Spicy Black Bean and Chicken Soup

I am so glad to be back to my blog!  My laptop has been acting up and wouldn't connect to our WIFI for more than 5 minutes. I finally found time to take it in and got it fixed, or so they said.  One day back with my computer and I am already having connection issues.  So this sucker will probably be back to be repaired this weekend.  Everyone keep your fingers crossed that they will finally just replace the dang thing and Steve can help me pick out a computer that actually works!

I am very excited for this recipe!  It was easy and one of my new favorites!

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup salsa (we used medium salsa)
• 1 package taco seasoning (we used a chipotle taco seasoning)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)
• Tortilla chips (optional)

1. Place chicken in crock pot. Pour broth, beans, corn, salsa, and taco seasoning over chicken. 
2. Cook on low for 6 hours (or high for 3 hours). 
3. Remove chicken and shred. Re-add chicken.
4. Add almond milk to crock pot and stir (if you are not dairy free, add sour cream and cheese)
5. Serve with tortilla chips (we had rice and tortillas with our soup)

We had left overs of this which I ate for lunch the next day.  It thickened up over night and made a wonderful rice bowl.

Because we used medium salsa and chipotle taco seasoning it was extremely spicy!  I had to eat every bite with rice.  Steve loved it, but he loves spicy!

Enjoy!
Bry

Gluten Free CHINESE!!

Since we have both gone gluten free Steve has complained over and over again that he misses Chinese food.  And by Chinese food he didn't mean soy sauce and rice and veggies, he meant noodles and breaded chicken orange chicken.  I was waiting at the doctors office a couple weeks ago and was looking through a health magazine when I found a Vegetable Lo Mein recipe!

Gluten-Free Vegetable Lo Mein

8 ounces gluten free spaghetti
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy free soy sauce (I use San-J Tamari)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon oil
16 ounces mix stir fry veggies (I bought fresh peppers and broccoli and onions and sliced them up)
2 cups mung sprouts (optional)
3 scallions, chopped (I left these out)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
Pinch of salt

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta.  Drain and set aside.  In a bowl combine broth, soy sauce, and honey, whisking to dissolve.  Add cornstarch and whisk well.  Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside. (I made extra sauce since we like our pasta saucy)
2. Heat a nonstick wok over high heat and add oil, heating until almost smoking.  Add veggies, sprouts, and scallions and cook 2 minutes.  Add garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes.  Toss in pasta, then sprinkle with salt and cook until heated through. 
3. Add broth mixture and simmer, stirring often, for 4 minutes until sauce has thickened.

I also made gluten free orange chicken.  I do not have a good recipe for this yet, still in the trial and error phase.  I used Applegate gluten free chicken nuggets and San-J gluten free orange sauce.  I precooked the nuggets and then added both the nuggets and sauce, with a couple small cloves of minced garlic, in the crock pot but the sauce became to thick and started to burn so we had to add water.  It turned out fine, but not great! 

 Enjoy!
Bry

Onion Rings!

Steve and I made a really yummy recipe last night!  I found a recipe for a onion ring batter in my gluten free cookbook.  We both love onion rings and haven't had them in over a year.  I did cheat last summer and get an order of Walla Walla onion rings from Burgerville.  Wel used two large Walla Walla onions at the store for our onion rings.  We made them at Steve's parents house and they enjoyed them too.

Steve hard at work frying the onion rings! All those years making elephant ears at the zoo has finally paid off ;)

Ingredients:

2 large onions (sliced into 1 inch thick rounds)

Batter:

1 cup potato starch (we used Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 cup sorghum flour (Bob's Red Mill)

1 tsp sea salt 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp turmeric

1 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Mix all the batter ingredients in a big bowl and whisk until smooth.  Let sit for 5 minutes to allow thickening.

In a deep skillet or sauce pan heat enough oil to cover at least half of the onion rings to 350 degrees.  Be careful not to let the oil get to hot or the batter will burn.

Dip onion slices in the batter and coat thoroughly.  Add battered onion rings to the oil.

Watch carefully and when golden brown flip to the other side.  And finish cooking.

When once cooked place on paper towel to drain.

We saved some of the batter and dips slices of chicken breast in it and fried it up as well.

Enjoy!

Bry

A New Start!

Wow!  It has been a year since my last post.  So much has happened this past year.  First I finished school and am now working.  I am working in childcare at a few different places.  I work in a church nursery, as a part time nanny and over see a childcare at a wonderful dance studio called Diva Den Studio.  I am also in the process of planning a wedding.  Meaning right now my life includes working, wedding planning, and keeping my fiance happy with delicious gluten free meals. 

 

Steve and I have been working to be healthy.  Especially with our diets.  I am extremely proud of Steve, who has been gluten free for 11 months and is currently at his lowest weight in years!  These two recipes are a couple of our favorites. 

I heard about wedge salads a few months ago and I have loved making them.  They are gorgeous and add a new flare to a regular salad!  What is great about salads is there is no real "recipe".  Be creative!

 What you need:

• a head of ice berg lettuce (cut into fourths)
• salad toppings
• favorite dressing

Pull the core out of the lettuce and wash it.  Cut into fourths and pull out a little bit of the middle pieces and cover with toppings.  This was Steve's salad so it has cheese, bacon, hard boiled eggs.  I usually add shredded chicken.  You can also add veggies and seeds.  Then add some of your favorite dressing.  A fork and knife is definitely needed to eat this delicious meal.  

Yes those are cookies in the background!  On rare occasions I will buy a package of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free chocolate chip cookies!  YUMMY!


This next meal is definitely not one you would consider "healthy", but it is a treat in our house.  Like many Americans I enjoy a nice bowl of mac and cheese.  Unfortunately when you are gluten free mac and cheese is way to expensive!  No way I am spending $5 for a small box of macaroni.  I found this very gluten full recipe of macaroni and cheese on The Pioneer Woman.  With a few wonderful modifications I have made this a wonderful gluten free meal!

*This recipe makes a lot of macaroni!  I usually only make half the recipe or we eat left overs for a few days!

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Gluten Free Macaroni (I buy white rice elbow pasta in bulk at WINCO)
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• 1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Gluten Free Flour (Bob's Red Mill or Pamela's both work wonderfully)
• 2-1/2 cups Milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
• 1 pound Cheese, Grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDER SALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.


Enjoy!

Bry

Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies

I always swear I am going to keep up with this blog, and then bang life gets busy.  Life has been pretty hectic here.   However, since this is not a blog about my life I am going to share some recipes!

I liked this recipe.  I doubled the amount of veggies I used and used just under 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast.  Next time I would cut back on the amount of lemons I use on the bottom of the pan as the veggies soak in the lemon juice to cook, which made the green beans unbearably lemony.  I covered the bottom of the pan with lemon slices, next time I will space them out around the pan, if you aren't a huge fan of lemon cut the slices out completely.  I also used more garlic and olive oil sauce and coated the veggies and chicken very well.

Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies

Ingredients

• 6  tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pounds trimmed green beans (I used frozen ones, however if available use fresh!)
• 1/2 pound of broccoli (I used frozen broccoli as well)
• 8 small red potatoes, quartered
• 4 chicken breasts 

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
3. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.          

                 

Enjoy!

Bry

Quinoa Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

I consider myself a vegetarian.  I have been one for 9 years or something crazy like that!  I avoid meat and only really eat cheese and eggs.  You will occasionally see me eat a small piece of local hormone free chicken for dinner.  This is a new thing that started after I cut gluten out of my diet.  So you will occasionally find a chicken recipe on here and even meat recipes that I make for people who are not vegetarian and are yummy enough to share :)

I was excited to find this recipe online.  Being gluten free means NO breaded chicken.  and all though this isn't breaded it has a nice crunchiness to it and plenty of flavor.

Quinoa Crusted Chicken

 Ingredients:

• 4 breasts of Organic Chicken
• 3 cups cooked quinoa (which is about 1 cup uncooked)
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 1tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1tsp pepper (or more to taste)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

 Optional:

• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 tsp of any other spices
• I used red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, garlic powder

(Recipe Yields 4 servings)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Rinse quinoa first. Add a small amount of olive oil to pot and saute the garlic and onions until transparent.  Add quinoa and toast for a couple minutes.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Then set temperature to medium and cover for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally so the quinoa does not burn.  When most of the water is absorbed turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork when finished (1 cup dry quinoa yields 3 cups cooked)
3. In a separate dish, combine quinoa with salt and pepper (and the other spices that you choose)
4. Scramble raw egg into another dish.
5. Dip chicken into egg, coat well. Then put chicken into quinoa mixture, coat well. Place chicken onto baking sheet.
6. Lightly brush oil over each piece of chicken to help it brown.
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.

I adore sweet potatoes and yams.  One of my favorite ways to eat them is to roast them in the oven.  It is easy and they taste great!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

•  Sweet Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Seasoning

 Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into chunks.  I usually make them about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Coat potatoes with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet.  Place in oven for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes take the potatoes out and flip them.  I also sprinkle some salt, garlic or garlic powder and red pepper at this point.  Place back in over for another 8 minutes.
3. Take potatoes out, if they are the desired softness take them out, otherwise continue to check them every few minutes until thoroughly cooked.  Depending on how thick I cut them they usually take 20-30 minutes to cook all the way.

 Enjoy!

Bry

Roasted Kale Chips

I will be the first to admit kale is disgusting on its own!  Roasted however I can eat a whole bundle of it in minutes.  Roasting kale is so easy.  I have never tried kale chips from the store but I don't think I would like them after having the home made ones.

Ingredients:

Kale
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic Powder
Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Directions:

Wash the kale and dry throughly.  Cut the leaves from the steam and cut into large pieces (the will shirnk when you roast them so don't make them to small)  Toss with a light coat of olive oil and seasonings.  Put on a cookie tray, turn on oven to 400 degrees and place the tray in the oven.  I found that putting the tray of kale in the oven while it preheats helps it crisp more evenly.  Let it cook for about 10 minutes and take it out and stir it up.  Place back in the oven for about 3 minutes and check on it again after that,  cook until crispy, it will turn fast so check every couple of minutes.

Bry

Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 whole very firm avocado, diced
• 1 cup of corn, rinse and drained, thawed if frozen
• 1 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• Juice of 1 lime, to taste
• Plenty of chopped cilantro
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate before serving.  Serve with chips, chicken, tacos, etc etc.



Bry

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

These sweet potato enchiladas were amazing.  They were filling and full of flavor.  Definitely a new favorite in my house.



Quickie Green Chile Sauce (I like more sauce so next time I will double this):

• 1 cup light vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in a little cold water
• 1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles- hot or mild
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste

Sweet Potato Filling:

• 2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
• 1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• Lime juice from 1 big lime
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped, more for spicier flavor
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry, mild or spicy, as you prefer
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 10-12 corn tortillas
• Shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil a pot of water. Boil your sweet potatoes until tender (about 4 small to medium potatoes).
3. While the potatoes are boiling start the chile sauce. Combine the broth, dissolved corn starch, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until it starts to thicken. Taste test. Set aside.
4. When potatoes are finished pull off the peels and mash the insides in a large bowl. Add black beans, onion, garlic, lime, jalapeno, spices, and cilantro. Mix well.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup of the Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
6. In a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one. Dip the corn tortillas in the chile sauce on each side, fill with about 1/4 of a cup of potato stuffing, roll and put in pan. Continue with the rest of the tortillas (10-12). Top with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, if using.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Enjoy!

Bry

Spinach Quinoa Bake

Life.  That is my only answer as to why I didn't get this posted yesterday like I promised.   I am loving the evaluation of this blog, from meals I cooked for my family, to food I could eat without getting ill to foods that were low fat, and gluten free, and mostly vegetarian.  The next step to this blog is gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free meals!  However for all my non health freak friends out there I will continue to post an occasional meat filled, fatty, gluten meal!  However I encourage everyone, food allergies or not to try these meals because honestly I every meal I post on here I would eat, healthy life style or not.

 

I thank pinterest and the Internet and other food blogs for my inspiration.  Very few of these meals are actually 100% of my own creation.  Most I mess and play with a bit though.

 

I love green beans however 98% of the time I just steam them and eat them.  However the other night I roasted them, and loved them.  I am a fan of roasted veggies.

 

Roasted Green Beans

 

Ingredients:

• 12 oz green beans, trimmed (make sure they are dry)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum for easy clean-up.
2. Lay green beans out on the baking sheet and drizzle oil over them. Season with salt, pepper and toss to evenly coat.
3. Spread them out on the sheet so that they all lay flat and place on the lower third section of your oven. Bake 10 minutes, shake the pan to turn and add fresh garlic; bake 5 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with grated cheese.

 

 

Quinoa Spinach Bake

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pounds of spinach leaves
• 2 tsp olive oil, plus a little extra for your pan
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups of cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cottage cheese (once again I was short on cottage cheese, so 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup of Gorgonzola cheese)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with olive-oil spray. Coat with breadcrumbs; set aside.
2. Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add spinach; blanch until bright green, about 10 seconds. Transfer to ice bath. When spinach is cold, remove from ice bath, squeeze out all water, and finely chop; set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and red-pepper flakes, and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a medium bowl.
4. Add spinach, quinoa, cottage cheese, pepper, and eggs to the onion mixture, and stir until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and place in the oven. Bake until set and edges are brown, 60 to 70 minutes. Slice, and serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

 

Along with the quinoa and green beans I made some Roasted Broccoli.  Yummy :)

 

 

Bry

Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli is my favorite I'd have to say!  What I love about it is its so simple to make and taste amazing with just about anything!  Check this post for any future meals that include roasted broccoli.

Roasted Broccoli with Red Pepper

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli florets, (about 8 cups)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss broccoli and 3 tablespoons oil in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Drizzle garlic mixture over broccoli; toss to coat. Roast until broccoli is beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Bry

Sesame Kale Salad

Kale is a new favorite of mine.  I recently discovered it about 2 months ago or so.  I have only made it a couple times but I haven't tried a recipe I have hated.  Kale is also extremely healthy!

Sesame Kale Salad
serves about 4 as a side

Ingredients:

1 large bunch kale, stems removed, leaves sliced in thin strips (about 4 cups, packed)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
2 tbsp minced red onion
1 carrot, shredded
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, add the kale, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil and soy sauce. With your hands, massage the kale leaves, for 1-2 minutes, until the ingredients are well mixed. Add the red onion, carrot and sesame seeds, tossing well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit at least 20 minutes.

Bry

Quinoa Patties

I know it's been a while since my last post.  Been busy improving my life!  Between getting signed up for school, gym visits, doctor trip, I also completely emptied out my room except for my 2 dressers and book shelves!  The goal is to get hard floors so that the dust, that I am highly allergic to, can't be trapped in my carpets!

This recipe was yummy.  I served it with a kale salad which I will post the recipe for in the coming days.  Enjoy!

Quinoa Patties

Ingredients:

• 2 rounded cups cooked quinoa (see note below for cooking instructions)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, I used sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (I was out of cottage cheese so I used plain greek yogurt
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated or 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 green onions, including white parts
• 1 /2 teaspoon Splenda or sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• Olive oil for frying

.

Directions:

To cook quinoa:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
In a medium saucepan bring the 2 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, carrot, eggs, flour, green onions, Splenda, pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic powder.

(To help them stay in patty form and not fall apart, I cook them on med-low slowly so they have longer to set-up without burning. Makes them easier to flip, too.) Heat a frying pan and a couple teaspoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Mixture will be slightly sticky, so using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Fry until golden-brown,

about 4 minutes on each side.

Bry

Quinoa Enchiladas

I am not a usually one to invent a recipe, but I have failed to go grocery shopping for the last say week and my poor family has been eating rice and beans and other left overs.  So scraping together what I could find I made this awesome quinoa enchilada!  Use as a taco filling or eat plain or with lettuce.  Anyway this recipe is a keeper in my book.

Ingredients:
 
Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 packet of enchilada seasoning
• 1 cup of vegetable stock

Quinoa Mix:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 small zucchini, pepper, corn or any veggie you want 
• 2 minced cloves or garlic
• 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups water or vegetable stock
• 2 cups of cooked black beans, rinsed

Sour Cream Mix:
(I made half vegetarian, half chicken)

• 1 cup of sour cream
• 3.5 cups of cheese
•  Lime juice, about 1 lime
• 1-2 cups of shredded chicken (optional)
• 1 small can of sliced olives (optional)
• 1 small can of green chillies (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat up olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high.  Add onion and zucchini and saute for a few minutes until slightly browned.  Add garlic and cook for about a minute more.  Add quinoa and cook for a few minutes on medium until toasted.  Add 3 cups of water and the black beans to the quinoa.   Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.  Let cook for about 15 minutes until most of the moister is soaked in, stir and turn off heat, cover til all the water is gone.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. While the quinoa is cooking in another small sauce pan mix the diced tomatoes, tomato paste until it starts to bubble.  Add enchilada seasoning and 1 cup of vegetable broth and bring back to a simmer and allow to thicken.
4. When the quinoa and sauce are done cooking mix quinoa, 2.5 cups of enchilada sauce together.  Add cheese, sour cream, lime juice (chicken, olives, chillies if using).  Mix all together and transfer to a large greased baking pan.  Top enchiladas with left over sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake in the over for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and center is hot.

Bry

Eggs on the Go

I created these fun little baked eggs with a whoopie pie pan my mom got me for Christmas.  I baked them in the oven for about 10 minutes and they are wonderful.  They taste great heated up too for a breakfast on the run!  

I used 12 eggs total.  I buy carton egg whites so I filled a bowl with 1 1/3 cup of  egg whites, 4 whole eggs, 3 teaspoons of fresh basil, some feta, roasted red pepper.  Feel free to use whatever ingredients you want, eggs are so fun to play with when it comes to flavorings.  I filled each cup up with egg and baked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Make sure you spray your pan before hand or they will stick!

I fried up some potatoes to go with the eggs and peeled a tangerine.   Yummy.

My mom found these little pre-chopped fresh basil squares at Trader Joe's.  We pop them into the freezer and have fresh basil whenever we need!  Each square is a teaspoon.

Bry

Lentil Spaghetti Sauce on Spaghetti Squash

I love spaghetti squash.   Its stringy like spaghetti with its own flavor.  It is a bit plain in flavor, however it is good on its own, so you can dress it up with any sauces you like.  Plus the calorie count in spaghetti squash is next to nothing!  So feel free to fill that plate full of  "spaghetti".

Spaghetti squash is simple to cook.  Cut the squash in half, scrap out the seeds and the guts.  Then lightly rub some olive oil over the insides and wrap in foil.  Place down on a cookie sheet and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour in the oven at 400 degrees.  You will know the squash is done when your knife slides all the way through with ease.  The little spaghetti like strings will also easily detach from the squash.

The sauce I made last night for dinner was amazing.  I don't know if I will ever eat regular spaghetti sauce again.   It was hearty and had a lot of flavor and healthy ingredients.  It taste amazing over spaghetti squash, rice or even just by itself.  

Lentil Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced*
• 2 generous tablespoons of olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried basil (I used fresh mmm)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 ounce can) whole or diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 ounce can) tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (optional)

*feel free to add whatever other diced vegetables you like in your pasta sauce: mushrooms, zucchini, etc. I used 2 small zucchinis and a green pepper.  Feel free to add as much or as little vegetables as you like, they do not effect the flavor :)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the diced onion, green pepper, any other vegetables and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and cracked pepper; stir for 1 minute. Add the lentils and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and the can of whole tomatoes- breaking the whole tomatoes with your fingers into pieces. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 45 to an hour (stirring every few minutes.)
3. Before serving, stir in the 1 teaspoon vinegar.  Add the optional fresh parsley and serve over your favorite pasta, pasta alternative, or rice.

Bry 

Baked Apple Chips

Baked apple chips are amazing!  No question about that. The problem, however, is trying to stop after a handful!  Although they are apples they are also highly concentrated sugar, so a few is good, to many is just like sitting there eating a big bag of M&Ms.

I used a large honey crisp apple, and when I say large, the slices were about 4.5 inches in diameter.

Ingredients:

• 1-3 apples depending on size
• cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Thinly slice your apples, keeping them about the same width.  Spray 2 large cookie sheets and then lay your apples across the sheets in a single layer.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and place in the oven.
2. After about an hour and a half of baking I flipped them over and let them bake for about a half an hour more.  In the last 20-40 minutes check them from time to time.  The crispier you want your apples the longer the baking time :)

Bry

Sweet Potato Side Dishes

Sweet potatoes have been going on and off sale all winter here and have been some very good prices!  I recently discovered a love for them around Thanksgiving time.  The first of the 2 recipes is my favorite, but they are definitely both yummy!  Enjoy.

Rosemary and Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

 

 

Ingredients:

•  3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in one inch cubes 
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped fine 
• 1/2 wedge good quality Parmesan cheese, (grated fine in a food processor) 
• olive oil 
• sea salt 
• freshly ground pepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray then spread out diced sweet potatoes, drizzle to coat with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, and pepper. 
2. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, watching closely for burnt edges. As soon as potatoes have nice roasted look and are tender. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with fresh rosemary and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir well, and serve immediately. 

 Broccoli & Feta Sweet Potatoes

Instructions:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cups finely chipped broccoli
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and place on a cookie sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about an hour.
2. In a large skillet on high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes {or not} and cook until the garlic is golden, about a minute. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until most of the water has evaporated and the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and set aside until the sweet potatoes are baked.
3. When the sweet potatoes have baked, cute them in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Mash the pulp a bit and stir it into the broccoli mixture, along with the feta cheese. 

Bry