Fluffy Pumpkin Biscuits (Vegan)

If you're nervous about vegan food than this is a great place to start, because you'd never know these are "healthy."  I expected them to be over-the-top sweet, but they aren't. They'd go wonderfully alongside a winter stew or slather them with honey for an after-dinner treat.

Fluffy Pumpkin Biscuits (Vegan) (slightly adapted from An Opera Singer in the Kitchen)

• 2 cups whole wheat white flour  
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoon real maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoon Earth Balance margarine (vegan margarine, it's WONDERFUL, but use what you have/like)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup plain soy milk or another non-dairy milk (original recipe calls for So Delicious coconut milk)
• 2 Tablespoon honey

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, no stick foil, or another non-stick surface.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Blend in the margarine using a pastry blender, wisk, or other splitting tool (I used an avocado masher, he he).

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, coconut milk, maple syrup, and honey.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture holds together. Knead lightly on a floured surface and roll out to 1″ thickness. Using a 2″ biscuit cutter (or thin cup edge), cut the dough into circles.

Re-roll the scraps and cut out biscuits until you have used all of the dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Twice Baked Au Gratin Potatoes

Growing up Au Gratin potatoes was THE side dish to dream about.  Oozey cheese sauce, onions, & tender spuds was a dream.

But now, with a healthy eye (and a Dad who's lactose intolerant) I set out to harness that lovely favor, but SLICE the excess fat, calories, cholesterol.... even the real cheese.

These were amazing. And even on day 2, the spuds were still creamy out of the microwave.

Twice Baked Au Gratin Potatoes by Kim

• 4 average size baking potatoes
• 1 HUGE sweet onion
• Milk of your choosing (I used soy)
• salt
• 1 Tbs butter of your choosing (I used Earth Balance)
• 1/2 c. cheese of your choosing (I used Veggie Shreds to make this lactose free, but a real sharp cheddar would be fantastic)

Preheat oven to 375. Scrub & pierce your potatoes, but don't wrap them since they need tough skins. Bake them until soft on the inside. Meanwhile, heat a pan to low. Slice your onion in even pieces & put them in the oven.  Let them cook on low, stirring occasionally for about an hour. This is the best way for onions to caramelize. If the pan's too hot & you get black spots, de-glaze the pan with a little broth, scrap up all the dark pieces, & reduce the heat.  Eventually you'll get a honey colored onion glob.  This can be saved in the fridge if you aren't ready to make the potatoes yet.

When the potatoes are cooked, slice them lengthwise & scoop out the flesh, reserving the skins on a baking sheet.  Mash the potatoes with the sweet onions, milk, butter, & salt to taste. Stir in half of the cheese. Refill the potato skins with the mashed potatoes, top with remaining cheese. Bake stuffed potatoes at 375 until heated through & cheese has melted, 15 minutes or more depending on desired consistency.

Edamame Succotash with Cous Cous

I didn't have high hopes for this recipe, but then I was taken aback by its great flavors.  This will be a repeat for dinners or as a side dish to fish or chicken.  It tastes great when cooled as well, so I'm thinking this would go great in sack lunches someday too (pictured as my son's lunch).

Edamame Succotash with Cous Cous (adapted from parents.com)     

• 2  tsp.  extra-virgin olive oil
• 4  green onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
• 1  cup  corn kernels (2 ears corn if using fresh)
• 1  cup  shelled frozen edamame (soy beans, found in freezer section)
• 1  chopped red sweet pepper
• 1  tsp.  marjoram (oregano can be subbed if you don't have it)
• 1 c chopped carrots
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1  cup  low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 Tbs  cornstarch
• 1/2 c cous cous (or other grain) prepared with broth in place of water

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and white part of green onion and cook until carrots begin to soften. Stir in corn, edamame, sweet pepper, zucchini, & marjoram, and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir together broth and cornstarch; stir into corn mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until veggies are as soft as you like.  In the meantime, prepare cous cous or other grain.  Remove lid from pan, cook and stir until thickened, bubbly, and liquid almost evaporates.  Add cous cous and greens from onions. Stir to incorporate.  Serve immediately or cooled.

Lemony Bulgur Salad

I made this for dinner when I just needed something that I could throw together from my cupboards and I LOVED it!

Hubby and I agreed that it might go better as a side than a main dish, but it is packed with protein so it can stand on its own if needed.  I'm thinking I'll make this again the next time Hubby wants fish - side for him, meal for me and Son.

Lemony Bulgur Salad (adapted from a Kid's food app on my phone)

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur (this is a whole grain, you could sub cooked quinoa, rice, or couscous if you don't have this)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can beans (Great Northern, Kidney or Chickpeas, use what you like) drained & rinsed
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 onion
• 1 stalk of celery, minced*
• 1 handful of baby carrots, chopped*
• 1/4 cup nuts, chopped (I used raw cashews, but almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds would be great)
• Baby Lettuce leaves (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine bulgur and cranberries in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over bulgur mixture. Cover the bowl with foil. Let stand until all the water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute chopped onion in a fry pan over med heat until softened and browned. Add minced garlic clove and continue cooking until fragrant.  Add beans to the onions and garlic, cook until heated through then cover and removed from heat.  Chop veggies, and whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, and honey together in a small bowl.

Once the bulgur is cooked add dressing, bean/onion mixture, carrots, celery, and parsley to the bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temp as is, or lay down a bed of baby lettuces first.

* Next time I'm going to up the veggies even more! Some sweet potato might be good, or even apple slices.

Slow Cooker Baked (and Twice Baked) Potatoes

It came to my attention this week that you can bake potatoes in your slow cooker!  I was so excited that I did a jig – why?  Slow cookers may take longer, but they’re much more energy efficient than traditional ovens which makes your cooking (and electric bill) a little greener. : )

To bake potatoes in your slow cooker:

1. Rinse potatoes to clean them, allow them to dry, then pierce with a fork.
2. Wrap potatoes in foil.
3. Place just the wrapped potatoes in your slow cooker.
4. Cook on High until softened. (I did three large potatoes and it took about 5 hours, but it may need to be longer if you really fill your slow cooker).

So, with this new info at my disposal I got to thinking – if I can BAKE potatoes in my slow cooker, certainly I can bake them twice in my slow cooker.  I did:

Oh baby these were tasty.  Slow cooking potatoes makes them extra potato-y somehow, but I will also say that doing this method makes for softer twice baked potatoes instead of crisp ones like in the oven.  Here’s what I did:

1. Bake potatoes in slow cooker.
2. Remove potatoes from foil wrappings, cut lengthwise.
3. Remove insides with a spoon into a large bowl, reserve skins.
4. Once all of the potato skins have been emptied, mash the potatoes with non-fat sour cream, skim milk, chopped green onions, and bacon (crumbled or bacon bits).
5. Stuff potato skins with mashed potatoes.
6. Place stuffed potatoes back in the slow cooker (now set to low), and top with shredded cheese.
7. Cook, with the lid slightly cracked, until cheese melts and all is heated through (about 20-30 minutes).

Stuffed Zucchini Side Dish

I took these pics the first time that I made these stuffed zucchini and I can honestly tell you that my mouth was watering while I took them.  They smelled THAT good.  My Hubby was a little skeptical at first, but ended up eating both of his servings.  This one will be repeated in our house.

Stuffed Zucchini Side Dish

• 2 medium zucchini (about a pound)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 slices of bread, crumbed finely (just normal loaf size, adjust amount according to bread size and weight)
• 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg white
• ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Wash zucchini, remove ends. Using a frying pan so that they can lay flat, cover and boil the zucchini whole in a small amount of water for about 8 minutes, turning once. While the zucchini cook, combine all other dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Remove zucchini from water and cut into halves lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, chop, then stir in chopped zucchini to the dry mixture. Add egg white and stir until all is evenly dispersed.

Stuff hollowed out zucchini with breading mixture. Place zucchini on a greased cookie sheet (or use foil or parchment paper like I did) and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

I'm not going to say that this is a perfect match to the cream laced alfredo sauce that we all know, but I will say that it is:

Dairy Free

Packed with protein and fiber

YUMMY!

We made ours into a Baked Penne Florentine, but it would also be wonderful with any noodle or baked with layers of potatoes like an au gratin dish.  If you experiment with it, let me know how it goes. : )

Vegan Alfredo Sauce (adapted from hearthealthyonline.com)

• 1/4  cup vegetable or chicken (if you aren't going strictly vegan) broth
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 4  cloves garlic, minced (plus more to taste)
• 1/2  cup raw cashews
• 3/4  cups water
• 1  15- to 16-ounce can white beans, any variety, rinsed and drained
• 2  teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine broth, onion, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add more broth if needed to keep veggies moist during the cooking process. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place cashews in a food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Add the water; blend until smooth. Add onion mixture, beans, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Taste your sauce.  When I did, I felt there was too much nut flavor so I added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings and blended again.  If you think your sauce is too thick, you can add up to 1 cup more water and blend at this point as well.  Next time I plan to add some sun dried tomatoes as well for a bit of punch.

At this point I added my sauce to whole wheat pasta and about 1/2 bag of chopped baby spinach.  I mixed them together and baked them for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spanish Red Beans and Rice

I made this tonight by throwing some things together that I had around. I didn't take pics, since I didn't plan to post it, but Mom and Dad asked for the recipe so here goes.

Spanish Red Beans and Rice

• Cooked Brown Rice (I had about 3.5 cups, but you could use as little as 2)
• 1 med onion, finely chopped
• 1 zucchini, finely chopped
• 2 handfuls of baby carrots, finely chopped
• 1 cup or so of frozen corn
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can pinto beans (I used no salt pintos and it was still great)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 Tbs chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• splashes of chicken broth

I set my brown rice to cook, then I chopped my zuchini, onion, and carrots using a food processor to make them very fine - the idea was to hide the sneaker veggies from my picky eater. Next I threw all of the veggies into my biggest frying pan with a few splashes of broth.  I sauteed them on med-high heat until they softened up (which was very fast since they were so fine). Next I added the garlic and cooked it until just fragrant.

Next add tomato sauce and all of the spices, stir to combine.  Next add the cooked brown rice and cilantro. Mix together until rice, sauce, and veggies are evenly distributed. This is meant to be a play on Red Beans and Rice + Mexican Rice, so it won't be very saucy. If you're worried that it is too dry, you can always add a few more splashes of broth. 

Serve with fresh chopped tomatoes on top - also wonderful with avocados, sour cream, and baked chips.

Benito Bean Dip (AKA No Avocado Guacamole)

Such a great dip for a snack with chips or veggies, or work it into a Mexican meal. I'd call this no-avocado guacamole since it's green and I really want my dad to try it. YUM!

Benito Bean Dip (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 1 1/2  cups  cooked edamame (these are soy beans, can be found in the frozen veggie section in most grocery stores)
• 1/3  cup  fresh salsa or pico de gallo
• 1    Tbs red or green onion
• 2  tablespoons  fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4  teaspoon  Zippy Zonya Mexi Mix 
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)*

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

* I added salt since I was using an unprocessed frozen bean. If you use a canned bean (pintos can be subbed) or a very salt salsa, then this shouldn't be added.

Penne Primavera

Not the most flavorful pasta dish out there, but it is light and quite yummy when you get a perfect bite.

Penne Primavera (adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 bag carrot shreds (about 1.5 cups)
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add crushed garlic. When garlic is tender, remove from skillet and set aside, chop. Place the broccoli and carrot in the skillet, and cook 2 minutes, just until heated through.

In a pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in the penne pasta and chopped garlic cloves. Cook for 5 minutes, or until pasta is almost al dente.

 
Transfer the partially cooked pasta and broth to the skillet. Mix in the peas. Continue cooking 10 minutes over medium heat, or until pasta is al dente, most of the liquid is absorbed, and vegetables are tender. Toss with the Parmesan cheese to serve.

Cashew Mushroom Pate

I wasn't sure about this since I'm no mushroom lover, but I LOVE THIS PATE! It's earthy, it's healthy, it's hummus like, but SO MUCH BETTER!

Eat it with carrot sticks, celery sticks, warm naan, or baked chips.  YUM!

Cashew Mushroom Pate (adapted from Vegetarian Times)

• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
• healthy oil, avocado or coconut
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms (I used one pre-sliced container from the store)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. broth or water
• 2 tsp. natural peanut butter 

Warm healthy oil in a pan then add the cashews to toast until fragrant and lightly brown in places. Remove from heat and add to food processor.

Next add mushrooms, onion, garlic, curry powder, salt, cumin and water/broth to the pan (add a bit more oil if needed) and sauté 10 to 12 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned and most of liquid has evaporated. Transfer to food processor, and add peanut butter.

Purée mixture until smooth scraping sides as needed. Transfer to bowl, and chill 2 hours, or overnight. Before serving, taste and add salt to your preference.

Kim's note - I thought this was best on day 2 with carrot sticks.

Whole Wheat Cornbread

My man loves cornbread, but it wasn't something I grew up eating, so I didn't really know how to make it for him.  This recipe is awesome to give him what he loves, but without tons of butter or oil.

Whole Wheat Cornbread (adapted from Set for Life)

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 eggs whites
• 2 Tb canola oil
• 2 Tb applesauce, unsweetened

Mix all ingredients until combined.  Spray nonstick cooking spray into a 9X9-inch pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Mongolian Sauce (from PF Chang's)

We tried this tonight and I was just too excited to wait to post it.  Hubby and I love the Mongolian dish from Pei Wei (PF Chang’s) and I was lucky enough to stumble upon the copycat version of their sauce online this week.  It seemed like all of the copy-catters were agreeing on what made the sauce so amazing, so I thought it would be worth a try.  I did cut some oil, and smudged a few ingredients to work with what I had at home, but the end results were awesome!

I didn’t think it was an exact match, but after a bite Hubby said to me, “Wow, this really does taste like the Mongolian chicken I get.”

This one is definitely a keeper at our house!

PF Chang’s Mongolian Sauce (with Kim twists)

• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 c. soy sauce (lite or low sodium works well)
• 1/2 c. water
• 3/4 c. brown sugar (the recipe calls for dark, but I used the normal kind with good results)

Warm oil in sauce pan, add ginger and garlic, stirring quickly to avoid scorching.  Add water, soy sauce, and sugar allowing sugar to dissolve.  Bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to med-med/low.  Continue to stir sauce until it reduces and thickens slightly.

Sauce goes well with veggies and rice, but if you’re doing a meat dish:
Slice meat (chicken, steak, pork) into bite size pieces.  Coat lightly with corn starch and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for the corn starch to do its thing (my chicken sat like that in my fridge for most of the afternoon and it worked out well).  When ready to cook, warm a frying pan over medium high heat and prepare pan with cooking spray or a little oil.  Cook meat until browned on edges, then add the sauce to the meat.  Allow sauce to boil and thicken around meat until meat is cooked through.  Serve over rice.

*Kim’s hint:  I did a veggie rice with this dish much like what you’d get at Pei Wei.  I added carrot strings to the rice water, and then when it was done cooking I tore fresh spinach into the rice and stirred it in until wilted.  Delicious!

Cilantro-Citrus Rice

Fantastic side for Mexican or Asian flavors!

Cilantro-Citrus Rice

• 1 ½ c. white rice
• 2/3 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 2 1/3 c. water
• ½ tsp. cumin
• ¼ c. orange marmalade
• 2 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro

Prepare rice according to package directions but with the water-chicken broth portions in the recipe and the cumin.  One rice is cooked slowly add orange marmalade, stirring until well distributed.  Stir in cilantro.

Paprika Roasted Potatoes

I love these potatoes. I would have taken a picture to show them to you, except the baby in my belly demanded that I eat the whole tray.

This little girl likes her spuds.

Paprika Roasted Potatoes (adapted from hearthealthyonline.com)

• 4  medium red potatoes
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1  Tbs. olive oil
• 1 1/2  tsp paprika
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 1/4  tsp ground black pepper
• 1  to 2 Tbs water

Scrub potatoes thoroughly then cut the potatoes into chunks. Cook potatoes, covered, in a small amount of boiling lightly salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

In a small bowl combine garlic powder, olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir in enough water to make a mixture that's easy to brush on potatoes (should be thick).

Lay out potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet, brush with flavoring until all is used. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, stir, then cook longer until you've reached the desired consistency (I like mine a little crunchy).

Sweet Potatoes Mash

Sweet potatoes are SO good for you, but my hubster isn't always too excited for them.  I found that by making a mash of sweet and regular baking potatoes he was much happier.

The added bonus?  They ROCK as leftovers! Who knew? Usually repeat mashed potatoes are stiff and unappealing, but these fellers on day two are still smooth and dreamy!

Sweet Potatoes Mash (adapted from mealsforyou.com)

• Equal amounts sweet potato and baking potato, peeled and cubed (for our little family I'll do one HUGE potato each, or two mediums)
• 1/4 c. Fat free sour cream
• 1/4 c. skim milk
• salt

Put diced potatoes in a steam basket over a boiling pot of water. Steam until tender (not long depending on size of chunks).  Dump potatoes into a large bowl, add other ingredients, then beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Serve hot.

Kim's Note: Taste this mash before serving!  Some sweet potatoes aren't as sweet as others, and I've been known to throw in a pinch of brown sugar from time to time if it needs help.

Honey Roasted Veggies

Honey Roasted Veggies (adapted from All Recipes.com)

•  1 pound red potatoes, cut to bite size pieces
• 1-2 c. baby carrots, cut to bite size pieces
  
• 2 tablespoons diced onion (can use dry)
  
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1.5 teaspoon dry mustard
• Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes and carrots in large casserole dish, and top with onion. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, and mustard; drizzle over potatoes and onion.  Sprinkle veggies with salt and pepper, stir until well coated, then spread the veggies back out to fill pan.

Bake in the preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes, stir, and then bake another 20 minutes or until tender.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

Have you ever had a recipe that you thought was OK, but didn't quite hit the mark? Have you ever thought of taking that recipe and pairing it up with something new to push it in a whole new direction?  That's what I did this last weekend and the results were outstanding. This recipe will be a repeat in our house, when at first it was just a snooze.

Even if you're scared of couscous, I would strongly recommend trying it out. You never know what the outcome will be - Cee LOVED his and gobbled it up like candy, but rice would work for this too if that's what you have on hand.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine or wheat crackers
• nutmeg
• 1 box whole wheat couscous
• 1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, divided
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons Honey Dijon mustard (I used French’s Brand with good results)
• 1 tsp corn starch

Prepare chicken coating by separating the egg white, adding a little bit of water and whisking it with a fork on a plate.  Crush/chop the crackers and nuts, mix together on another plate.  Dip chicken pieces into egg white wash, then into cracker/pecan mixture, then place in a lightly sprayed dish.  When all of the pieces are done, sprinkle them lightly with the nutmeg.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (longer if you are using thick or whole breasts rather than strips like me).


While the chicken bakes, place couscous in a small mixing bowl. Heat 1/3 cup of the apple concentrate and 2/3 cup water to boiling  then pour apple liquid into couscous. Stir and cover tightly with foil.

Whisk together remaining 2/3 cup apple concentrate, honey and mustard in a small sauce pan. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once the sauce boils, reduce heat and add the corn starch. Allow sauce to thicken.  Serve chicken with couscous drizzling sauce over all.

Kim’s note:  Want something more? Add fresh spinach leaves to the couscous before it cooks. The warm liquid wilts them down perfectly and they are delicious! You could also try small apple chunks, raisins, craisins, and/or more pecans.

Happy Cooking!