vegetable tian

Ingredients

• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
• 2 russet potatoes or 4-5 gold potatoes, peeled
• 2 large zucchini
• 2 tomatoes
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp thyme
• ½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• Olive oil 

Instructions

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. wash, peel & slice vegetables.

3. saute onions and garlic in heated skillet.

4. add onions and garlic to bottom of pie dish, and layer sliced vegetables in circles.

5. add seasonings and drizzle 1-2 tbsp olive oil over top.

6. cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 min.

7. sprinkle parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for another 30 min.

Dinner Rut

I'd love to see some of your favorite recipes!

Crispy Avocado, Bacon and Tomato Salad

This is probably my all time favorite salad (right now). Here's where I found the recipe
I prefer the Honey-Lime Dressing. Brandon like the Spicy Ranch. I get the Spring Mix lettuce from Costco. The avocados are the best part of this salad!! (I leave out the bacon)

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRISPY AVOCADO:
• 1 whole Avocado, Semi-firm, Not Mushy
• Pinch Of Kosher Salt And Pepper
• ⅓ cups Flour
• 1 whole Egg Beaten
• ½ cups Panko
• 2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Olive Oil, For Frying
• FOR THE SALAD:
• Field Greens Or Spring Mix
• Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Shaved Parmesan Cheese
• 2 slices Cooked Bacon, Crumbled
• FOR THE HONEY-LIME DRESSING:
• 2-½ Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
• Pinch Of Salt And Pepper
• FOR THE SPICY RANCH DRIZZLE:
• ⅓ cups Ranch Dressing
• ½ teaspoons Or More Of Chili With Garlic Sauce (or You Can Use Tabasco Or Sriracha)

Preparation Instructions

For the crispy avocado:
Halve your avocado and run a sharp knife gently around the perimeter of each half to loosen the meat from the skin. Gently remove the skin and the seed. Slice each half into wedges. You should be able to get 8-10 wedges from the avocado, depending on its size. Don’t slice them too thin; you want them to hold up to the breading and frying. Sprinkle the wedges with a bit of kosher salt and pepper.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Place the egg (beaten) in another bowl and the panko and Parmesan cheese in another bowl. Dredge each piece in the flour, gently shake off any excess flour. Dip into the egg mixture, then finally into the panko mixture, coating all sides well. Set aside.
Heat your oil in a frying pan. Place just enough olive oil in your pan to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium high heat until oil becomes hot enough to fry. It usually begins to make a sound once it’s close. Gently set your avocado pieces in the oil. Fry on all sides until browned, a total of about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Gently remove from the pan, set on a paper towel-lined plate.
For the salad:
Assemble your salad(s) with the greens, tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese, and crumbled bacon. Top with crispy avocado.
For the honey-lime dressing:
Combine honey, vinegar, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a Mason jar or shaker; shake until fully combined. Adjust to your liking (sweeter or add more vinegar—I went for a sweet flavor). Drizzle over salad.
For the drizzle:
Combine the ranch dressing and chili with garlic sauce (or Sriracha or Tabasco) in a small bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Adjust to your taste. Drizzle over salad.
Enjoy!

Coconut Oil Honey Almond Granola

This recipe come from Lovely Little Kitchen
I LOVE the almond chunks in this recipe.
When I make this, I triple it. It fits on 2 cookie sheets

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds, divided
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor or blender, pulse half of the almonds until they are very finely chopped. Pour them into a large bowl. Then chop the other half of the almonds coarsely, and pour them into the same bowl.
3. Pour the oats, salt, and brown sugar into the bowl with the almonds and stir to combine.
4. In a small microwaveable bowl, combine honey and coconut oil, and heat for 40 seconds. Stir to dissolve the coconut oil, and add the vanilla and almond extract.
5. Pour the honey mixture over the oats, and stir so that they are evenly coated.
6. Pour the oats evenly onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet (helpful if it has sides).
7. Bake the oats for 5 minutes, and then stir them around. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes.
8. Pour the granola and onto a piece of wax paper to cool. Spread it out into a thin layer.
9. After it cools completely, break the granola into clusters and store in an airtight container.

Fudge

I came across this little gem and I just had to share. It's such a great substitute for candy when you need a chocolate fix.

In blender mix:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa ( I used raw cocoa powder)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
dash of salt
1 t. pure vanilla

Blend very well.

Then I like to add raw almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut and blend a few times of chop them up. You can anything though. Store in the freezer. 

Best Green Smoothie EVER!

Okay so I'll be honest, I don't love green smoothies. I drink them because they are good for me but I usually try to get them down as fast as I can. Well that was the case until Scott came up with this little concoction  and I have loved them ever since. When the kids had it for the first time they thought they were having dessert. I hope I haven't built this up way too much but I hope you'll try it ladies. I think it's a keeper.

I use the Wide jar with my Blendtec for the recipe and it makes 2 XL glasses and 3 mini ones for the kids. Feeds the whole fam! :)

Stuff blender with LOTS and LOTS of greens. All the way full!
Add a few cups of water
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 T. fresh ginger
1 dropper of stevia
1-2 T. Flax seed
1-2 T. chia seed

BLEND very well!

Add:

Frozen Banana
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Pineapple

Vu-alla!

Variations:

Substitute banana with half a can of coconut milk

or
Substitute pineapple with an orange

Chia Seed Fruit Salad

Ingredients

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 cups nut milk of your choice

4 cups of diced fruit of your choice

1/4 cup raisins

zest of one orange

juice of one orange

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup shredded coconut

mint leaves for decoration

Instructions

1. Add 1 cup diced fruit and sprinkle if raisins to 4 different bowls

2. Combine nut milk, chia seeds, orange juice zest vanilla and cinnamon in a small pitcher and stir.

3. Pour 1/2 cup mixture on top of fruit in bowls.

4. Top fruit bowls with shredded coconut.

5. Refrigerate fruit bowls for at least 30 mins (or overnight).

6. Top each bowl with mint leaf before serving.

Via foodbabe.com

Baked Oatmeal

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup walnuts, toasted + chopped

1 teaspoon baking powder

1.5 teaspoon cinnamon

0.5 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

0.25 cup pure maple syrup

1 egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 bananas, sliced

1.5 cup blueberries, or mix of berries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. butter the inside of a square 8-inch baking dish.

2. In a bowl, combine oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder, cinnamon + salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, half of the butter + vanilla.

4. Spread a single layer of bananas across bottom of the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle about two-third of the berries on top. Cover all that with the oat mixture then drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Scatter the remaining berries + walnuts over the top.

5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until top is golden + oats are set. Let cool for a few minutes then drizzle the remaining melted butter + serve. 

*recipe from food52.com

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

6-8 C sweet potatoes, chopped ( about two large sweet potatoes)
1/4 C coconut oil, melted (you can also use olive oil, but the coconut oil gives it a really good flavor)
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. cayenne

1. Chop the sweet potatoes, and peel if you can’t stand peels
2. Melt your coconut oil
3. Add the potatoes, spices, and oil to a large zip loc bag shake them up to coat the fries well.
4. Evenly space the fries on a cookie sheet, make sure they don’t touch
5. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Pull out of oven and flip them. (or optionally put the fries in a cold oven and turn the heat on to 425 covering them with tinfoil for 20 minutes. Take off the tinfoil and continue to cook them)
6. Bake another 15 minutes or until crispy and soft. Does that make sense, I guess cooked all the way through and crispy.
7. Best eaten right away.

This is on of my favorite recipes! I LOVE them!!! I hope you do too. 

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour or 2 cups wonder flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup water
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 cups fresh raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Combine all the ingredients except raspberries in a large bowl and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the raspberries.

3. Divide mixture evenly in a greased standard muffin tin. (I like to use an ice cream scoop for uniform, mess-free muffins.)

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until slightly golden on top. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from tin.

Lentil Soup

This is a recipe from the Green Smoothie Girls 26 day detox...so yummy. I was surprised how good it was. I accidentally forgot the vinegar and it was great without it.

½ lb. green or red lentils
½ C wild rice, rinsed well
3 large onions, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. salt-free herbal seasoning, or more to taste
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cumin
1 qt. vegetable broth (no-sodium, if you buy canned)
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Cover lentils and rice with boiling water and let sit for 15 min., then drain. In a large stock
pot, sauté the onions and garlic with the coconut oil and seasonings until the vegetables
are tender. Add the carrots and celery and sauté another 5–10 min. Add the vegetable
broth, tomato sauce, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Add
vinegar and serve.

Introducing...

Our new contributor...Carla!  Hey everyone I wanted to let you know Carla will be joining us and contributing recipes to this blog. Carla used to live right next to door to me until she and her family moved a few years ago. Anyways, she is a fabulous cook and I can't wait to try some of her recipes. Welcome Carla and don't be shy. :)

Rumbi Rice Bowl

Ingredients

1T sesame oil
4 carrots peeled and grated
3 celery stalks washed and sliced
2 heads of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
2 zucchini chopped into small cubes
***These amounts are only a start off point. I usually add more than this so we can have it for lunch the next day.

* Thai Peanut Sauce
* Brown rice



Instructions

Heat large skillet on medium hight heat. Add veggies and Sesame oil. Cook until veggies just become tender.

Serve veggies over Brown Rice, topped with Thai Peanut Sauce

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup

YIELD: SERVES 6-8

Note: You can use regular diced tomatoes if you don't have or can't find petite diced, but if you have the option, go for the petite diced. The smaller size of the tomatoes meshes better with the finely diced vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (14-ounce each) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1- 1 1/2 cups cashews or peanuts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Croutons for serving (homemade version here)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender. **Don't be afraid to add more veggies than this calls for
2. Remove Bay leaves. 
3. Ladle in about 3-4 cups of soup into a high powered blender. If you want the soup chunky, ladle in mostly liquid. If you or your kids have problems with lots of veggies, I'd recommend ladling in lots of the veggies.
4. Add about a cup of nuts and blend until smooth. Once blended well, place the soup back in the slow cooker and stir. If you think it needs to be thicker repeat the process, but only add 1/2 cup of nuts. 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with homemade croutons.

Summer Corn on the Cob Salad

*adapted from authenticsuburbangourmet.com, pictures from andwhatiate.com

- 4 ears corn, cooked
- 2 avocados, diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I use orange & red for a little color) 
- 1/2 an english cucumber, finely diced, skin on
- 1/3  C. crumbled feta
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced

Cilantro Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. salt or Herbamare
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
- 6 tbsp. EVOO

(serves 6-8) 

1. Cook your corn - there are a ton of ways to do this, but the easiest is just to put the oven on 350, and throw the corn in, husks and all. Bake them for 25 minutes, let it cool, and then cut off the very bottom of the corn. You should be able to easily pull off the husks and the silk

2. Cut off the kernels with a large knife, add to a big bowl.

3. Chop the avocados, cherry tomatoes, english cucumber, and red onion, then add to the bowl. Add the feta.

4. For the vinaigrette, combine the first 5 ingredients (so the seasonings react with the vinegar), then add the cilantro and the EVOO. Shake it up.

5. Gently mix all the salad ingredients together. When ready to serve, add the dressing and stir to combine.

carrot-apple mini muffins

This recipe is one that I have changed and changed again to get it the way that I like, so I am sure  you can make it flexible to your liking as well. I love making these as mini-muffins... the kids do better with that size. I also love to double and triple the batch because they freeze really well... 

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients:

3 C whole wheat flour

3/4 C oat flour

3/4 C sugar or sugar substitue

3 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 C finely grated carrots

1 1/2 C applesauce (I usually just blend up raw apples)

3 eggs

3/4 C milk or milk substitute 

3/4 C coconut oil

3 tsp vanilla

3 TB milled flaxseed (soaked in 9 TB water)

Directions: mix dry ingredients, then wet and combine... bake @ 350 degrees for 10 min (for mini-muffins)

Potato Spinach Cakes

*Blendtec.com

These are not pretty and are kinda messy but they sure taste good. I love these for dinner.

2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and quartered
10 oz. spinach, approximately 6 cups lightly packed
3/4 cups low fat buttermilk or any cows milk substitute
2 lg. eggs
3 yukon gold potatoes, baked or boiled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
1.5 T. olive oil, divided

Add toast to WildSide jar and secure lid. Press "Pulse" 6–8 times or until desired crumb size is reached. Set aside bread crumbs. In large skillet, sauté spinach in ½ tablespoon oil until spinach is wilted. Add buttermilk, eggs, potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs to WildSide jar and secure lid. Select "Sauces." Add feta cheese, and use spatula to incorporate.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet or griddle. Spoon approximately ⅓ cup potato mixture onto skillet. Cook each side of potato cake until golden brown, approximately 1–2 minutes. Place each cake onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes

My Protien Shake

So I've never been a big fan of protein shakes but then I came across this recipe and I loved it. Loved it! 

It's great for an on the go breakfast in the morning.

I use my magic bullet and it gives it a great texture, not too mixed up, just the right amount. 

4 ice cubes and about a cup of water

3 frozen strawberries

About 1/3 cup rolled oats

 

1 scoop protein powder

 

Obviously the kind of protein powder you use is key. This is a great one I use from Natures Sunshine called "love and peas". The protein is derived from split peas. So yummy too!

And mix, mix, mix. The finished product. 

Broccoli Bites with dipping sauce

This recipe is by no means dairy free, but is very delicious.  This is from the Unconventional Kitchen. You ladies have probably already seen it but I thought I’d post it just in case and to have it here to reference. We have this and a green salad for dinner and it’s plenty filling. 

Ingredients:

1 lb broccoli, chopped in small bit- sized pieces

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded (I used mozzarella)

1/2 c. parmesan cheese, shredded 

3 eggs

1 c. almond flour

1 t. oregano

salt & pepper to taste   

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix all ingredients except for the broccoli in a medium sized bowl.

Next toss in the broccoli. It helps to use your hands to roll the pieces of broccoli in the mixture into little bite sized balls. Place balls on lightly greased parchment paper.

Put them in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until brown. Serve with the tasty Maple-Dijon Dipping Sauce.

Sauce:

6 T sour cream

2 T pure maple syrup

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T fresh lemon juice

salt to taste

 

Method:

Simply whisk all the ingredients together and you have yourself an awesome sauce. Kids love dipping so that is what makes this sauce extra fun.