Creamy pasta!

Creamy Pasta

I was fan, Jeremy was a fan after adding "Franks" hot sauce :)

½ cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1 cup water
1 cup rice milk
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pasta whole wheat or spelt

Cook macaroni according to package directions. While your macaroni is cooking, work on the "cheese" sauce. In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine the water, rice milk, and oil and whisk briefly. In another bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients together.
HEAT a medium saucepan. Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan, and slowly add the wet ingredients, continuously whisking over medium heat. Once all the ingredients are mixed, turn up the heat a little until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Keep whisking as the mixture thickens as soon as it is nice and thick, remove from heat.
Your pasta should be done and drained and returned to pan add the cream to the macaroni stir until coated. Sprinkle individual servings with salt and pepper to taste.

Ruth's additions: I really was rather pleased with this. It was tasty and the texture was good. Jeremy said it was bland untill he put some "Franks Hot Sauce" on it. Kason couldnt get enough! :) I halfed the recipe because it seemed like A TON, and it was the perfect amount for the 3 of us (Karver is at grandma's for a few days).

Potatoe Tocas! YUMM

Potato Tacos Recipe

I'm a fan, Jeremy is a fan, we are all fans! :)

Ingredients
10 fresh corn tortillas
2 large red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
4 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
2 poblano chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 ear white corn, stripped of kernels (or an ear of corn on the side!)
2 scallions, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh cilantro - I like lots, but depending on your taste, you might want 1/4 cup chopped
1 lime
Fresh avocado, diced

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a skillet add 3 tbsp of the olive oil and add the potatoes and fry them until crispy and brown on the outside and cooked inside. Meanwhile slice the poblano chiles in half, and while wearing gloves, remove the ribs and the seeds. Add the peppers cut-side down to a baking dish that has been lightly coated with olive oil and roast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Chop them up and set aside. (We did do this, because I didnt have this, it still tasted good!)

When the potatoes finish cooking remove them to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil to the skillet and cook the onions, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and corn. Add salt & pepper to taste, and juice the lime and add it to the skillet and cook on low for 5 minutes. Stir well.

Heat a large skillet or griddle and warm up the tortillas on each side, about 5 minutes per side. If you don't do this, they will have a hard, rubbery texture. Warming them helps to soften them.

To assemble the tacos, place some potato on the tortilla, some roasted poblanos, then the veg/lime mixture, and top with scallion, cilantro, and avocado.

Ruth's additions: We really enjoyed this! We tried it as a taco, and a taco salad kind of deal! I liked it better as a taco, even though it was a bit messy! :) YUMMMMM!! We also topped ours with a fresh salsa (tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, garlic an cilantro!)

Much thanks to my sister Emily for this recipe!!

Breakfast for CHAMPS !

Wonderful Pancakes!
Jeremy LOVED , I LOVED the boys loved!

6-8 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon sea salt
3 teaspoons baking powder (the non-aluminum kind of course;)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup Sucanat
Mix the above ingredients together then add:
2 cups rice milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 Tablespoons coconut or olive oil (I used applesauce)
water to desired consistency
Add wet ingredients and stir add just enough water for the consistency you like some people like thinner crape like pancakes some like them thicker and fluffier. I just add some water stir and add a little more if it's still too thick. Also you can always add more flour if you accidentally make them too thin. See so Simple!!!

These are SUPER good, and super healthy! :) They make a ton, so you can make them all and freeze some, or you can half it, but it still makes alot!

We made those with this!

Freezer Jam the healthy way!



I'm a fan, Jeremy (who is a huge jam fan) LOVED THEM!

4 C. crushed strawberries
(I just wash and hull the strawberries and then pulse them in the blender until desired consistency)
1 1/2 C. Agave
1 pkg powdered pectin (low or no sugar kind)
3/4 C. water

Combine strawberries and agave in a bowl. Combine pectin and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add pectin to fruit mixture; stir 3 minutes. Ladle jam into can or freezer jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Put lids on. Let stand at room temperature until set. Label and freeze. Yield: about 7 half-pints

POT PIE, AMAZING STYLE!!!

Super Simple Veggie Pot Pie

I cant tell you how BIG a FAN I am, we all L-O-V-E-D this!

4 medium carrots, sliced

3 medium potatoes, chopped
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
4 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups mushrooms of choice (I have used chopped Portabello, fresh sliced, or canned sliced when I didn't have fresh;)
1 Large onion, chopped
2 cups Frozen green peas
Biscuit Topping (recipe below)
Cook carrots and potatoes in water in saucepan until tender-crisp.
Blend flour into melted coconut oil in medium saucepan over low heat.
Cook for 3 minutes or until smooth and bubbly, stirring frequently.
Stir in vegetable broth gradually; increase heat to medium. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, pepper.
Place chopped onion, mushrooms, and frozen peas in baking dish or dishes. (I have used a deep cake pan or 2 deep 9 inch pie pans. If they are small pie tins you could probably use three or 4 my deep dish ones were really full. You can see in the picture that they some spilled over the sides while cooking;)
Drain carrots and potatoes place them in the pan also.
Pour in broth mixture over the vegetables.
Top with Biscuit Topping.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
Biscuit Topping
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups rice milk
8 Tablespoons olive or coconut oil
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Add milk and oil all at once; mix just until moistened.

Ruth's additions: I cant tell you how much we LOVED this! WOW!!! This is by far the most AMZING thing we have had since our diet change! This is DEFIANTLY be a regular! I am going to try applesauce substitute for oil in the biscuit topping. The only thing I did different was no mushrooms because we dont like those. Plus this makes A TON!! I cut it in half, and it still made 2 pie tins! :) WOWOWOOWOW really TRY THIS ONE!!!

From simplehealthytasty.com

Veggie chilli

Veggie Chilli

We could eat it again, and Jeremy got seconds

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the garlic, onion, and carrots in the pot until tender. Mix in the green bell pepper and red bell pepper. Season with chili powder. Continue cooking 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
2. Mix the mushrooms into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, black beans with liquid, kidney beans with liquid, pinto beans with liquid, and corn (we didnt use corn, and rinsed the beans and added some veggie broth). We also added zucchini) Season with cumin, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.(We did ours in the crock pot, put everything in the morning and cooked on low for about 5 hrs.)
   

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 82 | Total Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Ruth additions: We did like this, it was bit spicy for karver and Kason, although they both ate it. Chilli does seem like a great crock pot meal! We like to do crock pot meals on sunday, so if you any of you have good healthy veggie chilli recipes feel free to let me know! :)

Potatoes and things!

Potatoes and Things


I am a HUGE FAN!!! Jeremy is TOO! :) YEA!!!

This was orignally called the "mountain mans breakfast" but according to Jeremy it should be against the law to call it that because there is no meat! hahaha

Potatoes and Things or Mountain Man Breakfast
Potatoes, diced or shredded (we actually had some sweet potatoes
we needed to use too so we put some of those in too)
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced or chopped
4-6 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
1 Large onion, sliced or chopped
Other Veggies of choice (some of our favorites are zucchini or
summer squash, corn, and tomatoes)
1 Tablespoon Nama Shoyu (we didnt add this I WOULD RECCOMEND NOT ADDING IT)
Coconut oil
Sea Salt to taste
Other Seasonings to taste (we like garlic, pepper, no salt
seasoning mix like Mrs. Dash Table Blend, Basil, etc.)

In a large skillet, (I think a well seasoned cast iron skillet is best for this although it does still stick some it's the best option I have found, other then teflon) heat some oil, you need enough to coat the potatoes well. Add potatoes, salt, and other seasonings of choice. Cook until potatoes are done to your liking, stirring often. If you like soft chewy potatoes cook on a lower heat, if you like them kind of crispy on the outside and soft inside cook at a high heat. If you want them totally crispy you will probably have to deep fry them. We like them the second way mentioned.
When almost done, add in the other veggies

On a plate pile on the hash browns, and veggies you may also add some good ketchup or salsa and top with good yellow sauce on top if desired.

Ruth's additions and Yellow sauce recipe: We really loved this, the one shown above is Karver's so that is why it is a small portion with natural organic Ketchup and yellow sauce to dip the veggies in. We all LOVED this and we will be making it again.

Yellow Sauce

1 ½ cup raw cashews

3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in blender. (Wet ingredients first!) Blend until smooth. Use as a sandwich spread, a dip for crackers or veggies, for nacho cheese, or anything else you want to use it for.

(this is REALLY good! we made it for the potatoes and things dinner. Jeremy added franks hot sauce with it, and he LOVED it!!)

from the website simplehealthytasty.com

whats for lunch?

Interestingly enough, lunch has been the most difficult meal for us to figure out. We are so used to eggs, or chicken nuggets, or tortillas with cheese. We are still looking for simple and quick ideas if anybody has any, but here are a few things we have figured out...

PBH ( Real peanut butter, and honey on homemade wheat bread) YUM!!!! of course with an apple, or carrots stick, or celery sticks

Fruit bowl with whole wheat bread

and of course, left overs from the night before! :)

If you have any ideas please feel free to let me know!!!

Cafe Rio all natural

Cafe Rio (all natural)


I'm a fan and so is Jeremy!!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice) (I used brown)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth (I vegetable broth)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Put these on top of lettuce, and top with

Just Like Mom's Homemade Ranch Dressing

1 cup of Sunflower Seed Sour Cream (recipe below, Note: This can be left out if you are in a hurry or just want it more simple! It's not quite as rich, thick, and creamy, but still really good)

1 cup Vegenaise

3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (more if you like it really tangy)

1 Tablespoon Parsley

Chives (optional) (i didnt use chives)

Dill (optional)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/3 teaspoon garlic granules

salt & pepper to taste I usually use about 1/4 teaspoon of each

MAKES THE PERFECT SALAD!!!


Ruth's additions: I made these as salad toppers!! It was AMAZING!! I loved it soo much I ate the left overs for lunch the next day, and I dont eat left overs. The picture shown is Jeremy's, he ate his like a taco, with lots of lettuce, he used flour tortilla, because we are trying to get rid of them, but wheat would be just fine! We topped with the "just like mom's homemade ranch dessing" from Simplehealthytasty.com.. YUM!!!! I had mine as a salad with lots of greens, and topped with beans, rice, and healthy ranch! :) ENJOY!!!!

Yummy (secretly healthy) smoothies

I just made some smoothies for Jeremy and I to have for breakfast! They are SOOOOO yummy and SOOOO healthy (didnt know those went together right?)

Yummy (secretly healthy) Smoothies


The whole family is a HUGE fan! :)

2-3 cups frozen fruit of choice (I used tropical blend, then another batch with berry blend)
2-4 hand fulls of spinach (you wont ever taste it)
1-2 cups water
2 over flowing spoon fulls of orange juice

*the berry blend smoothy needed a bit of sweetening, so I dropped in some of natures sweetener (honey) these are SUPER yummy and SUPER good for you!

You may have notice that all of the ingredients have a large range for the quantity, that is because it is really up to you.
You decide how you want it to taste, look, feel, well.. you get the point

I made a big batch and put it in jars and placed it in the fridge/freezer, a quick, easy, tasty, and healthy meal or snack!! AWESOME!

Quinoa Patties

Quinoa Patties

I'm a fan, Jeremy is kinda a fan

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
1/3 cup fresh Parmesan, grated
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup whole grain breadcrumbs (or gluten free bread crumbs)
1 T extra virgin olive oil ( I used coconut oil)

1. In a medium bowl combine quinoa, eggs, and salt. Stir in garlic, chives, onion, cheese and cayenne pepper. Add breadcrumbs and allow to sit for a couple of minutes.
2. Form into 1 inch patties. The mixture should be very moist. You may need to add water or extra breadcrumbs to moisten or make the mixture dryer.
3. Place a large skillet over medium low heat. Heat olive oil. Add as many patties as your skillet can handle, being careful not to overload it so that you have trouble flipping the quinoa patties.
4. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes your patties aren’t brown turn the heat up and cook (carefully to avoid burning) until they brown. Flip and cook for 7 more minutes on the other side.

Ruth's additions: I found I didnt need to cook them as long, about 5 min per side. We ate them in a whole wheat bun, with avocado, sprouts, green pepper and some hot sauce! :) Even Karver liked it!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Jeremy and I are both fans!

SALAD:

4 c. chopped Romaine Lettuce

2 c. chopped grilled chicken (we put any chicken, and it is not missed!)

1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, washed

1/3 c. vertically-sliced red onions

1 avocado, cubed

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (we also us some pinto beans)

1 8 3/4 oz. can corn, rinsed and drained

DRESSING:
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 c. light sour cream (or a sunflower sour cream *)
1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. salt

OPTIONAL:

Make sure all salad ingredients that need to be washed or rinsed have been. Combine lettuce, chicken, beans, corn, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl and gently mix with your hands

Mix dressing ingredients. I say to start with 1 1/2 tsp. of adobo sauce and then go from there, probably 1/4-1/2 tsp. at a time. If you're serving this for a crowd, it's probably better to err on the side of not spicy enough rather than too spicy, but if you're just making it for your family and you have taste buds of steel, have at it. You could even chop up one of the chilies and toss it in there if you're feeling super-brave. Then taste the dressing and you'll know what heaven tastes like. Set dressing aside.

When you're ready to serve, add avocado, tortilla strips, and dressing. Gently combine with your hands and serve.

Ruth's additions: We love this, its tasty and good for us. Not much to add. we have done it more like a cafe rio style with a tortilla on bottom (you could even through in some lime brown rice!)

This recipe is from ourbestbites.com

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup water

4+ Tablespoons lemon juice

1 garlic clove pressed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

One of many, black beans and rice

eh, kinda a fan

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
  
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice

Directions

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, cook and stir until tender. Add beans, tomatoes, oregano and garlic powder. Bring to a boil; stir in rice. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 271 | Total Fat: 5.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Ruth's additions: Really nothing to add, wasnt my favorite, but it wasnt horrible.

from allrecipes.com

Fresh tomato pasta

Fresh Tomato Pasta

I'm a fan, Jeremy is a

BIG fan

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta (I used wheat pasta)
  
• 8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing (Now with our all natural kick, we would not use this)
  
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil (dried works too, but fresh is best!)
  
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I didnt add this)
  

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the penne pasta in the pot, cook 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
2. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the tomatoes, Italian dressing, basil, red onion, and Parmesan cheese.

Eat it with a HUGE green salad! YUM!! Even Karver liked it!

from allrecipes.com

Roasted Veggies!

Roasted VEGGIES!! I'm a fan

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large yam, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1 inch slices
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (I did 400 degrees). Grease 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2. Place the yams, parsnips, and carrots onto the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, (I did carrots, potatoes 1st) then add the zucchini and asparagus, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Continue baking until all of the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Once tender, remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet.
3. Toss the roasted peppers together with the garlic, basil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add the roasted vegetables, and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Ruth's additions:
Do whatever veggies you like! :) Put the firmer veggies in first at 400 degrees for 20 min, then add the softer veggies for 15min, just keep checking it. I season mine before baking, it made the house smell GREAT!! We had this as a main dish and all 4 of us loved it!! Enjoy!!
I am going to try grilling it soon too! :) YUM!!!

*recipe from Allrecipes.com