Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce

Cranberry sauce is a must on my holiday table for Thanksgiving. This simple cranberry sauce is sweetened with pineapples to reduce the amount sugar of added. The perfect combination of sweet and tart. Even non-cranberry eaters would like this. Serve this with turkey, or it's even great with pork. If you prefer to use Splenda, this would be 33 calories per serving or 0 points. Make this the night before.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

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.

Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips ~ Baked

The other night when I made Zuppa Toscana I got a little carried away when shredding potatoes. That's happened to me a few times when using my oh-so-handy Kitchen Aid slicer. In about 7 seconds flat, I've sliced through a 5 lb bag of potatoes... oops. So I decided to whip up these yummy Salt and Vinegar potato chips that I saw on my cousin Emily's blog, My Nutritious Dish a few months back. Did I mention I have a slight salt addiction, oh and I love anything sour? I steer clear of the potato chip aisle at the grocery store, waaaaay clear so as not to provoke my weak self control. Funny how people crave different tastes. I would much rather have these tangy, salty chips than chocolate any day! What do your taste buds long for?

SERVES 4       TIME  30 MINUTES

You Will need:

4-5 medium potatoes sliced very very thin.

4-5 cups Distilled Vinegar

Kosher or Sea Salt

          1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Putting them together:

Wash potatoes well. Preferably using a Food Processor or slicer attachment, slice potatoes very thin leaving peel on. Rinse again under cool water.

In a large stock pot, put potatoes and cover with vinegar. Yup, straight vinegar. Trust me, would I lie to you?

Bring to soft boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Drain vinegar. Spread potato slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with just a little bit of vegetable oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 400F for about 15 minutes or until brown and crispy, tossing once with spatula!

Serve alongside sandwiches, chili, hot dogs, hamburgers chicken or bring on a picnic!

This post is linked to

Mom's Crazy Cooking's 'This Weeks Cravings'

for Super Bowl Potluck!

Arugula with Pomegranates, Blue Cheese and Pistachios

A simple yet elegant salad, easy enough to enjoy as a quick lunch or extravagant enough to make it to your holiday table. Each bite you take will give you a burst of flavor from the pomegranate arils.

I don't get tired of eating pomegranates, they are in season October to February here in the states, so I try to enjoy the fresh fruit every chance I get. While visiting POM Wonderful's harvest tour in Fresno recently, pistachio trees grew adjacent to the pomegranate trees, and I wanted to incorporate the two into this salad to compliment the sweet, tart flavor of the pomegranates, the creamy texture of the blue cheese, as well as the peppery taste of the arugula. 

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Pumpkin Granola Squares, No added sugar, gluten free

You can feed these delicious and healthy pumpkin squares to your little ghouls and goblins guilt free!

There is NO added sugar and they are low in fat. Pumpkins aren't just cute and tasty. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants! Bonus!

So skip the sugar loaded pies and treats and get your pumpkin fix with these granola squares.

TIME  50 MINUTES    YIELDS  20 SQUARES

Ingredients

 1 c Pumpkin puree,  cooked or can

1 Egg

1/4 c  Butter

1/4 c Honey

2 Tb Molasses

2 1/2 c Rolled oats  

2 Tb Shredded coconut,

1/4 c flax meal, or whole grain hot cereal mix such as Bob's Red Mill

1 teaspoon Allspice

1 Tb *Orange rind, grated

1/4 cup Craisins

1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

Preparation

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together the pumpkin, egg, butter, honey and molasses. Add the oats, nuts, coconut, wheat germ, spices, and orange zest. Blend until ingredients are well combined. Spread mixture in lightly greased 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Bake in 350 deg. F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and cut into 3x1 1/2-inch bars.

Calories 159

Calories from Fat 89 56%
Total Fat 10.54g 13%
Saturated Fat 7.81g 31%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 25mg 1%
Potassium 150mg 4%
Total Carbs 15.23g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g 10%
Sugars 6.01g 4%
Protein 2.45g

* Tip: The next time you eat an orange, save the peel and freeze it in a baggie to use for adding flavor to cookies, cakes,muffins and smoothies! Simply take a piece of frozen peel and grate it!

 

 

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Low Fat Pomegranate Scones

These fresh baked scones are low fat, and studded with ruby red pomegranate arils. The key to making perfect scones is to not over-knead the dough, and to make sure your butter is chilled. For those of you not familiar with scones, scones are lightly sweetened English biscuits served at tea time. I love serving them with light butter and honey, some people prefer jam (pomegranate jelly would be great!). Leftovers can be stored in air-tight containers for up to two days.

Since returning from my trip to Fresno where I was invited to POM's Harvest Tour, I've been playing around with ways I want to use pomegranates in recipes. Aside from my favorite way to enjoy a pomegranate, which is simply eating the arils straight from the fruit, I've also enjoyed them in salads, and martinis. I have a lot more pomegranate recipes in my head I will be sharing with you in the future. I hope you enjoy the scones as much as I did. Baby Madison enjoyed them too!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Zuppa Toscana

This is one of our favorite meals, and it happens to be soup. That's right soup. What's not to love about soup? Nothing! There's just something about it that is so comforting and wonderful. It's healthy, easy to make and a frugal mom's best friend. Soup warms your soul and brings friends and families together around the dinner table. You serve it to a sick person to heal them. Bring it to a friend to comfort them and serve it to children to put a smile on their faces and good things in their tummies.

My mom and I used to go to Olive Garden to have soup and salad for lunch. Pretty much the only thing I've ever had at Olive Garden was their Zuppa Toscana and house salad. Of course over the years their soup has consisted of more broth and less filling and flavour.

So, of course I started making my own. It's more flavourful and healthier and my whole family can enjoy Zuppa Toscana in the comfort of our home for much less than it costs to eat out. Who takes 4 kids out to a restaurant anyway?

Add chopped kale in large handfuls, it will cook down!

Told ya so.

TIME   20 MINUTES    SERVES   6-8You Will Need:
1 bunch Kale, rinsed and chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can, Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
3 Russet potatoes, washed and sliced thinly ( leave the peels on, they're full of vitamins!!!)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6-8 cups Organic Chicken Broth (not in a can)
Italian Sausage


Putting it all together:

First, smash and chop garlic. Place a large ceramic dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. When hot, add onion, saute 3-4 minutes till soft and browned. Add garlic, cook just 30 more seconds. Add sausage breaking up to small pieces. Cook till browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in broth while scraping bottom of pot with a plastic spatula to remove browned bits (deglaze). Add potatoes, kale and beans. Bring to soft boil, turn down heat to medium-low, cover and cook 10 minutes to combine flavours. Add salt if needed. Serve with crusty Rosemary Olive Oil bread...... I just so happen to have the worlds best recipe for crusty artisian bread, Rosemary Filone   right here on my humble little blog!

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Coconut milk, curry and cumin really compliment the flavor of the butternut squash in this savory soup. This may be my new favorite way to eat butternut squash. Even my husband, who is not a fan of squash, requested a second bowl. And speaking of bowls, isn't this pumpkin bowl adorable? I got this at Pier One, what a perfect setting for Thanksgiving!

Olga from Mango and Tomato inspired me to make this soup. I modified it using ingredients I had on hand, and made my curry with Indian spices my friend Tricia picked up for me in a West Indian store. This would also taste great with pumpkin or acorn squash. For a thicker soup, use more squash, or less broth. I cheated and used a bag of cut and peeled butternut squash to save time. This took less than twenty minutes from start to tummy. Gluten free, low fat, vegan, high fiber, this recipe satisfies many different diet restrictions.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Roasted Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar

A perfect fall side dish for those chilly nights.

The farmer's market has many varieties of squash this time of year. Roasting it with a little butter, cinnamon and brown sugar is the easiest way to prepare it.

This recipe would also work for carnival squash and butternut squash. To eat, simply mash it all around in the shell and enjoy each bite.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Tiger Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken-Apple Sausage

Man, there are a LOT of awesome food blogs out there! I can tell everyone is excited about the Fall season what with all the yummy pumpkin recipes out there! Fall is most defiantly my favorite season for all of the usual reasons. It's hard to really enjoy all the season has to offer when you live in Phoenix. Without the fresh, crisp air or trees that change colour. We also are about a month or so behind when it comes to Fall Produce like pumpkins. So I debated about whether or not to post my favorite pumpkin recipes since most foodies have been doing so for several weeks now already. Then I remembered a very important thing... It's my blog and I can do whatever I want! Yay for me!

I adore pumpkins! Love them to bits. I love the taste of them and the amazing variety of pumpkins to choose from.  I think the thing I  love most about pumpkins is that they are one of the few things around here that really signify the start of Autumn and the end of a very long, hot, relentless summer.

My spooky Tiger Pumpkins

Originally, I wanted to find some white pumpkins for a creamy, white "Alfredo" sauce. Alas, there were none at the farmers market that day. I thought these Tiger Pumpkins were cute and my 4 year old agreed that we should pick several out and take them home with us.

I don't think most people realize that Pumpkins are easy to prepare!

Using a large knife, score the pumpkin and either see-saw through it or tap it on the counter top like I do.

I wish someone would invent an olfactory widget for blogger!!!

 Start to prepare pumpkin about 2 hours before you want dinner served. It is easier to scoop out roasted flesh when they are not hot.

Using a spoon, scoop out seeds and strings. Save the seeds to roast and snack on or sprinkle on top of soups!

Place on a roasting pan and roast at 400F for 45-60 minutes.

You Will Need:

1 lb. Pasta ( I use Quinoa pasta, a whole grain, complete protein and gluten free)

1 small head of broccoli, chopped

1 small pumpkin, roasted

1-2 cups unsweetened Almond Milk

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast ( optional, but it gives a nice nutty cheese flavor and is packed w vitamins)

1 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

Chicken-Apple sausage

nutmeg, sage, Kosher salt and pepper to taste.




To prepare pasta:

Cook pasta according to directions, add chopped broccoli to water in the last 3 minutes.

Slice sausage, add to pan, cook till browned. Remove from heat, leave a bit of fat in the pan.

Saute onion for 3 minutes till soft and browned. Add a bit of EVOO to pan, add chopped baby bella mushrooms. Let them cook without moving them around to much.

To prepare pumpkin Alfredo sauce. Scoop roasted pumpkin flesh out of shell. Put in blender. Add nutritional yeast and Almond milk to desired consistency. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg, sage, salt and cracked pepper.

I am submitting this low-fat dish to La Bella Vita for Fresh Clean and Pure Friday! Check out her lovely blog for so many wonderful, fresh recipes.

Skinny Sloppy Joes

If you don't like getting your hands dirty, then this is not for you! I didn't grow up eating traditional sloppy joes as a kid, the closest thing that came to a Sloppy Joe in my house was picadillo on a roll (which is quite good by the way) so when I got a recipe request for a low fat Sloppy Joe, I had to do some research.

I found Rachel Ray's Sloppy Joe recipe that was rated 5 stars with rave reviews, so I knew this was a great place to start. I used lean beef and added more veggies to make this lower in fat. Serve it on crusty whole wheat rolls or low point buns (extra points). Enjoy your sandwich and have plenty of napkins on hand!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

How To Open A Pomegranate

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days, if you haven't been following me on twitter or facebook, then you probably didn't know that I just spent the past few days on an amazing trip to POM, the leader in farming pomegranates in the US, with over 18,000 acres in the heart of Fresno. It's Pomegranate season, and Pom Wonderful invited me and small group of wonderful bloggers to experience their POM Harvest Tour.

Pictured here, from top left to right, Brad Paris, GM and VP of Global Produce, Olga from Mango and Tomato, Yujin from The Patio Yujin, Paula from Bellalimento, Nicole from PinchMySalt, Mary from Deep South Dish, Rosa from Naver.com, Liren from Kitchen Confidante, second row that's me, then Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers, Andrea, our fabulous host from POM and Rachael from La Fujimama

What an amazing experience! Day one of the tour we visited Pom headquarters and saw first hand how the pomegranates are carefully selected to meet POM standards. We also saw the process of what went into making POM juices and teas, extracting the juice from the pomegranates, blowing and silk screening the bottles, bottling and packaging.


We ate and drank pomegranates all day, and later that evening we were treated to a special dinner prepared just for us. I had a warm spinach salad with goat cheese, pancetta and pomegranate seeds, a petit filet cooked to perfection topped with blue cheese in a pomegranate reduction, and for dessert we had pomegranate créme brulee. (I know, extra exercise this week!!)

Day two was the highlight of our tour. We got to eat lots of pomegranates, fly in corporate jets to view the 18,000 acres of pomegranate, pistachio and almond fields, then hand pick our very own pomegranates, almonds and pistacios to take home.





While there, I saw several demonstrations on how to open a pomegranate and I couldn't wait to try their technique myself. So today, my family eagerly awaited for me to open one up so we can all dig in and enjoy the delicious arils. If you've always wanted to try a pomegranate but didn't know how to eat one, follow these simple steps, just don't make the mistake I made and wear white while doing this!

How To Open A Pomegranate

Step One
Score around the top of the pomegranate. You don't have to cut all the way through, only through the skin.


Step Two
Remove the top. This easily comes right off.


Step Three
Once you remove the top you will see sections of the pomegranate divided by white membrane, score along those edges and the pomegranate will open up like a flower and all the arils will easily come out.


Step Four
Enjoy!!

Cuban Style Sweet Potatoes, Yams and Black Beans with Pineapple Salsa

Some of the best things happen by accident. Or, if you rather, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention."

Last minute dinners as a result of poor planning can be the invention of a new family favorite if you stock your pantry with healthy ingredients. I always have a variety of brown and wild rice (bulk/bag, not boxed w flavor packets) and cans of  low-sodium beans for when I'm super lazy.  I also always keep on hand, a variety of flavored vinegars and oils, sun dried tomatoes, peppers in oil, Tamari, spices, ginger, garlic, onions, broth and crushed tomatoes. 

These are my Kitchen Staples ie. things I always have in my pantry and fridge.  My feeling is, if you keep healthy foods and ingredients stocked in your kitchen and NOT junk, you will be forced to make healthy foods instead of grabbing for unhealthy ones.

I always think of  my husband's favorite movie " Field of Dreams" when I reach for one of my trusty ingredients. In the movie the mysterious voice/dream Kevin Costner keeps hearing says "If you build it, they will come".  So the voice in my head says " If you buy healthy foods, healthy recipes will come to you."  Or, "If you keep it on hand, they will eat it".  What? No, no I'm not crazy. Alright maybe a little. The point is, some of our favorite dishes have been not from fancy recipe books or sites, but from common kitchen ingredients I keep on hand and my master mommy mind!

What are some of your Kitchen Staples

and what do you commonly do with them?

Last minute pineapple salsa. I was going to toss the pineapple in with the potatoes the last few minutes of baking but found these sweet peppers hanging out in my pantry that wanted to join the party.

If you've never tried these little peppers, you should. They are sweet and delicious. We commonly use them as dippers for hummus, but they were perfect for fruit salsa. I added a jalapeno too for a kick!

If you have young children, set aside some pineapple minus the jalapeno, onion and cilantro for them.

I used crushed pineapple, sweet mini peppers, jalapeno, minced white onion and cilantro.

I sprinkled about a tablespoon of Jamaican Allspice, a bit of salt and cracked pepper onto the yams and potatoes and tossed with oil. The contrast of the savory, sweet allspice with the cumin in the beans was excellent!

Peel and cube  sweet potatoes into 1 1/2 inch pieces.  Put in large bowl and drizzle with just a little extra virgin olive oil, add spices, toss to combine. Too much oil and they will be mushy. Pour into a large casserole dish and bake at 400F for 30-45 minutes, depending on how many you use and how small you cut them. As soon as they are easily pierced with a fork, remove from oven. you don't want mashed potatoes, you want them slightly firm.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pot, add Ranch Style black beans, drained. 1/2 cup chicken broth or water, chopped cilantro, cumin and salt. Cook covered over medium heat to combine flavors.

Serve over brown rice to make a "complete protein" dinner.



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!