Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Adapted from PW's recipe - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/spicy-lemon-garlic-shrimp/

Minimal changes - Earth Balance for butter to make it dairy free, reduced red pepper to make it more kid friendly. Kids and I loved it.

Mom's Egg Salad

14 eggs
1/4 cup mayo + more as needed
mustard to cover top
2 capfuls of white vinegar
white pepper to taste
Lawry's salt to taste
heaping half teaspoon celery seed

Handmade Noodles and Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup

Dairy-Free Handmade Noodles

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 pinch salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup original rice milk

1 tablespoon Earth Balance, softened

In stand mixer whisk together egg, milk and softened Earth Balance. Add flour and salt and mix with the paddle until well combined. Change to kneading attachment and knead for 3-4 minutes, adding flour if too sticky. Knead until smooth. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Break off small chunks of dough and roll out on a floured surface or flatten in a well floured tortilla press. Cut in to the noodle shape you want.Add to boiling broth. 

Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large red onion

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 large ribs celery, sliced

5-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in to small bite size pieces

1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

handful each frozen corn & frozen peas

10 cups of chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste

1 recipe of dairy-free homemade noodles

In a large pot heat olive oil. Cook onion, carrots and celery until softened. Add chicken and cook until cooked through. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add zucchini, corn and peas. Return to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Raise to a low boil. Drop noodles one by one in to boiling broth. Noodles are done when they float to the top of the broth.

Pumpkin Curry Coconut Soup

In a large pot on medium heat melt:
1/4 cup coconut oil

Add:
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Cook until onion is translucent then add:
2-3 tablespoons red curry paste

Cook until well combined and fragrant then add:
1 28 oz can pumpkin puree
1 14 oz can coconut milk

Rinse each can out with water and add water to pot (approx 2 cups). Stir in:
2 teaspoons low sodium chicken broth paste

Use an immersion blender to remove all chunks and then heat through over medium heat, stirring often.

Green Goddess Dressing

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

green tops of a bunch of green onions
leaves from a small sprig of rosemary
leaves from a small sprig of thyme
handful of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1 tin of anchovies
1/2 cup mayo
juice of 1 lemon
2-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Blend all ingredients in the blender until creamy and well combined. Great with a green salad with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, artichoke hearts and grated carrots.

Cilantro Lime Pesto

Cilantro Lime Pesto (all measurements are approximate)

• 2 bunches of cilantro - washed and big stems removed
• juice of 2 limes
• about 1/3 cup of walnuts
• about 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• fresh ground sea salt & fresh ground pepper
• olive oil

1. pulse together walnuts, sunflower seeds, garlic, lime juice in food processor, scraping down as needed
2. add cilantro and continue to pulse until everything is all smooshed together and well combined
3. with food processor running pour in olive oil until desired consistency
   

I have added chopped fresh tomatoes, (tofutti) cream cheese and (tofutti) sour cream and used it on pasta (YUM) and tonight I added probably equal parts mayo and pesto with juice of a lime as salad dressing. We had the pesto mixed in to steamed rice. We have also used it as dip with tortilla chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Basic dairy-free chocolate chip cookies. The big trick with using Earth Balance for cookies is never melt it, no matter what the original recipe says. I make a big batch and refrigerate/freeze the extra dough for later use. I always add a little extra vanilla to recipes. Adapted from - Best Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups Earth Balance

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2+ tablespoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

3+ cups semisweet chocolate chips

 

1.	Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2.	Sift/whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3.	In bowl of stand mixer, cream together the Earth Balance, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, eggs, and egg yolks until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Drop cookie dough one cookie scoop at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4.	Bake for 12-14 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 

Black Bean, Corn & Tomato Salad

half a bag of TJ's frozen white corn, defrosted
can of TJ's black beans, rinsed
half a large tomato chopped fine
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced and smashed with a few turns of fresh ground sea salt
a pinch of sugar
can of mild rotel
red wine vinegar
vegetable oil

Mix together corn, beans, tomato and onion. In a small bowl whisk together garlic, 2 tablespoons juice from the can of rotel, sugar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Add more rotel juice, vinegar or oil to taste. Mix dressing in to salad along with several tablespoons of rotel to taste.

Big hit for kid #2 as long as I picked out the red onion bits. #1 was a fan too. Husband had it over lettuce and didn't complain - I guess that is good.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This is probably how we should have brought our giant zucchini home!

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
5 eggs
   
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup olive oil
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini
2 cups chopped walnuts
Half a package of TJ’s semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.     Grease and flour two 9 x 6 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.     Whiskflours, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3.     Beat eggs, oils, vanilla, and sugars together in stand mixer until combined. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini, nuts and chocolate chips until well combined. Scoop batter into prepared pans.
4.     Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Coconut-Peant Thai Chicken with Rice Noodles

6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
oil to coat the pan
1 can coconut milk
3 oz water
2 T curry paste
2-4 T peanut butter
2-4 T fish sauce
1 red pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion
1/2 lb frozen french green beans
1 package of rice noodles, boiled for 2 minutes and then left to soak for 10+ minutes

brown chicken in oil
add all remaining ingredients except rice noodles and simmer, stirring often until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender
serve over cooked rice noodles
serve with Sriracha rooster sauce for the braver diners 


5 STAR rating from the whole family

Rice with Cilantro Sauce

Adapted from Epicurious (link below)

Mexican Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 large red onion, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

scant 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño 

2.5 cups long-grain white rice

4.5 cups low-salt chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeño; sauté until onion is translucent, about 9 minutes. Mix in rice; stir 2 minutes. Mix in broth and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until rice is just tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Transfer rice to bowl; cool to barely lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Top with Cilantro Sauce. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Note: served warm - very good. Might be nice to try as a room temp or chilled salad with extra fresh veggies and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. 

Cilantro-Lime Sauce
1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Juice of 2 small limes

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño 

Mix all together in a blender. 

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mexican-Rice-109800#ixzz0uvkoOILw

Late Night Protein Shake

1 cup chocolate Rice Dream
1 cup plain soymilk
3 tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
1 tablespoon unsweetened chocolate powder
2 teensie tiny scoops of TJ's stevia powder
2 big handfuls of ice

Blend until smooth. Makes for a GIGANTOR shake.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

My 7 year old and my husband are at Cub Scout evening camp tonight. Which left me at home with a heartbroken 5 year old. We measured, mixed and munched away the blues with these cookies. Modified from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-II/Detail.aspx#.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup softened Earth Balance (or your favorite dairy free margarine)

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 bag Trader Joe's semisweet chocolate chips (dairy free)

DIRECTIONS:

1.         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

2.         Beat the Earth Balance, white sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture a little at a time. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Use an awesome cookie scoop to place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3.         Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are firm, 9 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dairy Free Waffles

These waffles were made by my husband while I slept (may have made them taste even better).  He adapted the recipe from this blog. The waffles are crisp on the outside and tender and fluffy inside. So delicious with a little Earth Balance and freshly canned plum jam. 


3 1/2 cup of high fiber white flour
2 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Eggs
3 1/2 cups premium quality Soy or Almond milk
1 cup cooking oil, ideally canola oil


Whisk all ingredients together. Cook on waffle iron. This recipe made 27 waffles in our waffle maker. 

Dairy-Free Crustless Mini Quiches

Ingredients:

half a pound of bulk sausage (browned and drained) (or bacon or canadian bacon, or ham)

half a cup of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained) (or kale, red pepper, tomato, etc)

one and a half cups of frozen shredded potatoes (defrosted - 2 mins. in microwave)

quarter cup of mayonnaise and a quarter cup of water - whisked together

10 eggs 

quarter teaspoon of dry mustard

fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.

Liberally grease two sheets of mini muffin pans (48 mini muffins total). 

Whisk, together mayo/water, eggs, dry mustard, salt & pepper. Mix in sausage, spinach and potatoes. Scoop mix in to muffin tins. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean (approximately 15 minutes - check often). 

These were so good for our homeschool group's Pancake Potluck in the Park that I made more for dinner tonight!

Ingredients:

half a pound of bulk sausage (browned and drained) 

half a bag (1lb?) of frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)

one tomato, seeded and chopped fine

3-4 cups frozen shredded potatoes (defrosted - 2 mins. in microwave)

1/3 cup of mayonnaise and 1/3 cup of water - whisked together

14 eggs 

heaping half teaspoon of dry mustard

fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.

Liberally grease 10x15 baking dish. 

Press potatoes in to bottom of baking dish. Whisk, together mayo/water, eggs, dry mustard, salt & pepper. Mix in sausage, spinach, tomatoes. Pour over potatoes. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean (approximately 30 minutes).

Serving for dinner with sautéed kale and fresh cantaloupe and pineapple.

Christmas 2011 version
1 lb bacon
1 lb sausage
1 bag hash browns, defrosted overnight in fridge
16 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup water
1 t mustard powder
salt & pepper

Cheeze Sauce

Dairy-free cheeze sauce for Mac & Cheese


Modified from Gluten Free Goddess. All measurements wildly approximate.


4 tablespoons Earth Balance
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups plain soymilk (add a little at a time until proper consistancy)
2 rounded tablespoons good tasting nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more, to taste
A good dash or two of garlic powder, to taste
A good dash or two of onion powder, to taste
1/2 teaspoon mustard, or to taste
1/2 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon paprika (for orange) or turmeric (for yellow) color- may omit
1/4 cup white wine, to taste (I may omit this next time)

In a saucepan, heat the Earths Balance over medium heat until melted, and whisk in the  flour until it creates a thick paste - add more flour if necessary. Cook and stir the flour for about 30 seconds. 

Slowly add in the soymilk, whisking to blend the flour paste and soymilk.

Bring the mixture to a bubble (it will thicken as it heats) then reduce the heat to low. Add the nutritional yeast, sea salt, garlic and onion powder, mustard, vinegar, nutmeg, paprika or turmeric, wine (and sesame tahini, if using), and whisk to blend.

Continue heating and stirring the sauce over gentle heat for about five to ten minutes. Taste test. Does it need a hint more salt? Wine?

Stir and gently heat through.

Remove from heat and use on pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables or casserole fillings. Makes about three cups sauce.

Note: Try adding a tablespoon of tahini next time.


I used for macaroni & cheese - mixed with about 2/3 a pound of dried macaroni cooked until al dente. Topped with crusty sourdough bread torn to bite size pieces and drizzled with melted Earths Balance. Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 350 or until the bread is golden brown. 

Lemon Picatta

Modified from - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/03/monday-night-dinner-my-chicken-piccata/

More details to come.

Swiss Chard w/ Bacon

1 huge bunch of rainbow swiss chard
4 slices of bacon, chopped in to 1/2 inch pieces (kitchen shears over the pan work great)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced

wash chard - separate stems and leaves, chop both
in a large wok cook bacon until crisp
remove bacon and dispose of all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat
add chard stems and garlic and cook for 5 minutes
add greens and broth and cook until the chard is wilted and soft
sprinkle with sugar and vinegar, stir
serve topped with reserved bacon pieces

Try To: Smoky Chipotle Orange Dip

Smoky Chipotle Orange Dip

Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat or fat-free mayonaise
1/2 cup Smucker's sugar free Orange Marmalade
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1 to 3 tablespoons adobo sauce... or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl
Cover and refrigerate several hours to blend flavors
Serve with assorted fresh veggies or corn/tortilla chips

Potato Leek Soup

Potato Leek Soup

A big hit with everyone in my house. The boys ate it with some frozen spinach stirred in to cool it off and add a little more green. Everyone had two big bowls full.

Ingredients:
3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large leeks, whites & greens, sliced and rinsed until no grit remains
4 slices bacon, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup Tofutti cream cheese
fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

In a heavy bottom pot cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Reserve the bacon. Cook the sliced and cleaned leeks in the bacon grease until wilted and soft (approx. 20 minutes). Season with a bit of fresh ground sea salt and black pepper. In a large crockpot mix leeks, diced potatoes and chicken broth. Cook on high for 6 hours. Mix in Tofutti cream cheese and blend some of the soup with an immersion blender leaving some chunks behind. Serve topped with reserved bacon.

Notes to myself:
Next time cook more bacon and remove some of the bacon grease before cooking the leeks but have extra bacon for topping.

Dairy-Free Copycat Rubio's Fish Tacos

Dairy-Free Copycat Rubio's Fish Tacos

Less greasy, cheaper, quick and dairy-free - these are a great alternative to Rubio's Fish Tacos.

Ingredients:
Trader Joe's low-fat fish sticks
corn tortillas
finely shredded green cabbage
white sauce**

Cook fish sticks, heat tortillas, assemble.


(awful picture)

**White Sauce
1/2 cup Trader Joe's mayonnaise
1/2 cup Tofutti sour cream
juice of 1 lemon

Mix together. Serve on fish tacos, chicken tacos, etc.

Bean & Avocado Salad

Bean & Avocado Salad
1 can low sodium kidney beans, rinsed
3/4 of a small, firm avocado, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh salsa
large handful fresh cilantro, chopped
squirt fresh lemon juice
fresh ground sea salt & black pepper

Mix all together and add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste

Almond Butter Bread

Almond Butter Bread
Preheat oven to 375 F.

Ingredients:
High fiber all purpose flour – 4 cups
Baking powder – 2 tablespoons
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Sugar – 2/3 cup
Milk – 3 cups rice milk
Almond Butter – 12oz, crunchy type




Procedure:
In the bowl of the KA whisk together dry ingredients. Add the rice milk and mix on 'stir' until smooth. Add the almond butter, mix well. Pour in to 2 greased loaf pans and bake for approximately 50 minutes. Cool for 2-3 hours or more.

Notes: I swirled semi-sweet chocolate chips in to one of the loaves.


Modified from - [url]http://www.egglesscooking.com/2008/05/20/eggless-almond-butter-bread/[/url]

Dairy Free Monkey Bread

Cooling.



Consumed.

I started with my Divine Dinner Rolls recipe - I used about 3/5 for the Monkey Bread and baked up a dozen rolls as well. Dinner roll recipe below.

Dairy Free Monkey Bread

Liberally grease a bundt pan with Earth Balance or your favorite butter substitute.

Mix together in a bowl or large ziploc bag:
1 cup brown sugar
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
pinch ground allspice
a few grinds of fresh nutmeg

Cut off small chucks of your favorite dairy free roll dough and roll in to balls(2 inch or so balls)
Roll or shake dough balls in sugar mix. Arrange dough balls in bundt pan close together but not squished together. Repeat with all dough balls or until bundt pan is about half full.

Cover well and refrigerate overnight.

Remove bundt pan from oven.
In a small saucepan over med-high heat melt 1/2 cup Earth Balance with 1 cup of brown sugar. Boil for 1 minute and then pour evenly over dough balls. Place bundt pan in cold oven and turn oven on to 350. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes then invert on to a plate. Do not cut with a knife - pull pieces off monkey-style.




Divine Dairy Free Dinner Rolls



2 1/2 cups warm plain Silk soymilk
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
2 teaspoons salt
7 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
1/2 cup Earth Balance, melted

Directions:
1. Pour milk into a large mixing bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the surface. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Beat in the sugar, eggs, 1/2 cup butter, and salt; blend thoroughly. Gradually stir in the flour to make a soft dough. Cover bowl, and set in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
2. Punch down the dough, cover the bowl, and allow to rise again. Repeat this step two more times.
3. Break off 2 to 3 inch size pieces of dough, roll lightly into round shape, and place in prepared baking dish, edges touching. Repeat to make 36 dough balls. Cover and let rise until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
5. Bake rolls in preheated oven until tops turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, drizzle melted butter over the top, and serve warm.


Notes: This makes TONS of rolls. I filled my 10x15 baking dish to the brim. We will have lots of leftovers for mini Thanksgiving leftovers sandwiches. My 4 year old loved helping me make the dough balls but it is a very, very stick dough so we kept spraying our hands with cooking spray to keep from sticking to the dough. Remove the rolls from the oven when they are golden - they will continue to cook for a bit after you remove them from the oven. Carefully pull rolls apart with metal tongs. You do not need the full 1/2 cup of melted butter for the tops - maybe 1/4 at the most. These rolls were really fabulous!

Vegan Dill Dip

Vegan Dill Dip
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (Veganaise)
1 cup vegan sour cream (Tofutti Sour Cream)
1 heaping tablespoon dehydrated green onion
1 heaping tablespoon dehydrated parsley flakes
1 heaping teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning by Spice Island

Mix all together and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Great with veggies and chips.

Asparagus Pasta

Modified from my friend Chelsea's recipe. *Recipe below

Asparagus Pasta
2 lbs fresh asparagus, tough ends removed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup tofutti cream cheese
whole wheat spaghetti
grilled chicken
tomato-basil topping (recipe below)

Cut asparagus into 1" pieces, reserving tips separately. Cook asparagus stems in 5 to 6 qrt boiling water with 2 Tbsp salt until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to blender, reserving cooking water in pot.

Drizzle asparagus tips with olive oil and fresh ground salt & pepper and roast/broil until tender.

Purée asparagus stems with oil, tofutti cream cheese and 1/2 cup asparagus cooking water.

Cook pasta in boiling asparagus cooking water. Reserve 2 cup cooking water and drain pasta.

Put pasta, asparagus sauce and a little bit of reserved pasta water back in to pot and heat through. Place serving of pasta with sauce on plate and top with roasted asparagus spears, grilled chicken and a spoonful of tomato-basil topping. Yum!


Tomato Basil Topping
1 large ripe tomato, diced fine
8-10 large basil leaves, chopped fine
1 large garlic clove minced fine
extra-virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
freshly ground salt & pepper

Mix all together and let sit at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes.

Cheslea's Asparagus Pasta Original Recipe:
1 lb fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb whole wheat penne or pasta of choice
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

Cut asparagus into 1" pieces, reserving tips separately. Cook asparagus stems in 5 to 6 qrt boiling water with 2 Tbsp salt until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander, reserving cooking water in pot, and rinse under cold water. Drain asparagus well and transfer to a food processor or blender.

Cook asparagus tips in same boiling water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to colander, reserving boiling water in pot, and rinse under cold water. Drain tips well.

Purée asparagus stems with zest, oil, and 1/2 cup asparagus cooking water. Transfer sauce to a 4-qrt saucepan.

Cook pasta in boiling asparagus cooking water until it still offers considerable resistance to the tooth, around three fourths of the recommended cooking time. Reserve 2 cup cooking water and drain pasta.

Add pasta, asparagus tips, and 1/2 cup reserved water to asparagus sauce and cook over high heat, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente and sauce coats pasta. Add more cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, until sauce coats pasta but is a little loose (the cheese will thicken it slightly).

Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

Dairy Free Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 4 tablespoons white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened
* 1 cup soymilk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar (let sit for 10+ minutes before using)
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup Earth Balance, melted


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease (olive oil) a large baking sheet.
2. In KitchenAid bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and Earth Balance. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Mix until mostly combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a approx. 2" tall round and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush loaf with melted Earth Balance. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes, occasionally brushing loaf with melted Earth Balance. Cool on wire rack.





Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amazingly-Easy-Irish-Soda-Bread/Detail.aspx

Asian Coleslaw

ASIAN COLESLAW

Whisk together:
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons and 1-1/2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2-1/4 teaspoons minced garlic

Toss together:
• 2-1/2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded napa cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 carrots, julienned
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix dressing and slaw together. Would be great with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.


I ran out of rice wine vinegar so finished it off with apple cider vinegar. I skipped the green onions, napa cabbage and red cabbage and upped the green cabbage because that is what I had (half of a huge green cabbage). This recipe was such a hit with my family that I only got a very small serving!

Accidently Stir Fry Sauce

This is why I can never make a repeat dish.

big chunk of fresh ginger - rough chop
2 garlic cloves
big glug of low sodium soy sauce
butter knife full of organic low sodium chicken broth paste
maybe a 1/3 - 1/2 cup of water
a trickle of sesame oil
a sprinkle of brown sugar
the hard bottom of a jar of all natural peanut butter - maybe 1/4-1/3 cup?
some cornstarch

Blend everything but cornstarch in the blender until there are no chunks left. Add cornstarch and blend again. Add to center of hot wok - mix with stir-fried veggies, tofu and chicken. Serve with rice.

Dairy Free Brownie Bliss

Wow. Just wow. These are amazing. Very slightly modified from Brooke's Best Bombshell Brownies on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
1 cup Earth Balance, melted
3 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose whole grain flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes

1 pkg organic grape tomatoes, washed and dry
4 green onions, whites only
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and halved

450F

Spray jelly roll pan with oil (use foil for easy clean up - the tomatoes get caramelized and messy). Mix together tomatoes, garlic and onions on pan - spray with additional oil, top with fresh ground black pepper and fresh ground sea salt. Roast approx 20-25 minutes or until some tomatoes are browned and popped.

Turkey Burgers

1 package ground turkey (approx 16-20 oz)
1 egg white
1 slice whole wheat bread pulsed in the blender in to bread crumbs
2 T dried parsley flakes
big grinds of sea salt, roasted garlic salt and black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Form in to patties (this recipe made 8 flat patties for me). Cook in a non-stick skillet until internal temps reach 180 degrees.

cooked patties are 1 pt per ounce

Light Baked Potato Salad - Dairy Free

1/4 c + 2 T TJ's light mayo
1 T white vinegar
1 T prepared yellow mustard
2 t sugar
22 oz baked potato, skin on, cold, diced
1 large rib celery, diced
fresh ground sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Whisk together mayo, vinegar, mustard and sugar. Mix in potato and celery. Add salt & pepper to taste. Can eat right away but it is better chilled for 4-24 hours.

1/2 c = 1 pt

Hot & Sour Soup

Hot & Sour Soup
--1 pkg Trader Joe’s firm tofu (14 oz) cut in to cubes
--10 cups water
--3 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth paste (organic, in jar from Costco)
--10-12 large white mushrooms sliced (would be even better with fancier mushrooms)
--1 can bamboo shoots, julienned
--1 large carrot shredded
--1/2 can sliced water chestnuts
--4 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
--1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
--1.5 tablespoons sugar
--1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (and more later to taste)
--2+ tablespoons fish sauce (and more later to taste)
--1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (and more later to taste)
--3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in water
--2 cups very thinly sliced baby spinach leaves
--green onion for garnish

In crockpot, stir together all ingredients except spinach, cornstarch and green onion. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Taste and add more vinegar, fish sauce and red pepper flakes as needed. Turn up to high during last hour of cooking time. Add cornstarch mixed with water, stir, replace lid and cook on high for 30 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve with sliced green onion as a garnish.


Carl - 5 stars
William - 5 stars
KC - 4 stars
Zachary - 0 stars

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples

Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cups water
2 cups old-fashioned uncooked oatmeal
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon with apple slices, coating apples. Mix oatmeal with water and salt. Put apples in bottom of crock pot
and pour oatmeal mixture on top. Do not stir. Cover and cook overnight/6 hours on LOW.

In the morning, stir thoroughly.

3 pts per cup