Garbanzo bean salad

Yup, another salad!

Ingredients
4 cups garbanzo beans

4 medium cloves of garlic (minced)

2 medium tomatoes (diced)

1 1/2 medium cucumbers (cored, peeled & chopped)

1 red onion (chopped)

1 celery rib (cut into strips and chopped)

1/2 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 Tbs lemon juice

6 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp onion powder

Salt to taste

Directions:
Prepare ingredients as directed and stir together in a bowl! Makes quite a bit!

Kale Tacos

Thank you Food Babe!! (www.foodbabe.com)

Ingredients:
1 small white onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBLS coconut oil
1/2 head purple cabbage
1 bunch of kale
1/4 tsp sea salt

Optional Toppings:
Avocado
Feta cheese, crumbled
Tomatoes, chopped
Sprouts (we use alfalfa sprouts)
Lime wedges
Corn tortillas

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute coconut oil and onion for 2-3 mins on medium heat
Add garlic and cook another minute or so
Add salt, black pepper and cabbage and cook for 2-3 mins. It's a LOT of cabbage! But it cooks WAY down!

You may need a helper to get the kale leaves off their fat stems! :) This little kitchen gadget has been helpful too!

WE DID IT!

Add kale and cook until slightly wilted and remove from heat

Assemble tacos by putting the kale and cabbage mixture on a corn tortilla, topped with diced tomato, sliced avocado, feta cheese, sprouts and a squeeze of lime

Yes Jaden you can have 4! :)

Zucchini "Cheesecake"

Takes a LONG time to cook, but so so yum! Great way to use your summer garden zucchini! We got this from a book called I Quit Sugar. It actually tastes best when it's really been able to cool and set. So you could easily make this the night before and have an easy breakfast waiting in the AM :)

Ingredients:
2-3 Large zucchini
1 tsp salt
15 ounces ricotta
3/4 C grated Parmasean
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1/4 C chopped dill
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/3 C crumbled feta

Directions:
Grate the zucchini. You need about 2 Cups. Combine with salt and allow to sit in a colander for 15 min, then use your fingers to press out as much moisture as you can.
Combine ricotta, parmasean, green onions, garlic, dill and lemon zest. Then stir in the eggs and zucchini. Pour into a 7x11 (or double and pour into a 9x13) and bake at 350F for 1 hour!
Sprinkle with Feta Cheese and return to the oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

A place here in Houston that my husband and I have enjoyed going to is called Local Foods (http://www.houstonlocalfoods.com/) Their dishes are fresh and made with local ingredients from farmers and gardens etc.  Sometimes, you can't get out for a date, so you got to learn to make one of the salads on your own! So so so happy with how this turned out!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 C cooked quinoa
1 bunch green onions
1 red bell pepper
1 C finely diced cucumbers
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
1 C chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 C chopped mint leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 C lemon juice
1/3 C olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine and allow to sit in the fridge 1-2 hours before serving

Butternut & Parsley Pasta

Thanks to my friend Heather for sharing this recipe with our family! Love it!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, roasted then cubed
1/4 C olive oil
1 box whole wheat pasta (rigatoni, penne, etc)
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves chopped separately
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 bunch green onions chopped, greens and whites separated
1 C chicken stock
3/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 475°F. On a baking sheet, drizzle the squash with some olive oil. Roast until just tender and brown at the edges, about 17-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water.
Chop up your green onions, parsley and squash, remembering to separate the whites and greens and the leaves and stems.
 

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the parsley stems, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites; swirl for 2-3 minutes.

 Add the stock and reduce the heat to simmer. Add that cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce.

 

 

Pour over your pasta, parsley leaves, scallion greens, squash and cheese. Stir to combine.

Both filling and delicious! 

 

 On this particular occasion we served ours with steamed broccoli, and chopped strawberries, bananas and grapes.

Mint Pesto Sauce

Thanks to my friend Heather for this pesto recipe!! It was enjoyed over whole wheat tortellini with snap peas! YUM!

Ingredients:
1 C fresh mint leaves (or more)
1 C fresh basil leaves
3 TBLS sliced almonds
2 tsp grated Parmasean cheese
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 garlic clove

3 TBLS olive oil
1 TBLS lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except for the oil and lemon juice, in a food processor until well blended.  Whisk those two separately in another bowl and slowly add to the mixture.  Add a bit more olive oil if necessary to get desired consistency.  Enjoy over pasta or as a pizza sauce.

Ponzu noodle salad

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat or brown rice linguine noodles
1/2 lb snow peas cut into matchsticks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 green onions
1/2 C chopped cilantro
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional heat)

Sauce:
     Zest and juice of 1 lemon
     Zest and juice of 1 lime
     2 TBLS rice vinegar
     2 TBLS molasses
     1/3 C soy sauce
Combine and whisk until smooth

Directions:
Boil noodles according to package directions, adding the carrots and snow peas the last minute or 2 of cooking.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  Add green onions, cilantro red pepper flakes and sauce.  Mix well and serve.

Thai Peanut Salad

I'm never gonna complain of my boys requesting to have this one for dinner!  Even if we just had it recently! :) So much good stuff in there! Glad we all love it!

Ingredients:
Salad:
8 oz whole grain linguine or spaghetti noodles
4-6 C shredded spinach
2 C thinly sliced purple cabbage
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot cut into matchsticks
1/2 cucumber, halved and sliced
3 green onions, diced
1/2 C raw cashews

Dressing:
1/2 C all natural peanut butter
1/4 C lime juice
2 tsp tahini
2 TBLS rice vinegar
1/4 C soy sauce
3 TBLS honey
2 cloves garlic
1 TBLS minced ginger
1/2 C rough chopped cilantro
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Put all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Finger taste.  If too much citrus flavor, add a bit more honey for the sweet to mask the sour.

Directions:
Cook your linguine noodles according to package directions.  While noodles are boiling begin chopping all your veggies!
In a big serving bowl, toss all of your veggies, greens, peanuts, noodles and dressing together.  Sprinkle red pepper flakes on your own serving if you'd like to add some heat!

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 Poblano Chile, cut into matchsticks (leave this out if you don't like it spicy)
2 Red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled, cut and cubed
1 onion, halved and slivered
1 C frozen corn
3 TBLS coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
2 C salsa (we like Herdez and use the whole jar)
2 big handfuls of spinach
9-12 Corn tortillas
2 C shredded cheese (we used 1/2 Cheddar 1/2 Monteray Jack)
sour cream
green onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.  Place poblano chile, peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn on a cookie sheet. (Hadn't added the corn from the freezer when I took the pic...still so pretty :) )

Drizzle on the oil, sprinkle with cumin and garlic (salt and pepper if desired) and mix around with your hands until coated.  Roast veggies 30-40 min, stirring every 10, until veggies are tender.  Remove from oven and lower temp to 350!

In a small bowl stir together the salsa and optional cilantro. Spread a small amount of the salsa on the bottom of a 9X13 pan to prevent tortillas from sticking. Tear up 4 tortillas and layer over the salsa.  Top with 1/3 of the veggies, a handful of chopped spinach and 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat layer.  Salsa, tortillas, vegetables, spinach, and cheese.  1 more layer (omitting the spinach) doing tortillas, salsa, vegetables, cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.Remove foil and bake another 10 until heated through and cheese is melted!

Serve portions topped with sour cream and sliced green onions and more salsa 😋

Bok Choy Stir Fry

Ingredients:
3 C brown rice, cooked
1 TBLS olive oil
4 eggs
1 onion
1 large carrot, chopped
1/2 large red pepper, chopped
1/2 Bunch of bok choy, whites and greens chopped separately
1 C frozen peas
3 green onions, chopped
soy sauce

Directions:
Heat oil in Wok.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, then add the red pepper and white part of the bok choy.  Saute for 2 minutes, then add the green leafy bok choy.  Add the rice, peas, and green onions.
Scramble the eggs in another pan and add to the mix when they are done.  Saute until all heated through and the bok choy is slightly wilted.  Serve with soy sauce.

Black Bean Enchiladas

I had NO idea there was such things as canned re-fried BLACK beans!  YAY for no LARD! :) LOVE these enchiladas.  And the homemade sauce is to die for!

Ingredients:
2 TBLS olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (14.25 oz) can refried black beans
1 C frozen corn
4 oz cream cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 C chopped cilantro
1 4 oz can green chilies
1/2 C tomato salsa
1/2 C tomato sauce
1/2 C chicken stock or vegetable broth
2 TBLS lime
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp dried oregano
whole wheat tortillas
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
TOP WITH
chopped avocado
chopped tomato
sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Heat oil, cook onion and pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add the refried black beans, corn, and cream cheese.  Stir well then season with cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
Place cilantro, green chilies, salsa, tomato sauce, stock or broth, lime juice, garlic, and oregano in a food processor.  Blend until smooth (about 10 pluses)
Spread about 1/3 of this mixture in your 9X13 baking dish
Plop some of the bean mixture down the center of a tortilla, sprinkle with a little cheese.  Roll up, and arrange in prepared baking dish, seam side down.
Pour remaining cilantro salsa mixture over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly, 20-30 minutes.
Garnish with avocados, tomatoes and sour cream.

Vegetable Curry

This was delicious!  Got the recipe from my friend Heidi.  We've made it before as stated, total vegetable curry.  But the second time we made it we added about a pound of already cooked shrimp to it.  Winner dinner all around!

Ingredients:
1/4 C olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TBLS fresh grated ginger
1 TBLS minced garlic
2 tsp curry powder
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 C cauliflower florets, chopped
2 C (1 large) yam peeled and cubed
1 C fresh or frozen green beans snapped into 1 inch pieces
1 C chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1 C plain yogurt
2 TBLS whole wheat flour
Cooked brown rice

Directions:
Heat oil in a wok, or large skillet.  Add cumin, garlic, ginger and curry powder.  Stir, then add garbanzo beans, cauliflower, yam, green beans, chicken stock.  Cover and cook until veggies are tender (about 10 minutes) When the veggies are done this is when you would throw in your cooked shrimp if you are adding that.
In a small bowl stir together the yogurt and flour.  Add to the veggies and cook until heated through.
Serve over brown rice.

Lima Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen lima beans
1 C water
29 oz chicken broth (two 14 1/2 ounce cans or measure out your own stock)
1 TBLS olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3/4 C green onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 C frozen corn

Directions:
Place frozen beans in a pot of water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions, bell pepper, and celery. Saute 4 minutes, or until onions are soft.  Add green onions, thyme, tomatoes, and corn.  Drain the lima beans and add them along with the chicken broth.  Cover and allow to simmer to mix flavors for maybe 20 minutes, or until you are too hungry you can't wait any longer!:)

Wild Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 TBLS olive oil

1 C chopped onion

1/2 C chopped, peeled carrots

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1 TBLS curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 clove garlic, pressed

3 C butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cubed

1 C wild rice

1 C brown rice

1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored, diced

1 cinnamon stick

3 3/4 C water

2 tsp salt

1/2 C dried cranberries (You can get dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice at Whole Foods)

Directions:

Heat oil in a pot on the stove.  Add onion and carrots.  Saute 5 minutes.  Add ginger, curry, cumin, and garlic.  Stir 1 minute.  Stir in squash and next 4 ingredients.  Add the water and salt.  

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in cranberries, cover and let stand until cranberries soften, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

New Tradition for sure! This was AMAZING! Leftovers weren't quite as awesome...for some reason the wild rice got crunchy.  This was my first time cooking with wild rice though, so maybe this is normal? Still, the flavor was incredible! Love this new find!

Veggie Sandwich

Okay, so I'm not going to lie...I don't have a salad EVERY day!  Once in a blue moon I'll have leftovers (if there's not enough for another meal for the whole family :)  And sometimes I'll even have a sandwhich!  Just pile on the veggies baby! 

Ingredients:

This is what's pictured.  Obviously, like the salad, the possibilities are limitless...

2 slices of Whole wheat seed bread

spread with hummus, mustard, or both!

tomatoes, sliced

cucumbers, sliced

red peppers, sliced

mushrooms, sliced

avocado, sliced

spinach

Now that's a sandwich!

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:
4 c Tomatoes, peeled
12 leaves fresh basil (or 3-4 tsp dried)
4 c tomatoe juice
1 c whipping cream (or whole milk)
1/4 c butter
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste  

Directions:
Puree peeled tomatoes and basil.  Pour into a pot on the stove and bring puree mix and tomatoe juice to a simmer (10 min), Reduce heat and add whipping cream (or milk), butter, pepper, and lemon juice.  Salt if you desire, but it doesn't really need it.

Breakfast Tacos

For Christmas my brother and his wife got us a tortilla press, and we are in LOVE!  Never knew how good corn tortillas could be.  I mean, I already loved them, but these homemade ones are in another realm all together!  Something that is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner are these corn tacos with eggs!  Basically whatever you would put on an omelet will be great for these tacos!  If you make the pineapple avocado salsa for the salmon one night, the leftovers are great on this as well! :)  Here's what we did for these ones.

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas (Masa and water)

Scrambled eggs

Cheese

Red peppers

Mushrooms

Spinach

and topped with the pineapple avocado salsa

Directions:

Scramble your eggs, then start layering up your taco.  Easy, yum and done!

"What's in the fridge" Salad

I have found again and again, that the more choices the kids have, the happier they seem to be.  This dinner, is a hit every time, because essentially, they make it themselves!  We give "topping options." But ultimately they are the ones who put it all in their bowl!  And they LOVE it! (We do have some rules though.  They aren't allowed to just have rice, beans and cheese.  They must add at least 2 veggies) :) There is no right way to make this meal.  We just start them off with some rice and let them go at it!  By no means do you have to have ALL of these toppings out at once.  These are all just here as ideas of things we have used and liked.  Get creative!

Ingredients:
Cooked Brown Rice
Red beans
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Shredded cheese (any flavor, your FAVORITE!)
Chopped spinach
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Sliced green onions
Diced Cucumbers
Diced Peppers
Diced Celery

Directions:
Start your bowl with a big spoon full of brown rice, then top with whatever you want!  So fresh, so easy and so yummy!

Avocado Soup with Corn

This soup was a new fun find from my friend Ali!  I'm so glad we were able to find something new and fun to do when avocados were 3 for $1! Only wish that happened more often!  Thanks for the great recipe Ali!


Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Jalapeno chile, seeded
4 large avocados, halved and peeled
zest of 1 lime
juice of 3 limes
3/4 C cilantro
3 C chicken broth
2 C frozen corn

Directions:
Put everything but the chicken broth and corn into a food processor or blender.  Blend until just combined.  With the machine on, slowly pour in the chicken broth until smooth. (If the soup is more thick than you want it, slowly add in up to 1 C water- we didn't have to do this when we made it.  Ours seemed good as is)
In a small skillet on the stove, toast the corn kernals over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned.  Stir corn kernals into the soup and serve!  You can also top with more fresh cilantro if desired.

Zoo-sketti Bake

Thanks for the idea Raegan!  This turned out great!


Ingredients:
1 LARGE zucchini (enough to dice up about 4+Cups)
1 jar KROGER Garlic & Herb Spaghetti Sauce (Read the label!  Hunt's has now added sugar to their list of ingredinets! :(
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Dice up your zucchini.  Layer about 2 C on the bottom of a 9X13 pan.  Pour half the sauce over.  Sprinkle half the cheese over.  Repeat layers.  Bake in the oven at 375 for 45-60 min.  Enough time to get the squash soft and the meal, hot and bubbly!