Poor Man's Soup

I love this soup. It doesn't look like much but it's so flavorful and filling. Total comfort food in the winter!

1 c lentils
1 c split peas
1 c brown rice
(or any combo of the above to equal 3 cups)
4 quarts water
1/2 c dried veggie soup mix (I buy mine in bulk from a local store but you could substitute Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix or other types of dry soup mix. Just be sure to adjust for the amount of salt to taste in the recipe.)
2 tbsp dried onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

If you are really poor you can lower the 3 cups of grains to just 2 cups. Rinse grains. Boil water in large pot adding all of the remaining ingredients. Simmer on the stove for about 2 hours. Serve with bread and butter.

Honey Baked Lentils and Rice

I know this doesn't look like much but oh. my. goodness. this is SO good. I've tried many lentil and rice recipes and this one is hands down our favorite. My husband and kids don't even like lentils and won't eat them any other way but they love this. I adapted the recipe from Becca's recipe called Honey Baked Lentils. I wanted to make ours a little more substantial since we eat it as a main dish so I added rice and changed up the measurements a bit. It works great as a healthy side dish as well. I prefer it cooked on low for half the day in the crock-pot. You can bake it in the oven but it just didn't come out cooked as even because of the rice added.

Here's my take on it:

1 c lentils
1 c brown rice
4 1/2 c water
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried minced onion (fresh onion floats to the top)
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 minced clove of garlic)
1 tsp salt (or more if needed)
pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in the crock-pot and cook on low from about noon till dinner. This stuff is addicting. The flavor is SO good!

If baking in the oven: 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Fried Rice

This is so easy to make and pretty darn healthy. I use brown rice which makes it even better for you. I can see why this is a staple in so many other countries. It's also a great way to use up leftovers.

4 cups leftover refrigerated rice
1 diced onion
oil (olive oil or coconut oil)
2 eggs
2-4 tbsp soy sauce to taste
1 tsp paprika
salt
pepper
garlic (1 minced clove or a dash of powder)
leftover veggies (peas, corn, chopped spinach, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, etc.)

Saute the cold rice, onion, and veggies in oil. Add soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic. Push rice mixture to the side and crack eggs into the skillet, blending them as they cook. Serve.

Notes-
In the pictures I used spinach and green beans. This was not a big hit with the kids. They liked it better the next time I made it with carrots and corn. Use whatever sounds good to you. My husband and I really like this new dish.

Chow Mein

I wanted to attempt to make a Panda Express Chow Mein Noodles copycat and although I didn't have all the right ingredients on hand, this turned out so good. My husband was loving it and begged for all the leftovers. My kids loved it and I loved it. Yum. Here's what I came up with.
(Oh, and the pictures are from a few different times that I've made it until I had perfected it.)


1 package soba noodles (these are found in the Asian cooking isle)
1 can mung bean sprouts or 1 1/2 cups fresh mung sprouts
1 cup fresh snow peas
2 cups chopped cabbage (either Napa Cabbage or Bok Choy)
1/2 a diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves

(optional to add sliced mushrooms, diced bell pepper, etc.)

salt, pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp soy sauce (we prefer 2 tbsp)
olive oil

Directions: Saute all the veggies and beans in the oil. Cook the soba noodles in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Once noodles are done cooking, drain and add to the sauteing veggies. Add seasonings and soy sauce. (Don't add too much salt because the soy sauce will be salty.) Pour more olive oil over the sauteing noodles and veggies. Saute the noodles with the veggies for a few minutes and serve.

Notes:
Not very healthy when it comes to the noodles since I'm yet to find whole grain soba noodles. But with the olive oil, organic high quality soy sauce, and all the veggies, this is pretty good for you! Of course, I haven't been able to find all of these ingredients organic so this is one of those "not eating the way we should be meals" that happens from time to time. You could easily substitute coconut oil for the olive oil which I plan to do next time, making this an even healthier dish. This is going to be one of our new vegetarian meals because it was such a big hit.

I've been making fried rice too and I'll share that recipe soon.


Anyone know where to get whole grain soba noodles or a healthier alternative? I'd love to know!

Homemade Potato Salad

I made this up and it's soooooooooooooooo good. I think someone was asking for a recipe earlier this summer so I apologize for it being past the summer season but it's also a great dish for football season! =0) I wanted to create a potato salad that tasted like my Great-Aunt June's like I remember as a small child and watching her make it in the kitchen of her enormous house with an elevator. I think I successfully mastered it!

8 peeled and cubed yukon gold potatoes
8 hard boiled eggs
1/2 a diced onion
3 diced celery stalks
2 diced whole kosher dill pickles
2 cans sliced olives
1 cup mayo plus more till moist
heavy squirt of mustard (about 3 tbsp)
a douse of the pickle juice (secret ingredient!)
salt and pepper to taste (about 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)

Boil the potatoes just till tender. Yukons are the easiest to digest but they also are a very buttery potato (making them a great choice for potato salad) so they can fall apart easily if cooked too long. Drain and run cold water over them till cooled completely. Refridgerate till chilled through. Peel and chop hard boiled eggs (be sure they are chilled ahead of time as well). Mix all the ingredients together.

Some ideas for using Kale

Here's a good post about some ways to use Kale as a pesto. Check it out.

Gourmet Veggie Wrap

My good friend (who needs to start a cooking blog) made me lunch one day this summer and it was so good! She's a health nut like me and she always finds and makes the most amazing food! This recipe was from a magazine (one that I'd like to start getting a subscription to EatingWell) and one day I tried to make a copy-cat version using what I had on hand. Here is my take on it but below you can link to the original recipe. Now I love using the bean/avocado spread for just about any sandwich or wrap.

1 can or 1 1/2 cups cooked white northern beans
1 avocado mashed
1/4 tsp taco seasoning
dash of salt
dash of pepper
sprinkle of garlic powder
pinch of dried minced onion
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp poppyseed dressing
2 tbsp italian dressing

Mash the beans and avocado together. Spread the bean/avocado mixture on the tortilla/wrap. Mix the remaining ingredients together. Make it into a wrap using any of the following...

tomatoes, spinach, red bell pepper, olives optional.....
whole wheat tortilla or other wrap

This is SO GOOD!


link to original recipe

Vegetarian Rice and Bean Burritos

I try to keep cooked beans and brown rice in the fridge all week so that I can make many things with them. They are both healthy food items that are filling and versatile. One of my favorite ways to eat them is wrapped up. Here they are wrapped as a burrito with no meat....just the beans and rice seasoned with garlic and salt and topped with sour cream, salsa and avocado. YUM!

Sprouting

I've wanted to try sprouting for several years now ever since I learned of the incredible nutritional value in sprouts. I can tell you that when I'm eating them, I have a huge amount of energy. It's really amazing. So, I researched and researched some more. Then I got brave and decided to try my hand at it. So far my favorite is lentils. I'm eager to try mung beans and broccoli seeds.

My method:
I use wide mouth mason jars and a sprouting screen but you can use cheese cloth if you want to. These pictures were taken before I switched over to the screen. The sprouting screen just makes it so easy to rinse them.

Put about 1/4 cup of beans/legumes or about 1 tbsp seeds of your choice in the mason jar, rinse and then fill about halfway with water and soak over night. In the morning drain the water and rinse.

For the next couple of days rinse several times a day, at least 2 times but preferable more often than that. I tend to rinse mine every time I come into the kitchen and think of it so about 7-10 times a day. The less often the more chance of them tasting bitter.

After you see sprouts that are your desired length then you can rinse them one last time and put the lid on them and store them in the fridge. When you are ready to use them you can steam them first if you want to (advised to do so for beans and legumes even when serving cold on salad). They will keep in the fridge for about 1 week.

I like my sprouts to be at least a 1/4 of an inch long if not longer but the desired length is up to your own preference.

Sprouts can go on about anything. You can puree them to make a spread (recommended for chick peas that you are turning into hummus dip), you can cook them and use them like you would in your established recipes, put them on sandwiches, or you can serve them cold with dressing or even on a salad. I love sprouted lentils on my green salads.

Tips:
Research is coming out that alfalfa isn't the safest seed to sprout due to the canavanine in them. I have not studied this at length but have read this a few places. If you like small sprouted seeds for sandwiches, I would suggest looking for broccoli seeds to sprout. Seeds for sprouting can be found in health food stores.

I also suggest purchasing a book about sprouting if you are wanting to learn more. I'm sure your library has some books on this as well. I like this one.

I would also suggest purchasing a sprouting screen for your mason jar. It's an inexpensive and super useful tool for sprouting. This one would do perfect.

I know a few of you have tried sprouting and I'd be interested to know your favorite sprouts to grow at home. Please share in the comments!

Sweet Potato Fries

My kids and husband WILL eat sweet potatoes this way and no other way....I love them like this too.

Peel and slice sweet potatoes. Steam till crisp tender. Toss with olive oil, garlic, and salt. Put under broiler till browned. Serve with fry sauce.

Fry Sauce:
mayo and ketchup mixed together.

Salad Bar Wrap

When my salad bar gets low and there isn't much left, I dump it all in a skillet and grill it......throw in some spinach and then lay it on a tortilla with some cheese if you want, sprinkle with some garlic and salt and you've got yourself a salad bar wrap.

Some items that might be in my salad bar leftovers:
diced red, yellow, and orange bell pepper
diced radish
sliced olives
chopped tomatoes
chopped avocado
diced onion
sauteed in olive oil
hand full of spinach

pictured with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper

Garlic Adzuki Beans

My mom introduced me to this new bean. They are so good even though I know they don't look like much in the pot. They are a reddish bean with a white stripe on them but when you cook them they turn this dark purple. They are really good for you and if you want to read a snippet more about them you can here.

I like to soak them overnight and then cook 1 cup in about 3 cups of water for about 45 min. to 1 hour. Then I mix in some butter and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder (but you could use one whole minced garlic clove or more if you like garlic!). They are so good with garlic.

This Japanese and Chinese bean may be hard to find in a regular grocery store. Look in Asian markets, health food stores, or mail order.

Healthy Quesadillas

Chop up fresh spinach and sliced avocados to add to your quesadillas.

You can also try adding:
a sprinkle of ground flax seed
a sprinkle of wheat germ
chopped cooked broccoli
chopped cooked cauliflower
chopped sauteed kale
chopped fresh onion
sliced fresh leeks
a few beans
a little corn
some cooked lentils
some sauteed sliced cabbage
or some rinsed sauerkraut

Potato Leek Soup

I wanted to make yet another healthy soup and since leeks are super good for you and my kids love potatoes I thought I'd make up my own version of potato leek soup in hopes that they would like it with leeks.

6 yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
2 leeks washed and sliced (white part and light green only)
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1 box chicken broth
2 c water
1/2 c milk
2 handfuls of grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste (at least 2 tsp of salt)

I made this in the crock-pot by first cooking the potatoes and leeks in the water till tender. You can also use the same method just in a pot on the stove. Once the potatoes and leeks are very tender, scoop them and the water into your blender or food processor and puree them. Pour them back into your pot or crock-pot and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well when adding the cheese so that it doesn't stick in clumps. You can also toss the grated cheese in a few tbsp of flour to coat it and it won't clump when you add it to the soup. Simmer on the stove for about 45 min. or cook on low in crock-pot for a few hours.

Top with croutons or chopped herbs.

My kids absolutely loved this despite my worries.

White Bean Chili

1/2 pound of dry white beans (great northern or navy work well)
1 pound ground turkey cooked (or ground beef or omit it for vegetarian)
2 medium onions diced
1 bell pepper diced (red, yellow, or orange)
1 clove of minced garlic
1 packet of chili seasoning (or your own chili spices)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1-2 cans diced tomatoes (depending on how much you like tomatoes)
1-2 cans water
salt and pepper

Soak beans overnight in water. Drain water and put beans in slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Cook on low all day till beans are tender.

Serve with grated cheese, sliced avocados, minced fresh onion.

Variations-
-add other types of beans as well
-serve over baked potatoes

Tip-
soaking dry beans overnight does two things- 1. it softens the beans to speed up cooking time, 2. it helps release the content of the beans that causes, well, you know, the music you get the next day from that magical fruit.

Beets

Beets are good. Red beets stain. But beets are good. =0)

High in iron, beets are worth cooking. Wash them, cut off the ends, and then steam them with the skins on till fork tender. Once cool enough to handle, skins peel off with ease..in fact, they practically fall off. Serve them hot with butter and salt or let them cool and slice them for salads.

Instead of steaming them, cook them in your crock-pot on low for 4-6 hours or until fork tender.

(the beets pictured are red beets and white beets fresh from my dad's garden)

Butternut Squash

Tis the season for squash! I know some of you are cringing as were my husband and kids when I told them I was cooking squash. But after preparing this smooth and mild butternut squash drenched drizzled in a butter maple syrup glaze that I made, they were all pleasantly surprised and ate it.

How do you cook it?
Well, there are a couple of ways you can cook it......
1. Roast it in the oven: Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, place it face down on a cookie sheet and bake @ 350 degrees until fork tender.
2. Steam it: Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, steam it on the stove in a pot with water and a steaming basket till fork tender.
3. My new way: Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, place it face up in crock-pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until fork tender.

When it's done top with butter and brown sugar....or a mixture of 2 tbsp of butter melted with about 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup and a tbsp or so of brown or white sugar.

This also makes great pureed baby food and you can also sneak it into things like mac and cheese!

Lentil Split Pea Stew

I love this kind of soup. My mom makes soups like this all the time and I grew up eating this kind of soup. I created this out of items I needed to use in my fridge but you could substitute several of the items if you'd like to. It was so filling and thick.

1 c lentils
1 c split peas
4 c water
1 box chicken broth
1 chopped leak (or 1 tbsp minced dry onion or 1/4 chopped fresh onion)
2 c chopped kale (stem cut out)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 c pasta
dash of garlic powder

Mix together everything except the pasta in a large pot. Bring to a bowl and simmer for about 45 min. Add pasta for the last 10 min. OR combine everything except the pasta in crock pot and cook on low from 9am till dinner or on high from noon till dinner. Add pasta for the last hour of cooking.

Serve with bread and butter.

Starting a soup 101:
If you are wanting to make soups and need a basic way to start, you can make most veggie soups or Italian based soups by starting with 1 box of chicken broth/stock, 4 cups water, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt (and more to taste), and 1/4 chopped onion. From there you can get creative. You can always add a 1/2-1 cup of pasta or rice to give your soup some stability....I always add something like pasta because I know it's something my kids will like in it. =0)

Veggie Pancakes

I'm trying to use up the bounty of my parent's garden while they are out of town for a month. My mom used to make these....here's my version:

4 cups shredded veggies (squash, zucchini, beats, carrots, etc.)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 large egg whites (or whole eggs if desired)

Spray skillet with olive oil. Mix ingredients together. Scoop onto skillet and flatten like a pancake. You can make these large or small. Flip when browned on one side. Be sure to cook through because of the egg.

Serve with sour cream basil recipe (I found from Eggs on Sunday) :
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c chopped fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried basil)
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives (can omit)
1/2 tsp salt or less to taste
dash of pepper


Served warm and fresh these are amazingly good! Of course there is no way my kids will eat them or my husband for that matter. But I served them to friend and she and I slowly enjoyed devouring them. They can be served for lunch with a salad if made large enough OR you can make small appetizer ones as a nice little luncheon side dish.

I had so much squash and beets to use up that I made about 4 batches of these and froze them for some easy healthy lunch options for myself. But I have to admit they are much better hot off the griddle like regular pancakes!

Baked Potato in the Crock-pot

So a long the same lines, I decided to do my baked potatoes in the crock too....with homeschooling and my busy schedule, it's easier to have things slow cook in the crock-pot all day instead of rushing home and heating up the oven and

trying to hurry dinner along while everyone is "starving"!

Wash your potatoes, wrap in foil and place in your crock-pot in the morning and turn on low. Now all you have to do is set up Baked Potato Bar....shredded cheese, sliced green onions, chopped chives, sour cream, ranch and quickly steam some broccoli and you're good to go.......ya know, you could probably wrap some broccoli in some foil and stick in there too and it would have all been done!