Creamy Italian Dressing

Modified from - http://www.antihousewife.com/2012/01/the-og-ish-italian-salad-dressing/

• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp garlic powder use less next time - maybe 1/2-2/3 tablespoon
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder use a little less next time - maybe 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp celery salt didn't have celery salt - used just a smidgen of celery seed instead
• 2 eggs, beaten
• The juice of one small lemon (between 1 to 2 tbsp) omitted
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar subbed with about 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 and 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil oops, I just noticed this was 1 AND 3/4 cups - I used 1 cup
• 1/2 cup water omitted

Put all ingredients except oil and vinegar in Vitamix - mix until well combined. VERY slowly drizzle in olive oil. Once emulsified drizzle in vinegar. Next time use the correct amount of oil!

Bean, Barley & Beef Soup

BBB Soup

Good thing it tastes better than it looks!

2 packages of Trader Joe's bean & barley soup mix (just beans and, uh, barley - no spices or ickies)
1 lb of ground beef
1 large red onion
6 carrots
2 celery hearts
Better Than Bullion Low Sodium Organic beef broth paste
TJ's 21 Season Salute
sea salt, fresh ground black pepper

Put beans in big pot. Cover with 3x as much water. Bring to a low boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off and let sit while you go pick up your car from the shop, make dinner, and get the kid ready for bed.
Before going to bed drain the beans, put in the crockpot on low. Cook on low about 12 hours or overnight.
In a big pot cook the beef and vegetables until beef is browned, salt & pepper the beef.
Add beans (not the cooking liquid) to the pot. Cover with fresh water.
Add a lump of beef broth paste. Add 21 season salute to taste.
Simmer until vegetables are cooked through.

Bean and Sausage Soup

olive oil
1/4 red onion, chopped fne
4 green onions, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped fine
inside of celery - about 1/2 cup chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 beef kielbasa (even better if you get it on super sale for 99 cents!)
large can tomatoes, chopped with juice
60~ oz beef broth (more or less as needed)
2 cans low sodium black beans
1 can white kidney beans
3/4 a bag of frozen white corn
big handful of baby spinach, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped

Z - ate some
W - ate a full bowl, and some seconds
C - loved it, ate two giant bowls
K - loved it, ate two giant bowls

Kale-Bean Salad

I started with this recipe: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/06/17/weekend-glow-kale-salad/

My salad had:
sprouted bean trio cooked
kale chopped small
roasted red peppers
sunflower seeds
chopped carrot
cucumber
tahini-lemon dressing

And started with this dressing:

Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing

Adapted from Tahini-Lemon Dressing.
Yield: Just under 1 cup of dressing
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons) (I ran out of lemon juice so used part apple cider vinegar)
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast 
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 tbsp water, or as needed 
• mayo to taste to mellow out the flavor a bit

Lahmahjoon (Armenian-style Pizza)

brown:
1 pkg lean ground turkey (we tried to find ground lamb but our local ethnic butcher was out of it)

chop and add to turkey and cook a bit:
2 small red onions, finely chopped

Add to food processor:
2 cloves garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
To taste: cumin, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, tumeric, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

add turkey & onions to food processor and process (in batches if necessary) until it is a goopy paste

Spread turkey paste on to:
Flatbread (we bought lavash from the ethnic market but might try thicker round flat bread or Naan from TJ's next time)

Bake in 350+ oven until edges are crisp. Serve with salad on top or on the side.

Salad:

chop in uniform pieces:
green leaf lettuce
tomato
cucumber
fresh mint, basil and parsley

dressing:
1 part lemon juice
2 parts olive oil
smashed garlic clove
salt & pepper
sugar to taste

Mojo Chicken

• 10 cloves garlic
• 6 green onions
• 1.5 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup  lime juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 cup grapeseed (or your favorite high smoke point) oil

Whiz all ingredients together in a blender. Pour over chicken (fabulous on super cheap chicken leg/thigh quarters) and marinate for 4+ hours. On a hot grill sear over direct heat for 3 minutes per side and then grill at a lower temp/indirect heat until 170 degrees (about 1 hour). Let rest for 10+ minutes. Super fabulously juicy and delicious. Great on corn tortillas with Bobby Flay's Jicima Slaw. Yum!

This marinade made enough to cover big 10 chicken quarters divided into 3 gallon size bags.

Cowboy Beans

1 package ground turkey

whites of green onions chopped - about 1/3 cup
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
4 cans of beans - different colors and types, drained & rinsed
1/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup brown sugar (could use less - maybe 1/3 cup)
1 cup bbq sauce (could use less - maybe 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 375
Brown turkey
Add green onions and cook for a couple of minutes
Add everything else and stir well.

Taste.

If it is good put it in a baking dish.

If it needs more of something - add it.
Plop in to baking dish.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Kids loved it. Super yummy but a little on the sweet side.