Roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts and cranberries

brussels sprouts, halved (or quartered if huge)
butternut squash, cubed
cranberries, rinsed
coconut oil, melted
sea salt & fresh cracked pepper

Loosely fill a jelly roll pan with the sprouts, squash and cranberries about 2 parts sprouts, 2 parts squash and 1 part cranberries. Drizzle with melted coconut oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 30 minutes or until your liking. The tart of the cranberries goes great with the sweet of the squash. Excellent with pork loin chops.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Prosciutto and Almonds

a little less than a pound of baby spinach
2 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
balsamic
3 sliced prosciutto, diced
sliced almonds

cook proscuitto until crispy, remove from pan
add olive oil and garlic
add spinach in batches, stirring to lightly wilt and make more room for more spinach
drizzle with balsamic and sea salt/fresh ground pepper to taste
serve sprinkled with prosciutto and almonds


A big hit with kids and adults in our house.

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!

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

Vegan Zebra Enchiladas

Vegan Zebra Enchiladas
olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
heart of celery, including leaves, chopped
6 oz mushrooms, chopped
3 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 package soy chorizo
12 corn tortillas
tofu sour cream (recipe below)
Trader Joe's enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350

Spray a 9x11 baking pan with oil.

Using a small amount of olive oil cook onion, celery, red pepper and mushrooms over med-high heat until the onion is translucent, add the chopped zucchini and remove soy chorizo from casing and crumble in to pan. Heat through.

Microwave the corn tortillas for 1 minute (wrap in paper towels with a wet paper towel placed on top).

Scoop about 1/2 cup of filling in to each tortilla and pack in to prepared pan. Top each enchilada with a large scoop of tofu sour cream and then drizzle enchilada sauce over the top (looks like a zebra!).

Cook at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly hot.






Tofu Sour Cream
8 oz silken tofu
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon maple syrup
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Vegetable Tortilla Soup

bunch of green onions, chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
4 medium zucchini, sliced
celery heart, including leaves, chopped
1 cup frozen white corn kernels
1 cup chopped frozen spinach
1 cup salsa
2 cans kidney beans, drained
15 oz can tomato sauce
salt & pepper
6 corn tortillas, chopped

Put all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with sliced avocado & hot sauce on top.

Kale & Broccoli

At the store today Zachary found some super wrinkly organic kale that he wanted to try. So we made this nutrient rich side dish to accompany a big pasta feast for dinner.

1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and chopped
2-3 cups of broccoli florets, broken in to bite size pieces
olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
sea salt
large pinch of red pepper flakes
good quality balsamic vinegar

in a large pan heat a good slosh of olive oil, add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for a few seconds. Add broccoli and cook for 1-2 minutes, shaking/stirring occasionally. Add kale and stir. Add 1/4 cup water and cover for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and cook until everything is cooked through but still bright green. Give a good slosh of balsamic vinegar before serving. YUM.

Asian Noodle Salad

This recipe is adapted from Pioneer Woman who adapted it from Jamie Oliver. However it ended up here, I am so glad it did! YUM!

1 package whole wheat fettuccine noodles , cooked, rinsed, and cooled

3/4 head sliced Napa cabbage, sliced thin
1/3 head sliced purple cabbage, sliced thin
1 bag baby spinach, sliced thin
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (if available)
1 16oz bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)
4 sliced scallions
1 large English cucumber, partly peeled and sliced thin
LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch


DRESSING:

Juice of 2 lime
3/4 cup olive oil
3 cup sesame oil
3/4 cup light soy sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/3 cup fresh ginger, chopped
6 cloves chopped garlic

Mix veggies together in a large bowl.
Cook noodles - when they are done throw in the bean sprouts and stir around. Drain bean sprouts and noodles together.
Put dressing ingredients in blender and whirl until smooth.
Add noodles to veggies (I used about 2/3 of the noodle/bean sprout mix - saved the rest for another meal). Mix all together. Supply breath mints after the meal.

Note: Before mixing dressing and noodles/veggies I removed about 1/3 of the veggie/noodle mix and reserved for lunches tomorrow with reserved dressing.
I topped the salad with sliced cooked chicken breast to make a complete meal. Would be excellent with cubed tofu too.

Husband loved, DS2 loved, DS1 was not in love with it but ate it.

Dairy Free Coleslaw

This recipe was a huge hit. My husband kept gushing about it, kids asked for seconds and my 5 year old even licked up the extra dressing on his plate! ewww!

1 large head green cabbage, minced
1/4 small head red cabbage, minced
1 large carrot, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2/3 cup mayonnaise (scant 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup soymilk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice (to make soy "buttermilk")
1.5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix cabbage, carrot & red onion together in a large bowl. Mix together the remaining ingredients and add to cabbage mix. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta


2 garlic cloves
2 lb tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon sugar
fresh ground sea salt and black pepper
1 lb dried whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
fresh finely grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife.

Core and coarsely chop two thirds of tomatoes. Halve remaining tomatoes crosswise, then rub cut sides of tomatoes against large holes of a box grater set in a large bowl, reserving pulp and discarding skin. Toss pulp with chopped tomatoes, garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and pepper. Let stand until ready to use, at least 10 minutes.

While tomatoes stand, cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain in a colander and immediately add to tomato mixture, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with basil, cheese and olive oil.


Note: Adapted from Epicurious. We loved this. We actually ate ALL of it in one meal. The kids had 3rd and 4th helpings

Chicken and Veggie Pasta Salad

Chicken and Veggie Pasta Salad

1 lb cooked whole wheat spaghetti, rinsed
half a roasted chicken, removed from bones and chopped (or 2 large chicken breasts)
6 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and then cut into thin wedges
1 English cucumber, half peeled and sliced thin
1.5 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
Italian dressing (I used Good Seasons prepared with red wine vinegar)
cheese (used a shredded Italian blend, next time I will try mini mozzarella balls)

marinate cucumbers and tomatoes in Italian dressing 4-5 hours
before serving add all other ingredients to cucumbers and tomatoes and toss

Serves a crowd

Creamed Corn

I needed dairy free creamed corn for a recipe tonight so I modified this recipe from WholeFoods.com

Creamed Corn

Enjoy this homemade version of creamed corn as a side dish or use instead of canned creamed corn in your favorite recipes. Recipe can easily be doubled or halved, as needed.
Serves 2

* 1 TB butter (used Earth's Balance)
* 1 TB unbleached flour
* 3/4 cup whole milk (used soymilk)
* 2 tsp evaporated cane juice sugar (used regular sugar)
* 11/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
* 1/8 tsp sea salt, or to taste (forgot the salt, oops)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk and then the sugar. Whisk constantly over medium heat until steaming and thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the corn and salt. Continue to cook, stirring often for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until corn is piping hot.
Makes equivalent to one 15-oz can creamed corn.

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Fresh Broccoli Salad

3-4 head of broccoli - washed and chopped/broken in to bite size pieces - I also peel and chop the stems
1/4-1/2 cup crumbled bacon (sometimes I cheat and use the already cooked real bacon bits in a bag from Costco - I just microwave them for a minute to get them crispy)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/3-1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons vinegar

mix mayo, sugar and vinegar together - toss with all other ingredients. Can serve immediately or chill and serve up to 48 hours later (gets softer with time).

We have been eating a lot of this salad this summer. It is yum!

Mushroom Stroganoff

12 large white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
cooking spray
vegetable broth
beef broth base (paste)
3/4 cup milk (1)
2 T cornstarch (1)
6 T lowfat sour cream (2)
3+ T worcestershire sauce

Cook onions, mushrooms and garlic over med-high heat in a large saucepan sprayed with cooking spray. Add a little vegetable broth to keep veggies from sticking. Cook until soft. Mix together cornstarch and 3 tablespoons milk - add to pan, add approx 1/2 cup milk. Cook until bubbly and thickened. Add more milk as desired. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and worcestershire to taste.

4 points for the entire pan (made 2 LARGE servings over whole wheat pasta)

Spicy Arbiatta Sauce

This is our new favorite pasta sauce - easy, healthy and REALLY good.

6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
28 oz of pureed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
(optional - parsley)

chop garlic
heat olive oil in large pan
add garlic and red pepper - saute for 1 minute
add tomatoes
cook for 15 minutes

serve over pasta w/ fresh grated romano or parmesan cheese We like it over whole wheat pasta and I now use it in almost all of my recipes calling for tomato/pasta sauce. I have used chopped/whole tomatoes before and just throw them in the blender first. Also good with sausage or meatballs added.

Alfredo Veggie Lasagna

Alfredo Veggie Lasagna
I made this HUGE lasagna when my non-tomato eating MIL was in town - it made for MANY servings/meals and some to freeze!


2 large carrots peeled and sliced thin
1 onion chopped
5-6 med. zucchini sliced thin
2 10oz package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
2 big cloves of garlic, minced
vegetable stock
olive oil

1 lb cooked lasagna noodles
2 jars classico alfredo
4 cups shredded mozzerella cheese
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
32 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes


1. cook noodles
2. in a small amount olive oil sweat the onions and carrots, once they begin to soften add garlic. Add zucchini and spinach. Add vegetable stock as needed. Cook until veggies are tender crisp.
3. mix together eggs, ricotta, parsley
4. put a bit of sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish (I think my big one is 10 x 14). Layer 1/4 of pasta, veggies, sauce, ricotta mix, cheeses and repeat. (when I used up what I could pour out of the jar of sauce I swished some milk to get it all out and make sure my lasagna wasn't dry).
5. cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour or until hot and bubbly throughout. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This is a very rich dish so a little goes a long way!

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

1 tbsp olive oil
1 minced shallot
1 cup carrot, cubed
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato
5 zucchini, sliced thick
1 cup diced red/green/yellow pepper (used frozen pre-sliced)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14 oz can chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 can light coconut milk


1. heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med heat. Add shallot, carrot and cover. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic and chile. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. place carrot mixture in a slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on high 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach and coconut milk and stir until spinach wilts.

Veggie Egg Foo Young

Veggie Egg Foo Young

10 eggs, beaten

6 spears of asparagus
3 green onions
1 med carrot
1 med zucchini
1.5-2 c spinach
4 large mushrooms
12 oz bean sprouts

Sauce:
1.5 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce (or to taste)
1 16oz can chicken broth or vegetable broth
ground pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water


Slice/chop all veggies thin. Heat skillet. Lightly coat skillet with vegetable oil. Cook all veggies (except bean sprouts) until bearly tender (sprinkle with water as needed to steam). Place veggies in a cool bowl, toss with bean sprouts. Add eggs and a healthy splash of soy sauce, mix to combine.

Heat skillet, oil and cook egg/veggie mix 1/2 cup at a time - flip like pancakes until golden and eggs are set. Remove to plate to keep warm and finish with remaining batter (I made 9 big pancakes).

Sauce: Heat chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar and pepper until boiling. Mix cornstarch and cold water in small bowl. Add to boiling sauce - mix until smooth and cook for 5-10 minutes at a low simmer or until thick and the cornstarch taste is gone.

Serve sauce over Egg Foo Young. Served with brown rice.

note: I use low sodium soy sauce so the amt of soy sauce might need to be adjusted if using regular.

Sweet Tokyo Turnips with Greens

3 tokyo turnips with greens
olive oil
butter or butter substitute
chicken broth
salt & pepper
1 TB sugar

chop turnips in to bite size pieces
rinse greens, chop in to bite size pieces
heat olive oil in pan - a couple of turns of the pan
add butter, melt
add turnips and saute until golden
add chicken broth to cover, sugar, salt, pepper and greens
cook until turnip and greens are tender and broth has reduced


next time: dh and kids loved the turnips but weren't fans of the greens - might be good with carrots and turnips, no greens

Brown Sugar Carrots (on the grill)

baby carrots sliced in half - approx 20oz
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons of butter cut in to small pats

wrap together in two layers of heavy duty foil. Grill on high (indirect heat) for 20 minutes. YUM