Monday, November 18, 2013

Acorn Squash and Sausage

Absolutely delicious!  We changed 'pasta' from the farro to quinoa.  And we didn't have mushrooms, so used zucchini and green peppers.

·                     3 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds and fibers removed
·                     olive oil spray (I used my mister)
·                     salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
·                     1/2 cup uncooked pearled farro, rinsed and drained
·                     1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
·                     2 links raw sweet Italian chicken sausage
·                     1/2 tbsp olive oil
·                     1/2 large white onion, chopped
·                     2 celery stalks, chopped
·                     4 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
·                     2 sage leaves, chopped
·                     parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mist the cut side of squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

Meanwhile, cook farro in chicken broth according to package directions.

While the farro is cooking, in a large saute pan cook chicken sausage on medium heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks until the sausage is cooked through and is browned. Set aside on a dish.

Add olive oil to the pan and add the onion, sauté 1 minute, add the celery, salt and pepper to taste; cook until celery is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and sage to the pan, more salt and pepper if needed and cook, stirring 5 minutes, then cook covered for 2 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their juice and are cooked through. Return the cooled sausage and the cooked farro to the sauté pan and mix well. 

Divide the farro stuffing evenly between the roasted acorn squash, garnish with parsley and serve.

Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash


Mini Fritattatas

I made it with other veggies.  BE SURE TO USE LOTS OF SPRAY OIL.  Took me 25 minutes to clean my muffin tins. 

Mini Ham And Broccoli Frittatas Recipe

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fully cooked ham, cut into cubes;
  • 1 cup broccoli, chopped into small pieces;
  • 1 red onion, minced;
  • 6 eggs;
  • 4 egg whites;
  • 3 tbsp. chives, minced;
  • 2 tbsp. full-fat coconut milk;
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
  • Paleo cooking fat;
Description: Frittata preparation

Preparation

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
  2. Oil each cup on the muffin tray with some melted Paleo cooking fat.
  3. Divide the ham, broccoli, and onion equally among the muffin cups.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, eggs, chives, coconut milk, and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Pour the egg mixture into each muffin cup. Fill the cups almost to the top but not completely.
  6. Place the muffin tray in the oven and cook 20 to 22 minutes or until golden.
  7. Carefully remove the mini frittatas from the muffin tray and serve.
Description: Mini Ham And Broccoli Frittatas cooked


Gluten Free Stove Top Stuffing

by: http://www.theglutenfreespouse.com/2010/11/gluten-free-stove-top-stuffing.html

Ingredients
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley
  • 1 cup finely sliced celery
  • 1 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 stick unsalted sweet cream butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 can Swanson chicken stock
  • 4 cups gluten free bread crumbs


Begin by preparing the onion, celery, and parsley.


Next, melt the butter in a large saucepan with the spices.  After the melted butter and spices are mixed together, add the bowl of celery, onion, and parsley. Add the garlic.  Stir well and cook until celery, garlic, and onions are softened.


Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the gluten free bread crumbs until mixed well.  Cover and set aside for 5 minutes.  Uncover and fluff with a fork.

Here it is made with an addition of re-hydrated cranberries and using a loaf  Udi's Whole grain bread.

Gluten Free Bread

by: http://www.theglutenfreespouse.com/2010/11/gluten-free-sandwich-bread.html

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

Group 1
1 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup arrowroot
1/2 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon of salt
2 1/2 teaspoons of Xanthan Gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Group 2
1/4 cup warm water
2  teaspoons of active dry yeast (1 packet, 5/16th ounce)
1 teaspoon sugar

Group 3
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Begin by setting all ingredients out to come to room temperature.  Do not use anything cold with yeast.

Mix all the dry ingredients from group 1 together with a whisk in your stand mixer bowl.  Make sure to be thorough.

Set the flour mixture aside.  Mix the ingredients together from group 2 in a separate bowl and set this aside in a warm spot  to "bloom". Mix the ingredients from group 3 together in a separate bowl and set it out to come to room temperature.   When you reach this step, preheat oven to 175 and walk away for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Allow all ingredients to reach room temperature.

With dough hooks attached, mix the wet ingredients (including the eggs) into the dry ingredients using your stand mixer.
It makes a fairly sticky dough.  I used extra virgin olive oil in a spray to coat my loaf pan and filled the pan as pictured below.  (note: all of the dough can go into the loaf pan but it will puff and rise high so watch your spacing in the oven.) I kept some out of this batch for hamburger buns.

After the dough is in the loaf pan, spray the top with the oil also.  Place in the 175 degree oven and let rise for about 30 minutes.  Turn the temperature up to 350 degrees and bake for another 30-45 minutes keeping a close eye towards the end for good browning without burning.

Here is a shot of it still in the oven. Notice the height of the rise below compared to how low it is in the pan in the pre-oven picture above.

Remove from oven and pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing. Here is the second loaf cooling.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Roasted Nacho Cauliflower

Roasted Nacho Cauliflower
 
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper
  3. In your blender, combine all ingredients except cauliflower, blend until smooth
  4. Toss Cauliflower flowerettes with blended nacho sauce until well coated
  5. Spread out on parchment lined baking sheet
  6. Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes, sometimes I’ll broil them for a few minutes at the end to get them nice and browned!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding Pops

Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding Pops
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4  Size: 1 popsicle  Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 2 pts
Calories: 74 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 6.8 g • Fiber: 4.6 g • Protein: 1.8 g • Sugar: 0.6 g
Sodium: 27 mg 

Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 
    • 3/4 cup raspberries 
    • 2 tbsp chia seeds
    • 1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
    • 8 drops Nu-Naturals liquid stevia (or sugar/honey to taste)


Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large container. Mix well and close container;refrigerate 4 hours so the chia expands.  


Pour into 4 popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Makes 4 popsicles.

Coconut Cashew Cookies

Coconut Cashew Cookies (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Paleo-Friendly, No Refined Sugar)

www.thehealthyfamilyandhome.comThe Healthy Family and Home

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup organic raw cashews
  • 1 cup organic shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup organic granulated sweetener
  • 1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
  • 1/4 cup organic coconut oil (melted/liquid)
  • 2 tablespoons organic full fat coconut milk

Directions

Step 1Add the cashews and coconut flakes in a food processor and pulse until they are coarse and crumbly.

Add the sweetener, vanilla extract, pink himalayan salt and baking soda to the cashew/coconut mixture in the food processor and pulse again until everything is well combined.

Add the coconut oil and coconut milk to the processor and pulse again until everything is well combined.

Using a spoon, take a small amount of the cookie dough into the palms of your hand and roll gently into a ball shape.

After you put them on the baking pan, gently press down the cookies slightly (they will flatten out more while they are baking).

To prevent them from burning on the bottom, put the baking sheet with the cookie dough on top of another baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8 - 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't overcook/burn.

Remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 - 10 minutes or until they cool completely. DO NOT try to remove them while they are still warm, they will crumble and break apart.

Once they are cool, move them to a cooling rack so they will get crisp.

Enjoy!

Chipotle Black Bean and Quinoa Stew

Chipotle Black Bean and Quinoa Slow Cooker Stew (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Chipotle Black Bean and Quinoa Slow Cooker Stew (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
www.thehealthyfamilyandhome.comThe Healthy Family and Home

Ingredients

  • 7 cups distilled or purified water
  • 1lb organic black beans (dried)
  • 3/4 cups organic quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 large organic diced tomatoes (28 ounce can)
  • 3 cloves organic garlic (freshly crushed)
  • 1 organic green bell pepper (diced)
  • 1 organic red bell pepper (diced)
  • 1/4 cup organic cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 - 2 chipotle peppers (dried)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (dried)
  • 2 teaspoons organic chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon organic coriander powder
  • pink himalayan salt (to taste)

Directions

Step 1Dice/chop the chipotle peppers, garlic, green bell pepper, red bell pepper and cilantro. Set aside.

Fill the crock pot with the water, dried beans and uncooked quinoa.

Add the diced veggies and seasonings.

Cook on HIGH for about 4 hours, or on LOW for 6-8 hours, until the black beans are tender.

Remove the chipotle peppers and cinnamon stick before serving.

Adjust seasonings, if needed.

Top with green onions, avocados, fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

Note

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Juicing and Smoothie Creations

I will be adding to this one regularly.


Juice:

  1. Spinach, grapes, apple, cucumber, Italian Parsley, celery, lime = amazingly good


Smoothie:

  1. Apple, carrot, lime, celery, ice





Saturday, March 16, 2013

Smooth Simple Hummus - Sooooo delicious

Best hummus I've ever had.  I take no credit for creating this recipe, just for finding it.  Go to http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/ to see original site from Joanne. I did add to the recipe chopped sun dried tomatoes on top.   I use this blog as a recipe book for myself, so wanted to post this.


Smooth and Simple Hummus Recipe
In the past, if we were in the grocery store you could almost bet that one of us would throw a tub of smooth hummus into our cart. That was until we figured out this simple hummus recipe that we honestly believe is better than anything we could have found at the store.

Hummus Recipe – Better Than Store-Bought

First, let us mention that this simple hummus recipe uses tahini. In the hummus-loving world, there are two camps. Some love the zest and deep flavor of tahini added, others could really go without it. We like it both ways, but for smooth hummus rivaling our favorite brands in the store, we use this recipe.

So, what’s the secret?

It’s simple really. It’s the order in which you add ingredients to your food processor. Seriously, it’s that easy. Tahini and lemon juice go in first. Then, before you add anything else, turn on the food processor and let it run for a minutes or so.
See the photos below? In the first one, we’re pouring tahihi into a clean food processor. After a minute of being whirled, whipped and creamed in the food processor it turns into the paste you see on the right. It’s lighter in color and much thicker.
Smooth Hummus
From here, you can add ingredients as you will, but make sure you stand back and let that food processor run — we’re talking a minute of running after adding each ingredient. That’s how you make a hummus recipe that’s better that store-bought.

To Skin or Not to Skin The Chickpeas?

Another trick for extra smooth hummus is to remove the skins of each chickpea. We’ve done it. For one can of chickpeas, you’re looking at about ten minutes. We really didn’t want to add that to our hummus recipe, but just to make sure, we tried it both ways — skinless chickpeas and chickpeas right out of the can.
In the photo below, the spoon of hummus on the left used skinless chickpeas. The right came from chickpeas straight out the can. You can see, even from this photo that the skinless chickpeas made for a slightly smoother hummus, but in our opinion it really wasn’t enough of a difference to warrant ten minutes of skinning chickpeas.
Smooth Hummus
That’s a closeup of our hummus recipe that calls for chickpeas straight from the can (not skinned). It’s smooth, creamy and luscious. We love it!
Smooth HummusDid you enjoy our simple hummus recipe? Might we suggest you take a look at more of our easy appetizer recipes. Or, take a peek at some of our favorite and easy snack recipes:
4.8 from 18 reviews
Smooth Simple Hummus Recipe
Prep time
Total time
Why we love this recipe. When we first figured out how to make our own hummus, we were shocked at how easy (and fast) it is. With a just a few simple tricks, you really can make creamy smooth hummus at home and yes, we really do think it’s better than store-bought.
What you need to know. Two things here. First, we use canned chickpeas, which is much, much quicker than using dried. Some swear by soaking and cooking their own dried chickpeas, but we’re just not that organized and love that canned chickpeas means we can enjoy our hummus in 10 minutes. Second, our recipe calls for tahini, a creamy paste made from sesame seeds. You can usually find tahini in larger grocery stores or specialty markets.
Equipment you’ll need. A mesh strainer or colander, food processor, silicone spatula, measuring cups and spoons.
Created By: 
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans
  • 1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
  • 1/4 cup (59 ml) tahini (we used Krinos)
  • Half of a large garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons water
  • Dash of ground paprika for serving
Method
Preparing the Hummus
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.
  2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.
Adding the Chickpeas
  1. Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.
Creating the Perfect Consistency
  1. Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.
To Serve
  1. Scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika.
To Store
  1. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.


Read more: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe/#ixzz2NkXRMqul