Cranberry Orange Relish

Photobucket

Photobucket

Cranberry-Orange Relish

1 bag cranberries
1 cup organic cane juice sugar
1 orange: zest of 1 orange plus segments
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
8 anise stars
water to cover

Put the whole mess in a pot and boil for about 40 minutes until everything is syrupy and mooshy. I served mine with fat free yogurt and applesauce. Yummy and good for you, too!


Chicken Broth with Rice, Arugula and Yogurt

Chicken Broth with Rice, Arugula and Yogurt

I always have a quart of chicken broth in the fridge and a quart in the freezer. Once a week I make broth with the roaster bones from Sunday. I freeze a tray of cubes as a treat for Lux, or to use in cooking in making swift sauces. I also steam rice daily, for the kids snack after school, for dinners, to add to Lux's dinner, whatever. Sometimes I eat hot rice with milk and maple syrup and ground flax seeds for breakfast! For this soup I combined the broth and rice and added lovely leaves of crispy and spicy arugula and topped it off with a spoonful of fat free yogurt. A tasty snack after stomping in the 34 degree woods for 2 hours this morning!

Black Soy Noodles with Turkey Bacon, Leeks, Peas and Walnuts

Black Soy Noodles with Turkey Bacon, Leeks, Peas and Walnuts
(serves 2)

1 serving of soy pasta per person (I used the black for extra drama)
4 slices of turkey bacon
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup walnut pieces
4 tablespoons walnut oil
2 cups leeks, chopped
1/2 cup chicken or veggie broth
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the leeks, bacon and walnuts in the walnut oil until bacon is crispy and leeks are wilted. Add the peas and broth and simmer until warm through. Add salt and pepper to taste. In the meantime, cook the pasta following directions on the box. Drain the pasta, top with the yummy bacon, leek mix and sprinkle with Romano cheese if desired.

Corn Tortilla with Shredded Chicken

Home made corn tortillas with shredded chicken

I made the tortillas using my press, but you may make them by rolling out the dough and cooking them in a frying pan as well.

1 cup corn flour
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons oil ( I use walnut)

Cooked chicken, shredded
Taco sauce
shredded cheese
lettuce
sliced tomatoes

Mix the flour, water and oil until it forms a dough. Knead until smooth. Pinch off golf ball sized globs and roll on a floured surface until flat. Place on a hot griddle or pan and flip after a minute or so.

Place shredded chicken, chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cheese on top. Top with taco sauce. Yummy!

Wilter Arugula and Grapefruit Salad

Wilted Arugula and Ruby Red Grapefruit Salad (serves 4)

1 handful of arugula per person
1 ruby red grapefruit, segmented ( I used a knife and cut slices without membrane)
2 tablespoons walnut oil (olive is ok, too)
1 ripe avocado

Place oil in a pan and toss in the arugula and grapefruit. Toss until wilted and warmed. Place this on a plate and top with thin slices of avocado. Simple. Pretty. Tasty.

Baked Apples with a Corriander Crust



Baked Apples with Coriander Crust

Two organic Granny Smith apples
1 lemon
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup Earth Balance spread or similar (plus extra pats for top)
1 1/3 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons ice cold water

In a metal bowl place the flour, salt, sugar coriander, and "butter". Using a wire whisk, pounce upon the butter, quickly pushing up and down on it, incorporating the flour into it, until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the cold water by spoonfuls, mixing with a spoon or your hand, until the mass forms a loose ball. Turn the ball out onto a floured surface and gently PUSH the dough on all sides, forming a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap (or better still, waxed paper), and put in fridge for about an hour.

Cut the dough in half and roll each out until 1/4 inch thick.

Peel and core the apples. Rub them with lemon juice and place each on a crust circle. Gently push and form the dough around each apple.

Pour the maple syrup, into the hole in the apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add walnuts and/or raisins (optional) Top with a pat of butter.

I sprinkle the tops of mine with grated lemon and casting sugar.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Corntatta


Corntatta

(serves one for main, 2 for starters)

1/2 bag organic frozen corn kernels (5 oz)
2 eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese
2 oz low fat cheddar grated
1 teaspoon tarragon leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon corn meal
1 tablespoon finely grated romano cheese

Beat the eggs within an inch of their life. Add milk, and take out more aggression thereon. Plop in the ricotta and have-at-it again. Same with the cheddar and tarragon. Stir in the corn. Pour into a greased baking dish (a small one). Mix the corn meal and the romano and sprinkle on top. Place in a 385 degree oven for 3o minutes or until the top looks browned lightly, and the custard has set.



Crispy Pita Chips

Tasty and Healthy Pita Crisps

I usually have these on hand. My kids love to munch on them and they are a much healthier alternative to chips. We make these a lot at the catering company, too. They are strong enough for hummus dips and such, and are very inexpensive to make.

Simply buy a bag of pita bread. Using a knife or pizza wheel, cut into eight sections, peel apart the segments' top from bottom, place on a cookie sheet and spray or drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in a 375 degree oven, but stay near, they turn brown quickly!

Healthy Sunflower Seed Snack



Sunflower Seed Snack

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2 cups roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pam spray (or similar) Spray the pan, the spatula and the measuring cup to assist in lessening the "sticky" factor.

Stir the syrup and vanilla into the sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and turn out onto a greased cookie sheet. Spread to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch or so. Bake at 350 on the bottom rack for about 15 minutes, until it is bubbly and lightly browned, (it will look "foamy" for a while. Then it will appear less so, and that is when you need to look more often) checking frequently to assure it won't burn. Run a knife through to cut into squares while still warm (but not HOT), then allow to cool completely before eating. Sometimes the squares from the middle of the pan are more chewy, not as crunchy, but I like them that way,too.

Sunflower seeds are high in protein and good oils, and sesame seeds are high in calcium. Rice malt is sweet, but not overly so, and has a lower glycemic index than other syrups.

Breakfast of the Champions

Fruit Compote with Fat Free Yogurt and Walnuts

This is my breakfast this morning!

1/3 cup fat free organic yogurt
1 handful of walnuts
1 cup frozen berry mix warmed on the stove with 1 tablespoon of Agave Nectar
and, of course, the best part...Whipped Cream (a moderate and demure little dollop)


Pretty and Healthy Breakfast



Pretty and Healthy Breakfast

My kids love this!

grapefruit slices
honeydew melon slices
fat free ricotta cheese
honey
sprinkles (optional)

Mix 1/2 cup fat free ricotta with 1 tablespoon of honey. Scoop using a small ice cream scoop or melon baller. Alternate the pink and green fruit. Top with the ricotta. Sprinkle away! Very "Spring" looking, eh?