Nov 2009
Meatless Monday Broccoli Casserole
11/30/09
Do a Google search for broccoli casserole and guess what you will find on the ingredients list. Things like processed cheese, condensed mushroom and celery soup, mayonaise, and instant rice. All highly processed items from which to make a "home cooked meal." Really, it defeats the purpose of putting in a healthy ingredient such as broccoli.
So here is my version of this anglo classic.....
Start by getting the rice going in a rice cooker or a pot. You don't need to add salt or oil in the water as the sauce will have plenty of flavor. Next, boil your water to steam the broccoli. A great tip for the broccoli: Chop the stems and add them in the steamer first until they are soft, then add the florets to steam. The florets will only take a few minutes to turn bright green so don't ignore them.
While these are going, place a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and place on medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrot and saute until the onions are clear. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes. When done, slide these into the casserole dish. Add the steamed broccoli and the rice and mix.
Turn on the oven to heat to 350 degrees. Make the sauce in a blender or food processor. Add the cashews, soy milk, Braggs aminos, lemon juice, Earth Balance, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, thyme, parsely, sage, celery seed, paprika, and salt and pepper. Blend. Pour over rice mixture in casserole dish. Mix the sauce in well. Top with panko or bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes until topping is browned.
Ingredients List:
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup barley
1 cup brown rice
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 oinion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 and 1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup Braggs Aminos
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup panko or bread crumbs
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
So here is my version of this anglo classic.....
Start by getting the rice going in a rice cooker or a pot. You don't need to add salt or oil in the water as the sauce will have plenty of flavor. Next, boil your water to steam the broccoli. A great tip for the broccoli: Chop the stems and add them in the steamer first until they are soft, then add the florets to steam. The florets will only take a few minutes to turn bright green so don't ignore them.
While these are going, place a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and place on medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrot and saute until the onions are clear. Add the garlic and saute a few more minutes. When done, slide these into the casserole dish. Add the steamed broccoli and the rice and mix.
Turn on the oven to heat to 350 degrees. Make the sauce in a blender or food processor. Add the cashews, soy milk, Braggs aminos, lemon juice, Earth Balance, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, thyme, parsely, sage, celery seed, paprika, and salt and pepper. Blend. Pour over rice mixture in casserole dish. Mix the sauce in well. Top with panko or bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes until topping is browned.
Ingredients List:
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup barley
1 cup brown rice
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 oinion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 and 1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup Braggs Aminos
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons thyme
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup panko or bread crumbs
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
0 Comments
Pomegranate Guacamole
11/28/09 Filed in: Appetizers
This is a perfect and simple dish that takes just minutes to make. Everyone loves it's fresh taste. Perfect for tailgating season or for armchair quarterbacks, this dip is a big hit all the way around.
I love pomegranates. They add a sweet-tart taste and a vibrant color to a variety of dishes. Pomegrante season runs from October through January so they are a perfect holiday fruit. We have all heard how good they are for our health. Another nutritional powerhouse is the avocado, and avocado season (at least in Florida) is winding down. Paring the two ingredients gives us a healthy and yummy dish for all to enjoy.
Dice and mash two avocadoes. I use a potato masher because I find it much faster that using a fork. You want the avocado to be chunky but creamy at the same time. Add the juice of one or two lemons depending on your taste. I was using Myer lemons, so I used two. They are sweeter and milder in flavor so I felt I needed more juice to give it a twang. Add about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and mix well. Add 1/2 cup pomegranate and mix in. Taste before adding salt and adjusting lemon jiuce. Serve with chips or crackers.
This will keep in the fridge for a few days if covered well.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Pumpkin Spice Spelt Biscuits
11/21/09 Filed in: Muffins
Biscuits definitely fall under comfort the food category. I have had a long love affair with them since childhood. Biscuits and sausage gravy was a favorite on Sunday mornings. Strawberry shortcake made with biscuits versus angel food cake are still considered the "real" thing.
I have been experiementing for awhile with baked goods and have had a lot of just okay results. I gave up dairy a couple of years ago and I miss having baked goods in my diet. Especially this time of year. I am also limiting the amount of wheat in my diet, so I am exploring this incredible world of flours that I previously never knew existed. Many of the recipes I have tried leave me wanting in either the taste or texture category. These turned out great. Even better is that they take no time to make and limited dishes and mess!
Ingredients List:
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teapoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1/4 raw agave syrup
1/4 cup soy milk or hemp milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I use a convection setting but a regular setting will do fine.
Mix your dry ingredients together. Add the coconut oil or Earth Balance and using a fork or a pastry mixer cut the oil into the flour until it is corase and crumbly. Add your wet ingredients and mix until just blended. Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the dough out and place on a cookie sheet. Shape your biscuit by flattening the top down slightly.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottom begins to brown. Cool and serve with honey. Yum!!!!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Bloggers Unite in the Fight for Premature Babies: And Why I Care
11/17/09
Today is a Bloggers Unite event highlighting the fight to end premature births and the organization working tirelessly to do so, The March of Dimes. Last year I walked in the March for Babies for the first time as an adult. I was honoring my daughter, stillborn on Frebruary 27th, at 35 weeks.
Even as I write this now, nearly nine months later I have such difficulty holding back my emotions. I never understood the immense love a parent can feel until I had Olivia. She was perfect in every way when she was born. I keep her ashes with me at home; such a tiny representation of her short life. They bring me comfort. All of the cards we received surround her like an altar. I can't seem to take them down. Someday, I will be strong enough to do so.
Her death was discovered during a routine sonogram. I had been to the docters office less than a week before and had heard a strong heartbeat. The news was the last thing I expected. In fact, it wasn't until after I gave birth that I truely believed the doctors. Up unitl then, I keep feeling that it was all a bad dream and I would wake up and Olivia and I would be fine.
A child is considered still born after a gestation of 20 weeks. Prior to 20 weeks the death, is considered a miscarraige. There is no true number of recorded stillbirths because the children are not given birth certificates in most states. Unfortunately, this also means that research dollars are hard to aquire for this cause. Stillbirths occur in about 1 in every 115 births. In over half of the stillbirths, the reason is never clear.
When a child is born still, parent's grieve not only for the loss of their child but also for the loss of their future. All the hopes and dreams they had for their child vanish in a instant. I am 42 years old. I have had a long struggle with infertility. Olivia was my miracle child. I do not know if I will get another opportunity to concieve my own child. I work hard every day not to get lost in my lack of understanding, in the reocurring thoughts of unfarirness, or in jealousy of all those who have successful births. I work hard at being hopeful. All I have ever wanted was a family of my own. My husband and I plan to adopt when I am ready.
Olivia is my spiritual guide now. I talk to her everyday. I work hard to make her proud. When I am out running and I don't think I can make that last mile, I ask her to run with me. I know her sole is in a good place and full of love. Someday, I will be able to join her and learn what a fabulous spirit she has grown to be.
For more information go to the March of Dimes or stillnomore.org.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Even as I write this now, nearly nine months later I have such difficulty holding back my emotions. I never understood the immense love a parent can feel until I had Olivia. She was perfect in every way when she was born. I keep her ashes with me at home; such a tiny representation of her short life. They bring me comfort. All of the cards we received surround her like an altar. I can't seem to take them down. Someday, I will be strong enough to do so.
Her death was discovered during a routine sonogram. I had been to the docters office less than a week before and had heard a strong heartbeat. The news was the last thing I expected. In fact, it wasn't until after I gave birth that I truely believed the doctors. Up unitl then, I keep feeling that it was all a bad dream and I would wake up and Olivia and I would be fine.
A child is considered still born after a gestation of 20 weeks. Prior to 20 weeks the death, is considered a miscarraige. There is no true number of recorded stillbirths because the children are not given birth certificates in most states. Unfortunately, this also means that research dollars are hard to aquire for this cause. Stillbirths occur in about 1 in every 115 births. In over half of the stillbirths, the reason is never clear.
When a child is born still, parent's grieve not only for the loss of their child but also for the loss of their future. All the hopes and dreams they had for their child vanish in a instant. I am 42 years old. I have had a long struggle with infertility. Olivia was my miracle child. I do not know if I will get another opportunity to concieve my own child. I work hard every day not to get lost in my lack of understanding, in the reocurring thoughts of unfarirness, or in jealousy of all those who have successful births. I work hard at being hopeful. All I have ever wanted was a family of my own. My husband and I plan to adopt when I am ready.
Olivia is my spiritual guide now. I talk to her everyday. I work hard to make her proud. When I am out running and I don't think I can make that last mile, I ask her to run with me. I know her sole is in a good place and full of love. Someday, I will be able to join her and learn what a fabulous spirit she has grown to be.
For more information go to the March of Dimes or stillnomore.org.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
No, It's a Rainbarrel Silly!
11/14/09
I bought a new rain barrel at Whole Foods today. It is made by Epoch Solutions, LLC. They use reclaimed food quality barrels that are headed for the landfills and convert them to rainbarrels. It has two connections on either side for setting up a series of rainbarrels, and a spout at the bottom.
Interestingly enough, most of the staff at whole foods had no clue what our barrel was for! So much for product information and training. About a half dozen staffers told us not to party too hard as we were carting our barrel out of the store. Obviously, they associated the barrel with a keg. In actuality, it is a terracota colored barrel that was used to transport olives. Now, I could definitely party with some good olives.....
This is my second rainbarrel. I have had the other one for about two years now. It was purchased from Gardener's Supply via the internet. This one has performed perfectly, but I always felt it was very expensive. My repurposed rainbarrel cost much less and has more capacity than my old/new barrel.
In Florida, The average annual rainfall is between 40-65 inches. More than half of that rain falls during the wet season of June through September. This year we are back to normal conditions. Thanks possibly to El Nino, but for the past few years, we were in drought conditions. In fact, November 2008 marked the start of the driest six month period in South Florida's history. There is no rest for the weary as October of this year has been the driest on record, only a scant 1.11 inches of rain recorded. My old rainbarrel is currently empty (from use) and waiting patiently for the skies to open up so it can serve its purpose.
Saving rainwater during the dry season accomplishes many things. First of all, it saves me $$$. I do not have a well in on my property, so if I do not have rainwater to use, I am pulling water from the municiple water supply. Collecting rainwater helps me work around the water restrictions set by our local water management office. I can never remember what days I am allowed to water or wash my car. By having my own supply, I can water at will. Lastly, it is the right thing to do to help reserve our natural resources.
Doing the right thing should be our primary motivation, but in our busy, stress-filled lives, it is often not the motivator.
The South Florida Water Management has a great website full of useful information that we can do as residents to reduce wasteful water practices. They even have a great link to making and installing your own rainbarrel.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Interestingly enough, most of the staff at whole foods had no clue what our barrel was for! So much for product information and training. About a half dozen staffers told us not to party too hard as we were carting our barrel out of the store. Obviously, they associated the barrel with a keg. In actuality, it is a terracota colored barrel that was used to transport olives. Now, I could definitely party with some good olives.....
This is my second rainbarrel. I have had the other one for about two years now. It was purchased from Gardener's Supply via the internet. This one has performed perfectly, but I always felt it was very expensive. My repurposed rainbarrel cost much less and has more capacity than my old/new barrel.
In Florida, The average annual rainfall is between 40-65 inches. More than half of that rain falls during the wet season of June through September. This year we are back to normal conditions. Thanks possibly to El Nino, but for the past few years, we were in drought conditions. In fact, November 2008 marked the start of the driest six month period in South Florida's history. There is no rest for the weary as October of this year has been the driest on record, only a scant 1.11 inches of rain recorded. My old rainbarrel is currently empty (from use) and waiting patiently for the skies to open up so it can serve its purpose.
Saving rainwater during the dry season accomplishes many things. First of all, it saves me $$$. I do not have a well in on my property, so if I do not have rainwater to use, I am pulling water from the municiple water supply. Collecting rainwater helps me work around the water restrictions set by our local water management office. I can never remember what days I am allowed to water or wash my car. By having my own supply, I can water at will. Lastly, it is the right thing to do to help reserve our natural resources.
Doing the right thing should be our primary motivation, but in our busy, stress-filled lives, it is often not the motivator.
The South Florida Water Management has a great website full of useful information that we can do as residents to reduce wasteful water practices. They even have a great link to making and installing your own rainbarrel.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Garbanzo and Dill Salad for Lunch
11/10/09 Filed in: Salads
A while back I discovered Mock Tuna Salad, and I fell in love.( I am steering away from tuna due to issues of heavy metals found in large fish.) I use to make real tuna salad 2 or 3 times a week. I had a few tried and true versions of tuna salad, but I had a tendency to experiment with whatever was in the fridge. Oh who are we kidding, I always experiement with whatever is in the fridge. This is probably my husband's biggest frustration, as he likes me to repeat stuff he enjoyed. The problem is not, that I do not try to do just that. However, I don't always remember what went into the last version. (Lucky for my husband, this blog, is helping me record all the "good" versions of old favorites!)
So back to the garnazo salad....... After I made the mock tuna by Happy Herbivore a few times to rave reviews, it was up for interpretation! I couldn't believe how close to tuna fish her mock tuna tasted. I figured that the garbanzos would be a good base for a few of my other favorites like curry chicken salad (will post later) and chicken dill salad.
Start with a can of garbanzo beans that have been drained and rinsed. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash up the beans until they are broken but not completely mashed. Your goal is to release enough of the starchy middles to hold the salad together but still be able to recognize what you are eating. You can hand chop your carrot and celery or whip them in a food processor. If you have vegetable adverse eaters I reccommend whirling them in the food processor so they will blend into the mix. This is how I started to sneak spinach into a many foods for my husband. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix.
Ingredient List:
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans
1 or 2 stalks celery chopped
1 medium sized carrot chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonaise
Serve however you normally eat salad; in a wrap, on a bed of greens, on some toasty bread, or as in the picture above, with a half avocado from your tree! Enjoy!
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Our New Vegetable Garden
11/06/09
I finally did it. I began my forey into vegetable gardening. In the past, I have dabbled in growing vegetables with varied success, but this time I am determined.
My husband and I built our first bed using these easy plans from This Old House. We made some minor changes in our bed due to our location. In Florida, the soil is not much to write home about so we spread newspaper on top of our grass (really weeds) instead of tilling the top layer of soil. The newspaper will biodegrade, but will help keep the weeds from rising up. Also, we used rebar to anchor the sides and corners. Our house was built on fill. Driving a 2 by 4 into soil loaded with rocks is not all that fun, hence the rebar. The last difference is the use of pressure treated wood versus cedar. Mainly a cost issue there.
I bougt a few things at the nursery to give me the satisfaction of having some green right away. What you see is romaine lettuce, and an assortment of hot peppers. I have tomatoes growing elsewhere in the yard. I ordered heirloom seeds over the internet. They should be here next week.
I'll keep you posted on how my gardening is going. My husband and I will be adding another bed next month after we get this one going. The cost was just about $200 for materials and plants. We should get that back with our first harvest.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
My husband and I built our first bed using these easy plans from This Old House. We made some minor changes in our bed due to our location. In Florida, the soil is not much to write home about so we spread newspaper on top of our grass (really weeds) instead of tilling the top layer of soil. The newspaper will biodegrade, but will help keep the weeds from rising up. Also, we used rebar to anchor the sides and corners. Our house was built on fill. Driving a 2 by 4 into soil loaded with rocks is not all that fun, hence the rebar. The last difference is the use of pressure treated wood versus cedar. Mainly a cost issue there.
I bougt a few things at the nursery to give me the satisfaction of having some green right away. What you see is romaine lettuce, and an assortment of hot peppers. I have tomatoes growing elsewhere in the yard. I ordered heirloom seeds over the internet. They should be here next week.
I'll keep you posted on how my gardening is going. My husband and I will be adding another bed next month after we get this one going. The cost was just about $200 for materials and plants. We should get that back with our first harvest.
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
Jicama Salad with Avocado Dill Dressing for Meatless Monday
11/02/09 Filed in: Salads
So I have a new toy, a mandolin slicer. I purchased this over the weekend at William Sonoma. I know what you are thinking...all hoity toity shopping at William Sonoma, but it was the best quality mandolin for the the best price that I could find in our fair city. It is made by OXO Good Grips and was only $39.95.
And I have a new vegetable, the jicama (hee-ca-ma.) The jicama is a vine native to Mexico and also called a Mexican turnip. Jicama belongs to the legume family. The harevested vegetable is a tuber and can grow up to 50 pounds. It is brown and has a papery skin, while white inside resembling potato. The jicama is lightly sweet and crispy and most often used in salads. Jicama is a great source of vitamin C.
For the salad, slice all the salad veggies juliene style so that your salad will resemble slaw. I used my new toy for the jicama and the cucumber. I am still getting use to this new-fangled gadget, but I think they came out great.
The rest of the veggies I sliced the old fashioned way, with a knief. I also chose to saute my onions briefly to bring out the sweetness of the onion. (I am also carting this salad off to work and I do not want to offend the general public with any kind of onion breath.) I sectioned the grapefruit and added that at the end.
Hint: A great way to quickly slice spinach is to take a handful and roll it up like a cigar. Then just slice it with a sharp knief and it comes out beautifully.
For the dressing, just combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you find the dressing too thick, add some water till you find the right consistency for your taste.
Add the two together and you have a light and refreshing salad. Enjoy!
Ingredient's list for salad:
1/2 jicama
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
1/2 seedless cucumber
2 cups baby spinach
1 grapefruit sectioned
Ingredients list for dressing:
1 Florida avocado or two Haas avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime
juice of one grapefruit
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.
And I have a new vegetable, the jicama (hee-ca-ma.) The jicama is a vine native to Mexico and also called a Mexican turnip. Jicama belongs to the legume family. The harevested vegetable is a tuber and can grow up to 50 pounds. It is brown and has a papery skin, while white inside resembling potato. The jicama is lightly sweet and crispy and most often used in salads. Jicama is a great source of vitamin C.
For the salad, slice all the salad veggies juliene style so that your salad will resemble slaw. I used my new toy for the jicama and the cucumber. I am still getting use to this new-fangled gadget, but I think they came out great.
The rest of the veggies I sliced the old fashioned way, with a knief. I also chose to saute my onions briefly to bring out the sweetness of the onion. (I am also carting this salad off to work and I do not want to offend the general public with any kind of onion breath.) I sectioned the grapefruit and added that at the end.
Hint: A great way to quickly slice spinach is to take a handful and roll it up like a cigar. Then just slice it with a sharp knief and it comes out beautifully.
For the dressing, just combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you find the dressing too thick, add some water till you find the right consistency for your taste.
Add the two together and you have a light and refreshing salad. Enjoy!
Ingredient's list for salad:
1/2 jicama
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
1/2 seedless cucumber
2 cups baby spinach
1 grapefruit sectioned
Ingredients list for dressing:
1 Florida avocado or two Haas avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
juice of one lime
juice of one grapefruit
pinch of salt
pepper to taste
Living a life of personal balance, moderation, education, and connection.