Black bean Chick Pea salad

Salad: (4 servings)

• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ red onion, chopped
• Carton cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ cup fresh mint, chopped

Mix all together in a large bowl.

Make dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• feta cheese, crumbled

Pour over salad to marinate in fridge for a few hours before serving.

• 
  
• **We like to add over arugula greens… 

Zucchini Boats

3 large zucchini, halved

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded gruyere

1 cup shredded mozzarella

2 jalapenos, finely chopped

1 garlic clove diced.

1 jalapeno  diced.

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

2 Sausages crumbled.  ( I used "The Flower Shop sausages by Shaller & Weber : excellent choice) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut zucchini in half and scoop out the seeds.

Cook sausage, dice up, and let cool.

Add sausage mixture to the boats... sprinkle sausage to sit into the cheese mixture, then top with Cheese.

I lined them on parchment on my baking sheet for easy clean up from the cheese...

Bake 15-20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

stuffed peppers

Ingredients

• 1 lb mini sweet peppers
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 8 ounce log goat cheese (2 small logs) 
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan (40g by weight)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 jalapeños seeded and finely chopped (1/3 cup, measured)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425F*.
• De-stem the peppers, then cut each in half. Place in a bowl with the olive oil and 1/4 tsp of salt, and toss well to coat.
• In a large bowl, stir to combine the goat cheese, parmesan, garlic, jalapeños, and black pepper.
• Fill the cut peppers with small spoonfuls of filling. 
• Roast the peppers for about 20-25 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden on the edges. 

Brusels Sprouts with Bacon

4 strips thick-cut bacon

 

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved

1/2 large onion, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, then roughly chop. In same pan with bacon fat, melt butter over high heat. Add onions and Brussels Sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss bacon back into pan. Serve immediately.

Mustard Dill sauce

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill

Instructions

Whisk together dijon mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar in a medium bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth.

In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream and dill into the mustard sauce.

Used with Poached salmon... Very good.

Broccoli Slaw

8 cups broccoli florets chopped
1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
 16 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

Creamy Dressing
1 cup mayo
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar (honey, or sweetener of choice)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Place broccoli pieces in a large bowl. Add chopped red onion, crumbled bacon, craisins, and sunflower seeds 2. In a small bowl, mix mayo, red wine vinegar, and sugar (or sweetener). Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and stir well.  3. Add creamy dressing to broccoli salad and toss gently. 

tuna pasta with lemon

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup  dried breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup  pine nuts, lightly roasted
• 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
• 2 large cans tuna, tuna in water, drained
• 1 box elbow pasta
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• half a container of baby spinach leaves
• Finely grated rind

•  1
  Combine breadcrumbs, nuts, chilli flakes and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. In another bowl, flake the tuna into large chunks.
•  2
  Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta then transfer to a large bowl.
•  3
  Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Add oil and garlic and spinach, and cook until fragrant. Add crumb mixture. Cook, stirring until golden. Add to hot pasta with parmesan, tuna, and mayo, lemon rind. Toss well to combine. Season to taste.  Toss gently. serve.

Wild Rice Stuffing with fruit

Wild Rice Stuffing with fruit

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 18 ounces pearl onions, blanched in boiling water 1 minute, peeled

• 4 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 cups wild rice (about 6 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice

• 1 6-ounce package dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dried tart cherries
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Bring 4 1/2 cups broth and 1 tablespoon thyme to boil in large saucepan. Add wild rice; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add white rice; cover and simmer until all rice is tender and liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes longer.

Stir dried apricots, dried cherries, raisins and 2 tablespoons thyme into rice mixture; cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir pearl onions and remaining 4 tablespoons butter into rice. Mix in pecans. Season generously with salt and pepper.

To bake stuffing in turkey:
Loosely fill main cavity with cool stuffing. Butter glass baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 20 minutes.

To bake all of stuffing in baking dish:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

cranberry relish

Probably the Brown Family's Cranberry Relish Recipe
From Fat free vegan

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 navel orange, scrubbed and cut into 8 pieces
2 apples, peeled and cut into 8 pieces
3/4 to 1 cup natural sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Wash the cranberries and remove any stems, bad cranberries, or inedible stuff you find. Put half of the cranberries, orange (unpeeled), and apple into the food processor and pulse to chop coarsely. Some larger pieces are okay, but nothing big enough to choke on. Pour into a bowl and process the other half of the fruit. Put it into a bowl, add the sugar to taste, and mix in the pecans. Refrigerate it for a day or two to allow the flavors to develop. Quick! If you start now, it'll be ready by Thanksgiving.

Honey Banana Sweet Potatoes

We do a Vegan Thanksgiving every year, so I'm always looking for yummy new recipes to try. The next 4 recipes are a few that have come my way to my table this year.

For this recipe, I only added and a bit of agave none of the sugar or honey... The bananas add a lot of sweetness, so it does not need much sugar.

Honey Banana Sweet Potatoes
from Indigo Jones


5 medium sweet potatoes

4 bananas

2 sticks butter
(for Vegan I used Earth balance)

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast for 30 minutes.

Add the bananas in their peels to the pan and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes until both are very soft.

Set aside to cool.

Scoop out the insides of the sweet potatoes, peel the bananas, and add them to a bowl with 1 stick of butter, and the honey, and mix until smooth and fluffy. Sprinkle with a little coarse salt.
Spoon into a greased, oven proof dish.

In a seperate bowl, mix the remaining stick of butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potatoes, and bake another 20 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!

note: The banana peels will turn black when cooked. This will not effect the taste.

BBQ SAUCE

 BBQ SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 cup molasses 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 (5.5 ounce) can tomato juice 2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring

Directions:

1.	In a blender or food processor, combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, onion, garlic powder, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, tomato juice, and liquid smoke flavoring. Puree until smooth, and transfer to a saucepan.
2.	Place saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 1 hour, or to desired thickness.

Hummus

Quick Easy & Delicious Hummus

1 can Drained chick peas
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste
about 1/4 cup of olive oil (or more to preference)
optional: A little squeeze of lemon

I put all ingredients into my mini processor, add enough olive oil to make it a nice medium consistency... I prefer the yogurt(instead of tahini) in hummus, as it makes it a bit more creamy. This is a big hit in this house...

Cut some pita into wedges, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and broil for a few minutes, watch do they don't burn...

** When buying canned commercial beans. I buy "Eden Oragnics" brand...
found in most organic food stores...
It's one of the only companies that does not line their cans with BPA cancer causing chemicals... see article, and check your brands for BPA... BUY organic & FRESH when possible.

****


Black Bean Hummus

1 clove garlic

1 (15 ounce) can black beans; drain and

reserve liquid

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

10 Greek olives

Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add black beans, 2 tablespoons reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add additional seasoning and liquid to taste. Garnish with paprika and Greek olives.

We love homemade Ketchup

Everyone asks me for my ketchup recipe, but I can't take the credit.
Here's the recipe below.
Good old Ball blue book recipe.


Tomato ketchup (Ball Blue Book of Preserving)
(yield: about 3 pints)

4 quarts chopped, peeled, cored tomatoes (about 24 large)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper (about ½ medium)
1 ½ teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 ½ cups vinegar

Combine tomatoes, onion, and pepper in a large saucepot. Cook until tomatoes are tender. Purée using a food processor or food mill. Cook purée rapidly until thick and reduced by one-half. Tie whole spices in a spice bag. Add spice bag, sugar, salt and paprika to tomato mixture. Simmer 25 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove spice bag. Ladle hot ketchup into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Marinated Cucmbers

I just picked 6 cucumbers out of my garden because I was craving these! We LOVE them. give it a try, Tell me what you think...



Marinated Cucumbers
Ingredients

6 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar ( I prefer agave)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard

Combine the cucs and onion, and in a small bowl mix all other ingredients mix well, and pour over, stir, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours... but better the next day!

Rhubarb Chutney

So Easy, and yummy. I love chutneys, and this was very easy. You could cut the sugar, but I found a bit more than 1 1/2 cups, helped cut a slightly to tangy chutney.... if you don't want so much sugar in it I would cut the cider vinegar a little. A bit to tangy for me. but it has a well rounded taste of sweet, sour and salt over all...
thinking about it now, I might (next time) add a little jalapeno and or ginger
to it for a little kick.... (hmmm? stay tuned I may make another batch!)
depends on what you like. I like it to hit every taste bud....

Rhubarb Chutney

• 3 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp salt

throw it all in a heavy pot and let it boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Sterilize some pint jars or which ever size you like, lids and bands. Pout into jars, wipe rims clean, put on lids and bands and turn up side down to cool, they will seal themselves.... makes about 2 pints.

try it first as is, then go back and try other added flavors.... for a fast easy yummy chutney, this is a good one.

Onion chuntey

I sort of made this up as I went along. It's pretty yummy.

Red Onion Chutney

I took:
6 red onions & shredded them on my mandolin.
Add:
1/2 Cup olive oil
and over med. high heat, saute them about 20 minutes, they will start to turn brown
and caramelize, so stir often.

I then added, 3/4 cup sugar
and 1/4 agave.
( I always try to cut the amount of sugar with agave, since this was the first time on this it worked for me)

1 Cup red wine vinegar
1/4 balsamic vinegar

and let it cook until it was gooey.


I sterilized two pint mason jars, and filled them up with the onion chutney sauce.

And proceeded to eat one off with our turkey dinner... ;-)

You do not have to water can the two jars. Once you pour into the jars the sauce, put on lids, tighten and turn the jars upside down and let the heat seal the lids.

I let cool and put both in the fridge. Once opened, will last THREE months in the fridge. Donna Hay also has a similiar recipe, and that is what is listed there.

EASY YUMMY HUMMUS

Chick pea Hummus

1 can organic chick peas
1/2 c Greek yogurt ( or plain.) I like the Greek kind.
2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp lemon juice if desired.
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 salt


I often will use slightly less yogurt, and add a little more olive oil...
If you have a hand blender, whip it up til creamy. you can add a little more oil if its a bit to thick.

Cut up some pita's into triangles, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little garlic powder, toss them in the oven at 300 for about 10-15 minutes til lightly brown.

There! You've got Chips and dip!

I make this a lot. If you've never had hummus, just give it a try. If you LOVE galric, like I do, add another clove of garlic.