Holiday Cranberry Salad {Marilyn Hunt}

I wouldn't be a true Mormon if I didn't have a jell-o recipe on this blog. This is the one and only jell-o recipe that I love. My mom makes it every Thanksgiving and Christmas because that's what her mom did. And because it's SO good. It's that dish that I saw growing up and was like "ew" because of the celery and nuts (oh, how I hated nuts) IN the jell-o. Then, thankfully, I matured. Recipe from my grandmother, Marilyn Hunt.

21.5 oz. can crushed pineapple

6 oz. pkg cherry jell-o

¾ cup sugar

2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lb (1 ½ cup) ground raw cranberries

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup broken walnuts

1 small orange (cut off ends, cut into pieces and process in food processor)

Drain pineapple, reserve syrup.  Combine jell-o & sugar, dissolve in hot water.

Add cold water, lemon juice & pineapple syrup. 

Chill till partially set… then add remainder of ingredients and chill till firm.   

Yummy!!!

Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cherries.

When my husband was first "diagnosed" with borderline diabetes 9 years ago... I found myself at Wal-mart in the cookbook section looking for anything to help me feed my husband... and not push him over the edge into diabetesland. Not a peaceful place to be. I found the Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook... bought it... and tried to live by it for the next few months.

 

It helped, and had a lot of yummy stuff in it. Yummy stuff that left us satisfied. So, that's good. And of course now that I've educated myself even more on the subject - we've found something that works even better for us. Something that has changed my husbands "diagnosis" completely... and made those sugar levels just like yours and mine. Miracle? Somewhat. But I know it's because of some healthy eating on his part.

 

Anyhow, this is one we always come back to. And I love it because it 's good. But it reminds me of a time when I was close to loosing all hope and deeply concerned about the health of my most favorite person in the whole wide world. It's good to be reminded of where you've come from and how far you've traveled.

 

1 1/2 cups long-grain and wild rice

1 apple, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped (or craisins)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, toasted

 

Cook rice according to directions, and spread evenly in thin layer on a large cookie sheet to cool. Let stand 10 to 12 minutes.

 

Mix apple, bell pepper, celery and cherries/craisins in a large bowl. Mix soy sauce, water, sugar and vinegar in small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add rice and soy sauce mixture to apple mixture. Gently toss until coated. Add peanuts. Gently toss.

Broccoli and Cheeze Soup.

Well played OhSheGlows. Well played.

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chopped celery

4-4.5 cups chopped broccoli florets (2 heads, stems removed)

1.5 cups peeled & chopped potatoes (about 3)

3 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes)

Low-fat vegan cheeze sauce, divided (see below for recipe)

1/2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

herbamare & onion powder, to taste

Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley, plus more to garnish

Daiya cheese, to garnish

Smoked Paprika, to garnish (optional)

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil, onion, and garlic over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Cook for about 5-6 mins.

2. Add in the celery, broccoli, and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Now, add the broth, nutritional yeast, and cayenne pepper and simmer for another 15 mins or so until the potatoes are just fork tender.

3. Meanwhile, prepare your cheeze sauce (see below) while the soup simmers.

4. Carefully transfer the soup (in two batches) into a blender. Blend until almost smooth (I left it a bit chunky, but you can blend as much as you wish) and place back into the pot. Stir in the cheeze sauce, reserving 1/3 cup for later.

5. Stir in optional lemon juice, salt, pepper, and optional herbamare all to taste. Finally, stir in the minced parsley and spoon into bowls.

6. Top the soup with croutons, Daiya cheese, remaining cheeze sauce, and smoked paprika.

Low-Fat Vegan Cheeze Sauce (double batch)

Adapted from here. I basically just doubled my old recipe and added a couple extra spices.
Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup unsweetened, unflavoured almond milk
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance or other non-dairy buttery spread
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. In a skillet or pot, melt the Earth Balance over medium heat.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and 1/4 cup milk until all clumps are gone.

3. Whisk in the remaining milk (1.25 cups) as well as the milk and flour mixture into the pot. Now whisk in the nutritional yeast. Reduce heat to low-medium.

4. Add Dijon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste and whisk frequently over low heat until the sauce thickens up, for 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat once thick.

Cajun 15-Bean Soup

This is from FatFreeVeganKitchen... a site that I found and have been checking out for a while... and finally decided to make something from. And honestly, it's been almost 2 months since I made it and I can't remember how much we liked it... but I know we did.

20 ounces dried mixed beans (you can find these prepackaged in most grocery stores), rinsed
12 cups water
1 large onion — chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic — minced
juice of one lemon
15-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 1/2 teaspoons salt — or to taste

1. I saved some time by putting the beans into the pressure cooker with 8 cups water, cooking at high pressure for 15 minutes, and then releasing the pressure and cooking until the beans were completely cooked. If you use a pressure cooker, I advise letting the pressure come down naturally rather than quick-releasing. And if you have a quick-release setting on your PC, do not use it! I had beans stuck in my valve when I tried that.

2.If you don’t want to pressure cook them, then place the washed beans in a pot with 12 cups of water, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered,for 60-75 minutes until beans are tender.

3.When the beans are almost finished cooking, brown the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a non-stick skillet.

4.Add onion mixture, stewed tomatoes, and lemon juice to beans along with the spices and simmer 30-45 minutes. (If you started the beans in the pressure cooker, add 2 cups water at this time if they seem dry or thick.) Add liquid smoke and salt at the end. Serve with bread or over rice, or just by itself, as I did.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 45 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

8-Vegetable Soup with Mixed Herb Pesto.

I just had to try this soup because it was originally vegan by Rachael Ray. I was worried about the flavor, and hoping it'd have some. And wow, it sure did. LOTS of flavor and so healthy. A hit.

1 small butternut squash
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 3 tablespoons
Salt and pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 small bulb fennel, chopped, reserve a handful of fronds
2 carrots, chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks from the heart, chopped, reserve the leafy tops
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
A small handful of thyme
2 large bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (i use white grape juice)
1 28- to 32-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar (agave nectar)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley
A handful of basil or tarragon
3 tablespoons pistachios or pine nuts

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel and chop squash, and dress pieces with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Roast until just-tender, do not brown cubes, 25-30 minutes.

Char peppers over open flame on stovetop or under hot broiler after roasting squash. Place in dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let cool, peel, seed and chop.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons EVOO over medium-high heat. Add fennel, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Bundle the rosemary and thyme and tie together with kitchen twine. Add the herbs and bay leaves to the pot, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Deglaze pan with wine, add in roasted red peppers, tomatoes and sugar. Break up tomatoes with a spoon, stir in stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer at low rolling boil for 30 minutes.

Remove herb bundle and bay, puree soup along with squash in a food processor or industrial blender. Pass through coarse sieve for a smooth soup.

Wipe out processor and return to base. Add celery tops, fennel fronds, parsley, basil or tarragon, nuts, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in enough EVOO to form a thick pesto. (Add a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano if ya like.)

Top shallow bowls of soup with a swirl of pesto. Serve with crusty bread, gougeres or grilled cheese sammies.

Corn Chowder.

I am totally diggin on Tal's [as if I personally know him] book. Every recipe I've tried from it has been awesome! This one included. Knowing my texture obsessed family, I pureed it and then added the corn because I didn't want anything to stop them from lovin this one. I also added a splash of liquid smoke, because this recipe just kinda feels like bacon would be good in it too. ;)

2 cups Vidalia onions, diced

2 large carrots, peeled & cut into ¼ inch dice
1 celery stalk, dice
1 red bell pepper, dice

1 dried chipotle pepper (couldn't find, used a little chipotle in adobe sauce)

5 cups faux chicken stock (Better Than Bouillon brand - I used veggie)

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Kernels from 6 ears of corn, plus 2 ears roasted or grilled corn (used frozen - about 3/4 cup to 1 ear of corn) & roasted earlier in the day

1 ½ cups thick cashew cream

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced chives

½ cup diced tomato
splash of liquid smoke [optional]

Place large stockpot over medium heat and steam-fry the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper , and chipotle pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock, potatoes, and thyme, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

[This is when I pureed.] With the back of a spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Add the raw corn and cashew cream, season with salt and pepper to taste and add liquid smoke, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chipotle pepper and thyme sprigs. Garnish with the chives, tomato, and roasted corn kernels.

belly biters: all - tore.it.up

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 1 hour



The Conscious Cook: Tal Ronnen

Tomato Bisque.

You are going to loooooooove me for telling you about this soup. I saw Tal Ronnen on Oprah, he's a gourmet vegan chef. He sold me on how yummy his Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples looked. I instantly put myself on the waiting list for his cook book at the library. When it came in months later, I picked it up and almost went right to the grocery store to buy the stuff for half of his recipes. Then I told myself to calm down... which I did... and then I calmed down a little too much because it's taken me 9 months to try any of his recipes. Other then the cashew cream & whipped cashew cream, I haven't tried a single one. Even the celery root one... crazy how that happens.

Shame.on.me... because this soup is amazing. So super simple, but it feels like you're eating a big bowl of naughtiness! Which, I like that feeling. Sure it has some fat in it from the cashew cream... but hey - would you rather be getting your fat from nuts or the cow down the road? I'll choose the nuts.

sea salt
4 tablespoons earth balance
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (i used whole wheat)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 (28-ounce) can while fire-roasted tomatoes, juices included
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups regular cashew cream
parsley for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and head for 1 minute. Add the earth balance and stir until melted, being careful not to let it burn. This will create a nonstick effect. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue cooking and stirring for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, tomatoes with juice, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the cashew cream. Continue to simmer (do not boil) for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.

The Conscious Cook
Tal Ronnen
page 94
makes 6 serving
time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

The same night I tried my hand at brussel sprouts. B.O.M.B. You can't win them all. I have never had them - or at least that I remembered. And I hear that you either love them or hate them. And in Veganomicon it said the only way to eat them is roasting them... so I did... and I still reside on the hating side. Funny thing is, Coco ate them. What a weird little girl.

White Chili.

When I was first interested in healthier eating I found Ellie Krieger on the Food Network channel, dvred her shows, and watched them... and trying a few. She's a good go between because she still uses all "real" ingredients and none of the stuff you can't find at a normal grocery store. She uses meat and cheeses, but makes them as healthy as she can.

So it was fun to pick up her newest cookbook from the library and see how I can tweak some to fit us. This recipe spoke to me with the white beans, hominy, cumin and coriander... all of which I love. It also called for turkey (1 lb. white meat), which I omitted. And only used 1 instead of the 3 poblano peppers she used. I learned a few recipes back that they were a tad too strong for the kids. Although, it may be the cayenne.... I don't know. I'm too scared to try each on their own to decide which one it is... so I just ease back on both.

White Chili.
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium poblano pepper, seeded, white ribs removed, and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
2 - 15 ounce cans white beans (or 3 cups cooked) drained & rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 - 15.5 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

In a large pot, over medium heat, steam fry the onion, celery, and poblano peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the white beans, broth, and oregano. Cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. 

Add the hominy, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and more cayenne pepper to taste and continue cooking, partially covered, for 10 minutes longer. Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with cilantro. Garnish with lime wedge. 

adapted from So Easy
by Ellie Krieger
"White Turkey Chili"
page 189

Red Lentil Soup.

This soup is from my friend, Brooke's "Simply Real Food" food blog. It's yummy. It's also the soup that my Coco-koala climbed up the spindles on our kitchen chair to get to. It's also the soup that she ate so fast I wondered if she even chewed anything up. Basically, it was really good. Thanks Brooke!

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 can diced tomatoes (or use fresh to equal about 1 1/2 cups)
1 celery rib, chopped
5-6 kale leaves, stems removed, finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 cup dried red lentils
1/2 cup millet, optional
5 1/2 cups water
2-3 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Steam fry in a 4-5 quart saucepan over med high heat, onion, stirring until golden. Add garlic, carrots, tomato, celery, kale, cumin, coriander, and salt and saute 2 minutes. Add lentils, millet, water, and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve.

Lentil Stew. {The Kind Diet}

This stuff is really, really good. So simple and so filling. From the ingredients you wouldn't think it was anything spectacular... but it's scrumpy. First time I made it I pureed it... because my kids always eat better when they don't know everything they're eating. Next time I didn't, they ate, and I liked the way it tasted better. It's from The Kind Diet. It works awesome in the crockpot too! I usually amp up the spices and veggies... and love using sweet potato instead of regular.... and added kale.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil {i omit and steam-fry}

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large onions, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 potato or sweet potato*, cut into chunks

1/4 cup shoyu

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

5 big leaves of kale*, chopped

2 slices of your favorite bread, cubed

extra-virgin olive oil {i omit}

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil {i omit the oil and just add a little water on the bottom of the pan to steam-fry} in a large soup pot (you'll be adding a lot of liquid later, so make sure it's big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft. Meanwhile, pan-roast the cubed bread in a dry skillet until nice and toasted. Ladle stew into the bowls, and garnish with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil {i omit the drizzle... and usually don't cook the croutons}.

*my additions

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms

This was one of the first recipes I tried from my library checked out copy of Veganomicon... and it was good enough for me to want to buy the book - thanks to those mushrooms. It was also my first time to cook old beans, and see just how bad beans can not turn out. I tried it this time with the Sage Bread Crumb topping, which made the dish this go-round. It made a lot, even for our big appetite family... and we're not huge on leftovers... So I was glad I found the leftovers useful in the Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans. Score!

Veganomicon, pg 120

serves 6 to 8

time: about 65 minutes (not including bean-soaking time) 

BELLY BITERS:

shayne {eh.} jen {alright} ava {loved the beans, hated the shrooms} nolan {good} corynn {loved!}