Sunshine Bars

1 cup orange juice
1 cup apricots, loosely packed
1/2 cup honey
1 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins or dates, partly cut up (I prefer dates over raisins)
2/3 cup toasted almond meal (grind almond in a "coffee" grinder)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Heat orange juice to boil. Put dried apricots in pan, bring to a boil again, and turn off heat. Cover pan and let apricots absorb juice until tender enough to cut with a sharp knife, but not really soft.
Meanwhile, mix honey and applesauce. Stir oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, and salt together. Drain apricots and add the juice to the honey-oil mixture. Chop apricots coarsely and stir into dry ingredients along with raisins and almond meal. Combine wet and dry ingredients and press mixture in to an oiled 9" x 13" pan. Bake about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them. Cookies made with honey brown quickly. I go for less time and they turn out more moist. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Makes about 2 dozen large squares.

Playing Around with Amaranth

Yesterday Pippi and I popped amaranth successfully for the first time. She was so excited, "Mom! It's Barbie popcorn."

So here are a couple more recipes with amaranth that I want to try:

Amaranth Date Nut Bread

1 Cup chopped dates
1/2 cup Amaranth
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs or substitute
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. non-aluminum baking powder
1 cup pecans

Soak dates and amaranth in boiling water 15 minutes. Beat eggs well, add honey and butter, and beat again. Stir in honey and butter, and beat again. Stir in all remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour into an oiled loaf pan, and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.


Amaranth Salad Dressing

1 cup Hain Canola Oil
1/2 Cup toasted Arrowhead Mills Amaranth
1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors. Use as desired. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Healthier Cookie Recipes

Can you really call a cookie healthy? Here are two recipes that are a little bit healthier. I thought they were good.

Magic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Four Ways

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds, optional
1 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons safflower oil
Additional ingredients
-1 1/2 -2 cups chocolate chips and 1/2 cup walnuts
-chocolate chip and raisins
-chocolate chip-trail mix
-chocolate chip and granola

Mix Dry ingredients and then add wet ingredients. Stir in additional ingredients. Bake in preheated over at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or so. Let stand 1-2 minutes.

I flattened the cookies before I cooked them and watch the over because I over cooked the first batch.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies with Carrots or Apple

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats (I used regular)
2 tablespoons wheat germ or ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1/4 cup firmly packed, finely grated carrot, or 1/2 cup peeled and finely diced apple
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Use same directions as above for baking.

Enjoy!

-The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

Fruited Couscous

I thought it was really good. If you can find whole wheat couscous all the better! I, unfortunately, cannot find whole wheat couscous.

1 cup couscous, preferable whole grain
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large sweet apple, peeled, cored and diced (I didn't peel it)
1/2 dark or golden raisins (I used golden because I actually like them better)
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots or mission figs
1/2 teaspoon good-quality curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup apple or freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup slivered toasted almonds or chopped toasted walnuts, optional
season to taste

Place couscous in a heatproof container. Pour 2 cups boiling water over it, then cover and let stand for 15 minutes. When done, fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or steep-sided stir-fry pan. Add the onion and saute until trnaslucent. Add the apple and coninute to saute until the onion is golden.

Stir in the couscous, diced fruits, and spices. Add just enough apple juice to moisten. Cook over medium heat until well heated through, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the optional walnuts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

-The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

Southwestern Rice and Black Bean Salad

1 1/2 to 2 cups cold cooked brown rice
one 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked fresh corn kernels (from 2 medium ears) or frozen corn, thawed
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into narrow 2-inch strips
1 medium firm ripe avocado, diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime, or to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin or light olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
season to taste

Combine the rice, beans, corn, and bell pepper in a serving container. Toss the avocado with the lemon juice, then add to the rice mixture along with the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate until needed. Cilantro or scallions can be added.
From The Vegetarian Family Cookbook

Raisin Bars Revised

Since I first posted these I've tried making them again and have improved them. First add mostly dates instead of raisins. It tastes way better. I also substituted pineapple juice for the water and they were great. These resemble a Cliff bar. I adjusted the recipe because a few people commented how they didn't turn out that great. These adjustments worked great!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil (I'm going to try 1/2 cup of applesauce instead next time)
1 1/4 finely chopped or ground raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3-1/2 cup water or juice (use 1/3 unless a little more is absolutely necessary to moisten)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend the flour, oats, salt, and oil (applesauce) with fingers until evenly mixed. Add raisins, nuts, and water, and mix them in, pressing together with the fingers. (Use larger amounts of water only if absolutely necessary to make it all hold together.) press down very well into a greased 8 x 8 pan and cut into squares with a spatula before baking.
Bake 1/2 hour. Makes 16 two-inch bars.

This was really good. The baby of the family especially loved these. I made them with oil the first time and they were good. I'm anxious to try it with applesauce and see what a happens!

-The New Laurel's Cookbook

Coconut Curried Vegetable Stew

1 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil (I actually used vegetable broth)
2 medium onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium potatoes, any firm variety, peeled and diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 medium head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or to taste
2-3 teaspoons good-quality curry powder or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
one 15-ounce can light coconut milk
salt to taste
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Saute garlic and onion over medium heat until tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, and 2 cups of water, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are about half tender, 10-15 minutes. Add the cauliflower, green beans, ginger, curry powder, and turmeric. Cover and continue to simmer very gently until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the base. Stir in the coconut milk and season with salt. If time allows, let the stew stand for 1 hour or so before serving. Just before serving, heat the stew and taste to correct the seasonings. Stir in the peas and cook just until the peas are heated through, then serve in shallow bowls.

I didn't add salt but added a little coconut flakes to it. I would recommend passing the salt around the table instead of adding to the pot. This way you won't use as much. You can also add 2 fresh mild chili peppers and 1/4 cup cilantro. I'll try it this way next time.

From the Vegetarian Family Cookbook.