup with Spinach

12 ounces black beans, washed and picked over for stones, soaked in 2 quarts water for six hours or overnight
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons lightly toasted cumin seeds, ground
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded and finely chopped
12 ounces (two bags) baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish if desired

1. Soak the beans in the water for at least six hours. If they will be soaking for a long time in warm weather, put them in the refrigerator.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes, and add half the garlic and the cumin. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute, and add the beans and soaking water. They should be covered by two inches of water. Add more water as needed, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and skim off any foam that rises. Cover and simmer one hour.
3. Add the salt, chipotles, remaining garlic and half the cilantro. Continue to simmer another hour, until the beans are quite soft and the broth is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor.
4. Partially puree the soup using an immersion blender, or puree 2 cups of the beans with a small amount of broth in a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Stir back into the soup. Bring to a simmer. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the remaining cilantro, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with warm corn tortillas, garnishing each bowl with queso fresca.
Yield: Serves six
Advance preparation: The cooked beans will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator, and they freeze well. Bring back to a simmer and add the spinach before serving.

Buckwheat Noodles with Thai Peanut Sauce
Compliments of Moria Felber
www.wildthyme-kitchen.com

Serves 4
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes (or as package instructs)

1 (8.8 ounce) package Soba buckwheat noodles
1 cup light coconut milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup pitted dates, chopped
2 tablespoons tamari
1-2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced

Cook Soba noodles according to package instructions. While noodles are cooking prepare peanut sauce. In a high-speed blender, place coconut milk, peanut butter, dates, tamari, lime juice, ginger, curry powder, red pepper, sesame oil, salt and pepper and blend well. Thin with more coconut milk if desired. When noodles are done, strain them well and transfer to a serving bowl. Pour peanut sauce over the top and toss. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro and serve hot.


Baby Bok Choy and Shiitakes
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced into strips
4 heads baby bok choy, chopped
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon tamari
Sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan.
2. Add onions, turn heat down and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add shiitakes, bok choy, mirin and tamari.
4. Cover and cook 3 minutes.
5. Spread on a flat surface to cool and stop greens from cooking.
6. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.


Vegetarian Chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced, (or one can organic diced tomatoes)
1 carrot, cut into quarter moons
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups cooked or canned red, black or kidney beans
1 cup water
2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large heavy pan and sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, carrots, chili powder and cumin and sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Slowly add beans, water, tomato paste and salt.
4. Cook on low to medium heat for 20 minutes.

Notes:

* Add as many veggies as you like such as bell peppers, zucchini and corn kernels.

Nutty Chocolate Crispies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice syrup
½ cup almond butter
½ cup barley malt sweetened chocolate chips
3 cups brown rice crispies cereal

Directions:

1. Heat brown rice syrup and almond butter in a large skillet, over low heat until creamy.
2. Stir in the chips until they melt.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in rice crispies.
4. Gently press into a baking dish and allow mixture to set until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Cut into squares and enjoy.


Rainbow Stirfry

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 cobs of corn (corn slices off)
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet or pan.
2. Add carrots, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add broccoli, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients and stir for 2 minutes.
5. Add a splash of water, cover and allow to steam for 3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, stir and leave covered for 2-3 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like your veggies.
7. Sprinkle on tamari and stir.

Notes:

* Try using Bragg’s Amino instead of tamari or soy sauce or add grated ginger.

Spice Leek Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey or ground beef
1 1/2 cups minced leeks (white and light green part only, about one bunch)
2 fresh chili peppers, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl
2. Knead well by hand until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
3. Divide the mixture into 10 to 12 equal portions, about 1/4 cup each. Roll each portion into a ball.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add meatballs and pan-fry, covered, turning occasionally until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Drain on paper towel.

Notes:

* Serve over a bed of simple steamed greens.

Acorn Squash with Applesauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup apple sauce
Cinnamon

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Cut squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon.
3.Place squash halves skin side down on a baking sheet.
4.Rub olive oil over squash halves.
5.Fill squash halves with applesauce.
6.Sprinkle cinnamon on top of each.
7.Bake for 45 minutes, or until a fork inserts smoothly through squash meat.

Notes: •Try different flavors of apple sauce.  


Garlic Pulled Pork
From: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/garlic-pulled-pork/


Ingredients:
ingredients 27

  • 1 pork shoulder cut (butt or picnic), weighing 3-4 pounds
  • 1-2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons of granulated garlic or garlic powder
  • optional: 6 fresh garlic cloves, peeled
  • The juice of one lime (or sour orange, if you can get one)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bay leaf
Instructions:
Mix together salt, cumin, black pepper and granulated garlic.

Juice the lime over the seasonings and rub the mixture all over the pork.


If you love garlic as much as Pat does, you might want to use fresh garlic, too. Use a knife to slice six thin cuts in the pork and push each clove securely inside each cut. You don’t want the fresh garlic to fall out and touch the cooking vessel or it will burn and affect the flavor of the meat.

The meat should sit out of refrigeration a half hour before you put it in the oven. This ensures that it will cook evenly throughout. If you want to let the meat marinate in the rub longer than this, put it in the fridge for an hour or even overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the roast in a pan with one sliced onion and a bay leaf. Cover and roast for three to four hours, or until the middle of the roast reads about 190 degrees and falls apart easily when pulled with a fork.
Let the roast rest for twenty minutes or so, then uncover. You’ll notice a lot of liquid at the bottom. Use it as a sauce for the meat, which you will now viciously attack with two forks. It’ll fall apart pretty readily, and you’ll get the idea of the shredding method after a couple of pulls. Enjoy!

Fried Chicken? 
Compliments of Jen Mangum 

Ingredients:
1 organic chicken breast
2 tbsp flax seed ground
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 egg
salt to taste
2 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Then in another bowl after grinding up the coconut flakes and the flax seed mix them together. Salt the chicken to your liking. I use Celtic sea salt for mine. Dip the chicken in the egg and then in the mixture of flakes and flax seed. Over med heat in a non-stick pan add your coconut oil until all melted, then add chicken. Slow cook until done. If you are running short on time then cut chicken into strips, so it cooks faster. If you have a Forman Grill you can also use it to cook on, but I like the way the coconut oil flavors up the chicken when you cook it in a non-stick pan.

Jen says

"This is about as close to the taste of fried chicken as it gets, yet all the ingredients are healthy! LOVE IT! Then I just add a small spinach salad with olive oil/lemon dressing."