Corn Salad

I created this salad to bring to our Easter Celebration.  My inspiration came from my potato and corn chowder, but the warmer weather demanded something cold.  Since Easter, I have made this salad about once a week at my husband's request.  It usually lasts 2-3 days before I find an empty bowl on the counter.

Salad Ingredients

1-2 bunches green onions

1 leek

1-2 celery stalk

1 red pepper

2 pounds frozen corn

3-5 pounds potatoes

1-2 bunches cilantro

Dressing 

2/3 cup oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice (I used Meyer from our tree)

2-3 tablespoons no-salt garlic and herb seasoning.

Directions

1. Cook the potatoes until soft.  Allow to cool, then slice.

2. Slice the onions, leek, and celery into small pieces.

3. Dice the pepper and cilantro

4. Defrost the corn by running water over it in a colander.

5. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl (or two smaller ones)

6. Mix the dressing and pour over the salad.  Stir to combine.

You can serve immediately, but the flavors will be more intense if allowed to sit overnight.  This makes a lot of salad and could easily be cut in half.  It also is open to many other ingredients and combinations.  I have made it with sauteed mushrooms, black beans and cumin, and have omitted the red pepper.

Potato and Corn Chowder

Photos of batch #1, minus the extra veggies

This simple chowder is made from basic ingredients and is easy to make.  I have made it twice and added some extra ingredients the second time (denoted with an *).  I was able to make it for lunch in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients
3-5 potatoes, washed
1 onion, diced
1-2 cups sliced celery
5 mini or 1 large sweet pepper
5-10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon oil
3-4 tablespoons No-Salt Garlic/Herb seasoning
2-3 tablespoons dried parsley*
1 tablespoon black pepper (optional)
6 cups hot/boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable stock*
2 pounds frozen corn kernels
3 green onions, sliced*
2 cups greens (Chinese cabbage), sliced*

Directions

1. Pierce potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave until soft.
2. While potatoes are cooking, saute onions, celery, pepper, and garlic in the oil until browned
3. Add the hot water to the pot.  I boiled the water using my electric kettle (that I love!) then poured it into the pot.  Adding the hot water de-glazed the pot and released any stuck-on pieces of vegetable from the bottom.
4. Add the vegetable stock, seasoning, parsley, and black pepper if desired.  The first time I made this I used the black pepper and it added a bit of spicy flavor.  I omitted it the second time so we could feed it to our 14 month old daughter and not worry about it being too spicy.
5. When the potatoes are cooked, cut them into fourths or eights and add to the pot.
6. Add the frozen corn and bring the soup back to a boil.
7. Add the green onions and greens and cook for 3-5 minutes until the greens are tender

Photo of batch #2 with the added ingredients

The added ingredients from the second batch really add some fresh flavor to the soup.  There is a lot of flexibility with vegetable combinations and levels of spice.  This is another one of the recipes that will help clean out your refrigerator of aging vegetables.

Vegetable Thai Curry

This soup was a result of an overflowing refrigerator with vegetables that were a little past their prime. I decided that a Vegetable Curry would be a great way to use the vegetables and some of the cans of coconut milk my husband acquired en mass when they were on sale a few weeks ago. I suspect any assortment of veggies would yield a similar result. Here is a combination that we really enjoyed.

Ingredients
1 yellow onion, cut into eights
5 cloves garlic, roughly diced
1 leek, sliced thinly
5 ribs celery, sliced thinly
4 green onions, sliced thinly
3 medium carrots, sliced
1 yellow pepper
1 small bunch cilantro
1 small sweet potato, cubed
1 small yam, cubed
1 bunch kale, sliced
ginger, peeled and cubed
jalapeno, whole
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 3 in pieces and pounded
3-4 tablespoons curry powder
1-2 tablespoons garlic and herb seasoning mix
4 cans coconut milk
8 cups water
oil for sauteing

Directions
1. Saute the yellow onion, garlic, and leeks.
2. Add the water and bring to a boil.
3. Add the celery, green onions, carrots, pepper, cilantro and continue to boil.
3. Place the ginger, jalapeno, and lemongrass into a spice ball or cheese cloth and add to the soup.
4. Add the spices, coconut milk, sweet potato, and yam and cook until tender
5. Just prior to serving, add the sliced kale and cook just until it is softened.

We ate this over brown rice with garlic shrimp on top.  Hope you like it as much as we did.

Harriet's Mixed Bean Soup

This is an easy soup that is perfect for a blustery winter day.

Ingredients (shown above)

4 celery stalks, sliced

1 sweet onion, diced

5 sweet peppers, diced

1 head garlic, diced

mushrooms, sliced

2 cups mixed dry beans

3 tablespoons of your favorite no salt seasoning

3 tablespoons dry parsley or basil (can use fresh if available)

black pepper to taste

1 can no-salt added tomatoes*

2-4 cups greens (spinach, chard, bok choy, kale, etc)

oil (olive or canola)

Directions

1. Soak the beans per the package directions, either overnight or using the quick soak method.
2. Saute the celery, onion, peppers, and garlic in canola or olive oil. Canola does not burn as readily but is not as tasty.
3. Boil the beans for 1 hour then add the sauteed vegetables, mushrooms, and spices.
4. When the beans are soft, add the tomatoes and the greens and simmer for and additional 5-10 minutes.

We eat this soup with brown rice and bananas.
*Of course you can always use fresh tomatoes when in season.

Oven Baked Potatoes

Now that the weather is finally cooling off, my thoughts are turning to more Autumn and Winter-like foods. Baked potatoes are not something we commonly have, but the potatoes looked tasty when I was shopping last week, so I picked some up. I searched around for a recipe and found one that was simple enough. However, the final ingredient was salt which would require a substitute. I decided to use onion powder and granulated garlic.

Ingredients

medium baking potatoes

olive oil

onion powder

granulated garlic

Directions

1. Wash the potatoes well with a vegetable brush and let dry (keep the skin on).
2. Stab the potatoes 4-5 times with the tines of a fork to crate holes for the steam to escape.
3. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the dry potato and use your hand to coat the entire outside.
4. Sprinkle the onion powder and garlic around the outside of the potato and set aside
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all the potatoes are coated and seasoned.
6. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1-1.5 hours or until the potatoes are soft.

We at the potatoes with Kefir Labne Cheese instead of sour cream. My husband, who isn't a fan of potatoes, said they were the best baked potatoes he had ever had. This recipe is definitely a keeper after that comment.

Very Berry Cake

I made this cake last weekend after my husband requested a cake with fruit. It is a simple yellow cake recipe with frozen berries added to the batter.

Ingredients
1 yellow cake mix for a large cake (used only 1 cup of sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1-2 cups frozen berries (I used a mixture of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)

Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients except berries in a bowl. An electric mixer was useful for this step.
2. Once the batter is smooth, gently stir in the berries until evenly distributed.
3. Pour batter into a cake pan prepared with butter and flour.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes for a bundt pan. Other shaped pans would likely take less time. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Turn cake onto a plate and let cool.

Mujadara with Cilantro

Earlier this year, I posted a recipe for an onion, lentil, and rice pilaf. I had stored some in the freezer and pulled it out a couple of weeks ago. Wow! It was still super tasty even after being frozen for several months. I decided to make a fresh batch.

The recipe is slightly altered from the last go around. Specifically, I cut out some of the hands on cooking time and added fresh cilantro to the end product.

Ingredients
6 medium onions, caramelized
1/2 medium onion, fresh
2 cups lentils
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7 cups water
2 cups brown rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. Caramelize the onions using the slow cooker. This can be done in advance and the onions can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Slice the fresh onion half into half-moon shapes.

3. Sauté the onion in some olive oil until it softens and turns brown.

4. Add the lentils, pepper, and water to the pot and bring it to a boil.

5. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Add the rice and cumin. Simmer for an additional 45 minutes (brown rice takes longer to cook. White rice would be done in 20 minutes).

7. After the rice is cooked, stir in the caramelized onions and chopped cilantro.

The cilantro adds a freshness to the dish and really complements the cumin flavor.

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

I have come across several recipes that call for caramelized onions. After thinking to myself that there must be a easier way than standing over a saute pan for an hour, I did a quick search. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are many websites that highlight caramelizing onions using a slow cooker. I instantly knew I had to try it out.

The process I used is simple:

1. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add onions (can be sliced, quartered, halved, or whole).
3. Drizzle with olive oil on top.
4. Cook on low for 12-15 hours (overnight works well).
You may want to stir once or twice to make sure the onions don't stick.

The result is a pot full of beautiful onions ready to be used in your favorite dish.

Low Sodium Chex Mix

This is a nice alternative to the original snack mix for folks trying to watch their salt intake.

Ingredients

3 cups Corn Chex (330 cal, 840 mg)
3 cups Wheat Chex (640 cal, 1360 mg)
3 cups Rice Chex (300 cal, 720 mg)
1 cup Mixed Nuts (340 cal, 200 mg)
1/4 stick unsalted butter (200 cal, 0 mg)

1/4 cup olive oil (480 cal, 0 mg)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (0 cal, 360 mg)
6 dashes (to 12 Dashes) Tabasco Sauce (0 cal, 0 mg)
1 teaspoon No-Salt Seasoning Mix (0 cal, 0 mg)
¼ teaspoons Onion Powder (0 cal, 0 mg)

4 cloves mashed garlic (0 cal, 0 mg)

Directions

1. Add butter, Worcestershire, Tabasco, seasoning mix, onion powder, and garlic to a bowl and microwave until the butter is melted.

2. Mix in olive oil.

3. Add remaining ingredients to a bowl and mix.

4. Pour the butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to mix.

5. Evenly spread the mix on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

6. Bake at 250 degrees F for 1 hour 15 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes.

7. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Info

Servings: 24

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Calories per serving: 100

Sodium per serving: 145

Ginger Spiced Pancakes

Even though I have been pretty lazy lately, I did find the energy to try out a new pancake recipe. I found inspiration a few places around the web to come up with this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup baking mix
1 cup non-fat milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl or pitcher.
2. Pour into a lightly greased skillet and cook until bubbles appear
3. Flip and cook for another minute or two. I usually peek and see if it has turned brown.
4. Serve hot. Makes 4-6 pancakes.

I served these pancakes with a little Smart Balance and some maple syrup. They were a little different from you typical pancake, but had a nice spice flavor that wasn't too overpowering.

Crock Pot Baked Beans

On the 4th of July we had a barbecue and I made some vegetarian baked beans. I wanted to avoid the oven since it was 100+ degrees that day. I found this recipe, which I used an inspiration for these beans.

Ingredients

1 head garlic, roughly chopped
1 red onion, diced
1 pound white beans, pre-soaked
1 wax pepper, diced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoons honey
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Using a larger size crock pot (~ 5 quarts), add all the above ingredients and mix well.
2. Add enough water to cover the beans plus about 1 inch
3. Set the crock pot on LOW and cook for 6-8 hours or until tender.
4. Check to make sure there is enough water, if they look dry, add some more.

These beans were a nice side dish for our 4th of July meal and made a tasty lunch for me the rest of the week.

Cinnamon French Toast

On Saturday, I made French Toast for breakfast. I has been ages since I have made it, but it turned out just as easy and tasty as I remembered.

Ingredients
sliced bread (whole wheat store bought)
eggs
milk
cinnamon

Directions
1. Beat the eggs with a splash of milk in a bowl. I used 3 eggs and about 1/2 cup milk.
2. Add a generous amount of cinnamon. I put so much in that I had to stir a lot to mix it in.
3. Place a slice of bread in the egg/milk/cinnamon mixture until it is moistened. Flip over and repeat on the other side.
4. Set the coated slice of bread in a heated frying pan. I used a mist of olive oil spray on mine to keep it from sticking.
5. After cooking one side for a minute or two, flip the bread and cook the other.
6. Repeat the process until the egg/milk/cinnamon mixture is used up.

This recipe yielded 6 slices of French Toast using these quantities of eggs and milk. I spread some Smart Balance, sprinkled with powdered sugar, drizzled with maple syrup, and served. Yum!!

"No Salt" Seasoning Mix

This past weekend I made a recipe that called for Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Since anything with salt in the name is pretty much taboo around here, I took a stab at creating my own. There are several variations of the original, but all were high in sodium. This is a low (no) sodium version of the original.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and store in an empty spice container. These quantities make about 3 tablespoons or 1 ounce of seasoning mix.

Spring Greens Frittata

Even though we are officially into Summer now, I wanted to make sure I captured this dish I made late last month. I purchased a box of organic mixed veggies and wasn't quite sure what to make. We happened to have a decent stockpile of fresh eggs, so I decided I would combine the two.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large green onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups spring greens (this was a combination of kale, chard, broccoli, turnip greens, and some other stuff)
1 diced wax pepper (I used a frozen one from last summer's garden)
ground pepper
5 eggs
fresh thyme or other herbs

Directions
1. Slice the onion (including the whites) and saute it with the garlic in the olive oil. I used a 10 inch frying pan.
2. Roughly chop the spring greens and add to the onion and garlic. Saute until soft
3. Beat the 5 eggs in a separate bowl then pour over the vegetables. I added pepper at this point for some spice.
4. Flatten the greens and make sure the eggs are covering them.
5. Sprinkle the fresh thyme and some more pepper on top.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until set.

This was a quick and easy dinner on a weeknight. It could also be served for breakfast or a brunch as a great vegetarian side.

Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw

I was looking for a dairy-free coleslaw and found an assortment of recipes out on the web. Ultimately, I pulled from several recipes to create this version.

Slaw Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, sliced into narrow strips
1 yellow onion, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced

Dressing Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions
1. Mix the cabbage, onion, and apple to form the slaw.
2. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the slaw mixture.
4. Let marinate overnight and serve.

This coleslaw was great as a side dish or served on top of a tri-tip slider. It stored in the refrigerator for a week and was still tasty.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

For Mother's Day last year, I made a tasty lemon cake. I didn't want to make the exact same recipe again this year, so I found an alternate that was just as tasty. This recipe was adapted from this adaptation.

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk plain unsweetened yogurt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used a Meyer lemon from our tree)
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (the no sodium kind)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour your pan. I used Baker's Joy sprayed into my new Bundt Pan.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl.
3. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
4. Stir until just combined.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.

After letting it cool and turning it out onto a cake stand, I sprinkled it with some powdered sugar to dress it up a bit. The cake was wonderfully moist and light, even on the second day. Next time, I may add some Grand Marnier for an extra citrus kick.

Banana Muffins with add-ins

During March, I was on a muffin kick. I was making muffins several times a week. It started with a request for healthy cranberry orange muffins and evolved to many combinations. Many of the combinations are banana based. This was intentional because by using ripe bananas I could eliminate the added sugar. If the bananas were especially ripe, their natural sweetness was just right. Here are few of the banana based muffin combinations I have made.

Basic recipe:

2 ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup baking mix

Mix all the ingredients together until moistened. There will be some lumps, this is okay. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes. Now for the fun part.

Banana Pecan - add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans (or other nut of your choice)

Banana Pecan Oatmeal - same as Banana Pecan, but with 1/2 cup old fashioned oats and some extra milk to moisten.

Banana Chocolate Chip - add 1/4 cups chocolate chips (or more if you want)

Almond Banana - add 1 cup sliced almonds. I was accused of being stingy with the nuts in my recipe, so this was to make sure my dear husband had enough nuts in his muffin. (1/2 cup would probably work too).

Double Chocolate Cocoa Brownies

Way back in March, I wanted to make some brownies. I didn't want to make a special trip to the store so I looked for a recipe that called for ingredients that I had on hand. I came across this recipe at Smitten Kitchen and it looked like just what I had in mind.

I made the brownies and they ended up more like fudge; sort of soft and not very brownie like. None of the fudge/brownies went to waste as they were still good enough to eat. Bonus was that my hubby didn't like them so I got them all.

For Mother's Day I decided to try again. The key change I made from the first round was to extend the baking time and add the chocolate chips.

Ingredients
10 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Add butter, sugar, and cocoa to a microwave safe bowl.
2. Heat mixture at 30 second intervals and stir. Continue until butter is melted and combined with sugar and cocoa. It looks sort of grainy.
3. Add the vanilla and stir.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in the first before adding the second.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour into an 8x8 inch parchment lined pan. The parchment makes it really easy to remove and clean up.
6. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.
7. Let cool before cutting into squares. Per the original recipe, it really helps to chill the brownies in the refrigerator before cutting.

Enjoy!!!

Hot Cross Buns for Easter

I came across the idea of Hot Cross Buns early last week. I can't remember where I found it, but decided to make them for Easter. There are many recipes online, some more complicated than others. I decided to stick with a familiar recipe and add some ingredients. I wouldn't go so far as to say these are a healthy version of Hot Cross Buns. But, they are made with whole wheat flour and I omitted the icing that is commonly found in other recipes.

1.5 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon yeast
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup olive oil
3.5 cups flour (whole wheat)
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins
Butter or Smart Balance
Sugar for sprinkling (optional)

1. Add the warm water, sugar, yeast, spices, and oil in a bowl. Let rest for a couple of minutes.
2. Mix the egg and 1 cup of flour into the other ingredients so the egg is separated.
3. Add the remaining flour and mix until the flour and dough are combined.
4. Cover and let rise until about double in size. It is colder here today, so I warmed the oven, turned if off, then placed the bowl inside for the rise.
5. After about an hour, the dough was ready. I poured it out onto a floured surface and kneaded in a small amount of flour. Just enough to keep it from sticking to my fingers.
6. Spread out the dough in to a rectangle (you can use a rolling pin to help) then sprinkle half the raisins over the top.
7. Fold in half and repeat with the remaining raisins. Knead the dough some more to make sure the raisins are inside.
8. Form the buns by breaking off small pieces of dough (about the size of a ping pong ball). Roll them in your hands and stretch the dough from top to bottom to make for a smoother ball.
9. Place shaped dough on a greased baking sheet. About 12 should fit comfortably on one sheet. It may look like you can fit more, but they will expand and fill in the space.
10. Once all the buns are shaped, cover (I used a dish towel) and let rise a second time. I gave them a hour.
11. After the second rise, use a knife to score a cross on top of each bun.
12. Melt the butter product of your choice (I used Smart Balance) in the microwave.
13. Apply the melted butter to the top of each bun. You can also sprinkle with sugar for added sweetness.
14. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Makes 15-20 buns.

I plan to share these tomorrow in celebration of Easter. I hope they last that long.

Lentil, Rice, and Onion Pilaf

Over at Tasty Kitchen, I came across this recipe for Mujadara: Rice, Lentils, and Caramelized Onions. I hadn't ever heard of Mujadara, but I had all the necessary ingredients on hand and the dish sounded good. In case you were also wondering, Mujadara is just what the title indicates: cooked lentils, onions, and either rice, wheat, or groats. I have also been craving some beans lately (it's been over a month since our January soup marathon). Of course, I couldn't just follow the recipe exactly, so here is my take:

6 medium yellow onions
2 cups lentils
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7 cups water
2 cups brown rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Olive oil

1. Cut one onion in half, then slice into half-moon shapes.
2. Sauté the onion in some olive oil until it caramelizes (softens and turns brown).
3. Add the lentils, pepper, and water to the pot and bring it to a boil.
4. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add the rice and cumin. Simmer for an additional 45 minutes (brown rice takes longer to cook. White rice would be done in 20 minutes).
6. While waiting for the pot to boil, slice the remaining onions into half-moon shapes. Place them in a separate sauté pan and caramelize until they are golden brown.

If you can stand cutting all the onions, the smell of them cooking is wonderful. Not to mention the aroma when the cumin was added to the pilaf. The end result was delicious, economical, and vegetarian. We ate it with a dollop of Mediterranean Labne Kefir cheese, which was a nice contrast to the cumin.

I doubled the amount of lentils/peas and rice from the original recipe and we finished it within a day. It may have been even better the 2nd day - my husband even ate it cold.