Mom's Oven Stew

I adapted this recipe from the Real Mom Kitchen cookbook. This is a super easy crock-pot meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups potato, diced
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 2 cups carrots, sliced
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can tomato soup
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups water
• 2/3 c. quinoa (uncooked)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on high for 3 hours, stir occasionally. Serves about 8. 

 Notes about this recipe:

1. After making it once I thought it might also be yummy to add some corn and green beans or peas to the mix as well. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet though.

30 Minute Rolls

I adapted this recipe from the Real Mom Kitchen cookbook. These are dense but delicious 100% whole wheat rolls with no oil or refined sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. plus 2 Tb. warm water
• 1/3 c. applesauce
• 2 Tb. yeast
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In mixer bowl with kneading hook combine water, applesauce, yeast, and honey. Let sit 15 minutes. 
3. Mix in salt, egg, and 2 cups of flour till combined. Add remaining flour 1/2 c. at a time.
4. Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a baking sheet with oil, then grease your hands and roll the dough into 12 balls.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes on the top rack. If they start getting too brown on top cover with foil. 

Notes about this recipe:

1. After getting the dough into balls you could let them rise for another 15 minutes if you wanted/had time.

Kichadee

My cousin, Bri P., introduced this recipe to me. She says it is one of her staple foods. It was tasty and hearty. Here is my version.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked)
• 2 cups cooked red lentils (about 3/4 c. to 1 c. uncooked)
• 2-3 c. finely chopped sweet potato
• 2-3 c. finely chopped kale (if you want it less chewy pull it off the stem first)
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/4 c. butter or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1.  Get the rice and red lentils cooking in separate pots, according to the directions on their packaging. 
2. Brown spice seeds in the butter or ghee for a few minutes. Add the powdered spices. Then add all the veggies and stir till combines. Saute with the lid on, occasionally stirring, until veggies are soft and cooked through. 
3. Combine the cooked rice, cooked lentils, into the veggie mixture. Add salt and lemon juice and mix well. Let sit 10 minutes and then serve.

Notes about this recipe:

• You can also add fennel powder in with the spices, I just couldn't find it at my grocery store.
• If you want to try making your own ghee use 1/4 lb butter, unsweetened and unsalted. Heat over medium heat until fat separates on top and bottom. Continue at a gentle boil until a large mid portion is clear (about 20 min.) Strain with superfine mesh into a mason jar.
• With the spices you can go up to 2 Tb. depending on how spicy/flavorful you want it.

Rotini with Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Hearts

This I adapted this from a recipe called Italian Fusalli with Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Hearts found in The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb.

Ingredients:

• About 7 oz. whole wheat rotini
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 pinches sea salt
• 4-6 grinds of fresh cracked pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 Tb. dried basil
• 1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered or smaller
• 2 stalks of kale, off the stem and finely chopped

Directions: 

1. Boil the water and start cooking the pasta.
2. Meanwhile heat a skillet and oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, saute about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, artichoke hearts, salt, pepper. Lower heat and cook additional 5 minutes. Remember to keep an eye on your pasta. When it is done drain it and put a lid over it until it is needed.
4. Add kale, oregano, and basil. Cook for a 2-4 minutes, until kale is bright green and wilted. 
5. Add the drained pasta and add to the pan. Stir until everything is combined.

Orange Roll Pancakes

These may look like normal pancakes, but they are far from it. So delicious. They taste like orange rolls. I adapted this recipe from the Orange-Vanilla Greek Yogurt Pancake recipe over at Aggie's Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. plain yogurt
• 1 c. milk
• zest and juice from 2 oranges (I didn't measure exactly but it looked like about 1/4 c. zest and just over 1 c. of juice)
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1.  Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Then combine the wet with the dry and mix until just combined. Let sit for few minutes.
2. Heat your pan or griddle and use a 1/4 c. to ladle out the pancakes.

Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup Adaptation

Since my last post I've had a chance to try out the soup recommended by Jessie at Prevention.com.

I made some adaptations when I tried it out. And when you adapt a recipe then you can post it without copyright issues.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tb fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tb curry powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black  pepper
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1 c. dried lentils
• 1 quart water
• 14 oz rice milk
• 2 tsp imitation coconut flavoring
• About 3 c. small chopped sweet potato
• 3/4 c. green beans, cut into thirds
• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook till soft about 3-5 min. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 more min. Stir in curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 1-2 more minutes, till fragrant. 
2. Mix the imitation coconut flavoring into the rice milk. 
3. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, water, and rice milk/coconut mixture. Bring to a boil. Partially cover and reduce heat. Let simmer about 15 min.
4. Add potatoes and cook 10 more min.
5. Stir in green beans, cover completely and let cook another 10 minutes till lentils and potatoes are soft. Add cilantro and serve.

Notes about this recipe:

1. You can just use coconut milk in place of the rice milk/coconut extract mixture if you'd prefer.

Curried Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

 This recipe was sent to me by Jessie K. She said had to share it because it "is just that good." Sadly, the content is copyrighted and I have been waiting for over a month to get permission to post it. In the meantime, please head over to Prevention.com to check out this delicious soup!