Onion Roasted Red Poatotes

I hope you had a nice weekend. I had a really nice one. It was nice to spend time outside. I love this time of year. I wish it could last forever.

I love roasted red potatoes. I remember going over to a friends house years ago and she made them and I have been making them ever since. They are delicious.

Ingredients

8 red potatoes scrubbed and cubed
4 T dried onions
3 T dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 T olive oil

Directions

1. In a greased square pan. place washed and cubed potatoes.
2. Sprinkle the onions, parsley, garlic, salt pepper on to the potatoes.
3. Drizzle the oil over the potatoes and toss them until they are all covered with oil.
4. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft and light golden brown. Stir once or twice during baking for even cooking.
5. Serve warm add more salt and pepper if desired.

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.

Stuffed Mexican Mini Peppers with Quinoa

This has been a recipe I have been wanting to make for a while. I finally made it yesterday and they were so good. I have been making a lot of vegetable recipes this week. It is fun to enhance the flavors of the vegetables and make them more exciting to eat. I think the color of this add a lot to the presentation of the dish. I love all the red, orange and yellow. These would make a great snack, side dish, or appetizer. They are a winner. You can cook the peppers or eat them uncooked. I enjoyed them uncooked. I loved the having the crunch as I ate it. I love the fact that it is a healthy appetizer that is hard to find.

Ingredients

3-4 T olive oil
1/4 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
4 T chia  seeds *optional
2/3 C cooked quinoa
2/3 C cooked brown rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin*
1/4 tsp chili powder*
1/4 C cheese shredded *optional (for vegan leave out)
handful of cilantro
12 mini peppers washed
garnish with cilantro

Directions  Heat oven to 350 if you are going to cook the peppers

1. Place skillet on the stove on medium heat. Pour in the oil and let heat up on medium heat.
2. Pour in the onion, and garlic and stir them around. Let them cook until they start to turn a light golden color. Stir in chia and let cook another 2 min.
3. Stir in the quinoa, rice, salt, cumin, chili powder and *cheese. Let them all cook until they are all warmed up. Toss in the cilantro after you take it off the heat.
4. While the stuffing is cooking. Cut a slit lengthwise on the peppers.
5. Get a small spoon and stuff the mixture into the peppers.
6. Place them on a greased cookie sheet if baking. Bake for 15-18 min until softened. Take out of the oven and let them cool.
7. If you want to eat them raw. Stuff the peppers and eat them immediately. I think they taste better when the filling is warm.
8. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. A great little snack. Heat them up in the microwave when you are ready to eat them.

*You can substitute 1 tsp of taco seasoning for cumin and chili powder.

Carrots and Leeks

 It is fun to find new ways to eat vegetables. I have found that if I put some effort into the preparation of my vegetables I enjoy eating them.  It is fun to find new ways to eat them too. I am always looking for new vegetables to try. This way a yummy dish. The combination of the orange and honey was a nice addition. They made a wonderful afternoon snack that I loved.

Ingredients

boiling salted water
2 C carrots stick cut in 1/4 pieces
1 leek sliced
1/3 C fresh orange juice
1 T honey
1/2 tsp thyme
2 T chia * optional
garnish with orange zest.

Directions

1. In a sauce pan on the stove add water and some salt. Bring the water to a boil on medium heat.
2. Add the vegetables and let them cook for 4 min.
3. Drain off the water and add the juice, honey, thyme, and *chia. Toss the vegetables until they are all covered. Garnish with orange zest. Eat them warm.

fun 

Cinnamon Baked Acorn Squash Flowers

The Recipe Redux this month was a challenge to make something using a edible flower. We didn't know exactly what to do with this challenge. We're expecting to learn a lot about truly using flowers in cooking through the recipes that you will see down below from some of the other fabulous bloggers in the group. But since we still wanted to participate,  Mom had fun making this acorn squash. When you slice it, it looks like flowers! Haha, I know, a bit of a stretch. But it tasted great too. The cinnamon added a nice flavor and also added some nice color to it.

Ingredients
1 acorn squash, washed well
1/2 olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 T honey

Directions
1. Slice the squash in thin slices. Heat oven to 350 for convection 325.
2. In a medium sized bowl mix together oil, cinnamon, salt, garlic, pepper, chili powder and honey. Whisk together until all combined.
3. Dip the squash slices into the oil mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
4. Place in hot oven and cook until soft. Bake about 45 min.
5. Serve warm.

An InLinkz Link-up

Shoe String Fries

Shoe String Fries

 I loved the combination of the sweetness of the sweet potato with the white potatoes. These reminded me of shoestrings that we used have in a can. That I am sure were not good for me. Some of them were crispy and some were a little softer.   I will be making them again soon. They kind of reminded me of onion rings.   


Ingredients

7 white potatoes peeled
2 sweet potatoes peeled
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions  Heat oven 400


1. Heat in Turn potatoes on to its side. Cut lengthwise in very thin slices not cutting it all the way through.
2.Turn the potatoes over on to the other side. and cut again. So it will be shoestring pieces.
3. Put pan in oven to let it heat up.  Put in big bowl in ice water and let set a few minutes. Drain them in a colander and dry on paper towels.  
4. Put in a bowl and pour oil and salt and pepper and stir around.
5. Take pan out of the oven and place fries in single layer and place in oven.
6. Stir after about 10 min. Cook to desired tenderness or crispiness.    

Delicious Mexican Brown Rice

Love this smile

Mexican Brown Rice

The world would be a really sad place without children. I saw this picture of grandson from Christmas and it put a smile on my face. When I am out and about and smile at complete strangers they will smile back. I know it makes my day better and hopefully there's too. It is such a simple act but something we all can do. I love children's smiles and their enthusiasm. I know I could benefit from them rubbing off on me more. I love it when I ask my grandson about preschool. I will say, "How was preschool ? His response every time is. "It was great. It is always great! " Love It! We can make the world a better place one person at a time.  

This was part of our Mexican fiesta on New Years Day. It was a delicious way to enjoy brown rice. It was a great addition to our fajitas. The turmeric in it gives it a nice golden color along with great health benefits. Another great way to enjoy a healthy 2014.

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 onion diced
5 cloves garlic minced
3 C Brown rice
6 C water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken seasoning
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric (gives it a pretty golden color)
1 tsp cumin
1 10oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

Directions
1. In a large pot heat up the oil on medium heat. Stir in the onions and the garlic. Cook until lightly browned.
2. Stir in the rice and water. Then stir in the salt, chicken seasoning, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, and tomatoes. Let it come to a boil. Let it boil for a couple minutes.  Turn down to medium heat and cook until the rice is soft and the liquid is absorbed.  It should take about 45 to 60 minutes. If you have a pressure cooker it will take about 20 minutes.
3. Serve warm.

Creamy Sweet potatoes (or yams) with Pecans

It is not Thanksgiving without the yams or sweet potatoes. I know not everyone loves them but, there are usually some that do. My mom always makes them she uses lots of butter and brown sugar, and puts marshmallows on top and toasts them. It is always the trick not to let them burn.  It is fun to have traditions with foods that bring back happy memories. This is an idea I found to make your sweet potatoes a little healthier for Thanksgiving. I don't think I have ever whipped sweet potatoes. I was pleased how creamy and good they tasted. Yum! I love sweet potatoes and yams, and am always looking for new ways to eat them.

Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes cut in half
1 C coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (fresh grated if you have it)
optional: 1 tsp cardamom
1/4 C chopped up pecans

Directions  (heat oven to 325)
1. Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Place the sweet potatoes in the pot. Cook until they are soft when poked with a fork. 
2. Take off the peels and whip until they are all blended.
3. Pour in the coconut milk and whip until all creamy.
4. Whip in the the vanilla, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg (*cardamom optional). Beat until nice and smooth.
5. Put in casserole dish. Sprinkle on pecans. Heat in the oven about 8 to 10 min. Until it is warmed all the way through. Serve warm. 

Fall Squash Medley

Looking for ways to use your summer squash? We have had a lot of crookneck squash from our garden. We have enjoyed eating it. I have found I just wash the squash and leave the skin on. My preference is to not have mushy squash, so I cook it till is just barely soft (al dente). I also like it not cooked a lot because it keeps its pretty bright colors. Here is one way that my family really enjoyed.

Ingredients

3 T coconut oil or olive oil

1/2 white onion chopped up small peieces
4 garlic cloves minced
2 C sliced washed mushrooms
2 C chopped up crookneck squash
1 1/2 C chopped zucchini
salt and pepper to taste
herbs of choice I used some fresh thyme and marjoram

Directions

1. Heat up skillet to medium heat pour in the oil. Let it heat up.
2. Stir in onion and garlic cook about 2 to 3 min.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook another 2 to 3 min.
4. Stir in the squash and cook stirring often. Cook until the squash is just soft.
5. Add salt,  pepper and herbs of choice. Dish into serving dish. Grate cheese on top if desired.
Serve right away.
*If you have left overs they would be delicious in your pizza or spaghetti sauce. Yum! 

Creamy Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes and tips on creamy potatoes

Creamy Potatoes

This month's Recipe Redux celebrates the Oscars by recreating recipes from our favorite movies. I'm not much of a movie person, but I do have some favorite chick flicks that I could watch and quote over and over again.

One of my favorites is While You Are Sleeping. I love the family dynamics and the cute story. One of the classic lines is given by the Grandma--"These mashed potatoes are so creamy." It's not a very spectacular line on it's own, but it's funny because the family is sitting at the dinner table and there are several conversations going on at the same time. I have a big family where that often happens, and some family members around here that love mashed potatoes.

Here are some lovely, creamy mashed potatoes that are also low on the fat, as well as some tips for making your mashed potatoes the creamiest of all.

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes peeled and sliced in 1/2 " pieces
3/4 C milk
2 tsp rosemary
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put sliced potatoes in pan cover with cold water. Simmer the water until the potatoes are soft, when you poke a fork in them.
2. In the meantime pour the milk, rosemary, and butter into a sauce pan. Heat until warm, and then keep it on low until the potatoes are all mashed.  
3.. Drain out the water. (Potato water works great for the liquid in bread) and then place back on the element that has been turned off but is still warm. To help all the liquid to to disappear.

4. Then mash with a fork if you have time or a disc masher. (If you use a beater of food processor it could make them gummy with the starch that is in the potatoes) Try to get out all of the lumps. 
5.Then strain the rosemary out of the milk and pour the milk into the potatoes. Mash until all combined. Sprinkle the  garlic over the potatoes and mash until all blended in.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve  warm.

Helpful tips:
1. Slicing the potatoes into 1/2" slices makes them cook faster so they don't become water logged. Easier to mash too.
2. Getting all the water out helps to not have watered down potatoes.
3. Having the butter melted and the milk warm helps to add to the creaminess.
4. Mashing with a fork, if you have time, gives a smoother texture.
Enjoy!  

Balsamic Sauce on Baked Vegetables

We got some rain last night, and some more this morning. I love how rain wakes up the plants and brings new life into them making them more vibrant. I wouldn't do well living in an area where it rains all the time (I guess it is really what you get used to), but I do like getting rain. It is especially fun when you are all cozy in bed listening to it.

 My son was leaving for school yesterday, and I told him to have a great day. He responded back with, "How can it be a great day I have 2 tests?"  Those words rang in my ears all day. I am guilty of having those same feelings sometimes. Each day is a choice of what we want to make of it. I am working on not letting my outside circumstances effect whether or not it is going to be a good day or not. I was waiting in a line in Costco and I really appreciated the lady in front of me starting up a conversation, and making the time pass quickly. I felt like a made a friend at the end of the visit. She added sunshine to my day. The lady behind me was complaining on the phone to her friend about the wait.  Every situation is a choice. Sometimes I succeed in this area, and sometimes I don't, but I am still going to keep working on it. It is Fall ! It is a great time to be alive. Enjoy today ! :) 

I loved this dish again it was a great way to eat vegetables adding a little more excitement to them. I loved the combinations of flavors it added a nice new twist. I had not had this flavor combination before. My family seemed to enjoy it as well. I love changing things up and trying new things.

Ingredients: preheat oven to 400 
Sauce
1 purple onion chopped finely
1 garlic clove minced
2 T olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 1/2 T cream
2 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables
1 sweet potato peel and chop into thin pieces
2 carrots peel and chop thin pieces
1 potato peel and chop into thin pieces
1/4 butternut squash peel and chop into thin slices


Directions:
1. For the sauce put onions and garlic in a frying pan with oil. Let cook together about 2 min.
2. Add the vinegar, honey, cream, sage,  salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. For the the vegetables. Put all of them in a bowl and stir the olive oil  and salt until they are covered.
4. Spread out on baking sheet. and put in preheated oven. Bake about 20 min or until done.
5. Pour warm sauce over the vegetables and serve. :)

   

Asparagus with Chili Powder and health benefits

Image from: .oultonwalledgarden.co.uk/vegtables-1

I made this asparagus the other day and loved it. I decided I like it a little on the firm side. I tossed some in my salad too. It was a great addition. I like to find ways to eat vegetables that make them taste good. This was one of those times where I really enjoyed eating them.They would be a nice colorful addition to omelets, stir-fry or pasta dishes.

Asparagus: Some information

1. Best to eat during the springtime when the shoots are young and straight and the buds are nice and tight.

2, Nice if you can buy them from a store that keeps the stems "feet" in water.

3. For ideal taste and nutrition eat within 48 hours after bringing it home. Store with damp towel wrapped around the bottom of the stems "feet" and store in an inch of water. In a tall container. Put a plastic bag over the top to keep the moisture in. It helps to keep it fresh.

4. Wash them well in cool water. They are often sandy and gritty.

5. You can peel off the end of the asparagus to get optimal use. You just peel it at the base, about 3 inches up.

6. Some people feel that they will stay greener when cooking if they are boiled quick rather than steamed.

7. Best if bought fresh for the highest nutritional benefits.

8. It is one of the few vegetables that contains inulin. (which is known for being a friendly Bactria that lives in the large intestine. This can aid in preventing yeast overgrowth and keeping the digestive track and belly healthy.

9. It is an alkaline food. It is low in calories and carbs.

10. It is a nice source of Potassium, folic acid, Vitamin, A, C and K and some traces of B complex.

11. One cup has 3 grams  of fiber. It is also rich in phosphorus and niacin. Low level of sodium.

12. It has antioxidants agents . Can also increase urination and helps to prevent kidney stones from forming.

Ingredients:
 6-8 Asparagus spears (washed and peeled and trimmed)
 3 to 4 T grape seed oil or olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
fresh lime juice to squeeze on top if desired.

Directions:
1. Heat up frying in pan on medium high heat.  Pour in oil let it heat up. 
2. Pour in chopped 1 inch pieces of asparagus. Toss and let cook 3-4 min. Toss in the chili powder.
3. Put on the lid to let it stem for 3-4 min on low heat.
4. Season with salt and pepper and lime juice if desired. Serve. :)

The chili powder can amp up the nutritional benefits of the asparagus.