Balsamic Browned Butter Asparagus

Be forewarned--this asparagus is totally addicting!  Our entire family loves this recipe, and we usually have to double the batch so everyone can get their fill!

Balsamic Browned Butter Asparagus
Serves 3-4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

1lb. asparagus spears, bottom ends trimmed

Olive oil cooking spray

¼ t. real salt

1/8 t. fresh ground pepper

1 T. butter

1 T. tamari soy sauce

1 t. balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° degrees.  Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet.  Coat the spears with olive oil cooking spray, then sprinkle with freshly ground salt and pepper.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook about three minutes or until the butter is browned, stirring occasionally.  Add in 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Remove butter from heat and stir in tamari and vinegar.  Drizzle over asparagus, tossing to coat.

Mounds Bars/Almond Joys

(May blessings be heaped upon your head, Ms. Katie at chocolatecoveredkatie.com, whose recipe I have here adapted!)

These healthy mounds/almond joy balls will blow you away!  My family adores them, and I usually end up tripling the batch, as they never seem to last long!  

Mounds Bars/Almond Joys

Makes 12-15 Chocolates
Prep Time: 25 Minutes plus chilling

Ingredients:

1 C. shredded unsweetened coconut (you can buy this at any health food store)

3 T. agave nectar or pure maple syrup

2 T. coconut oil

½ t. vanilla

1/8 t. salt

¼ c. dark chocolate (or other chocolate of choice)

¼ c. coconut oil

¼ cup almonds (for the Almond Joy option)—omit if you simply want Mounds balls

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in a food processor.  (and the almonds, if you are making the Almond Joy version.) If you don’t have a food processor, you can simply pulse the coconut in a high powered blender.  Don’t make it quite into a powder, though—you still want a little texture!  Roll the dough into small, truffle sized balls and freeze for about an hour (if you can keep from eating it all first!).  Meanwhile, melt your coconut oil and dark chocolate over low heat in a saucepan.  Pour into a small bowl or cup.  Once the coconut balls are very cold (or frozen), dip each ball in the melted chocolate/coconut oil mixture and then lay out on wax paper until the chocolate coating hardens.  This process will go more quickly if you put them in the fridge to harden.  Store in the fridge for up to a week. (If they last that long before being eaten, which is not likely!)

Pesto Sauce

There are lots of outstanding pesto sauce recipes online.  This is a marriage of several of them.  This pesto sauce is perfect served on top of some whole grain pasta, and topped with sliced black olives, halved cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of freshly ground parmesan cheese.  Also try it used as a sandwich spread!

Pesto Sauce-of-Life!
Makes 2 Cups
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 c. lightly steamed baby spinach
2 c. fresh basil leaves
2 roma tomatoes
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 t. garlic powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
1 T. fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Blend all ingredients into a blender until desired consistency is reached.

Grape Salad

This is another favorite breakfast of my family.  The coconut sugar on top melts into a decadent-tasting caramel-like topping that is to die for!

Grape Salad
Makes 8 Servings
Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 lbs. red or black seedless grapes

1 c. plain Greek yogurt

3 T real maple syrup

1 t. vanilla

1 t. lemon zest (opt.)

3 T coconut sugar

1 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:

Put grapes into serving bowl or casserole dish of choice.  Combine yogurt, syrup, lemon zest, and vanilla, and pour over grapes, stirring to coat.  Sprinkle coconut sugar on top, followed by the chopped nuts.

Taco Salad

Taco salad is always a favorite in our family and can be easily modified according to your personal tastes and what you have on hand.  Forego the traditional chemical-laden storebought dressings on top, and try one of the tasty and simple variations here!

Taco Salad
Makes 11-12 cups Salad
Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:
One large head romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 c. crock pot beans (black, pinto, or a combination)*
1/2 c. onion, chopped (sliced green onions may also be used for a milder flavor)
1/2 cup olives, sliced
1 large avocado, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 c. salsa or pico de gallo
1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
juice from one lime

Directions:
Lightly toss salad ingredients together. Serve in a taco bowl, or on a plate with a small handful of tortilla (non GMO) or bean and rice chips crushed on top.  Garnish with a sprinkling of shredded
cheese if desired.

*2 cans beans, drained and rinsed may also be substituted, but you will lose a lot of the flavor from the crockpot bean recipe

Quick, Pan Fried Croutons

We love croutons on our salads, but most of the commercial croutons are either made with a bazillion unpronounceable ingredients, or they are rock hard to where I fear for my teeth when I bite them!  These delicious, pan fried croutons are a quick solution to both problems!

Quick, Pan Fried Croutons
Makes 5 cups croutons
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
5 slices whole grain bread of choice, cubed
3 T olive oil
sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Directions:
Place bread cubes in a large, ziplock bag.  Drizzle olive oil over bread, and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and garlic.  Toss until bread is lightly coated with the oil.  Fry in a frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly until bread cubes are toasted, about three minutes.

Mediterranean Salad

I especially love this salad for lunch in the summer when cucumbers and tomatoes are in abundance in my garden or at the farmer's market!

Mediterranean Salad
Makes 7-8 Cups Salad

1 large bunch romaine lettuce

½ cucumber, sliced

½ c. crumbled feta cheese

1 c. halved cherry tomatoes

1 thinly sliced sweet red pepper

½ cup jumbo black olives

Directions:

Mix all in a large salad bowl.  Drizzle with Mediterranean dressing.

Candied Nuts (pecans, almonds, macademia nuts, or Walnuts)

Candied Nuts 
(pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, or walnuts)

Ingredients:

1/4  c. real maple syrup

1/4 c. coconut oil

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. cinnamon (opt.)

2-3 c. raw nuts of choice

Directions:

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Melt the coconut oil, then pour in remaining ingredients, stirring to coat nuts evenly.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat just when mixture starts to caramelize and smoke just a bit.  Spread nuts out on a piece of parchment paper to cool.

Greek Summer Salad

I think I could live off this recipe in the summer time!  It is a perfect way to enjoy some of the summer bounty from your garden or local farmer’s market, and comes together in minutes.  This makes a perfect light lunch paired with some whole grain crusty bread, or soup. 

Greek Summer Salad
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Makes 7 cups of salad

Salad ingredients:

2 large cucumbers, cubed

2 large tomatoes, cubed (or two pints of cherry tomatoes, halved)

2 bell peppers, sliced and cut (one green, and one red or yellow)

1/3 c. black olives

½ cup feta cheese

Dressing ingredients:

1 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 T. red wine vinegar

3 T. olive oil

1 t. real or sea salt

½ t. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, toss together cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and olives .  In a small cup, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, then pour over the vegetables and toss.  Right before serving, sprinkle on the cheese and lightly toss.

Best Blender Salsa Ever

Best Blender Salsa Ever

Ingredients:
2 14 oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can green chilis (mild, medium, or hot, depending on how much spiciness you prefer)
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
juice from 1/2 a lime
1 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. real maple syrup or equivalent sweetener of choice
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a blender until desired consistency is reached.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight for best flavor.

Crash Hot Potatoes

This delightful dish hails from Australia, the land down under.  When you taste these crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside potatoes, it is easy to see why they quickly become a favorite of most everyone who tries them!  Basically, they are a french fry in disguise...but better for you then what you'd find at a fast food joint!

Crash Hot Potatoes 
Prep time: 30 Min
Total:  55 Min.

Ingredients:

Medium to smallish red potatoes (make a lot—they will all get eaten!)

Olive oil for brushing

Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

Garlic powder or other desired herb, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.  Boil or bake potatoes until fork tender. Generously drizzle olive oil onto a cookie sheet, place boiled potatoes on it, then smash lightly with a potato smasher. Brush top and sides of potatoes all over with olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and any additional desired herbs and seasonings.  Bake until potatoes are light brown and the outside is crispy, about 25 minutes.

Waldorf Breakfast Salad

Waldorf salad was originally created at the Waldorf hotel in the late 1800's.  It is traditionally made with mayonnaise, but the greek yogurt is a tasty and healthier substitution.  As I have experimented, I've found that this salad is just as good with a simple citrus dressing.  I love serving this "makeover" waldorf salad to my family for breakfast with a green smoothie or breakfast muffin.  

Waldorf Breakfast Salad

Makes 10 servings
Prep Time 20 Min

7 apples, cored and chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

2 c. red seedless grapes

2/3 c. raisins           

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 orange, juiced

1 T. fresh lemon juice

(optional) 1/2 c. plain greek yogurt + 2 T real maple syrup

Directions:

Toss nuts, celery, raisins, and fruit in a bowl.  In a separate small bowl, combine juices, and yogurt, if desired, and drizzle over fruit mixture, tossing to coat. 

Thai Peanut Dressing

This is one of those amazing dressings it is hard to refrain from drinking!  It is great over a fresh salad, or a vegetable stir fry.


Thai Peanut Dressing
















Ingredients:
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. water
1 T raw apple cider vinegar
2 T olive oil
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T tamari (may be substituted with soy sauce)
3 T honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
In a high powered blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Coconut Granola

This is a recipe that has been in my family for several generations, and was a breakfast staple growing up.  I have tried many granola recipes, but this is by far the easiest, and my personal favorite.  I tweaked it a bit by substituting coconut oil for the vegetable oil the original recipe calls for.  It makes it that much healthier, and I think it tastes even better with the coconut oil!

Coconut Granola

Ingredients:

8-10 cups rolled oats

1 c. liquid honey

1/3 c. melted coconut oil

1 t. vanilla

a pinch of real salt

2-3 cups nuts and seeds of choice (almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, shredded unsweeted coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc.)

2 cups dried fruit of choice (dried cherries, raisins, craisins, mangoes, apricots, etc.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.  Combine liquid ingredients with a whisk or blender.  Your honey will need to be slightly warm so the coconut oil doesn't harden.  I usually just whisk these in a saucepan.  Add the salt and stir.  Measure out your oats and nuts in a large bowl, and stir.  Pour honey mixture over the top, and than work it, baby!  It takes a while of mixing, and you may have to use your hands to mix, but mix until all the oats and nuts are coated with the honey mixture.  It may not look like you have enough honey stuff, but keep mixing and massaging it.

Spread out granola on two cookie sheets.  Baking times will vary, I have found, but it will take roughly 20-30 minutes per batch.  You will want to keep a close eye on it and stir it every ten minutes or so, or when the top or bottom of the batch or granola starts to turn brown.  When it is as browned as you want it, take it out, give it a stir, and let it sit until it is crunchy.  When cooled, add your dried fruit.    

This is a fun basic recipe to play around with!  I sometimes like to substitute almond extract for the vanilla and use only almonds and dried cherries in the granola for a "cherry almond" granola.  

Sometimes I will add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.  It would be interesting to try adding a bit of pureed pumpkin with the pumpkin pie spice.  I have also substituted some molassas or maple flavorinig with some of the honey, with good results.  Try something new and leave a comment on how it turned out! 

Rainbow Popsicles

These are a delightfully refreshing summertime treat that my kids love!  Heck, I love them too!  I freeze some in regular size popsicle molds, then do several batches in ice cube trays with toothpick "handles," which I then store in a large ziplock bag in the freezer for easy snacking.

Rainbow Popsicles

















Ingredients:
Fruits of choice
Ideas include:
Cherries, kiwi, apricots, pineapple, peaches, mangoes, oranges, strawberries, nectarines, berries, grapes

Directions:  Chop fruits into small-ish chunks.  Put chopped fruit into ice cube trays and fill to the top of with coconut water.  Insert popsicle sticks and freeze.

Note:  I like to add as many colorful fruits as possible, but it takes a long time to cut everything up!  Next time I make these, I will definitely be including my kids in the prep, and giving each them their choice of two of the fruits to chop!

Basic Nut Milk Recipe

Nut milks are delicious and easy to make.  You can substitute nut milks in most baked goods, and use them almost any place you would use regular milk.

Basic Nut Milk Recipe


















Ingredients:
1 part nuts of choice (almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews are all popular options)
4 parts water

Directions:
Blend in a high speed blender until smooth.

Variation:
I like to make a Salted Caramel and Cinnamon variation by adding in a handful of medjool dates (other dates may be substituted), a few sprinkles of cinnamon, a splash of vanilla, and a bit of sea salt, and then blending.

Tip:  If you will be using almonds, it is recommended that you soak them over night, as this sprouts them (they will look plump, but with no visible sprouts).  The sprouting process not only increases the digestibility, but the nutritional content of the milk as well, as sprouts are known for being nutrient powerhouses!

Tip: If you are drinking almond milk straight, I would recommend getting a nut milk bag to strain the milk with.  You could also probably use a clean dishcloth.  The pulp can be saved for use in other recipes.

Tip:  If I don't want a distinctive almond flavor, for example, when I am making a gravy, I love using walnut milk.  The flavor is very neutral, and it blends up smoothly enough that you don't really have to strain it.