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RECIPES

How-Tos/ RECIPES

How To Eat A Pomegranate

I am still receiving meals from my church due to my diagnosis and fight with breast cancer.  The meals come at least 5 days a week, there are a total of 22 people signed up to bring at least 90 meals!  Isn’t that such a beautiful thing?  I can’t tell you how wonderful it has been.  Yes, there are days I could cook for my family, but there are many days that circumstances would make it hard.  Doctors appointments, chemo treatments that take most of my day, weakness from chemo, weakness from low blood counts, a cold that I just got done fighting, etc.  It has also saved us a ton of grocery money, which has freed money up so that I could to buy healthy groceries for my breakfasts, lunches and snacks.

A couple days ago, my pastor’s wife, Tanya, brought an amazing meal, along with a pomegranate.  I have always wanted to try one, and I knew they were super healthy, so I was excited!  She explained how to get the seeds out in order to eat them, as I was pretty much clueless!  The technique she told me to use is on the video below.

Nutritional Benefits
Pomegranates have very high content of punicalagins, a potent anti-oxidant component found to be responsible for its superior health benefits.
Amazingly, researches indicate that the capacity of anti-oxidant in this fruit is two or three times higher than that of red wine and green tea.
The level of anti-oxidant is even higher than those of other fruits known to have high-levels of anti-oxidant, including blueberries, cranberries and oranges.  This was attributed to the very high polyphenol content in the fruit.
They are also a good source of vitamin B (riboflavin, thiamin and niacin), vitamin C, calcium and phosphorus.  These combination and other minerals in pomegranates cause a powerful synergy that prevents and reverses many diseases.
Pomegranates are very, very good for you and can be used a few different ways.

You pop the seeds in your mouth, which is a super fun, crunchy snack. If the crunch is not your thing, many people just pop them in their mouths, suck the juice out, then spit out the seed.

 Here are a few other ideas from Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce:

Hummus Crown
Sprinkle a generous amount of pomegranate seeds on homemade or store-bought hummus.  Serve with crackers, thinly sliced French bread, or toasted pita bread.
PBP Sandwich
Omit the jelly on a peanut butter sandwich.  Instead, top peanut butter with a layer of pomegranate seeds.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette with Mint
Make a mixed green salad topped with this easy dressing.  In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Stir to combine.  Add 13 cup pomegranate seeds and 1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint; stir to combine.  Use just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves.
Chocolate Ruby Slippers
Chocolate and pomegranate seeds make great partners; the chocolate is smooth and the seeds are both crunchy and juicy.  To make this simple “candy”, melt 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips over simmering water in a double boiler.  Stir frequently/ the idea is to melt the chocolate without getting it hot (it will melt when it is just warm).  Remove top part of double boiler and set on counter top.  Stir in 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds.  Using two teaspoons (one to scoop and the other to push mixture off), place 14 small mounds on baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Chill. Serve with in 24 hours for best flavor and texture.

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Meals/ RECIPES

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Raita

My girlfriends and I went out for my birthday last night.  We were eating Indian food, and when the waiter forgot to bring us our Cucumber Raita, it reminded me of this recipe I made last summer.  I had taken photos but never posted it! It is fun to go back in time, this is a recipe we made late July, and it was A-MAZE-ING.  Seeing the photos makes me want to bust out the grill and make it again!!
A Guide to Easy-to-Make Dishes with Fresh Organic Fruits and Vegetables
This recipe comes from Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce.  I found this cookbook at the library, and it is GREAT.  It is not often I find a cookbook that I like well enough to buy, because it takes up storage space. I would rather keep my recipes online, but this one is definitely on my “to buy” list!  I’ve checked it out from the library 3 times!  There are so many times that I buy produce from the farmers market because it looks so fresh and pretty, then I bring it home and don’t know how to use it.  This cookbook solves that problem!
Chicken Satay is an Indonesian dish, chunks or strips of chicken, threaded on skewers, then grilled.  It is served with a peanut butter- based sauce.  This sauce is so flavorful, it would be great to have on hand just to serve over plain brown rice!  A bit of cucumber raita on the side just gives your taste buds a cooling break–not that this sauce is that spicy, at least ours was not.  You can make it spicy by adding the jalapeno seeds to the sauce.  I did not use the entire jalapeno, my girls have wimpy taste buds!
This recipe uses a marinade, a peanut sauce and cucumber raita.  It seems like a lot of sauces to make, but you can whip ’em up fast and the chicken is simply grilled in minutes (could broil it now that it is winter!)  The most time consuming part is cutting the chicken into chunks (I find this easier if the chicken has been frozen and is partially thawed) and threading them onto skewers.
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce (Cucumber Raita recipe to follow)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks or 2×3/4×1/4 inch strips
Marinade:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (I pressed mine)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil ( I used coconut oil)
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar ( I used sucunat)
Sauce:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 lrg. cloves garlic, minced (I pressed)
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 fresh jalapeno chilies, seeded, minced (for even more spice, add seeds)
1 cup coconut milk, enough to thin out mixture
salt to taste
1. Prepare marinade.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.  Add chicken and toss.  Marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes
2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients except coconut milk and salt in food processor. (can use blender)  Pulse until mixture is smooth.  Add enough coconut milk to thin out sauce to dipping consistency, about 1 cup.  Taste and add salt if desired.
3. Heat grill or broiler.  Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers.  Discard marinade.
Grill 3-5 minutes on each side until completely cooked through.
4. Make a puddle of sauce onto a serving platter.  Arrange skewers on top of sauce.  OR just serve sauce along side of chicken on each plate.
Calories 150, fat 11 grams, saturated fat 4 grams, protein 11 grams.
**see that tropical rice to the side?  Yum!  I will post the recipe soon**
Cucumber Raita
1 medium cucumber
2 cups unsweetened, plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds (*toasting is key!  adds such great flavor. see note below)
21/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or fresh cilantro
1 medium clove garlic, minced
Peel cucumber and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices; cut slices crosswise into thin slices.  Spread on double layer of paper towels and top with single layer.  Pat to remove excess moisture.  Stir yogurt and cumin seeds in medium bowl.  Add cucumber, mint or cilantro, and garlic; stir to combine.
*To toast cumin seeds, place in small skillet on medium-high heat.  Shake handle to redistribute seeds.  Cook until sees start to brown.  Remove from heat.  If you leave them on the heat too long, the will start to pop out of pan.  
I hope you enjoy this as much as our family did!  It truly is a wonderful, super flavorful dish!!



Drinks/ HOME/ RECIPES

Candy Cane Lane Green Tea

When something makes me this happy, I just have to share it with you!

I am coming down with a cold, my throat is very sore and I’ve got a stuffy nose.  Crap.

I picked up Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Green Tea at my health food store the other day and boy, am I glad I did.  It is REALLY good.  It has the taste of peppermint sticks, creamy vanilla bean and a hint of cinnamon.  I added a packet of stevia and a splash of milk to make it sweet, white and creamy.
This makes it feel like I am drinking an expensive, hot drink that is full of calories, when really, I am drinking something full of antioxidants, and all kinds of things that are good for me, and it is sugar free!  There is just something about peppermint when one has a stuffy nose!  Ahhh…

I just bought a bunch of red and white, candy cane striped coffee mugs at my local Dollar Tree. They are square and really cute. I am planning on using them in some way as Christmas gifts for teachers.  They would be perfect stuffed with these tea bags, (they smell SO good), and a candy cane, then wrapped with cellophane and tied with a red bow.  Great, simple gift for any tea lover’s out there!

If you go to Celestial Seasonings Website, you can type in your zip code and they will tell you where to find this particular tea in your area, or, you can click here and order it from Amazon.

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Brunch/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

How To Make A Simple Omelette

 

I was in the mood for an omelette but needed a bit of inspiration. I watched the Jamie Oliver video below, and using  his technique I made myself an omelet and it was sooo good!

Even though it is early November, my tomato plant is still producing tomatoes, and I have a pepper plant that is still going, too.

 I chopped 1/4 of a tomato and 1 small orange sweet pepper, briefly sauteed them in some olive oil, and set them aside to use as filling for my omelet.  I also shredded some cheddar cheese.  It was by far the yummiest omelette I have ever eaten!

 

How To Make an Omelette

 

Basic Omelette

1 tablespoon butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons water

salt/pepper

~beat eggs and water in a bowl, just until mixed, not too frothy.

~add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste

~heat butter in the pan over medium heat.  Add eggs.

~gently push eggs from edge of pan towards middle while still runny

~tilt pan to fill in gaps

~cook until set on bottom and slightly shiny on top.

~fold over, slide onto plate.

~enjoy!

 

{see filling ideas below}

Omelette Filling Ideas

Omelette Fillings

cheese, {swiss, cheddar, feta, etc}

onions or green onions

bell peppers

mushrooms

meat {ham, bacon, sausage, chicken, turkey}

asparagus

tomato

fresh herbs

feta cheese

peas

carrots

broccoli

avocados

salsa

{make sure your toppings are prepared ahead of time, as omelettes cook quickly}

 

 

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RECIPES/ Seasonal/ Sides

Too Much Pumpkin?!?

***this post is from last fall.  I’ve been busy having fun with my girls on their fall break, too busy to write new posts!!  
If you love pumpkin, this post is for you!  I am planning on going crazy during the remainder of this fall with the whole pumpkin food theme.  I have collected a few recipes that have caught my eye, and now that it is pumpkin eatin’ season, its time to try a few!

Every year when it comes time to carve pumpkins and scoop out all those pumpkin guts, I have great intentions of saving the seeds and making them into some kind of roasted goodness.  And every year, my good intentions go right out the window after a long night of carving, and even longer time of cleaning up all those pumpkin guts. This year I am FOR SURE going to do it.  I have Old Bay Seasoning sitting in my cupboard, which is what I need to make Maryland Pumpkin Seeds.
*I made these and they were yummy!

This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe is one I am very excited about. Doesn’t that sound so very comforting?
*This pasta is one we will have at least once every fall.  I made it and it was creamy goodness..

We are all about pancakes in this house, so Fluffy Light Pumpkin Pancakes are a must try!
*These are everything their name says they are.  So good!

The picture of these Soft Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies has not left my brain since I first got a glimpse of it, I really hope they taste as good as they look! (I am going to use applesauce in place of the oil and maybe some maple syrup instead of all that sugar!)
*I replaced 1/2 the oil with applesauce and used pure cane sugar (sucanat) instead of sugar.  I made them last fall and I am hoping to get the energy to make them again, seeing the picture again makes me remember how wonderful they were!

This Black Bean Pumpkin Soup I have made, and it is to die for.  It got two thumbs up from my husband, and it is very healthy.  (I used a small amount of bacon instead of the ham)

 I have yet to find a chili made with turkey that I like, maybe this one, Pumpkin Turkey Chili, will be THE one?

As you know, I am a smoothie lover. Not so sure about a Pumpkin Smoothie, but if it can make a vegetable taste like dessert, I’m all for trying it!

Thank goodness I have until the end of November to make some of these!  I have a feeling my family will have had their fill of pumpkin by then!

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How-Tos/ RECIPES/ Sides

Crockpot Homemade Applesauce

Guest Post by: Katie at The Cutting Back Kitchen

By the time September hits, I have had more than my fill of summer, and I am ushering in the fall season.  The fall decorations come out, pumpkin lattes become all too often indulgence, I anxiously await the changing leaves, and the fall recipes make their yearly appearance.
I love fall recipes, and this applesauce is no exception!  If you have never made homemade applesauce, it is a must this year.  The taste exceeds the store bought variety by a mile.
The great thing about homemade applesauce is that you can enjoy it all year long; it doesn’t have to be just a “fall recipe”.  Every fall I buy about 20-30 pounds of apples and feed the freezer.  I take one day to peel, cook, and package up the yummy stuff in freezer bags, and we enjoy it all year!
Ingredients
3 pound bag of apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar (or other sweetener)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup water
Instructions
Place your apple slices in the bottom of a Crockpot.  (If you don’t have a Crockpot, you can make it on the stove.) Top with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Add the water. (I always just make sure to add enough water to cover the bottom of the Crockpot.)    Cook the applesauce on low for 4-6 hours or until apples are tender.  Once the apples are tender, mash them with a potato masher for a chunkier consistency.  For a smoother consistency, mix in blender.
This is more an idea, than an exact recipe you need to stick to.  I try to keep mine pretty low in sugar, but if you like yours sweeter add some more.  Sometimes I add a handful of frozen berries to add some color and lend a slightly different flavor.  Get creative!
Freezing Instructions
I just package mine in quart sized freezer bags.   Thaw and enjoy!

Katie blogs at The Cutting Back Kitchen.  Her passion is helping women serve up big flavors on a bland budget.  There you will read all about her newest recipes, couponing adventures, freezer cooking frenzies, and really…everything that is kitchen related!

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Brunch/ RECIPES/ Sides

Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

***This is a re-post from last fall.  Enjoy!
I found this great recipe at Kitchen Stewardship.
I have made it TWICE this week and I really love it.   It is a “dump all ingredients into one bowl in no certain order and stir” recipe, so it takes minutes to whip up.  It is super moist, makes the house smell like fall, and fills up little tummy’s when they need a snack.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it has a few different options to make the original recipe healthier.  Love that!
Easy One Bowl Pumpkin Bread/Muffins
1 ½ c. sugar                                        ½ t. cinnamon
2 eggs                                                     ½ t. nutmeg
¼ t. baking powder                           1 2/3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda                                  ½ c. oil
¾ t. salt                                                ½ c. cold water
½ t. cloves                                          1 c. pumpkin (about half a 15 oz can)
Mix all ingredients together.  Put in greased loaf pan or muffin tin.  Bake at 325 degrees.
  • Bread (one loaf) = 75-90 minutes
  • 12 Muffins = 45 minutes
  • 24 Mini muffins = 25 minutes
Cost:  about $1.50 !!!  
Get this…I was at my neighborhood natural market this weekend and they were selling freshly baked pumpkin bread for $7.99 a loaf!  That’s just craziness!!  They were skimpy little loaves, too.  I walked away smiling to myself, thinking about how I can go home and whip up a generous loaf of my own pumpkin bread that would be just as healthy as theirs!
To make my loaves healthier, I cut the sugar down to a cup, and used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2/3 cup unbleached white flour.  Next time I will try honey instead of sugar and applesauce instead of oil.  I also want to add some dried cranberries (got that idea from those crazy $7.00 loaves at my market:))
Easy Ways to Make It Healthy:
  1. Level one: decrease the sugar by 1/4 or even 1/2 cup (1 c. sugar total)
  2. Level two:  use half whole wheat flour
  3. Level three:  make the “oil” melted butter or applesauce
One Bowl Pumpkin Muffins Healthy Remake
3/4 cup honey                                        ½ t. cinnamon
2 eggs                                                     ½ t. nutmeg
¼ t. baking powder                           1 2/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. baking soda                                  ½ c. melted butter or coconut oil
¾ t. salt                                                1/4 c. cold water
½ t. cloves                                          1 c. pumpkin (about half a 15 oz can)
1 Tbs molasses
Baking Change:Only bake muffins for 30 minutes – honey browns faster!
Both recipes call for only a half a can of pumpkin.  I wondered what to do with the other half, until I saw how quickly my family ate up the first loaf.  I made a second loaf the very next day.  You could double the recipe and freeze a loaf.  I knew we would be home quite a bit this weekend and I love to have something yummy baking in the oven, so I made the loaves on separate days.
 Oh, one more thing…make sure your spices are not dated and tired.  I could not believe the difference in my 2 loaves, the first one I made with spices I know have been in my cupboard since last fall, and although the texture was awesome, I wondered, “if the spices were happy, would taste any different?”  For the second loaf, I went to my market where they sell spices in bulk (you can help yourself to whatever amount you need and they charge you by weight).  DO THIS IF YOU CAN, the second loaf was AMAZING!  I love the buy spices in bulk option.  Lately, I have been buying a small amount for whatever recipes I am going to make in the next week or two.  I did this for 2 recipes that I make all the time, chili and chicken curry,  and both recipes tasted like they had a makeover, when all I did was buy super fresh spices.  It is very economical, and so very worth it!
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