Dare to Dessert

Coconut Macaroons 

Ingredients:

6 egg whites
1/4 tsp. celtic sea salt
1/2 cup raw honey
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 cups unsweetened coconut

Directions:

In mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sea salt, raw honey, vanilla and coconut. Spoon batter on to parchment paper on cookie sheet Bake and 350 degrees for 10 to 15 mins until lightly browned.

OH SO...CHEESY ORGANIC CAULIFLOWER BREADSTICKS!

INGREDIENTS

·  4 cups of riced cauliflower (about 1 large head of organic cauliflower)

·  4 eggs

·  2 cups of your favorite cheese

·  3 tsp oregano

·  4 cloves garlic, tsp of minced

·  salt and pepper to taste

·  1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese (for topping)

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Prepare 2 pizza dishes or a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

      2.  Make sure your cauliflower is roughly chopped in florets. Add the florets to your food processor and pulse until cauliflower resembles rice or hand chop or grind.

      3.  Place the cauliflower in a pot with a little water and bring to a quick boil for about 2 minutes. Place the cooled cauliflower in a large bowl and add the 4 eggs, 2 cups of cheese, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix everything together.

      4.  Separate the mixture in half and place each half onto the prepared baking sheets and shape into either a pizza crust, or a rectangular shape for the breadsticks.

      5.  Bake the crust (no topping yet) for about 25 minutes or until nice and golden. Don't be afraid the crust is not soggy at all. Once golden, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

      6.  Slice and serve with your favorite organic marinara sauce

NOTES

I don’t recommend a microwave, it kills so many of the good enzymes in our food. If you have no other method, use it for just long enough to make the riced cauliflower soft.

It's Summer Party Time!!!

Piled High Squash

(Substitute for Potato Skins) Serves 6 (1 squash each or 2 halves)

Ingredients
6 small to medium summer squash or zucchini
Olive oil
1 small sweet onion
1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters (any color you like)
½ cup fresh cubed mozzarella
6 chopped, canned artichoke hearts
1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut each squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Brush the squash with olive oil and bake(carved out side down) for 20 minutes, until golden around the edges.

While that is cooking, heat a small frying pan with tablespoon of olive or avocado oil and saute the onion for 10 minutes, until translucent. Remove from the heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt to taste, adding as much as you think the mixture needs to bring out the flavors of the tomatoes. Add the zucchini-onion mixture and stir together.

Press the filling into each of the zucchini boats. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the tomatoes have burst, and the tops of the boats are golden. Let them rest for a couple of minutes, then serve, topped with sour cream, bacon crumbles...well you take it from here and let your imagination take over. Let me know what you came up with so I can try it. Write it in the comment section below.

Butternut Squash Soup is the Nuts!!

Any Season Soup!

Served HOT or COLD it's delish!

Save the seeds that you carve out of the squash and let them dry on a paper plate for a few days, put them in a paper envelope until next years planting. Be sure to write what it is on the front, or get a surprise in your garden:) 

This can be frozen in small amounts and thawed quickly when that unexpected company is coming to town.

Ingredients: 

·         1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 carrot, diced

·         1 celery stalk, diced

·         1 onion, diced

·         4 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen

·         1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or crushed thyme

·         4 cups water (to cover squash)

·         low-sodium chicken broth( powder, cube or paste) to taste

·         1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

·         1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions: 

    Place in a large pot: all ingredients (because I love to do it quick and easy). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. You can use an immersion blender, blender, bullet, ninja to purée the squash for creamy smooth soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully purée in batches in an upright blender. 

Three Twists

Apple, Gorgonzola and Almond Butternut Soup
Stir 1 cup unsweetened applesauce into puréed soup. Garnish each serving with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, toasted almonds, a few slices of thinly sliced apple and a small sprig of fresh thyme. 

Thai-style Butternut Soup
Stir a tablespoon of red curry paste and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger into carrot, celery and onion mixture. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk with broth. Purée soup and garnish each serving with toasted coconut flakes and chopped fresh cilantro.

Southwestern-style Butternut Soup
Add a tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce to carrot, celery and onion mixture. Garnish soup with crumbled queso fresco, toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped fresh cilantro.

Enjoy this winter squash any time of the year!!

Stay Healthy,

Light and Delicious Salad Dressing!!

It's finally here...something "Delectable" (as my father would say and then laugh)
He once heard a teacher use that word regarding a mango that she was cutting up to let the kids in the class taste. Teachers...ah well...the great ones we never forget!

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Makes a half cup

Lemon is the perfect match to sorrel, spring lettuce, cress and aromatic herbs.

• 1 clove garlic, peeled, mashed and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl ,a jar with a lid or a salad dressing bottle (as above), combine garlic, lemon juice, tahini ( made from sesame seeds), honey and oil. Stir with a spoon (or shake) until blended. At first, it will look like the ingredients will not blend. But it will emulsify! Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

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• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 cup water chestnut 
• 2/3 cup mushrooms/chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 -5 leaves lettuce

Special Sauce

• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame/avacado oil
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard

2 teaspoons water

1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste/powder

Stir Fry Sauce

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1. 1
   Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
2. 2
   Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
3. 3
   Keep oil in the pan, keep hot. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to pan. Add stir fry sauce to pan, saute mixture a couple minutes then serve in lettuce leaves.

Simply Easy Group Breakfast or Brunch!

Casserole in the crock ! 

Ingredients:
1 bag 26 oz. frozen organic hash browns
12 organic eggs
1 cup organic milk
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 16 oz. turkey sausage
Sea Salt and pepper
16 oz. bag low fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Spray with organic cooking spray the crock pot and evenly spread hash browns at the bottom.
2. Crack eggs in a large bowl.
3. Mix well (and slowly) using a whisk.
4. Add the milk.
5. Go ahead and sprinkle in the ground mustard. This might sound like a weird ingredient, but I've come to love (and use) this in most of my recipes.
6. Add salt.......and lots of fresh pepper. Mix well and set aside.
7. Cook the sausage on high heat, drain and set aside.
8. Add sausage on top of hash browns.
9. Throw the whole big bag in there.
10. Mix it up well. 
11. Pour the egg mixture over everything in the crock pot. Using a wood spoon, even everything out so it's spread evenly.
12. Turn the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.

Some fun variations of this recipe. Before cooking (during prep) you can add:

diced chiles
salsa
diced green onions

Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

Old Fashioned Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cubed
2 small cans organic chicken broth
1 onion, finely diced

4 med cut carrots cut on a diagonal

2 stalks of cut celery

Directions

Place the chicken,broth, onion,carrots and celery in a pot on the stovetop, and cover.
Cook about 30 minutes, drain off the broth into another pan to thicken for gravy.

Mix up 1/3 cup flour and water in a shaker container until runny then wait until the broth
is boiling and pour in the flour and water mixture while whisking .
Return gravy back into the original pot and bring back to a slow bubble.

Mix up the Dumplings:  recipe makes 6 dumplings

1cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS margarine

Directions

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in medium size bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly.

Stir in milk to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonfuls into boiling stew. Cover and simmer 

without lifting lid. Dumplings will look wet on the outside but will be dry on the inside when 

cooked. So test the insides for doneness. 

You will love these once you make them. 

So will everyone at the table.

Simply Zesty!!

Zesty Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
• 4 large diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
• 1 15-ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt ( or lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup prepared salsa
• 2 cups shredded or chopped lettuce
• 1 cup shredded taco cheese blend
• 2 1/2 cups thin tortilla chips

·       

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
2. Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.
3. Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips underneath or around the edge for dipping.

Simply Healthy Cooking 4U: Simply Tasty!!

Simply Healthy Cooking 4U: Simply Tasty!!: Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Ingredients 8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets, (about 1 large head)...

Simply Sizzlin'!!

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Ingredients:

6 (6 oz.) mahi mahi fish fillets, 1/2" thick

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. honey

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt (you can omit)

1/8 tsp. white pepper

 Preparation:

• Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. For dressing, in a small bowl combine cilantro, lemon peel and juice, oil, honey, garlic, and salt. Mix well.
•  Place fish fillets into glass baking pan and pour dressing over; turn fish to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Lightly grease indoor electric grill and preheat or fire up the outside grill.  Drain fish, discarding marinade. Place fish on the grill rack, tucking under any thin edges. If using a covered grill, close lid.
• Grill until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, about 2 to 3 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness of fish on a two sided grill. On uncovered grill, cook for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness of fish, turning once halfway through grilling. Makes 6 servings. 

Grilling fish can be tricky. I cheat and use foil on the grill with poked holes because I tend to flip the fish and it gracefully slides between the grates of the grill. 

Tell us your grilling secrets and enter to win a surprise! 

Write in your secrets below and we promise to tell!! (so sign your name:)

 

Simply Creamy!!

 

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni (2 cups)
• 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk (or unsweetened milk substitute)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons of margarine
• 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

 

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender.
2. Melt margarine and add flour until it's smooth.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering.
4. Add warm milk a little at a time into the flour mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar cheese until  melted and creamy. You can return to stove to melt on very low heat and stir continuously until melted.

What do you add to your mac and cheese?? 

****Tell me in the comment section below,
                     and enter to win something healthy this week!!

Simple and Fun!!

 Cooking can be a chore if you make it one.

Keep it simple. 

Fix meals that only use 4 ingredients.

Take two days a week (usually Sunday & Thursday) and cut up veggies and fruits

Now here is your first recipe and it's healthy too!!

                                  BEEF STROGANOFF

 

1 lb Beef Round Steak, cut into small strips or chunks

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Package Egg Noodles or Favorite Pasta

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Brown the beef and drain

2.) Cook the pasta according to package directions.

3.) Stir into the Beef>Mushroom Soup,1/2 cup sour cream,1/4 cup of water, stir and heat until hot.   Add cooked noodles, Mix and serve immediately.

You can feel free to make substitutions and then add  your comment in the comment section. I will choose a winner every week to get a healthy surprise!! So add those comments !!

Think Healthy!!

Sandra