Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Here is a recipe a friend made for us for dinner tonight. My kids loved it and so did I! Not to mention it is super easy!

1 tsp. oil
1 T. each-minced garlic and chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
4 c. broth
1 can black beans (original recipe calls for chickpeas, black beans are better)
1 can solid pack pumpkin
1 c. corn kernels
3/4 c. bottled medium spicy salsa

Garnish: cheese, sour cream, avocado, or whatever else you think would be good

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, chili powder and cumin. Stir over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add broth; stir in beans, pumpkin, corn and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes to develop flavors.  Serve with garnishes.

Taco Pizza

Check out this recipe for Taco Pizza. I made it on a whim and happened to have all the ingredients.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-pizza/

I didn't use cheese or meat and it was still really good!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups canned* chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter (can use PB2 from gym to make healthier, check your labels)
1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (agave would be amazing too!)
1 teaspoon baking powder**
a pinch of salt if your peanut butter doesn’t have salt in it
1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

* My can was a 400 gram can, 240 grams without the water, and I used all but a few tablespoons

** If you need grain-free baking powder, you can use 1 part cream of tartar + 1 part baking soda + 2 parts arrowroot.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.

Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and process until very smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.

Put in the chocolate chips and stir it if you can, or pulse it once or twice. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

With wet hands, form into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They don’t do much rising. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.

Baked Mac Oh Geez

Just tried this. My no dairy girl loves it.  I love her "Geezy" grin.

Reprinted with permission.

• 3 to 3 1/2 cups dry cut pasta (ex: macaroni, penne) (about 10 oz)
• 3/4 cup raw cashews (see “nutrition facts” link below for a nut-free version)
• 1/2 cup raw brazil nuts
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 medium clove garlic
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp (rounded) dry mustard
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups milk of choice (preferably: unsweetened almond or soymilk)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For breadcrumb topping:

• 3/4 to 1 1/4 cups dry whole-grain breadcrumbs (See “nutritional info” link below, for gluten-free option)
• 1/2 to 1 tbsp olive oil
• Couple pinches sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Throw pasta into a deep pot of boiling salted water. While pasta is cooking, blend all sauce ingredients (ingredients 2-11) in a blender or in a deep bowl with an immersion blender. Once pasta is almost tender, fully drain (don’t rinse). Mix noodles with sauce, and immediately pour into a lightly oiled 8 x 12” baking dish. (It will look like there is a lot of runny sauce – it will thicken up, trust the pasta!) Mix breadcrumb toppings in a small bowl, then sprinkle over top of casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 17-18 minutes. Then, remove foil cover and bake another 5-7 minutes or until topping is golden brown and crisped. Don’t overbake or sauce will get too thick. Remove from oven and place vegan macaroni and cheese casserole on a hot plate (rather than on top of oven, since residual heat from oven will continue to thicken the sauce). Serve! 

Savory Quinoa & Vegetable Soup

I can't wait to try this one!

We usually think of quinoa as a grain, but it is actually the seed of a plant and as its scientific
name Chenopodium quinoa reflects, it is related to beets, chard and spinach. Quinoa is a
protein powerhouse. This delicious soup is both packed with nutrition and satisfying and rich
in flavor.

Ingredients: (Serves 6)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 yellow onion (diced into small pieces)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 very large red potatoes (about 14 oz.) (diced into small squares)
2/3 cup quinoa (uncooked)
3 vine ripened tomatoes (diced) (or I use one can diced tomatoes)
2 carrots (diced into small squares)
1 yellow squash (diced into small pieces)
9 cups unsalted vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. stevia powder (I use about 1 tsp agave)
1 Tbsp. nutrtional yeast
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
4 fresh basil leaves (sliced)

Instructions:
1.) Add olive oil to a large stock pot and add minced garlic & onion. Season by sprinkling
some salt and pepper while cooking.

2.) Add quinoa, diced potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, dry seasonings, stevia, salt &
pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, Cook for about 5 minutes.

3.) Add vegetable broth and yellow squash. Bring to a boil and then turn to low and simmer
for 20 minutes.

4.) Add nutritional yeast and stir well. Turn burner off and add in chopped parsley and basil
leaves.

5.) Serve with crusty bread and a green leafy salad. ENJOY!!

Raw Ranch Dressing

Loved this dressing at the Silly Witch's house! 

1 ¼ cup cashews

¾ cup water

5 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic (or 1-2 Tablespoons granulated garlic)

5 teaspoons onion powder

1 Tablespoon parsley

3 teaspoons sea salt

1 huge handful cilantro (optional, for cilantro flavor)

For Mexican flavor, can also add:

1 jalepeno

2 tomatillos

Mix all ingredients in blender except cilantro until smooth. Add cilantro and pulse until

green bits are chopped, but visible.

Taste and make changes as necessary.

Stir-fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

Here's a yummy curry recipe the Silly Witch fed us at her house! Could you please post the source Silly Witch?


Sauce

1 Cup coconut milk

3 T fish sauce

1 teaspoon grateed lim zest plus 1 T juice

1 T light brown sugar

2 teaspoons red curry paste

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

CAULIFLOWER

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cored and cut into 3/4-inch florets

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

6 ounces snow peas, strings remioved

 2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil

1. FOR THE SAUCE:  Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl until smooth.

2. FOR THE CAULIFLOWER:  Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook,  stirring occasionally, until just barely tender,  about 3 minutes.  CLear center of skillet; add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, garlic, and genger and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir mixture into cauliflower.  Reduce heat to medium-high and stir in sauce mixture.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is just tender, about 2 minutes.  Add snow peas and continue to simmer until cauliflower is fully tender, about 3 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with basil. Serve immediately.

Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red miso

1 to 2 cups roughly chopped green onions, white and green parts

3 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 tsp fresh ginger

1 clove garlic

2 tsp agave nectar

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2-3/4 cup water

Add everything to blender. Blend

Sourdough Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

For a beautiful and delicious whole grain sourdough hamburger bun please go here:  http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2010/03/25/sourdough-whole-wheat-hamburger-buns/.  I made these today and they are delicious.  Recipe by weight makes so much more sense when baking bread.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
 1 tablespoon honey
 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-4 cups of flour, depending on the ration of whole wheat to white flour

 Mix the honey, water, and yeast in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing in one cup of flour at a time. If dough seems too wet add 1/4 cup at a time until slightly firm. The dough should not be too stiff. I usually keep it fairly soft. Grease your pan and roll it out on the pan. This recipe is from The Food Nanny. I just didn't want to lose the recipe! I love it because you don't have to let it rise.

Thai Red Curry with Tofu

I loved this recipe from The America's Healthy Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (pg. 343), but my kids did not.  I'm wondering if they would like it with chicken, or shrimp.  Nevertheless, I was happy to have it for lunch for 3 days because I adored it.

1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1-2 red curry paste
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
14 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed dry and cut into 3/4" cubes (Although I used soft tofu and thought it was fine)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 red bell peppers, stemmed seeed, and cut ito matchsticks
8 ounces snap peas, trimmed and sliced in half on the bias
1 onion, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt

1. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant, about  30 seconds.  Whisk in the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar.

2.  Whisk the broth and cornstarch together, then whisk the mixture into the pot.  Stir in the bell peppers, snap peas, and onion and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 8-10 minutes.

3.  Add the tofu and simmer until tofu is heated through, 3-5 minutes.

Healthier No-Bake Cookies

I finally found it! A healthier version of No-Bake Cookies. They weren't as sweet but they were almost the same and they worked! They set up just fine! It's from Vicki's Vegan Kitchen

1 cup Sucanat
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup soymilk
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Combine the Sucanat, cocoa powder, soymilk, and oil in a medium pot. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a rolling boil and cook for 1 1/2 minutes.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla to the pot and stir until well mixed. Add the oatmeal and stir well.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the oat mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper. The cookies will harden as the cool.

Soft Pretzels

This was so fun to make with my kids!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Summer Frozen Fruit Cocktail

At the same activity they made this yummy frozen fruit treat. The said it tastes really good in the winter time when summer fruit isn't available.

12 oz. can frozen orange juice reconstituted
1-2 cans pineapple tidbits with juice
2 mangoes, cubed
2 cantaloupe, in small pieces or balled
1 bunch seedless grapes
1 bunch Bing cherries
1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries
Watermelon, cubed or balled
Fresh sliced peaches

Mix thoroughly with orange juice. Ladle into freezer containers making sure to leave 1/2 to 3/4 inch head space to allow freezing expansion. Serve partially frozen in cups as is.

Double Apples Breakfast Sauce

1 cup apple sauce
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash of salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves

Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick and syrupy. (Stir continually to prevent scorching.)

Appletts (Apple Candy)

They mad these at an activity in Relief Society about preserving food. These were good. Enjoy!

2 Tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 Cup apple sauce (cold)
3/4 Cup apple sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup broken walnuts
1 Tablespoon vanilla
powdered sugar for coating

Soak gelatin in cold applesauce for 10 minutes. Combine 3/4 cup applesauce with sugar and boil for 10 minutes. Add gelatin and applesauce mixture and boil about five to seven minutes more stirring so as not to burn. Remove from heat and add walnuts and vanilla. Pour into slightly greased 4"x8" pan. Set in refrigerator to cool, cut into squares and roll in powdered sugar. Keeps well in a cool place.

Cheesy Kale Chips

My whole family loved these. I couldn't believe how E loved them too. I finally found a way to get toddlers to eats greens!

http://prideandvegudice.com/2011/06/12/cheesy-kale-chips/

(Makes: It doesn’t matter because you’ll eat them all in one day anyways)

1 bunch curly kale
1 cup cashews (soaked for a couple hours)
1 red bell pepper, deseeded
Juice of half a lemon (2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Remove the toughest parts of the kale stems (save them for a green smoothie, green juice, or add them to a stir-fry!), and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces.

Whenever I’m working with leafy greens – especially for this recipe, where I want the pieces of kale to be as dry as possible so that the coating will stick as well as possible – I find it easier to cut or rip up the leaves first, and wash them afterward by submerging them in a bowl of water. Then I swish them around with my hands a little so any debris can float to the top, drain them, and dry them in a salad spinner!

Place kale pieces in a large bowl (you want enough room so that you can mix the coating in later without having to deal with leaves falling out of the bowl!)

To make the cheesy coating: combine soaked cashews, bell pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast (nooch), and sea salt in a blender or food processor (a high-speed blender like the Vitamix is best), and run for a minute or two until smooth.

Add the cheesy coating to your bowl of kale and massage it in with your hands. Don’t worry too much about uneven distribution, as the big globs taste delicious in the final product!

For raw kale chips (my method of choice, as they will retain the nutrients and enzymes of all the healthful ingredients!): place on dehydrator screens and dehydrate at 115 degrees until crispy. The time will vary, but make sure ALL the moisture is gone and they are genuinely crunchy.

Alternatively (if you don’t have a dehydrator), spread kale pieces on parchment paper on baking trays, and bake at 200 degrees until crispy, about 45 minutes (but again, all that matters is that they MUST be crunchy).

Roasted Veggie Pesto Pizza

Mom had another recipe for a pizza while we were there. This is the basic recipe from memory:

Roast your veggies with a little olive oil and rosemary. Veggies used were: red pepper, green pepper, red onion, mushrooms. While roasting these, make your pesto sauce of choice.

Spread the pesto sauce on pizza crust of choice, add mozarella if desired, then top with roasted veggies. Yummm!!!!

Fast Easy Dinner Ideas

Some times I think I spend way too much time in the kitchen cooking. I discovered this fact, this vacation. I'm writing down some easy meal ideas here so I don't forget what they are. If you have any other ideas, edit the post and add them! I'm trying to reduce the time I do the three C's: cooking, cleaning and chauffering.

From my friend Ginger:
cook some quinoa add the mango salsa from Costco to your liking and serve with sides.
enchiladas with cooked veggies (zucchini, tomatoes, corn) with hummus on the inside and salsa on top

From Lisa:
Ramen noodles and tons of veggies.

From Kissy:
Rice with pico de gallo, corn and bean

From Mom:
Baked potato bar
Chinese Sunday

Any more ideas?

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Here's another yummy soup Mom made for us. Don't forget the lemon. It's essential!

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups cubed butternut squash (we used sweet potatoes)
1-15 oz. can garbanzo beans (kidneys were good too)
1 can (14-1/2) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium red potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and into 1-inch cubes
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 small zucchini, cubed
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil and butter until tender. Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon stick and chili powder; saute 2 minutes longer. Stir in the broth, squash, chickpeas, tomatoes, potatoes, lemon and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and squash are almost tender. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard cinnamon stick and lemon slices. Stir in cilantro.