Fantastic Food

 I did it again.  I opened a big can of pumpkin.  Of course I didn't use it all--I never do unless I'm making pumpkin pie (does anyone  ever use it all?).  I made pumpkin pancakes, then pumpkin spice syrup, then pumpkin coffee cake (drool).  And then I had about 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree left....  It's like it never ends!  And I didn't want anymore sweet pumpkin foods.  So I brainstormed.  I remembered a couple of years ago when I was trying to lose baby weight that I made some sweet potatoes with black beans, green chiles, and lots of cumin.  Well, pumpkin is pretty silimar to sweet potato flavor, so I decided to whip up some quesadillas.  I didn't have black beans on hand, so I pulled out a can of small white beans instead.  A little tillamook cheddar added in there, and it was just delicious! A great use for that leftover, less-than-a-cup pumpkin puree.   Ingredients: Corn Tortillas (12 ish) 4 oz. Diced green c...

Spinach in waffles?  Gross, right? Only for people trying to lose weight, right?  WRONG.  Right? Okay, I see how thoroughly confused you are now.  And I know what you're thinking: "wait, she can see me?? Creep!"  Oh, you weren't thinking that? Weird, you should be--that IS creepy.  But I digress...we were speaking of spinach in a standard, non-spinachy food.  The thing is, it's SOOOO good you guys!  I even made regular waffles side by side to compare, and my kids (my KIDS!) said the spinach ones were better (cue jaw drop, gasp, and fake fainting spell).  Full disclosure, one (out of 6) of the kids said they were gross, but she refused to actually taste any, so we just won't pay any attention to her.  She's kind of in the middle anyway, so she's used to it.... (cue awkward, judging silence from the reader).  Even if you're kids refuse to taste them, though, you have to be a grown-up and at least try them.  Try them, you will se...

This is a tasty, quick, easy, and super healthy meal.  It can be the main dish, or it can be a filler for pita bread or a topping for salad greens. INGREDIENTS: 1 15 oz. can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained 1 6 oz. can tuna, drained 1 scallion, or 1/4 cup red onion diced 6 or 7 grape tomatoes, chopped 2 tbs. olive oil 1 1/2 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tbs. capers 1-2 clove garlic, minced 1 tbs. fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) salt & pepper to taste DIRECTIONS: 1) In medium bowl, shred drained tuna. 2) To the tuna, add the beans, scallion/onion, tomatoes, capers, garlic & basil. 3) Whisk together olive oil and vinegar until well-mixed.  Add to tuna mixture. 4) Salt and pepper to taste Serve room temperature or chilled.

Total time: 30 min. INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbs. Olive oil 2 Tbs. fresh ginger, chopped or grated 2 cloves garlic, chopped 8 scallions sliced, green parts separated from white parts 1 Tbs. sweet curry powder 1/2 tsp. hot curry powder 5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1 russet potato, peeled & cubed into bite-size pieces 1 cup red lentils (or any color is fine) 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or cubed into small pieces) 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 2/3 cup pumpkin (canned is fine) 1/3 cup tomato sauce 2 tsp. soy sauce Salt & pepper naan bread, peanuts, & lime wedges for serving coconut milk (optional) DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened. Stir in curry powders. Add carrots, potatoes, lentils, chicken broth, 1 tsp. salt & 1/4 tsp. pepper, pumpkin, soy sauce, & tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer...

These cookies are so good!  I don't usually like no-bake that much, but these are way yummy.  And not overly sweet.  The recipe I adapted to fit what I wanted called for 2 cups of sugar.  These have half of that and more chocolate flavor because there is twice as much cocoa powder (hence the dark chocolate).  Rich and tasty, without making you sick! (always a bonus in my book)  Plus there's protein from the milk and peanut butter, lots of fiber from the oats, and healthy fats from the coconut oil.  They're practically not even a dessert once you add all those things together, so bon appetit ;)  Ingredients: 1 cup sugar (could try honey or agave!) 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer Adam's crunchy peanut butter) 1 Tbs vanilla extract 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup-3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional) Directions: 1. Prepare a baking sheet...

I got to try this recipe at a relief society activity, and it was delicious.  I am putting it on here so I know where to find it when I decide to make it :)   Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Large onion, chopped 5 stalks celery, chopped 5 medium carrots, peeled & sliced 6 sweet peppers, seeded & chopped 1 zucchini, quartered & sliced 2 yellow zucchini, quartered and sliced 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced pinch of salt 32 oz. broth (chicken or vegetable) 2 15oz. cans diced tomatoes 2 cans white beans, drained & rinsed 2 Tbs ground cumin 1 1/2 Tbs chili powder 1 tsp hot sauce 1 tsp fresh lime juice Salt & pepper to taste Garlic salt to taste Parsley to taste Directions:  Saute onion, celery, peppers, carrots, and squash until softened, then add broth, beans, spices, and quinoa.  simmer 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked through.  

I've been trying to cut out processed foods as much as possible from our diet and was looking for a way to use up a few of the 40 apples I have sitting in my fridge taking up valuable space, and I came across this amazing whole-grain, healthy breakfast muffin.  Low sugar, lots of fiber and flavor.  This is definitely my all-time favorite apple-muffin recipe I've made, so I had to add it to the blog so I know where to find it next time.  I hope you like it too... Recipe by Cookieandkate.com Ingredients 1¼ cups whole wheat flour 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cardamom ⅛ teaspoon ginger 1 cup unsweetened applesauce ½ cup light coconut milk with the juice of half a lemon (or low fat buttermilk) ½ cup packed muscovado sugar (or brown sugar) 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or vegetable/canola oil) 1 large egg, lightly beaten ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 small Gala ...

INGREDIENTS:   3 Tbs. Olive Oil 1 cup minced yellow or white onion 1/2 c. chopped zucchini 1/2 c. frozen or fresh cut green beans 1/4 c. minced celery (about 1/2 stalk) 4 tsp. minced garlic (about 4 cloves) 4 c. vegetable broth (can use chicken) 2 15oz. cans red kidney beans (drained & rinsed) 2 15oz. cans small white beans (drained & rinsed) 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes 1/2 c. julienned or shredded carrot 2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1 1/2 tsp. salt (or more to taste) 1/2 tsp. black pepper (or to taste) 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/4 tsp. dried thyme 2 bay leaves 3 c. hot water 1 to 1 1/2 c. cubed butternut squash** 4 c. baby spinach 1/2 cup small seashell pasta* (or other small pasta) DIRECTIONS: 1) Prep all veggies. 2)Heat olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot.  Saute onion, zucchini, green beans, celery, and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. ...

Recipe by Our Best Bites 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup) 2 (15oz) cans white beans (great northern or white or cannellini) 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cubed (about 3-4 normal sized chicken breasts) 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 (3.5oz) can green chilies 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. coriander 1/2 tsp. salt pepper to taste 1 (32 oz.) box chicken broth 1 lime juiced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded Mexican cheeses, avocado, tortilla chips, lime wedges, tomatoes. 1.  Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes, until translucent. 2.  While the onions are cooking, drain the beans and rinse with cold water; set aside.  Sprinkle the chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot.  Add the garlic.  Cook for 4-5 minutes or until there's no more visible pink on the chicken. 3.  Add green...

I say "Chili" because it's not really that chili-ish except for a couple of ingredients.  It's more of a soup that has some chili powder in it.  I kind of mixed two "chili" recipes together to get this, and as it was cooking I thought, no one is going to like this.  It looked weird, but I think that's because I was thinking of it as a chili, and whoever heard of a chili with carrots and celery in them? Or even chicken?  Not me--that's not how I do chili; beef, sausage, beans and lots of chili powder and spice is how I do chili.  Despite the misgivings, this soup turned out to be a real winner.  I was very pleasantly surprised by it's awesomeness, so much so that I made it for a family in need two days later and made sure to make enough for us to eat too.  The kids absolutely loved it.  Naomi took it to school for lunch one day and when I asked her if it was okay for lunch or if it was too cold (they don't get microwaves in their classrooms--a...

I'm always on the lookout for a great, new, pork loin recipe, especially one that has ingredients I already own.  I get tired of chicken & turkey now and then, and pork loin, these days, can be just as healthy for you because of how lean it is.  Only problem is, I only know a few pork recipes, and only one of them is P90X approved.  So I found this one on cooking light, and it is AMAZING!!  check it out... INGREDIENTS: 1  (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice 3 tablespoons   canola oil, divided 1 tablespoon   chopped peeled fresh ginger 3  garlic cloves, minced 6 ounces   pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips   1/2 cup   shelled edamame (green soybeans) 1/2 cup   preshredded carrot 3/4 cup   diagonally cut green onions  (can substitute regular onion) 1/2 cup   (1/4-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper, each cut in half   2 tablespoons   low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 cup ...

Ingredients: 4 fish filets (I used mahi mahi--any flaky fish will do, but NO salmon) cabbage, green or red cider vinegar mango red onion cucumber cilantro limes (or lime juice) avocados black beans, drained & rinsed cajun seasoning corn tortillas Cut up (thinly shred) about a quarter to a third of the cabbage head.  Pour 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar on the cabbage, then season with salt & pepper and set aside.  Peel then dice up entire mango and put in a serving bowl (you're making a mango salsa).  Peel then dice up about a cup worth of cucumber and add to the mango.  Dice up about a third of the red onion and add to mango salsa.  Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro to mango salsa.  Squeeze 2 limes into the mango salsa and mix everything up nicely.  The avocado is to garnish the taco, so just chop that up into a bowl of it's own.  Season fish with cajun seasoning, spray both sides of fish with cooking spray, and spray your cooking ...

this is my new favorite salad: Chicken breast, marinated in Yoshida's for at least an hour, then grilled Romaine lettuce, chopped Spinach (optional) handful craisins 2 Tbs. chopped scallions 1/2 c. grated carrot One 11 oz. can mandarin oranges sliced sweet pepper (optional) slivered almonds (optional) Dressing--put all the following ingredients in a bowl and whisk together: 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder) 1 teaspoon minced ginger (or 1/4 tsp. ginger powder) 2 tablespoons canola OR olive oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce (less or more to desired level of spice) 

Recipe courtesy of "Fast-Fix Meals", with a few alterations by me. 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 to 6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced 3 to 4 green bell peppers, sliced 2 red bell peppers, sliced 1 onion, sliced 1 to 2 T. chili powder 1/2 t. ground cumin Salt and pepper to taste 1 16oz. can diced tomatoes, DO NOT DRAIN 1 16oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups cooked brown rice 10 8-inch flour tortillas 1/3 cup chopped cilantro Directions: If you don't have cooked rice already on hand, start that cooking first. Pour enough oil in a large skillet just to coat bottom; heat over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook just until no longer pink; add peppers, onion and seasonings.  Stir-fry until chicken is golden and vegetables are tender.  Add tomatoes with juice and black beans (check flavor here to see if more salt/pepper is needed).  Cook until liquid is evaporated; add rice and cilantro and stir together.  Place heap...

As per request, I am putting this salsa recipe on the blog. You can't beat homemade salsa flavor-wise, and it is FAR cheaper than buying ready-made salsa. However, this salsa doesn't keep nearly as long as salsa from the store, so you'll want to make sure you can eat it all up within a week if you're going to make it. I've never tried freezing it--I'm not sure it would be as good once thawed though. Anyway, here ya go! Ingredients: 1 can diced tomatoes 1 jalepeno, seeded and diced (if you like it spicy, put a few seeds in the salsa) 1 green onion stalk or 1/2 an onion finely diced 1/8 tsp. garlic A dash or two of chile powder 1/2 tsp. season salt 1/2 tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped (optional) I don't often have cilantro when I decide to make salsa, but it's fine without it. Put tomatoes in a blender and hit the pulse button 2 or 3 times, just enough to make the tomato pieces smaller, but not pureed smooth (unless you don't like any chunks). Pour to...

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium diced onion (or less if desired) 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 cans roasted diced tomatoes 1/2 cup chicken broth 10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (can substitute with about 1/2 tablespoon dry basil) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cream (can substitute with whole milk) In medium pot, saute onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients except for the cream. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. In two or three separate batches, puree soup in blender. ( NOTE: When blending hot liquids, only fill blender halfway and place kitchen towel over lid to prevent burns). Start with lower settings before puree setting. Return puree to pot, add cream and heat through. Serve hot, garnished w/ chopped fresh basil. This is soooo good you guys. I just had it for lunch again today. And if you are going to have grilled cheese sandwiches with your soup (which...