Vegetarian (or not) Dirty Rice

While recently visiting family, my nephew made a fantastic vegetarian dirty rice. He is a great cook and just combined this and that for a very flavorful dish. I have been wanting something similar ever since. I tried this recipe as a main dish for tonight and it turned out great. You could easily add cooked chicken if this would not float your boat as a main dish as is. Delicious and super easy!

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp. dark chili powder
1 tsp. paparika
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 c. Jasmin rice or any long grain rice (You can use brown rice, however the cooking time will be about an hour instead of time listed below)
1- 16 oz.can Swanson Vegetarian broth (I used chicken broth)
1 c. cold waterSalt and pepper to taste

Prep: Heat a 2 qt. sauce pan to high, place olive oil and butter in pan. Saute onion, garlic until carmalized. Add basil, oregano, chili powder, paparika, red pepper and rice. Saute rice for three minutes, stirring ocassionally. Add broth and water, stir. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20- 25 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Add cooked chicken if you would like.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

I made this last night for dinner. The kids asked for seconds and thirds!:) I did not put chicken in, but it would be tasty either way. Also, I chopped a full cup of spinach finely so as to hide and add some more fresh greens to the dish. Looking forward to having it again!!


2 chicken breasts diced
1/2 red bell pepper minced
2 T green onion, minced
1/4 c white onion, minced
1 can corn (or frozen 1 C.)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. spinach , sliced very thinly (or chopped finely to hide)
1 small can diced green chiles
1/2 T. fresh parsley minced
1/2 t. cumin1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 t. saltdash cayenne pepper
1 c monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese shredded
flour tortillas

Avocado Ranch dipping sauce
1 C ranch
1 whole avocado mashed
1 t minced onion
salt and pepper
lime juiceblend together with blender.

Mix first 13 ingredients and saute until warm. Remove from heat and add cheese, mix well, warm tortillas. Place about 1/2 cup of mixture in tortilla and fold so that none escapes. Place inside panini or George Foreman grill. Serve with dipping sauce.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe on http://simplehealthytasty.blogspot.com/ and modified them somewhat to suit my taste. They are a hit with my kids!! They are rich so after eating one I was done which is good because back in the day when I was eating treats I could have put away an entire dozen. This recipe makes A LOT so I have plenty in the freezer for after school snacks during the week and maybe the kids will even find one in their lunch:)

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Softened Butter (NO margarine!!!)
3/4 Cup Pureed White Beans
2 2/3 Cups Honey
3 Cups Natural Peanut Butter
6 Cups Whole Hard White Wheat Flour
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Sea Salt

Beat coconut oil, butter, beans, honey, and peanut butter. Mix in flour, soda, and salt, already sifted together. Scoop spoonfuls and drop onto baking sheets and press flat with a fork. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Be careful not to let them get too brown or they will be crunchy. These are very rich.

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

I made this delicious dairy free ice cream tonight as we were having friends over for dinner. It was a hit!! No Sugar and No Dairy but still creamy and sweet:)

Strawberry Ice Cream
14 oz. can Coconut Milk
10 oz. Frozen Strawberries
1/4 cup Agave Nectar
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
vanilla bean (optional but recommended)

1. Blend ingredients in blender
2. Pour into ice cream maker and process 20 minutes or according to your ice cream maker instructions
3. Serve

Black Bean Enchiladas

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp oil
1 c chopped onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c corn kernels
½ c green bell pepper, diced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, drained
2 tsp ground cumin
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese8-10 tortillas
1 1/2 c green chile enchilada saucesalt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish. In a medium sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté until aromatic and onions are softened. Add green peppers (and corn if using frozen), sautéing until softened. Stir in beans, cumin, green chiles & corn (if using fresh). Cook for ~5 minutes until warm; partially mash beans. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt & pepper as desired.

Spoon some of the black bean mixture down the center of a tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour green chile sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake for 10 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Twice Baked Green Potatoes

8 large potatoes
1 large head broccoli (you may wish to buy more than this, to serve another portion of steamed broccoli with the meal)
4 cups spinach
8 green onions, diced (always use the entire onion, including the long green part)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Bake foil-wrapped potatoes at 350 for one hour and let cool enough to handle the potatoes. Chop broccoli in small pieces and steam for 15 minutes, adding the spinach for the last 5 minutes of steaming. Cut each potato in half and scoop out the potato “guts,” being careful to leave skin intact with about ¼” of potato all the way around, to keep it firm to use later. Set skins aside. Use hand mixer to blend until smooth the potato “guts,” steamed broccoli, onions, and spinach, Parmesan, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Add a bit of water if mixture is too thick to blend.

Scoop mixture back into potato skins. Optionally sprinkle with additional Parmesan, and bake at 350 for 15-20 mins. Serve immediately

Oatmeal Cookies

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (with Honey)
Ingredients:
Dry ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)
1 1/2 cups of Whole Oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil (grapeseed or olive) I use olive. Also, if you would like to use butter instead, use 2/3 cup of softened butter and cream it with the dry ingredients before adding the wet.
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla

Optional ingredients
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts

Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray--your honey won't stick).
Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour.
COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet.
Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

2 cups ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup olive oil or 1 cup melted butter (no margarine or veg. oil)
4 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups fresh ground wheat. I use hard white, but you could use red as well.
3/4 cup raw honey
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix bananas, eggs and olive oil. Combine dry ingredients with above. Fill greased muffin tins or cupcake papers 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 to 20 minutes. Can freeze. Yield: 2 dozen

Robyn's Granola

Nic....Here is the video and recipe for the granola I make. I have made several varations of this. I love, love, love, this granola and it's variations. ENJOY!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1HUUEuv-QE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egreensmoothiegirl%2Ecom%2Fvideos%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded
Keep in mind this is NOT a low fat or low calorie granola. It is packed with good fats and lots of nutrients, but if you are watching your waistline, eat in moderation:)


In a large pan (a roasting pan works best but I use a 9X13) combine:
8 cups rolled oats (not instant oats, which are a processed food)
1 cup raw wheat germ (found in bulk at the health food store, high in B vitamins)
1 cup shredded coconut (found in bulk at the health food store—not the sugar kind)
½ cup freshly ground flax seed (grind fresh, in blender) I have used them whole as well.
1 1/2 cup nuts (raw cashews)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
Mix well.

Heat on stove until barely melted, stir together, and pour over dry mixture:

½ cup raw honey
1/4 cup black strap molassas
½ cup water
½ cup coconut oil
optional: 1 Tbsp. maple flavoring or vanilla

Mix liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until distributed evenly (this takes a few minutes). Bake at 250 degrees, stirring well every 20 minutes, for 45-90 minutes or until dry. Keep in pantry for up to 2 weeks in cool weather, or the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

Green Smoothie

If you are looking for a way to add more greens to your family's diet, this is a great way to do it! Also, it's much easier than trying to choke down a huge salad (especially for kids).

3 cups Water (more if your blender needs it)
12 cups Fresh Spinach
3 large leaves Kale (include the woody stock it's nutritous too)
3 large leaves Chard (red or rainbow, stem and all)
3 large leaves Collard (with stem, of course)
Really, you can use any green leafy with a mild flavor
2 small apples
2 small bananas (I prefer them frozen)
2 cups frozen berries (I buy the big frozen berries at Costco which include marion, blueberries, blackberries, and raspeberries

I don' t really measure ingredients at this point so the above listed are just a guess. I just make sure I keep adding greens until I have a gallon of smoothie.

Put the water in your blender and then fill it with veggies, blend and keep adding ingredients until smooth. You may have to empty blender to 1/2 full to get everything in. I make 1 gallon of green smoothie a day. This gives Kade and I each 4 cups and the kids 2 cups each with two cups left over for the kids to have as a snack.

Thai Stir Fry

I tried this stir fry dish last night and it was a hit. Even the kids liked it! Yes, it does have white wine. I have several recipes that I use which call for wine. I'm sure there is an alternative, but I quite like the white wine myself. If you know of a substitution, leave a comment to let others know.


VEGETABLES:
2 medium-size carrot, sliced (I cut them into small matchstick size)
1-2 cups baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage (leaves left whole if not too large,otherwise cut in half or thirds)
1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
5-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced, or left in halves or quarters
3 spring onions, cut in thirds
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, sliced thinly (matchstick-like pieces)
3 Tbsp. white wine or sherry for stir-frying

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
1/3 cup chicken broth (you could use vegetable stock)
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (or substitute 2.5 Tbsp. soy sauce)
1 Tbsp. lime juice
5-7 cloves of garlic, minced (I used more as we love love love garlic)
1 tsp. raw honey (plus more to taste, if desired)
2 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
1 red chili, minced, OR 1 tsp. chili sauce, OR 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper


Preparation:
1. Start by making the stir-fry sauce. Place all ingredients - except garlic and cornstarch - in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Now add the minced garlic and cornstarch (dissolved in water). Stir until the sauce thickens slightly - about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Do a taste test. You're looking for a balance of salty (fish sauce), spicy (garlic and chili), sour (lime), and sweet (honey). Adjust these flavors to suit your taste.
4. Place a little oil in a wok/frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the carrots, galangal (or ginger), and shiitake mushrooms. When the pan becomes dry, add a little of the wine or sherry, 1 Tbsp. at a time, to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry in this way, adding more wine or sherry as needed, for 2-3 minutes. Don't over cook. The veggies taste MUCH better when crispy.
5. Add the rest of the vegetables plus 1/3 of the stir-fry sauce and continue stir-frying another 2 minutes, or until the broccoli has softened slightly but still retains some of its crispness.
6. Add remaining stir-fry sauce and mix in until everything is hot. Remove from heat.
7. Do one last taste test. If not salty enough, add up to 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce. If too salty, add another squeeze of lime juice or add a little more honey, if desired.
8. Serve immediately over rice and ENJOY!


I did thinly slice one chicken breast, cooked it up and added it to this dish. My kids were just glad to see some meat!! If you were hoping for a meatless dish, just add a handful of raw cashews instead of chicken.