Sweet Potato and Apple casserole

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Every Thanksgiving I try to mix things up a bit. The same old things get boring.  I do my best to keep a balance between the healthy and the decadent, and when the healthy becomes the decadent I consider it a win. My husband is old school. He likes his canned cranberries and stove top stuffing (ummm….YUK)

So as to please everyone, I make what everyone likes the way they like it and try to keep a budget.  Since he is not a fan of sweet potatoes, unless they are mashed and topped with marshmallows, he won’t eat them. Even then, when I made them this way, he only ate one serving them leftovers were never touched.  So I decided to start making that MY dish. One that I love and will eat the leftovers for days and without feeling like I will need to spend two hours a day in the gym to work off.

Last year I just baked 3 sweet potatoes for my Mom, Sister and I, but this year I wanted to get a little creative.  I have many kitchen gadgets, and love to use them as much as possible, so for this one I pulled out my under-utilized mandolin.

* Now you don’t need a mandolin to make this recipe, but it sure does help. Either way, watch those fingers.

Ingredients:

·         3 lbs. (3-4 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

·         2 granny smith apples, sliced thinly

·         1 orange, juiced (Do not use concentrate)

·         3 Tablespoons butter, melted

·         3 Tablespoons olive oil

·         Sliced almonds to top

·         Cinnamon (I don’t say how much because I think it should be a preference.  I like A LOT, but others may want just a little.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine melted butter, olive oil and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour 2 tablespoons of butter-oil mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Arrange potato slices vertically in the dish. Add a sliver of apple between every few slices of potato. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, pour juice of orange on top, and then brush top with remaining butter-oil mixture. Season generously cinnamon.

Cover dish with foil and roast for 1 hour, covered, until potatoes are tender (If your potato slices are thicker, you may need to increase cooking time). Increase oven heat to 450 degrees F. Remove foil and roast another 10-15 minutes, until tops of potatoes are browned and crisp.

Summer Salsa

"Where did summer go?!?!"  

I know, I know, it's not over yet. But some kids are already going back to school. If you're like me, you didn't do everything on your "Summer Bucket List".  I guess we do still have a few weeks left; and it will be warm till late October here in Michigan, so I may still have time to check a few off yet.

The great thing about this time of year is the bountiful harvest of veggies.  

This past weekend I went to a dinner party with a Taco theme. And since the Local Farm Market (LFM) had 1/2 pecks and bushels of tomatoes were in I decided to bring my famous salsa.  I love salsa on everything!! Chips, tacos, fajitas, eggs......

And after 33 years of marriage I made a double batch to leave some at home so as not to start a war with my Honey for making and taking and not leaving any. 

So if you have an abundance of tomatoes, or have a LFM, like I do that sells 1/2 pecks, this is my favorite recipe for salsa.  It requires no stock pots, no cooking, no mason jars; unless that is what you use to store it in.

Ingredients:

1/2 peck tomatoes (About 12)
1 large sweet Vidalia onion, or sweet onion of choice
1-2 large green peppers
1 large jalapeno
1 bunch of cilantro
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 Lemon
1 Lime
Salt/Pepper

Directions: 

This salsa will be done in small batches. I have a 4 cup food processor and it took 4 batches of ingredients. Blend in a large bowl to combine all batches and divided into 2 large mason jars.

In a food processor add: 
Cube tomatoes, diced onion, diced green pepper, small handful of Cilantro per batch- roughly 3 tablespoons; 1/2 clove of garlic per batch. (for less garlic, add to first & last batch); Juice of 1 lemon for entire batch; Juice of 1 lime for entire batch

Jalapeno's can be difficult to work with if you are not careful.  I use plastic cooking gloves.
For Hot salsa, dice and add whole pepper in 1st & last batch.
For Medium, take all the seeds and veins out and it should still have some heat to it. Add in 1st & last batch.
For Mild salsa, omit Jalapeno.

Salt/Pepper to taste

Notes:
* All ingredients will be to taste, so make it the way you like it - have fun with it!
* If you like a chunky salsa; save a few diced or an additional tomato, green pepper and onion to add     to finished product
* If you like garlic, add both cloves
* If you like a lot of cilantro, add a lot

Salmon Patties

Well summer is well under way and I can't believe I haven't posted anything as a summer dish yet.  Sigh, it goes so quickly.

Not sure if Salmon patties are summer fair, but I was looking for the healthy fat and salmon is good for you, so I grabbed a filet.
So here's the funny part.  I. do.not.like.salmon.  You read that right.  Then why do you ask did I make them?  I told you, it's good for you. >Insert Smile Emoji< Besides, I have been on a healthy diet the past year and VERY clean program the past couple weeks, I thought I'd see if my taste buds changed.

To say that these turned out amazing is an understatement.  I mean they were AMAZING!!!!

So of course I HAD to share it.  The measurements might not be exact, but close.  Hey, I didn't know it would turn out this good.

Ingredients

1/2 lb Fresh Salmon filet
 3 Tsp Fresh Parley, chopped finely
1 egg
1/3 cup Quinoa Flakes
1 small cooking onion diced
1/2- yellow pepper
1- lemon
1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper to taste

Instruction:
Soak Salmon in 1/2 lemon juice and tablespoon salt for 2 hours.  This will take off all the fish slim if there is any.
Don't skip this part unless it is fresh from the water.  
Preheat oven to 375
Dice onion and saute until clear.  Dice yellow pepper and combine all ingredients except Salmon in a bowl.
Rinse salmon and dry.  Cut into cubes and put in food processor and process until it looks like ground meat then add it to rest of ingredients in bowl and make into 4 small patties or 2 larger patties.
Heat a fry pan- I used a cast iron pan, you can use either olive oil or coconut oil and brown both sides of patties.  Then put into a preheated oven for 10 minutes to cook the inside.  I put my whole cast iron pan in the oven, which is why I chose to use it.
I served it with homemade tarter sauce and lemon. But you can serve it with what you like.

Cabbage Soup

So for those of you who may or may not have been burned out on Cabbage soup from the Cabbage Soup diet, this will restore your taste buds to the idea that this soup is actually tasty.  If you did not do the diet, then ignore that statement, it is a great, filling soup with many nutrient dense veggies.

Get that food-processor out.  I used mine for almost every veggie in here.  This really cut rep time down significantly.  Besides, I got to use a kitchen gadget...BONUS!!

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients

1 Large yellow or white onions
2 cloves of garlic minced.
1-2 green peppers
14 oz large can of diced roasted tomatoes.
3 carrots
1 10 oz container of portabella mushrooms
1 bunch of celery
1 cup frozen cut green beans
1/2 head of cabbage
1-48 oz container of low sodium v-8 juice.
Handful of fresh parsley
2 cartons/boxes vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Note: Brown some ground turkey to add protein to the soup.  

Directions:

In food processor- I use blade that you use for making coleslaw- slice onions and mushrooms and sauté in large stock pot in olive oil. (You can buy a package of shredded cabbage to save time)
While that is sauteing, run carrots and celery through processor on same setting. Add to pot.
When veggies are soft, add can of tomatoes and minced garlic.
(I used a microplane to mince my garlic - Love my kitchen gadgets)
Run 1/2 of the head of Cabbage through food processor.  Stir into pot along with vegetable stock and green beans.
Dice green peppers and parsley by hand and add to pot with Worcestershire sauce if using.
Cook 15-20 minutes.

Note: You'll want to be sure not to cook this soup too long as cabbage will get bitter. 
Enjoy and stay warm!!

Mexican Quiche

I think the high today was 22 degrees.  Brrrr.  But as I say, "Michigan didn't pick you, you picked Michigan or you wouldn't live here"   I recently read that Michigan has the 2nd most bitter winters in the nation and I believe it.

While winter tends to make us want to eat more comfort foods that doesn't mean it needs to end up on our hips or be bad for us and feeling miserable after eating it.

This Mexican Quiche will be light and healthy enough for you to walk away feeling good, but hearty enough for the comfort you are looking for.

I have made it twice. The first time with ground turkey, the one pictured is with mini salad shrimp.  But you could also use shredded chicken or lean ground beef.

Ingredients:
6 eggs beaten
1 red or yellow sweet bell peppers (I used 1/2 dozen of the mini mixed sweet bell peppers.)
1 small onion- diced
1 lb mushrooms- Portabella or button - diced
1 container of  salsa (Use the fresh kind. Not the jarred cooked)
3 Gluten Free Tortilla flours
Non- Dairy Cheese
1 lb ground turkey (or mini salad shrimp, lean ground beef or shredded chicken)

Directions
When I make Quiche I always use a medium sized cast iron pan.  It makes removal easy and the heat is even and is oven safe.  But if you do not have a cast iron pan, you can use a baking dish.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees while preparing the mix.
Sauté onion and mushrooms till soft.  Take out of pan and set aside
Brown ground turkey.  (If using shrimp leave raw, but make sure it's thawed.) Take out of pan and set aside.

Put a couple spoonful's of salsa on the bottom of the pan so the tortilla doesn't stick.
Then put first tortilla flour down.  It will not fit pan, that is okay.  Push it down to fit as good as possible to the sides.
Add 1/2 your mushroom/ onion mix, 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 your sweet bell peppers then add 1/3 of container of salsa, and a handful of cheese.
Add another tortilla, push down, add the rest of the mushroom / onion mix, ground turkey and the rest of the bell peppers and 1/3 of salsa and handful of cheese.
Add last tortilla and then slowly pour egg over the top so it goes down the side of the pan and through the layers.  (I poked a few holes through the tortillas so it goes through all the layers)
Add the last 1/3 of salsa on the top and a handful of cheese.
Bake 45 minutes on 375 degree oven.

Let set for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
I like to add hot pepper flakes as a garnish
Serves 4.

Lentil Soup to warm you up this Michigan Winter

During the winter you will always find a pot of soup on at my house. I am someone who can eat the same thing the entire week. Lucky for me my husband is the same way. Unfortunately, he is not as adventurous with the variety of foods he eats so we often eat two entirely different meals. Mine on the healthy side and his not so much...... I'm trying to convince him that when I say he needs to eat veggies potatoes don't count. He's a work in progress
This weeks soup is a oldie but goodie in my soup pot. I make this Lentil soup at least 2-3 times a winter, it's very versatile. You can either eat it as a Meatless Monday soup/ vegetarian recipe by omitting the meat; Or you can add ground beef or ground turkey. I add grass fed organic beef when my body tells me I need the beef, but normally I use ground turkey. Soup and salad makes a great warm me up winter lunch or dinner.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1 lb grass fed ground beef or organic turkey

2-3 diced carrots

1 small onions diced

1 clove garlic- minced

4 cups of vegetarian broth (About 2 cartons)

1 16 oz can of stewed diced tomatoes

1/2 cup portabella mushrooms- sliced

3/4 cup dry lentils

2 celery stalks - diced

2 TBSP parsley- I use fresh

2 tsp Pink Salt

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

Brown meat, onions and mushroom.  Add all ingredients into slow cooker and cook on medium for 4 hours.  Discard bay leaf

* Always use organic vegetables, meat and broth if possible.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wow, where did this year go?  I have heard this everywhere this week.
Can't believe it is Thanksgiving already.  I believe we truly have so much to be thankful for. I was challenged this year to think of 3 things daily that I am thankful for before bed each night. You know what happened?  I woke up with a grateful heart.

I have been asked to start food blogging again on a "normal" basis; and what better day than the one where we give thanks. While I won't be posting my entire dinner, I will give you some highlights.

Between fall and spring, I truly cannot tell you which is my favorite.  Spring is the start of new beginnings of course farm markets abound. Who can't love that?
But Fall has a special place in my heart, um stomach :).  The fall harvest has some of my favorites that I make throughout the winter as long as they are available.
One of the things I grab as soon as I see them is Cranberries.  I freeze them to put in smoothies and they are the star in many baked goods as well as fresh dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So the Star of this blog post will be none other than Cranberries!!

Growing up we knew nothing other than cranberry sauce in a can.  As I became an adult foodie who loves fresh and organic fair I make my "Cranberry Sauce" more like a chutney than a jellied sauce.

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh cranberries
Juice of 1 lemon
1 granny smith apple diced
1 cup frozen mango (pineapple would work well too)
1 cup chopped almonds (almonds, walnuts or pecans work well)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp Grade A maple syrup
1/4 cup water


Put 2 cups of cranberries in food processor and blend till well chopped.  Add remaining ingredients except water to food processor . As 'sauce' starts to get to consistency of almost a dough add water till desired consistency achieved.  I like mine between apple sauce and a chutney. I like to still be able to crunch into the nuts.  I hope this becomes a favorite in your home too.
* Use organic where possible

How to video
https://www.facebook.com/cpozek/videos/10207418923621667/