WIld Rice and Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole

I've never been a big casserole lover. I think that may be because most casseroles I've come across in my day are loaded with cream type soups and unhealthy fillers. This is one of those casseroles that came about quite by accident, a what do I have in the pantry and fridge that I can throw together sort of thing. Some days creativity completely eludes me. I'm o.k. with that.

This ended up being one of the most delicious and savory yet healthy casseroles that I've come up with in a while. Everyone just loved it {no easy feat with 4 picky eaters and a husband who doesn't like "all of his flavors to blend together."}. 

Make sure you use a good quality wild rice, not a boxed one with the mystery packet of spices, sodium and preservatives. My favorite is from Trader Joe's called Brown Rice Medley. It has a mix of long grain brown rice, black barley and Daikon radish seeds it is very hearty and tasty.

This is my submission for week 2 of 12 weeks of Winter Squash 

Wild Rice and Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole

SERVES    8        TIME    45 MINUTES

You will need:

1 cup wild rice 

1 lb. ground turkey 

1 small yellow onion chopped 

1 medium sized butternut squash  

1 bunch of baby spinach leaves (you can use frozen spinach, just make sure you squeeze out all of the water first) 

1 cup apple juice (or water) 

2 cups chicken broth to cook the rice in (refer to your package for measurements, usually twice the broth as rice) 

Big handful of grated mozzarella 

1 tsp cinnamon1 

TBSP fresh Thyme (this is where having a little herb garden comes in handy) 

1 TBSP fresh Parsley 

freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

• Cook rice according to directions minus about 10-15 minutes (it will cook more in the oven)
• Cut squash in half length wise, remove seeds. Pour apple juice into a casserole dish, place squash facing down and bake at 400° for about 20 min. You want it a bit firm so you can cut it into cubes.
• Meanwhile, in non-stick skillet, brown turkey. Add chopped onion, saute 3 more minutes. Roughly chop spinach and add to turkey. Cook just till wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Remove skin from squash and cut into 1" cubes.
• Put rice, turkey mixture, squash, herbs and spices into prepared casserole dish. Cook at 400° for 30 minutes.
•  Sprinkle with cheese and bake another 5 minutes.
• Can you smell those wonderful flavors?!! Mouth watering I tell you!

Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwiches- revisited

BBQ has never been one of my favorite things. I know, how un-American of me! I never really liked pizza either until I discovered the thin crusted ones with fresh veggies, herbs and goat cheese scattered on top. When my husband and I were first dating, he took me to this little BBQ place in old downtown Gilbert, AZ. It was sitting room outside only on picnic tables and was very popular. I thought I would just order a salad or something, I mean we were dating, I was still trying to impress him. ;-) After just a few minutes however, I was overcome by the heavy smokey BBQ sauce smell and just couldn't stomach it. Poor guy, he loves his BBQ. I guess he loved me more because here we are, 9 years later happily married.

So, the point of my little love story is well, first I like to talk, and second I want my sweet husband and my boys to eat the foods they love too. I have found that I actually enjoy my homemade BBQ sauce, especially on these delicious chicken sandwiches. This sauce is tangy and mouthwatering! Far less sugar than jarred varieties and no preservatives, fresh is best!

I have also found that using my Kitchen Aid food shredder attachment to shred my own cabbage makes a world of difference in taste. I used to buy the pre-packaged, pre-shredded cabbage. The kids wouldn't touch it and to be honest, I thought it was to thick and well, cabbagy tasting for BBQ sandwiches. Shredding your own into a fine texture actually makes the cabbage taste sweet! The kids gobbled it up!


A great trick to getting perfectly shredded chicken in just seconds.... throw the cooked chicken into your Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the cookie paddle attachment. Turn it onto speed 4-6 and in just 20 seconds you'll have perfect, restaurant style shredded chicken.  Tip: Make sure the chicken is warm/hot before you shred it. Refrigerated chicken is harder and may harm your mixer.

perfect, resteraunt style shredded chicken

Just in time for Summer!

You Will Need:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

package of Kaiser Buns

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage

3 cups homemade BBQ sauce, recipe here.

Putting it all together:

I throw frozen solid big chicken breasts into my pressure cooker and they cook perfect and so moist in aobut 8 minutes! If you don't have one, put it on your birthday wish list and in the meantime, boil your thawed chicken in a large stock pot for about 20 minutes.

When chicken is done, place in a big bowl and shred with 2 forks. I "cheat" on this too, I put my cooked chicken in my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment and it shreds perfectly in about 15 seconds, resteraunt style! (put a KitchenAid on your Christmas list) ;-)

Meanwhile, preheat your broiler. Saute chopped onion in a pan for about 4 minutes until translucent. Shred your cabbage with a food processor.  Toast your halved buns by placing them face up on a broiler pan and putting them about 6 inches from the broiler for about 1-2 minutes. Watch them carefully, bread burns fast! Toasting them is really key for BBQ. Otherwise they will get soggy.

PRINT THIS RECIPE (and sauce recipe)

Quick BBQ Sauce:

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup spicy brown mustard

1 onion finely grated

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbsp. Worcestershire

1 tbsp. brown sugar OR honey

1/2 c. water

2 TBSP Grilling Seasoning

Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pot. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes whisking occasionally.

Other BBQ Sauce Recipes You Need To Try

Papa's Chicken and Honey Spice Marinade from Kitchen Confidante

Soda Pop Pulled Pork with Spicy Cilantro Pesto from Indigo's Sugar Spectrum

Terryaki Turky Burgers with Home Made BBQ Sauce from Good Life Eat's 

Orange and Honey Roasted Carrots with Candied Pecans: Healthy Easter Sides

One of these days I'm gonna get the hang of this whole food blogging thing. I'll be able to throw together simple meals and snacks without completely devastating my kitchen or taking ten times longer than it should. I'm also in high hopes that my food photography will, in the words of FoodGawker be 'Better Composed' and have 'Better Lighting'. It's true, cant' say I blame em', there are some pretty amazing foodie sites out there who really seem to have it all together. (Do they have a kid-free home? A team of professional food stylist following them around? A Master's degree in Food-ology? That's gotta be it! ;)

What I have going for me:

I know the foods I make are actually really delicious and usually super simple. I take basic, healthy recipes and give them more flavor. Mamma likes flavor. I take common 'kid friendly' and 'comfort' foods and make them healthier without sacrificing flavor.

The dishes and snacks on Simply Healthy Family are do-able. Real Food for Real People. There may be some foods or ingredients you haven't tried before but everything's found at your neighborhood grocery store, nothing fancy. Not that I don't like gourmet, I'm just not in a gourmet point in my life at the moment. *sigh

The foods I end up posting on Simply Healthy Family are all Kid Friendly and Busy Mommy/Person Friendly. I have 4 kids and so I know all to well the 'Dinner Time Show Down' with getting kids to eat veggies, beans, grains ect. That's why I created this blog. To help people with these issues. Give you new and simple ideas, ones that actually taste good.

So sometimes, regardless of how simple my recipes are, the finished picture doesn't turn out as planned. Poor lighting and composition is usually to blame (according to FoodGawker), but I like to also blame my kids for this. What loving mother wouldn't?  ;) 

Let me explain. I'm losing my mind you see. Plain and simple. The with-it-ness is being sucked out of me little by little. I used to be a with it girl, spunky and smart. Never used to forget anything. Those days have sailed, approximately 2 or 3 kids ago to be exact.




We are lucky in that we have very big families on both mine and my husbands side. So holidays are always busy and fun and with tons of good food. This means I usually have to cook very little or not at all. More importantly, there's less to clean up! We celebrated yesterday because my dad and step-mom are going to be at their house in Mexico on Easter weekend. I thought I'd bring a healthier veggie dish to share. I didn't want to freak any one out by bringing steamed spinach or kale chips however, baby steps.

I decided to bring these Orange and Honey Glazed Carrots with Candied Pecans. Besides, they'd look good in my beautiful new ceramic pot from Italy. ;)  All day Sunday we were busy doing some much needed Spring cleaning and I didn't get started on my dish until about an hour before we had to leave. So in the rush to throw things together and take a picture to share I forgot to sprinkle on my beautiful candied pecans. Dangit! I also discovered that the carrots shrunk a bit while roasting and didn't come near enough to feed 15 people or to fill my pretty pot. Oops.

Imagine how good the candied pecans taste with these Honey-Orange Carrots!

Soooo, at the last minute while Jim was throwing kids in the car, I'm pressure cooking some more carrots and throwing them into the pot and drizzling some honey over them and a bit more orange zest. Voila! Disaster averted, sort of. There are still no pecans in my picture so now they just look like plain ol' carrots,
The Shame! Oh well, I gave you my disclaimer so you understand right? Right?


They tasted really fabulous and got rave reviews and so you must try them. I recreated this recipe from some very basic ones around the Internet. Steaming them for a couple of minutes before roasting them quickens the cooking time and helps them not to dry out I think. I used my pressure cooker at the 1st red ring for just ONE minute then released the pressure by running cool water over the lid.

What are your favorite healthy side dishes?

 

SERVES  6-8 as a side dish      TIME 40 MINUTES

Ingredients:

4 lbs baby carrots (pretty heirloom carrots with little stems still attached would be lovely but I used mini-carrots to save money)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP Organic honey

zest from 1 orange

2 TBSP orange juice

small handful of fresh curly parsley

1 TBSP fresh chives, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400F

In a large pot (I used my pressure cooker, see above note if you have one)  add lemon juice to 2 cups water. Steam carrots for just 2 minutes. Drain. Add carrots to a large bowl and toss with olive oil, honey, orange juice and zest. Spread onto a shallow baking dish lined with foil. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 20-30 minutes till fork tender. Remove from heat and toss with chopped parsley and chives just before serving.

Top With Pecans! ;)

FOR THE CANDIED PECANS: Make these ahead of time (unlike me ;)

1 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup turbinado (Raw) sugar (use white if you must ;)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg white

Pre-heat oven to 300F. Line a shallow baking pan with wax paper.

In a small sauce pot, combine water, sugar and vanilla. Over medium high heat bring to gentle boil, whisk occasionally. Bring to simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, whisk in cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg white. Add pecans, toss to coat. Pour sugar mixture over pecans, toss to coat.

Spread pecans on prepared baking dish trying not to let them touch if possible. Bake at 300F for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them being careful not to let burn. Turn with spatula if necessary. (I didn't have to)

Remove from oven, break apart any pecans stuck together. Set aside.

So, I guess I didn't make the cut to be on babble's Top 100 Mom bloggers of 2011.

That's o.k. *sniff sniff    I'm totally o.k. with that and congrats to those who did, I look forward

to visiting each and every one of your sites!

Now onto my next Goal/Wishful Thinking favor.

Maybe I can at least get on the list to be voted for on Saveur's Best Food Blogger Award.

Ya think? Maybe....

If you do, please 'nominate' me

HERE

Nominations end April 22

Voting for the finalist *crossing fingers  starts April 26

Much Thanks!

This post is linked to:

What's Cooking Wednesday's

Mouthwatering Monday's

Meatless Monday's

Tasty Tuesday's

Happy Day! I'm featured on Two of my Favorite Foodie Sites!

I am so very excited to have been featured on two of my favorite foodie sites recently. I am relatively new at food blogging and am honored that my recipes and thoughts are finding their way into homes across the globe.

The first site I hope you find your way over to is Food with Kid Appeal. She featured my post "Simple Chilled Gazpacho, Give A Kid A Straw"  as part of her series on 'How to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy Foods'. FwKA has been one of my favorite sites and resources since I started blogging. Jenna's blog is a wonderful resource for parents and caregivers who have picky eaters or just want to feed their family a variety of healthy foods.

I'm also thrilled to be on Hip Pressure Cooking.com  with my Sante Fe Style Stacked Enchiladas  recipe.
I love love love my Kuhn Rikon Swiss Pressure Cooker and use it several times a week for lightning speed dinners that lock in the nutrients and flavour of the food far better than traditional cooking. Hip Pressure Cooking is a very inspirational website for all things pressure cooker!

As I compile more recipes I hope to have a page dedicated to pressure cooking on Simply Healthy Family. I think everyone should own a pressure cooker, it's a busy mom's DREAM!

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and leaves such sweet comments. I truly appreciate the time it takes to read, comment and hopefully try a recipe or two. I truly hope that more and more people will read this blog and be inspired to have a healthier home!


Happy Sharing!!!

Santa Fe Style Stacked Enchiladas Verdes ~ Vegetarian

Let me just tell you how serious I am about Mexican food, I don't mess around. I won't eat it at most restaurants and I live in the southwest where Mexican food is abundant. Unfortunately, I've been spoiled. I've eaten Mexican food cooked by people who know what they're doing and now I can't go back to the imposter's at most chain restaurants. Good Mexican food consists of just 2 or 3 important factors in my opinion.

1. The sauce. Canned stuff is out of the question and it's NOT hard to make your own.
2. The tortillas. I implore you to stop buying the thin, cardboard tasting stuff from the store. Again, seriously easy to make your own in just minutes.  Masa. Water. Boom, corn tortillas!
3. Good Cheese. Nuff said.

I made these vegetarian and they were filling and delicious. Why, because of for-said reasons. Also, I made these in my pressure cooker for fast, flavorful, and even cooking. Feel free to use a casserole dish if you don't own a pressure cooker. Layer the same, cook in a 400F pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes. ( I cooked mine in 8 minutes)

So here you go, my simple enchiladas verdes recipe. Oh, the Santa Fe style comes in because of the thicker, moist corn tortillas which are stacked and also the smoked Poblano peppers.  Enjoy.

You will need:

3 Poblano Peppers
10 Tomatillo's
1/4 cup white onion, finely minced
1/4 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tsp salt
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
handful of mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup Jack Cheese, shredded
1 cup corn kernels

'Easy Home Made Corn Tortillas' ~  recipe here

Putting it all together:

Place Poblano peppers on a broiler sheet and put in oven, 3 inches from top broiler. Cook for 10-12 minutes, turn with tongs, cook another 8-10 minutes till very charred. Remove from oven, put in a paper or plastic bag, roll closed and let skins steam off, at least10 minutes. Remove from bag, set aside until cool enough to handle. Pinch off stems, smush out seeds, peel off skins {they will peel off very easily!}. Don't worry about getting every last bit.

Husk and wash tomatillos under warm water to remove natural sticky film. Pat dry and place on broiler pan. Preheat broiler and put tomatillos on the middle rack. Cook for 10-12 minutes till browned. Remove, set aside in a bowl. Some recipes I've seen say to remove peels. I seriously don't see how that's possible,  I don't bother. Throw tomatillos, 1 cup roasted poblano, cilantro and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse till smooth. Save the rest of the poblano's for layering into enchiladas.

In the bottom of a glass dish meant for pressure cookers (or casserole dish if baking) Spread a bit of Salsa Verde (tomatillo mixture). Layer tortillas, then zucchini, mushrooms, onion, corn and chopped poblanos. I usually throw all of these veggies into a bowl together, toss then just add by handfuls to the enchiladas to make things easier.  Sprinkle with cheese, drizzle more salsa verde. Again, tortillas, veggies, cheese, salsa. Top with tortillas, salsa and then more cheese.

 Place trivet in bottom of pressure cooker if using, and add 1 cup water.

 Fold a piece of foil long enough to use as a handle to help remove casserole dish when done.

 Cover casserole dish with foil, fold foil handle over top. Lock lid onto pressure cooker. Over high heat bring pressure to 2nd red ring. Lower heat, stabilize at 2nd red ring. Cook 8 minutes.

*If baking, bake at 400F for 40-45 minutes.

Cauliflower-Yam Bisque

It's still in the high 90's here in Phoenix, but I can't wait any longer for my favorite Fall foods. Sometimes I really think I live in the wrong climate zone for my personality and wants. I have a closet full of cute boots and thick sweaters and jackets that I only get to wear once or twice a year. My attempts at gardening have been futile for the most part due to the heat and horrible rocky "soil". And I love soups, chili's and bisques. It's not quite as enjoyable eating chili when it's 98 degrees outside in October. Oh well, I'll get over my "grass is greener on the other side of the hill" attitude and move on.

Yesterday, it was ever so slightly cloudy out and so I jumped at the chance to make this Cauliflower-Yam bisque for lunch. The kids actually love this dish and so it makes it a bit more enjoyable to make. It's so super easy too, that's the name of the game here at Simply Healthy Family. I use my pressure cooker and simply tear the cauliflower into thirds along with the yam. I chop the yam in big chunks so they cook evenly. That's the beauty of a pressure cooker, I've never messed up anything! It locks in moisture which means no lost vitamins and minerals through the steam, that also means more flavorful tasting foods! It took 3 minutes to cook  a big head of cauliflower and 2 yams.




Thank you Deb at  kahakai kitchen and Tina at Mom's Crazy Kitchen for hosting such a fun idea. Every sunday is souper sundays and bloggers from all over the world get the chance to share their favorite soups, stews, chili's and anything else you can slurp with a spoon. My bisque is linked up on her website this week. Hop on over for plenty of warm, feel good recipes to get you through the Fall and Winter months.


                            

Place a trivet in bottom of pressure cooker. Add 1 cup Organic chicken broth or water. I like the flavor and vitamins from broth. Add 1 head cauliflower and 2 yams. Turn stove on to high heat. Secure lid onto pressure cooker. Bring to 1st red ring, lower heat to lowest setting set timer for 3 minutes.

Bring pressure down naturally or by running water over lid.

Using an immersion blender on high, blend to combine cauliflower and yams.

In goes ze buttah.

 Add 1 cup almond milk OR half and half or heavy cream. Blend untill very smooth.

I add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper medley 

and garnish with chives.

Bon Apetite!

Carmelized Brussels with Peppers, Onions and Beans

Another inspiration from Weekly Vegan Menu, one of my favorite go to blogs for my weekly menu planning. I cooked this dish my way but used most of the same ingredients that she did.  I haven't tried brussel sprouts in such a long time. I've only had them steamed to smithereens and thought them bitter little balls of mush. I'm so glad that I came across Vegan Aids recipe because when I popped one of these caramelized brussels into my mouth, I literally dropped my jaw in surprise! Wow, brussels are actually delicious! Who knew? You Will Need: 2 lbs. Baby Brussel Sprouts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped 1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon Mediterranean spice blend (or spice mix of choice) 1 cup whole grain wild rice mix ( don't use the boxed stuff with the packet of sodium flavouring) 2 1/2 cups Organic, low sodium Vegetable broth

~ smash and chop garlic, set aside for at least 10 minutes to release anicin. Cook rice in veggie broth according to package directions, usually 45 min. I use my pressure cooker and it takes 20 minutes and locks in flavor, no spices necessary. Vegetable broth is so full of flavor and good for you!
Also, whole grain rice, when served with beans or sweet potatoes is a complete protein ie: no meat necessary. I like "Rice Select, Royal Blend Rice" It's a combination of brown and wild rice with soft wheat and rye.

1. Trim sprouts by slicing off a bit of the end and removing dark outer leaves. Place them in a steamer basket over boiling water, add lemon juice to water, cook 8 minutes or until sprouts are just tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and peppers, saute 4 minutes till golden brown, add seasonings. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute. Add beans, turn down heat, cover and keep warm.
3. Remove sprouts from the steamer basket and cut in half lengthwise.  Coat the bottom of a skillet with a bit more oil if needed and nestle the sprouts, cut side down on bottom. Cook over medium heat. Allow the sprouts to cook for about 5 minutes. Do not turn them over! This is carmelization. Make sure the bottoms are evenly browned and crisped. Then, turn them all over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove sprouts from pan and sprinkle with the salt and squeeze more lemon over top if needed.
5. Serve brussels over mixed veggies and beans alongside of the rice.

Caramelizing the brussels brings out such a wonderful taste!

 This is coming from someone who used to be a brussel hater. Try, try again!

* Tip: For the younger kids, I also cooked some cubed sweet potatoes that I coated with a bit of evoo, honey and lemon juice, baked at 400F for 13 minutes. I haven't mad brussel sprouts before so I knew it might be a bit of a challenge to get them to eat them. I was right..... they tried a couple of nibbles and that's it. Keep introducing new veggies to kids over and over. Mine will eat peppers and spinach and more because I serve them often and they are used to them. Don't get frustrated or expect to much when your kids turn their noses up at some new foods. Most importantly, don't give up and serve other unhealthy options like processed foods in place of veggies.

7-Bean and Basmati Cheesy Croquettes

One way to get plenty of whole grains, beans and legumes into your diet is by turning leftover beans and rice into cheesy croquettes. Have your kids help you pick out bean and lentils in the bulk section of your store. Go for mixes with lots of different beans and lentils, it's a great way to try new things and oh-so healthy!

I made this super simple 7 bean and lentil "casserole" in my pressure cooker. I lightly sauteed the green pepper & onion then simply added the bean mix, brown basmati rice and broth and cooked on the 2nd ring for 10 minutes. I love the time savings with my pressure cooker!

Just make sure you rinse then soak your beans and rice separately, beans for at least 3 hours and up 10 hours, rice for 20 minutes. This is really important to remove starch, reduce gas and remove phytic acid which can cause mineral deficiencies due to it's zinc and iron blocking effects.

This is the starch still in the water after thourougly rinsing and on it's 2nd soak.

* Health Tip

Phytic acid in grains, nuts, seeds and beans represents a serious problem in our diets. This problem exists because we have lost touch with our ancestral heritage of food preparation. Thanks to the recent trend of raw and unprocessed “whole foods;” more people are consuming a lot of high-phytate foods like commercial whole wheat bread and all-bran breakfast cereals. But while raw may be good for most veggies and fruits, raw is definitely not Nature’s way for grains, nuts, seeds and beans. . . and even some tubers, like yams; nor are quick cooking or rapid heat processes like extrusion.

Diets high in phytic acid can also cause a calcium deficiency since the body has to excrete more of this important mineral to metabolise the phytic acid. Phytic acid not only grabs on to or chelates important minerals, but also inhibits enzymes that we need to digest our food, including pepsin, needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach, and amylase, needed for the breakdown of starch into sugar. Trypsin, needed for protein digestion in the small intestine, is also inhibited by phytates.

Read more about this here.

Bored with Beans? Turn them into croquettes!

Ingredients

1 cup 5 Bean mix
1 cup Brown Basmati Rice
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 cup Yellow Onion, diced
1/2 cup diced, Italian stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian herb mix
3 cups water or broth
1 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

Dinner ~ Night One:
Place All ingredients into a Pressure Cooker ( can also use a slow cooker). Cover and bring pressure to 2nd red ring. Lower heat to med-low to maintain pressure. Set timer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, let pressure come down naturally ( about 3 -4 minutes). Serve with fresh fruit and greens salad with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
* Healthy Tip: serving Brown or Whole grain rice along with beans or legumes is
considered a complete protein. Eat Raw veggies and/or fruits before your meal to help
with digestion and control hunger.


Dinner Night Two: I usually make Seafood so as not to have beans 2 night in a row.

Dinner Night Tree: Bean and Basmati Cheesey Croquettes
You Will Need:
2 cups of leftover beans and rice dinner
1/2 cup shredded cheddar, Monterrey jack or mozzarella.
For the bread crumb coating:
1/4 cup grated Parmesan-Romano cheese
.
1/2 cup home made bread crumbs ( make extra and store in fridge or freezer for quick use)
1 tablespoon mixed herb seasoning of choice ( I like Trader Joe's 21 season salute)
toss to coat

Putting it all together:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into small balls with hands. Carefully roll balls into breadcrumb mixture. Place on very lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 400F degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Simple huh?

Ethiopian Groundnut Wat (Stew)

I wish I could start this post with, " I have been enjoying the people and rich culture here in ( insert small town in Ethiopia) I have especially been enjoying all of the wonderful, exotic flavors in the foods they eat here!" Alas, I have never been to Ethiopia or anywhere out of the country for that matter except for Mexico. Well, I am not one to let the fact that I am not well traveled hinder my ethnic cuisine enjoyment.
I love, adore, live for eating and trying new foods from far-away places. Isn't it wonderful after all to come across something entirely new to surprise your palate? I get a strange high when I can make a new ethnic dish all by myself in my home here in the suburbian desert. Notice I don't say "re-create" for I fully understand that my attempt to make "Ethiopian Groundnut Wat" or any other exotic dish could very well be an utter embarrassment or worse, insult to the people in question.

Well I think this dish turned out lovely, a true delight to eat a combination of flavors I would never have thought of putting together myself. I have to thank a fellow blogger, Vegan Aide at Weekly Vegan Menu for sharing one of her many wonderful dishes with me. I love her site not only because it is healthy, simple and she gives a cost breakdown of her meals but because she features flavorful meals from all across the globe! Score! Her site is Vegan as the title says which is wonderful I think because everybody could use more veggies in their daily lives. I have found that I have not given meat a second thought in the last few weeks since not eating it. I am not claiming vegetarianism since I don't plan on completely giving it up, just really limiting it.

I guess you can say I'm almost a vegetarian, mostly Organic, Raw enthusiast, Green loving kind of gal.

O.k. so here's the wonderful recipe.

I threw in a bit more of everything to make more for my big fam, so I will just post her recipe straight from her site. I will say that I will use less peanut butter the next time I make this. Again, I was not measuring exactly (as usual) so I might have used too much. So, while the peanut butter was an important addition for the cultural flair of this dish, I felt it smothered the other wonderful spices going on. I will also make sure to whisk it in a small amount of the hot liquid so it will incorporate into the dish better. I was getting big chunks of peantut butter in some bites.

* Changes I made:  Besides adding more of the ingredients, I used Organic Chicken broth instead of water
 ( I know, not very vegan of me) and I sliced the onion in wedges instead of mincing because that's how I like them and I minced the ginger instead of infusing it into the dish, for more flavor. I also suggest using more cardamom, it was yummy but hardly noticeable in my dish. I must say that roasting the cauliflower was an excellent idea as it adds a wonderful hearthy  flavor to the dish!  I put some of the veggies and lentils without the addition of the spices into my pressure cooker so my kids would eat this. I thought it was a little to much to ask for a 13 month old and a 4 and 5 year old to eat such a fragrant dish.  Bon Appetite!



SERVES  6        TIME  60 MINUTES

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 t olive oil
salt
1 t olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cubed
1/2 c red lentils
1/4 t chili pepper
2 cardamom pods, or 1/2 t ground
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
3 whole cloves
1 inch piece of ginger, bruised
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 c water
1/4 c peanut butter
salt to taste
1/4 c chopped peanuts
2 scallions, chopped

2 c arugula
lemon juice
salt



Putting it all together:

Toss the cauliflower in the olive oil, add salt and roast in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower is getting roasted, turning once.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil, add the onion, garlic, carrot, sweet potato, lentils, chili flakes, and the rest of the spices. Saute the vegetables until the onions are getting golden, stirring often.

Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are broken up.

Add the water, cover and cook the stew until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

When the cauliflower is ready add that and the peanut butter and stir well to mix. Add salt to taste.

Toss the arugula with the lemon juice and season with salt.
Serve garnished with scallions, peanuts and the arugula.

You may also put everything (except the peanut butter) in a crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low. Add the peanut butter in the last half hour. Roasting the cauliflower will give it a better flavor, too.

*UPDATE*

I have made this a few more times, tonight included and have been using Almond Butter instead of peanut butter and IMO it is much milder tasting and very creamy and complimenting to the other flavors. I also have used canned, stewed tomatoes in lou of fresh when not in season which taste just as good. Who knew tomatoes and almond butter would go good together in a dish?  I've been skipping the chili pepper and also using 'African Allspice' which is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger ect. and is just easier for me cuz I'm lazy. ;)

Sweet Potato Hummus

Once again, if it helps you at all, please refer to hummus as "dip". I have found, over and over again that if I call it hummus, people turn their noses up in distaste ( whether or not they've actually tried) but if I say it's dip, I get a "Yummy" in response. Call it what you like, this hummus is a great midday snack. The sweet potatoes give it a nice underlying err, sweetness and added vitamins, Bonus!

Serve this with pita chips and fresh, raw veggies, we like broccoli and mini sweet peppers.

I use dry chickpeas and soaked them for a few hours before cooking with the sweet potatoes for 13 minutes in my pressure cooker. If you must use canned beans, look for the low-sodium variety. I think it's just as easy to use fresh beans and it's most definitely cheaper!

TIME  20-30 MINUTES     SERVES 6-8

You will need:

2 medium size sweet potatoes

1 cup fresh chickpeas or 1 can

1/2 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1/4 cup tahini ( paste made with sunflower seeds, available in most supermarkets)

1 lemon, juiced

1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/2 - 1 cup reserved or hot water

Putting it all together:

Cook your chickpeas according to package directions, usually twice as much water as beans and takes about 30 minutes. If your using a pressure cooker, use 1 1/2 times the water, place whole sweet potatoes on top of beans and cook for 12-13 minutes on second ring.

Reserve any water from pot. Using a fork, peel sweet potatoes, discard peels. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, blend all ingredients together until super smooth adding hot water as needed to desired consistency.

Serve with fresh veggies or pita chips.
* Keeps for a week refridgerated in an airtight container