Savory Pineapple Cream Cheese Ball or Spread

1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup crushed pineapple drained and squeezed of excess liquid

1/4 cup finely minced green pepper

2 Tbs. finely minced red onion

1/2 Tbs. Seasoning Salt, MSG and yeast free

2 cups chopped Walnuts (optional)

Chopped fresh Parsley (optional)

Combine the first 5 ingredients and let sit in the fridge for 4 hours before serving as a dip.

Combine first 5 ingredients and 1 cup of the Walnuts if using. Shape into a ball and roll the perimeter with the remaining cup of Walnuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours before serving.

For a nut-free version, combine first 5 ingredients and roll in chopped fresh parsley.

Bean Salad

1 15-oz can each of Pinto, Garbanzo, Black, and Red Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green Bell Pepper, washed, cored, seeded and diced
3 Jalapeno Peppers, washed, cored and diced (Optional if you can't take the heat)
2 15-oz cans of petite diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the tomato juice for other uses)
1/2 Red Onion, diced
6 large cloves of Garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use raw, unpasteurized)
1 or 2 teaspoons of salt
A good grinding of Black Pepper Corns over the whole thing, optional
Dash of Tabasco brand original hot sauce, optional
2 cups of Cilantro, chopped-stir in 1 hour before serving
1/2 cup of REAL Olive oil, *leave out till just before serving

Combine all but the last two ingredients.  Let marinate for 24 hours.  Add remaining ingredients 1 hour prior to serving and let rest at room temperature.  Or keep it refrigerated and eat off of it for days.  Makes 8 servings, 350 calories.

The best part is if you are taking it for a work lunch it does not need to be refrigerated if you are eating it that day, or heated up ever. And surprisingly enough you will not get tired of it even if you eat it every day for lunch.

If you are so inclined, you may cook your own beans. An overnight soak in water with 1 teaspoon of salt before cooking produces the best results. Whenever I cook beans for another recipe I just reserve 1 1/2 - 2 cups of cooked, drained, and rinsed beans in the freezer for later use.  A quick rinse under hot water will thaw and separate the beans quickly.

It's also great to take to parties because it's Vegan, and doesn't have to be kept warm or cold. Keep the Cilantro separate because a surprising number of people don't like it.

Bean Salad for Health and Detoxification:

Beans are great. They are high in fiber, healthy carbohydrates and proteins, and low in fat with no saturated fats. Brightly colored peppers are full of anti-oxidants and nutrients as well as fiber. Cilantro is a great heavy metal detox for your liver. Garlic and Onions are full of anti-oxidants but also have anti-bacterial/anti-viral properties. And both are known to improve circulation and lower blood pressure, and garlic is a known cholesterol fighter. Raw, unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar is a great detoxifier and total body cleanser. Eating bean salad daily or multiple times a week for any meal is a great way to keep your body happy and healthy.

I have used Flax oil in the past, 1 Tablespoon per serving. Flax oil is high in Omega Fatty Acids and is a great intestinal toner.

Banana Spice Bread or Cupcakes

1/2 cup Butter, melted
150 grams Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
3 medium Bananas mashed
150 ml of Buttermilk
90 grams flour, Buckwheat flour for Gluten free
90 grams Oat flour
1/2 teaspoon each of Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
*100 grams of dried Cranberries
*100 grams of chopped Walnuts or Pumpkin Seeds
 

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the butter in the microwave (or use room temperature butter), mix in sugar, salt, spices, and vanilla. Add Eggs and beat till thoroughly mixed. Blitz Bananas in a food processor with the buttermilk, stir into the mixture. Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda before mixing into wet ingredients. Mix in the nuts and cranberries, if using. Secret tip:  I use an ice cream scoop to measure out batter for muffin cups, it is 1/4 cup of batter. Makes 16.

Muffins bake for 25 minutes, an 8 x 8 cake or loaf pan will take at least 40.  Use the toothpick test if you are unsure. Let the Muffins rest in the pan for 15 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate leftovers to prevent spoiling.

*Alternative recipe: Leave out dried fruit and/or nuts.  It will not make as many without the nuts and fruit.

Chicken Salad

*DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR TO CHOP THE CHICKEN
White meat from a whole roasted 5 lb chicken, cut and shredded
1/2 red onion, finely diced
5 ribs of celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups of red grapes, quartered or 1/4-1/2 a cup of Raisins steeped in boiling hot water and drained
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard*
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
add enough yogurt or sour cream to desired creaminess

Mix all ingredients together.  Let sit in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving. Top with chopped roasted, salted almonds. I like to eat mine on sliced tart apples, leaf lettuce, or nut thins. I also like to top it with Sriracha.

Makes a good wrap with lots of lettuce, chopped almonds, Sriracha, and rice paper wrappers.

*As always, if you are gluten free, make sure your condiments are as well.  Anything made with distilled white vinegar may have gluten if the vinegar was distilled from a gluten containing grain.  When in doubt contact the company.

Chili!

Chili is a very personal food.  It's all about what you like.  And, as I recently learned, to call anything the best indicates there is no room for improvement.  While my taco dip recipe, a.k.a. Toxic Dyp, is truly the best ever and can not be improved upon, I rarely think that of any recipe especially one so controversial as chili.  For me, there are a few key factors that make up any great recipe, and ease as well as likelihood of ingredients already being in your kitchen are two of the most important.

With that in mind, this is the best homemade chili recipe I've tried.  It's everything I put into my chili but the secret is the amount of spices plus one very important lesson, do not drain the bean liquid or the beef fat.  As with any recipe that calls for a lot of spices, this will be better the next day.

1 can (or two) of dark red kidney beans or black beans
1 lb of 80/20 free-range, anti-biotic and hormone free ground beef or Venison or turkey
1 large yellow onion
2 T. paprika
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. cumin
1 T. oregano
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt: 1/2 t.

1-2 T. Ketchup (optional, my new secret ingredient) or

1 can of Diced Hot Tomatoes with the liquid

1 large Onion, diced
1-2 large Green Bell Peppers, diced
1-2 T. Olive Oil

 Do not drain the beans!

In a skillet, brown the beef but do not drain the fat! Cook the onions and peppers in with the beef.  Add all your spices and brown for about 1 minute then pour in the beans with their liquid.  Add the ketchup or tomatoes (if using). 

Lately I've been enjoying the heck out of this recipe on top of spaghetti and all covered in cheddar cheese and diced raw onions with Cholula hot sauce.

And just recently discovered chili is a great way to use up chip shards from the bottom of the bags (like Chilaquiles), add shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream for bliss.  Cholula for Nirvana.

Crustless Quiche

My easy answer to "quiche cups."  I like to make one a week and eat off the leftovers for a quick breakfast.

8 Eggs, cracked and beaten
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt

16 oz. of any cheese, shredded, crumbled, etc.

1 cup of browned, crumbled, or cubed meat (optional, but meat makes it more filling)

2-4 cups of any vegetables

For greens, saute, cool, then squeeze to remove any excess liquid.  With raw veggies, I use my food processor to cut or shred finely, then I squeeze the liquid.  For eggplant, summer squash, zucchini, or mushrooms, I roast in the oven till dry.  I will often make ratatouille, then use the leftovers for a quiche.

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine ingredients, pour into a greased glass pie dish.  Set in middle of oven, reduce heat to 350, and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Let cool/rest for 15 before cutting and serving.

Frozen Cranberry Salad

This "salad" has been a mainstay in our family during the Holidays for as long as I can remember. I've seen other recipes that include cream cheese and nuts but this is the recipe handed down to me from my grandmother.

1 bag (12 oz.) fresh, raw cranberries rinsed and sorted
2 cups white sugar
16 oz. of mini-marshmallows*
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
2 cups whipping cream (evaporated milk for lighter, heavy whipping cream for heavier, but I think regular whipping cream produces the  best results)

In a food processor pulse the cranberries and in a bowl combine with the sugar. In a separate bowl stir the crushed pineapple into the marshmallows. Cover and let rest in the fridge overnight. In a much larger bowl combine the cranberry mixture with the pineapple marshmallows. Whip the cream and fold into the lot of it. Spread out into a container with a lid, cover and freeze. It should be ready to eat in 8 hours.

*If you are gluten free make sure your marshmallows are as well.

Calorie counting:   Pineapple: 315, Cranberries: 150, Sugar: 1440, Marshmallows: 1350, Whipping Cream, Regular: 1440, Total: 4695 / 24 Servings = 195 Calories

Wild Rice Stuffing

This is a great gluten free alternative to traditional stuffing.  It was incredibly easy and delicious.  It could easily be made vegan if you substitute oil for the butter.

2 cups of Lundberg dry Wild Rice Blend
1 quart of chicken broth
1 Tablespoon of minced fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley, or 1 rounded Tablespoon dried

Cook the rice according to the package using the broth, herbs, and 1 teaspoon of salt if broth is not salted.

4 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 onion, diced
5 large ribs of celery, diced
1/2 lb of mushrooms, halved and sliced

Saute the onion in the butter till translucent, add the celery, then the mushrooms, waiting a few minutes in between.  Stir every minute or so, cooking till all the liquid has steamed off and the veggies are starting to brown.  Add in to the cooked rice and serve.

Red Bean Curry or Rajma

While looking for recipes of things to do with my already cooked small red kidney beans, that isn't red beans and rice for the umpteenth time this year, I found this recipe, I modified the recipe I tried from the Smitten Kitchen, for ease of use in my kitchen.  Being without fresh ginger or green chilies, I used the paste I had.  And I also ended up using tomato paste and extra water instead of tomato sauce.  It turned out really well, so thought we all, including my 22 month old who wiped up the sauce and slurped it off her fingers.

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
 1 medium onion, finely diced

1 Tablespoon Green Chili Paste (I used Thai Kitchen)
OR
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green chili, minced

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 15 oz can of Tomato Sauce
3 cups cooked, and drained red kidney beans
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a 8 quart pot over medium heat for one minute. Add onion and cook for a few minutes until just getting brown.  Add ginger, garlic, and green chili or the paste and saute for one minute. Add the tomato sauce, water, salt, kidney beans, and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cilantro.  Serve over, or stir in, rice.  Top with plain yogurt or sour cream for extra deliciousness.

Smokey Black Bean Chili

4 cups Cooked Black Beans, drained
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 T. Bacon Fat
1 large yellow onion
Green and Yellow Bell Peppers
1 T. cumin
1 T. oregano
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, blitzed
1 teaspoon Salt

Saute onions in bacon fat until translucent or browned, add tomatoes and remaining ingredients.  As it was I had to add a little water because my diced tomatoes weren't very juicy.  Bring to a simmer.  Let simmer about 30 minutes.  I thought the flavor was good.  It didn't taste too much like chipotles, it had a good heat, but it seemed thin.  I think this would be best served with sour cream to round out the flavor.

Baba Ghanoush: Cold Eggplant Dip

A lot like Hummus, I mean exactly like it but instead of mashed chic peas there is roasted eggplant.  The literal translation means "spoiled father." 

About the same amount of effort as hummus too, but instead of making a pot (or opening a can) of beans, you will need to cook some eggplant.  I have never had success in oven roasting, and it's a lot of time to wait an hour for one or two eggplants to cook.  I always end up not cooking it long enough, and even then I can never get the peel off.  But what harm is there in blitzing the peel, if it's organic.  Often the most colorful part of the veggie is where all the nutrients are.  I imagine an easier way, and less time consuming-if not a bit more labor intensive, would be to peel the eggplant, cube and saute until soft. 

Otherwise:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a fork, poke holes all around the eggplant(s).  Roast for 45 minutes or until soft, timing depends on the size of eggplant.  Once they have cooled, scrape the inside into a bowl and discard the peel.  Even better if you can roast them over a charcoal grill or fire to achieve a smoky flavor.

For every 2 cups cooked eggplant add to it:

•  2 Tablespoons Tahini
• 1 large clove of garlic
• Juice of 1 Lemon, roughly 1/4 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz, or else mash by hand, in which case mince or press the garlic.  Feel free to dress it with chopped fresh parsley and good extra virgin olive oil.

Fritata: Spinach, Red Onion, Feta

1-2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Red Onion, quartered and sliced
10 oz. package Frozen Spinach, thawed
8 Eggs
4 Tablespoons water
8 oz. Feta, crumbled
3 Tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 350.  In a oven-safe skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat and gently cook the onions till they start to brown.  Turn off the heat, add in the spinach and stir.  In a bowl beat the eggs and water, crumble in the feta and mix.  Pour over the onions and spinach, gently lift the vegetables so the egg mixture pours under and around.  Layer the sliced tomatoes on top.  Pop the skillet into the oven until the top is set, about 35 minutes.  Let cool for 15, slice and enjoy.

This recipe was a little spinach heavy which sort of overwhelmed the feta.

Green Onion Schmear

I absolutely can't believe I left this recipe off my blog for so long.  I make this a lot.  I take it to parties.  I serve it at parties.  You won't believe how much you can eat in one sitting until you see it gone.

1 package of cream cheese, 8 oz.
2-3 green onions, washed and chopped, greens and whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave, in a microwave safe dish (not plastic).  With an electric mixer, or in a food processer, mix in all ingredients till smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but overnight preferably.  Serve with crudites, bagels or hash brown patties and lox, pretzels, or anything you think would be good.

Fall Harvest Soup with Sage and White Pepper

1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
1 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup of Carrots, peeled and sliced

I finally admitted that I don't actually like Butternut squash, it's the carrots and sweet potatoes I'm after.  This is one of those soups where you could use all carrots if that's what you wanted.

4 Tablespoons of Butter or Chicken Fat
1 large Leek, washed thoroughly and chopped
1/2 large white or yellow onion, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced (skin on if organic)
4 cups (1 quart) Chicken Broth, Gluten and MSG Free (watch out for "yeast" and "hydrolyzed protein" ingredients)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons of salt, depending on how salty your broth is
1/2 cup of all-natural Sour Cream, or if you can find it-Creme Fraiche.

Melt butter or Chicken fat in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute leeks, onions, and apple, adding ingredients separately every few minutes in the order listed. Saute until just turning brown.  Add the broth.  Peel, seed, and chunk Butternut, peel and chunk Sweet Potato, and peel and slice carrots into the broth.  Add seasonings and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, lid on, till squash and potatoes and carrots are tender (about 20 Minutes). Be careful, ingredients are boiling hot. Transfer back to the stock pot.

Using an Immersion blender, and the lid as a shield, puree the soup. 

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.  Serves 8 as a starter, 4 as a meal. 

Very good with brown rice, sausage crumbles, and cooked kale.

Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

From The Betty Crocker Cookbook, copyright 1969.  I have never made a bad cake from this cookbook.  It is a cake and quick bread lovers' delight.

This was a go-to dessert of my Moms when I was a child.  So it not only is comfortingly spicy for fall, but reminiscent of my childhood.

I know as far as culinary expertise goes this is not a complex or complicated cake, but that's what makes it so wonderful.  Feel free to add in chopped crystallized ginger, fresh ginger root, and whatever makes you happy.  Unless you add more liquid, I don't think you can screw up this cake.

Gingerbread:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, or *Gluten free baking mix*
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 325 F.  Grease and flour a round cake pan or 9x9 square pan, or glass baking dish.  Cream the sugar, butter, molasses, hot water.  Beat in the eggs.  Add the flour, soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt, gently stir together before beating till just smooth.  Scrape down sides as needed.  Pour into pan, bake for 50 minutes.  Serve warm with Lemon Sauce

Lemon Sauce:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 egg well beaten
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring to bubbling, stirring constantly.  Serve warm on the ginger cake.

Egg [Pan]-Cakes Revisited

These gluten free/high fiber/low carbohydrate "egg" cakes will keep you full for longer without spiking your blood sugar and with the added soluble fiber so important in a gluten free diet.

For every person eating use:

2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon water
a dash of salt
2 Tablespoons Buckwheat or Oat flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Or, for fewer eggs:

1 Egg
3 Tablespoons water
a dash of salt
3 Tablespoons Buckwheat or Oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1.)  Preheat a 10 inch skillet to Medium heat, *grease with butter.

2.)  Beat together lightly the first 3 ingredients.  Add in dry ingredients and beat till incorporated.

3.)  Pour in batter slowly, stirring well just before.  Pour till it spreads to a 6 inch cake.

4.)  Wait till you've got bubbles on top (1-2 minutes), flip, and let it get golden on the other side before removing (30 seconds-1 minute). 1 serving makes two of these sized cakes.

*How I grease with butter: Take your fork and pierce the stick, or your fingers and hold the stick (with it's wrapper on the end you're holding), smear the end of the stick on the hot skillet all around. With this method I use less butter, and it's evenly distributed, I don't have to swirl my skillet.

Serve with Pure Maple Syrup or cream cheese and fresh fruit compote or Jam.

Gluten Free Scones, An English Cream Tea

An English Cream Tea is an afternoon tea service that only includes scones with clotted cream and jam with the tea.  These may have been the single best gluten free baked good I have ever made.  I triumphantly made and ate them for a movie day involving the BBC 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.

Gluten Free Scones

1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend, no bean flour

1 cup Gluten Free Oat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter

1 large egg

1/2 cup yogurt

Soften the butter (not melting) in the microwave, or let soften overnight on the counter. Cut into the butter (this is where a food processor is helpful) the flours, baking powder, salt.  Add sugar, egg, and yogurt and mix till just combined.  Drop out onto a greased glass baking dish by the 1/4 cup full.  Let rest while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake in the higher middle rack position for 15-20 minutes, till golden on top.  Let rest 5 minutes.  Whatever you don't eat, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

They are sweet and buttery enough to eat on their own, and absolutely decadent with extra butter and raspberry or strawberry jam.  I had wanted to make clotted cream to serve with, but didn't get around to it.

Yield: 10 scones, factor 2 per person

Kedgeree: Poached Fish and Rice

Kedgeree is an English breakfast dish that had migrated from India and assimilated into the English culture.  Of course some modifications were made, and nowadays you can pretty much season it how you like, use whatever fish (In England smoked Haddock is common) and rice you choose, but always top with a medium boiled egg.  This is one of the few recipes I make that involves seafood, and mostly that is because it is not sustainable and hard to find "safe" choices.  By safe I mean wild caught, not farmed, and not loaded with contaminants.  Wild caught Salmon can be purchased frozen any time of year.

Here's what I did:

4 eggs medium boiled, peeled
1 Salmon fillet, 7 oz, poached
2 cups cooked brown Basmati rice
1/2 large red onion, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon juice

For the Dill Sauce:

1/2 plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon Dill weed
salt to taste

Saute the onion in the butter, add in the rice.  Add the Salmon and break it up as you stir around.  Squeeze the lemon juice over all.  Serve hot in a dish with a quartered boiled egg and dill sauce (optional) on top.  Serves four.

Omelet: The Ms. Dash

So easy, I created this when I was following South Beach (back when you could eat tomatoes on phase 1), and had limited breakfast resources.  It was also summer and I was getting free tomatoes.

2 eggs
1 Tablespoon water
Butter
Ms. Dash, or any other seasoning blend, just a few shakes
Salt to taste if your seasoning blend does not have salt
Mozerella, shredded (I do it myself to avoid additives)
1 Tomato, halved and sliced, lightly salted

Heat your omelet pan to medium-high heat.  Rub the stick of butter across the pan.  Beat the eggs and water and pour evenly into pan.  Sprinkle the Ms. Dash, wait for it to set up a bit (use a lid if you need to), sprinkle the mozzerella.  Wait for it to set up completely, fold, and serve with the cut up tomato.

Cold Potato Salad

This for me is the classic cold potato salad recipe.  I absolutely hate sweet pickle relish, particularly in potato, egg, or tuna salad, so you won't find it in this recipe.

8 medium to large red, yukon gold, or russet potatoes
8 celery stalks
1 small red onion
4 hard boiled eggs
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon salad oil
1 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (I didn't have, so I just used white wine)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Scrub and boil potatoes till a fork pierces easily, about 35-45 minutes. Remove potatoes and add eggs, bring back to a boil, put on lid, turn off heat, and let eggs sit for 20 minutes.  Remove eggs, and place in an ice water bath.  Under cold running water slide off potato skins, rinse and set aside.  Finely chop celery and onions, mix remaining ingredients.  Cube potatoes, and one-at-a-time toss with dressing.  Refrigerate the salad, till ready to eat, the longer the better (at least 4 hours).  Before serving, peel the eggs, dice, and toss with salad.  I found the eggs infinitely easier to peel after being in the fridge overnight.