Vegetables
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli-Shwarma Style with Spicy Tahini Sauce
We are practicing physical distancing during this COVID-19 crisis so I am spending my evenings trying new healthy recipes with the ingredients I have on hand. We are trying to utilize this time to develop healthy habits, get fresh air and exercise every day and eat super nutritious food (a mostly plant based diet). This recipe was shared with me from one of my hiking buddies. I tweaked it a bit and adjusted some of the seasonings. The night I made this I also tried a new recipe for Baked Falafels and made a batch of Tabooleh. In the picture at the end of this post you will see the plate full of food I served my husband while he was working his evening clinic shift from home. Hope you enjoy this as much as my husband and I did.
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli-Shwarma Style
1 head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
1 head of Broccoli, cut into florets
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sumac or zaatar or harissa
2 cloves garlic pressed
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
- Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli-Shwarma Style
- 1 head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 head of Broccoli, cut into florets
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sumac or zaatar or harissa
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut up cauliflower and broccoli.
- Mix all other
Brussels Sprouts Harvest Salad-try a new recipe on my Bucket List
One of the things I continually keep on my bucket list is trying new recipes. This one caught my eye because we love cruciferous vegetable like brussels sprouts and cauliflower. This recipe has both. I will serve this next time we have friends over. Picky Ricky gave this a 5 star rating! It is a keeper…..
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken deboned, skinned and shredded
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 head cauliflower cut into small florets
1 pound brussels sprouts trimmed and shredded
½ cup toasted pecans
¼ cups dried cherries, raisins or cranberries
¼ cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dressing
6 Tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons grainy mustard
½ teaspoon each seas salt and ground pepper
½ teaspoon sriracha or your choice of hot sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cut up sweet potatoes and cauliflower with !/8 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss and place on parchment lined baking sheet with sides. Mix shredded brussels sprouts with remaining ⅛ cup olive oil and salt and pepper. Place brussels sprouts on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment. Place vegetables in oven. Roast brussels sprouts for about 15 minutes until just barely cooked (still crunchy) and the roast the pan of sweet potatoes and cauliflower for 25-30 minutes. While vegetables roast debone and skin rotisserie chicken and cut into chunks of shred. Make dressing by mixing all ingredients together at the bottom of a large bowl. Put all shredded chicken into bowl and toss around. Place all roasted vegetables on top stir all together. Serve hot or cold. You can serve over rice or quinoa. We loved the flavors and the textures of the different vegetables. …
Read MoreMediterranean Quinoa Salad
Memorial Day is a day of celebration our military heroes. I am so grateful for the men and women who have sacrificed to maintain our freedom and liberty throughout the ages. Memorial Day is usually the kick-off day for summer barbeques. I love to experiment with different side salads to accompany whatever comes off the BBQ. Here is a fun twist for a yummy side salad, combining quinoa and Mediterranean style flavors.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of quinoa cooked as directed on package (makes about 4 cups of quinoa)
1 English cucumber chopped
20 baby tomatoes cut in half
1 red or orange bell pepper chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
1 (15 oz ) can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 4 oz container crumbled feta cheese
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
3 lemons juiced (about 2/3 cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
Cook the quinoa according to package direction. (I used 2 cups quinoa in 4 cups of water. I brought it to a boil, turned to simmer and covered for 15 minutes.) Let quinoa cool and add chopped cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans and basil. Season with salt and pepper and mix in feta cheese. Squeeze lemon juice and add olive oil. Mix dressing into quinoa salad and adjust seasonings. I love the fresh basil and probably used more than 1 cup. You can add kalamata olives if you want more of a Greek flair.
Enjoy with BBQ burgers, chicken, ribs or your favorite meat.
…
Instant Pot Greek Chicken
I bought an Instant Pot a few months ago and have just been too busy to try it. FINALLY with the nudging and encouragement of Bethany, I experimented with my first creation in the Instant Pot. We loved the result and I will be experimenting with many more ideas for my Instant Pot in the future. This recipe was easy and quick. I did learn you must factor in about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to warm up before your allowed timer starts to count off the cooking time and you must add about 15 minutes for the Pot to cool down and release the steam. Fortunately I had that extra time as I was waiting for my hubby to get home from work.
So here is my first Instant Pot recipe….
Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken-boneless, skinless breasts or thighs
½ red onion
3 cloves garlic smashed
1 green pepper chopped into small pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 cup chicken broth
Saute the vegetables in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. You can use the sauté mode in the Instant Pot or saute on the stovetop.
Place vegetables into your Instant Pot, if you sauteed them in a pan over the stove. Place chicken on top of vegetables.
Sprinkle seasoning on chicken.
Pour jar of marinated artichoke hearts on top of seasoned chicken.
Pour lemon juice and broth on top of all.
Place top on Instant Pot and secure for cooking.
Press Poultry button and set for 15 minutes. The Instant Pot takes about 10 minutes to heat up, 15 minutes to cook …
Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna
This vegetarian Mexican casserole is a show stopper. Combining all the delicious flavors of an enchilada casserole with the unique flavors of roasted vegetables makes one of the best Mexican dishes. Using mozzarella cheese adds a flare and thus the name…Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna. I first tasted this at a friend’s home and she was eager to share her recipe. I made a few healthy adaptations and viola…..
Ingredients
4-5 cups butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into cubes
1 red bell pepper , chopped into cubes
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa (we used Pace)
12 corn tortillas, 6 inch diameter
1 ½ cups greek plain yogurt
1 bottle Trader Joes enchilada sauce
1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Prepare the vegetable filling:
- Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
- Put butternut squash on a roasting sheet pan and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Let it cool slightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and chopped red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon chili powder, and saute the vegetables and spices on high heat until charred just a bit. Mid-way through, add corn, then rinsed and drained black beans. Add roasted butternut squash Add more salt if needed. Add more chili powder or cumin, than indicated in the recipe, if needed.
Assemble the casserole:
- Use a casserole dish either 9×13 or 11
Pumpkin Harvest Hummus
This Pumpkin Harvest Hummus is absolutely the perfect snack to have on hand to take to a “Fall Festival-Harvest Party” or to have on hand when friends stop by. Serve with carrots, cucumber slices or any other of your favorite raw vegetables. We also love to steam broccoli and cauliflower for dipping. Put out a bowlful and serve with pita chips when friends come by. I made some for a party last week and it received rave reviews so I thought I would share it with you.
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons Tahini
2-3 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons water (if needed to thin as you blend)
Put all ingredients into a Vitamix or blender and mix until pureed to the consistency of hummus. Use a bit of water to thin it out if you think it is too thick. Pour into an airtight container and chill until ready to use. Serve with carrots, cucumbers, pita chips or pita bread. It also makes a great spread for your pita pocket veggie or turkey sandwich (with a bit of cranberry sauce, lettuce and tomato).
- 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ teaspoon cayenne (ground
Greek Style Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs
As summer comes to a close and families are back into the school routine…the weather shifts to Indian Summer…just in time for Labor Day. The best thing to do on Labor Day weekend is….have a BBQ! So that’s what we did. In honor of the end of summer and to initiate our new kitchen, we had three of our most favorite couples over for an evening of love, laughter and delicious food.
GREEK CHICKEN VEGETABLE KEBABS
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup olive oil for marinade plus 2 TBS for veggies
4 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic pressed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 medium sized zucchini
2 peppers (green, red or orange)
1 large red onion
Tzadziki
1 medium cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 cup Greek plain yogurt
1 clove garlic pressed
2 TBS lemon juice
12 TBS chopped parsley
4 TBS chopped fresh dill or more if desired
For the Kebabs
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and spices.
Cut chicken into 1-1 ½ inch cubes.
In a gallon ziplock bag, place the chicken cubes and pour the marinade over it and seal and shake until all the chicken is coated. Leave in refrigerator between 45 minutes and 2 hours but NO LONGER or the chicken will start to change texture because of the acidic nature of the marinade.
Cut the zucchini into ¾ inch slices,, cut the peppers into 1 ¼ inch cubes and cut the onions into 1 ¼ inch wedges. Place in another ziplock bag and add olive oil. Season lightly with salt.
When ready to skewer the meat (if using …
Fresh Harvest Vegetable Marinara Sauce
This is the FIRST OFFICIAL recipe I have cooked in my new kitchen!!!!
We still have a few little repairs that need to be finished before it is completely done, but I can start creating new recipes and get back into my love of cooking now that I don’t have to cook in my laundry room anymore. It has been a LONG 8 months.
One of my distractions while waiting on the kitchen to be finished has been tending my vegetable garden…..Having a vegetable garden is fun and rewarding. The challenge is to use up the produce as it fills up the kitchen. So I decided to be creative and see how many of the vegetables from our garden I could use up in one recipe. I combined our garden veggies with a few things added from our local farmer’s market and cooked up a batch of vegetarian pasta sauce.
Ingredients
2 Tbs olive oil
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
6 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley
3 cups spinach
10 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 (28 oz) cans organic crushed tomatoes
I washed all the vegetables and starting with the onions, I cut them each into chunks and used my Cuisinart to finely chop each vegetable one type at a time. I put a large pot on medium heat and added 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots and saute until vegetables are soft, 5-10 minutes. Stir regularly so vegetables do not stick. Chop the basil, parsley and spinach and add to the large pot and stir another 5 minutes. Add 2 cans of organic crushed tomatoes and fresh tomatoes that have been chopped into chunks in the cuisinart. …
Read MoreFreekeh Salad-A New Taste in an Easter Picnic or Brunch side dish
Easter Brunch or Picnic Fun—-Freekah Salad
Easter is a fun day to gather with friends and family. There are many traditions that make that day extra special. Being outdoors and celebrating resurrection Sunday with a picnic and time together is part of the way we like to remember the true meaning of Easter. New life, new beginnings and the opportunity to experience God in a fresh new way was made possible when Jesus died on the cross and came to life again on resurrection day!
Here is a new recipe that I tried last week and will make for our Resurrection Sunday/Easter picnic. It is made out of a grain called Freekeh. Freekeh (or farik) is ancient food made from green durum wheat that has been harvested early, while the grains are still tender and green. The kernels are then parched, roasted, dried and rubbed to create its unique flavor. It is a healthy whole grain food, much like bulgur wheat and often mentioned right alongside other superfood heroes like quinoa, spelt, amaranth and farro. 
Technically, the term freekeh is actually the name of a process used to prepare grains, and not the name of a specific grain variety. According to food lore, freekeh’s fiery story dates back thousands of years, possibly as far back as 2,300 BC. Allegedly, a Middle Eastern village came under enemy attack and their crops of young, green wheat caught fire during the siege. The villagers ingeniously found they were able to salvage their food supply by rubbing away the burned chaff to reveal the roasted wheat kernels inside. This is what we know today as freekeh, which means “to rub” or “the rubbed one. However, it typically refers to wheat, and generally to durum wheat. So, although the freekeh process can be applied …
Anti-Inflammatory Foods and a Guide to Help YOU Get Started
Many of the foods on the anti-inflammation list are vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and non-animal based foods. Anti-inflammatory foods reduce the levels of inflammation in the body. When you eat anti-inflammatory foods at each meal, you can help protect your body one meal at a time.
“All disease is rooted in chronic inflammation in the body. Diabetes and obesity are now linked with chronic inflammation. Researchers have long known heart disease and inflammation were intrinsically tied and even cancers are perpetuated by chronic inflammation. Eliminate inflammation in the body, and disease begins to improve.” says Julie Daniluk, R.H.N.
Here is my list: (the anti-inflammatory nutrient is listed when available)
VEGETABLES
Kale (Omega 3)
Spinach (magnesium, calcium, folate, Vit A,B2,B6,C,K, iron)
Broccoli (sulforaphane)
Cauliflower (sulforaphane)
Brussel sprouts (sulforaphane)
Sweet potato (beta carotene, managanese, Vit B6,C)
Shitake mushrooms
Purple cabbage
Squash (carotenoids)
Tomatoes
FRUITS
Blueberries (phytonutrients)
Strawberries (phytonutrients)
Cranberries (phytonutrients)
Blackberries (phytonutrients)
Grapes
Papaya (papain)
Pineapple (bromelain)
SPICES/SEEDS/NUTS
Tumeric (cucurumin)
Ginger
Garlic
Flax seed
Chia seed (omega 3, protein and fiber)
Sesame seeds (plant sterols, Vit B1,B3,E calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese)
Hemp seeds (plant sterols, Vit B1,B3,E, calcium, Omega 3 and 6, iron, magnesium, manganese)
Walnuts
Sprouted sunflower seeds (omega 6, potassium, magnesium, iron)
OTHERS
Wild Salmon (EPA, DHA, Omega 3)
Olive oil
Avocado oil (polyphenols)
Green Tea (flavinoids)
Kelp (fucoidan)
Dark Chocolate (antioxidants, potassium, copper, magnesium, iron)
A few of the things I am going to make a commitment to cutting down on or removing totally from my diet are as follows:
Refined sugar
Transfat
Polyunsturated fats
Hydrogenated fats (including vegetable shortening)
Feed lot meat
Processed meat
Refined grains
Food additives
Here is a guide to help you with transforming your eating habits. Take one step at a time. Change what is logical for your lifestyle. This information is key to …
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