Three- Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Squares (gluten free and cane sugar free)

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I had these at my friends house today, and they were so yummy I had to come home and make some. Thank you, Michelle, for the awesome recipe!

They're super easy to make. Although they aren't "healthy" in a low- calorie sense, they are organic and a more whole, natural way to get your chocolate fix. Sweetened with honey, they don't contain any cane sugar.

The end result is like a cross between a thick fudge and the inside of a chocolate truffle. Because they are made with coconut oil, the candies need to be kept chilled so they don't get runny. Although bringing them to room temperature makes them gooey, which is not a bad thing:-)

Ingredients:
1 cup organic coconut oil (I used Wildtree Organic Coconut Oil, which does not have a strong coconut favor)
1 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic honey

In a mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil and add the cocoa powder slowly (so the powder doesn't get everywhere). Add the honey and mix well. Pour into a small dish with sides- I used an individual casserole dish.

Chill for 45 minutes, then cut into squares and serve. 

After cutting (don't mind my poor cutting job- my son helped me.  But hey, it tastes the same, right?)

Optional: I added a pinch of sea salt to the top of mine before chilling. A small amount goes a long way. It gave it a little extra flavor.  You could also add almonds or walnuts. 

They hould be chilled long enough so each square come out of the pan easily.  If the chocolate is too warm, the squares will be too gooey and will stick to the pan and fall apart.  

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Fall Fruit Salad

Fruit salad is a must have at most pot lucks, and after you have tasted one, you've tasted most.  They can get kind of boring unless you spice it up with something fun.  This fruit salad would be great at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

To serve 6, I used:

2 Honeycrisp Apples, diced

2 pears, diced

3 Clementine oranges, their slices cut into small pieces

1 mango, diced

1 pomegranate, just the seeds 

sliced almonds for the top

Dressing:

Zest and juice of a lemon

2 tbs honey

Whisk together the honey and lemon in a bowl and toss with the salad to coat, then top with the almonds.  If you don't have access to fresh pomegranate, you could use Craisins instead (some stores have a pomegranate flavor).

Classic Crockpot Chili

It's almost that time of year:-) I freaking love Fall- Its the best. I love cockpot meals, and I love that my kids eat them. Chili is one if the easiest to prepare and easiest to make healthy. My kiddos eat it plain, on hot dogs (gross), or (duh) with Fritos. One if them loves ketchup on chili (seriously... so gross), and one loves it on baked potato (even though he doesn't like potatoes)... hmm... boys are wierd. But whatever, cook it like this, and your family can wreck it however they'd like;-)

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained (turkey can be used too)
5 cans of beans (I mix light and dark kidney beans with black beans)
1 quart diced tomatoes in juice
1-2 quart stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 large onion
2 cans diced green chilis
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped (or 2 tbs dried)
Juice and zest of one lime
2 tbs cumin*
1 tbs chili powder*
Hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper

After browning and draining the hamburger, place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Garnish with chopped green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Or, if you are like my children, garnish with a bag of Fritos and some ketchup:-)

Leftover idea: drain all the juice and roll the filling in tortillas. Cover in enchilada sauce and bake for 35 mins on 350 for some quick, home made enchiladas.

Omit the meat and use veggie stock for a vegan option. Conveniently, this dish is also gluten, dairy, egg, and nut free:-)

*You can sub taco seasoning for these spices

Broccoli Pasta Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

I was surprised at this one. I love love love food, but I am not a big one on fruit with vegetables at the same time. Fruit with meat: okay. Fruit with veggies: eh... whatever. I'll try any food once. This time I'm glad I did.

My grandma was telling me all about a salad she had at a bbq thag had grapes and broccoli in it.

I was like "Whaaaat?!"

Then I thought about it. If some random person at a potluck bbq at the senior center can make grapes taste good with broccoli, I can too. So I did, and this is how...

What you'll need:

1 box pasta (I used the rainbow bow tie)
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into small peices (florets and some stems)
4 green onions
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (I think pecans wojld be delicious too!)
1 cup red grapes, halved or quartered depending on the size
Optional: 3 slices of cooked, chopped bacon

Cook pasta according to package directions. Chill in a bowl and toss with all ingredients except grapes and almonds. Add the dressing (recipe below). Mix in the grapes and nuts just before serving.

Champagne Vinaigrette:

1shallot, minced
1 tbs hot Chinese mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 cup champagne vinegar (could also use a mix of champagne vinegar and apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup salad oil
Salt and red or white pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except oil in food processor and blend until smooth. While on high,  slowly add in oil. Keep in a covered container in the fridge for one week.

Chicken Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

This is such a great summer salad. I never make it because Kevin hates cilantro (ridiculous, huh?) I guess this will be one for me to enjoy with my sisterwife.

I bought a whole chicken and had it cut into smaller pieces so it would bake faster. I used lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper for the marinade and baked it on 365 for about 30 minutes. I just pulled that apart and used it on the salad. You could use grilled chicken breasts or no meat, and this recipe would still work.

For the salad, toss together:

Lettuce
cherry tomatoes
Red onion
Grilled corn, shaved from the cob
Red or orange bell pepper (I roasted mine in the oven for five minutes- yum!)
Avocado,  diced
Tortilla strips
Salsa for garnish

Dressing:

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1-2 whole chipotle peppers (canned in the ethnic foods section of the store. I have also used a small can of jalapenos in addotion, depending on how spicy and tangy you want the flavor)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 clove garlic
Juice and zest of 3 limes
Pinch (less than 1/8 tsp) cumin
Salt and pepper (I used cayenne pepper for a kick)
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

Combine everything except the oil in the fiid processor and blend u til smooth. Slowly add the oil while on high. Cover, chill, and use within 5 days.
Coat the salad in this dressing. If serving later, keep the dressing separate from the salad to avoid it getting mushy.

And of course, you should pair this with white sangria;-) Delicious!

Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce

I haven't posted in a long time- apologies. I was busy having a baby♡ We were surprised to have another boy! That makes #3... which means Dad and the boys share a bathroom and Queen Mama gets her own:-) Score!

On to more good news... since I have so much time off of work, I have been trying some new recipes and I've been having a blast! Tonight I decided to make stuffed cabbage leaves. I was craving Dolmas: a traditional Greek dish (grape leaves stuffed with a dirty rice and a lemon sauce), but grape leaves are hard to come by here in this small town. I had some coconut milk and cabbage, so I decided to do a Thai meal instead.   I served this with salmon, but next time I'm going to make this the main course- they're very filling.

Luckily, the cabbage dish was super yummy. Easy too, and healthy. It was pretty inexpensive- and even more so since I used what I had in my kitchen;-) It would be easy to add or substitute ingredients.

This is what I used:

1 head of green cabbage (I didn't use the whole thing, just the big leaves- two leaves per roll)
3 cups cooked rice (I like Jasmine rice)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced julienne
1 bell pepper, sliced finely (I used red)
1 onion, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 can coconut milk
4 tbs peanut butter (I used natural smooth, but chunky would work)
1 tbs soy sauce
Juice of one large orange
1 tbs dried ginger (you can sub fresh ginger... I would have but I didn't have any on hand)
2 tbs curry paste (you can sub curry powder instead, but I like the flavor of the peppers and lemongrass)

(I would have LOVED bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and snap peas, but I didn't have any at my house and grocery shopping was out of the question;-) Something spicy, like jalapeno, would have paired well, but kids were eating this too so I left it out.)

Cook the rice according to the directions and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all of the veggies. Add the rice and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk,  peanut butter, soy sauce, orange juice, curry powder, and ginger and whisk together well.

Add 1 cup of the peanut sauce to the rice mixture and stir well.

Peel apart the cabbage until you have about 16 large leaves. Rinse them well in water. Spoon the mixture into the leaves and roll up tightly, the roll in another leaf (each roll will have two leaves). Arrange them in a casserole dish, like you would enchiladas.

Close up after baking.  The leaves should start to brown, but not burn.

Pour the remaining peanut sauce over the rolls. Bake at 400 for about 25-35 minutes.

If you aren't into vegan, you could add cooked chicken to the stuffing. Shrimp or tofu would also be yummy.  The vegan version is the perfect "meatless Monday" dish.

Red Raspberry Vinaigrette

Busy Mama Recipes



Mmm... this is going into my salad dressing folder.  As you all know, I love salad dressing.  There is hardly a kind I don't like- except ranch, how boring.

I love this recipe because it can be made with fresh or frozen berries and you can have it any time of the year.  I have made it with raspberries, but blackberries with blueberries make a yummy dressing too!

I also like this recipe, because unlike some others that just call for raspberry vinegar, this is made with real berries.  So much better!

Photo Credit: Unknown

When I get berries from the garden, my Blackberries are much bigger than the raspberries from my grandpa's garden.  I would also rather use huckleberries than blueberries, but they are extremely seasonal in this area. 

Here it is:

1/8 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup berries*
2-5 tablespoons brown sugar or honey (depending on how sweet the berries are and how sweet you want the dressing)
1 tsp mustard seed OR 2 tsp Dijon
1 tbs orange zest
salt and pepper
1/2 cup oil (I prefer grapeseed for this recipe because it won't add flavor like olive oil will.  Canola or vegetable oil works too, though).

Wash the berries and dry well.  If you are using frozen berries, put them in a mesh colander and run cold water over them for a minute to get the excess juices and seeds off.  Blend all ingredients except the oil in a blender food processor.  Once it's well mixed, turn the blender on high and slowly add in the oil.  Once it's all mixed, store in a covered container in the fridge for up to two weeks. After the dressing has been refrigerated it will probably become thick, so you may have to shake it or stir it before adding it to salads.

This dressing goes great on a spinach salad with nuts or seeds, onion, blue cheese crumbles, apples or pears, and dried crandberries.  But, I like it on green salads of any kind:-)

* Mixing raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries make a great mixed berry dressing.  To make it local (where I live, anyway) adding Oregon huckleberries would be delicious.  Although I have never made it, I can imagine that having Oregon Marionberries would also be amazing.  Buy local at you farmer's markets.  In Portland, use the local blackberries and on the coast, use the Oregon strawberries.  In other parts of the country, add fruit that is local.  Peaches would be pretty yummy too;-)  Especially if you used champagne vinegar instead of white vinegar.

Meat and Veggie Soup *then magically* Beer Stew!!!

It's freezing outside, so it's time for some soup recipes.  I love soup because 1. It warms everyone up. 2. It's filling. 3. It's usually fairly easy and inexpensive to make. 4. It's easy to make it healthy and "hide" vegetables and other things in it. 5. Leftovers! 6. You can make it in a stockpot or a crockpot, which requires hardly any effort and almost no cleanup. 7. Easy to make adjustments, like omit pepper and add eggplant, for example. 8. SO EASY to make allergy friendly!  I have so many friends and relatives that can't have gluten, dairy, sugar, etc. Soup is easy to make without pesky ingredients that your family can't have.

Oh yeah, and you can freeze the leftovers for a quick dinner someday when you don't feel like cooking (I'm stocking up for maternity leave).  I did it when I was pregnant with my son and it was SO worth it.  Brilliant.

This recipe is pretty basic.  It follows the Paleo diet too, which wasn't on purpose, but can't hurt, right?  My grandfather makes a version of it, but usually uses lamb and adds barley.  I love potatoes right now, so skip the barley and sub the elk meat that I have in my freezer, and this soup is almost free:-)

You'll need:

1 quart of canned tomatoes (I used more- one quart plus some more.  I can my own tomatoes so I always have extra in the fridge.  You can also use fresh if you'd like)
2 quarts broth (I used beef broth because that's what I had.  Again, I usually make my own and freeze it, so I have used vegetable stock and chicken stock in place and it tastes fine).
About 1-2 pounds of meat of your choice, chopped into bite size pieces.  I LOVE lamb, but I don't always have it.  Beef is great, as is deer or elk (the other flavors get rid of the "gamey" taste.  You could also omit the mat for a vegetarian/ vegan soup).
5 potatoes of your choice, diced (I used medium sized Yukon Golds, so if you use larger potatoes like Russets, or smaller ones like Reds- my fav- just adjust to how much you want).
3 cups of green beans (This is a guess, as I used frozen beans from the garden, so I'm not sure exactly how much it was.  You can use fresh or frozen, but keep in mind the frozen don't take as long to cook).
1 bell pepper, diced (I like green and Kevin likes red.  It doesn't matter which you choose)
2 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 or 2 onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt, pepper, oregano, parlsey, and a little thyme (I used all dried and just added until I though it tasted right)

Per usual, saute the carrots, celery, onion, pepper, and garlic in a little olive oil until softened.  Add the potatoes and meat and saute until browned.  Add all of the rest of the ingredient except the beans and spices.  Bring to a boil then simmer for about an hour, covered.  Add in the beans and spices and simmer until the beans are done.

Turn down to low and cover.  Keep warm until you are ready to eat.

You can also do this in a crockpot, although you may have to half this recipe if you don't have a large crockpot.  Just add everything except the beans and cook on low for about 4 hours.  Add the beans and cook for another hour.  I like this method because i can get it ready the night before and have it cook while I'm at work during the day.  Dinner is ready when i get home and there is hardly any cleanup.

Now comes the exciting part.... TA-DA!!!

The next day, instead of having the same thing again, make it into something even cooler by adding a few things.

Warm the soup on the stove and add (what I call) "butter balls".  I call it that mostly because it's funny, and parlty because I don't know what these things are actually called.  What you do is you take equal parts butter and flour and roll it together in your hand until it forms a tiny ball.  You can add these little balls to anything to thicken it, which is what we are doing to this soup.  If you used marble size butter balls, you will probably add between 7 and 12, depending on how much soup you have leftover.

Of course, this is the perfect opportunity for some trickery:  Puree steamed vegetable like spinach, kale, zucchini, red pepper, and add them in as well.  Your kids won't know that its extra- healthy and you score mom points for preventing illness;-)

Then, add half a can of beer.  It doesn't matter which kid as long as it's not some weird flavor, like pumpkin ale.

Serve this thickened stew with shredded cheddar cheese (or smoked cheddar) on the top.  YUMMMMM...

And of course, the leftovers will pair well with.... beer! The first one will pair well with a red wine like merlot.

Yum Diet

Busy Mama Recipes



My aunt and stepmom are doing this diet thing.  I don't know EXACTLY what it is, but I know they are extremely restricted in what they are allowed to eat.  It is pretty close to the paleo diet as far as the types of foods they have (if it didn't have a mother and didn't grow from the Earth, don't eat it).  No sugar, limit fruits, limit salts and oils, eat as many vegetables as possible, and have only lean protein (like chicken or turkey).

Well, unfortunately my family LOVES food.  LOVES it.  It's insanely lucky that we have good genes, otherwise we would all be morbidly obese. Poor Annette has to have dry toast and a piece of fruit for breakfast with ONE cup of black coffee, is allowed 23 almonds (not 24, only 23), brown rice, plain chicken, veggies, etc.  No fun.  Today for a snack she was eating cottage cheese (which, by the way, she has always hated) with tomato slices and pepper.  I asked her why she was eating it, and she explained that it has lots of protein and not many calories.  She said she was tired of eating the same things everyday, but since she is not a super talented chef, she could not think of anything "safe" to make that would get her out of this slump.

And we all know, unless you are totally committed to a diet, it's not going to work.

So, I promised her I would think of some things for her to eat, and I have come up with a few.  I decided to post them on here because even though we aren't all on this diet, it's still yummy, healthy food.

Here is the first one that can be used as a snack:

Put one cup of low fat or fat free cottage cheese in the blender and blend until smooth.  Add 2 tsp each dill, parsley, dried onion, garlic powder, and lemon pepper.  It will be like a ranch dip that you can use as a dip for veggies or on a lettuce wrap.

The second one is more complicated, but still pretty easy:-)  It's a type of lasagna with zucchini instead of noodles.

Slice zucchini until you have enough to cover a 9x13 pan four times.  Slices should be thick.

Blend three cups of cottage cheese like above, and add the juice and zest of one lemon, 3 tsp oregano and parsley, and some black pepper.

Place a layer of zucchini on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.  Add layers of canned tomato, sliced onion, mushroom, shredded carrot, spinach leaves, and any other vegetables you want.

Add another layer of zucchini, a layer or canned tomato, and a layer of the cheese mixture.

Add a layer of zucchini and the rest of the cheese mixture.  Top with the last layer of zucchini.

Bake in the oven on 350 for about 45 minutes.  If the top starts to get too brown, cover with tin foil.

You can also substitute eggplant for the zucchini, or use any kind of squash you want, really.  Ground turkey or pieces of chicken would be delicious if added, just be sure to cook the meat first.

And last but not least ( can you tell I'm craving Italian pasta dishes right now?):

Make an organic marinara sauce using tomato, carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  You can make it any way you'd like as long as it's mostly vegetables.  Just simmer everything on the stove (add water or tomato juice if needed) and puree with an immersion blender once the vegetable are fully cooked.

Also, to give it some protein, blend some cottage cheese and add it to the marinara.  It will make a creamy tomato sauce- sort of like the vodka sauce you can buy at the store- minus the vodka and additives.

Then, instead of using pasta, put a spaghetti squash- which are in season right now-in the microwave for five minutes (puncture a few times so it wont explode).  Then cut it in half lengthwise and shred with a fork.  "Noodles" will instantly appear.  Perfecto!  PS:  This recipe is also perfect for those on low carb diets or who are gluten free!

Healthy Lunches for Kids (and Grown Ups)

Busy Mama Recipes



Today I was on the internet all day.  I know, it's so sad.  I am sick and pregnant, and my energy level was non existent.  The only time I hustled was when I needed to run to the toilet to vom:/  Gross.  Anyway, I read an article about school lunches, and how bad they are for kids.  I already knew that they were pretty gross, but reading the comments on the article, it was apparent that not everyone does know.

Processed "chicken" nuggets, pizza with no toppings except cheese and pepperoni, instant mashed potatoes with gravy - those are some of the things children are getting when they buy lunch at school.  At first I was thinking: easy fix, pack your children's lunches.  But then I thought about the families that use the reduced or free lunch program for their kids, and I felt bad.  Families that can't afford to pack their kids lunches are at a complete disadvantage, because their kids don't have a choice.  Not only are the kids forced to eat a very non nutritious main course, the side dishes are sub par as well: canned fruit (full of sugar), "salad" (lettuce with shredded carrot and cabbage) with calorie rich ranch dressing, or french fries (which, sadly enough, are actually considered a serving of vegetables at school... sick).  Hardly ever does the school serve fresh fruit or vegetables, mainly because of waste (veggie going bad before they can all be consumed).

So, I have put together a list of healthy, cheap lunches you can pack for your kids to take to school (or for you to take to work!).  I know they are kid friendly because I have tested most on my kids, and they are the pickiest eaters on the planet.

PBJB and Fruit
This first one is a modified recipe.  I saw a photo of something similar on Pinterest and my mind wheels starting turning.  The recipe on pinterest showed bananas as the only fruit used, so I thought it would be cool to add some.  Why not get brownie points for extra vitamins?

1 whole wheat tortilla or pita bread
2 straberries, sliced
1/2 banana, sliced,
1 kiwi, diced
grapes, halved
2 tbs peanuts, almonds, or granola
2 tbs reduced fat natural peanut butter or cream cheese

Spread the cream cheese or peanut butter on the warm tortilla and sprinkle all of the fruit and nuts over it and roll up.  This is a perfect lunch or snack, because it contains fruit, grain/ carb, and protein from the cheese or peanut butter.


Turkey Wrap

This recipe can be modified to add all sorts of things, but this is the way I usually make it.  Both the kids love it, and it's a fun change from a sandwich.  For a lunch, leave it whole.  For a snack, roll up the wrap and slice into little discs, which make it even more fun for kids to eat.  With my kids, fun= they will eat it.

1 whole wheat tortilla of flavored tortilla, such as spinach or tomato
2 tbs hummus (any flavor will work, but my kids like the "red" kind, which is red pepper)
Sweet onion (you can use regular onion, but Stewart (he is 7) LOVES sweet onion
tomato slices or halved cherry tomatoes
spinach or lettuce (I prefer spinach because of the extra vitamins)
alfalfa sprouts
turkey lunch meat (I prefer Jennie- O Turkey Pastrami.  It is very cheap compared to other meats, and tastes great.  It also is 99% fat free and low in sodium)
avocado
String Cheese (Lucerne makes a reduced fat kind, which tastes pretty close to the original)

Warm tortilla and spread the hummus on it, add all of the veggies and roll up.  Pretty tasty, healthy lunch or snack!


Greek Chicken Wrap

Another recipe that can be easily changed to fit what your kids love.  This is the most simple way that I have made it in the past, but I am constantly adding things to it.  Keep in mind you can also omit ingredients and it will still be delicious, but cheaper and faster.  I do this when I make chicken for dinner and have leftovers (or, make more ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for recipes like this).

1 whole wheat or flavored tortilla or pita bread
1/4 cup cooked chicken
2 tbs hummus or yogurt sauce (recipe below)
alfalfa sprouts
spinach
cucumber slices
tomato slices or halved cherry tomatoes
olive slices or pepperoncinis
sweet onion slices
feta cheese
lemon pepper

Warm the tortilla and spread the hummus or sauce over it.  Add all of the other ingredients and roll up.  Because this wrap has such strong flavors, it is extremely easy to hide more vegetables, just cut them small!

For yogurt sauce, mix 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream with 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar, 2 tsp dried dill weed, and salt and pepper.  You can also grate cucumber into the sauce if you have leftover cukes from this recipe.

Obviously, I am a fan of wraps for kids lunches:-)  They pack easily, aren't messy to eat, can be healthy, and they can be cheap to make.  Plus, they taste good and are quick and easy.  Among these wrap recipes, there are many, many healthy snacks to go into kids' lunches along with these.  Some of my favorites are: crackers with homemade dip or cheese, veggies with hummus or salsa or guacamole, cut up fruit, pretzels, or nuts/ granola.  It's easy to stay away from packaged things like fruit snacks, candy, and chips when you know what is in them:/

Some of the recipes on my blog are also great for leftovers for kids' lunches, like the "Calzone Thing" or any of the pasta salads or soups.  Homemade pizza is great to send as a lunch, because of all the healthy ingredient you can add, plus cold pizza is the best!

Yogurts are great too, if they can be kept cold.  Mixing craisins with granola and nuts are a healthy snack kids love (and if you add a few handfuls of chocolate chips, they love it even more).  My kids will eat any kind of dried fruit (banana chips!)  Celery dipped in natural peanut butter is usually a winner too!  

If anyone has any other great ideas for packing kids' lunches, I would LOVE to hear them.  I'm always looking for more ideas!

Thai Peanut Shrimp

Whilst on the subject of Thai/ Asian food, I thought I would share one of our favorites. My family loves this dish.  Again, you can vary the amounts and the veggies used as much as you'd like and it would still taste great!

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 16oz can coconut milk
2 tbs peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 tsp curry paste (I prefer red for this recipe, but any kind will work)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil (plus 1-2 tsp oil of your choice)
2 tbs sake or rice vinegar
1 tbs dried cilantro
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package Asian style noodles, such as Japanese udon noodles or stir fry noodles
chopped peanuts or sesame seeds (optional)

In a stockpot or in a large, deep frying pan, saute the shrimp in the oil until pink.  Add all of the veggies and cook, stirring constantly so nothing burns or sticks.  Deglaze the pan with the sake or vinegar.  Add the coconut milk, curry paste, and peanut butter and stir well.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until hot.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Serve the shrimp over the noodles with chopped peanuts or sesame seeds as a garnish.

Good for the Soul Thai Style Curry

Typical Eastern Oregon Spring:  It gets really hot out; I turn off the pilot light for the fireplace; it gets cold two days later; and I can't figure out how to get it back on.  Haha... story of my life.  So to solve the problem of freezing my buns off in my house, I made a big pot of curry.

Personally, I am a fan of the Asian style curry dishes rather than the Indian style.  I still sort of mix the two whenever I make anything.  This is another recipe of mine that can be altered 1001 times and still be awesome. It is another one of those clean- out- your- fridge dishes that I love.

This is what I use in my standard recipe, although it changes almost every time:

2-3 chicken breasts, diced (or beef, or shrimp, or omit the meat to go vegan)
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 head broccoli, stems and florets, cut into small pieces
1 small can water chestnuts, sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas, left whole
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 tbs dried ginger or (I prefer) 4 tbs grated fresh ginger
5 or 6 small sweet peppers, sliced (rainbows make it pretty;-))
1-2 jalapenos or hot chiles, diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, FINELY sliced or lemongrass paste
1/4 bunch basil, cut into chiffonade ribbons or dried basil
2 16oz cans coconut milk
1 small can diced green chiles
1 small can bamboo shoots
2-5 tbs curry paste (I prefer green for chicken, but red is delicious with shrimp)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)
soy sauce
sesame oil

In a large stock pot, sautee the meat in the sesame oil (I usually use about 1 tbs, then add a little olive oil so the sesame taste isn't overpowering).  When the meat is done, add the vegetables and sautee until tender, stirring often.  Add the coconut milk, green chiles, curry paste, lime juice and zest, lemongrass, bamboo shoots, then add the fresh herbs.

Simmer uncovered until hot.  Serve over rice with soy sauce.

What I love about this dish is the food allergy/sensitivity/ limitation aspect:  It is dairy free, soy free, sugar free, and gluten free.  It can be meat free easily and still be filling ( I like to replace the meat with diced eggplant).  It's a great vegan or vegetarian dish.  It is packed full of vitamins and different colored vegetables and is low in fat and calories (depending on the kind of coconut milk and meat used).  It's a great, healthy, tasty dinner to make your family when you only want to use one pot and not dirty a bunch of dishes:-)

If nothing else, it saves you from freezing your hiney off on a cold day like today;-)

You can also do this recipe in a crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours.

College Student version:
Use a frozen bag of stir fry veggies and a jar of premade green curry in coconut milk:-)

FAT FREE Spicy Honey Mustard Dressing

This salad dressing is one of my favs - It keeps for a long time, it is fat free, and it is more than just salad dressing: it can be used as a dip or marinade too.


Here we go:


1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup mustard (I prefer spicy, smooth dijon, but if you don't like it as spicy, yellow works too)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbs dried terragon


Holy yum!

Stock

Stock is the cornerstone for a lot of foods: soups, stews, sauces, pasta dishes, rice dishes, roasts, and on and on...  I use it often in my house, probably more often than others (ex: when I boil rice, I use stock instead of water to add flavor).

Stock is very easy and very hands-off.  Anyone can make it.  Lots of recipes for stock call for a lot of vegetables that are chopped, etc.  My way is easier and much more convenient;-)

Whenever I cook, I save all the vegetable scraps.  I put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.  When the bag is full, I make stock.  EASY!

Here is a list of the usual things I save:

carrot peel

carrot stems/ ends of the carrot

celery leaves

celery hearts

onion peel and roots

parsley stems

thyme stems

bell pepper stems/ pulp membrane

pieces of garlic

shallot roots and peel

potato peel

egg shells (make sure they are clean)

You can use almost any vegetable.  Don't use potatoe chunks or squash, as it can make the stock cloudy.  Tomatoes can make the stock acidic, but if you are going to use the stock in a recipe that has tomatoes (ie tomato soup) then, go ahead!  Basil and cilantro will give the stock very distinct flavors, which isn't good in every recipe. Don't use fruit or anything citrus.

When you have enough scraps, put everything in a large heavy bottom stock pot and fill with cold water.  I usually add a few things for flavor: a piece of garlic, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  If the stock is lacking in herbs, I will add a little dried parsley and thyme.  Let your stock simmer, uncovered, for about three hours.  Don't boil or stir stock- the simmering will do that for you.  If you let it boil or stir it, you can make it cloudy.

I like to use yellow onion peels in my stock.  It gives it a beautiful color (obviously more so than white onion).  Keep in mind the bell peppers will turn the stock color, as will red onions.  If you are trying to make brown stock, stay away from red onions, red peppers, and tomatoes. 

NEVER EVER salt your stock.  Always salt recipes at the end.  Salt flavor cooks out the longer you cook something, so adding salt in the beginning is a good way to increase your sodium intake by quite a bit.  

When the stock is done, it should be clear and a brown or red color, depending on the veggies you use.  Let the stock cool a little and strain, using a colander, into another pot.  Then strain using cheesecloth into another container.  You can refrigerate stock for 7-10 days of freeze for months.

For chicken stock, I add either a raw piece of chicken or the leftover carcass (I hate that word).  If you use raw chicken, you will need to simmer the stock for about 5-6 hours, so the chicken is cooked completely before you strain it.  Bones add the most flavor, so when you can, use bones as well as the meat.

For beef broth, it's best to drizzle the beef and beef bones with oil and roast in the oven on 350 for about an hour, then add to the stock.  Simmer that for about 5-6 hours, the same as chicken.

I also throw some apple cider vinegar in it sometimes for a kick. Just a little gives a lot it a lot flavor. 

Minestrone- vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and 0 Points on Weight Watchers!

Busy Mama Recipes




There is no "set" recipe for minestrone.  It originates in Italy, and is commonly made with vegetables, stock, and beans.  I was taught that authentic minestrone is made with bean stock, but also that the recipe varies widely in Italy depending on the region and the vegetables in season.


One of my friends told me that every time she makes minestrone it tastes so "blah".  The great thing about most soup is you can add almost anything to them without ruining them.  Hopefully you all will think this recipe is far from "blah".. ;-)


I think one of the things that really makes soups amazing is homemade stock.  If your stock tastes like water, even the most delicious recipes can be boring.  I will post a recipe later for stock... it is very simple and hands-off.  I made the following recipe, so it's vegetarian (although not vegan because I put parmesan in it, and there were eggshells in the stock).  If you want to add meat, just saute it in the same pan, and when it's done, add the remaining ingredients in the same order and follow the recipe as usual.


Another good tip is to use fresh herbs.  You can buy those little combo packs at the grocery store.  They are usually named "beef medley" or "poultry medley".  In this recipe I used parsley, basil, and oregano.  You can of course, use dried herbs or a different combination of herbs.  Use whatever you like best.


INGREDIENTS


2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach cut into ribbons
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 large tomato, diced 
1 small potato, diced
8 cups stock, depending on how chunky/ thin you want your soup.  I used vegetable stock, but you can use any kind of stock you have.
1 small box pasta (I actually used tortellini the other day and it was delicious.  Usually I use shells or macaroni)
1/2 cup wine- red or white, make sure it's dry and not sweet
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice


In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, saute the vegetables and garlic.  If using meat, saute the meat in the oil until it's done, then add the veggies. Deglaze the pot with the wine.  Add the tomatoes and beans.


When everything is hot, add the stock.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and let simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and add the lemon juice.  Add the spinach at the end.


At this point you can either add the pasta to the soup or do what I do: boil it separately the serve the soup over the pasta.  I do this because usually we don't eat all the soup on one sitting, so we end up with leftovers.  If the pasts sits in the soup, it will get soggy.  If you are going to eat all the soup in one sitting, there's no use in dirtying another pot.


I garnished this soup with shaved Parmesan cheese and served it with garlic bread.  

*** This soup is a clean-out-your-fridge soup.  You can add whatever veggies you want- fresh, frozen, or canned.  Corn, pees, green beans, etc would all be great additions.

By the way, use more veggies and omit the pasta, potatoes, and beans, and this recipe is: 

 ZERO POINTS ON WEIGHT WATCHERS!!! 

Tomato Basil Soup - with Variations for Tomato Roasted Red Pepper or Tomato Florentine Soup

Tomato soup is one of my favorites because you can do so much with it.  You can add almost anything to it, and it wouldn't taste bad.  You could make it any style- Mexican, Italian, Greek, vegan, whatever- and it would make a great main dish, or a yummy side.  Plus, it's very inexpensive to make and goes a long way.  When I make it I usually make a double batch and freeze some for later.


The recipe below is for a creamy tomato basil soup, and below are a list of variations of the recipe and how to make them.  

Busy Mama Recipes


Creamy Tomato Basil Soup


2 quarts canned, peeled tomatoes, whole or diced (You could substitute fresh tomatoes if they're in season)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 large white onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs oil (I ove Wildtree's Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil, but olive oil or any other oil will work)
1-2 quarts stock (I like to use vegetable stock, but chicken stock works too.  The amount of stock you use depends on how thick or thin you want your soup)
1 bunch basil, leaves only,  cut into chiffonade ribbons
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs dried parsley
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400.  

OPTIONAL: On one baking sheet, spread out the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic evenly.  On another baking sheet, spread out all of the tomatoes (save the juice in a container for use later).  Roast in the oven for about thirty minutes, or until vegetables are slightly browned.  This will enhance the flavor of whichever vegetables you roast.

In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sautee in olive oil until tender, stirring often.  Deglaze the pot with the red wine.  Add tomatoes, simmer until hot and tomatoes are tender- about 15 minutes.


Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning and sticking (the thinner the soup, the less likely to burn). Turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, uncovered.  Take the soup off of the heat and let cool for a few minutes before pureeing with an immersion blender.  Be careful not to splatter.  Puree until you get the desired consistency.  Add the heavy cream.  If the soup is too thick, you can add some tomato juice left over from the jars or more stock.

I can my own tomatoes from the garden, so they tend to be very robust in flavor and acidic.  The heavy cream helps mellow that flavor.  If you want vegan or dairy free soup, leaving out the cream will not hurt.  


Add basil, spices, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. 

• For Tomato Florentine, substitute spinach leaves for the basil.
• Add cilantro and a roasted poblano pepper for a Mexican style soup.  Serve with creme fraiche, lime wedges, and cotija cheese.
• For a Mediterranean style soup, add chopped fennel bulb and eggplant to the veggies, and garnish with feta cheese.
• For a vegan soup, use vegetable stock and omit the cream.

Crockpot Variation:  Add all ingredients except cream to a crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 7 hours).  Blend with an immersion blender and add the cream at the end. 

Vegan (or not) Black Bean Soup

We had this tonight for dinner and it was so good.  I made the vegan version (veggie stock instead of chicken stock, omitted the meat) and served it with chicken quesadillas.  I have also made it with meat and served it with a green salad.  This Mexican Salad Dressing Recipe on  a salad makes a perfect soup and salad combo dinner.

Start with Mirepoix:
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
1 white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic, peeled

In a large, heavy bottom stockpot, sautee the mirepoix in a little butter (or EVOO, if your making it vegan).  Stir occasionally so nothing burns or sticks.  In the meantime, work on preparing the remaining ingredients.

Remaining Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, diced (or one can of diced tomatoes in juice)
2 jalapenos, diced
zest and juice of 1 lime
3 cans of black beans
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbs cumin
salt and pepper
chile powder
6-10 cups veggie or chicken stock (the amount you used depends on how thick you want the soup in the end.)

After the mirepoix is tender, deglaze the pan with the lime juice.  This will add flavor to the soup.  Add the tomatoes, all peppers, and black beans (with the liquid) to the soup.  Heat until bubbling.  Turn down to medium low heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take the soup off of the heat and lightly puree with an immersion blender.  Don't blend completely, just enough to make the soup thicker.  It will be like having heavy cream in the soup, but without having to add any.  There should still be chunks of veggies and whole beans.

If you don't have an immersion blender (which is my favorite kitchen gadget ever... I use it for everything.  I highly recommend getting one) you can use a food processor or blender to do small amounts of the soup at a time.  Be careful, because if the soup is too hot, it will come out of the top of the blender or food processor.  You have to let it cool for a while before blending it, which is why immersion blending is more convenient.

This Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender is like the one I have.  I love it, and the price is affordable. 

Return the soup to the heat and and simmer while adding the remaining ingredients.  Once everything is stirred in, you can remove from heat and serve with green onion, cilantro, and tortilla chips.  Stewart liked cotija cheese and sour cream on his, but of course, it's not vegan anymore.

Variation: Add chorizo to the soup after you are done pureeing it.  You can also add cooked chicken, shredded pork, or even cooked beef if you wanted.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Drizzle

This is the yummiest way to have asparagus!


Start with fresh, washed asparagus.  Make sure to fill the sink with cold water and wash it, rather than run water over it.  Since it grows in sand, bits can be missed easily.


Cover a baking sheet in tin foil and lay the asparagus on it.  Drizzle EVOO, salt, and pepper all over.  Add minced garlic (the amount is based on the amount of asparagus you have).  Toss it all together so the asparagus is completely coated.  Bake on 375 for 15 minutes.


When it is done cooking, take out of the oven and drizzle balsamic vinegar on it.  


And... enjoy!


PS It's also good when you cook it on the grill instead:-) Use tin foil or a grill basket, and it's perfect for Summertime outdoor picnics!

NOTES:  I have made this with lemon juice and zest tossed in with the oil.  It's amazing.  I have also added onion "rings" which give it a great flavor.

This recipe works with long green beans too!

Tomato Basil Pasta- Salad or Main Course

Stewie loves to help me cook.  I love when he helps me cook<3 He loves noodles and tomatoes, so this recipe is perfect.  Simple, healthy, easy, fast, and cheap, + it will go with anything depending on which type of dressing you use.  We had it last night with grilled salmon.

This dish can be served hot or cold, left over or fresh.  It can be the main course (We like it with tuna or warmed up chicken) or a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 pkg whole wheat pasta (We use spaghetti because Stewart thinks it's fun to twirl the noodles)
Red, yellow, and orange cherry tomatoes
Fresh basil
Fresh marjoram
EVOO
Balsamic vinegar (You could also use lemon juice or any other vinegar, balsamic is our favorite though)
Salt and pepper
Parmesan, feta, or blue cheese crumbles

In a large bowl, have your child squish, with his hands, all of the tomatoes so the juice comes out.  Don't smash completely, just "pop" them.  Then, he can tear apart the basil and marjoram leaves.

Boil the noodles al dente.  Drain and add to the bowl.  Drizzle olive oil and vinegar, add salt and pepper and toss.  Serve with cheese crumbled on top.

To make this dish more "grown up", half the cherry tomatoes instead of squishing.  Instead of tearing the herbs, do chiffonade ribbons. Add sliced scallions or shallots, and drizzle with a garlic-y vinaigrette.

Stuffed Tomatoes, Peppers, and Squash Flowers - Authentic Recipe from Agia Triada, Greece

Wow.  I can't believe I'm actually writing my own recipe blog.  I've talked about it forever, but for some reason I have never done it.  The other day I was hanging out with my sister, and we planned our Thanksgiving dinner for this year.  I actually had dreams about recipes that I wanted to use (I know...), so I figured this blog was about due.  Plus, crazy runs in my family, so before my mind goes, I want to get this written down.

I love to cook ANYTHING.  I don't have a favorite food, or a favorite food to cook.  I will cook all types of food, in all ways, with all ingredients.

Busy Mama Recipes

I rarely follow a recipe.  As in, I only follow a recipe when I am making my mother's chocolate chip cookies:-)  The rest of the time, I usually make things up as a go along.  In fact, last Thanksgiving, my little sister and I made the whole dinner by ourselves, for about 18 guests.  We bought ingredients, and I literally made up recipes and improvised as we went along.  Everything was delicious and turned out perfectly.  That's how I roll.  I will do my best to measure so I can get these recipes down as accurately as possible, promise!

I get my cooking skills from my family.  My mother, who is an amazing cook, makes new recipes all the time. She is the "health nut" of the family, so she always taught me how to make a meal a little bit better for you.  My dad is from Texas.  He is the King of BBQ, and can make anything taste great with some Creole style seasoning!  His mother is Mexican and his dad was Cajun, so my dad has mastered the art of those types of cooking. My grandma and grandpa are Greek (literally, my grandpa came over when he was 16 years old), so they taught me how to make not only Greek style food, but recipes that my grandfather had in his village as a child.  My Dad's mom is very traditional in a sense, and taught me how to bake (she was also the one to teach me to make home made tortillas).  I owe most of my artistic ability to my family... without them I would be eating ramen noodles every day.  So, thanks, family!

I love cooking all types of meals- from "simple, throw together two-ingredient" meals to "get up early and spend hours making something you can't pronounce" meals.  I love putting my own spin on traditional meals.  I often make something, and a day or so later I think about what could have made it better or different, and I start thinking about how I'll make it next time.

By no means am I a gourmet chef (although that would be so fun!).  I am a working mama with two kids and a household to run, so every night isn't all glam meals.  Most of my recipes on here may be one thing one night, with an idea of how you can make the leftovers into something different the next time.  I'm also thrifty, so be prepared to use EVERYTHING.  I hate wasting food.

I used to help manage a cafe/ catering company/ cooking school/ I don't even know what to call it.  The owner, Allyson, taught me a lot during my time there.  I helped teach cooking classes, so all of my "technical" and "formal" stuff, that's all thanks her.

So, since I have rambled... I will give you the recipes that kind of started this all:

My grandpa invited me to dinner the other night for a "surprise dinner".  He made stuff tomatoes, bell peppers, and squash flowers- something that I came to LOVE while I was in Greece in 2000.  My Great Aunt Rosa made it for me in the small Greek village, Agia Triada, where my family lived.  I don't know if it was because I was fascinated every time I watched her make it, or if it was because it was so yummy, but it is one of my most favorite things to make and eat.

Of course, since they don't measure, and my Aunt cannot speak English, this recipe may not be so accurate.  But, it comes pretty damn close.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 whole, big tomatoes
3 small tomatoes or 2 small cans of diced tomatoes
4 whole bell peppers - Any color
9 squash flowers (The big yellow flowers that grow on all squash plants.  You can get it from yellow squash, zucchini, pumpkins, anything. I got some at the farmer's market the other day).
2-3 cups uncooked white rice
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh green beans, tipped
3 Tbs dried oregano
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

In a deep pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add the rice, stir well, and turn down to medium.  Add the small tomatoes (or canned tomatoes).  Cook until the rice browns, stirring often so it doesn't stick or burn.  Add water, according to the package directions on the rice, and bring back to a simmer. Add the spices and parsley and stir together. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the tops off the large tomatoes and peppers, but save them.  Hollow out the tomatoes with a spoon, but keep the "guts".  Pull the middle out of the flowers, but keep the flower intact.

Arrange the tomatoes and peppers in a deep 14x10 baking dish, with enough space in between for the flowers.  Scoop the rice filling into the veggies and cover with the tops.  Scoop the rice into the flowers, fold the petals over, and place upside down in the pan in between the tomatoes and peppers.

Add the tomato "guts" that were saved from scooping out the middle of the tomatoes to the remaining rice.  Mix the green beans, if you choose to use them, into the rice.  Place the rice mixture in between all of the tomatoes and peppers.

Bake for about 1 hour, covered, and check the rice.  You may need to bake longer and/or add more liquid to cook the rice, depending on how juicy the vegetables you used are.

You can serve with feta cheese (my favorite) or Parmesan, but it's good plain.  Sometimes my grandpa puts meat in it- just saute some beef or ground turkey and add it to the rice mixture before baking. We have had it as a meal or as a side dish.  My favorite is having it with no meat, but served with feta cheese and Greek salad.  Yum!