Monday, May 30, 2011

2 Bean Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette

Even hubby liked this one...

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained well
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained well
2/3 C. chopped red onion
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsely
2 T. olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Toss to blend well. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes before serving. (Got this recipe from recipegirl.com)

Great side for BBQs. We even tossed around the idea of using as a relish of sorts for fish tacos...

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Classic Tacos

Got this one out of the Clean Eating April/May 2011 catalog. (Serves 4)

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onlin, diced small (1 1/2 cups)
2 large cloves farlic, minced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, roughly chopped into small pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets, roughly chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chile powder (I didnt add this cause I didnt want it to be to spicy for the kids)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
12 small corn tortillas
5 large Romaine lettuce leaves, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream

ONE: In a large, high-sided skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and saute for 30 more seconds.

TWO: Add mushrooms and cauliflower and stir constantly for 2 mins, until vegetables start to release water and shrink. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are about half their original size and cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 mins.

THREE: In a small mixing bowl, whish together tomato paste, 1/4 cup water, chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add to mushroom micture along with corn. Stir to combine, then cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 mins.

FOUR: Warm tortillas over the flame of a gas stove or in a warm oven. To assemble tacos, fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup mushroom filling. Top with lettuce, avocado, cheese, and sour cream, dividing evenly.


This was pretty good. Jeff and the kids ate it. Molly loves Mexican food so I know she will like it! :)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

NACHOS!

Who said nachos have to be unhealthy? I love Mexican food and I especially love nachos! So when things in my fridge are on the verge of going bad I put it all on organic corn tortilla chips:

-Beans
-Olives
-Avocado
-Tomato
-Green Onion
-Fresh Jalapeno
-Onion
-Salsa

...and whatever else sounds yummy! I do not put cheese or sour cream on mine and they still taste great! So I still get to indulge in my favorite dinner, without being on a sodium, dairy, or lard overdose.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Pizza Crust

This is my favorite recipe for pizza crust so far:

Makes two 12" crusts.

1 T Active Dry Yeast
1 cup Warm Water
2.5 cups white flour
2 T olive oil
1 t sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
1 t salt

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add oil and dry ingredients. Stir dough until tough, then knead on lightly floured surface into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let dough rise until doubled. Divide dough in half and pat with floured fingers or use rolling pin to form two 12” circles. Pinch an edge around the crusts and place on cornmeal dusted baking sheets. Top as desired and bake in a preheated 450F oven for 15-20 min.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Coconut Cream Pie

Crust:
1 c rolled oats
1/4 c spelt flour
1/4 c whole unsalted almonds
2 t raw honey
3 T oil

Filling:
1/3 c coconut milk
1/2 c coconut water
1 c low fat milk
1/3 c organic evaporated cane juice
1/4 c brown rice flour
1 t pure coconut extract
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1 T unsweetened flaked coconut

Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare crust in a food processor. Blend oats, flour, and almonds until finely ground. Add honey and oil and pulse until mixture becomes crumbly and sticks together. Turn into a 9" pie pan and press into bottom and sides of pan. Bake 10 min or until lightly browned.

Filling: Combine all filling ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk. Continue stirring and allow to boil for 1 min. Remove from heat and allow mixture to stand for 1 min without mixing. Pour into baked pie shell and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.