stuffed zucchini or red bell peppers

Mix and set aside:

2 c. brown rice (or white) cooked

1/2 c. walnuts

1/2 lemon, cut off the rind and white parts and take out the seeds (or just juice from 1/2)

1/4 tsp chili powder

a handful of cilantro, parsley will work too

2 chopped tomatoes

Next;

3 medium sized zucchini or red bell peppers

Cut lengthwise and hallow out the seeds from the zucchini or pepper. Spoon mixture in and bake at 350 for 20 min. Sprinkle some cheese and bake covered for 10 more minutes. Enjoy!

Ranch Veggies

3 Large potatoes chopped into 2" pieces

2 cups sliced carrots

1 medium zucchini

1 sweet bell pepper chopped

1 tomato diced

1 Tbsp onion powder

3 Tbsp ultra gel

1 Tbsp ranch dressing powder

1-2 c. rice milk, or cow milk

Steam potatoes and carrots till just tender. Mix ultra gel, onion powder and ranch powder and then add all at once into the milk in a large pot. Whisk till mixed well. Add steamed potatoes and carrots and chopped zucchini, sweet pepper and tomato and stir well until sauce has covered the veggies evenly. Cook on medium low heat till the zucchini is just tender. Enjoy!

Artichoke Tomato Alfredo

Ingredients:

one small bottle artichoke hearts (in brine, not packed in oil)

4-5 fresh tomatoes, chopped into large chunks

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic minced (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 3 tablespoon chopped dried)

2 heaping Tablespoon whole wheat flour

1/2 cup (or more) rice milk

1 small handful raw cashews

Whole wheat fettucini, macaroni or spaghetti noodles (i like the twisty kind because they hold the sauce)

Directions: Prepare fettucini, macaroni or spaghetti noodles al dente. Place onion, tomato, garlic and basil in a non-stick pan and saute in a little olive oil. Drain the artichokes cut them into small pieces. Mix your flour and rice milk and add that to the blender, also then add a small handful of raw cashews. Blend until very smooth. Add the cut artichokes and blender mixture into the saute; mix well and warm just until thickened. Top the pasta with the artichoke sauce.

*canned tomatoes just don't work as well it makes it taste more like spaghetti instead of Alfredo.

thanks tammy at http://www.simplehealthytasty.com/2008/03/artichoke-tomato-alfredo.html

Cheesy Kale Chips

One bunch of Kale

coating:

1/3 cup raw cashews

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

3 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 small chunk of onion (i use one pearl onion)

½ teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 clove garlic

Ground black pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth in blender. Put the sauce and torn up pieces of kale in a big mixing bowl and toss with hands until all leaves are coated. Set them on a nonstick sheet on your dehydrator. Dry them at 115 degrees for 6-12 hours, take off sheets, turn them over and dry for 2-4 hours more, until crispy.

*You can also do it in the oven on the lowest temperature for much less time, just keep an eye on it! And if you do it at a temperature higher than 116 degrees it will not be considered a "live food" anymore, and the enzymes will be destroyed. It will still be good, just not live.

*It is the coating that makes or breaks these! These are so good, my three year old got upset when one of the two containers of kale chips we made were empty. "you ate all my kale chips mommy!" Good thing I doubled the recipe!

Thank you Tammie at simplehealthytasty.com

peanut butter chocolate green smoothie

2 cups milk (cow, rice or almond milk)

2 LARGE handfuls of spinach

2 Heaping Tablespoons all natural peanut butter
2 Tablespoon honey

2 or 3 bananas frozen

Ice enough for a good consistency I usually do a glass full

1 small handful of chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips till smooth. Then add the chips and pulse till chopped up and combined well.

Thank you Tammie at http://www.simplehealthytasty.com/search/label/Smoothies

green creamsicle smoothie

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

2 LARGE spoonfuls of Orange juice concentrate

1/2 Large bunch of Spinach

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 c. Frozen Peaches

Blend till everything is smooth, enjoy!

Thank you Tammie at http://www.simplehealthytasty.com/search/label/Smoothies

Dutch oven BBQ chicken and potatoes

2 Chicken Breasts
a few strips of bacon (use the stuff from a butcher so it is more meat, if not, you will need to use more bacon)
carrots
potatoes (red works best, russets are fine too)
chicken or veggie broth (14 oz can)
BBQ sauce about a 1/2 c.
salt and pepper
garlic powder

Brown chicken in a pan with some 1/2 can of broth. Also, cook bacon in another pan. Trim the fat off the cooked bacon and chop up the meat of the bacon. Chop up the chicken into 2 inch pieces. Chop up the potatoes and carrots into. I like to leave the skin on the potatoes so they stay together easier without turning into mush. Pour the researved can of broth into the dutch oven and what is left from cooking the chicken into the oven as well. Sprinkle salt and pepper and garlic powder over the ingredients in oven. Squirt about a 1/2 c. of BBQ sauce over the top of mixture and stir.

Cook in the oven about 45-60 min or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Enjoy!

Place the bacon, chicken, potatoes and carrots in the dutch oven. Pour the broth you cooked the chicken into the dutch oven and the rest of the can of broth

Green Pina Colada

1/4 c. coconut milk
2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Blend well on high

2 "deck of cards" size pieces of frozen pineapple
2 handfuls of frozen raspberries
1 stevia packet, (a little sugar, honey or other sweetener)

Blend well on high, you might need to add a little water if it gets too thick to blend.

Enjoy!

Chili Verde

1 lb leab pork-cut into 1 inch pieces (we skip the pork go vegetarian style)
1 Tbsp oil
1-2 green bell peppers-diced
1 can green chili's
1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp cumin (i don't use this, we use chili powder)
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp chopped cilantro
1 bay leaf
1 can veggie stock
1 can garbonzo beans or white beans
1 can black beans
3/4 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1 large avocado
2 Tbsp lime juice (divided)

optional:
mozzarella cheese, sour cream

If using pork heat oil and lightly brown the pork cubes over high heat and brown in a couple batches if needed. Add to crockpot. Saute green peppers, onions, garlic and cummin. Add to crockpot with gan of green chili's, 1 Tbsp lime juice and other herbs and the veggie stock. Cook on low 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. If using meat, if no pork, cook low a couple hours.Add the beans during the last 45 min. Mix the cornstarch with water and add stirring constantly until the liquid thickens and clears. Temove the bayleaf. Toss the avocado in lime juice. Servein bowls. Add a few pieces of avocado, fresh cilantro on top. Serves well with tortilla chips or tortillas.

*also tastes good with chicken instead of pork.
*make anough for two meals and thicken the leftovers to use in tortillas kinda like green enchilladas.
*fun "green" meal for st. patricks day too

Mexican Brown Rice

2 c. dry brown rice
4 1/2 c. water
3 garlic cloves
2 jalapeno's-red (use seeds for more spice)
juice from 1 lime
2 tomatillo's
3 heads from bulb onions (can use dried onions or regular onions)
3/4 tsp salt

Mince garlic, jalapeno's, tomatillo's, onions. Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook for 45-50 min. or until rice is tender. Tastes great with black beans, avocado's, tomatoes, cheese etc, or with taco's.

*use jalapeno's according to taste. I used two with seeds tonight and it wasn't spicy. Jalapeno's differ greatly in heat from plant to plant.

Healthy pumpkin cookies

1 c. flour (whole wheat flour works too if it is from hard white wheat)
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. butter (or coconut oil) softened or applesauce
1/4 c. white cugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. -1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree (i just used some butternut squash left over from dinner)

optional:
1 c. chocolate chips, or raisins or dates


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 6 ingredients and set aside.
Cream together butter, and sugars. Stir in pumpkin puree.
Gradually stir in dry ingredients till mixed well.
Gently mix in raisins or optional ingredients.
Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake about 12 min. Allow to cool on sheet for 5 minutes them move to a cooling rack or eat them!

*If you leave out the optional ingredients then they work great for breakfast type cookies being very mild and pretty healthy (much better than sugary cereals). These are one of the cookies I don't mind my kid eating a few at a time since they are healthy cookies.

Homemade Veggie Wash

Recipe 1:
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water.
Let your produce soak in mixture for 5-10 minutes
rinse well.


Recipe 2:
1 Tbsp of lemon juice
2 Tbsp of baking soda
1 cup of water

Put this mixture in a sprayer bottle to spray my veggies with. Let it sit for a few minutes then rinse well.

Recipe 3:
a very small amount of palmolive dish soap (green kind) mixed in water.

Put in a spray bottle and spray on produce, lightly scrub. Rinse well with cold water.


Tips of keeping produce to last longer:
1. Wash with water. Use a scrub brush and rinse well.
2. Discard outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
3. Scrub melons with water or produce wash before cutting. Rinse well.
4. Cut produce on a clean cutting board with a clean knife.
5. Thaw meats on a separate tray or plate in the refrigerator to prevent meat juices from dripping into produce drawers.
6. Clean and sanitize the refrigerator produce drawer regularly.
7. Don't pick off stems and such until ready to eat.

Almost Famous Black Bean Soup

1 1/2 c. black beans (measured dry, then cook them) or use 2-3 cans of black beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves-chopped up
1 Tbsp onion powder or 1/3 c. diced fresh onion
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. sea salt (or salt)
1 tsp ground black pepper
a little cayenne pepper to taste
1 can veggie broth
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can corn or 2 c. frozen corn
water
tortiallas or tortilla chips
fresh cilantro

*optional on top
sour cream
cheese
Avocado pieces

After your beans are cooked, take about a cup of bean and blend with the can of veggie broth. Return to pot of beans.
In a pan, saute garlic, oil, and red pepper flakes on medium heat till garlic is tender. Put into pot of beans. Add crushed tomatoes, ground black pepper, cayenne and corn and let simmer 10 minutes.

Serve with fresh cilantro and any other toppings and eat with chips or tortillas.

*Add some brown rice for a meal with complete protein instead of tortillas.
*For the most part you can sub most of the ingredients from food storage, powdered garlic, onion, canned items, and homemade tortillas
*If you can't handle the red pepper flakes, cummin or taco seasoning may be substituted

Emy's chili

2 c. dry pinto beans soaked over night
6 c. water
2 c. brown rice, rinse well
1 diced yellow onion
2 cans tomato sauce
1 quart diced tomatos with juice (or 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes)
2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp ground pepper

optional:
any fresh peppers-jalapinos, anaheim, bell etc.
shredded cheese
corn chips

Put the beans in a slow cooker and cook according to time on package (two or more hours). Add the rest of the ingredients except for the optional ones. Let simmer a couple hours. Meal is done once the rice is soft or absorbed. You will want to mix it once or twice while cooking, the rice has a tendency to rest on the bottom and may burn. This meal gets better the longer it sits.

Great as a main course, with nacho's or as a dip.

*This serves as a complete protein because of the beans and rice.

Emy's Black Bean Taco's

2 cans black beans or about 3 1/2 c. cooked beans
1 can corn (or 1 c. frozen or freshly cooked corn, if frozen cook before using)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1-2 limes (juice only)
1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder
pinch of salt

Corn tortilla's

lettuce (red romaine is best)

tomatoes-diced

avocado-diced

shredded cheese

Mix together first 7 ingredients and let chill for 1 hour or more (the longer the better)

Spoon on tortilla's with other ingredients (all optional).

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

6 large bell peppers

1 lb ground beef

2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
1 cup cooked rice (measured dry, before cooking)
1 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 {15 oz} can tomato sauce {I use a can of diced tomatoes instead.}
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Cut thin slice from stem end of each pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover for 5 minutes; drain.
Cook ground beef and onion in a skillet, stirring frequently, until beef is browned; drain. Stir in salt, garlic, cooked rice, and tomatoes or 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Heat through.

Stuff each pepper with hamburger mixture; stand upright in baking dish. Cover with foil; cook in 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Uncover; cook 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

*For an even healthier/money saving version use less meat and more rice or substitute the meat for brown rice. or use chicken

Egg-Fried Zucchini Crisps

3/4 pound (3 medium) zucchini
1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon salt
Butter, margarine, or bacon drippings
Soy sauce (optional)
Green onion, chopped (optional)

Wash and dry zucchini; slice off ends. Slice in 1/8-inch disks. Place flour on plate or in shallow bowl. Dip zucchini disks into flour; shake off excess. Beat egg and salt with a fork in a shallow bowl. Dip floured zucchini into beaten egg, and fry in a single layer in hot butter, turning once.

Serve plain or dipped into a mixture of soy sauce and green onions.

(Source: The Mormon Family Cook Book - Helen Thackeray, Beth Nelms Brown & Maurine Hegsted, pgs. 42,43)

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in medium cubes
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in medium cubes
1/2 large red onion, cut in large pieces
2 large carrots, cut in sticks
1/2 pound fresh green beans
3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, cut in 1-inch pieces (or1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until evenly coated with olive oil. Place in greased or non-stick baking pan in one even layer. (Cooking time increases when double layered.)

Roast in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 450 degrees F. Lower heat to 375 degrees F. for another 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove rosemary sprigs. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: High-temperature roasting caramelizes the natural sugar in vegetables and concentrates the flavor. Cooking time depends on the density and size you cut the vegetables. Any vegetable can be used.

(Source: "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" by Julie Badger Jensen, pg. 79)

Seasoned Potato Wedges and Peas

8-10 yellow potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups snap peas
2 tablespoons Seasoning Mix

Cook potatoes for 8 minutes in microwave then slice like wedges. Lightly fry in olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning mix. Cook until slightly crispy and turn to other side. Toss with snap peas and continue to fry for 1 minute, turning twice. Do not overcook. Peas should be crisp.

Seasoning Mix
Blend together:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried red chili
1 cup rock salt
2 tablespoons coarse pepper
1/2 cup dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

And mix separately:
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon lemon peel
2 teaspoons soy oil

Toss the dry ingredients with the oil mix. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet. Store in an air-tight container to retain freshness.

(Source: "The Gathering of Friends, Vol. 1", Michelle Huxtable and Alyse Christensen, pg. 12)

Yam Casserole

Sue's recipe for yams - delicious!

1 (26 oz.) can yams
6 apples

Peel and slice apples (as you would for apple pie), drain yams and
cut into chunks. Put into greased casserole. Pour butter sauce (see
recipe below) over top and bake covered, 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Butter Sauce
1 cup sugar
4 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 square butter (Not margarine-hey it's thanksgiving! :)
2 cups water

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.
Add Sugar, cornstarch, salt mixture. Stir. Add 2 cups water. Bring
to boil stirring often.