Apple Cherry Salad

 I love when I can enjoy a salad with very little dressing and then I can just enjoy the natural sweetness of the vegetables and fruit. This is one of those salads. I just had it for lunch today. It tasted so good. It left me with a very satisfied feeling after I ate it. Yum! If you have a food chopper it will help to make the fruit and vegetable very uniform looking.

Ingredients

2  apples chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1/4 C dried cherries or cranberries
juice from 2 oranges
1 T chia
2 T honey for vegan use another sweetner.
garnish with additional cherries

Directions serves 4

1. Put apples, celery, and cherries in a bowl.
2. Pour the juice evenly over the fruit. Stir to mix.
3. Sprinkle the chia on top. Drizzle the honey on top. Toss until all mixed.
4. Garnish with more dried fruit if desired.

Vegetable Bean Soup

Here is another wonderful soup. It is loaded with vegetables and lots of flavor. You can decide what kind of beans you want to add to the soup. It is a great way to warm up on these cold days. It is also a wonderful way to enjoy a lot of vegetables.

 Ingredients

3 T olive oil
1 onion chopped up
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 red chili seeds removed finely chopped *optional
1 boneless skinless chicken breast chopped up * for non- vegan option
4 celery stalks chopped
1 C chopped up carrots
6  C water
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/3 C chia *optional
1 14 Oz can of beans drained and rinsed garbanzo, northern, black etc..
1 14.5 oz whole tomatoes pureed in blender
Serve topped with cilantro, parsley or cheese for non -vegan version
*You can eat with tortillas or tortilla chips.

Directions

1. Put large cooking pot on the stove and turn heat to medium. Pour in the oil and let heat up
2. Add garlic and onions and let them cook until soft and light golden.
3. Add chili if desired and chicken for non-vegan version. Add 1/4 C water and let the chicken cook and turn light golden.
4. Stir in the celery, carrots, water, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano, and chia. Let the mixture come to a boil and then turn down and let simmer for 20 min until vegetables are tender.
5. Then stir in the tomato puree and beans and let simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Take off the heat and serve in soup bowls with desired toppings.
7. Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge or freezer. Enjoy!

Tossed Salad with Light Vinaigrette

We have enjoyed this delicious salad the last two Sundays. The thing I love about it is you get to enjoy the wonderful flavor of the vegetables and it tastes great. It is also wonderful because it is a healthy dressing too. Great way to eat a lot of vegetables

Ingredients

2 C spinach

2 C Romain or your favorite greens

1/2 red pepper sliced thin seeds removed
1/4 purple onion chopped up
1/2 cucumber chopped up
1/2 C cut up celery
3-4 small peppers chopped up
1/2 zucchini chopped up
other options chopped up purple cabbage

Dressing

1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C vinegar
1 T honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves


Directions

1. In a blender blend all of the ingredients for the dressing until all smooth.

2. Put all the ingredients for the salad in the bowl starting with the greens on the bottom.

3. Then drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and serve.

Layered Overnight Green Salad (healthier)

I have been wanting to make this for a while for my family. My Mom used to make this and I always got excited when you did. The great thing is you can make it ahead so you don't have to be making it at the last minute. It makes it very nice. I made it healthier. Not adding the mayo to it either and added honey mustard dressing at the end. It was a nice twist. Great for holiday gatherings.


Ingredients

2 C Romain lettuce washed cut in bite size pieces
2 C Spinach washed
2 C celery chopped
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 lb of frozen green peas
5 oz of bacon bits
8 hard boiled eggs chopped up
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
garnish with 1 C shredded cheese and 1/2 C chopped green onions if desired

Dressings

1 1/ 2 C Plain yogurt
4 T honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder


Honey Mustard Dressing

6 T olive oil
2 T cider vinegar
1 T mustard
3 T honey
1/2  tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Blend until all creamy. 


Directions

1. In a large bowl put in Romain lettuce evenly on the bottom.
2. Next spread the spinach on top evenly.
3. Next the celery evenly distributed.
4. Green onions come next put evenly over the celery
5. Then pour the peas evenly on top of the onions.
6. Sprinkle the bacon over the top of the peas.
7. Then the chopped up eggs
8. Spread the cheese on top evenly.
9. In a small bowl mix up the dressing. The yogurt, honey, and garlic.
10. Spread the dressing on top of the cheese. Try to seal the edges.
11. You can garnish with the cheese and green onions.
12. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Put in fridge overnight. (We ate in 8 hours and that worked great. )
13. If desired you can drizzle on the honey mustard dressing before serving for added flavor. Yum! We love honey mustard at our house.

Turkey Quinoa Soup

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for. It was wonderful to have all of our family with us except our son and his sweet wife. We missed them. It was neat to look around the table and see the sweet people that I love. My life revolves around my family. They bring me my greatest joy. I think we can have Thanksgiving every day being grateful for all of our blessings.

So after dinner I was cutting the turkey off the bone and debating if I should use the bones to make soup. Britney encouraged me so I did. It made the house smell so good while it was cooking on the stove. It just isn't' the same smell when you pour soup out of a can. If you don't have the carcass you can make it with just chopped up turkey.

This is a wonderful soup that you could enjoy for lunch or dinner. Yum!

Ingredients

1 turkey carcass *Optional
water to cover it
4 C cooked chopped up turkey (if you don't have the carcass)
8 C water
1 C quinoa washed
3/4 C chia *optional (nice thickener and great source of protein)
1 C carrots chopped
1 C celery chopped
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
additional salt and pepper to taste if needed

Directions  serves 8

1. In a large pot place car carcass and water to cover it. Place on low heat and let it cook for a couple hours. The meat will fall off the bone.
2. Take pot off the stove and strain through the water to remove the fat, and bones.
3. Place broth back on the stove. Add water to make a total of 8 cups. If you don't have turkey carcass add chopped turkey and water together instead and cook together for 20 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and let cook at least another 30 min. to let the vegetables soften and the quinoa to cook. Add additional water if it gets too thick.
5. Serve in soup bowls.

Mango Chia Dressing on Tossed Salad

It is so fast and easy to make your own salad dressings at home with a blender. They are so much healthier for you too. I love the natural sweetness of mangoes so they are a perfect choice for a salad dressing. Chia added to the dressing boosts up the protein and also works as a nice thickener. This is a great way to enjoy a healthy salad.

Ingredients

Dressing

1 C mangoes frozen
1/2 C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 T olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T honey
2 T chia

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Place in fridge while you make the salad.

Salad

4 C spinach
1 C chopped broccoli
1/2 C dried cherries
1/2 C dried apricots
4 green onions chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 C diced carrots
feta cheese * optional
sunflower or pumpkin seeds or both

1. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl, and serve with the dressing.

Lentil Chicken Stew

This month's Recipe Redux challenge is Spooky Spices. I can relate to this topic because when I got married 8 years ago, I received a great spice rack filled with all sorts of spices. And while I have some jars that are regularly empty and being refilled (basil, parsley, oregano), I have others that I probably haven't opened in the last 8 years except to sniff. You know, just to see what they were. (They probably have reached their shelf life at this point and should be thrown out.)

For our Spooky Spice, we chose marjoram. It's not a spice I use frequently, but it's fantastic in soups and stews, dressings and sauces. The lovely thing about using those spices that get dusty in the back of your spice cupboard is that they each have different health benefits. Marjoram has been scientifically proven to help with the gastrointestinal tract. Cool, right?

This stew is a delicious blend of vegetables, legumes, and fresh chicken, and it is very filling. The sweet potato is a fantastic sweetening touch. And although we said the chia was optional, it helps make the soup even more filling, which is great if you're trying to save on calories. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 onion chopped up
1 1b diced up chicken breasts
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp allspice ground (optional)
1/2 C chia, ground (optional)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
6 C water
1 C lentils
4 stalks of celery chopped up
1 sweet potato chopped in small pieces


Directions  Serves 8

1. In a large pot heat pan to medium heat and put in onion and garlic stir and let cook about 5 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in the chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
3. Then stir all of the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Then turn down to medium low. Cook until the potatoes and lentils are soft at least 30-45 minutes.
4. Serve in soup bowls.
5. You can store leftovers in airtight container in fridge or freezer.


Here are some other spices you might be interested in:
Star Anise
Turmeric, Garlic, and Parsley
Chili and Thyme
Cinnamon, Ginger, and Cardamon

An InLinkz Link-up

Mexican Cornbread Salad (layered)

I made this yummy salad for my family yesterday. We enjoyed it as we watched LDS  General Conference Yesterday. Its some thing we do twice a year. It is always a sweet time. The salad was a great addition and got enjoyed by all. I only have a little remaining for my lunch today. :) We also enjoyed a beautiful hike up in the mountains behind our house this weekend. The colors of the leaves are so pretty. I loved breathing the fresh air up there too. We live in a beautiful world.  I hope that you had a nice weekend with your family or friends.

This salad has so many wonderful flavors in it. It is a great combination.

 Ranch Cashew Salad dressing

1 C unsalted cashew pieces soaked at least 15 min *
1/4 C almond milk
1/2 C water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 C dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
2 T dried onion pieces

1. Pour drained cashew pieces in the blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
2. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
* I put the cashews soaking in water in the microwave for 1 min. It speeds up the soaking process.

Layered Cornbread Salad

Ingredients

1 8x8 cornbread * Here is a whole grain recipe
2 cans black beans drained and washed
2 cans of whole kernel corn drained
2 1/2 C of cheese
2 C mixed salad greens
6 green onions chopped up
3 celery stalks chopped
ranch cashew dressing above or ranch dressing of your choice
5-6  Roma tomatoes chopped up
1/4 chopped cilantro
juice from one lime

Directions  Feeds 12-15

1. Crumble half of the cornbread into the bottom of a large salad bowl.
2. Next layer spread evenly one can of the beans on to the cornbread.
3.  Next layer one can of the corn spread evenly on the beans
4.  Spread on the salad dressing evenly on top of the beans.
5. Spread around the celery.
6. Distribute half of the green onions on top of the celery.
7. Pour 1/2 of the cheese evenly on top of the celery.
8. Crumble the rest of the cornbread on top of the celery.
9. Spread around the mixed salad greens on top.
10. Spread around the other can of black beans.
11. Pour evenly the corn over the beans.
12. Pour on the remaining cheese over the top.
13. Spread the tomatoes on top of the cheese.
14. Then sprinkle on the rest of the green onions.
15. Garnish with cilantro. Squeeze the lime all over the top of the salad.
16. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve or serve at once.
17. Enjoy!

Barley Chicken Soup

Enjoy a great soup with a lot of vegetables and barley added that is a wonderful grain. 

Ingredients: Serves about 8
2 Chicken Breast skinned
7 C Water
2 olive oil
2 onions chopped up
 2 minced garlic
3 stalks of celery washed and chopped
1 T thyme
1 T chicken seasoning
1 tsp pepper
1 C barley cooked
*extra seasoning to your taste preference 

Directions:
1. Pour water into pot. Heat on the stove to medium heat. Place chicken breasts in the pan. Cook the chicken till completely cooked.   
2. Once the chicken is all cooked take the pot off the stove. Take the chicken out and shred the chicken. Put the chicken back into the pot. Put back on the stove on medium low heat.
3. In a small frying pan heat the oil to medium heat. Place onion in the pan stir and let cook till soft. It should take 3-5 min. Then stir in the garlic cook another 2 min. Then take the onion and garlic mixture into the chicken pot.   
4. Pour the remaining ingredients into the pot and cook until the carrots and celery are soft. 
5. Serve warm.
   

Chicken Vegetable Soup

This is another great recipe that uses some great herbs. It is a great way to eat a lot of vegetables in one sitting. It is light on the calories as long as you don't go too heavy on the cheese or chips. :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 lb chicken tenders
2 onions (Peel off outer cover. Keep them whole. Cut a large cross in the stem of each onion.)
10 C water
3-5 carrots thickly cut
3-5 celery sticks
1 small parsnip cut thickly
3 T fresh parsley chopped or 1 T Dried
1 T dried dill or 3 T fresh
1 tsp turmeric :)
1 T dried thyme
1 T poultry seasoning or chicken seasoning
5 garlic cloves minced
1 T salt
1 tsp pepper
optional: You could use, barley, brown rice, quinoa, dumplings or noodles too

Directions:

1. Pour water in a large pot. Then pour all of ingredients in the pot. Put the cover on bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and let simmer 2-3 hours till chicken is cooked. The chicken should fall apart as well as the onion.

2. Then pour into bowls. You can garnish with fresh parsley, cheese, chips, fresh dill.

*If you have a pressure cooker. Put on high pressure and set the time for 30 min. It will be all done when you open the pot. You will have to cut the water down to 8 Cups. You could also put in the crock pot in the morning, and let it cook for the day.


*You could put some of the left overs in the blender,blend it up, and freeze and use as a chicken broth. :)