Stuffed Aubergines {Baby Eggplant} in Coconut Curry Sauce

This sauce is so thick and creamy and slightly sweet you'll want to slurp up every last drop and then lick the bowl clean. I'm not ashamed.....  

No one is questioning whether or not this is a busy time of year, least of all me. While there are countless different traditions, faiths and even circumstances across the globe the Holidays are a unique and special time of year for most of us. I think it's safe to say that the people of the United States, while multi cultured are known for their spending and splurging habits. Myself included.


While I like to pride myself on being fairly modest and non self indulgent when it comes to material things, I find myself getting wrapped up {no pun intended} in the American way of Christmas most every year. More, more, more, more. And then the guilt sets in. It's not enough, it's too much, I need to volunteer/donate, why do I only do that once a year....... and so forth.

I made a small change this year. Very small yet extremely significant to how I feel about the Holidays and about myself.  This year, I refocused. 

I still bought the children several small gifts and one large one which was most definitely NOT on the initial plan, an Xbox One. Mind you I have major reservations about video games due to the tantrums, lack of the children's priorities and overall hassle involved. I still somehow got talked into (yeah, my arm was twisted) into buying one for the BIG family gift this year.  Again, too much???

Nevertheless, I made a small change within this year. I have spent more time volunteering, giving and truly focusing on the immaterial parts of Christmas, which really, are what Christmas is all about.


While I have a lot of self reflection to do on this subject, I noticeably feel a warmth in my heart. The funny thing is, it's been one of the most hectic Holidays ever and yet I'm more at Peace than I have been in quite a while.




Of course being in my kitchen making stuffed eggplant in a rich and creamy spiced curry helps with the whole being at peace thing for me! Perfect for a cold night, I love how curries warm your tummy and soul and are my idea of the perfect comfort food.




This sauce is so thick and creamy and slightly sweet you'll want to slurp up every last drop and then lick the bowl clean. I'm not ashamed.....

TIME      40 MINUTES               SERVES      6

7-8 baby eggplants (Indian eggplants), cut off end parts & make a cross cut (like Brussels sprouts, only cut halfway down the eggplant)

For the CURRY: 

1 c yogurt
 2 c water
 1/4 c chickpea flour (besan)
 1 t salt
 1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t red chili powder

Blend w/whisk. Let stand at least ~15 min. (overnight is best)


Remaining Ingredients:

1/4 cup raw peanuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds (not toasted)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-4  tablespoons coconut oil {divided}
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup diced red onion





To a hot dry pan {cast iron or a ceramic Dutch oven is best}, add  peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut flakes.

Stir and dry roast over medium-high heat. 

Add salt, garam masala, & black pepper. 


Once they are nice and brown, put in a blender & add 1/4 c water. Blend to a smooth paste. This is the stuffing. With a spoon,  fill the eggplants as much as you can.



Heat a pan and add 1-2 T oil.  Place eggplants in pan and roll in the oil; fry til they are nice and brown on all sides and about 80% done.



In another pan, prepare the curry using the ingredients above.  To the hot pan, add 2 T oil and heat. 



Add  fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds,  ginger root  chopped red onion. Sauté for a few minutes so that onions are no longer raw. Add any leftover stuffing or any masala. 



Add curry base (yogurt+water, spices and chickpea flour) and keep stirring until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens. Add eggplants that are mostly done and let them simmer in the curry sauce for a few minutes.



Serve w/rice or flatbread.

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Roasted, Buttered Spagetti Squash with 2 Bean Croquettes aka Veggie Meatballs {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

Let's cut to the chase and just call it what it is shall we? In the words of my very outspoken 8 year old "Are you trying to tell me these are meatballs?"  and then under his breath  "I know these aren't real  noodles, it's spaghetti squash."  The jig is up. At least my kids know what spaghetti squash is, I suppose I should be thankful for that, even if it's not quite as good as the 'real thing' in there eyes.





Let's clear the air right now, if you don't like beans in general, you probably won't like these croquettes. I call them croquettes or in Italian, crocchettes because that's what they are.  Not "meatballs"  (motion finger quotes here). The texture is not firm like meat, however they are dense, 'meat like' albeit  a bit mushier and very flavorful and satisfying. The marinara, fresh Parmesan and creamy spaghetti squash make this healthy meal hard to remember that you are 'missing' meat.  In fact, I much prefer these to the taste and texture of ground beef. Hands down!

 Although typically croquettes are deep fried in most countries, I always choose to bake mine. Partly because it's much healthier and mostly because deep frying things scares the bejesus out of me. (Picture a grown woman who isn't afraid of much of anything shrieking "Eeeeeek! at the top of her lungs every time the grease splatters.)  Not pretty. 

So, even though this 'spaghetti' dinner didn't fool my kids, all but 1  of them loved it. 1 out of 4 aint bad folks.
This may or may not have to do with the fact that Santa Clause is making out his naughty and nice list.

Coincidence I say. Sheer coincidence.

PREP TIME    40 MINUTES      COOK TIME 60 MINUTES        SERVES    6

Ingredients

1 medium size spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons butter
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or 3/4 - 1 cup fresh bread crumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 small handful fresh parsley
 1 big handful chopped baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
non stick spray

3 cups crushed tomatoes or sugar free marinara
freshly grated Parmesan for topping



Preheat oven to 375F. Poke several holes in the skin of the spaghetti squash to allow steam to escape while cooking. (I made a rookie mistake once and didn't do this and it EXPLODED all over me, not pretty.) Place squash in a baking pan and cook for 30 minutes to soften skin. Carefully remove from oven, let cool for 30 minutes.

{You can try cutting the uncooked squash but it isn't easy and will dull your knives.}

When cooled, cut lengthwise in half and place cut side up in baking dish with a tab of butter in each half. Bake an additional 30 minutes at 375F. Remove and let cool while you make the meatballs.In a food processor, add beans, onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Pulse till just combined. Do not over process or mixture will be soggy.

Scoop mixture into a medium size bowl. Add cooked quinoa, egg, spinach, cheese, parsley and spices. Mix to combine.

Scoop small, golf ball size pieces into wet hands and shape into balls. Place 1/2" apart onto foil lined, greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes until browned.

Using a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash into a large pot. Top with marinara and cook covered on medium-low for 15 minutes or until warmed through.  Adding 2 bay leaves if using crushed tomatoes.

Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti squash. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a simple salad.


Bon Apetite!

We are on Week numero Cinco of #12WeeksofWinterSquash my friends. This pasta, is my submission. I strongly encourage you to check out the other recipes for this fun roundup, I hear Heather is making a Pumpkin Fry Bread as we speak!

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Banana Coconut Cookies GF

I have been baking a lot more than usual now that I've figured out how to make these healthy cookies that actually taste wonderful! My kids don't know what got into me and think they are being quite spoiled. Oh tricky me.  I made these gluten free just because I'm trying to really limit processed/refined flour which contains zero nutrients and basically turns into sugar in your body. I also used Agave nectar which has contradicting nutritional benefits vs. honey but no firm data. I think moderation is the key here. I also use organic raw sugar, honey or *organic maple syrup when I bake.    

* formaldehyde is sometimes used to extract the maple syrup from trees, best to stick with organic as often as possible.

The fact that these cookies are gluten free makes the texture lighter and slightly crumblier than other cookies but they were very moist and delicious, almost cake like, YUM! Honestly, put these babies in a bowl and eat with a spoon, maybe dollop some yogurt on top and you have a perfect, healthy dessert.

You will need:

2 tablespoons flax meal + 2 tablespoons water ( OR 1 egg)
1 1/2 cup Oats
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup coconut flour ( could also use almond flour/meal, garbanzo flour, ground millet or quinoa )
1 teaspoon guar gum   *optional, but it helps hold the cookies together and also is a pre biotic
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup dried, organic apricots, chopped    * regular dried apricots get their pretty orange color from sulfates
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
3/4 cup Agave Nectar
2 slightly mushed bananas

*optional add-ins:  chopped nuts, chocolate or carob chips, raisins.
 Carob is similar taste to chocolate but is naturally sweetened unlike chocolate (unless you get unsweetened chocolate which is bitter) which gets it's sweetness from added sugar. Carob also has more vitamins than chocolate and is a good source of calcium.



Putting it all together:


Preheat oven to 375F
I threw everything into my KitchenAid mixer, banana last so it stayed slightly chunky and mixed till just combined. I ended up adding 1/4 cup water to better combine the ingredients. It probably depends on various factors so add it if you need to.
Either pour batter into a cookie pan or shape into cookies. Bake at 375F for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Chia Seed Pudding

I'm usually not hungry at all first thing in the morning, especially when I have to wake up at 5:00 a.m. for work. You'd think I'd be used to it after 15 years of waking up at the crack of dawn to get to work and getting up with the kids, but my body, more specifically my brain are still in snooze mode until around 10:00 a.m. 

So the last thing I want to do is add to my fragile state by trying to make breakfast for myself and 4 children.

In an effort to stay away from boxed cereal I have come up with a few breakfasts that require little or no effort.

This pudding falls into the zero effort category. It has just 3 ingredients and you simply chill it over night (or for at least 4 hours) and wake up to a chocolate pudding for breakfast! Nice huh? 

What are Chia Seeds?

Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows abundantly in southern Mexico. 

Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds.  And, unlike flax,  they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body.  Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, niacin, and zinc just to name a few.

When added to water and allowed to sit for 30 minutes, chia forms a gel. Researchers suggest that this reaction also takes place in the stomach, slowing the process by which digestive enzymes break down carbohydrates and convert them into sugar.

You can use any liquid you like for this pudding, some suggestions are:  almond milk, rice milk,  coconut milk and hemp milk. I have been staying away from soy milk because it is a GMO and some research suggests it may have harmful effects on your body and your hormones.

To make the pudding: 

Mix together 2 cups chocolate hazelnut milk with 1/2 cup chia seeds. Drizzle in about 3 tablespoons honey, preferably local, Organic honey. 

Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes then refrigerate over night. 

You could probably eat this in as little as 1 hour after mixing buy I find that I like the consistency better after at least 6 hours.

You could definitely have this chocolate hazelnut pudding as a dessert but I suggest adding a bit more honey. Also, since chia seed is so high in protein I like this for a breakfast treat. The consistancy of this pudding is very similar to tapioca but without all the sugar.

Please head over to Mom on Time Out and vote for my recipe!

This post is linked to:

Iron Chef Mom: Chocolate Edition
Tasty Tuesdays
Just another Meatless Monday







sources:

Dr. Weil dot com

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Carmelized Brussels with Peppers, Onions and Beans

Another inspiration from Weekly Vegan Menu, one of my favorite go to blogs for my weekly menu planning. I cooked this dish my way but used most of the same ingredients that she did.  I haven't tried brussel sprouts in such a long time. I've only had them steamed to smithereens and thought them bitter little balls of mush. I'm so glad that I came across Vegan Aids recipe because when I popped one of these caramelized brussels into my mouth, I literally dropped my jaw in surprise! Wow, brussels are actually delicious! Who knew? You Will Need: 2 lbs. Baby Brussel Sprouts
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped 1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon Mediterranean spice blend (or spice mix of choice) 1 cup whole grain wild rice mix ( don't use the boxed stuff with the packet of sodium flavouring) 2 1/2 cups Organic, low sodium Vegetable broth

~ smash and chop garlic, set aside for at least 10 minutes to release anicin. Cook rice in veggie broth according to package directions, usually 45 min. I use my pressure cooker and it takes 20 minutes and locks in flavor, no spices necessary. Vegetable broth is so full of flavor and good for you!
Also, whole grain rice, when served with beans or sweet potatoes is a complete protein ie: no meat necessary. I like "Rice Select, Royal Blend Rice" It's a combination of brown and wild rice with soft wheat and rye.

1. Trim sprouts by slicing off a bit of the end and removing dark outer leaves. Place them in a steamer basket over boiling water, add lemon juice to water, cook 8 minutes or until sprouts are just tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and peppers, saute 4 minutes till golden brown, add seasonings. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute. Add beans, turn down heat, cover and keep warm.
3. Remove sprouts from the steamer basket and cut in half lengthwise.  Coat the bottom of a skillet with a bit more oil if needed and nestle the sprouts, cut side down on bottom. Cook over medium heat. Allow the sprouts to cook for about 5 minutes. Do not turn them over! This is carmelization. Make sure the bottoms are evenly browned and crisped. Then, turn them all over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove sprouts from pan and sprinkle with the salt and squeeze more lemon over top if needed.
5. Serve brussels over mixed veggies and beans alongside of the rice.

Caramelizing the brussels brings out such a wonderful taste!

 This is coming from someone who used to be a brussel hater. Try, try again!

* Tip: For the younger kids, I also cooked some cubed sweet potatoes that I coated with a bit of evoo, honey and lemon juice, baked at 400F for 13 minutes. I haven't mad brussel sprouts before so I knew it might be a bit of a challenge to get them to eat them. I was right..... they tried a couple of nibbles and that's it. Keep introducing new veggies to kids over and over. Mine will eat peppers and spinach and more because I serve them often and they are used to them. Don't get frustrated or expect to much when your kids turn their noses up at some new foods. Most importantly, don't give up and serve other unhealthy options like processed foods in place of veggies.

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Grilled Rosemary Salmon over Lentils Rustico

Thank goodness all of my kids love salmon. It is one of my favorite foods in the world. I just have to tell you before I loose some of you to my Health and Nutritional info, that the addition of the Sun Dried Tomatoes in this dish was extrordinary!!!  The tomatoes in combination with the lemon and herbs, OH MY! You must try this, it's NOT just another lentil dish.  Not only is salmon super yummy, but I'm sure you've heard how good it is for you too. Salmon is very low in fat and has tons of Omega-3's, an essential fatty acid very important to heart and peripheral vascular health! 

When choosing salmon, make sure you get Wild Salmon, ie. Alaskan or Canadian and NOT Farmed salmon, ie. "Fresh Atlantic".  Not only are farmed fish much more susceptible to diseases from living in cramped conditions, they are fed a diet of grains and fillers not natural to them which alters their chemical makeup. Wild salmon are higher in protein and have a natural healthy balance of Omega-3's to Omega-6's.
Also, farmed raised salmon have very high levels of PBC's, a chemical which is well known to cause cancer.

Ingredients


 1 1/2 c dried  lentils


1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil; divided 


1 Sweet (vidallia) Onion; chopped 


3 Cloves garlic; finely diced


2 teaspoons Ground cumin


1 teaspoon Hot red chili flakes  ( I sprinkle on at the end so the kids don't get any)


1 Carrot,  finely diced 


1 stalk celery, finely diced


4 Roma Tomatoes, diced


1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/4 c Chopped fresh parsley 


1/2 teaspoon Pepper 


Salt to taste


1 1/2 lb Fresh Alaskan salmon fillet; skin on


1 ts Chopped fresh rosemary 






 Putting it all together:




 Firsts, peel and smash garlic with the back of a large knife, let it sit for at least 10 minutes so it
releases the * allicin.


Rinse lentils thoroughly. Place in large bowl and soak in cool water for 10 minutes. Place lentils in a large pot with a pinch of sea salt and cover generously with water. Bring to boil and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until just tender. Don't overcook or you'll have lentil soup. Drain well, reserving some liquid to add to combined dish if too dry.


Meanwhile, heat 3 teaspoons oil in large cast iron pot and add onion. Cook gently for 3 minutes. Mince garlic and add to onion. Add cumin and hot pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds. Add carrot, celery and both dried and fresh tomatoes to skillet. Cook until carrots are just tender, and liquid from tomatoes has reduced. Add drained lentils, parsley, pepper and salt to skillet. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Keep warm.


Brush a second grill pan with remaining 1 tsp  oil. Sprinkle salmon with chopped rosemary. Cook for 1-2 minutes, skin side UP, or until slightly browned and crusty. Transfer salmon to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or leave in skillet if it is oven proof). Bake in preheated 400F/200C oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until just cooked through. It's easy to overcook salmon. Salmon should be just barely pink on the inside when pulled apart with a fork. If you overcook it, it will be dry and tasteless.
Serve salmon on bed of lentils.

PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

* I like to provide some important health or nutritional information about

 just 1 Super Food/Ingredient/Spice on most of my posts. I hope you take the time to glance

at them throughout my blog, I try to keep it short and to the point.

HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT ALLICIN

What Is Allicin?

Garlic is not merely a tasty ingredient to add to your favorite Italian dishes. Since ancient times, garlic has been recognized by many diverse civilizations for its variety of medicinal properties. The Egyptian and Roman labourers used garlic in their diet to enhance their physical endurance and in the 20th century, garlic was used to fight against the global influenza pandemic (i.e. flu) of the time.

Today, more than 5,000 scientific publications from all over the world have gradually confirmed the traditionally recognized health benefits of garlic, which include acting as an antibiotic as well as other health advantages like its anti-cholesterol and anti-hypertensive benefits.

Did you know that allicin is effective against fatal infections such as tuberculosis and MRSA?

Allicin is the most powerful medicinal compound derived from garlic and provides the greatest reputed health benefits.

Allicin does not occur in "ordinary" garlic, it is produced when garlic is finely chopped or crushed. The finer the chopping and the more intensive the crushing, the more allicin is generated and the stronger the medicinal effect.

Allicin starts to degrade immediately after it is produced, so its medical effectiveness decreases over time. Cooking speeds up this degradation and microwaving appears to destroy allicin totally and eliminate any health benefits. 
***  So you should either add garlic to your meals RAW, or only cook for 1-2 minutes!

So for the most powerful medicinal effect, crush a little raw garlic and combine with the cooked food shortly before serving. **Don't overdo it - too much can produce irritation of and possibly even damage to the digestive tract. Remember too that raw, crushed garlic also has the most powerful flavour!

Some information found at:Allicin Facts
  Garlic Central

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Chinese Chicken Salad with Honey-Peanut Dressing

This absolutely falls into the "What to make when you don't feel like making dinner" category. 

I even used a store bought rotisserie chicken (gasp!) because, well, I really didn't feel like doing a damn thing involving the oven yesterday. I blame the crazy, unrelenting heat here in Phoenix. You're probably tired of my using that excuse and quite frankly I'm tired too. All of us Zonies deal with the triple scorching digits in our own way May through August but I gotta tell you, come mid September, I personally am spent. Done and down right cranky.

We didn't even get an honest to goodness Monsoon this year! This may not sound like a bad thing if you live in the mid-west or maybe in Japan.  Complaining about  not  getting 80+ mph winds and feet upon feet of rushing waters because the bone dry, compacted desert ground can't absorb it fast enough might sound crazy if you in fact did not live in the South Western deserts of Arizona. You must keep in mind that even the tall and mighty saguaro start looking parched and pathetic by the end of a summer were temperatures have been consistently averaging around 115F.  Every. Single. Day. 

This salad was a welcomed treat for a weeknight dinner. The kiddos thought it "looked pretty" with all of the colors and loved the honey-peanut sauce which made the veggies "taste yummier". 

This could very easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken. You would still have a lot of protein from the peanut sauce and the bean sprouts which are a wonderful source of protein. Also, you could use tahini (a sesame paste with a milder flavor than peanut) if you prefer.

The Crunch Factor in this salad makes it very filling. I used baby clementines instead of canned mandarin oranges this time because I had a big gab of them on the counter. I much preferred the fresh taste but the little seeds in them were annoying to pick out in each bite especially with all of the other crunchiness going on.



 juice from the mandarin oranges
tablespoon at a time of warm water to thin to desired consistency

PREP TIME  15 MINUTES        SERVES   6


INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 large handful fresh bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper cut in strips
1 bunch green onions, chopped
handful of packaged julienned carrots
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
small handful of chopped peanuts
1 can mandarin oranges, reserve juice

1 tablespoon (no added sugar) peanut butter (or tahini)
1tablespoon local, Organic honey
1tablespoon tamari


Putting it all together

In a large bowl combine all veggies and toss together.
Add chopped chicken and toss.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, soy sauce juice and water.
Drizzle the sauce over the salad and sprinkle with nuts.

Tamari Soy Sauce, Wheat Free, Organic

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Granola-Quinoa Fruit Bars - GF

These were great. More like a soft granola bar with just the right amount of peanut butter. Great after school snack or grab and go breakfast! Can you tell we like those around here? It's so much cheaper and healthier to make your own snacks in bulk like this. I always double my recipes and freeze some if necessary, but they usually get gobbled up within the week. These are gluten free and full of good-for-you things. Quinoa is a super healthy whole grain, it's actually a complete protein all by itself. It has a slightly nutty taste making it perfect in granola bars.


adapted from 101 CookBooks

TIME   5 minutes active, 25 minutes baking    Makes about 15 bars

You Will Need:

1 cup dried date pieces or 10 dates, diced
1 cup water, more or less
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

1/2 cup Agave Nectar or Honey

1/2 cup old fashioned oats ( I use Coach's Oats)

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup dried fruit, chopped (I used craisins, apricots, blueberries and strawberries)

1/4 cup flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)

parchament paper or 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

*you could also use peanut oil, almond oil, walnut oil or grapeseed oil. I would stay away from Canola, vegetable and olive oils since any oil will absorb into your food and thus aquire their taste.

Putting it all together:

Lightly coat inside of an 8x8 baking dish with oil or line with parchment paper making sure parchment comes above all sides of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 F.
 In a saucepan over low heat, heat peanut butter, water, quinoa, oats, fruit, pistachios and flax. With a big, sturdy wooden spoon, stir to completely mix. If the mixture is too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, add more peanut butter.

 Remove from heat and press into baking dish using spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes if desired, or just chill for an hour for more sticky bars and to make theese Raw (make sure to chill for an hour even after you bake them). Remove from pan and slice into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.













This post is linked to 'Make it with Monday's' featured ingredient, Quinoa.

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Roasted Summer Veggies with a Poached Egg, a 3 Olive Tapenade and Smoked Gouda with Bacon

Don't let the title fool you, this is a no brainer, super fast weeknight supper. 


I get asked quite often for ideas on simple, non-boring dinner solutions. Well, this is one of those meals. A new favorite in our home, this dinner can be easily modified to include your favorite veggies that you have on hand through out the seasons. If you've not tried a poached egg over veggies you're in for a treat. A simple olive and roasted pepper tapenade brings it all together with flare.

Can we talk about cheese for a minute?

Let me just say that if I had to live with just one food for the rest of my life it would be cheese.

O.K. maybe I'd need some fiber after a day or two but you get my drift. I also happen to be a cheese snob... and I'm o.k. with that. Growing up in the 80's I never knew cheese existed if it wasn't sliced and individually wrapped in plastic. Despite my limited exposure to real cheese in my childhood, I developed a unyielding fervor for good cheese,  I'm a cheese snob through and through. 

This smoked Gouda with bacon didn't stand a chance.  

Now, add a thin slice or two of  crispy bacon infused smoked Gouda with this dinner and sprinkle with a 3 minute olive tapenade.............


the end.

I don't like my veggies soggy or over oily (does anyone? Well maybe my in-laws who prefer their veggies boiled) I prefer them roasted or grilled which if you've never tried before, you must! It brings out an entirely new flavor. One of my top 5 favorite kitchen tools is my stone baking pan which you've probably heard me mention many times here on Simply Healthy Family.  It cooks veggies and treats evenly and crisply and requires very little to no oil. Healthy Bonus! I own both a Rada baking stone and a Le Creuset baking dish  both of which I adore. If you decide to purchase one, please do so through Simply Healthy Family's store and help support this blog. These are all items and foods that I own and love. 

You Will Need

2 zucchini squash, chopped
1 yellow summer squash, chopped
4 small red potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
1 bunch asparagus OR pole beans, trimmed
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (or 1/2 teaspoon each of marjoram, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

6 whole, free range, Organic eggs
small shallow pot of gently boiling water (1 teaspoon vinegar optional, helps keep egg together)


For the Olive Tapenade

1/4 cup black olives
1/4 cup green olives
1/4 cup kalamata olives
{or use any combination you please}
1/2 cup (jarred) roasted red peppers
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds (or pine nuts or walnuts)
2-4 teaspoons olive oil (if you use red peppers in olive oil, you will need less additional oil)
NO salt, olives contain enough!


Pre heat oven to 400F. Place all veggies in your stone baking pan sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs, toss to coat.  Put in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, make olive tapenade. In a small handheld food processor place first nuts then remaining ingredients. Chop to desired consistency. Spoon into small serving bowl.

Now, start a shallow pan of water to a gentle boil (over medium-high heat). Carefully crack eggs (one or two at a time if necessary so they don't crowd the pan. Gently boil for exactly 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate or directly on top of veggies.


Serve with the tapenade and a small slice of your favorite cheese, although I highly recommend the smoked gouda with bacon as it compliments the egg in this dish.

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Peanut Butter Crispies

I am so thrilled about this post for several reasons.

1. It's a super simple, very yummy recipe... everyone can do this.
2. It's a healthy snack...... that's the name of the game here.
3. You can make a big batch of these for penny's on the dollar from what you'd pay for store bought granola or protein bars.
4. Last, but not least, I had so much fun photographing and playing with the pic's from this shoot.

I wanted to thank my friend  Lauren  at Foodie House  for sharing her honest feelings about food photography sharing sites. It's easy to get caught up in all of the publicity and glamour ( yes food can be glamorous) of it all. It seems that many of us, I can only speak for myself, start blogging for purely personal reasons and yet in the excitement of it all, change our personal style for the want of publicity. I've been having fun journaling some of my favorite recipes so that someday I might make a simple cookbook for myself and my kids. Also, it is a fun, creative outlet for me. I love cooking and blogging has been a nice getaway of sorts from everyday chaos.

These peanut butter crispies are a favorite in our house. I've adapted them from a basic recipe that I have here, and make them with what ingredients I have on hand. With 3 very active boys in our home who have seemingly bottomless pits for stomachs these snacks are a true life saver! Served with a glass of cold milk, they are a great after school snack. My teenager downs an apple or two along with several of these little PB balls.

Check out the list of healthy ingredients going on here! You could grab a couple of these for a
quick on-the-run breakfast and feel good about it. There's protein, whole grains and bits of fruit, what more could you ask for in a snack?


I just add the cereals and fruit then pour in some peanut butter to get the consistency I like.  Honey gives it just a touch of Natural sweetness and keeps them from falling apart. I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook and a firm spatula for scraping the sides in. You could start mixing these with a big heavy spoon but you'll probably need to get down and dirty and use your hands towards the end.

TIME 20 MINUTES ACTIVE 2 HOURS REFRIGERATING
MAKES ABOUT 40 BALLS

You will need:

2 - 2 1/2 cups All Natural peanut butter
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal
2 cups *Puffed Millet
1 cup craisins, raisins or other bits of dried fruit
1/2 - 1 cup Honey (eye it, it's easier than messing with a measuring cup)
1/2 cup Wheat Germ (optional, I didn't have it this time, but it's in my original recipe)


Mix all ingredients together. Shape into bite size balls with your hands, adding a spoonful of PB if they become to crumbly.
Place on wax paper lined cookie sheets and cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Keep stored in an airtight container in fridge. These will be perfectly fine to send to school, they will keep their shape.

*Millet is a super healthy whole grain used for centuries in Egypt, China, Africa, India and all across Europe.
Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous and like buckwheat and quinoa, is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available.
Millet is tasty, with a mildly sweet, nut-like flavor and contains a myriad of beneficial nutrients. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium.






Other healthy snacks you'll love:


Banana Chocolate Crisp Granola Bars

Carrot Date Energy Ballz

Old Fashion Fig Bars

Home Made Gold Fish Crackers

Tropical Nut and Seed Bars

All Natural Oat Cookies

Coconut Almond Oat Crunchies

Granola Quinoa Fruit Bars

Ginger-Roo's with home made crystalized ginger

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Sweet and Smokey Slow Cooked Garbanzo Beans on Flax Seed Crepes and a Set of Spices and Flavored Salt from Gourmet Nut Give Away!

Nothing beats a slow cooked dish that makes your mouth water from the sweet and smokey flavors wafting through your home all day. And when the flavors have soaked into your slowly cooked chicken and garbanzo beans and you can finally spoon the contents from your slow cooker and place them in a super healthy, simple home made wrap, you are basically giddy with joy. Pure bliss I tell you.

Sure you could throw the onion into the slow cooker and cook it all day with the rest of the stuff, but I have a strange affection for searing my onions until they are beautifully browned.  I could eat them by the spoonful that way.

The fine people from Gourmet Nut sent me a nice goodie box filled with their trail mixes, power snacks  and some pink and smoked sea salts to try. They also sent me some of their different spices/rubs to hang out with. We were more than eager to try out the Coffee Steak Rub on our T-Bones and I massaged my fillet Mignon with the Sweet and Smokey Steak Rub.


Mouth watering, sweet Heaven coming from our grill.



I was quickly addicted to the Sweet and Smokey rub and had to come up with a weekday dish other than steak which we only eat on rare occasion. So when I saw these tacos using smoked paprika over at Family Style Food I immediately knew what I had to do.

Crazy simple and insanely delicious, even picky eaters 2 and 4 loved these!  You can easily make these vegetarian/vegan by omitting the chicken but I knew my little guys would be more willing to eat them with just a bit of chicken in them.

Gourmet Nut is going to give away a Set of their spices and flavored salts to not one but THREE lucky Simply Healthy Family readers!

Please visit Gourmet Nut and tell me which spices or salts are your fav and what you would make with them! This isn't mandatory but I am interested at all of the possibilities with their range of 

salts and spices!

serves    6          Time |   prep  15   cook  8 hours    

ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped white onion

½-1 of a jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced

1 1/2 cups dry garbanzo beans 

2 chicken thighs, bone in

4 cups chicken broth, veggie broth or water

1 tablespoon Gourmet Nut Sweet and Smokey steak rub

1 teaspoon salt

Optional Garnishes:

cilantro

avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1 ripe tomato, sliced

Arugula greens

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

instructions

1. rinse and drain dried garbanzo beans. soak garbanzo beans overnight in plenty of water, this step is important.
2. in the morning drain the garbanzo beans and add to your slow cooker along with broth or water, salt and sweet and smokey spice. add bone in chicken thighs. cook on low setting for 8-10 hours till beans are soft. do not lift lid during this time.
3. make tortillas, recipe below.
4. when beans are done, sauté onion in olive oil over high heat till browned, add jalapeno and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Using a fork, shred the chicken off the bone and stir into beans, discard bones and skin.
6. spoon mixture onto tortillas, top with onion and garnishes.

notes: This is easily converted to a vegetarian meal by omitting the chicken. Also, in a pinch you can use canned garbanzo beans (chick peas)

Recipe adapted from  Wheat Belly Cookbook

MAKES   4 wraps       time   15 minutes

Flax seed Wraps

1/3 cup flax meal (ground flax seeds)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan

2 tablespoons water

2 eggs

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flax meal, baking powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Stir in coconut oil. Beat in the water and eggs until blended.
2. Heat a small, non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add a bit of oil to lightly coat the pan. Pour in a small amount of the batter to just thinly coat the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until small bubbles form on the top and you can easily get a rubber spatula under the wrap. 
3. Carefully, flip the wrap over using a rubber spatula. Cook and additional minute. Remove from heat, repeat. 

notes: I suggest making a big batch of these and refrigerating or freezing them. They will keep in the fridge for several days and can be used in place of tortillas or as a sandwich wrap. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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