Parsley-Lime Salmon

This dish was a perfect summer treat ... a light and bright flavor without being too spicy for the kids!

Ingredients
6 (8oz) wild salmon steaks
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
6 Tbsp. lime juice
1/3 onion, diced
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
(or 1.5 Tbsp. dried)
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place salmon in a 9" x 13" baking dish. Combine parsley, garlic salt and lemon-pepper; rub mixture onto salmon. Whisk melted butter and lime juice together; gently pour over the salmon. Sprinkle the minced onions on top. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Balsamic Walnuts

We stumbled onto this idea when making 8 Ball Zucchini Pockets. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of a cake pan. Toss in enough nuts (I used walnut halves) to lay in a single layer on the bottom. Shake the pan to coat the nuts. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with desired amount of salt. Cook at 350 until sweet and crispy. YUM!

8-Ball Zucchini Pockets

When two wholefoodigans get together, creative food events are going to happen. Melanie and myself (Holly), got to spend two days together this week with our children happily entertaining one another. I discovered 8-Ball zucchini at the local farmers market and decided I had to try the new vegetable but it was even more exciting knowing I'd get to share the experience with another whole foodie. I bought all the zucchini she had left with only the knowledge they taste like regular zucchini and people tend to stuff and bake them.

Melanie and I started brainstorming and together we came up with the recipe below. I cooked, she took pics and we had a great time except that my 40 lb daughter was feeling sick and I had to stop and wrap her sweet self on my back while we finished.

2.5 cups walnuts halves
6-8 8-ball zucchini
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 fuji apple, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil (plus some for the pan)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup of rice flour
balsamic vinegar

Chop nuts finely. (I used the vita-mix). Reserve 1/2 cup for topping.

Slice the tops off the zucchini, and hollow out. Add scooped zucchini, celery, apple, onion, garlic, and all but the reserved nuts to the vita-mix or food processor. Add the seasonings and the rice flour and fill zucchini with mixture. Grease pan with olive oil and arrange the 8 balls inside. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes. I think a little longer might have been better.

Some notes after dinner: I think blending the mixture up too finely in the vitamix was a mistake. I think something more the texture of salsa would improve the texture of the dish. The stuffing was a little thin, I'm thinking adding eggs, chia seeds, and/or more rice flour would do the trick. The flavor was divine.

The best part was my new favorite snack (balsamic glazed nuts) that we inadvertently created while making this meal.

Gluten Free Mozzarella Sticks

They may not be pretty, but they're delicious!

If you can have dairy, you must make these. RIGHT NOW. Go ahead and get the ingredients, I'll wait. Back? ok, here you go.

The original recipe came from here, but, as the Whole Foodigans are wont to do, I tweaked it a bit, but I'm still not calling myself a "tweaker". ;)

Mozzarella cheese, cut into sticks or chunks or whatever strikes your fancy
bread crumbs mixed with Italian seasoning and salt (I made my own bread crumbs by toasting pieces of my bread)
eggs
fine flour like rice or sorghum (I used sorghum)
coconut oil (what else?)
Marinara

While making cheese sticks, heat marinara or your cheese sticks will get cold. Ask me how I know.

Heat coconut oil to cover bottom of pan about 1/4".
Dip cheese in flour, egg, bread crumbs and then if you want, back in the egg and breadcrumbs.
Put in oil.
PAY attention! Don't forget to turn them, they cook very quickly.

Eat. Die of deliciousness.
You're welcome.

Mary

Elk Sausage Spring Pasta

It's spring!

Our local Food Co-op (Seward Market) makes their own sausages with locally sourced meat and other ingredients. They're pricey, but so delicious you'll go back for more. This month, the special was Elk Sausage with Mushrooms and Cranberries.

We decided to mix it up with other spring offerings that we were so glad to see after our extra long Minnesota winter.

In a large pan, cook sausages until almost done (any fine sausage will do).

To the pan, add:

1 bunch of chard, one bunch of ramps (yay spring!), a head of cauliflower, some minced garlic, and any other green vegetable you might be so inclined to add, in the large pan with a little added butter and olive oil.

We had planned to have slices of sausage in this, but the casings fell apart, so it looks more like ground meat, but the sausage juices added all the extra flavoring we needed.

Once the vegetables are soft, de-glaze the pan with a little white wine to make a nice sauce.

Serve over the pasta of your choice and top with Parmesan cheese.

Broiled Cod Steaks

This sauce is so good I was literally licking the pan. Adapted from a James Beard recipe. Makes me hungry just reading the recipe!

4 cod steaks (or other firm white fish), about 1 inch thick

Basting mixture:

1/2 c melted butter

2 T grated onion

2 T lemon juice

1/4 chili sauce (homemade ketchup)

1 t tarragon

1 t paprika

2 T chopped parsley

Rub the steaks well with salt. Combine remaining ingredients and brush the mixture on one side of each steak. Place the steaks on a well-oiled broiler rack and broil about 4 inches away from the broiler for 5 minutes. Turn, brush well with the butter mixture, and broil another five minutes, basting once more during the cooking period. Transfer to a hot platter. Serve with tiny boiled new potatoes and chopped buttered spinach, and if you like, drink a pleasant Pinot Blanc.

Spinach Potato casserole

I'm sorry I don't have a picture of these delicious potatoes, but they're a great make-ahead side dish that will be making an appearance at our next Thanksgiving dinner!

6 medium poataoes

2 t salt

1/4 t white pepper

1 c sour cream

1/4 lb butter

2 tsp chives

1/4 t dill

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, cooked and well drained

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and mash potatoes. Add salt, pepper and a little milk. Add sour cream and butter. Beat until fluffy. Add chives, dill and spinach. Mix and place in a buttered casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Can be made a day ahead, or frozen ... put cheese on top just before baking.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

These are the first pancakes I've had where I don't feel a huge blood-sugar rush right after eating. They're wonderful and filling. Recipe is adapted from one a friend gave us, but I don't have the original source.








My daughter likes the "Baby" version of everything:

3/4 c quick-cooking oats (regular are fine as well, just let them soak a bit longer)

1 1/2 c plus 2 T well-shaken buttermilk, divided

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t nutmeg

1/2 t salt

1 lg egg

2 T butter melted

1 t packed brown sugar

Soak oats in 3/4 c buttermilk for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and slat in a large bowl. Stir egg, butter, brown sugar, remaining 3/4 c plus 2 T buttermilk and oat mixture into dry ingredients until just completed. Cook pancakes.

Lentil Curry

My family loves just about any dish served over rice, as you'll be able to see from a large majority of the recipes I post here. This one is a favorite of mine because I adore curry and lentils too! Lentil + curry... it just makes sense! It is very addicting and much tastier than you could ever imagine by looking at it so do yourself a favor and make it. Your welcome!

Lentil Curry

Rinse 2 cups of lentils and then soak them in cold water for 20 minutes. Then cook until soft. (About 40-60 minutes.) Strain and set aside.

1 large onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, minced

Saute the above in a couple of tablespoons of healthy oil (EVOO, grapeseed or coconut) until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add:

2 Tbsp red curry paste
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt
1 28 oz can Muir Glen Fire roasted diced tomatoes

Allow to simmer for 5 minutes and add lentils. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add pre-cooked sausages if desired. Serve over jasmine rice.

Cucumber Basil Smoothie

Blender Magic.

2 handfuls of Basil leaves
1/2 large cucumber or 1 whole smallish cucumber
1 mango
1 cup green grapes
1/2 cup orange juice
Ice

Blend until smooth and add enough ice to make it the desired consistency and temperature.

Spicy Beef Pineapple Curry

I started out making Melanie's Coconut Pineapple Chicken Curry. It is delicious and I've eaten it made by Melanie herself. However, I decided to tweak a few things to fit our family's tastes and to match what I had on hand. Turns out that I changed enough of the recipe around it became something different, warranting its own recipe.

1 lb stew beef pieces
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons curry powder
One batch of almond milk leftover puree* or 1/4 cup of nut flour
1/2 cup of flour (I used sorghum flour)
1 Tablespoon Turmeric
cayenne to taste
Coconut oil for pan frying

1 onion chopped (chop small if you have children who aren't fans)
1 green pepper chopped (same as above applies)
4-7 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced ginger

1 can of coconut milk
1 small package of frozen corn (optional, add whichever vegetables sound good to you)
1 small package of frozen peas (optional)
1/2 fresh pineapple, chopped (save the rest in the freezer for smoothies.)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 Tblsp corn starch


Mix spices and flours in a large container. Add meat and shake to coat the pieces evenly. Brown the coated meat in coconut oil on medium high. Remove from pan. Cook onion, pepper, garlic and ginger until browned. Return meat to pan. Add remaining ingredients except cornstarch. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add some water to cornstarch and add to mixture to thicken.

Serve with brown rice.


*I make almond milk with my Vitamix. I use one cup of almonds and 4 cups of water. After it's blended, I strain the solids out to leave the milk. I then dehydrate the solids and granulate to use as a breading.

Tangy Mushrooms

1 container of fresh mushrooms, cleaned and left whole
2 cups beef or chicken stock
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup orange juice



Put clean mushrooms in a saucepan, add other ingredients and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer with the lid off until liquid has reduced, thickened slightly and has become tangy and slightly sweet. Fifteen to twenty minutes?

Fruit Juice Jell.o

Made this with the kids today. Delicious! I wasn't expecting it to be so good! I only had a couple small bites, since I'm off sugar right now, even natural sugar like honey.

Creole with Chicken, Sausage or Shrimp

It's "Fat Tuesday" and to celebrate, we're having Creole. I lived in Louisiana for a few years as a kid and have returned several times for vacation and Gregg and I even went to New Orleans for our honeymoon. I really love the culture there. The music, the food, the people, the architecture, the food. My favorite Creole and Cajun foods are the spicy dishes. Gregg prefers the sweet though a nice pot of red beans and rice would satisfy him BEFORE the double serving of bread pudding. (He'll skip the crawfish every time though.)

Creole is a favorite spicy dish of mine. It can be made with chicken or shrimp as well. Tonight I was just really in the mood for some andouille. Now if I could only figure out how to make bread pudding with no gluten and no sugar. Shouldn't be TOO difficult, right?



Chicken/Shrimp/Sausage Creole

1 medium onion, chopped
1 chopped green bell pepper
2 ribs of celery, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
Cayenne pepper to taste (I like mine spicy!)
Sea salt
Plenty of fresh ground red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 pound of boned and skinned chicken breast, cooked and chopped OR one pound of cooked shrimp, OR one pound of andouille sausage. (I like Sausage by Amy brand andouille. Just enough spice without all the nitrates.)

Sauté first 4 ingredients in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes and the next 6 ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove half of the tomato mixture from the pan and process it in the blender until smooth. Add it back to pan and stir in chicken, sausage or shrimp and cook for 5-10 more minutes on medium heat. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve over hot cooked brown rice.

Spicy Strawberry Mango Syrup

My daughter wanted crepes this morning. I decided I wanted something a little sweet to go in them. So I got creative.

Ingredients:

1 lb of strawberries, diced (minus what your four-year-old steals while you cut them)

1 mango, peeled and diced

Juice of one orange

3 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp black pepper

dash of sea salt

2 Tblsp corn starch (or other thickener)

Put strawberries and mango in a saucepan with just enough water to come to the same level. Bring to a boil. Add vinegar and orange juice, pepper and salt and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get too dry and stick to the pan. Stir frequently.

Continue to boil until it is reduced by about half. Combine corn starch with about a 1/2 cup of water. Stir to create a slurry and add to the pan. Stir and bring back to a boil for just a minute, until thick. Remove from heat and let cool.

It's just a little spicy on its own. You could add more or less pepper as you see fit. I also think a little bit more tanginess would be nice. I might try to add some orange zest and a little more balsamic vinegar next time.

We ate ours with some gluten-free dairy free crepes topped with coconut cream that my friend Mary introduced me to. She got the recipe from this blog.

Hannah said, "Mom, I can't lie. I'm a happy girl!"

Key Lime Smoothie

We just got a Vitamix and I've been on a blending spree ever since. We generally have a smoothie a day around here so that's nothing new but I'm much more creative with what I've been blending since this baby can handle so much more than any of our other dearly departed blenders could. We have a lot of our fruit and some of our veggies pre-washed, cut into large chunks and frozen so they're easily accessed and prepped for smoothies.

Yesterday I was brainstorming about a smoothie combo and it hit me. I love limes. I love coconut. LIGHT BULB!! The Key Lime smoothie was born.

This has a sweet taste off the bat and a slightly tart after taste which is perfect. The more fruit you have frozen before hand, the thicker and colder this will be.



1 small lime, peeled
1 whole ripe kiwi, wash well and cut off ends
1 slice of fresh pineapple (about 1 1/2 inches thick) peeled but NOT cored
1 cup of sweet green grapes
1 handful of fresh, washed spinach
2 tsp Dolomite (not necessary but adds calcium and dials down the tartness a tad)
1 can of quality coconut milk (I use organic 365/Whole Foods)
Ice

I make smoothies to taste. Add some ice and blend then taste it. Too sweet? Add more ice. Don't like the consistency? Add more ice or blend longer. Too tart? More grapes, pineapple or a piece of ripe pear will sweeten it up nicely.

Next time I promise to spice up my pictures with a little garnish. I was just overly anxious to drink this one. ENJOY!!

Refried Beans with Coconut Oil

Here is what I just did for refried beans :)

Taco Soup

olive oil or coconut oil

1/2 onion diced

4 cloves garlic,pressed

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

2 cups cooked black beans

1/2 lb browned grass-fed ground beef

2 Tblsp Frontier Mexican seasonings (or however you like to season your tacos)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

For garnish:

shredded cheese

tortilla chips

sour cream

avocado

lime juice

cilantro

Soften onion and garlic in a skillet with some coconut or olive oil. Add this mixture,tomatoes and beans to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour back into skillet. Add ground beef and remaining soup ingredients. Heat thoroughly.

Crush a handful of chips into a bowl and then add soup. Top with your desired garnishes. The picture show avocado, cilantro and little lime juice.

Sneaky Tomato, Chicken Broth and Lentil Soup

This is sneaky because my kids won't eat chicken broth, so I hide it. They also won't eat lentils, so I hide them as well :)

Ingredients

2 pints chicken stock / broth.

1 large jar of passata (sieved tomato, you could just use tinned tomato if you don't have passata, 2 tins would do).

2 handfulls of red lentils

Salt, Pepper, sugar and bay leaf to season.

Chuck it all in a pan and boil it up until the lentils are soft and blend it or push it through a fine sieve to hide the lentils (or don't if your kids are not fussy little swines).

That's it, possibly the easiest tomato soup ever, of course you can jazz it up a little adding cream or whatever to make it extra yummy. It's nice just plain though and the best part is that it gets my children eating broth...mwahahahaha!

Cocktail Sauce

One cup chili sauce or ketchup (or if you have a DH who is so inclined, a cup of homemade ketchup)

1/2 cup horseradish (grind your own in the food processor and keep it in the fridge with a little white vinegar--enough to make a paste, and don't worry, it will discolor a bit)

2 T lemon juice

2 T worchestershire sauce

S&P, and tobacso to taste

Voila!

That easy. So much better than anything you can buy in the store!

It's better if you let it sit for an hour or two.

Homemade Ketchup

• 
  

  The Best Ketchup ever...of course doesn't have a "real" recipe.

  From Adam Nafziger:

  28 lbs of tomatoes, halved or quartered (I used roma and cut off the top stem)

  2 small onions, chopped

  1 red bell pepper, chopped

  4 cloves garlic, chopped

  A little water to coat the bottom of the kettle and make you feel good

  Cook the above until all the veggies are completely soft and mushy, about an hour or so.

  Run the mixture through a sieve to removed stems, seeds and skin.

  Put the veggie mixture back in a largish kettle and add:

  1/4 - 1/3 cup pickling spices, tied up in a cheesecloth bag

  1 generous cup of sugar (depends on how sweet and ripe your tomatoes were ... super fresh ripe ones won't need as much, any sweetener of choice would do the job. If you use apple juice or something similar, it will take longer to cook down, but will work just fine)

  3 cups cider vinegar

  1 or 2 palmfuls of salt

  Bring to a boil and cook. And cook. And cook. It may take 12 hours or more. This summer the cooking on mine went for two days, but not continuously; I stopped overnight. So, cook it down until it looks like ketchup. (One website says you can do this in a crockpot ... I'm skeptical).

  When ketchup has reached desired consistency, remove spice bag, adjust seasonings (some people add cayenne or white pepper or even mustard, apparently) and can it hot.

• 
  

Creamy Celery Chicken

1/2 meat from a boiled chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup dry brown rice, prepared as the Fluffiest Brown Rice Ever

1 can of Coconut Milk

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 to 1 Tblsp celery salt

sea salt to taste

3-4 stalks of celery, finely chopped

coconut oil for saute

Saute celery in coconut oil, until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Heat thoroughly. I didn't have any celery when I made this but I think celery and mushrooms would be great additions. It was an excellent taste without the celery so if you aren't a fan of the texture, feel free to leave it out.

I served this with Apple Raisin Carrots

Faux Frosty (No Sugar Chocolate Shake)

It's been years since the kids or I have had a Wendy's Frosty but I will say, these are NOT what I remember them tasting like. They were definitely much sweeter. The kids, however, SWEAR they taste just like a Frosty and I'm not about to burst their little bubbles. They are a decent substitute though. I have no desire to ever taste the corn syrup laden shake again. (Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cream, Whey, Nonfat Dry Milk, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Guar Gum, Mono and Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Calcium Sulfate, Disodium Phosphate, Artificial and Natural Flavoring, and Vitamin A Palmitate to be exact.) It's much more fun when the kids and I come up with concoctions like this at home and with healthier ingredients.



3 ripe bananas (not overly ripe)
1 can of quality coconut milk (I use organic 365/Whole Foods brand)
2 tsp Dolomite (adds calcium but not necessary for the taste)
3-4 heaping Tbsp of cocoa powder (or more to taste)
Ice

Add all of the ingredients to the blender and fill to the top with ice. Blend until smooth and fill up with ice again and another time if necessary until the blender is nearly full of blended smoothie upon finishing.

You can use a milk/cream combination instead of coconut milk if desired. We just prefer coconut milk so that our dairy allergic family members can share, plus it's a much healthier fat and tastes awesome! (Though not coconutty at ALL for those wondering.)

The perfect treat for the upcoming warm seasons! We're ready when you are, mother nature!

Apple Raisin Carrots

Ingredients:

10-12 medium carrots

(I spent a half hour trying to find a concise way to describe what size to cut these carrots. They are roughly the size of baby carrots. Thin, chunks that are 2"-3" long. Please refer to photo...)

Nevermind, please use 1 small bag of baby carrots.

1 apple, peeled and coarsely diced

1/4 cup of raisins

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp coconut oil

pinch of salt

Steam carrots just until soft. Drain liquid and set aside. Brown apple pieces in coconut oil. Add carrots and brown for a few more minutes. Remove from pan. Pour in balsamic vinegar and deglaze. Reduce vinegar over medium heat until thickened. Add raisins, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring to coat. Pour sauce over carrots and apples.

Roasted Pepper Bean Soup

4 cups navy beans (cooked)
2 Tablespoons mexican spices *
1 Tablespoon bacon grease (optional)
1 bell pepper, sliced into strips and seeded
2 tomatoes, sliced into strips and seeded
1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup Coconut milk

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Coat onion, pepper and tomato with olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet.
Roast until the vegetables get some nice black, roasty spots. 30 minutes or so.

















While those are roasting, Heat the beans up in a pot on the stove, add the Mexican seasoning. Add just enough water to make the soup to your desired soup consistency.
Put the roasted vegetables in the blender and puree.
Add more coconut milk or just enough water to get the vegetables back out of the blender. Stir together and heat through. Salt to taste.

Serve with a dollop of coconut cream or sour cream.

* Frontier Brand Mexican Spice: Chili peppers (contains silicon dioxide an anti-caking agent), garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, celery seed, oregano, silicon dioxide (an anti-caking agent), red pepper, bay.

Chocolate Silk Decadence (Pudding)

It is wise to make this stealthily the first time. It is ever so much fun to just serve it at dinner, let everyone oooh and ahh over it, and then reveal the ingredients!

Ingredients
3 avocados, peeled and quartered
1 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Pinch of cinnamon
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. organic cocoa
Approx. 1 cup of water, to thin
6 strawberries, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions
Place avocados, maple syrup, and vanilla in Vitamix along with half of the water. Begin processing, using just enough additional water until the mixture flows smoothly in the blender. (You might need to use the tamper to help things along, or a long spoon to break up the mixture to allow more water to flow into the area where the blades are. I haven't tried it in a food processor, but that might work as well.)

Once the mixture is flowing well, stop the Vitamix and add salt, cinnamon, and cocoa. Blend for around 1 minute, until no green color remains. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to ensure it is all mixed properly.

Spoon pudding into small bowls, and top with strawberries if desired. Cover and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 2 days. Keep the portions small and eat slowly, because all the good fat in the avocados makes helps it to fill you up in a hurry!

Amazingly, this really has the texture of pudding! For the record, I do not yet enjoy eating avocados. I know they're good for me, but it's hard to get past the slimy texture. But you know, I could eat this every day if I allowed myself to have that much maple syrup!

Chocolate Bean Cake

A beautiful, moist, chocolaty, gluten-free cake:

1 can of chickpeas (drained)

3 eggs

3/4 sugar (1/2 that of honey, or another dry substitute--chopped dates?)

1 heaped t. baking powder

4 mounded T cocoa powder (don't skimp!)

4T coconut oil or butter (or a mix)

pinch of salt

dash of vanilla if you like

This works best in a food processor:

Process the beans first until they make a smooth paste.

Gradually add the oil (melted).

Add the remaining ingredients.

Whirl until it's pretty and all incorporated.

Pour into cake pans*, **.

Try not to eat too much of the batter while doing so.

Lick spoon.

Lick bowl.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).

Try to resist eating while it cools a bit.

*This cake tends to stick to the pan (even oiled)--if you'd like to keep it pretty, line the bottom with parchment paper

**This recipe fills 2 x 9" round cake pans. I have not tried other sizes, but there is no reason you couldn't.

Adapted from a post on TBW (that I can't find anymore, but if someone would like to link for credit, please do!)

The Fluffiest Brown Rice Ever!

Adam (my husband) has always disliked cooking brown rice because it always ends up a sticky and clumpy mess. So, after listening to him grumble yet again about it (and bemoan that he forgot to start it earlier) I googled around figuring someone had to have figured this out by now, and lo and behold...

Boil brown rice, uncovered, with four parts water to one part rice.

After 30 minutes, drain (like noodles) and let let drain for about ten seconds (don't rinse).

Return your still hot rice to your still hot pot, cover with a tight-fitting lid and let steam for 10 minutes.

Voila!

Faster and fluffier!

And to give credit where credit is due: http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/04/06/how-to-cook-perfect-brown-rice/

Potato and Zucchini Pancakes

Potato pancakes were a big favorite of mine when I was a missionary in Germany years ago. Missionaries are often invited over for meals by members of the local church and one member in particular made these for us often as he knew they were a favorite. There they are called Kartoffelpuffer and they are eaten with Apfulmus (apple sauce). Next time I make them, I'll be sure to be prepared with plenty of apples to make a quick batch of apple sauce.

I have since added zucchini to my Kartoffelpuffer for the extra nutrients. They taste more interesting too! And of course, I'm not afraid of frying when I use healthier fats like coconut oil. Plus, I don't feel as guilty when I sneak a third (or fourth) pancake.

Ingredients:

2 large Yukon Gold or Red potatoes
1 medium zucchini
1 small onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 eggs
1/2 cup oat flour
plenty of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Any flour can be used but I particularly like the texture of oat flour and we need to use gluten free flours. I take gluten free oats and process them in the food processor or blender until fine and flour-like. I have also used almond flour and a gluten free flour blend of mine. Both worked great!



Grate the potatoes and zucchini into a mixing bowl then transfer to a clean towel. Roll them up in the towel and squeeze as much water from them as you can into the sink and transfer them back into the bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.



Heat pan with enough coconut oil for frying (or other desired oil) on med-high. Cook until both sides are nicely browned. (Don't cook these TOO fast or the middle won't cook through.) Enjoy!

Cottage Pie

You could easily halve this recipe but we like to have lots of leftovers.

2 lbs grass fed ground beef

2 10 oz pkges of frozen vegetables (we use peas and corn)

1 onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic pressed

3 TBLSP corn starch in 4 ounces of water (or other thickener)

1/2 cup liquid of choice (red wine, chicken or beef stock, coconut milk)

Dill and oregano, salt and pepper to taste

6-8 potatoes

liquid for making mashed potatoes (chicken stock, potato water, almond milk)

Boil potatoes with peel on until soft. Mash and add liquid to make potatoes to the consistency you prefer.

Preheat to 450.

Brown ground beef.

Remove from pan. Saute onion and garlic, add vegetables until ice melts. Pour veggie mix into the meat. Deglaze pan with wine or other liquid. Add water to the corn starch and add to pan. Simmer until thickened. Combine sauce, meat/veggie mixture and spices. Halve the mixture and fill two pie pans. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Bake until brown.

Coconut Pineapple Chicken Curry

Cook 3 cubed chicken breasts and set aside.

I have pan cooked them and battered and fried them. Frying them adds more fat (though if you use coconut oil, it's a healthy fat) and takes more time but... YUM!

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 med-lrg onion, chopped

3 small or 2 medium carrots, cut into thin 1-2 inch long strips

2-4 Tbsp. minced garlic (I like a lot)

Saute the above for 5-8 minutes (I use coconut oil or grapefruit seed oil)

Add:

1 can coconut milk

1 Tbsp red curry paste

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Fresh ground black pepper, sea salt and cayenne to taste.

Drain the juice from one can of pineapple chunks and set aside. Or use 1/2 of a fresh pineapple cut into chunks and 1 cup of pineapple juice.

Add pineapple to pan with veggies and coconut milk.

Add: 3 Tbsp corn starch to pineapple juice until blended then add to pan.

Allow sauce to thicken then add chicken.

Serve over rice.

Black Bean Chicken Curried Chili

All measurements are approximate as I was just cleaning out the fridge...

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, pressed

1/2 bunch of Kale, chopped

coconut oil for saute

4 cups black beans

2-3 cups chicken stock

1 cup diced chicken

1/2 cup salsa

2 T turmeric

1 T chili powder

Salt to taste

Saute onion and garlic until soft and browned. Add kale and continue to saute until soft. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until ready to eat. YUM!

Spicy Squash Soup

1 large Squash / Pumpkin. I really prefer a butternut squash but whatever you have will work so long as it's not one of those really watery ones.

Olive Oil

2 Onions

Garlic (to taste)

Thai Curry Paste, red or green.....how much you use depends on how much fire you like!! (you could always just use a chilli, but I love the extra dimension the paste gives. I guess you could also use an indian curry paste.).

Vegetable / Chicken Stock, how much depends on how big your squash is.

1/2 can Coconut Milk / Cream to add if you want a touch of luxury :)

Bay Leaf

Salt and Pepper

1 tsp of dark brown sugar (you can totally leave this out, but it's nice to have that sweet touch, especially if your squash is not too sweet).

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Cut the squash in 1/2 or into large wedges if it's massive. No need to peel. Brush all the cut surfaces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast 'til soft in a really hot oven.

Meanwhile soften the onions and garlic in the olive oil, try not to colour too much.

Once the squash is nice and soft remove the skins (you might want to let it cool a little, ask me how I know!). Add to the pan with all the other ingredients, except for the coconut milk / cream. Make sure there is enough stock to just cover the squash.

Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20m.

Blend and then add the coconut / cream if you are using it.

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 small onion, diced

2 Tbsp minced garlic

Saute in olive oil until onion are soft and add:

1 can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Stir over medium heat to let the flavors combine for a few minutes then add:

1 can of coconut milk (for a dairy free and lower fat alternative that is AWESOME!)

or

1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream (the coconut milk version is nice and rich too but this version will rock your world if you aren't afraid of the fat)

Stir to combine the milk then move to a blender and puree for a smooth soup or eat as is.

Buckwheat Pancakes (Gluten and Dairy Free)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 can coconut milk

1 /4 cup coconut oil

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp xanthan gum (scant)

As it is above, it makes perfect waffle batter. Thin it with a little water to your desired consistency for pancakes. We add chopped apples or bananas or nuts or blueberries...

YUM!

Banana Oaties (Sugarless Cookies)

Another fave of ours, these are requested a lot and replace COOKIES for us. My kids named these “Banana Oaties”. They are SO yummy! And NO SUGAR!

Ingredients:

3 LARGE, ripe bananas

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix well and then stir in:

2 cups oats (We use certified gluten free oats but if you can tolerate gluten, any will do.)

2/3 cup almond meal

1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup flax meal

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, dates, raisins, etc)

Place on a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet in rounded spoonfuls (a small cookie scoop works great!) and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until bottom is a light golden brown and edges are starting to brown. Try to share!