CURRIED CARROT SOUP

THIS IS SPICY AND DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

2 bunches of carrots ( take off the greens and wash - no peeling )

1 16 oz container of Vegetable broth/stock ( I use organic ) empty into large sauce or soup pan

1 Jalapeno ( take off the stem only ) ( Jalapenos are hot because of the seeds. If you desire a less hot soup then make a slit in the jalapeno and take out the seeds prior to cooking it.)

1 medium to large white potato washed and quartered ( do not peel )

1/2 medium white onion - peeled

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

Put all of these ingredients into the stock and bring to boil. Then, turn down the flame to simmer and cook until the potato and carrots are soft. Turn off flame and set aside to cool.

When cool, use any type of machine you have to liquify the ingredients. The consistency should be thick rather then thin. Put back into the sauce pan.

SHOULD BE SERVED WHILE HOT.

OPTIONS: Any one or all (1) Drain a can of garbanzo beans and put into the blended soup - gives it texture and some protein. (2) Serve with a leaf of Basil. (3) Serve with some Feta Cheese or a blander greek cheese type curd - this cuts the spicy heat.

ENJOY

Pumpkin Custard

Hi - its fall's Octoberfest time - in my weekly organic vegetable basket I got a medium size pumpkin - so here's what I did with it:

Ingredients

1 med pumpkin - cut off top and throw out. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds - save these! (don't wash them - put them in the oven at 225 degrees, lightly salted, and turn often, until nice and dried out - now you have your own pepitas).

Cut the pumpkin (leaving the skin on) into 8 slices. Put 1" of water into a large rectangle casserole glass dish. Place the cut pumpkin into the dish, meat side down, not layered. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hr or until tender. Let cool.

Scoop out the pumpkin meat with a large spoon into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla plus a pinch of salt.Using any type of mixing/mashing tool, mush this all up so that the pumpkin is creamy in texture. To this add and again mush up into a creamy mixture: 1/3rd can of Fat Free condensed milk, 4 eggs, 1/4 c sugar free maple syrup.

Pour this mixture into a deep glass baking dish ( spray with Shortening if you desire ) and bake at 350 degrees until firmly set, at least an hour.

crust options for before you pour into the mixture : ( I don't use oil in this receipe but you could spray some vegetable oil into the bottom of the pan).

Nut crusts can be made with 1 c. desired nuts and 2 tablespoons Agave - crush all together into a semi fine state and press into the bottom of the dish.

Kashi crusts can be used too again just crush it up a bit - also oats, etc.

STIR FRY VEGE SALAD

A delightful salad that is a bit different and very filling! Easy to make too. I was on the go and put this together in about 15 minutes! Makes 4 - 6 servings - its up to you to measure!

1 c. cut up dandelion greens
1 c. salad greens
1 lg. sweet green onion chopped
1 lg. tomatoe, chopped
3-4 oz Feta cheese - crumbled
1 c baby brocolli - chopped ( flowers and stem )
Spay bottle of olive oil + 3 tablespoons
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 lemon - juiced
1/2 package of Trader Joe's frozen grilled eggplant & zuchinni
1 non stick pann and non stick spatula
1/2 c rice and red wine vinegar mixed

In a salad bowl, toss the washed and towel-dried greens. Throw in the onion, tomato, and Feta Cheese. Set aside

In a non-stick large frying pan - spay with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt - bring to med high temp and stir fry the brocolli until almost aldente. Push to one side of the pan. Now open the bag of the Frozen Trader Joe's grilled eggplant & Zuchinni. Using 1/2 of it ( put back the unused portion in the freezer ), lay these veges flat in the frying pan ( you can respray with olive oil ). Turn when brown, both sides. Remember to mush around the Brocolli that you didn't remove from the pan before. When done, which doesn't take long at all, turn off pan and take off of the fire. Using your non-stick spatula - cut up the eggplant and zuchinni into bite size pieces.

Back to the salad, Grind some Salt and Pepper over this, then add 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil with appx 1/2 c rice & wine vinegar (mixed ). Toss.

Now throw in the warm cooked veges - toss and serve.

UMMMMMMMMMMMM delicious!

2010 Thanksgiving Feast

Here's my suggestions for a sugar free Thanksgiving Day Feast that will please all: ( you know the portions that you can eat! )

Horesderves : Cut up Veggies served with a Yogurt Dip

Yogurt Dip ( make ahead of time and let sit for a day )

1 16 oz plain yogurt (Greek Style)

Dried Dill ( mix in to taste )

Chop 4 Green Onions, onions and greens

1 Tablespoon Tabasco Sauce

Main Course :

Roasted Turkey seasoned with Salt (at least 1 day ahead of time ) and stuffed with an Orange or two and Rosemary - or season your way! Roast as directed and check temperature

Whole Grain Stuffing

1 package of Ezekiel whole grain bread dried in the oven ( do this a day ahead, or two days ahead ) cut up into cubes

Heat 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil plus 1 Tablespoon Butter for at least 10 minutes with

1 Tsp Sea Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

6 cloves garlic cut up

After 10 minutes or so, mix in the celery and onion ( you could also do some mushrooms if you want ) and cook until aldante (keep a bit crispy)

Chop up 6 stalks celery

Chop up 1 small yellow or white onion

Put this mixture with the chopped dried bread and mix thoroughly

Add:

Chop one can of Chestnuts

1 cup pine nuts or chop 1 c walnuts

Add: 1/2-1c Turkey drippings for flavoring - you don't want your dressing too mushy

Optional Add : Cooked Veggie Italian Sausage or Regular Italian Sausage

Place the mixture into a medium roasting pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

Baked Butternut Squash (instead of Yams with marshmellows!)

Cube Peeled Butternut Squash and place in shallow glass pan with a small amount of

water on the bottom -

Sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon on top and dizzel with a sugar free sweetener ( I use Agave ) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes ( test for tenderness) -

Blanched Green Beans (or Brussel Sprouts ) and Carrots ( for color )

You can blanch these in Orange Juice in a non stick frying pan

Green Salad if you need one but just use oil and red wine vinegar for the dressing

Dessert ( yes - dessert! ) Fruit Bars served with a small side of Pumpkin Custard

Flour Free Fruit Bars : preheat oven to 350 degrees and Pam an 8X8 shallow square pan

Place these ingredients into a blender or food processor and chop until fine - but not a paste consistency: 1/3rd cu of each: shreaded coconut, unsalted walnuts, unsalted cashews, unsalted sunflower seeds, tamari almonds

just less than 3 Tablespoons of Agave ( or other sweetener ) and 5 Tablespoons of Water

Remove this chopped stuff a bowl

Chop the following into small pieces : 1/3rd cup each of raisins, figs, dates, apricots -

Mix this into the Nut Mixture with a spathula

Put final mixture into the square pan prepped above and bake for 30 minutes or until sides are browned - take out of oven, let cool slightly, and cut into small squares

Pumpkin Custard

1 15 oz organic pumpkin in a can

1 c greek plain yogurt

2 eggs

1 tsp nutmeg, tsp cloves, 1 tsp ginger

1/3rd c. agave

Mix all ingredients and bake in any dish 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 for up to 45 minutes - test to make sure it is not liquidy

Braised black cod

Here's a recipe from Home&Garden (1985 Sunset Publishing Corp and 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning ) with a little twist and heavier hand with the garlic by my dear hubby - it's delicious and different -

  With our seas being depleted of food source, black cod is being looked upon as a very edible fish.  It is my favorite smoked fish.  On the east coast of the USA is is sold as butterfish, sablefish, or Alaskan cod.  

Serve this dish with boiled new potatoes or brown rice.  Also a side salad of sliced cucumbers and fresh tomatoes is fabulous with this dish.

Ingredients: ( 4 servings )

1/2 c minced green onion

1/4 c each soy sauce and dry sherry ( use no sugar soy sauce and remember as you cook the sherry the alcohol dissipates. )

1 lg clove garlic minced or pressed ( we used 3-5 cloves garlic )

1/2 tsp grated fresh giner

1 1/2-2 lbs black cod fillets that are about 3/4 inch thick

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil ( we only used 1/2 Tablespoon of this oil)

1 Tablespoon sesame oil (we substituted 1.5 Tablespoons Hot Chili Oil - which we highly recommend )

Wok or Frying Pan

Wide Spatula

In a bowl, mix onion, soy sauce, sherry, garlic, and ginger.  Add fish turning to coat all sides.  Cover and chill 1-1.5 hrs turning occasionally.

Place 10-12 inch frying pan ( we used our wok ) on high heat.  When the pan is hot add the oils.  Lift the fish carefully out of the marinade, draining it; reserve this marinade.  Add fish to the hot pan and cook, uncovered to brown on both sides ( This takes only about 5 minutes total! ). Use the spatula to turn the fish carefully or it will fall about easily.  

To the reserve marinade, add the sesame oil ( this is where my husband substituted the hot chili oil ) then pour over browned fish in the pan.  Cook on high heat, uncovered, until marinade is almost evaporated.

Carefully lift fish from pan and serve with pan juices, the small potatoes or rice.

Zucchinni Pancakes

These I developed as a side dish - and are yummy! A great Maintenance or 30day+ side dish!

Ingredients needed for pancakes:

1/2 c corn meal

1 large eggs

2 medium zucchini's grated

1/2 onion chopped

1 medium tomato chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8th cup brown rice flour or soy flour

( optional: 1 tsp hot sauce or small chopped up jalepeno )

Olive oil spray for the pan plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Non stick large frying pan

Mix all of the above and let sit for a bit. Spray the pan with olive oil and add the olive oil and heat. Drop the mixture by 1/2 c. measurements into the heated pan. Brown on both sides.

Topping ( Optional )

1/2 c. non fat yogurt

1/4 c chopped parsely

pinch of salt

splash of hot sauce

chopped up cucumber

I served this with fish as a side dish and it was wonderful.

To make a sweet zucchini pancake don't add the other veggies beyond the zucchini or the hot sauce/jalepeno, nor the pepper. Do use sweetener - such as 3 Tablespoons of Agave, and 1/4 c dried cranberries - for those that can have some nuts - add some walnuts about 1/4 cup chopped. Now fry these up browned on both sides.

For the topping use the non fat yogurt mixed with 1/4 c sugar free raspberry or maple syrup.

Whoppee!!!!!!!!!!!!

TODAY'S MENU

One of my friends wanted to know what I eat in a typical day - I take one day and one meal at a time, but I do plan these out daily.

Today -

Breakfast

1 piece of French Toast ( recipe here )

1/4 c. yogurt

1/4 banana

Dollop of Agave

Lunch

4 oz fish dredged in ground, but grainy sorgum, salt and pepper to taste

Non stick pan fry fish in 1 Tablespoon olive oil with diced garlic

2 cu mixed and raw vegetable salad

( I put the fish on top of my salad and I don't need any dressing )

Dinner

1 c. Cauliflower soup

2 c. mixed vegetable salad

4 oz grilled pork

2 tablespoons oil/vinegar salad dressing

FRENCH TOAST

My husband made me French toast today that was truly yummy!

Ingredients:

1 egg mixed with 1 heaping tablespoon yogurt and a pinch salt

1 piece of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread

Soak the bread in the egg mixture.  Using a non-stick pan grill on both sides until done.

Use any of the following on top:

Sugar free syrups

1/2 portion of fresh fruits

1/4 c yogurt

CAULIFLOWER AND CHARD SOUP WITH TEMPE

Winter finds me craving soups, especially for lunch.  I like hearty soups.

Ingredients:

1 med. sweet potato or white potato - peeled and chunked

3 cloves garlic - diced

Pinch of Cardamon

1 Jalapeno 

1 large cauliflower - chunked

1 onion - sliced

1 carrot - sliced

Sea salt

Pepper

1/2 bunch chard - diced even the stem

8-12 oz Tempe broken into pieces

1 quart chicken broth or vege broth

In a large sauce pan, combine broth with cauliflower, potato, garlic, onion, carrot, jalapeno, cardamon, salt and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer ( uncovered ) until cauliflower and potato are very tender.  Remove mixture from heat and put in a blender.  Blend to mix everything into liquid form.  Return to sauce pan and to simmer.

Now add the Chard and the Tempe.  Cook until Chard is tender or longer as we want to reduce the liquid to a rich soupy mixture.

I'm making this today!

HARVEST GRAINS SALAD

  I usually don't tout a pre-packaged mixture, but Trader Joe's offers a bagged Harvest Grains that is great!  Use by itself or in this Salad....

Ingredients:

1 c. dried beans - any

2 c. Harvest Grains

1/2 onion - diced

1 cucumber - diced

1 tomato - diced

1 green or red pepper - diced

1 bunch Italian Parsley - diced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Red Wine and Rice Vinegar to Taste

1/2 cu. Lemon Juice

Read the backside of the Harvest grains package for cooking directions - this only takes a max of 10 minutes so you must first cook the dried beans.  Measure the liquid and use a mixture of vegetable broth and water ( or just water ).  Salt and Pepper the water.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook the beans until just tender - NOT MUSHY.  While still simmering, add the Harvest Grain mixture, cover and cook not more than 10 minutes - test at 8 minutes.  You want this firm not MUSHY.  Remove from heat and drain.  Wash with cool water. Drain.

In a large bowl, mix all the diced vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add oil and Lemon Juice.  Add very little Red Wine and Rice Vinegar.  Mix.  Add the grains and beans, mix.  Eat warm or refrigerate.

RAW GRANOLA

I've been making my own granola - don't ask me why... in any event, I like RAW and seeds in my diet.  For me, it lightens the load ( so to speak - lol ).

         

Ingredients: ( all RAW )

2 lbs Large Raw Oats

1 c. flax seed

1 c. pepitas

1 c. sunflower seeds

Just mix these in a plastic bag and use by measuring your portion.

Optional:

Dried Raisins, Cranberries, Cherries, and blackberried

What I do is take my yogurt or skim milk and 1/2 c of my raw granola mixture.  Use 1 Tablespoon of Agave or Stevia to sweeten, then sprinkle my dried fruit on top.

For those that was to experiment further....

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Measure out 2 cups of the granola and add 1/3rd cu dried fruit. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.  Mix 1/4 c agave with 1/2 c water.  Pour this over the ingredients.  Bake, turning often, to toast the cereal and to absorb the water.

It's really good.

  

EGGPLANT SOUP

Thats right - Eggplant Soup !  This can be served hot or cold -

Ingredients :  

1 large or 2 medium eggplant insides ( Poke holes on one side with a fork - place in microwave 2 - 4 minutes until soft to the touch.  Allow to cool.  Scoop out the insides and discard the skin.)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 med sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 carton 12 oz chicken or vegetable stock

1 small jalapeno chopped

1 med green pepper - cubed and discard seeds

Juice from one lemon

Garnish :  sprinkle with goat cheese or just some parseley

Large Sauce Pan.

Mixer.

Place all the ingredients into the sauce pan until the sweet potato cubes are soft.  Remove from heat.  Using a mixer, liquify all ingredients.

Taste to see if you need to add more salt ( don't add pepper ).  The lemon taste should just be a hint.

Place the liquified soup back on the burner and allow to cook a bit longer.

Serve hot with sprinkled goat cheese or feta cheese and a spring of parsley - or serve cold!

Enjoy.

SIMPLE AND LIGHT SALAD DRESSING OR MARINADE

My husband developed this simple salad dressing that we use also as a marinade....

Ingredients:

1 lemon - squeeze as you only need the juice

1/4 - cu juice from Capers ( buy the jar of capers you can always use them! )

1 heaping Tablespoon Capers ( use this only if a salad dressing )

2 cloves garlic - chopped

1 tsp oil

Try this!

ABSTINENT THANKSGIVING MENU

  NOVEMBER - THANKSGIVING - ugh!

 

The most difficult test - no tasting!  Appoint a taster you trust - ( LOL )

Beginnings :

Flax Seed Crackers

Hummus

Fresh Vegetables

Hard Cheese

Main Meal :

Turkey with mushroom gravy on the side ( see recipe for mushroom gravy )

Ham with various mustard sides

Multigrain and brown rice stuffing

Yams sweetened with sugar free maple syrup

Stir fry green beans

Green Salad or just sliced tomatoes garnished with basil

Dessert :

Crustless pumpkin custard

Baked apples

Now , what's wrong with this?  You know what and when you can eat what. 

Happy Thanksgiving -

Mushroom Soup or Mushroom Gravy

With the fear of Thanksgiving and Christmas amongst other eating frenzy celebrations we are confronted with, I came up with this simple recipe that can be used as a soup or gravy....

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp pepper

6 large peeled and mined shallots

1/2 large garlic - take out the cloves, peel, and mince

1 - 12 to 16 oz container of beef, chicken or vegetable stock

4 cups mushrooms

1 large white or sweet potato, peeled and cubed

garnish :  cilantro or parsley

1 large soup pan

1 mixer

In the soup pan, place the olive oil and bring it to a med high heat, drop in shallots, dry seasoning, and garlic - brown.

Reduce heat to med and place remaining ingredients - except for the garnish.  When boiling, reduce heat to simmer.  Test potato and when soft - remove mixture from heat.

Mix the ingredients until liquid form - put back on simmer heat until thick.  

To serve as soup, garnish as suggested.

As a gravy - to thicken if needed, add a tablespoon of arrowroot.

Emjoy!

PUMPKIN PIE CUSTARD

This custard has a whole grain crust on the bottom, but you can make it without one!

This is something I'm going to use at

Thanksgiving -

Ingredients:

1 12 oz. can Fat Free Evaporated Milk

3/4 c. Granular Sugar Substitute(SS) - (I use Xylotol)

1 12 oz. can Pumpkin

1/2 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon, cloves

3 eggs ( beaten )

2 cups Ezekiel "Original" cereal  

3 Tablespoons Margarine melted

1 pie pan ( spray with Pam )

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Sprinkle the 2 cups of Ezekiel cereal on the bottom of the Pam pie pan and drip the melted margarine over this. Place in the heated oven for 10 minutes. Remove.

In a medium bowl, mix the SS with the various spices.  Mix in the Eggs.  Add the Pumpkin and mix completely.  Begin to add the Evaporated Milk a little at a time until it is thoroughly mixed.  Pour this mixture over the crust.

Put back into the 425 degrees for 15 minutes and reduce heat to 350 for 40-50 minutes.  The pie mixture should not be liquid.

Cool.  You can serve with a dollop of plain yogurt - with a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup!

Enjoy!

TOMATO SOUP

OK, I USE A JALAPENO IN THIS BUT TRUST ME, IT'S NOT HOT!

INGREDIENTS

4 Shallots - minced

6 peeled garlic cloves - minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 large box ( organic ) chicken stock ( or vegetable stock if you are a vegetarian )

6 large beefsteak tomatoes - cubed ( cut out stocks )

1 med sweet potato - peeled and cubed

1 medium jalapeno pepper - cubed

1 yellow medium pepper ( mild ) - cubed

chopped basil to garnish

1 large sauce pan

Blender

Heat oil in large sauce pan and brown the shallots, garlic, with salt and pepper. When this is done, pour in the chicken stock and the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer cooking until the tomatoes and potato is soft.  Turn heat off and allow to cool.  Blend all the ingredients into liquid form. Return to heat on simmer until soup is somewhat thick.

Before serving - sprinkle with chopped basil as garnish.

 

VEGE-MEAT SPAGHETTI SAUCE

   I have used this sauce on my brown rice pastas as well as for my vegetarian lasagna  ( I found brown rice lasagna noodles! )

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh tomatoes ( or get the can or organic fresh tomatoes but don't throw out the liquid )

1 small can organic tomato sauce

1 onion diced

4 sprigs fresh oregano

6 - 8 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tbls olive oil

4 leafs fresh basil mined

1 package of Yves vegetarian ground beef

additive ziners - for a spicier flavor -  Tobasco sauce and/or a Tablespoon of Capers

UTENSILS

Wooden spatulas ( one flat for turning ingredients and one round for stirring )

Sauce Pan

Place olive oil in sauce pan and heat.  Add the salt, pepper, and garlic.  Allow the garlic to cook for about 1 minute.  Add the diced onion.  Allow to slightly brown.  Then add the tomatoes and canned sauce, basil, oregano - allow to cook for a while to seep up all the flavors.  Don't cover as you want the mixture to cook down.   

After about an hour, add in the package of Yves vegetarian ground beef ( I suppose you could use ground up Tempe or Sorgum too ).  Allow to cook down.  Depending upon your palate, you may want to add salt.

Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

   Regardless of the season, this soup has become one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

4 cu.  chicken or vegetable stock ( I ususally use the large box or organic chicken or vege stock )

4 lg Shallots - diced

1 lg  Leek - diced

4-6 whole peeled garlic - cut in 1/4s

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Cardamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground paper ( or not so fresh )

1 med to large Butter Nut Squash - peel, take out seeds, then cut into cubes

1 Sweet Pepper ( they are light green ), take out seeds and chop ( don't use a red or dark green pepper - you could use a yellow pepper )

1 med to large Sweet Potato or Yam - peel and then cut into cubes

( If you like a little zing - grate one Jalapeneo pepper )

Utensils

1 med to large sauce pan

Wooden flat Splatula ( spelling, I know )

1 blender to liquify ingredients

In the sauce pan first put the olive oil with salt, pepper, and cardamon.  Heat up, then put in the shallots, leeks, and garlic - allow to brown, turning it in the bottom of the sauce pan.  Doesn't have to be too brown.

Then pour in the liquid, the squash,pepper, potato and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and allow to cook until the squash and potato are very soft - forkable if you know what I mean - don't allow these ingredients to become mushy in the liquid.

Using the Blender, pour the contents into it and blend to liquify.   Put everything back into the sauce pan and let simmer until soup is thicker.  It is at this point, cooking down the soup, that if you want to add your jalapeno zing, you can.  You may also want to add some more sea-salt, probably 1/2 tsp. more.

To serve - eat hot.

You can add protein to the top with a dollop of Yogurt or Vege Sour Cream or 1 oz shreded cheese.

Let me know what you think

Garlic Brown Rice

This dish is very yummy - that is... if you like Brown Rice.  Use it

as a side dish or a main dish with added veggie proteins.

INGREDIENTS - to serve 4-6

1 cu long grain brown rice

30 whole cloves peeled Garlic

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

In a sauce pan ( with a fitting lid ) add the broth, olive oil, kosher salt, garlics, and rice.  Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cover for 50 minutes ( look on the rice package for cooking instructions ).  Check after 50 minutes to see if the liquid is fully absorbed...if not, allow to cook until the liquid is fully absorbed. ( It took me about 1hr and 15 minutes ).  Remove from heat - add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve