Mediterranean Salad

My daughter in law gave me this recipe. It is really great, but it called for Wishbone's Mediterranean Salad Dressing. It was way to high in sodium so I made my own dressing.

Salad Ingredients:

• Bow tie pasta -cooked till aL dante
• Sliced black olives
• Cherry tomatoes cut in half
• Spinach
• Feta Cheese-optional

Directions:

1. Cook pasta.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.

The dressing I made was as follows:

•  2 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar
• 1 & 1/2-2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• Black pepper to taste-freshly ground
• 1-2 garlic cloves- minced
• 1/3 cup plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup EVOO-I used half water
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Juice from 1 orange

Dressing

1. Whisk together vinegar  and mustard. Continue wishing in oil. Add the rest of the ingredients.
2. I chilled the salad and the dressing separately.
3. Add dressing just before serving.

Enjoy!!!

The Flu

Health Tip of The Week
From Cherie Colburn, MD, the Juice Lady.

Flu season is roaring! You can keep your immune system strong by avoiding sweets. Sugars of all types depress your immune system. Sugar will beat out Vitamin C at receptor sites and send your immune cells limping through your system..

If a bug tries to catch you, DO NOT drink orange juice.It has far to much sugar--you'll get worse. Rather, drink veggie juice with extra greens, such as Kale, Broccoli etc. (much higher in Vitamin C than oranges)
Garlic and ginger are a natural antibiotic. Eat lots of both.

Everyday

Everyday may not be good.
But there is something good in everyday!
Dwell on that!

Creamy Vegan Broccoli and Rice Casserole

I found this recipe on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.
I made it today and it is very yummy.

Ingredients:
In a food processor or blender put in the following and blend well.
Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cup plain unsweetened soy or rice milk
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 clove garlic-I used 3
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 Tablespoon sherry-optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt-optional1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Couple shakes Mrs.Dash Southwestern Chipolte Seasonings-my addition
• 1 Tablespoon tahini
• generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

More Ingredients:

• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 5 cups)
• 1 medium onion- chopped
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper-chopped
• 1/2 cup celery-chopped
• 1 15 oz. can Kuners chickpea-rinsed, drained
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cup cooked brown or wild rice
• 1/2 cup sliceded or slivered almonds-optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly spray a medium casserole dish.(About 2 1/2 quart size.)
3. Place the sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
4. In a large kettle, saute the onion, pepper, celery for about 4-5 minutes.
5. Add  the broccoli, beans and all the rest of the ingredients, except the slivered almonds.
6. Add the sauce. Season to taste.
7. Pour into the prepared casserole container.
8. Top with the almonds.
9. Bake 30 minutes covered. remove cover and bake 15 minutes more.

Enjoy!!!

Birthday Party

I had mentioned that I had several friends in for a birthday party. NONE of them are vegetarian/vegan, so it became an interesting endeavor. I wanted it to be an adventure for the people present. I decided seeing it was all lady friends that I would try a variation of salads.

The night before the party I was at Festival Foods and found this really cool flowering kale, (top picture). What a perfect base for my salads. In the center container I had a Waldorf Salad, vegan of course. The other salads consisted of Jo's Pomegranate Salad, My Cinnamon Wheat Berry Salad, and of course I had to do my Bean Salad which is a Tuna Salad imitation. The birthday girl LOVES the tuna Salad from Culver's.
We started the meal with my Leek Soup (Several posts back). The salads with some cool crackers, was the next course. We had Cherry Amaretto Ice Cream for dessert in fancy pedestal glassware. While presents where being opened we had Lemon Mint Tisane. The evening was a huge hit. I can't wait to do it again. I love trying new recipes, and having the wonderful privileged of having friends in to share my culinary accomplishments (hopefully not disasters) with them.

If you have a ladies party, give this a try. It was a fun night.

Cauliflower Potato Curry

Kathy Hahlbeck, from the present CHIP Class gave me this recipe.
What a fabulous combination of spices. The aroma of these spices was in my home for hours after making this recipe.   What better than any fragrance to make my home smell great.
I hope you give it a try as it is very enjoyable.
Can't wait till noon as I plan on having this for lunch today.

Thanks Kathy for sharing the wonderful recipe!!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil or oil of choice
• 1 teaspoon each : ccurry powder, turmeric, cumin, and thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper-I used Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle Seasoning
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups cubed waxy potatoes-I used Yukon Gold
• Pepper to taste-go easy on the salt
• 1 cup vegetable stock-I used about 3 cups
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 carrot-chopped
• 2 slices ginger-I sliced the ginger thin
• 1/4 lb fresh green beans-I used frozen
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• I added 2 teaspoons Wylers low sodium Chicken Bullion

Directions:

1. Heat oil in skillet. Stir in dry spices., stir until fragrant.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook over low heat until tender.
3. Ad potatoes and stock (1 cup at a time), cover and cook 10 minutes.
4. Stir in cauliflower, carrots and ginger. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
5. Stir in beans. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
6. Remove cover, continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
7. Stir in lemon juice.
8. Season to taste with pepper and any other seasonings. I used just a touch of salt.
9. Serve over rice and top with green onion.

Enjoy!!
Again, thank you Kathy for the recipe.

Verna's Tisane

I brought a tisane recipe to class that I really like but I cannot post it because of copyrights.
So this is a recipe I came up with, that is also very good.
What is a tisane? A tisane is a tea made out of fresh herbs, spices or flowers.
Ginger is excellent for any stomach problems, motion sickness. etc.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 1/4 cup sliced and peeled ginger
• 1 lemon sliced in 6 pieces
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 small orange sliced in 6 pieces
• juice from 4 oranges
• 1-2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 tablespoons honey
• Grated fresh nutmeg

Directions:

1. Put the first 7 ingredients in a kettle.
2. Bring to a boil, lower heat and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add  fresh nutmeg and honey.
4. Steep for 5 minutes.
5. Put the tisane through a strainer.
6.  Serve hot or cold with a lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to do it!!!!

You are always stronger than you think you are.     You can do it!!!!!!

Leek Soup

 Last evening I had some friends in for a birthday party. Even though none of them are vegan, I had a vegan menu.
I started with a Leek Soup which was excellent. I did not want a heavy soup as I had a full menu. The soup turned out very well. Give it a try, I think you will enjoy it a lot.

 

Leek Soup
Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon oil-water or broth
• 2 leeks, white and light green parts washed and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 small onions-chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt-optional
• 3 cloves garlic-minced
• 2 large sweet potatoes-(about 1 lb). peeled and cubed into i12 inch cubes-the recipe called for yukon gold potatoes-steamed
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups of water- I added
• 1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash- Southwestern Chipolte Seasoning
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2-3 teaspoons fresh rosemary

 

Directions:

1. Heat a 4 quart soup kettle over medium heat and add oil.
2. Saute leeks, onions, and salt if using. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often until onions turn translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cooked for 2-3 more minutes..
4. Add the pototoes, broth and seasonings.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, turn down heat and simmer45 minutes or so.

You can use your immersible blender to cream up the soup. I chose to leave it with the vegetables whole.

Enjoy!!

Cool Saying

If plan A didn't work
The alphabet has 25 more letters.
Stay Cool and try again!

She believed she could so she did!!!

I am on the jump start-3rd day, but someone in class asked last evening what they could take for Saturdays football game.  I have a picture of this but for some reason I could not get it on my blog, so I will just give you the recipe.

Guacamole with Peas:

• 2 avacados -mashed
• 1 cup frozen peas-cooked 30 seconds, drained
• 1/2 red onion
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 bunch cilantro-chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic or 1 garlic clove, mashed
• Mrs Dashes-Southwestern Chipolte Seasoning-to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerator several hours.
Serve with mixed raw veggies.

Enjoy!!!

It's my second day in for the Jump Start!!!! Yeah!!!!!

I was able to stay with the program totally. Hallelujah  I am determined, hope you are also.

Only 5 more days to go on the Jump start.

Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher!

Quote from Oprah Winfrey!!

We started a new CHIP Class this week. What a super bunch of people we have in the class.

Today I started the Jump Start with the Class. We are in the new Jump Start Book. What a nice change as it is no longer limited to just three different grains We can have almost any grain we like the first two days, with unlimited fruit. I have one day of the jump Start in, Hooray!!!!
 Only six more to go!!!

A thought for today:

I am not telling you it's going to be easy, but I am telling you it is going to be well worth it. So let's all do the jump start and totally stick on the program for the next 6 weeks.
You will be so thrilled you did as spring will be here before you know it.

You can do it!!!

Pineapple Orange Salad with Blood Orange Glaze

Give this a try, I think you will really enjoy this salad. I took a basic recipe and totally turned it around.

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest
• 4-5 oranges, peeled and cut from their membrane
• 1 & 1/2 -2 Tablespoons honey
• 1-2Tablespoons, Roland -Balsamic Glaze-Blood Orange-Product of Italy. (I found this by the balsamic vinegars at Woodmans).

Directions:

1. Mix the above ingredients in a glass bowl. Can be frig overnight.
2. Just before serving, mix in cut up banana slices
3. Add toasted coconut and a mint leaf.

Enjoy!!!

Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to Everyone!  May not only today be special, but may 2013 be the best year for you ever.
Am I doing any New Years Resolutions????   Of course, even though it has been told that only 30 some percent of those who make New Years Resolutions actually succeed. So do we quit trying to be a better person? I don't think so. You just can't give up!!!!

Above picture is from my back yard. Even though it is so cold outside today, (-1 when I got up this morning), how can you not appreiate the beauty of the outdoors. There is just nothig more beautiful than seeing the snow clinging to the trees.