Millet Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

1 c millet

2 c water

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 medium onion, halved & thinly sliced

2 zucchini, quartered & sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 minced garlic clove

½ tbsp fresh grated ginger

½ tbsp fresh grated turmeric

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp fresh parsley

½ c pumpkin seeds

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 sprig parsley for garnish

Directions:

In a medium pan, place millet and water with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil on high, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, heat grapeseed oil. Add onion, zucchini and pepper. Sauté on medium to medium-high heat until zucchini begins to soften, approximately 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, place olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, turmeric, thyme and parsley. Whisk to combine.

Add millet to the bowl with the whisked dressing. Mix and fold to coat the millet with dressing. Add sautéed vegetables and pumpkin seeds. Mix to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with parsley sprig for garnish. Serve at room temperature. Will keep in refrigerator for several days.

Savory Breakfast Cakes

I am interested in repurposing leftovers. It's creative and helps save money. I've made many different repurposed dishes, but decided I should start keeping track of them. I'll throw something together that turns out great and never have it again because I didn't write it down. This one I wrote down and even took pictures!

Yield: six 3 to 4" cakes
1/2 c leftover cooked steel cut oats

2 eggs                                                                                                

½ tsp garlic salt                                                                                 

½ tsp pepper

1 garlic scape or green scallion, diced

2 tbs grated parmesan, optional

2 kale leaves, deboned and diced

1/4 c arrowroot starch

In a medium bowl, stir and mash eggs and oats together.  Stir in salt, pepper, scape, parmesan and kale. Mix thoroughly. Add starch a tablespoon at a time making sure to blend well. If it isn't well blended, you will taste bits of starch in the cake. Add 1 tablespoon of grapeseed or olive oil to a skillet on medium heat. Spoon about ¼ cup cake mixture into the skillet smoothing and forming a patty. Cook approximately 3 minutes per side, until light brown. Serve plain or topped with sour cream, salsa or a sprinkle of parmesan.

Zucchini Parmesan

I love eggplant parmesan, but it doesn't love me!  I saw a recipe that encouraged me to come up with this recipe.  It turned out delicious!!

2 TBSP rice bran oil
3 cups zucchini, chopped (if using a huge zucchini, scrape the seeds and spongy center out before chopping)
1 - 2 cups spelt flour
garlic salt
cracked pepper

1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes with oregano and basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt

1-2 cups mozzarella, depending on how cheesy you want it*
1/4 cup parmesan cheese*
1 TBSP dried basil or 2 TBSP fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.  Over medium high, heat oil in a 10" oven safe skillet.  In a bag, combine the spelt flour, garlic salt and pepper.  Dredge the zucchini, shaking off the excess (I poured it in a colander and shook it so the excess flour went into a bowl).  Saute the zucchini (reducing the heat if necessary) stirring occasionally until browned on all sides, approximately ten minutes.  Drain off any excess oil.  Put the zucchini in an even layer in the original skillet (don't wash).  Meanwhile add the tomatoes, garlic and salt to a blender or food processor, pulsing a few times to combine and break down the tomatoes slightly.  Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the zucchini.  Sprinkle the mozzarella, parmesan and basil on top.  Place the skillet uncovered in the oven for approximately fifteen to twenty minutes until the cheese is slightly brown and the dish is bubbly on the edges.  Eat alone, with noodles or Italian bread.  Serves 2-4 depending on who's eating.  If it's a teenager, this may only be enough for one!! 
*To make this recipe dairy free, use almond or rice mozzarella in place of the mozzarella and parmesan.

"Creamy" Pesto Sauce

2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used Pink Himalayan)
1 pound tofu, drained (I used soft)

Combine all ingredients, except tofu, in a blender or food processor that has been fitted with the metal cutting blade; blend until smooth.  Cut tofu in chunks and process until smooth.  Serve over pasta.

Notes: I tossed my pesto with spelt spaghetti noodles. It made enough to serve over 1 1/2 pounds of pasta.  If you toss it with the pasta like I did, I would suggest tossing the pasta with olive oil first since it came out a little dry.

You can also just leave the tofu out and it will be a regular pesto sauce.  I added the tofu since I needed to use it up and I wanted some extra protein.  I couldn't taste it and my family was none the wiser!

Vegetable Rice Pilaf

I found this recipe while looking for a somewhat hearty side dish so that I would be resist the BBQ ribs that I made for the meat-eaters in our family.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 Tbsp butter
1 medium zucchini, cubed
About 6 asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 envelope Sazon Goya con azafran, optional

In a skillet (that has a lid), saute zucchini and aparagus in butter for 2 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove zucchini and asparagus and set aside.  Add oil and rice to pan and stir to coat rice.  Add broth, basil, carrot, and Sazon Goya and stir gently.  Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.  Cover with lid and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer 20 minutes or until all the liquid is gone and rice is tender.  Remove from heat and gently stir zucchini and asparagus.

Note: the Sazon Goya con azafran is just for color, you could also add a little saffron.

Other vegetables to use:
1/2 cup frozen green peas - put in 5 minutes before the end
Handful of snow peas - cook like the zucchini
1/2 cup fresh cut green beans - cook like the zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans - put in 10 minutes before the end
1/2 cup frozen corn - put in 5 minutes before the end
1/2 cup chopped onions - sauté, then leave in to cook the whole time
1 medium yellow squash, chopped - cook like the zucchini
1 cup frozen chopped spinach - put in 5 minutes before the end
1 cup fresh chopped spinach - throw in at the end
1 green onion, sliced - throw in at the end

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I had some cottage cheese that I wanted to use up and I found this recipe.  We just ate it with syrup, but I bet it would be good with a fruit compote on it.

Serves: 6

6 eggs, separated
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
2/3 cup spelt flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 dash cinnamon
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Beat together egg yolks, cottage cheese, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

In another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar.

Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.

Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto an oiled griddle or skillet over medium-low heat.  Fry until golden brown and carefully flip (batter is very delicate) and cook other side until golden brown.


We got some mixed reviews from the kids - some were expecting them to taste like regular pancakes.  They are different, but I thought they were very tasty.

Butternut Squash Sauce over Pasta

I found this recipe while looking for recipes to use up the rest of my silken tofu.  There are a few changes that I made to it (some of the changes are because my oven isn't working).

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8

1 butternut squash
1 pound silken tofu or 1-2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
5-10 fresh, large basil leaves
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable or chicken broth
Gluten-free pasta or spelt pasta
Parmesan cheese

Bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, peel and cube butternut squash.  Add squash to pot; reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until just soft; drain.

Add oil to a medium sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add butternut squash and sauté for 5 minutes stirring once.  Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; sauté for one more minute.  Remove from heat.  Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

Add squash mixture to a food processor and puree.  Add tofu or yogurt and puree, scraping sides as necessary.  Add basil leaves, salt, pepper, and broth until desired consistency is reached.

Serve sauce over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Italian Pasta Stir-Fry

Total Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

I got this recipe from The Pampered Chef and adjusted it so that it doesn't have any tomatoes.  I also used spelt pasta instead of linguine.

10 oz uncooked spelt spaghetti
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain; set aside and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile heat oil in a stir-fry pan over medium heat until hot.  Add onion, zucchini, and garlic; stir-fry 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Add parsley and seasonings. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring gently until heated through.

3. Remove pan from heat; stir in spaghetti.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pasta.  Serve immediately.

Black Bean Burgers

1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I omitted)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
4 hamburger rolls

In a food processor, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped, add the beans, cilantro, parsley, egg and pepper flakes. Pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl and mix with bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I added about 1/4-1/2 tsp of each). Form into patties and fry in a small amount of oil over medium heat approx 4 minutes per side, until cooked and brown. Top as you desire and serve on hamburger rolls. (I formed the leftovers into patties and froze them for future meals. The second time I made this recipe I used pinto beans because I had no black beans, I liked them better than the black bean burgers!)

Milkless, Eggless Cake

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Boil the above ingredients for 3 minutes. Cool. Stir in:

1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1 T warm water
2 1/4 cup twice sifted whole spelt flour, 2nd time sift with 1/2 tsp baking powder

Bake in an 8" square pan or 10" skillet in a 350 oven for 35 minutes.

Wilted Spinach Salad

Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 1

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup Craisins
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

Melt butter in a wok over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent.  Add pine nuts and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn off heat and immediately add spinach leaves, tossing constantly until slightly wilted.  Pour immediately onto plate and top with Craisins and cheese.

This is really tasty with caramelized onions.  To caramelize onion, melt butter over medium-low heat and add sliced onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until golden.  I caramelized 2 onions and froze what I didn't need.  Then when I was ready to use them, I just tossed them in a heated pan to defrost.

I made this for my mom - she has an intolerance to dairy and nuts, so I made it with olive oil, onion, spinach and Craisins and she said it was very good!

Sweet Potato Soup

I tried this soup for dinner, it was delicious!

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups squash, cubed (I used a Magda Hybrid, but any mild squash will do)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
6 cups vegetable broth
dash black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
cheddar cheese, optional

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. add approx 1 Tbsp oil to the pan. Add onions and garlic, saute for about 2 minutes. Add yams, squash, rosemary, black pepper and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for approx 40 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprigs. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend until soup is thick and smooth. Add sour cream and stir until incorporated. Serve in bowls and top with a little cheddar cheese if desired.

some of my recipes that work with my new diet...

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
Mango Smoothie
Cantaloupe Soup
Fruity Pancake Topping

Herbed Vegetable & White Bean Soup

Prep. Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large carrot (or 10 baby carrots), peeled and diced
2 zucchini, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups water
3 to 4 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 cup white rice
1 tsp fresh lemon zest

2 Tbsp dry parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped)

1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups cooked navy beans (or 1 can cannellini), drained and rinsed

Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery, carrot, and zucchini for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add water, bouillon, rice, dried seasonings (if using fresh, add at the end), and pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.  Add beans and cook for 2 minutes.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Tip: I used my food chopper and the preparation was so fast and easy!


This is the original recipe.

Banana-Nut Gluten-Free Pancakes

Last week, I mixed some different gluten-free grains and ground them in my wheat grinder, then made my pancake mix. The pancakes had a strong flavor and an aftertaste that the whole wheat pancakes don't have, so when I made pancakes again today, I added a little cinnamon and vanilla to the batter. Then, I topped the cooked pancakes with a sliced banana, toasted almonds, and maple syrup. The cinnamon and vanilla added a nice flavor to the pancakes and the bananas and almonds on top made it absolutely delicious!

P.S. I'm going to play with the grain ratio for the gluten-free flour mix, then I'll post it.

Roasted Garlic

Serves: 2

1 head of garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Dash freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice head of garlic in half horizontally, so that you slice all of the cloves in half. Place halves on a piece of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap around the whole head of garlic, about 12x12 inches. Drizzle oil on the garlic and sprinkle garlic with salt and pepper. Put halves of garlic together and bring foil around garlic so that it looks like a big Hershey's kiss. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until soft and golden. Serve as a spread on bread or in a recipe that calls for roasted garlic.

Tip: Bake at the same time you are baking something else that takes a while to cook, such as, a roast, lasagna, etc.