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RECIPES

RECIPES/ Sides

French Lentil Soup

photo by photobunny

I make homemade soup for my husband every week.  He takes a mason jar off to work each day, filled with a healthful portion of vegetable goodness.  He would be happy eating the same soup, every day, every week– but that is WAY too boring for me.  I love finding new easy, healthy soup recipes, and this one from Zakka Life caught my eye as just that!  I made it, and it is a keeper, one I will make often!

Lentils are a super food.  They are inexpensive and high in protein, iron, calcium, and fiber.
The fiber in lentils helps lower cholesterol levels.  They are also beneficial in managing blood sugar because it is a low glycemic food.  The great mix of fiber and protein will fill you up and keep you full, even an hour later.

 

French Lentil Soup
3 Tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery (I used 1/2 cup)
1 cup chopped carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
4-5 cups chicken stock (homemade makes a world of difference!) or vegetable stock
11/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed and drained
14 oz can diced tomatoes plus juice
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
(I also added a bit of thyme and rosemary, about 1/2 tsp thyme, and 1/4 tsp rosemary)

1. In a large pot, saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Add lentils, chicken stock, and diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
3. When lentils are tender, add balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Here are more of my healthy soup recipes:

Chicken Tortilla Crockpot Soup

Acorn Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Homemade Chicken Soup

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

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Brunch/ RECIPES

Hearty Whole Grain French Toast

I am eating this right now as I type–mmm-mm–good!
It is easy, it is filling, and it is a favorite here in our home.
The recipe is easily adjusted according to your needs.  I use one egg per piece of bread.  I like knowing if my girls eat 2 pieces, they have had 2 eggs and 2 pieces of whole grain bread.  I’ll throw some sliced fruit on a plate, and it ends up being a well-rounded, very filling breakfast.

Hearty Whole Grain French Toast
12 Slices Whole Grain Bread (I used Sara Lee Hearty and Delicious 100% Multi-Grain Bread)
12 Eggs
1/4 C. Milk
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Butter
100% Real Maple Syrup

Beat eggs, milk, vanilla & cinnamon.  Heat griddle, add a pat of butter.  Quickly dip both sides of bread into egg mixture and put onto heated griddle.  Cook until golden on both sides.  Serve with butter and syrup.  Freeze any leftovers, reheat in toaster.
This post is linked to:
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace
Coombs Family Farms 100% Pure Organic Maple Syrup Grade B, 32 Ounce JugPresto 07030 Cool Touch 20-Inch Electric Griddle, Black

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Meals/ RECIPES/ Sides

Veri Teriyaki Bowtie Spinach Salad

I am very excited about this spinach salad recipe.  I found it at one of my favorite blogs “The Dear Diary Stories.”  Marta is the author, and she said she eats a version of it almost every week.  If you want to see beautiful photos of this recipe, click on over to her site.

So let’s start with the dressing-oh yum.  I think the key ingredient is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teri Yaki Marinade. Why did I not know about this product?

I found it at Walmart and was happy to see that it did not have high fructose corn syrup in it.  My girls loved it, to my relief, because they are very picky about their salad dressings!

I made this recipe last night for the first time.  We had about an hour before we had to leave for my daughter’s soccer game, so I needed something for dinner that was fast and healthy.

I threw some chicken on the grill (seasoned with grill seasoning), put some noodles on to boil, and chopped a red pepper. The dressing went together in a snap-I used a mason jar of course. 🙂

This dish is well rounded, it contains a protein, carb, vegetables, and fruit- all in the one dish.  It took maybe 20 minutes to make–I love feeding my family easy, healthy “fast” food:)


Veri Teriyaki Bowtie Spinach Salad 

16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked and rinsed with cold water to cool
1 bag of baby spinach
1-2 cans of mandarin oranges
1 cup craisins
1 red pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions (didn’t use)
1 cup peanuts or cashews (didn’t use)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (optional-didn’t use)

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (optional-didn’t use)

  2 cups cooked chicken (optional)

Dressing:
1 cup oil ( I used canola, wondering if olive oil would taste mild enough for this)
2/3 cup white wine vinegar (didn’t have any, used rice vinegar-was great!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2/3 cup Soy Vay Teriyaki sauce (or any brand-I recommend Soy Vay!)
5 Tbs sugar (I used rapadura)

Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water, let sit while whisking the dressing together.  (I put it all in a jar and gave it a good shake)  Pour dressing over pasta and let refrigerate for an hour ( I skipped this, didn’t have time).  Combine salad ingredients in a bowl, add pasta/dressing and combine.

***I put all the ingredients in separate small bowls and let my family build their own salads.  It worked well, no soggy leftover salad.

****The next day,  I tossed all the leftovers, (minus the spinach and mandarin oranges) together in a bowl, added cut up clementines, and it made the most amazing, fresh-tasting pasta salad!! Mmmm.

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RECIPES

New Nostalgia Recipe Index

New Nostalgia Recipe Index

 

Breakfast

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
Healthy Chicken Stock
French Lentil Soup
Cleansing Chicken Soup
My Go To Easy Black Bean Soup

Soft Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Easy Chocolate Sauce For Ice Cream
Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Bars-Best Recipe I’ve Ever Messed Up
Easy Butterscotch Bars
Healthy Homemade Fruit Rollups
Chewy, No Bake Granola Bars
Crunchy, Roasted Chickpeas
Crockpot Homemade Applesauce
Baked Kale Chips
Gooey, Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes
5 Minute Creamy Avocado Dip
Green Smoothie Popsicles
Homemade Cheeze Its
No Bake, No Sugar Chocolate “Larabar” Truffles
Fruit Pie With Apricot-Nut Crust
Orange Almond Polenta Cake With Strawberries
Raw, Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites
Kettle Corn Crispie Bars
Apricot Nut Crust Fruit Pie
Chocolate Avocado Mousse with Raspberries

Salty Sweet Funky Fritos
5 Ingredient Granola Banana Bites
Easy Crockpot Applesauce
White Chocolate Raspberry Bites
Anytime Chia Pudding

15
Brunch/ RECIPES

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins

These muffins are GOOD!  They are moist, have great texture and are 100% healthy, with no refined flour or sugars. To make the muffins lower in fat, replace half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. I used whole wheat pastry flour, which is ground more fine and makes for a lighter, fluffier muffin.
The recipe was originally posted on Recipezaar, and given to me by my friend Joy (who is also responsible for passing on the waffle recipe on my blog–she knows how to find the good ones!)
This recipe makes a lot of muffins, which I love, but can be halved easily.  The recipe states that it makes 24 regular sized muffins.  I was able to get 4 mini loaves and 120 mini muffins out of one recipe.  The muffins freeze well, and are great for breakfast or a quick snack.  Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins
 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp wheat germ (optional)
2/3 cup olive oil (I’d like to try coconut oil)
1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (I used 6)
1/2 cup hot water

1. Stir together dry ingredients
2. Beat oil and honey together; add eggs and beat well.
3. Add bananas and beat to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, alternating with hot water; mix well after each addition.
5. Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and test done.
6. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

{*thanks, Joy!}

33
Meals/ RECIPES

Pizza Rolls

Lately, I have been making batches of pizza dough in my bread maker, then throwing it is ziplocs and freezing it.  I’ve been using this recipe off the bag of Bob Mill’s Organic Flour: (I tried a few Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipes, and I’m still on the look out for one that does not remind me of cardboard…help!)
Perfect Pizza Crust (well almost perfect, would be if it used whole wheat flour!) 
1 cup Warm Water (105-115 degrees)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Rapadura (or Sugar or honey)
1 tsp Salt
21/2 Cups Unbleached White Flour
1 Tbsp Active Dry Yeast
Put in order given into bread maker.  
Set maker on dough setting. 
Push start, when finished,
Place in ziplock to freeze if not using right away.
I’ve done the same with 
Seasoned Ground Beef:
~chop some onion and garlic, (1/2 med. onion, 1 clove garlic)
~cook in a bit of olive oil, (about 1 Tbsp)
~add ground beef (1 lb)
~and a bit of grill seasoning, (1-1/2 tsp)
~cook it up,
~put in a mason jar, 
~and plop it in the freezer.
I’ve done the same with
~click here for the recipe
~put into mason jar and freeze
I’ve also been buying
  Mozzarella Cheese 
when it goes on sale:
~shred it, 
~then freeze it.
When I have a freezer full of these things, Homemade Pizza is a snap, and so delish!  I can’t tell you the difference between homemade pizza and frozen store bought pizza.  I had no idea until I started making my own!
I wanted to make our pizza more fun and portable, so when I saw these Pizza Rolls at Tammy’s Recipes, I knew I would copy her technique. These were a hit, especially with kids.  
~Roll out the dough about 1/8 inch thick.

~Sprinkle with garlic powder, Seasoned Ground Beef, and Cheese

~Roll up

~Slice

~Put into a greased pan

~Bake 350 degrees about 15 minutes or until golden on top.
*You could bake these, then freeze and reheat for an easy snack.
*I recently used this same technique, but instead of seasoned ground beef and mozzarella cheese, I used seasoned taco meat and cheddar cheese, dipped in a sauce made of salsa mixed with sour cream. They were awesome!!
12
Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Sweets

Chocolate Mudballs

Well, Laura at “Heavenly Homemakers” has done it again.  She has taken a simple recipe, used whole ingredients, and provided my recipe box with one more “make often” recipe.

These chocolate mudballs just hit the spot!  They are great when you are wanting a bit of a chocolate treat, but use ingredients like wheat germ and oats to make them a treat that has some health benefits.  Love that!

I whipped them up in literally minutes, right before I left for my Tuesday Night Women’s Bible study group.  These women are often my taste testers with new recipes, I love their honesty and can count of the variety of tastes in the room to know whether or not a recipe is blog worthy! (I made bars that resembled bird seed one week and we all wondered if the birds would even eat them…they were NOT good:) These little mudballs received rave reviews, so here they are!

 

Mudballs
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup chocolate chips 
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Cook the peanut butter on honey over low heat until melted. Add remaining ingredients. When cool enough to handle roll into oohey gooey mud balls.
This batch made 12 balls, next time I will double the recipe.
My girls loved these.  They felt like they were eating cookie dough, and were disappointed that we had to share with my group!  I made them yesterday, and plan on going to the store for more sesame seeds so I can make them again today.  
I had a reader send me a recipe she thought I would like (how sweet is that?) and she was right on.  They are balls that are just like these, with just a couple ingredients switched up- they use ground flax seed instead of wheat germ, so it would be a great way to get those Omega 3’s!  Here is the link to that recipe if you want to check it out, the link will take you to a Disney website.  I will let you know when I make them how they turn out.
This post linked to:
Food On Fridays @ann kroeker. writer.
Recipe Swap Wednesdays @ Remodelaholic
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays @ Blessed With Grace
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
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