Breakfast Salad

I had the most delicious salad for lunch the other day.  And even though it's a "breakfast salad" I could happily eat it any time of day.

The recipe can be found here.  I think it would also be lovely to add some avocado, tomatoes, dried cranberries, and matchstick carrots.  Maybe even some kale.  I used mixed baby greens instead of spinach and really, any salad greens would work well.  You could skip the croutons (I did) and make it gluten-free and omit the bacon (but who'd want to?) to make it vegetarian.

So, so yummy.

Vegetarian Lo Mein

We made this for dinner yesterday and it was super yummy.

Add whatever veggies you want to a large skillet/pan and sauté until just barely cooked or soft, it depends on how you like them.

I used:
broccoli
shredded cabbage (a mixture of red and green)
onion (sliced thin)
matchstick carrots

other great ideas would be:
zucchini
mushrooms
snow peas
yellow squash
asparagus
greens - spinach, chard or kale
bell peppers
bean sprouts
garlic
green onions
Napa cabbage
Bok Choy

I cooked the onions until rather soft, then added the rest and cooked until a littler softer than crisp.  I used a combination of coconut oil and water to keep them from burning/sticking.

When they were done I added cooked, drained noodles to the pan (any kind will do....and for my family I used the full package).  To this I added half a bottle of Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce and stirred until heated through and the veggies were mixed in.

We had enough to feed everyone (with a few seconds) and two helpings of leftovers for lunch the next day.

This was super fast, super easy and very tasty.  Not to mention mostly healthy.

Brazilian Black Beans and Rice

This is my secret recipe for Brazilian black beans and rice.  I learned how to make it looking over the shoulder of many a Brazilian woman so I don't have exact quantities....they don't use them and I never learned how.  So this is a recipe and a cultural lesson.  I should also add that I lived in Rio Grande do Sul so I make southern-style beans and rice.

For the rice - 
Chop an onion (medium to large based on the amount of people you need to feed).  Fry it in a pan with some oil or butter until soft and lightly browned.  If you want to add a few cloves of garlic, do so now and only cook for a minute.  Add the raw rice and some salt.  (To test for saltiness, stir the raw rice with the salt and onions then cool a small amount and place it in your mouth.  If it tastes salty, you're good.  If not, add a bit more salt.)  Stir the rice around until the grains have turned a light brown color.  Add the water, cover and reduce heat.  Allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes then check to see if liquid is absorbed.  If not, cover and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.  If all the water is absorbed but the rice is still crunchy, add a bit of water, cover and cook until soft.

For my family of six, we use 2 to 4 cups of rice then twice the amount of water.  So if I use 3 cups of rice I use 6 cups of water.

You could just cook the rice in a rice cooker, but the Brazilians I know rarely do this.  Most of you reading this aren't Brazilian so do what you want!

For the black beans -
You can use either canned or homemade black beans.  Start with cooked, however you get them.  Chop an onion, medium to large and fry in oil or butter.  Yep, do it again!  Once the onion is soft and lightly browned add a garlic clove or two.  Cook for one minute.  Add the black beans and heat through, stirring every few minutes.  Salt to taste.  You can leave these thick or thin them out a bit by adding some water and mashing about half of them.  Some people eat them thin like a gravy or sauce, others keep them looking like beans.  You can alternately use garlic powder instead of the garlic cloves, and onion powder instead of the onion.

Most Brazilians use a pressure cooker for their beans, but I've never owned one so I use the stovetop method.  If you do pressure cook your beans, and want an authentic flavor, add the cooked onions.

To eat it all -
We serve this with beans on the plate, rice on the side.  Sometimes we put the beans on top of the rice like a gravy.  Very often they will fry eggs and put it on top of the beans and rice....usually with a slightly runny yolk so it creates a type of sauce.

Often this is eaten with salted tomato slices or a tomato onion salad.  To make the salada de tomate (tomato salad) slice an onion (yes, another one!!!) and place it in cold water.  Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes to take out some of the "bite".  Drain.  Add a sliced tomato or three, salt, then add a sprinkling of olive oil and vinegar.  Taste it as you go.  You want a salty, vinegary taste that doesn't overpower.

Another way to eat the beans is to put them over french fries, homemade if possible and usually with a fried egg on top of it all.

Bom apetite!

Vegetarian Recipe Index

I'm on a mission to change the way my family eats....again.  I've spent a lot of time reading about nutrition and watching health videos and still don't have the "answer".  My problem is that I feel that two very different ways of eating have merit - I agree with the vegetarians and I agree with the traditional meat eaters.  What's a girl to do?

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that the Lord has given us a modern-day revelation concerning diet called the Word of Wisdom (WOW).  My husband and I have been discussing this for quite some time and have decided that we'd like to make some changes that will (hopefully) help us live more in accordance with the WOW.

= We'll be cutting back on our meat consumption - during winter we'll have meat three times a week.  During the warm months, twice a week.  

= We'll also be increasing our already large consumption of fruits and veggies and hopefully grow our own.  

= Sugar will be reduced to special occasions and rare treats.  

= We've already gotten rid of most refined foods, but we'll continue to see if there are other things we can cut out or make our own.  

= I'd like to decrease our dairy consumption significantly but I'm getting a lot of push-back on that so we're still discussing.  In the meantime, we are slowly cutting back and finding better (healthier, more natural) sources for the dairy we do use.

= And we'll add more properly prepared whole grains and try to find non-grain alternatives for some meals.

I'd also like to focus on foods that are fast, whole, simple and inexpensive.

Since I need to add more vegetarian meals into our diet, I've decided to create a list of dishes I want to try (or have tried) so I have a quick place to look when I'm planning my menus.  (No, I don't do Pinterest.)  Some of the recipes are from my personal collection and not posted online yet....let me know if you want one and I'll get them posted.

Breakfast 
My breakfast philosophy - if it can't be made in 5 minutes (or the night before) then it's a lunch food....

most of our breakfasts will consist of a smoothie (or juice) with something from the "Snack" category - other options include:

Raw Carrot Cake Breakfast Bowl
Eggs (many ways)
Toast
Pancakes & Waffles (I have bazillions of recipes for these)
Oatmeal
Baked Oatmeal - there are many recipes to try
German Pancake
Hashbrowns
English Muffins (Food For Life sprouted varieties)
Fruit Cereal
Russian Custard - we serve this over sliced fruit
Soaked Granola Bar
Cinnamon Vanilla Baked Oatmeal
Muesli
Breakfast Burritos
Crockpot Whole Grain Cereal
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Oatmeal
Mixed Grain Cereal with Chai Spice
Toad-in-a-hole/One-Eyed Susans

Granola - I have a bazillion recipes to try, here are a few:
Live Granola Crunch
Crispy Honey Nut Cereal
Pumpkin Granola
Crockpot Granola

Smoothies
Tom's Fruity Medicine Chest
Ultimate Green (juiced)
My favorite smoothie
smoothie template - has ideas for red and green smoothies
Molasses Chocolate Chip
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
several great ideas here
Hot Pink Smoothie
Citrus Surprise - listed towards bottom
Chocolate Coconut Drink

Main Meal (lunch or dinner)
Falafel or this or this or this or this or this
Azteca Squash Soup
Pumpkin Vegetable Curry Stew
Cuban Black Bean Stew with Rice
Sweet Potato Tacos
Grain and Vegetable Casserole
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Pasta with White Bean Sauce
Bean and Rice Burritos
Crockpot Sloppy Joes
Red Lentil Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup
Mexican Black Bean Burgers or this or this or this
Armenian Lentils
Bean and Butternut Squash Chili
Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Breakfast Salad .... yes, for dinner
Brasilian Black Beans and Rice (my special recipe)
Curried Lentil Soup
Sweet Chilean Lime Beans and Rice
Sweet Pepper Rice
Fried Rice - there are lots of ways to do this
Lo Mein - again, there are lots of ways to cook this
Quinoa Veggie Burgers
Egg Drop Soup
Eggplant Parmesan
"Chicken" Fried Steak
Green Enchiladas
Moroccan Vegetables
Barley and Winter Squash Chowder
Inside Out Pot Pie
Vegetable Pot Pie (take a chicken pot pie recipe and leave out the chicken)
Bean Tostadas - there are lots of variations you could make
Sweet Potatoes with Black Bean Chili
Moroccan Couscous with Saffron
Millet and Sweet Vegetable Porridge
Inside Out Chinese Spring Roll Salad
Main Dish Salad - all the toppings you can think of
Baked Potatoes
Korma
Black Beans and Quinoa
White Chili
Red Chili (I haven't found a recipe I love so will need to play with this)
Navajo Tacos (in my recipe box)
Greens and Sweets (roasted sweet potatoes on top of a green salad, with or without dressing)
Potato Curry with Rice (in my recipe box)
Reuben Pinto Burgers
Monterey Beans (in my recipe box)
Peanut Butter Noodles
Nachos
Everyday Italian Rice Salad
Lentil Tacos - there are lots of recipe out there
Kale and Sweet Potato Soup
Slow Cooker Red Rice & Beans (in my recipe box)
Barley with Sweet Rice & Corn (in my recipe box)
Adzuki Beans with Kabocha Squash
Nishime
Rice Pilaf with Caramelized Onions (from The Kind Diet book)
Fried Udon Noodles (like Lo Mein)
Rice Waffles with Vegetable Melange
Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
Garlic and Greens Soup
African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew
Sloppy Col Sandwich
Vegetable Crepes (thin pancake filled with all sorts of fresh or cooked veggies)
Tamale Pie (from World of Wisdom book)
Boston Baked Beans (from World of Wisdom book - possibly as a side)
Italian Pasta Salad
Indian Spiced Lentils (crockpot - leave out the chicken)

Snacks
Fresh fruit and/or veggies
Laraballs and this and this or this or this
Raw Veggie Crackers
Goji Power Bars
Zucchini Chips
Sweet Potato Hummus
Thai Peanut Pumpkin Hummus
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Honey Roast Chickpeas
Cranberry Wasabi Trail Mix
Raw Cookies
Granola Bars
Homemade fruit leather
Mookies
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Popcorn
Chips & Salsa
Granola Energy Balls
Paleo Breakfast Bread
Pumpkin Bars
Raw Balls
Soaked and dried nuts
Breakfast Bars (from my recipe box)
Caveman Cookies
Sesame Fruit and Nut Bars

Dessert
Raw Frosted Brownie
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Prune Bar - but I must come up with a better name....
Pumpkin Streusel Pie
Raw Chocolate Pudding
Triple Chocolate Flourless Brownies
Peanut Butter Pong Balls
Nourishing Cocoa Bars
Peanut Butter Fudge

And just for fun, I've read/watched the following (and can't remember a few more):

Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon

Maker's Diet - Jordin Rubin

Gut and Psychology Syndrome - Natasha Campbell-McBride

Eat to Live - Joel Fuhrman

The China Diet - T. Colin Campbell

Original Fast Foods - James Simmons

Prime Time Health - William Sears

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (video)

Fresh (video)

Forks Over Knives (video)

Food Matters (video)

Food Inc. (video)

Flexetarian Diet - Dawn Blatner

World of Wisdom - Amy Cox Jones

The WOW Diet Words of Wisdom - Michelle Snow

Vegetarian Korma

Everyone really enjoys this and I love that the kids are eating a ton of vegetables.  It's got a long list of ingredients, but it comes together quickly.

1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 potatoes, cubed (you can substitute cauliflower for some or all of the potatoes)

a few handfuls of baby carrots, sliced

1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tbsp. curry powder (you can use garam masala or a mixture of the two)

1 c. frozen green peas

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped - I don't use peppers at my house so I consider this optional

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped - I don't use peppers at my house so I consider this optional

1 c. coconut milk 

1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish

hot cooked rice

naan if you're feeling adventurous

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Add the potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender (I add in a bit of water now and then if it's looking too dry or sticking to my pan). Add the remaining ingredients (but not the rice and naan!).  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.   

Serve with rice and naan.  You could add spinach, broccoli or garbanzo beans or pretty much whatever you want.

Black Beans and Quinoa

We've recently discovered quinoa and love it.  This is a fast, delicious dish.  My kids love that they're eating "an ancient grain." Quinoa is sometimes hard to find but most big grocery stores have it.  Otherwise, check your local health food store.

1 tsp. vegetable oil or butter
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (I don't add this; I sprinkle it on the adult's servings)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. corn kernels, frozen or canned
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and saute until lightly browned; add the garlic the last minute or two.  Throw the quinoa into the saucepan with the onions and add the vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper (or hold till later), salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.  Stir the corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans.  Sprinkle cilantro on each plate - my kids won't eat cilantro (I don't know what's wrong with them).  The grown-ups at my house like to sprinkle ours with cayenne. 

White Chili

I thought all white chili tasted gross. I was wrong. I found this recipe from the Year of CrockPotting blog. (Seriously, check out her amazing recipes.) This is so easy to make and so delicious. The chili is fairly sweet so we don't like to add cheese.

16-oz. bag of frozen white corn (yellow works too)
2 cans of white beans (any kind will do - DON'T DRAIN)
1 4-oz. can of green chilies
1 small to medium onion, chopped (I like to use sweet onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup vegetable broth (you can use bouillon and water)
juice from one lemon (or a shot or two of lemon juice from a jar)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Dump everything into the crockpot. You don't need to drain and rinse the beans or the chilies. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, or high for 4-6.

Russian Mushroom Soup

This is so light and lovely, but filling at the same time. This soups makes me feel happy and healthy after eating it.

5 tbsp. butter, divided
2 leeks, chopped - clean those suckers well because they hide a lot of dirt
2 large carrots, sliced
6 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced (Yukon Gold is the best, really)
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 c. half-and-half
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
fresh dill weed, for garnish (optional)

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in leeks and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but firm. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir into the soup. In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Stir into the soup to thicken. Garnish each bowl of soup with fresh dill to serve.