blackberry glazed salmon. October 13, 2009

quick. easy. healthy.

Here is a recipe for an elegant dinner that is ready from start to finish in literally 15 minutes.

Blackberry Glazed Salmon

4- Salmon steaks

2 T. blackberry jam (I like habenero blackberry jam!)

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat broiler. Mix jam,  soy sauce,  olive oil and garlic in bowl. Spoon glaze over salmon and broil for approximately 10 minutes (depending on thickness of steaks) until the meat flakes and is no longer translucent. Voila!

best salad ever. October 5, 2009

Attention. This is the best salad ever. What’s that you say? You don’t like blue cheese? You do now.  Eat it.

Pear-Pecan-Blue cheese Salad

Mixed greens

toppings:

blue cheese (gorgonzola is my favorite)

candied pecans (store bought or homemade)

2 pears, chopped

1/2 c.  maple syrup

Sweet, light salad dressing: A maple vinaigrette would be ideal–I just make my own!

Warm 1/2 c.  maple syrup in small pot.  When syrup is hot, dump pears in and stir occasionally, until pears begin to soften. Remove from heat and drain. Serve salad topped with pecans, drained pears, blue cheese and vinaigrette.  Pass out from deliciousness.

sweet tradition. August 27, 2009

We have a new tradition at our house—Sweet Potato pancakes for breakfast on Sunday mornings! They are absolutely delicious and so easy to throw together.

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

1/2 c. pureed sweet potato (or pure pumpkin)

1/2-1 t. cinnamon

1 c. pancake mix, prepared as directed on box

OR make your OWN pancake mix from scratch!

HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX

3  1/2 c. Whole wheat flour (you can use any combination of flours totaling 6 cups)

2  1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2/3 c. sugar

2 T. baking powder

1 T. baking soda

Combine ingredients with whisk and store in airtight container. When ready to use combine 1 c. mix with 3/4 c. milk and 1 egg.

summer of squash. July 30, 2009

It’s that time of year! Everyone has an overabundance of summer squash.  We love zucchini and squash, but what can you do when you receive A LOT of it all at once from a very generous family member? Of course it is the very best freshly grilled with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, but after a few days of that- you may want to look for a few other options. I have made a heavenly chocolate zucchini cake, then I made a healthier zucchini bread (recipe below)

ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 c. flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. applesauce

2 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. zucchini, grated

STREUSEL:

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 T. butter

Combine dry ingredients set aside. Beat eggs and add oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and stir. Fold in zucchini.  Pour into 2 greased bread pans.  For streusel- combine ingredients and blend with a fork until there are no large clumps. Top with streusel and bake at 325 for approximately 60 minutes.

After all of that baking, I still had a TON of squash left. So, I decided to freeze it for later. The best way to do this is to cut the squash into 1/2″ slices and blanch in boiling water (cook for only about 3 minutes). Remove the squash from the water and place immediately in a bowl of ice water. Cool about 5 minutes and drain. Seal in ziplock bags and viola! If you want to freeze your zucchini so that you can use it to bake in the future- grate the zucchini and steam it for about 2 minutes before sealing in ziplock bags.

Greta enjoying some zucchini bread.

Breakfast bars. July 15, 2009

Looking for a quick, healthy breakfast? We have our freezer stocked with these at all times.  I found the recipe here. Joe takes one of these and a banana with him to work for breakfast every morning. The bars are filling and really stick with you! They also contain spirulina.  You can find spirulina in most health food stores.  A container should cost about $20, but I have always gotten it in the bulk spice section so I didn’t have to buy quite so much at once (and it is a fraction of the cost).

BREAKFAST BARS

2 1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. flax seed

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. natural peanutbutter

1/2 c. honey

1/2 t. spirulina (I use closer to 1 t., but start here until you get used to the taste)

1/2- 1 c. hot water

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well and form into patties.  Wrap in saran wrap and store in refrigerator or freezer.  Makes 8-12 bars.

Harvest Lamb Stew. June 18, 2009

This meal was delicious, but not the best for a hot summer night! In any event, this is a keeper. Simple and flavorful and could easily be made in the  crock pot. For those of you who make your own baby food- this would be a great recipe to use!

Harvest Lamb Stew

1 lb. Lamb stew meat

1 T. Olive oil

1/4 red onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2  c. butternut squash, cut into chunks (I used frozen!)

1/2 c. pearl barley

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs thyme

3 c. tomato juice

Heat medium skillet on HIGH.  Salt and pepper the lamb chunks. Brown lamb about 1 minute, turning once. Remove to roast pan or dutch oven (center should be red).  Turn heat down to medium and add oil, onion, garlic, squash, bay leaf and thyme. Cook about 5-8 minutes and add barley. Cook, stirring, an additional 2 minutes and add to pan with the lamb. At this point it should look like this:

Pour tomato juice over mixture and bake at 325 for about 2 hours (or place in crock pot for 3-4 hours on low) Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Spring rolls with peanut sauce. April 29, 2009

I searched everywhere for ideas for spring rolls. I pretty much came to the conclusion that you can fill them with whatever you like! These were delicious. The dipping sauce must be what people eat in heaven!! Enjoy, but keep in mind you can easily change these up with different veggies to suit your own taste.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

For the rolls:
cellophane noodles
6-8 sheets of rice paper
3/4 cup carrots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
splash of lemon juice
splash of soy sauce
fresh spinach

Prepare noodles as directed on packaging. Combine carrots and cucumbers in a bowl and toss with a little lemon and soy sauce. Soak rice paper in shallow dish of water for about 10-15 seconds or just until starting to soften. Only soak and fill one at a time. Place desired amount of spinach leaves on paper. Top with about 3 T. of carrot/cucumber mixture. Roll tightly like a burrito. Chill slightly in fridge. Slice in half to serve.

Peanut sauce

4 T. creamy peanut butter
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. water
2 T. Olive oil
3 T. Soy sauce
1/8 t. fresh ginger, finely grated
1 T. plus 1 t. honey

Whisk all ingredients together and serve along side spring rolls in ramekins.

Salsa Chicken. April 22, 2009

This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes. It is incredibly easy and everyone in the family loves it. The leftovers are great as well.

Salsa Chicken
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (optional)
15 oz. jar salsa
10 oz. frozen corn
1 can (or 2 c. ) black beans, drained ***
1 pkg. reduced fat cream cheese
rice

In crock pot layer chicken, salsa, beans and corn. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high or 3-4 hours. With 30 minutes left, add cream cheese. Do not stir. After 30 minutes stir and serve over rice.

***I always use dried beans. They are much cheaper and have no sodium. I cook large batches on the stove top, then freeze the beans in 2 cup portions. The beans are ready for recipes–1 can= approximately 2 cups.

veggie burgers. April 16, 2009

After having an amazing veggie burger at a local restaurant- I’ve decided to try to recreate it! Here is what I came up with I think next time I will use less rice and more veggies. This made 6 burgers.

Veggie Burgers

1 cup vegetables of your choice (I used zucchini, carrots and red pepper), diced
1/4 c. onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked black beans
1 egg
bread crumbs
salt and pepper
olive oil for cooking

Cook onion, pepper and garlic in a little oil. Add carrots- cook until just tender then add zucchini. In bowl, mix rice and beans, mashing them as you mix. Mix in vegetables, egg, and spices. Use your hands to shape the mixture into balls. Roll the balls in bread crumbs, then flatten against your palms. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, until crispy. Serve open faced on whole wheat rolls with lettuce and cheese if desired. These would be great with garlic-lemon mayo.

Greta’s rating: She loved these and so did baby Miles.

couscous. March 3, 2009

Couscous is something I prepare often with meals. Joe and I both love it and kids adore couscous. It can be used in place of rice or pasta or even on its own as a side dish.  Greta loves couscous so much that she specifically asks for it at the grocery store and she always asks for a second helping! Our favorite cous cous is Hodgson-Mills whole wheat. Last night we had a version of franks and beans with couscous.

Sausage and Chick-peas over Couscous

1 pkg. sausage  of your choice (I use low sodium)

1 can chick-peas, drained and rinsed

1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes

1/2 onion, sliced

1/2 c. water

Cut sausage into slices or chunks and brown. Add onion, chick-peas, tomatoes and water and cook until sauce thickens. Serve over prepared couscous. Recipe based on Progresso brand recipe.