Spicy Chickpea Potato Stew

So yummy! And I love the spiciness of it.

Ingredients:

2 15-oz. cans chickpeas
2 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp turmeric
12 oz tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 lb yellow potatoes, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1 small cucumber, sliced
chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Place 3/4 cup of chickpeas and 3/4 cup water in a blender and process until smooth, set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno, and saute until the onion is lightly browned on the edges. Add cumin and turmeric and stir to distribute evenly.
3. Transfer to a stockpot or crockpot, add tomatoes and chickpea puree, bring to a boil.
4. Add potatoes and remaining water, simmer covered until potatoes are nearly done.
5. Add the remaining chickpeas. Simmer covered until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Garnish with cucumber slices and cilantro, and enjoy!

Delicious Veggie Soup

Up to your ears in zucchini? Try this soup! If you're a meat-eater, chicken would be a good addition. This recipe was modified from a recipe found on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
• 3 cubes vegetable bouillon
• 5 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 yellow potatoes, cubed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, julienned
• 8 1/2 cups water

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine zucchini, yellow squash, onion, green beans, corn, hominy, chickpeas, bouillon, tomato sauce, garlic powder, potatoes, jalapenos, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until flavors are well blended, about 1 hour.

Honey-Ginger Glazed Tilapia

So, Bryan and I have been trying to change our eating habits and loose weight - stuff like that.  I am proud to say that between the 2 of us we have lost a total weight of 24 lbs!!!  Go us!  Anyways, we have been trying to eat healthy and we found this recipe from my cousins food blog ( http://cabbagepatchcait.wordpress.com/ ) which had a link to www.ourbestbites.com. 

Seriously enjoy becasue it was SO YUMMY that I will be making it again.  (Mom and Dad we are making this for you when you come :)  )

Marinade:
3 T honey
3 T light soy sauce
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger root (I used ground)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients.  Marinate the 2-6 tilapia for 20 minutes - 1 hour. 
Broil for 4-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork. 

If you follow the link there is a recipe for a Creamy Dipping Sauce, we didn't do this, but I am sure it is yummy too. 

We had this with brown rice and steamed broccoli.  Yummy!

Black Bean Taco Filling

I've been looking for a yummy taco filling for a LONG time...found one! And it's easy, which is even better. :) Also, I think it would be a good chip dip, and it's about a million times better than refried beans.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and smashed

2 Tbsp yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 cup salsa

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, pepper, and garlic, cook until tender. Stir in mashed beans, then add the cornmeal. Stir in the spices and salsa. Cover and cook 5 minutes. See, easy peasy!

Scalloped Coconut Curry Potatoes

These are super delicious! Taunalee and I made up the recipe in a fit of creativity last night, and it turned out really good!

You'll need:

10 small-mediumish yukon gold potatoes

1 medium onion

1-2 cups fresh spinach leaves

2 parts salt: 1 part yellow curry powder, to taste

1 can coconut milk

¼ cup soy milk

1/3 cup flour

unsweetened coconut flakes

Slice the potatoes and mince the onion. Grease a 9x13 pan and layer half the potatoes, half the onion, and half the spinach leaves. Sprinkle half the flour and half the seasonings on top. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, spinach leaves, flour, and seasonings. Pour the milk over top of the entire dish, and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for an hour. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.

Taunalee says they're so creamy you can't even tell there's no dairy in them.

Harvest Vegetable Stew

Love this hearty vegetable stew! So good. You can even make it in a dutch oven!

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

3 medium onions, chopped (3 cups)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

1 19-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, 4-6 minutes. Add squash, bell pepper, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and chickpeas, return to a simmer. Cover and simmer until squash is tender but not mushy, 8-10 minutes.

Season stew with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Cabbage Cheese Soup/ Broccolli

 

We have cabbage coming out of our ears!  Cabbage the size of Bryan's head!  ha ha.  They are from his Mom's garden and we have been going cabbage crazy.  We have made lots of Japanese Salad and this soup!

So this recipe was my Grandma Clarks.  It is sooo yummy.  When it was so cold last week I made this and homemade bread... yummy.   I am going to type in cooking order, because that is what is easiest for me.  :)

In large stockpot, melt 4 T butter then add:
1 lb coleslaw or 1 lb dice cabbage
2 C minced onion

Let saute and then add:
2-3 C diced potatoes
2 C sliced carrots
12 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tsp salt

Add enough water* to cover and cook until veggies are cooked through.  In separate saucepan add:
1 stick butter
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
2 C milk

After roux is thick, add to veggie mix in stockpot and add:
1 qt. half and half

When ready to serve stir in 2 C grated cheddar cheese.  Let cheese melt, but do not boil once cheese is added.

Sooo yummy!
*if you want to substitute water for chicken broth do it!  Be careful with the bouillon cubes though, you don't want it too salty.
* you can easily switch out cabbage for broccoli and it just as yummy
*Bryan suggests using an emulsion blender to blend up the cabbage chunks so it has a better texture, but I like it chunky - so your call on that one.

Chicken and Dumplings

This was a HUGE hit with my family!  We scarfed it up and there was enough leftovers that I just might chicken pot pies with it!

2 chicken breasts
1 T butter
1 can cream o' chicken
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp parsley
salt/pepper
1/2 onion, diced
2 C mixed veggies
Chicken broth/stock
1 package biscuit dough

1. Place all ingredients, except biscuits in crockpot and fill with enough chicken broth to cover.
2. Place on high in crockpot 5-6 hours.  3 hours before serving drop torn biscuit dough in cooker.

I doubled this to feed my family, I might have even tripled it.  I used 6 breasts.  Before I put the dough in I shredded all my chicken with some forks

Enjoy!

Creamy Bow Tie Alfredo

This is so stinkin' good!!  (For those of you not allergic to dairy!)  We scarfed a double batch with just our family and we made it for our family while camping a couple weeks ago and they scarfed it too! 

The recipe was taken from a kids cookbook that we got from the library.  Enjoy!

1 box/bag bow tie noodles
3/4 C heavy cream
3 T butter
1/2 C grated Parmesan (we used store bought)
1/2 C frozen peas
nutmeg (optional)
salt/pepper

Start by cooking your pasta.  Toss with olive oil when done. 
Over medium heat, combine cream, parmesan cheese, butter, and seasonings.  Stir often until cheese and butter are melted. 
Reduce heat to med. low and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 minutes. 

Combine pasta and sauce and stir in cooked peas.  Top with more Parmesan!  So Good!!  Freezes well.  (That is what we did for camping)  We doubled the recipe and didn't have any leftovers! So a single recipe probably serves 2-3 adults.

Ranch Cheesburgers

This recipe is SUPER easy and soooo yummy. 

1 1/2 lbs ground hamburger (the recipe only calls for 1 lb, but I have a bigger family)
1 ranch dressing packet
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

That's it!  Just mix all together and form patties and season with salt and pepper while cooking.
Enjoy!

Pineapple Quinoa Stirfry

About time I posted again! Here's a new favorite of mine from the awesome cookbook (Veganomicon) I got for Christmas. Enjoy!

1 cup quinoa
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup cold water
1/4 tsp soy sauce
4 oz raw, unsalted cashews
3 Tbsp peanut oil
2 green onions, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot red chile (I used 2 jalapenos), sliced into thin rounds
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen green peas or cooked edamame (I used peas)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin shreds
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
10 oz fresh pineapple, cut into bite-size chunks (about 2 cups)
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp vegetable broth

Prepare the quinoa first: Combine the quinoa, juice, water, and 1/4 tsp soy sauce in medium-size pot. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook 12-14 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa appears plump and translucent. Uncover, fluff, and let cool. (It's best to do this the night before and cool it in the refrigerator.)

Place the cashews in a dry wok over low heat, stirring until lightly toasted, about 4-5 minutes. Remove cashews and set aside.

Raise the heat to medium and add the peanut oil, green onions, and garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the chile pepper and ginger. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes, until the pepper is softened and the peas are bright green. Add the basil and mint, stir-fry for another minute, then add the pineapple, quinoa, and cashews.

Combine the soy sauce and vegetable broth; pour over quinoa mixture and stir well. Stir-fry for 10-14 minutes more, and enjoy!

Perfect Pulled Pork

I made this for all the family that was hear for my son's blessing. We had about 18 people here and there was lots of leftovers. I was told that it was the "best pulled pork ever". You decide :)
5 - 7 lb pork butt shoulder
3 tsp. paprika
4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
2 C water
buns

Combine all seasonings and then rub evenly over roast and drizzle with olive oil to get them to stick good. Rub it into all sides.
Place meat in roasting pan in 500 degree oven until meat is browned, I didn't time it . . . maybe 25 minutes. (sorry)
Pour water in bottom of crock pot and place meat inside. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. At least one hour before serving, shred pork and let it sit until ready to serve.

We served BBQ sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Favorite Chili

I have been looking for a good vegetarian chili recipe FOREVER because it’s my favorite soup…and I finally found one! Enjoy.

2 cups dried kidney beans
6 cups water
1-2 tsp allspice
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground aniseed
1-2 tsp coriander
½ onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt to taste
½ cup soy yogurt (or sour cream)
¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Thoroughly pick through and wash the beans, then place them, along with the water, in a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker. Add the allspice, cinnamon, oregano, cumin, aniseed, and coriander. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the beans are tender.

Add the diced onion, garlic, tomatoes, cocoa, and chili powder to the beans and continue cooking on low for 2 more hours.

About a half hour before serving, add the bell pepper and corn to the beans.

Season with salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of soy yogurt and a sprinkling of green onion and cilantro. Eat up!

Red Lentil Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk

I love this soup--so yummy!

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 cup red lentils
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp red curry paste
½ cup cilantro, chopped

In medium saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring often, until onions start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, lentils, carrots, coconut milk, 1 tsp salt, and bay leaf. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, curry, and cilantro. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add to soup.

Remove bay leaf, salt to taste, and serve and enjoy!

Peanut-Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is delicious! It's especially yummy if you eat it in a bread bowl. :)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups unsalted peanuts
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
4 ribs celery
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp thyme
6 cups vegetable broth
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (4-6 cups)
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in stock pot over medium heat. When hot, add cumin and peanuts; saute until peanuts begin to brown and cumin is fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high, and add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and seasonings. Cook until vegetables are soft.

Add broth and squash, cooking covered until squash is very soft.

Puree mixture in blender, and return to the pot. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Rice and Beans

I have been meaning to post this recipe forever! Finally a minute to do it. :) For my family's info, this is the recipe I was eating at the family reunion that everyone tried and liked. Probably my most frequently requested recipe! Ok here it is:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (I like one yellow and one orange)
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
2-3 tsp safflower oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup mung beans
1 1/3 cups pearled barley
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sliced roasted red pepper
2 Tbsp white vinegar
hot sauce or salsa
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne, half the oil, and half the salt in a large bowl. Toss to coat the sweet potatoes. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on the baking sheet, and bake 20-25 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the beans, barley, water, and remaining salt. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook 40-45 minutes, or until the rice and beans are tender. Stir in red pepper, vinegar, oregano, and pepper. Stir in the sweet potatoes, and serve immediately. Serve with hot sauce or salsa.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I really liked this soup! Initially, I thought the blending part sounded nasty, but having tried it before and after just to make sure, I assure you it's better if you put it through the blender. ;)

1 head of broccoli
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
3 large leeks, white part only, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 sprig rosemary, leaves only
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp pepper
2 c vegetable broth
2 c soy milk
1 c cooked navy beans
½ tsp salt

Remove the stalk of the broccoli. Peel the stalk, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Cut the broccoli tops into florets, and set aside. Warm the sunflower oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the broccoli stalks, leeks, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes, until the leeks soften and the spices become fragrant.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and cook 10 minutes, until the broccoli stalks are fork tender. Add the reserved broccoli florets, and cover, cooking 10 minutes more, until they are soft but still bright green. Add the soy milk, beans, and salt. Use an immersion blender to puree directly in the pot, or transfer to a blender in batches to blend. Serve immediately.

Yay Successful Experimenting!

Those of you that know me know that I am a recipe-using cook. I hardly ever experiment, because it hardly ever works out for me. Well, my luck is changing!


The other night I was hungry and didn't have a lot of time, so I opened up a can of black beans, sauteed some garlic in olive oil, added the beans and some onion powder and cayenne pepper and heated it through. Then I added some spinach and cooked it until the spinach was perfect. Voila! It was really yummy, especially in a whole wheat pita. Ok, I'm feeling braver...


So I experimented with my buckwheat banana pancake recipe (next post down) by using whole wheat flour instead of white flour, which was way yummier! And I experimented with different toppings. Remember how I said applesauce was the best? Well, I lied. Cinnamon and honey are definitely the best topping! Hands down. Yummy, yummy, yummy. :) Try it! Feeling braver still...


I was cleaning my fridge out last night, and again didn't have a lot of time to cook dinner. So I cut up a cucumber, some tomatoes, and a bell pepper and tossed them altogether with a little bit of French vinaigrette dressing. So yummy! I cooked up some bulgur to go with it, and it was delicious.


Hey, this cooking stuff is kinda fun!

Egyptian Edamame Stew

This recipe was super easy and oh my goodness so delicious! It comes highly recommended. :)

3 cups edamame-I used the frozen variety still in their shells. It takes a little more prep time, but shelling edamame is therapeutic for me. :)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large zucchini, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped (or mint)
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften-about 3 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, covered, until the onions are starting to brown-about 3 more minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant-about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro (or mint) and lemon juice.

I'm not kidding-this recipe is 5 stars!!! Next time, though, I think I might try a little more cayenne and mint instead of cilantro.

Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken

I have FINALLY started feeling good enough to actually cook again! Yeah! For the last 2 months all I really make is quick stuff for the kids like pancakes, grilled cheese, soup, frozen chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, etc. So crap essentially. ha ha.

Last night we celebrated my husband's birthday and I wanted to actually MAKE a good meal so I roasted a whole chicken with mashed potatoes. Sooo yummy. This is the second best way to make chicken, the first being in the dutch oven of course. :)

So after thawing out my whole chicken, I cleaned out the stuff out of the inside and patted it dry. I put it in a casserole dish lined with tin foil and cooking spray. I then chopped up these:

4 lemons
2 onions
4 T butter
I put half of them inside the little birdie and the other half around the pan. I then put a couple pats of butter in between the skin and meat. I then sprinkled liberally with kosher salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Then finally I drizzled it with olive oil.I put it in a 375 degree oven, uncovered for about an hour and a half. I had my internal thermometer set at 170, so when it went off I took it out and made sure it was done and then my wonderful husband cut it up. I totally forget to take a final picture so I hope this does.I LOVE roasted chicken I had thank you's all around, ever one went to bed so stuffed. Especially after we topped it off with birthday cake! Being pregnant is fun when I don't feel like crap all the time.

PS. I love sharing recipes with my sisters and the rest of you should too. I command it. The end. :)