Banana Oat & Flax Pancakes

I saw a recipe similar to this from Amazon last week, so I decided to adapt it to my own preferences and pantry.  We ended up with a delicious, thick pancake that wasn't as gummy as other banana pancakes we've tried.

Banana Oat & Flax Pancakes

• 1 banana
• 2 c old fashioned oats
• 2 Tbs ground flax seed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 egg whites
• 2 Tbs natural sweetener (I use coconut palm sugar, but you could use maple syrup, honey, agave, or just plain cane sugar too)
• 1.5 c milk of choice (we used vanilla soy milk)
  
  Flavor Options:
• For a "gingerbread" pancake which is what we did, add 1 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp ginger
• For next time I want to try 1 tsp cinnamon with 1/2 tsp nutmeg for more of a banana bread flavor
• Could try adding 1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar to the milk for a buttermilk pancake tang

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Cook on a griddle or in a pan until set, flipping halfway through. These pancakes did not stick to our griddle, but for best results, test yours for sticking and use a spray or oil if needed.

Sorry I didn't get better pictures of the pancakes, we snarfed them down because they were so good, and I didn't think of saving the recipe till later.

Sinless Banana Oat Cookies

A Sinless Banana Cookie recipe was going viral on Facebook last month.  I made it, but thought, "I can do better."  Here's that recipe but with some Kim touches. 

A play on baked oatmeal, but put into a cookie form.  Good as a snack, on the go breakfast or dessert, just be prepared for a very soft cookie.

Sinless Banana Oat Cookies

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 heaping Tbs natural PB
• 1 Tbs coconut sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ c mini chocolate chips (optional but recommended)

Mash bananas well. Mix all ingredients with the bananas. Scoop by rounded ½ Tbs onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 12 mins.

Layered Apple Baked Oatmeal

One of my favorite breakfasts of all time - good enough to even be dessert, but healthy enough for anytime of day.

Layered Apple Baked Oatmeal

Apple Layer:
·         3 medium apples, peeled and sliced thin, or shredded (use the apples you like, I've done gala, granny smith, and a mix of the 2 with great results)
·         1/2 tsp cinnamon
·         2 Tbs sweetener (I use coconut sugar, but you could also use pure maple sugar or just brown sugar)

Oatmeal Layer:
·         2 Tbs coconut sugar (can sub pure maple syrup or brown sugar)
·         1 tsp cinnamon
·         Dashes of nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice to taste (optional)
·         4 egg whites
·         1.5 c. natural apple sauce (no added sweeteners)
·         2.5 c old fashioned oats (sometimes called rolled oats, not quick or instant)
·         2 c milk of choice (I’ve been using vanilla soy milk, but cow’s milk or almond milk I’m sure would be great too.  If you are using a plain milk, you might think about adding a small splash of vanilla extract, about ¼ tsp)

To Make:

Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Grease a medium casserole dish (I used coconut oil rubbed all around, but butter or a cooking spray is fine). Add all ingredients for the apple layer and toss about until the sweetener and spices are evenly distributed among the apples. Trying to evenly spread them out in the dish.

In a large bowl melt your coconut oil (or butter), then add the sweetener and cinnamon giving the mixture a good stir until incorporated. Next add the egg whites, apple sauce and oats, stirring and beating the whites until everything is mixed and it looks like very loose cookie dough. Add milk last, stir until the mixture is even then pour it all over the apples in the prepared dish.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes then check. Continue baking until the top layer is lightly browned and set. The inside will be gooey yummy like a custard pudding.  Serve warm, or keep in the fridge. I like to warm leftovers up and add a splash of milk.

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.

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Wonderful granola & oil free. Tastes so good I'll eat it year round & not just in Fall.

Pumpkin Pie Granola  (adapted from twopeasintheirpod.com)

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup real maple syrup (this adds great flavor, but if you don't have it you can probably sub honey or agave with a little molasses)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   
• Additional add-ins if desired: 3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. If the granola isn't quite crisp yet, stir & return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas if using (I didn't). Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Goes AMAZING on yogurt, mixed into cereal, with milk/soy milk, ice cream, or to top baked apples!

Banana & Berry Bread (Vegan)

Don't let the vegan name throw you, this banana bread is awesome.  Hubby and I stood around devouring it while it was still hot all the while saying, "It doesn't taste like health food!"

Banana & Berry Bread (Vegan) - from Chocolate Covered Katie.com, slightly altered by me

• 2 c spelt flour (I did a mix of 1.5 c all purpose & .5 c whole wheat white, but I'm going to play with the ratio & types of flours in the future)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt 
• 1/3 c nondairy milk (I used plain soy milk) 
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T more sweetener (could be agave, honey, syrup, or sugar)
• 1 and 2/3 c tightly-packed, mashed banana (measured after mashing)
• 1/3 cup berries of choice, or more banana (I used the triple berry mix from Costco & some dark cherries as well - I first defrosted them, then pureed them in my food processor)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry. (Mix by hand, and don’t over mix.) Pour into a greased loaf pan and cook for around 40-45 minutes. Check, if the top is getting dark, but the inside still feels mushy with a toothpick test, cover the bread with foil & bake another 10 minutes & test again (this method worked perfectly for my bread).

When it's done, remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before slicing. Goes great with natural peanut butter!

After the first day, this bread is best stored in the fridge. You can also cut into slices and freeze for later.

Green Enchilada Sauce

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites & is supposed to be a knock off of the sauce at Cafe Rio.  We use it to cover enchiladas, or dump it in the slow cooker with some chicken breasts & serve over rice.  It would also really pop as the sauce for a Mexican Pizza.

This recipe makes a HUGE batch, so plan a few meals that can use it the week you make it, or freeze half for later.

Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe by Our Best Bites (slightly altered to fit my preferences)

• 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or some cooking spray)
•  1 large onion, minced (I used a sweet onion)
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and membranes removed if desired (mine was HOT, so I only used half, next time I might omit it completely since we do things mild around here)
• 1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2-3 Tbsp. sugar (optional and to taste; the sauce Cafe Rio uses seems to be slightly sweet, so taste & decide for yourself)

In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil or cooking spray over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.

While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, cilantro & about half the broth in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches.

Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add remaining broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. I let it boil uncovered until it thickened up considerably.

Oatmeal Spice Cookies

A new favorite healthy cookie - no butter, tons of flavor, and options for making them what your family wants. The original recipe came from Whole Grain Gourmet with raisins mixed in, but we aren't raisin people around here, so other options are to just leave them plain, stir in some walnuts, or chocolate chips.

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies from Whole Grain Gourmet

• 1 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tb cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tb molasses
• 1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup mix in of your choice (optional - raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts, etc)

Preheat oven to 335 degrees (a better temp for honey). In a large bowl, add all wet ingredients, top with dry, then mix all the ingredients together.  Spray your cookie sheet with nonstick spray and drop by spoonfuls onto your baking sheet.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie.

Pumpkin (or other puree) Muffins

Here's a muffin to not feel guilty about. It's dense, moist, & super tasty. I found it as a pumpkin muffin originally, but it can be used as an outline for other fruit & veg purees as well. So far I've done pumpkin, zucchini, & banana/PB with great success, but I also hope to do carrot, corn, apple, & maybe some kind of berry.

Pumpkin (or other puree) Muffins (from Sparkrecipes on my phone)

1/2 c honey
1/4 c applesauce (natural, unsweetened)
2 eggs or 4 egg whites
1 1/2 c pumpkin puree (or other veg/fruit)
1/4 c skim milk or soy milk
1 c whole wheat white flour
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix wet ingredients, then add all dry ingredients. Blend well. Spoon batter into sprayed muffin tins until mostly full (these muffins are dense & moist, won't rise a ton). Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

*Kim's notes - spices & add ins can be adjusted according to the fruit or veg you use. I've mixed in chocolate chips with pumpkin, banana with peanut butter in place of the applesauce, or you could do walnuts with carrot, or make savory corn muffins with salt & green onions.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Hash

A favorite meal when I just need to throw something together from my pantry staples. Goes great with fresh lettuce greens and sour cream.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Hash

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 or 2 red potatoes, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (sub a 4 oz can of mild green chiles for less heat)
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Splash of lime juice (if desired)

Sauté onions in a little cooking spray or broth until browned in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sweet potato & red potato and cook, stirring, until they start to brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeño (or green chiles), cumin and salt; sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in corn and black beans and cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lime juice if desired - also go great over greens.

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.

Pumpkin Chili

This chili is my new FAVORITE (and I've tried a lot of recipes). The pumpkin flavor is hidden, it just add a richness and thickener to the sauce.  The original recipe called for meat, but I altered it a bit to make it vegetarian, but I'll put the meat instructions in also, because I might want to try it that way someday too.

About the pic - I LOVE serving chili over baked potatoes, but it also can be eaten alone, over rice, or as delicious Navajo Tacos/Taco salads.

Pumpkin Chili (adapted from realmomkitchen.com)

This is my vegetarian version, look below for meat instructions:

• 1 HUGE sweet onion (or 2 small), chopped
• 1-1/2 sweet peppers, chopped (I used red, but yellow or orange would work too)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (use 3/4 tsp garlic powder if you don't have garlic on hand)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) beans of your choice (I used black beans, no-salt pinto, & light Kidney), rinsed and drained
• 1-2 cups frozen corn kernels (the more you use the sweeter the chili, I only used about 1 cup)
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin (such as Libby brand)
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, saute the onion & pepper with a little cooking spray until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.

For the meat version: Cut back this recipe to be only 2 cans of beans and 1 pepper. Add to it 2 cups of cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or shredded chicken. If using beef, you may also want to change to beef broth, but I haven't tested that version, so I can't vouch for its tastiness.

Curry & Coconut Vegetable Stew

Home run for healthy, home run for taste! 

Normally I steer clear of coconut recipes because of the high cholesterol/saturated fat content, but for this I used my soy-coconut milk recipe and had great results.  This is a meal that will be repeated in our house.

Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew (adapted from thekitchn.com)

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium white or red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced (for milder curry, I used a 4 oz can of mild green chiles)
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 (16-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed (originally chickpeas, but I used a combo of chickpeas and pinto, you can use any beans you like)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used red)
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 8 ounces baby spinach (most of a 10 oz package)
• 1 cup coconut milk (I used my imitation recipe here)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and another teaspoon of salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges.

Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chili and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/4 cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Pour this onion-potato mixture into the bowl of your slow cooker.

To the slow-cooker, add the rest of the broth, beans, pepper, cauliflower, and the tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine. The liquid should come half-way up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH.

**Kim's note: at this point, if you'd like a thicker sauce, remove some of the liquids, wisk them with 1 Tbs cornstarch, then return them to the slow cooker, stirring to incorporate.

Slice spinach into thin strips, then again into chunks. Reduce heat to warm, stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover with lid for 1 minute to allow the spinach to wilt. Serve, or leave in the warm slow cooker until ready to serve.  Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed.

Serve on its own or over cous cous, rice, or quinoa.

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.

Hearty Vegetable Stew

Found this recipe labeled as a "soup" but it is so thick and wonderful I had to rename it as stew. A New fav for me - I'm going to make it again to use up the juice and freeze it for a rainy day.

Hearty Vegetable Stew (adapted from allrecipes.com)

• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 small onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
• 3 cups low-sodium tomato-vegetable juice (like V8, I used Mott's)
• 2 cups water
• 1 small zucchini, chopped (or 1 leek, but I didn't have one)
• 1 large or 2 small red potatoes, chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 1 can of no-salt beans, drained and rinsed (use what you like, mine were pinto)
• 1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper (with 1/2 you do get a bit of a bite to it)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch of dry dill
• *I think 1 cup of green beans would also be FAB in this, but I didn't do it the first time)
• Optional - a cooked grain, rice, barley, quinoa, etc.

Throw everything in your slow cooker and cook it on low until veggies are tender. I let mine go all day (about 8 hours), then saved it in the fridge to eat the following day. Serve over the grain it you'd like.*

* I say to do it this way, because the original recipe called for rice in the stew, and it pretty much completely dissolved. Saucier stew over brown rice would have been better.

"Cream" of Potato Soup

This soup is for my fam who's either vegan or lactose free. It's a potato soup that still packs some protein, is super easy to make, and can be a base for a multitude of other things (add veggies, grains, whatever you like).

"Cream" of Potato Soup

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2-3 green onions, just green parts chopped

Peel potatoes, place them whole with all other ingredients (minus green onions) in your slow cooker. Cook on low until the potatoes are tender - time will depend on size, mine took about 4 hours.

Scoop all of the chunks out of the slow cooker with some of the juices and put them into your blender. Blend until smooth then scrap back into the slow cooker.  Add green onions, stir to incorporate the broth, then let cook for about 30 minutes more.

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.

Veggie Joes

Love Manwich?  Then do not read this post.
Love meatless chili? Then you might be intrigued.

I found a recipe for vegetarian Sloppy Joes, I made it my own without oil and with extra veggies, but then I served it up on brown rice and had a meal that even my healthy brother could eat.  It’s tasty, but it has a bit more of a kick than I expected, so watch for that if you’re sensitive.  We aren’t super spicy people around here but Jay and I devoured it, no prob.
 
If anyone tries this on buns I’d love to hear about how it holds up.  I also think it would be great with the rice I used but also in lettuce wraps and with a glob of sour cream.

Veggie Joes (adapted from Allrecipes.com)

• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 small zucchini, cubed into small pieces
• 1/2 bell pepper (I used yellow), chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 Tbs white vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Rice, rolls, buns, lettuce wraps, whatever you plan to serve it with

Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic to a large frying pan. Saute using water until veggies are tender (by this I mean, add water one tablespoon at a time, adding the next after the first evaporates – no oil, tender veggies, no extra moisture). Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, tomato paste, vinegar, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in kidney beans, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve however you want.

Kim’s note: Next time I’m thinking of cutting back about half a can of beans and adding even more carrots and some corn.