Healthy Homemade Hot Cocoa

Almond milk (2 cups)
Agave nectar or other sweetener (1-2 Tbsp)
Vanilla (1/2 tsp)
Cocoa or shaved unsweetened chocolate (2 tbsp)


This is vegan, diabetic friendly and DELICIOUS!
I dump this in my Mr. Coffee Cocomotion (Also AWESOME for Chai and green tea lattes) turn it on a voila...great hot cocoa. You can obviously also make it on the stovetop, but the Cocomotion is SO easy!

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Cocomotion-Chocolate-Maker/dp/B00006IUU0/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1256067920&sr=8-10

Spaghetti Squash Bake

Ok, so anyone who knows me well knows I HATE squash. It is the only food I dislike...at least at this level. Upon further investigation, not all squash tastes like butternut squash. Well I decided to grow some in my garden and today I made use of it in this experimental, and successful, recipe.

Cut 2 spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the "guts". Put a dallop (1/2 tbs) of butter in each half and then place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Set aside to cool

In a large frying pan saute:
1 medium size yellow onion
1 container baby portabella mushrooms-chopped
3 cloves garlic-crushed

When everything softens add:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper-to taste
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

Simmer on medium for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat then stir in:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Scoop and shred the inside of the squash. Combine with tomato mixture, pour into a casserole pan and top with:
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, white cheddar and/or parmesan)

bake at 375 (uncovered) until cheese starts to grown-about 35 minutes. Top with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan if desired.

Cheesy Potatoes

These are unbelieveable good...

Potatoes:
1 bag of frozen hashbrown potatoes-thawed
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup onions-chopped (yellow or green onions are best)
2 cups cheese-shredded (cheddar and american work great)

Stir everything together and put into a greased casserole pan.

Topping:
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
1 stick butter-melted

Stir cornflakes and butter together and then spread on top of potato mixture.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes.

To make it more healthy you can use low fat soup, sour cream and cheese and you can also reduce the butter in the cornflakes.

North African Meatballs

I got this recipe from the Food Networks TV show Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian-LOVE HER! I served it over brown rice instead of the couscous she suggested.



For the full recipe and others click below:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/north-african-meatballs-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
For the North African Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup pitted and chopped briny olives
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Pinch ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:
1 egg
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cinnamon
3/4 pound ground beef
1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats or fine bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions
To make the North African Sauce:
In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, and let it reduce for a 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To make the Meatballs:
In a medium bowl, add the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the cilantro, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and oats, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and combine gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Rolling with your hands, make about 32 meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter.
In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs in batches until golden on all sides. Add more oil, as needed. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Zucchini Brownies

I found this on Recipezaar, the only change I made was I didn't salt/drain the zucchini.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Zucchini-Brownies-294932

Ingredients
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Shred the zucchini into a large bowl of salted ice water.
Let sit for 30 minutes; drain well.
Mix butter and sugar.
Add vanilla and egg and beat until smooth.
Add drained zucchini.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder.
Add the chocolate morsels and nuts, if desired.
Fold wet and dry ingredients together until just blended.
Pour into the prepared pan and even out with a spatula.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Pots and Pans...

So I have been perfecting my collection of p & p for the last year or so and the one intrical piece I was missing was a 12" stainless saute pan. My dream was to buy an All Clad but I am pretty sure the hubby would freak if I spent $100+ on one pan so I decided to look around for something comparable. I was shocked and stoked to find the Tramontina (and that it was available at my local Walmart for $39.99!). It is rated very highly by Cooks Illustrated and is a Consumer Reports "Best Buy". They both consider it's performance compareable to the All-Clad. WooHoo!!!Well I tried her out last night and it was even better than I thought! I browned some meatballs and then made a white wine sauce out of the meat bits (deglazing) and then simmered the meatballs for about 20 minutes in the sauce. The pan temp stayed perfect and cleaned up AWESOMELY easy. I am in love with this pan!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5716483

On the subject of pots and pans...

Another one I absolutely can not live without is my Le Creuset enamalized cast iron casserole. I have used the thing for everything from roasts, chili, stew, and of course, casseroles...just to name a few. I'm not sure how well the cheaper brands work but I have definately got my moneys worth out of this one...well my mom's money, it was a Christmas present.http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-2-Quart-French/dp/B0007NIBD8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1250904856&sr=8-6

AWESOME Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions
Heat oven to 350°.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
Cream the butter, shortening, and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and peanut butter.
Slowly add the flour mixture and beat at low speed to mix well.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Press each cookie twice in each direction with a lightly floured fork to make a crosshatch design.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Yes, I have been cooking...and gardening and enjoying the beautiful weather

I actually have been cooking a lot, but I have had no ambition to get on here to post anything since there are so many fun things to do this time of year. My garden is awesome. It started out PATHETIC. I ended up redoing a good part of it (with the help of my expert gardener aunt Wendy) and it is now doing great.

I have been experimenting with baking en papillote (in parchment) and I absolutely love it. I am still learning though and haven't perfected it. It seems so much better that foil, although on the grill I will still obviously use foil:)

I got this recipe from Morey's Fishouse-my absolutely favorite restaurant (it closed a couple years ago). Oh, I miss it so much!

Cheesy potatoes with rosemary salmon en papillote (one pouch)

Precook medium size potato then cool and dice into 1/2 inch pieces

stir together some cheddar, a sliced green onion, butter, minced clove of garlic, sour cream, salt and pepper.

Fold into the cubed potato and put on the parchment

Put a 4-6 oz piece of salmon on top of the potato mixture

salt and pepper the salmon and lay a sprig of rosemary across the filet.

Make a packet with the parchment (by folding it in half and rolling the edges).

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Ok, now I am drooling...time to make supper. Kebobs!

"Hobo" Dinners

Well, the weather has been so nice lately that I haven't been cooking as much as usual. I have grilled some "Hobo" dinners which are one of my absolutely fave meals.

1/2 pound thawed lean ground beef or bison
2 potatoes quartered and sliced
2 cups frozen mixed veggies (green beans, carrots, peas and corn)
at least 2 Tbsp butter or oil
salt and pepper to taste

stir all ingredients in a large bowl until all ingredients are evenly distributed and hamburger is broken up into small pieces.

Put in 2 foil packets (Reynold release works AWESOME) and grill on med-high for 10-15 minutes on each side.

You can also experiment with different meats and veggies, but this is my fave.

What's for lunch?

Today I made some 100% whole wheat and flax fettuccine and for me I added:
Olive oil
Fresh Basil
Parmasean Reggiano
Salt & pepper

For my son Reagan I added
Milk
Butter
American cheese-Land O' Lakes big block is his and my hubby's fave.

For dessert we shared some really good strawberries that I has soaked for an hour in vinegar and water to bring out the taste and clean off the pesticides. Delicious!

The Absolute Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I got this recipe out of one of my first cookbooks, "Cooking With Friends" as in Friends the TV show. I am still amazed at how good the book is and how often I use it! These cookies are AWESOME and people beg me to make them all the time. Too bad they are all that healthy.







1½ stick butter softened
¾ cup brown sugar-packed
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1¼ cup flour
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1½ cup raisins

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (except raisins) and then stir into butter mixture a little at a time. Fold in raisins.

Drop by heaping tablespoon full (I usea small ice cream scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies starts to brown.

Salsa Loco

1 can shoe peg corn
1 can black eyed peas-drained
2 green onions-chopped
1-2 avocados-chopped
½ cup tomatoes-chopped



Dressing:

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar or lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro-or to taste
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic-minced
¾ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper



Stir together dressing ingredients and
then toss with the other ingredients.
For best flavor, chill for a few hours.

Serve with tortilla chips

I'm Loving...

Sprouted almonds from my Co-op. If you like almonds you MUST try sprouted ones.

My Juicer-the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro. Fresh veggie/fruit juice is way more energizing than coffee! Spinach, carrot, celery, lemon and orange is my usual.
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-67650H-Mouth-Extractor/dp/B000FHQJ6C/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_2

Home-made whole wheat Pita chips dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, pesto, hummus, roasted garlic or chopped sundried tomatoes...I gave up chips for lent and this is an awesome substitute! Also, if you are craving something sweet, they are awesome dipped in peanut butter.

Bethenny Frankel on "The Real Housewives of New York". She is a health food based chef and is coming out with her own products. LOVE HER!

www.cooksillustrated.com is my favorite recipe website. It isn't free, but it has the absolute best recipes and everything turns out perfect. Not the healthiest but everything is from scratch and yummy. It also has helpful reviews of appliances, cleaners, utensils etc.

Genisoy Ultra XL soy protein powder...unflavored, low calorie, low fat, high protein and high fiber. Great for smoothies. I just add one scoop, some frozen berries and water and blend.

All natural and home-made cleaning and beauty products-I've been using them for years. They are healthier, work better and smell better than mainstream chemical based products. My fave brands are: Bio-Kleen, Seventh Generation, Burts Bees, Kiss My Face, Ecover, Earth Friendly, Citra Solv, Mrs. Meyers, Method...among others. This is a good book for making your own products.

10 Minute Dinner

Stir Fry

Cut up about a pound of thawed boneless lean meat into 1" chunks (chicken breast, pork or beef)

Fry over med-high heat for about 5 minutes

Add a bag of frozen veggies and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through and the veggies are cooked but still a little crisp.

Add about 1/2 cup stir fry or teriyaki sauce to pan. Heat until sauce boils and reduces slightly.

Serve over rice and top with crispy noodles if desired.

Rice Tip

I cook a large batch of brown rice and then freeze meal sized portions in storage bags or containers. When I need rice I just pour it in a bowl, add a little olive oil and microwave for a minute or two.

Corn Chowder

Everyone loves it when I make this.
Use corn freshly stripped off the cob to make it more special.
Click here to learn to easily strip corn


1/2 pound bacon-cut into 1/2" strips
6-8 new (small red) potatoes-quartered
4 green onions-chopped with tops
2 celery stalks-chopped
1 red bell pepper-chopped
2 cans cream corn
2 cans corn-drained
4 cups milk or half and half
Salt and ground chipotle pepper to taste



In a stock pot, fry bacon and potatoes over med-high heat until bacon starts to brown. Add onions, celery and red pepper. Continue to saute until they start to soften-it will finish cooking while simmering. Drain excess fat if desired.

Pour in all four cans of corn and milk. Salt and pepper to taste. You may use regular pepper if desired, but chipotle pepper adds a smoky, spicy flavor.

Bring to boil and simmer on low, covered, for at least 30 minutes, stirring often.

Yogurt Cheese. My New Best Friend!

Ok, so it is kind of an overstatement, but since I have started to make yogurt cheese, my life has changed (a little).

How to make...
Yogurt Cheese

Line a colander with a paper towel or cheesecloth-2 layers thick
Put plain low fat yogurt in the towel/cloth
place over a bowl to allow for drainage
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge
Drain to desired consistency

6-8 hours
Greek style yogurt consistency

8-10 hours
Sour cream like consistency

12-24 hours
Cream cheese consistency

Use in place of the above in recipes as a super healthy alternative. It makes an AWESOME onion dip!