Taco Salad

I have to say I had so much fun cooking up bulgur wheat and adding it to our taco salad!  It was one of those grains that I did not experiment with because I did not make the time.  For those of you who are gluten free soaked quinoa works well in this recipe (I would like to try teff or millet in it but have not tried it but I will!).  I usually just make some chili beans and serve them with a big salad, salsa and guacamole.  So this was a fun, healthy addition to our taco salad.  Bulgur wheat is high in iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium so adding it to some beans and salad is a great idea!  

When I tried the bulgur wheat plain it was kind of bland but it went well with all of the other vegetables and it gives it a nice texture.  It has that texture that I know my clients who have been meat eaters in the past enjoy.  So this is a great alternative for you and it is healthy!

First (I forgot to take a picture of the bulgur wheat cooking...), I cook the bulgur wheat.  1/2 cup of bulgur wheat and 1 cup of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes in a covered pan.  After it is finished just set the cooked bulgur wheat aside.  I like to cut up the vegetables small.  After the vegetables are prepared saute them in 2 TBS of water for 5-7 minutes (or until tender).

Add the cooked bulgur wheat and saute for 1-2 minutes more and then add the seasonings and saute for another 1-2 minutes while stirring.

Finished bulgur wheat and ready for the taco salad!

I think it has a nice looking texture!  And the texture in the mouth is wonderful too!  It makes about 3 cups of bulgur wheat.

I added 2 cups of my chili beans (recipe at the bottom of the page at that link) or any of your favorite chili beans or pinto beans if you do not like spicy.

Our taco salad is: lettuce, spinach, tomato, red onion, peppers, olives, green onions and cucumbers.

Then mix it all together... And add your favorite guacamole or avocado!  Yum!  We also like it with tortilla chips.  The blue corn chips or the corn chips with flax!  Such a filling meal and so good for you!

Taco Salad

1 small onion, minced

3 - 4 mushrooms, minced

1/3 red or yellow pepper, minced

2 cups bulgur wheat (cooked ahead of time)

1 TBS onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder (optional for those who like it spicy)

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS cumin

1. Cook 1/2 cup of bulgur wheat in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes.  Set aside.

2. Saute onion, mushrooms, and pepper for 5-7 minutes in 2 TBS of water or until golden.

3. Add bulgur wheat and stir wheat and saute another 2 minutes.

4. Add seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and cumin) and saute another 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

5.  Add 2-3 cups of chili beans.

6. Serve with salad, guacamole and chips.

Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup to warm on a cold day!

I think taking pictures is one of my favorites things to do besides cook or maybe bake... And I have to say that Split Pea Soup is one of our favorites soups!  It is easy, cheap, hearty, and healthy!  But it is not photogenic at all!  It does not look pretty when taking a picture of it.  Green mash is what I think of but if one just closes their eyes and takes a bite the image of it will go away because it tastes so good!  The secret to this split pea soup is that I put a sweet potato, onion, carrots and celery in it to help enhance the goodness of the soup!  It is a very tasty soup and my kids do not mind eating it.  It is helpful when they eat the foods I make.  As long as it is not spicy they will eat anything!

See not that glorious of a picture... but when making the soup it does help to know what it shall look like in the end!

I prepare the vegetables (pictured here is an onion, 3 carrots, and 3 celery stalks) by using my onion/vegetable chopper so it is quicker and all of the pieces are the same size.  And I like to saute them (use a 6 quart pot to cook the soup) before adding the seasonings and split peas.  I use 1/2 - 1 cup of water to saute and saute for 10 minutes on medium high and covered.  (Split peas cook very quickly so in order to avoid split pea casserole, as Paul would say, I like to saute the vegetables ahead of time so they do not take very long to cook once the split peas have been added.) 

Just another picture here with the sweet potato on top.  I saute all of the vegetables together.

Once the vegetables have been sauteed for 10 minutes I add the seasonings and the split peas and then the water.  I use my homemade chicken - like seasoning, nutritional yeast (good B vitamins), dried parsley, salt and garlic powder.  Stir well to incorporate everything together.  And bring to a boil and then cook over low heat covered for 20-30 minutes or until the split peas are to desired tenderness.  

Split Pea Soup

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 large sweet potato, chopped

2 TBS chicken-like seasoning

2 TBS nutritional yeast

1 TBS dried parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 - 1 tsp salt 

1 lb (2 cups) split peas

6-8 cups of water (use judgment the more water the more brothy)

1. Heat a 6 quart pot with 1/2 - 1 cup of water.  

2. Prepare vegetables and saute vegetables in the pot of water for 10 minutes on medium high.

3. Add seasonings, split peas, and water.  Stir well to incorporate ingredients together.

4. Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until desired tenderness.

5. This makes about 8 large bowl fulls and goes well with a green salad and corn muffins.

Enjoy!

Carob Peanut Butter Balls

What a yummy treat!  Since giving up chocolate because I learned it gives me severe headaches I have re-fallen in love with carob!  As a kid we would go to campmeeting (for our church) and I would go to the food tent just to enjoy carob milk.  It was so delicious!  Carob is not chocolate and it should not be compared.  It is a different treat and a fun one!  My kids really enjoy this treat and it is fairly healthy.  It still have sugar in it so it should not be eaten a lot but it is a fun dessert!

You can see the texture from the oats.  They are very simple and can be put together in just 10 minutes.  I like to put them in the freezer before eating.

I used 1/3 cup of organic coconut palm sugar (which is brown sugar) but honey or maple syrup can be used as well in the same amount.  And 4 teaspoons of carob powder.

Then add 1/4 cup of milk (I used vanilla almond milk), 1/4 cup of natural crunchy peanut butter and mix together and heat just until it is warm enough to mix in the oats.

Once the mixture is warm add in 1 cup of oats (rolled or instant or a combination of both) and mix well.  I let it sit for a 1-2 minutes because when I tried to roll them right away they were too warm and I had more on my hands then in the balls.  I can get 18 carob balls out of this batch.  Then freeze them for 10-20 minutes.

They store well in the freezer or the fridge for several days.  They do not last long in our house.  I am thankful the kids like them.  It makes it easy to make one treat for all of us.

Lukas enjoyed rolling the balls with me.  We had a fun time making them and licking our hands!

Carob Peanut Butter Balls

1/3 cup sugar/sweetener

4 tsp carob powder

1/4 cup milk (any plant based milk will do)

1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter

1 cup oats (instant or regular rolled)

1. Mix together the first 4 ingredients and warm the mixture for 1 minute in the microwave or for 2-3 minutes on the stove on medium heat (stir often so it does not stick to the pan).

2. Remove from heat.  Stir in the oats and let sit for 2-3 minutes.

3. Roll into balls.
4. Place in freezer for 10-20 minutes before enjoying.
5. They will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy!

Curry Potatoes

My family loves Indian curry dishes!  It is such a fun way to cook!  And it is so pleasing to the palate!  It is nice that my family enjoys different tastes so we can enjoy a variety of foods.  This dish is a great dish to eat as a soup or over rice and of course with a salad.  It is only good as a leftover for maybe one day.  When you leave okra for too long after it has been cooked it becomes very gelatinous.  So it is best to enjoy it the day when it is made.  This is also wonderful served with papadum which is an Indian lentil cracker that can be found in Indian stores.  We bake it so it is not cooked in oil.

If eating as a soup it is tasty with some fresh cilantro.

Saute the spices/herbs in a 1-2 TBS water for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetables and water and cook until the potatoes are tender.

It is good served over rice and with fresh cilantro.  Fresh cilantro is really good with most Indian dishes.

We enjoy it with a big salad too.

And served with papadum (Indian lentil cracker).

Curry Potatoes

4 Red Potatoes, chopped

1 cup green peas (frozen is best)

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 cups okra, chopped in slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp garam masala (can be purchased in an Indian food store or some stores will carry this item)

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp ginger (can be fresh)

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables by chopping and set aside.

2. Saute garlic and spices (garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and ginger) with 1 TBS water on medium low with lid on for 5 minutes.

3. Add 1 cup of water, potatoes carrots, and onions to the soup pot and cook on medium high for 10 minutes.

4. Add 4 cups of water, okra, and frozen green peas to the soup pot and cook on low for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

5. Serve with basmati rice or as a soup. 

6. Garnish with cilantro and with a big salad.

Enjoy!

Fajita Burritos - A Healthier Option

One of our favorite types of food to eat is Hispanic cuisine.  We have always enjoyed eating fajitas, burritos, tacos, etc.  There are so many fun ways to eat this type of food.  The only problem is the fajitas are cooked in oil and make us feel so heavy after eating them.  Fajitas can be cooked in a little water without the oil which is fine but I learned a new way to cook them… Why not bake them in the oven and then the flavors can slow cook in the oven and they taste so yummy!  It is a very easy way to make them and then you can leave them in the oven while cutting up the salad for your meal as well.  I like to make my mashed beans ahead of time and just heat them up when I am ready to use them.  The beans freeze well so they can be made a week in advance.  Here is the recipe for my chili beans.

Even though there are several stops for this recipe, once it is finished it is very easy to reheat and eat for more than 1 meal.  (It is a great leftover.)

All of the vegetables came from the garden which made it more fun to eat.  

Cut into shapes you want in your fajita burrito.  We like strips so it fits in the burrito shell nicely.

I use parchment paper on the cookie sheet to avoid spraying the pan with oil.

Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 20-35 minutes.  We like them just tender or al dente.  They are very good when they have a slight crunch left.

A closer look at the yummy vegetables!

It is nice to see the vegetables still in their cut form and not all mushy.

I arranged them with some homemade pinto beans and a salad.

It is a perfect meal because it has everything you need in a meal.  No dairy needed in this recipe.  All of the flavors mixed so well together.  I used equals amounts of the salad, pinto beans, and fajita vegetable.  Green onion is best then it did not taste like onions only.  The fajita vegetables can be served over rice, with tortilla chips, or corn tortilla.  The fajita vegetables keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.  They are very good with just tortilla chips and beans as well.

Fajita Burritos

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 zucchini squash, sliced

4 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large tomato, large pieces

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1. Slice vegetables and place on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Bake vegetables in the oven for 20-35 minutes or until al dente.

4. Serve with mashed beans, salad and in a burrito shell, over rice or with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Green Tomato Salsa

What do you do with the green tomatoes just before the first frost??  Make green tomato salsa or fried green tomatoes.  Both are very yummy!  Every year we have a ton of green tomatoes right before the frost.  So we have made green tomato salsa and it is so yummy!  What a fun salsa and very different than the typical red salsa we are all used too.  My husband asked me what should we do with them and my first thought was fried green tomatoes.  And that is not a healthy option so we made this!  I made a double batch of this because I am feeding a few more people right now.  It is very easy to make.  And we enjoy it with just tortilla chips, in a salad, in burritos or any other Tex-Mex dish.

As you can see it is very green with the green tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and jalapeno.

I used fresh lime in this one which is very good but the bottled lime juice will work also.  Except for the cilantro (because it has already died) and lime everything came from the garden.

I like to chop up the cilantro very fine.  Remove the leaves from the stems because the stems can make it kind of bitter.

Mince up the green tomato, onion, garlic and jalapeno.  And juice the lime and mix it all together.  I used a 'as seen on tv' chopper because it makes all of the vegetables the same size and I like that.  Makes it very pretty too!

Green Tomato Salsa

4 medium green tomatoes, minced
1 small red or white onion, minced
1 small jalapeno, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c cilantro, chopped fine
2 TBS lime juice
1 tsp cumin
salt to taste

1. Mince the green tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and garlic cloves and add to a bowl.
2. Remove the eilantro leaves from the stems and chop the cilantro very fine and add to the bowl.
3. Juice 1/2 of a lime or use bottled lime and add the lime juice, cumin and salt to taste.
4. Mix well and serve with chips or on a salad.
5. Enjoy!

Gazpacho the cold soup!

My husband is the Gazpacho lover!  He made it for me when we were first married.  What a fun soup!  Very odd but very good.  It was one of those that I did not know what to expect.  It is not your warm and inviting soup that one thinks of eating in the middle of fall and winter on a cold day.  This is a soup for a hot, summer day and it is very refreshing!  When you have an abundance of produce from the garden this is a great soup to make.  Or if it is getting to the end of the season and you need to pick your produce and do something with it then make this soup.  There seems to always be a lot of tomatoes in the garden and I always have a lot of herbs.  Even when we lived in the RV I had a little kitchen garden with lots of herbs and tomatoes.  Even my kids liked it a lot.  Another great thing I learned is it does not need much salt if any.  I just used some dried cayenne in mine, so it was like a spicy V8 with some chunks!

What the soup looks like.  Very red.  My husband said to use only a few chunky vegetables and it does make a difference.

Just the vegetables I used.  All from the garden.  And very colorful!  Heirloom tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, onions, cucumbers (I removed the seeds), red & orange peppers, garlic, basil, parsley. 

Blend up 8 tomatoes, 1/2 of the onion, 1-3 garlic cloves (garlic tends to make it spicy when used raw), and 1/2 c basil.

I like small pieces so I used our vegetable chopper, then they are all the same size and it cuts them perfectly small.  And I add that into the blended tomatoes and herbs.

I minced up the parsley.  It is nice to have it in small pieces also.

Then I added chopped yellow tomatoes for a fun color.

See some of the vegetables.  This is in the big bowl of soup.

Gazpacho Soup

8 tomatoes, blended

1 medium onion, 1/2 blended and 1/2 minced

1-3 garlic cloves, blended

1/2 c basil, blended

1 medium cucumber, remove seeds and minced

1/2 orange pepper, minced

1/2 red pepper, minced

5-7 little yellow tomatoes, minced

1/4 c parsley, minced

Salt &/or pepper to taste

1. Blend tomatoes, 1/2 onion, garlic cloves, basil together and pour into a bowl.

2. Chop/Mince cucumber, peppers, yellow tomatoes and 1/2 onion.

3. Mince parsley and add to the bowl.

4. Stir well and serve with crackers or crusty bread.