Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs, by Cheryl

Super easy and delicious, these chicken thighs were a big hit! The chicken was so moist and the maple dijon was very flavorful. I'll definitely be making these again. Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp rosemary, chopped
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl stir together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, and rosemary.

2) Coat the casserole dish with non stick spray. Arrange the thighs so that they are close, but not overlapping. Pour marinade on top and spread around until the thighs are completely covered.

3) Bake the chicken for 45-50 minutes. Spoon some of the liquid over the thighs, return them to the oven, the broil for about 5 minutes or until the top of the chicken is golden brown. Use a spoon to drizzle some more liquid over the thighs before you serve it.

Cornbread, by Cheryl

This is the best cornbread I've ever had and I knew as soon as I tasted it that I had to have the recipe. This recipe is from my brother in law's mother and goes well with just about anything. I've had it with chili and most recently made it with a smoked brisket for our Hanukah party. It is beyond unhealthy, but makes a nice addition to some warm comfort food. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 (30oz) can drained whole kennel corn
1 (30oz) can creamed corn
2 eggs beaten
1 cup melted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 package jiffy cornbread or muffin mix
2 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Mix all ingredients together. Bake in a greased 9x13 dish for 45 minutes.

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl, by Cheryl

I made myself cauliflower rice

This is a pinterest find (originally from here) and it was really good and satisfying! I had made this a few months ago when I was going through a bowl phase and just thought of it again and remembered that it was tasty! A couple of things: 1) The avocado makes the dish. Without the avocado mixture this dish would be very boring. 2) I'm not too sure what the glaze on the fish does... I really couldn't taste it at all. Overall, it's a solid dish. Yum!

Ingredients:

Rice:
1 cup jasmine rice
1.5 cups water
Juice from 1/2 large lime
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp chicken or vegetable stock
salt

Salmon:
1lb salmon fillet
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp minced cilantro
salt

Avocado:
1 avocado
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp minced cilantro
salt

Directions:

Rice:
1) Cook rice according to package directions.

2) Mix stock, lime juice, honey, and cilantro together in a medium pot over medium heat. Let simmer for a minute. Take off heat. Mix in rice. Season with salt. Mix. Set aside.

Salmon:
3) Preheat oven to 425. Rub salmon with some oil and place skin side down on a baking sheet.

4) Mix together all of the salmon ingredients. Rub glaze over salmon fillets. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Avocado:
5) Chop avocado and add to a small bowl. Add in all avocado ingredients and mix together.

6) Assemble rice bowls with the rice on the bottom, then the salmon, and top each bowl with the avocado.

Cranberry Brie Bites, by Cheryl

A few people posted this recipe on Facebook (one of those quick video demonstrations that make everything look easy and quick) and they looked delish so I had to make them! They were easy and yummy and a great appetizer. We ending up adding a little bit of brie on each one after they cooled since the warmed brie lost a little flavor. I would definitely make these again. Yum!

Ingredients;

1 tube crescent dough
cooking spray
flour, for the dough
8 oz Brie
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I didn't use these)
6 sprigs rosemary

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the crescent dough, and pinch seams together. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots.

2) Cut brie into small pieces and place inside crescent dough. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, some chopped pecans, and one little sprig of rosemary.

3) Bake until crescent is golden, about 15 minutes.

4) Serve warm

Italian Vegetable Soup, by Diane

I came across this recipe on Facebook and it looked really good, and it was simultaneously 20 degrees outside so I thought this would be the perfect weekend to make it! This soup was really, really good after a few seasoning changes (I'll post my version below). I also wish I used way less cabbage than listed (also posted the appropriate amount below). Definitely a good one to have on rotation this winter, and it came together REALLY fast! This would be very good with sausage, which I'll try next time!


Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 medium size carrots, thinly sliced (2 cups)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (2 cups)
4 cups low sodium beef broth
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 head green cabbage, roughly chopped (1 cup)
Shredded Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley for serving (optional)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large soup pan, brown and crumble the beef and set aside. 

 

2. Leaving the juices in the pan, add the EVOO and cook the carrots, onions, and celery until translucent. 

 

3. Add the beef back into the pan and all other ingredients except cabbage, bring to a boil. Adjust the broth level if needed (this soup works better when thicker and the cabbage will take up liquid). 

4. Bring to a simmer by lowering heat and cook uncovered for 20 min.

5. Adjust seasonings, and add cabbage. Cook until the cabbage is wilted.

Sundried Tomato Spread, by Diane

This week I made turkey burgers and I wanted some kind of sauce on them. I decided I wanted to make a pesto, and I knew I had two bags of sundried tomatoes, so I set out to create a sundried tomato pesto. The problem was that when I got home from the grocery store I forgot pine nuts and parmesan, so I thought I could just wing it. But when I tasted the "pesto" it was way too tart so I looked in the pantry for something to even it out and came across tahini. The end result is a mash up of hummus and a sundried tomato pesto which I am dubbing a "spread" because when you create your own wacky recipe and write a blog about it you need to call it something... I think this would work with other fun flavors as well!

Ingredients:

1 cup sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup smoked sundried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 handful basil leaves
1/2 cup tahini
1 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp dried parsley

Directions:

Blend in a food processor until creamy, adjust the ingredients as necessary!

Lavender Potatoes, by Diane

Before- look how pretty these are!!

After- YUM.

Recently, my parents went to Canada and brought back a container of lavender sea salt. I love any new kind of salt or spice, so I was anxious to use this one! I've already used it in my homemade mylks, with yummy results. The container said to try it on roasted potatoes or meats, and so this weekend I set out to get some potatoes. I found the most beautiful pink and purple potatoes at the farmers market, and decided to stick with the color scheme! These were so easy and really delicious! You can make your own lavender sea salt simply by buying dried lavender and mixing it in to coarse sea salt (there should be way more salt then lavender!). The coarseness of the sea salt in this blend was great because it coated the potatoes along with the garlic and made a salty crust!

Ingredients:

Potatoes (any variety, cut into small pieces and unpeeled)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1.5 tsp lavender sea salt


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Spray a baking dish with some oil or nonstick spray and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients well until coated and pour onto the baking dish. Make sure there is space between the potatoes.

4. Roast the potatoes for 20 min, then flip and continue cooking until softened.

Superfood Granola, by Diane

This was my first attempt at making granola. I saw this on the instagram of @themindfulblonde, and she posted the ingredients but not a recipe (except bake it at 400 for 20 min). I figured I was shooting for a texture and flavor, and how hard could that be? I really liked the use of all the superfood ingredients I already add to my daily smoothies or drinks. I also find that granola is typically loaded with bad fats and the first few ingredients tend to be a sweetener, which is not the case here.

This came out fairly good! I needed to make it even more of a sticky consistency than I thought, and I also thought 20 min was a little too long as some of the granola got slightly burned. I've adjusted all of the things I did below:


Ingredients:

4 cups quick oats
1/2 cup brown rice flour (she used almond flour but I had this on hand and it was more nutritious)
4 heaping tbsp of collagen powder
6 heaping tbsp of flax seeds, chia seeds, and chocolate protein powder (I use Philosophie's Cacao Magic and it is AMAZING!!)
2 heaping tbsp of cacao nibs
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup slightly melted coconut oil
1/4 cup dark maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Add all the ingredients together and mix through, making sure the wet ingredients mix completely into all of the dry ingredients.

3. Check for sweetness, chocolatey flavor, and texture. You want to be able to taste the sweet and chocolate coming through since the oats and rice powders are bland and so is milk. For texture, you want it to stick together so that when the moisture cooks out in the oven it breaks into chunks. Adjust ingredients as needed- if too dry add more coconut oil or maple syrup depending on the sweetness.

4. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray or more coconut oil. Pour the granola onto the baking sheet and spread evenly, then pat down so the granola gets compact (you want it in chunks at the end!).

5. Bake for 15-20 min (check to make sure it is golden and not burned), then break into chunks. Let cool by placing the foil onto a drying rack and store in an airtight container.

Sweet Potato, Sausage, Egg Casserole, by Cheryl

Holy moly this is good! I first made this during Passover last year since it has no yeast or bread in it and I forgot how good it was. We were having friends over the other day for brunch and I decided to make this since one of them is gluten free. I am definitely going to make this again and keep it in the fridge for the week. It's easy and healthy! Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 lb sausage (I used Italian sweet sausage)
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk, or almond milk
salt
pepper
olive oil

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Cook the red pepper and onion in a little bit of oil over medium heat for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

2) Add sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, crumbling the sausage with the spoon as it cooks. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.

3) Add sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and cover with lid. Let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.

4) In a separate bowl beat the eggs, milk, and some salt and pepper. Pour over the veggie and sausage mix and mix together.

5) Pour the mixture in a baking dish (9x13) and bake covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Easy Apple Cobber, by Cheryl

This recipe came up on my twitter feed from Cooking Light and I was intrigued. I have a ton of apples left over from Rosh Hashanah and wanted to make something sweet and easy! This was definitely easy, but I'm not sure how this would be a healthy recipe with all of the sugar and flour in it! But maybe it's lighter than a regular apple cobbler would be? Who knows? All I know is that if I ever need an easy fall recipe I will be cooking this up because it was DELICIOUS!!! Top it off with some ice cream on top and you have a great tasting dessert. Yum!

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh Granny Smith apples (about 4-5 apples), peeled, cored, and sliced (I used Gala)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl and mix.

2) In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt.

3) Pour melted butter along the bottom of a 7x11 baking dish. Spread apple mixture in an even layer over the butter, then pour the flour mixture over the apples. Do not stir together.

4) Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until cobbler is brown and bubbly. I had to cook a little longer because my dish was shorter and not as shallow.

Zucchini patties, by Cheryl

First new recipe in the new house! Woohoo! Making a new recipe is always a milestone every time we move - it means the kitchen is finally unpacked fully!

So the new recipe is a very easy one since I've had two buggers on my heels for the last 6 weeks. I had a lot of zucchini to use. More than I needed. I didn't want zoodles and didn't feel like making fried zucchini circles. So I decided to use these in a recipe that's similar to my eggplant balls (except instead of boiled I shredded them). They were sooooo good! I loved them plain with a sprinkle of sea salt on them and Julia loved them dipped in some applesauce like potato latkes. Definitely making these again! Yum!

Ingredients:

2 zucchini, shredded
1 egg
breadcrumbs
salt

Directions:

1) Take the shredded zucchini and place in a colander (preferably one that has very small holes). Sprinkle salt all over to coat the zucchini. Leave in the sink or in a bowl for an hour or more to allow the water to get out of the zucchini. Squeeze the water out. Pat dry. Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Mix zucchini in a bowl with one egg. Mix in some breadcrumbs (maybe a cup?) until you are comfortable forming patties that stick together. Take about a handful and make a patty! Place on a baking sheet with some spray. Bake for a total of about 25 minutes at 350 flipping the patties halfway through.

3) Sprinkle some salt on top and eat hot!

Basic Shepherd's Pie, by Diane

Apparently when it's cold out I innately make shepherd's pie. This is the 4th iteration on the blog, and while I've created Moroccan, Kale/Chorizo/Sweet Potato/Pumpkin, and Brisket shepherd's pies I discovered today that I've never posted a classic version. And today was the perfect day for this dish because it is windy, cloudy, and in the 50's even though it's the start of Labor Day weekend. Since I chose to have a staycation this Labor Day this should last me all through the weekend- already looking forward to leftovers!


Ingredients:

2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes (you can use any but these taste the best IMO!)
1 lb. ground beef (I used grass fed as I can tell a huge taste difference!)
1 lb. ground lamb (I used free range, same thing!)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 bags frozen mixed veggies
1/2 cup red wine
4-6 tbsp worcestershire sauce (I really like the taste of this so I used more)
1 small can beef broth
1 tsp each rosemary, black pepper, sea salt, and dried parsley
Flour
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
Optional: milk
Fried onions


Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water to cover the potatoes, and cook until soft.

2. While the potatoes cook, add the meat, onion, and garlic to a large saucepan and cook until meat is brown and crumbled. Reserve the liquid in a separate bowl and place the meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Add the veggies to the pan with a little bit of the pan drippings from the meat mixture. Cook until softened, then drain and add to the meat mixture in the baking dish.

4. Add the remaining pan drippings, wine, worcestershire sauce, broth, and the 1 tsp worth of spices to the pan. Bring to a boil.

5. Make a rue with the flour by adding some flour (a few tbsp) to a small bowl and whisking in the sauce until completely smooth and liquid. Then add back into the pan, whisking until completely smooth. Bring to a simmer for another 2 minutes until gravy is thickened.

6. Pour the gravy over the meat and vegetable mixtures and stir well.

7. Preheat the oven to 350.

8. In a large bowl, make the mashed potato mixture by adding butter, salt and pepper (and milk if you want) until your desired consistency. Layer the potato mixture over the meat and veggies in the baking dish.

9. Sprinkle fried onions on top of the potato mixture in an even layer.

10. Place the baking dish onto a baking sheet to avoid overflow in the oven, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the mixture is bubbling.

Homemade Coconut Milk, by Diane

I suppose it was bound to happen that I would make this recipe at some point. Having already made my own oat milk and almond milk it was only a matter of time! I recently switched to coconut because I wanted to see if almonds were giving me headaches, and I was eating a lot of my milk in soaked oats so having oat milk seemed like overkill. I've been buying store bought coconut milk for a few weeks now, but I don't love all the added chemicals and lack of nutrients that raw coconut has, plus I know it's way cheaper to make your own milks at home! So this week I learned how to make coconut milk, and let me tell you, it's not only easy and cheaper than store bought milk but it's also WAY tastier! Coconut acts really different than grains and nuts, so there were a few variations on this recipe that differed from the other two. When I looked online, no two recipes were the same. Some had the coconut soaking for a while before using, some had varying ratios of coconut to water, etc., so I just did what made most sense to me which is below!

I keep finding new ways to customize it by adding flavors, proteins for easy smoothies or tonics, or spices to help boost the immune system. This batch here has tocos and cinnamon in it and it's delicious. I also made a matcha version that is seriously seriously good and tastes amazing on soaked oats! Of course, the plain version is also fine :)

Ingredients:

*makes ~7 cups of milk*

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
6 cups of hot water (I use our spring water that we get locally, but filtered water would work too)
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch sea salt
Optional sweetener (I don't think it needs it unless you're drinking it plain)


Directions:

1. Soak the coconut for a while. It can be 30 minutes or it can be overnight, if you're pinched for time it doesn't have to be soaked at all!

2. Heat the water- you want it to be hot but not boiling. Apparently this helps the coconut release more of the good stuff.

3. Strain the coconut and add it into the blender with the water. Make sure you use a spatula to really push the liquid out before adding it. (Some recipes say you shouldn't drain the water the coconut is soaking in, I'll try that next time!)

4. Blend on high power for about 5 minutes to allow all the nutrients to leach out of the coconut.

5. Strain the mixture, pushing with a spatula to get all the liquid out of the coconut, then add the milk back into the blender along with whatever other ingredients you are adding (if using vanilla, salt, and sweetener, add them now). Blend on high for 30 seconds (or long if you are adding powders).

6. Pour the milk into a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Shake well before using.

Egg Roll in a Bowl, by Diane

Finally, after a long hiatus I'm back to making new recipes! This recipe is a combo of what I've seen on the internet, and it was easy and really really good! Looking forward to lunches this week already...


Ingredients:

Sesame oil
1 lb ground chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 medium yellow onion, sliced in thin rings
1.5 cups matchstick carrots
1 bunch scallions, chopped (green and white parts!)
1 box sliced mushrooms (I used shitake)
1 large head green cabbage, cut into strips
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp hoisin sauce


Directions:

1. Heat a large pan on medium high and put appox. 1 tbsp of sesame oil in. Cook the chicken, crumbling with a spoon into smaller pieces, until fully cooked through and set aside in a large bowl after draining.

2. Add another 2 tbsp sesame oil into the pan, and add in the garlic, ginger, and onions. Cook until browned and fragrant. Add in the carrots, scallions, and mushrooms, and cook until softened. Add into the bowl with the chicken and set aside. If you have a big enough pan, you can add the cabbage in at this step and cook with the other ingredients. I didn't- hence step 3!

3. Add 2 tbsp more sesame oil into the pan, add the cabbage and salt, and cover. Uncover and stir until the cabbage is softened and brown. Add the cabbage to the bowl.

4. Add the soy sauce and hoisin sauce into the bowl and mix well. Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Dijon Chicken Fingers, by Diane

I came up with these last night to make as a quick and easy dinner, and they were really good! I used what I had on hand, but it came out perfectly and they were really juicy and had a great flavor.

Ingredients:

Chicken (I used about 1.5 lbs)
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup flour (I used quinoa flour that I had on hand)
1 tbsp garlic salt
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp pepper
1 egg
3 tbsp dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Slice chicken lengthwise into strips. You may need to half the chicken breasts so they aren't too thick first.

2. Create two bowls for dredging- the first containing the coconut, flour, and spices; the second containing the egg and dijon. Combine the ingredients in each bowl well.

3. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with cooking spray, and set it next to the bowls.

4. Dredge each of the strips of chicken into the mustard/egg bowl first, then the coconut bowl. Press down firmly so the coconut topping sticks well.

5. Place the coated chicken strips on the baking sheet with a some room in between each strip. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and cook another 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil, by Cheryl

We have a great farmer's market on Saturday mornings about a mile away from us. I'm really going to miss it when we leave because one stand has the BEST peaches every summer! They got me to love peaches when I was never really a fan. Anyway, there's a sausage guy there that has maybe 15 different kinds of flavored sausages. He had an old bay flavored kind that I ended up buying and per his recommendation I decided to make a sausage and shrimp boil. So this was good, not great. I found it to be very one dimensional and although I do love old bay, it just didn't do much for me as it being the only spice in the recipe. The recipe itself has great reviews, and it wasn't bad at all, but it's just not something I would make again. That being said, it was tasty and tender and reminded me of Maryland. Yum!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings) Recipe from here:

1/4 cup old bay seasoning
2 quarts water
6 ounces beer
4 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 large vidalia onion, cut in wedges
4 ears frozen corn on the cob (I used 3 large ones and cut them in half)
2 lbs shrimp (I used only 1 lb)
I added some cauliflower as well and it soaked up a lot of flavor!

Directions:

1) Bring Old Bay, water, and beer to a boil.

2) Add potatoes and onions, cook for 8 minutes.

3) Add sausage, cook for 5 minutes.

4) Add corn, cook for 7 minutes.

5) Add shrimp, cook for 4 more minutes.

6) Drain cooking liquid. Pour contents of pot into several large bowls or pails. Sprinkle with a litle Old Bay.

Banana Pudding Pies in a Jar, by Cheryl

I love love love banana pudding pie. So when searching for recipes I came across an easy peasy one that would let me make individual mason jars of them, which I gave as a sweet treat to Julia's preschool teachers (who were very thankful and happy!). I had thought about making the pudding from scratch, but honestly, ain't nobody got time for that right now. I did however, make my own whipped cream, which was delish. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 vanilla pudding packets
4 cups of milk
3 cups finely crushed Mini Nilla Wafers, plus whole ones for garnish
3 bananas, sliced
whipped cream for garnish

Directions:

1) Make pudding according to packet directions

2) Grind Nilla Wafers in a food processor.

3) Make whipped cream (recipe to follow), or use store bought

4) Layer crushed wafers, pudding, bananas, and alternate until to get to about an inch from the top of the jar. Top with whipped cream and a couple of whole wafers.

Papas Rellenas (al horno), by Diane

A shot of the inside!

I've only been home for 3 days from my epic 2-week South American vacation and I'm already craving the food. While in Peru, we took a cooking class and had time for all but one dish- papas rellenas (stuffed potatoes). We had these in with varied fillings all over both Peru and Colombia, and they were delicious! They sent us a copy of the recipes afterwards (expect more in the coming weeks!), and I decided to give these a shot this weekend.

They are pretty tough to master without having them fall apart during the stuffing or cooking stage. There are a lot of instructions in here on how to really dry the potatoes out, but having never done this before it was quite tricky to get the right moisture balance. Nevertheless, these were really good and the topping was delicious with it! I decided to bake them instead of fry them (al horno =  in the oven), because all we had was fried food in the latter part of our Colombian travels and I needed a break. The adaptation still left them crispy which was good! You can also serve this with a kind of ketchup/mayo sauce they use down there or a guacamole salsa combo (you can easily make both of these at home), or it was just good plain with the topping!


Ingredients:

5 potatoes
2 garlic cloves minced
1 red onion (1/2 diced very small, 1/2 sliced thinly into strips)
1 tomato (1/2 finely chopped, 1/2 sliced thinly into strips)
Red wine vinegar
1 lime
1⁄4 cup of dark raisins
1⁄4 cup of carrots diced small
1⁄4 cup of cooked peas
1⁄2 cup of beef cut in small pieces (I used 1 lb. ground beef)
1⁄4 boiled egg
1/8 cup of fresh roasted peanuts
8 olives
1⁄2 cup of beef broth
Salt and pepper
Cilantro or parsley chopped
Oil


Directions:

1. Try to get at least two potato varieties and boil them in separate pots, starting with cold water and adding salt to water. Once they are boiled strain the water and return the pot to the stove on low heat to remove any moisture. Let the potatoes cool down and peel them.

2. While the potatoes cook, brown the beef and set aside. 

3. Mash the potatoes with a fork mixing both varieties trying to get a consistent texture while making sure they are neither sticky nor dry. In case they are sticky use some flour to get the right consistency as you did during the class. If dry add more potato. Season the potato mix with salt and pepper (use a bit as they can taste bland). Set aside.


4. Heat a pan on medium high heat and add a couple circles of oil. Add the chopped onions and cook until light golden brown. Add garlic, chopped tomatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes on medium low heat. Then add raisins, carrots, peas, cilantro, peanuts, pepper and beef broth. Mix well
and let cook all together for 10 minutes. Let sit for an hour before using.


5. Take a hand of potato mix and shape it flattened in your palm. It should be about the size of your hand. Take a spoon and place the stuffing in the middle, adding a 1/8 of an egg and a couple of olive strips. Then shape it like an egg making sure all of the stuffing is covered with potato.

6. Preheat oven to 375. Coat the balls in egg and seasoned panko/breadcrumb mixure and place on a well oiled baking sheet. Spray the tops of each ball with oil and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway and re-spraying before baking another 10 minutes.

7. You can make the topping at any point by combining the strips of onion and tomato with salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, and lime juice to taste. It should be fairly tart. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Paprika Chicken and Rice Bake, by Cheryl

What an easy peasy meal to put together and it's delicious and healthy too! 100 Days of Real Food shared this on their facebook page from buzzfeed and it was really very tasty. It even comes with one of those fast videos that shows you the process, which made it look even more scrumptious. Especially the rice. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs since that's what I had on hand and it turned out great. I just didn't have an oven proof pot so I did steps 3-5 in a regular pot on the stove and then transferred everything to a glass baking dish. Turned out great. Next time I may add chopped carrots and celery to go in the rice. Yum!

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs (I used two bone-in chicken breast halves)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup red onion, diced (I used sweet)
1 cup long grain rice (I used brown)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) In a large bowl, season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley.

3) On high, heat olive oil in an oven proof pot and place chicken thighs skin side down, in the hot oil. Cook 5-6 minutes or until the thighs develop crispy skin, and flip over. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes. Remove from the pot.

4) Add the garlic and onions and cook for a few minutes.

5) Pour in rice and chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.

6) Add the chicken back to the pot, skin side up, on top of the rice. Bring back to a boil and cover with a lid.

7) Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies, by Diane

We found this recipe on facebook from Cleanfoodcrush and decided to make them as our dessert for family dinner night this Sunday. They sounded fantastic, and smelled really great too, but unfortunately they were so disgusting we each took one bite and threw the whole pan out. Who knows what went wrong here, but we have to post the good's and the bad's- and this one is BAD. :(


Ingredients:

1/3 cup + 1 heaping Tbsp, all natural peanut, or almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey, or pure maple syrup grade 'b'
1/2 cup unsweetened all-natural applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cacao powder
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 cup finely shredded zucchini (skin left on)
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips


Directions:

 Blend everything together and bake for 23-25 minutes at 350 in a greased 8x8 pan.

Koobideh, by Diane

A while back, I made an amazing Afghani dish on the blog called Qabuli. It was a big hit and I think about recreating it often. This week, I decided I wanted to make it again but wasn't sure how many koobideh kabobs I would need to buy. Thinking that it might get expensive, I decided to look it up and see how to make them instead. As it turns out, they are shockingly simple to make and way cheaper than getting them at the restaurant! And, they don't have any carbs of any kind in them- my favorite way to cook!

*Note: The onion step (Step 1) will literally make you cry your face off, so especially be careful when removing the lid of the food processor not to get your face too close. :)

Ingredients:


1 medium onion
6 cloves garlic
1 small head of parsley, stems removed
1 tsp each turmeric, salt and pepper
1 egg
2 lb. ground lamb


Directions:

1. Using a food processor, mince the onion down to tiny pieces. Strain out all the liquid and return to the processor.

2. Add in the garlic, parsley, spices, and egg and blend well until everything is broken down.

3. Add the lamb in chunks and then process until just mixed through.

4. Remove mixture and refridgerate for a minimum of 3 hours to overnight (I did it overnight).

5. Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet and form the mixture into 8 logs. Using a knife, cut bite-sized notches into the logs.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.

Easy Morning Fritatas, by Diane

I made these this week as a switch from my usual soaked oats and they were so great to grab and eat on the go! They are obviously customizable, but I really liked this combo! I'll definitely be making these again.


Ingredients:

1 small head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
30 grape tomatoes (I used a sweet variety here)

9 Eggs
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, toss the veggies with some olive oil and spread evenly onto the tray. Bake for 20 minutes until the broccoli starts to char and the tomatoes almost burst.

2. About 5 minutes before the veggies are done, spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. When the veggies are done, distribute them evenly into the bottom of each muffin tin. Pour the eggs in until the cups are about 3/4 of the way full.

4. Bake in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the fritatas are completely cooked through and you can remove a clean toothpick from the center.

Sore Throat/Cold Tonic, by Diane

I have had some kind of allergy/cold mix for 9 weeks now, and my throat has had it!! I created this drink as a knock off of two of my fave cold remedies, and it is SO good! Basically, you make a slurry ahead of time and store it in the fridge, and then you add hot liquid and go!



Ingredients:

1 small red apple, sliced into small bite sized pieces
3 tbsp wildflower honey (regular works too)
1 tbsp each cinnamon, turmeric, ginger

1/2 lemon, squeezed
Hot water
Optional: 1 cup gynostemma tea (good immune and mood booster!), apple cider vinegar


Directions:

Make the slurry of apple, honey, and spices. Add some water until the apples are covered and store in an airtight container in the fridge. The mixture should sit for at least a few hours to marinate, it gets better each day! When you're ready for the drink, put some of the slurry into the bottom of a mug with hot water and lemon (and the optional ingredients too if you want).

Lamb Giouvetsi, by Cheryl and Diane

We made this as our main course for the menu meal, and we thought it was just pretty good! This dish was inspired by a recent meal Cheryl and I had at a new Mediterranean restaurant, and we knew we wanted to recreate it! We found this recipe and converted the pork to lamb. It would have been greatly improved if we had tasted it before putting it into the oven, and had cooked it for less time because ours got a bit dried out (however, we were dealing with two other dishes and two small children and thus forgot to cover it with foil in the oven, so maybe that's why!!). It made the house smell delicious though!


Ingredients:

Olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 big onion
1 lb lamb (stew meat works best here, cut into bite sized pieces)
Salt and pepper
½ bottle red wine
2 bay leaves
1 clove (or one pinch ground cloves)
1 ½ oz canned chopped tomatoes
1 lb Greek pasta (orzo)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup warm chicken stock

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, add the olive oil to a pan. Add in the garlic and onion, cook for 4-5 minutes.

2. Add in the lamb, salt and pepper and sear each side about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add in 1/2 of the red wine (1/4 of the bottle), bay leaves, and cloves. Cook for 1 minute.

4. Add in the chopped tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for one hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 400 (we think 350 might have been better here). Check the mixture for taste, and adjust seasonings. The pasta will absorb a lot of flavor so make sure to add in some extra!

6. Add in the cinnamon, chicken stock, and orzo and stir well. Transfer into a baking dish and bake for another hour, covered with foil. You want the end result to be a thick tomato sauce so watch it in the oven!

Ligurian Stuffed Mussels, by Cheryl and Diane

Cheryl and I got together for our last menu meal yesterday, and this was our appetizer. It was fairly easy to make, but the recipe was horrible to follow so I'm posting a more clear version. We liked these a lot!


Ingredients:

1 lb mussels, cleaned
1/4 cup minced mortadella or hard salami
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 eggs
1 tsp each dried thyme and marjoram (we subbed oregano here)
Salt and pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup white wine
3 large peeled tomatoes, chopped 


Directions:

1. Steam the mussels with hot water in a pot until just opened.

2. While the mussels are steaming, prepare the filling by combining the mortadella, cheese, 2 garlic cloves, eggs, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for a few minutes, strain any leftover milk, and add to the filling mixture.

3. Create the sauce by simmering olive oil, parsley, and remaining garlic clove over medium heat. Add in the wine and tomatoes until softened.

4. Preheat the oven to 200.

5. Stuff the mussels with the filling, pushing the shells together, and layer in a baking dish. Pour the sauce over top and bake for 30 minutes.

Green Matcha Soaked Oats, by Diane

Given my latest obsession with green mylk, I wanted to try a new variation on my superfood soaked oats. This version is really good, and I promise you can't taste all the health benefits packed in here!


Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick oats
1/2- 1 cup green mylk (depending on how soaked you like the oats, see recipe link on blog)
2 tbsp. matcha powder (I love Sencha's matcha latte mix!)
2 tbsp. dried cranberries
1/4 tsp of cinnamon, turmeric, maca, and ginger
2 tbsp. cacao nibs
Toppings of almonds, unsweetened shredded coconut, and hemp seeds


Directions:

Mix all ingredients except toppings together and let soak from 1/2 hour-overnight. Add in toppings when you are ready to eat so they are still crunchy!

Green Mylk, by Diane

Lately, I haven't been drinking smoothies or juicing because it's been so cold, and I haven't been eating as many leafy greens. I was brainstorming a way to solve this problem when I came across an article for green mylk, and I knew this was perfect for me to try (note: I now cannot find this article...). Basically, you can use any type of milk and any greens, and you can sweeten it or keep it plain. I typically whiz up a batch and keep it in a mason jar for a few days in the fridge. If I'm feeling lazy I will use store bought milk/mylk and add greens from there. Either way, if you're using a mild green like spinach you'll barely taste this, but still get a great boost! Win!

Note: I usually use the recipe for my homemade oat milk, but lately I've been subbing the oats for coconut with awesome results! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup oats
3 cups filtered water
3 soaked dates or 2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp pink sea salt
2 cups spinach


Directions:

Blend until completely smooth and store in an airtight container.

Mexican Avocado Chocolate Mouse, by Cheryl

I don't even know what to write here. This is one of the worst things I've made. Don't make it. Not yum.

Ingredients (from here):

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chili

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

2) Taste and adjust seasonings.

3) Spoon into serving dishes and chill to set.

Banana Oat Overnight Oats, by Cheryl

I've made overnight oats before, but they didn't pack this much flavor and deliciousness as this new batch did! I'm not the biggest oatmeal fan, but I think this recipe has won me over! Creamy, healthy, and seriously yummy... I'll be making this one again! Yum!

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

1 cup almond milk
1 cup oats
1 mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped nuts
1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter
pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

1) Put everything into a mason jar and give a stir or shake. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

2) In the morning scoop out half of the jar and microwave for one minute. Enjoy!

Banana Muffins, by Cheryl

These are the best, the best I tell ya! So healthy and so good! Julia eats about 3 of them a day - she always thinks she's having dessert since I put a few chocolate chips in there. I make them about once a week and they are great for a breakfast on the go or a snack. Yum!

Ingredients (original recipe from here):

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (I've played around with this a bunch and I like .75 cup whole wheat flour and .75 cup ground oats)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 ripe bananas, mashed
a couple handfuls of spinach or kale, optional
nuts or chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pan with liners.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Make a hole in the center and drop the eggs, butter, and syrup in. Mix with a fork until it all comes together.

3) In a bowl mash the bananas together. Mix them into the other mixture. If using spinach or kale, process a couple of handfuls until they are very finely chopped. Mix in.

4) Distribute into the muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes. Makes around 14-16 muffins.

Spanish Rice, by Diane

My mom makes this dish a lot, and it's been a comfort food since I was little. When I was in Istanbul a while back I stocked up on some newer spices to try and I figured this was a good dish to try them in! It's super quick for a weeknight hit of comfort. The recipe is pretty basic and easy to modify, and I can see this going well with ground turkey or different kinds of rice/grains too. I'm posting the version you see here, with the added spices and immune boosting ingredients!


Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 spanish onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 tsp spanish paprika
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp turmeric
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce (or one 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce)
1.5 cups instant white rice
1 cup water
Goya seasoning (to taste)


Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, add the oil through beef and cook until the beef is brown and crumbled and the onions are translucent.

2. Drain the beef mixture and add in the remaining ingredients, cooking on low-medium heat until the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Almond Butter Apple Stack, by Diane

I have had a really busy schedule lately, and this snack I came up with a while back has been a great option to keep me full and energized on the go! It's pretty customizable, but I tend to use the ingredients listed below for protein and fuel (except the chocolate, that's for me!). It's really great post-workout or if I'm craving something sweet at night but don't want to eat junk. I stack it up like this and wrap it to eat it on the go one layer at a time, but if I'm home I'll just leave the rings on a plate and eat it like that (it kind of reminds me of my watermelon pizza this way!). YUM.

Ingredients:

1 large apple (I use organic granny smith)
2-4 tbsp unsalted, unsweetened almond butter
Toppings: shredded unsweetened coconut, hemp seeds, mini chocolate chips, almond slivers, sea salt

Directions:

1. Slice the apple horizontally into 5 rings, removing the cores.

2. Spread the almond butter on top, sprinkle on ingredients in this order (if you sprinkle the larger ones first the smaller ones won't stick, and then you only want a small amount of sea salt).

Healthy Asian Lettuce Wraps, by Cheryl

I originally made these during the week of Passover since they don't have any bread or yeast in them and they were delish! Fast forward almost a year and I felt like making these again, but didn't know where I had gotten the recipe. Lo and behold, halfway through cooking I realized that I was using the same recipe as I did from last year! So having eaten these twice I can say that they are a solid health option for dinner and super easy and fast to make, which is key in my life these days. Yum!

Ingredients (recipe from here):

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced (I used a medium onion)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of ginger, diced (I used ground ginger)
5 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup water chestnuts roughly chopped
Bibb lettuce
Optional toppings:
shredded carrots
roughly chopped peanuts
chopped green onion
toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the meat and cook until no longer pink. Set aside.

2) In the same pan, cook the onion, garlic, and ginger for 3-4 minutes. Add the meat and water chestnuts.

3) Stir in the hoisin sauce and soy sauce and cook everything for a few minutes.

4) Place the meat mixture in the lettuce cups and top with optional toppings.

Avocado Bean "Alfredo" Sauce, by Cheryl

Um, yum!! This is such a healthy alternative to a standard alfredo sauce that is full of cheese and cream. The white beans blend really well to provide a nice base for the sauce (as well as added protein) and the avocado adds a whole other level of creaminess to the dish. I combined two recipes when I made this and since the dish was green anyway, I blended some spinach into the mix in order to add some greens. I put in about a quarter cup of shredded quattro formaggio, but you can easily eliminate that and the taste will still be there. We had this with whole wheat gnocchi and for leftovers the next day I made it with whole wheat rotini. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can white beans
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4-1/2 cup milk (whatever you need to use to make it thinner)
1 avocado
spinach or kale
salt and pepper to taste
pasta or gnocchi

Directions:

1) Melt butter in a pan. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

2) Add the white beans, broth, avocado, and spinach to the processor. Blend until creamy. Add milk until it loosens out some.

3) Transfer to a pan to heat up slightly. Add cheese if desired and mix. Add the pasta or gnocchi to the pan and coat well. Top with shredded cheese, or not!

Paellalaya, by Diane

I was trying to come up with a mixture of rice and protein for this week's lunches and remembered how much I love paella. So I asked a friend who had learned to make it in Spain and attempted to create the recipe this weekend. Even though I followed all of the instructions, this dish came out tasting less like authentic Spanish paella and more like a fusion of paella and jambalaya- hence the title, paellalaya (it rhymes!). It was good, but I really wished it had more flavor. On the upside, it was quick and easy to make and the recipe made a TON! 

**Update** The leftovers were WAY more flavorful than the night I made this, so good I'm repeating it this week for round 2!!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cubed

2 tbsp sweet or Spanish paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper

EVOO

Sausage (any kind, I used smoked turkey sausage)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Spanish onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 pinch saffron

1 bay leaf

2 cups short grain rice

1 cup white wine

24 oz. chicken broth

1-2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Shrimp, deveined 

Directions:

1. Mix together chicken, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Let marinate for 1 hour.

2. In a large sauce pan (or paella pan if you have it!) heat EVOO over medium high heat. Cook sausage for 2 min, browning on each side, and set aside. 

3. Add the chicken to the pan, cook through and remove. 

4. Add in garlic and onion, brown for a few minutes. 

5. Add in tomatoes, parsley, saffron, and bay leaf and stir to combine.

6. Add in rice, stirring to coat. Add in wine to deglaze the pan, then add chicken broth. Let simmer without stirring over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

7. Add in peas and shrimp, stir to combine. Season to your liking.