What's for Dinner--Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing

I have just discovered my new favorite recipe. The salad dressing on this is so delicious, it makes me think of the I Love Lucy episode where she drinks the salad dressing by the bottle.

http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/03/asian-slaw-with-ginger-peanut-dressing.html

What's for Dessert--Chilled Double Chocolate Torte

This dessert is too delicious for words. It got rave reviews from everyone in my family.

Chilled Double Chocolate Torte from Oh She Glows

I made one substitution. I didn't want to use chocolate chips, so I added extra cocoa, coconut oil, and maple syrup instead. It was still amazing.

A Great Resource

Vivian Milius posted this video on her facebook page a few years ago and I was intrigued by this couple's cooking system and their delicious-looking healthy recipes. I bought their book, Original Fast Foods, and we love almost all of the recipes we've tried. If any of the recipes on the video look good to you, let me know and I can post them. I especially like their recommendation to do most of your meal prep work (chopping veggies, making sauces, preparing grains, etc.) on one day of the week so you can throw together fast healthy meals the rest of the week. I'm going to have to try that.

Konnie also found this couple and their recipes through their website: http://ldshealth.ning.com/ They have a lot of great video tutorials and recipes on their website. You can also purchase their book, Original Fast Foods, there.

Their book and programs on their website have helped a lot of people heal their bodies from illnesses like diabetes, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

What's for Dessert-- Creamy Fudge

Today I made a really tasty vegan fudge. The basic recipe is coconut butter and banana with a dash of salt and cinnamon. I don't know if you can buy coconut butter in Rexburg. I made mine by blending dried coconut in my Vitamix blender for several minutes until it sort of liquefied. I've heard you can make it in a food processor, but it takes longer. I found the recipe HERE.

I also tried the chocolate variation on the recipe which you can find HERE, and she has lots of other flavors HERE.

You can leave it sweetened with just the banana, or you can add your preferred sweetener. When you've blended it up, it is more like a frosting (a very yummy frosting), and when you put it in the fridge or freezer, it takes on more of a fudge texture.

What's for Dinner--Hummus and Veggies on a Whole Wheat Tortilla

Once I had hummus and everyone else at the party liked it, but I couldn't stand it. I thought I must not like hummus. But then I heard about how every hummus recipe is a little bit different and you just have to find the one you like. So I tried again. And I'm so glad I did. Lilly's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (available at Broulims) is so good, my baby eats it with a spoon. It's addicting. I tried to duplicate the recipe so I could make it at home, but I haven't got it right yet. If I do, I'll post the recipe.

So for dinner we had Lilly's hummus on whole wheat tortillas (we like the kind you buy raw and cook yourself) with cut up veggies (carrots, cucumber, tomatoes), sprouts, and greens. It tasted so good, I think I could eat it every day.

What's for Dinner--15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta, Carrot Fennel Salad, and Green Smoothie

We've been coasting along with our favorite recipes the last couple months, but I've been in the mood for some experimentation lately. We had some really great recipes tonight. The avocado pasta was so good that my daughter who is a hard-core avocado hater said it was "amazing."

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta from Oh She Glows

Carrot Fennel Salad from veggienumnum.com The recipe suggests serving this on rolls like you might for a chicken salad. I think it would be really tasty. My family really enjoyed this one, too.

And tonight's green smoothie had some different ingredients that tasted really refreshing. Kale, alfalfa sprouts, frozen peaches, a banana, a can of pineapple with its juice, and a quarter of a lemon rind (which is supposed to be good for fighting or preventing cancer, and it tastes good, too).

What's for Breakfast -- Chia Pudding

This probably sounds weird to anyone who isn't familiar with the latest health craze--chia seeds. I mean, who wants to eat a Chia Pet, right? But they're really good, and here are some reasons to enjoy them (according to several websites):

-may help control blood sugar
-high in protein
-high in omega-3's
-may help with weight loss
-the word "chia" means strength because chias are considered a high-energy food
-more antioxidants than fresh blueberries
-high in fiber and nutrients like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium

When chia seeds get wet, they form a gel coating around the seed, which gives soaked chias a tapioca pudding-like texture. If you google chia pudding recipes, you will find everything from Mint Chocolate Chip Chia Pudding to Strawberry Ginger Chia Pudding to Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding. I can post any of those if they sound interesting to you. I thought I'd just post a basic recipe here today.

Chia Pudding

1/4 chia seeds
1/4 non-dairy (or dairy if you prefer) milk

Mix and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Most recipes recommend overnight.

I added a dash of vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon. I left mine sweetened only with homemade almond milk, but most recipes recommend adding sweetener such as 1/2 banana (mashed), 1 Tbsp maple syrup, agave or stevia to taste. Also, many add fresh, dried, or frozen fruit, or top with coconut flakes or chopped nuts. My baby loved it so much, she asked me to make a second batch.

What's for Dinner--Cabbage Salad

This was so yummy. A couple of my kids weren't sure how they felt about cabbage, but Ben said this new recipe is now his favorite way to eat cabbage.

Cabbage Salad--from the Green Smoothie Girl's 12 Steps to Whole Foods

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 1/2 cups grapes, halved
2 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup pumpkin seeds (I used pepitas--the shelled kind)
1/2 cup almonds (or walnuts), chopped
optional: 1/2 cup crunchy chinese noodles
optional: 1/2 cup raisins or craisins

Toss all ingredients. Serve with vinaigrette.

Cabbage Salad Dressing

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup raw honey
3/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard (I just used regular organic)
1/2 white onion, chopped (I used onion powder because I wanted it less strong)
pinch sea salt
Optional: 2 Tbsp alfalfa sprouts

Blend all, then stir in 2 Tbsp poppy seeds.

What's for Dinner--Taco Lentils with Chili Rice on Whole Wheat Tortillas

I'll have to post the full recipe for this meal some time, but the one I want to share tonight is our homemade taco seasoning. If you don't already have a good recipe for this, and you're using those little MSG filled packets, this recipe is a great one. I found it on Allrecipes.com, and we've been using it for years. We usually triple or quadruple the recipe to have on hand.

Taco Seasoning

Easy Nutritious Treat

Halva is an easy, nutritious treat. You mix about two parts honey with one and a half parts tahini, then adjust the proportion to taste. Then refrigerate till it's the consistency to roll into balls, or mold and slice. I saw one recipe that recommends mixing in chocolate, vanilla, or nuts. Other recipes recommend rolling balls of halva in sesame or chia seeds.

Both the honey and the tahini have great nutrition benefits, especially if the honey is raw and local, though you have to be careful not to give raw honey to very small children. I've heard that many people who eat raw, local honey find that their allergy symptoms decrease or disappear. Honey also contains enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, which sugar doesn't have. Tahini has protein, good fat, iron, calcium, and magnesium.

A couple more tips about honey: Honey is antibacterial and has been used to treat infected wounds. Also, I learned from Konnie and Serena that you can stir a spoonful of creamed honey into regular honey, and it will crystallize into creamed honey instead of hardening solid. It works great!

What's for Dinner--Maple Mustard Glazed Potatoes and String Beans

These are so addictive that when I made them for my extended (non-vegan) family, they asked me to make them again the next day and begged me for the recipe. This recipe is from "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Moscowitz

Maple Mustard Glazed Potatoes and String Beans

2 lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes, halved (about 1-inch pieces) (We also like red potatoes in this)
1/2 lb string beans, halved with ends cut off and discarded
1 yellow onion, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I prefer pressed)
3 Tbsp tamari, soy sauce, or nama shoyu
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place veggies in 9 x 13. Mix other ingredients till mustard is dissolved. Pour over veggies and mix till well coated. Cover with foil and place in oven. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and toss, using a spoon to drizzle sauce over veggies. Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Cook 25 more minutes uncovered. Remove from oven, toss again, cook for 25 more minutes uncovered. (Total of 75 minutes). My family prefers to double the sauce recipe to have extra.

What's for Dinner--Pecan Cranberry Quinoa

Quinoa is usually grouped with grains, but it's actually a seed. It's a complete protein, containing all essential amino acids, and it's a good source of fiber, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. This recipe is also from The Green Smoothie Girl's 12 Steps to Whole Foods. I think I could eat this dish every day.

Pecan Cranberry Quinoa

1 C quinoa, rinsed well to remove the seed's bitter, natural pest deterrent. (She recommends soaking for a few minutes to let the seeds swell, and then drain in a fine mesh strainer. I recommend the pre-rinsed quinoa sold at Walmart or Broulims, because I don't like to take a chance that the quinoa will be bitter.)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 clove garlic. minced
2 cups water
1/2 C pecans chopped and toasted under a broiler or in a dry saute pan
1 orange, red, or yellow pepper, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions, chopped (used the green and white parts)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional: 1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped

Dressing:
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp agave (I might have used honey)
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried basil

In a saucepan, saute the garlic in the oil, then add the quinoa and stir till toasted. Add water and bring to boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend the dressing ingredients. Toss the quinoa in dressing and all other ingredients. Serve cold or hot.

What's for Dinner--Potato Garbanzo Curry

This was another recipe that my kids liked as soon as they tried it. I've had several requests from my husband and kids to make this again. This is from The Green Smoothie Girl's 12 Steps to Whole Foods. By the way, I've noticed that the organic canned garbanzo beans taste a lot better than the regular ones for just a few cents more.

Potato Garbanzo Curry

1 1/2 C dry garbanzo beans (I used 2 cans)
1 C brown rice, uncooked (I used several cups cooked)
4 C water
2 yellow onions, chopped (I used sweet onions, and I added 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, chopped)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
4 cups chopped new red potatoes
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no rapeseed oil/corn syrup/sugar added)
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (I used about half this because I was afraid it would be spicy and I didn't want to scare off my kids :) )
1/4 cup molasses

Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and brown rice together, and then soak them in water overnight. Drain well. Bring 4 cups water to boil, add beans and rice, then reduce heat and simmer for 50-60 minutes until the water is absorbed. (I skipped this whole step and used already cooked ingredients.)

Sauté the onions in the oil until tender, add the spices and potatoes (and peppers if using) and sauté together briefly. Add broth, 1/2 cup water, and salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender. (She says about 30 minutes. Mine took more like 15, but my pots cook faster.)

Add garbanzo, rice, peanut butter, curry paste, and molasses and heat through. Serve hot.

What's for Dinner--Spinach Orzo Ensalata

This pasta salad is so good that my children liked it on the first try, despite the facts that it didn't look like anything we've ever tried and that it contained olives, which most of them don't like. The Green Smoothie Girl invented this salad to try and duplicate her favorite salad at the Macaroni Grill. It is so, so good. (from 12 Steps to Whole Foods)

Spinach Orzo Ensalata

1 cup uncooked whole-wheat orzo pasta (boil according to package directions and rinse well, then cool. PS--I couldn't find whole wheat Orzo here in Rexburg, so I used white.)
10+ cups spinach (about two 10-oz bags) chopped
1 pkg fresh basil cut in ribbons
2 tomatoes diced small
1 can black olives, sliced
2 oz capers (half a 4 oz jar) drained
1/2 cup raw pine nuts
OPTIONAL: shaved parmesan to taste

Toss all ingredients except optional parmesan. Add dressing to taste, and toss. Top each plate with parmesan if desired. (The Green Smoothie Girl recommends serving this dressing with her Tangy Dill Dressing, which is really good.)

Tangy Dill Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (I used nama shoyu)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp dried dill weed, or 1/4 cup fresh

Blend all ingredients in a blender.

What's for Dinner--Southwest Salad with Homemade Croutons and Avocado Dressing

These recipes are from 12 Steps to Whole Foods by Robyn Openshaw (The Green Smoothie Girl)

Southwest Salad

1 head green lettuce, washed and torn
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup black beans
fresh whole wheat croûtons

Mix and toss. We served this with corn chips, salsa, and avocado dressing

Homemade Croûtons

Several pieces of whole wheat bread, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Dice bread into cubes, then toast under the broiler in the oven till browned.

Avocado Dressing

2 large avocados
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Nama Shoyu
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
2-4 Tbsp water to achieve desired consistency
Optional: 2 Tbsp alfalfa sprouts

Blend till smooth.


For desert I made a yummy fudge by throwing dates, walnuts, peanut butter, and a little maple syrup and cocoa into my food processor. Very yummy. If I had to guess at the recipe, I would say 2 cups dates, 1 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup cocoa, and 2 Tbsp maple syrup.

What's for Dinner--Pot Pie Veggies and Sauce with Herbed Drop Biscuits

I diced and steamed lots of potatoes, sautéed two onions, several carrots, and two slices of celery, and threw in half a bag of frozen peas. I made up a gravy by pureeing a drained and rinsed can of great northern beans with enough water to make the consistency of a sauce. I flavored it by blending in salt, pepper, and a large handful of macadamia nuts till smooth (sometimes I add seasonings like thyme to this gravy). We mixed the veggies, then served them drizzled with sauce and topped with Herbed Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits. Delicious.

Herbed Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits from Vegan Brunch by Isa Moskowitz

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
5 tsp baking powder
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp cold nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
2 Tbsp cold nonhydrogenated margarine
1 cup almond milk (or other milk)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease baking sheet. Mix first 5 ingredients. Cut in shortening and margarine (we used coconut oil instead) until pebble size pieces of dough form. Add milk and combine to form soft dough. Use ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop biscuits onto baking sheet. Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to cooling rack, but serve warm. (We cut the amount of herbs just a little bit. 4 tsp. of herbs is a little strong for our family.)

What's for Dinner--Asian Salad

Last night we had a delicious dinner of Asian Salad from the Green Smoothie Girl's 12 Steps to Whole Foods Course Manual. (Step 1 is to drink a quart of green smoothie every day--1 pint for kids, Step 2 is make salad the star of your dinner meal, and Step 3 is to make your own dressing.)

Asian Salad

1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn
1 head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup dried currants
1 cup peanuts
1 cup dried coconut flakes (you can find these, larger than shreds and unsweetened, at the health food store for 2 or 3 dollars).

Toss and serve with Asian Ginger Dressing.

Dressing

4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup nama shoyu (this is what some consider a healthier soy sauce)
3 Tbsp. honey

Blend in a high powered blender until liquefied and well blended. (The Green Smoothie Girl also recommends this dressing over shredded cabbage with toasted sesame seeds.)

We served asian noodles on the side with the thai peanut sauce I've posted before.

Yummy Side Dish

Last night we had sweet potatoes sautéed in coconut oil till tender/crisp and seasoned with salt. Delicious. This side dish is good with quinoa.

Here is a link for one of the best prices on coconut oil that I have found. (This is for a 2 pack of the 1.7 quart size, but amazon.com has great deals on smaller sizes, too.)

Got Zucchini?

Sorry for the long blog absence. We've been coasting on survival mode at our house for the last while. Tonight we tried something new, though, and I hope you enjoy it. We made zucchini "noodles" by cutting a zucchini in thin strips with a vegetable peeler.

The zucchini noodles were tasty, easy to make, and fun. They're obviously not exactly like a pasta, but they make a great gluten free, low carb/glycemic index, high nutrition substitute, and they taste great, too! You can peel them in wide strips for lasagna, or cut them to look like fettucini or spaghetti. You can use a vegetable peeler, a julienne peeler, a mandolin, or a special tool called a spiralizer that is designed to make vegetable noodles.

Some people blanche their noodles, but they're good raw and you can save a step and preserve the nutrients. After you cut them in the shape you want, you can sprinkle the noodles with salt and let them sit for half an hour to soften them up a bit. (Or skip that and eat them firmer, which we did, and they were still good.) Serve with any pasta sauce you like. We served them with a peanut sauce, but a lot of people like them with marinara. Here are three recipes using zucchini noodles, with lots of great pictures and ideas.

Zucchini Noodles with Chicken and Tangy Peanut Sauce

Zucchini Fettuccine with Tomato Sauce

Zucchini Noodles Marinara


By the way, according to nutritiondata.self.com, zucchini is "a good source of Thiamin, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese."

Enjoy!

What are your favorite kitchen tools?

Konnie wanted to know what your favorite kitchen gadgets are. Here are some of mine:

Vidalia Chop Wizard
https://www.chopwizard.com/

We love our chop wizard. We use it almost every day.It makes chopping and dicing so much faster. Fresh foods like salads, pico de gallo, hawaiian haystacks,and stirfry all become really fast and easy with this tool. I've always hated chopping onions, so much that I would use dried, minced onions in most recipes, but now we use fresh onions all the time. There's a video on the website that shows how easy it is to use. I highly recommend this tool to everyone.

Vitamix

We use our vitamix every day. It's great for non-dairy milks, green smoothies, or fruit smoothies, fruit leather, soups, baby food, salsa, dips, dressings, pancake or waffle batter, desserts, nut butters, and whole grain flour or nut flour. It's a very, very powerful blender, and it can handle jobs that would burn out most other blenders. I've heard the Blendtec blender is another good brand for a high speed blender.

A good set of knives

Every whole foods cook book I've read says one of the most important tools you can own for a whole foods lifestyle is a good knife. Our favorite brand so far has been JA Henckels. They slice through vegetables like a hot knife through butter. They make cooking with whole foods faster and easier.

Waterless cookware

We love our stainless steel "Waterless" cookware. They sell pots like this for thousands of dollars, but we got our set for a few hundred online. They are heavy duty pots, with a lid that develops a tight seal during cooking to create a high pressure environment. Foods cook faster with less water,which means you retain more of the nutrition. For example, brown rice usually takes 45-55 minutes to cook. After my water heats up, it takes 20 minutes in my pot. Also, some say teflon coating and aluminum in other pots release toxins into our food. The surgical stainless steel pots don't have that problem.

Pampered Chef garlic press

I love how with this garlic press, I can put a whole clove of garlic in, skin and all, and have fresh minced garlic in a couple seconds. Garlic adds a lot of great flavor to whole foods.

Citrus press and zester

Citrus is is another great food that adds lots of flavor, so I love my citrus press and my zester.

A few other tools that I love are:

food processor, mandolin, apple peeler/corer/slicer, apple slicer/corer, popsicle molds, and stainless steel cookie sheets.

What are your favorite kitchen gadgets?