Good Morning Muffins

Another delicious  four-star winning recipe from Family Fun recipes.  Again, we tailored it to work for our family and changed it a bit.  Our 3 and 4 year olds enjoyed helping make these too.  We tried out our hand wheat-grinder for this one and made up one and a half cups of somewhat coarsely ground whole wheat flour which resulted in a nutty-crispiness mixed with the moist ingredients for a wonderful texture. We also added a pinch of pumpkin-pie-spice and the marvelous aroma was especially perfect for a cool Fall morning, though it would be yummy any morning!

Yield:  12 muffins

1-1/2 bananas
1/4 c honey
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 grated apples (we left the peel on)
1 c grated carrots
1-1/2 c whole-wheat flour (coarsely ground)
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
*1/2 t cinnamon (or pumpkin-pie-spice)

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a 12-muffin tin or line it with paper liners.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the bananas, honey and oil until well combined.  Stir in the grated apples and carrots.  In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Blend the dry ingredients with the apple mixture until just combined.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Note:  *Due to allergies we may have to leave out the cinnamon and spice.  I think these would also work well with grated zucchini or craisins or raisins sprinkled in.

Curried Pumpkin-Apple Soup

A yummy and especially perfect Fall recipe from Family Fun recipes that we tailored to our family.  A desire to enjoy the delicious aroma is reason enough to make it!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 T Smart Balance
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped celery
1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 t mild curry powder
3 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
1/4 t salt (or to taste)
1 whole bay leaf
1/4 c RiceMilk
2 to 3 T honey or maple syrup
chopped chives for garnish (if desired)

1.  Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot.  Stir in the onion, celery, and apple.  Partially cover the pot and saute` the ingredients over medium-high heat until the onion is clear, about 8 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and saute` the mixture for another minute.  Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth and cook it for 1 minute more.
2.  Pour contents of the pan into a blender, or food processor (or use an immersion blender), add pumpkin, and puree the soup until it's smooth.
3.  Pour it all back into the pot, then stir in remaining chiken broth, the salt, and the bay leaf.  Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4.  After 5 minutes, stir in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of honey.  Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory.  Simmer it for 2 minutes more, remove the soup from the heat, and serve it hot.  Sprinkle each bowl with chives for a colorful and tasty garnish.

Note:  We had a can of pumpkin pie mix that needed to be used and substituted that in place of the pumpkin called for.  With the sweeteners already in the mix, we eliminated adding the honey.  The spices in the pumpkin mix combined with the curry smelled and tasted delicious....an extra sweet and savory combination.  We look forward to trying this with plain packed pumpkin.  We served this with seasoned chicken and salad.

Garlicky Oven Fries

In the mood for fries one night, we pulled up this four star recipe from a May 1, 2008, Vegetarian Times Issue.  Very tasty.

TIP:  Presoaking the potato slices in hot water helps remove excess starch so they brown and crisp like oil-cooked fries.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges
2 tsp canola oil
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsly chopped (or finely pressed)
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Place oven rack in lowest position, and preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.  Soak potatoes in bowl of hot water 10 minutes.  Drain, pat dry, and return to dry bowl.

2.  Meanwhile, heat canola oil, olive oil and garlic in saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook garlic 2 minutes, or until it begins to brown.  Transfer garlic to small bowl with slotted spoon.

3.  Pour oil over potatoes and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden on bottom.  Turn, and bake 10 minutes more, or until golden and crisp.  Meanwhile, stir parsley into reserved garlic, sprinkle over fries.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Note:  We used dried parsley and combined steps 2 and 3 by mixing all seasonings together and tossing to coat the potatoes before baking 20 minutes on one side, turning and cooking another 15 minutes or so on the other side.   The results were still yummy.

Hawaiian Haystacks or Chinese Sundaes

This recipe is known by two different names in our family to describe the same dish.  Steamy cooked rice topped with warm chicken gravy and your choice of favorite toppings.  A 'create your own favorite' recipe!  I've even tasted it with a curry gravy which is tasty too.  This recipe multiplies easily to feed large groups.  This was one of my favorites as a child and still is.  Our children love it too!

Yield:  At least 8

Some possible toppings:

Tomatoes, diced

Pineapple, crushed

Green onions, diced

Chow Mein Noodles

Celery, diced

Bell pepper, diced

*Carrots, diced

*Peas

Shredded Coconut

Sliced almonds are great for those who can eat them

Same for shredded cheese...

Use whatever tantalizes your taste buds

(* Never tried these toppings, and I imagine I'd like them steamed to tender before using them on this.  Our friend tells me she usually fixes theirs with these two toppings.)

Cooked Rice:  2 cups water to 1 cup rice;  I often cook up 3 cups rice, part of which is a wild rice mixture thrown in for flavor, aroma and texture (which I compensate for with a little more water and a little longer cook time).  If everyone is hungry there's enough rice for left-overs.  If they're not as hungry as usual, I have enough rice left over for Rice and Raisin Cereal at a breakfast soon.

Chicken Gravy:

Cream of Chicken soup thinned with a bit of water or milk works unless you avoid milk like us...we make our own now using the following ratios.

Thin: 1T butter, 1T flour, 1 1/2 c chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste + shredded cooked chicken.

Medium: 2T butter, 2T flour, 1c chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste + shredded cooked chicken.

Thick: 3T butter, 4T flour, 1c chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste + shredded cooked chicken.

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper to make a roo.  Add chicken broth all at once and whisk quickly, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles.  Add in cooked shredded chicken.  (If I use canned chicken, I usually figure the broth accompanying the chicken in the can for about 1/2 cup of what I need total and I usually make up 3 to 4 cups of gravy.)

Put it all together now: 

Layer a large scoop of steamy rice topped with creamy chicken gravy and sprinkled with your choice of favorite toppings.  Careful....all the layers pile up fast and looks like more than you had planned to eat....but it is so tasty!

Rice and Raisin Cereal

This is a tasty breakfast cereal which our children especially enjoy.  We like to make it up when we have left-over unseasoned rice from a previous meal, but it could also be made up just for breakfast.

Cooked Rice
Rice Milk
Rasins
Cinnamon or Sugar, if desired

With cooked rice in saucepan, add Rice Milk to preferred consistency (we like just enough to moisten the rice).  Heat but not to boiling.  Add raisins and serve sprinkled with cinnamon and/or sugar if desired.

Fajitas

This one is based on another of Dora Gonzalez' sizzlin' recipes.  I love it since I can slice up bell peppers and onions in advance (before I forget I have them in the crisper and they go bad) and freeze them into 'fajita mix' size packages for a quick meal with little prep time.  I love the color and variety of taste when using green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers and will put a little of each into each 'mix' along with 1 to 1/2 sliced onion.   I usually leave out the Worchestershire sauce in the mixture below.  When it's all done, our children eat the chicken part best of course, and we all enjoy it!

2 lb. beef skirt or chicken breast (I usually cook an average of 1 chicken breast per person being served)
oil for panfry
1 large onion
1 large tomato
1 large bell pepper (or more)
Juice of 1-2 lemons
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix:  1/2 cup Italian dressing & 1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce

12 flour tortillas
1 recipe guacamole
Fresh cilantro

Marinate beef or chicken with lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt & pepper for 2-3 hours.  Slice onion, tomatoes, bell peppers.  Heat skillet with small amount of oil and brown meat.  Remove meat and marinade sauce from skillet.  Cook veggies 'til tender.  Remove veggies, add meat and layer veggies back on top of meat.  Drizzle on Italian dressing sauce and let sizzle.  Serve with warm tortilla and layer on guacamole, cilantro or other choice of toppings.  Roll, eat and enjoy!

*We've found that sliced raw bell peppers and onions freeze well in advance, as would cooked sliced chicken breast, to make this meal 'fast' and easy to make up.

Lentil & Brown Rice Soup

I followed a trail to this one from Words-To-Eat-By to Epicurious where it is rated 3 1/2 out of 4 forks in their rating system and is described as one of those soups that "inspire a devotion akin to love."  We used red lentils this time, left out the tomatoes and used organic Basmati Brown Rice.  We look forward to trying another variation again soon!  It really was a hearty yummy soup that would be great accompanied by a crusty bread and green salad.

Yield: about 14 cups or 6 to 8 servings

5 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 cup brown rice
32- to 35-ounce can tomatoes, drained, reserving the juice, and chopped
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried basil
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried orégano
1/4 teaspoon crumbled dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar, or to taste

In a heavy kettle combine the broth, 3 cups water, the lentils, the rice, the tomatoes with the reserved juice, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme and bay leaf.  Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 45-55 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are tender.  Stir in the parsley, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.  Discard bay leaf.  NOTE: The soup will be thick and will thicken as it stands.  Thin the soup, if desired, with additional hot chicken broth or water. 

Blender Pancakes

I was raised with this yummy recipe from my mother.  I looked it up again in our Scott Family Cookbook where it accompanies her famous Buttermilk Syrup recipe.  We list it here with our necessary substitutions.  It's a great way to use whole-wheat kernels (also called wheat berries) from food storage.  I'd double it next time for our family.
--Beth Phelps

Yield: About 12 pancakes
1 c. RiceMilk
3/4 c. whole-wheat kernels
1 banana OR 2 T ground flax seed and 6 T water  (in place of 2 eggs)
2 T sugar or honey
1/4 c. cooking oil
2 T baking powder
1/3 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Place milk and wheat in blender and blend 4 minutes.  Add egg substitute (banana or flax seed), sweetener, oil, baking powder, soda and salt.  Blend a few seconds longer and pour on lightly-oiled, hot griddle.  For the lightest and most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth pancakes ever!

Post Edit:  I've decided our blender can't hold all the light fluffiness of a double batch, so I would make up two batches instead.

Tuna Patties

This was a successful and tasty experiment tonight...all of us enjoyed them and would eat them again.  The "patties" are a little loose with no egg binder in them, but still very good.  We ate them as sandwiches, but they'd also be tasty with sides of garden-ripe tomato slices, cooked vegetables and a roll or with pasta or rice.

3 cans tuna, drained (we used one albacore and two chunk light in water)
1 fresh diced tomato
1/4 c. Italian dressing
1/2 stack of Ritz Crackers Package, crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste
(One scallion, diced and added would also be tasty)

Mix ingredients and form into patties  (Being so loose, I spooned them onto the grill and pressed them flat.) Cook on medium hot skillet (about 300 degrees) until browned, approximately 3 minutes on each side. The tuna patties are more cohesive when some of the moisture has been cooked out.  Serve hot.

Basic Pinto Beans

Our recipe for beans comes from a combination of several sources, my Mother, Dora Gonzalez, and a bag of Siler's pinto beans.  It's just a basic recipe (3 c. water to 1 part beans) open to some improvisation with other favorite ingredients.  Serve it with cornbread as a complete protien, serve it over tortilla corn chips with lettuce and tomatoes as Taco Stack, serve it in burritos or drain them and make refried beans. 

Yield: Approximately 12-1 cup servings.

4 1/2 cups dry pinto beans sorted, rinsed and soaked overnight

12 c fresh water; don't keep adding during cooking or beans will turn dark

1/4 c crubled bacon

6 clove garlic pressed

1 T dried onion

1T Salt, or to taste, and Pepper to taste  (add at end of cooking)

1 4oz can of green chilies, if desired (add at end of cooking)

1 can of diced tomatoes, if desired (add at end of cooking)

Pour off soak water and cover in 12 cups fresh water.  Cook at least 4 hours or on high all day in a slow cooker.  Cook on high until boiling then cover and cook on low heat until beans are tender.

We like to top with fresh tomatoes, salsa and lettuce and serve with tortilla chips for the first day, maybe mix it with taco meat for burritos another day or even freeze it for later use.

TIPS:

1. Pouring off soak water before cooking and adding fresh water should reduce undesireable gas and beans should retain their nutrients.  Soaking with a capful of lemon juice seems to soften them even more.

2. Salt and Acid ingredients (like tomatoes, lemon, or vinegar) will toughen beans so add them at the end of cooking. 

3.  It's possible to soak large quantities of beans and freeze in recipe sizes to save future time.

4.  To quick soak, place the washed and sorted beans in 6 cups water per pound of dry beans.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover with lid and let stand for 1 hour.  Discard soak watr before cooking.  Cover with fresh water and cook til tender.

5.  To pressure cook them, cover presoaked beans with one inch more fresh water than beans.  Follow pressure cooker manufacturer's instructions and cook for 12-15 minutes.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Here's a classic southern recipe.  Ryan found this one to try from About.com by Diana Rattray.  I think it might be a bit of an acquired taste, but the 3 minute cook time is essential to obtain a fried green tomato that is crunchy on the outside with a melt in your mouth interior.

Ingredients:
•4 to 6 green tomatoes
•salt and pepper
•cornmeal
•bacon grease or vegetable oil

Preparation:
Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/2-inch slices. Salt and pepper them to taste. Dip in meal and fry in hot grease or oil about 3 minutes or until golden on bottom. Gently turn and fry the other side. Serve as a side dish - delicious with breakfast!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe is SO delicious!  To describe it, I quote Kara Bagley, " slightly smoky, salty and sweet with a little kick."  This is Kara Bagley's delicious recipe.  See her website for more great details.

3 pounds sweet potatoes

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, pureed

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convection works best). Peel and cut potatoes into 1” pieces. Toss to coat with 2 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on two baking sheets. Roast for 35 minutes. Mix 2 tablespoons oil, pepper puree, vinegar, salt and pepper to make a dressing. Combine cranberries, pecans, chives and cooked sweet potatoes in a medium bowl, drizzle with dressing, cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Note:  Her recipe also called for pecans which we left out.  The salad is good cold or hot, but I think I actually like it best hot (when the chipotle isn't quite as spicy-hot).  So yummy you can believe we'll be making it again...and again!

Veggie Pasta

I came up with this recipe based on an idea from my friend Misty.  Simple and summery, it's great with most any vegetable combination.   I added some cooked rice noodles to ours (which break down more easily after cooking than regular pasta) and added them to my cooked tri-color pasta and Normandy Vegetable blend.  Our four year old enjoyed several helpings.

1   box tri-color rotini pasta  (approx 12 oz), cooked
1 c.   cooked shredded (or canned) chicken
5 c.   fresh or frozen steamed veggies (or Family Size bag)
1/2 c. Italian dressing
1  clove pressed garlic
Sunflower Seeds (optional)
Mrs. Dash (optional)

Toss cooked and hot ingredients together and drizzle with Italian dressing.  Toss lightly together with dressing.  Sprinkle on sunflower seeds and Mrs. Dash if desired and serve hot.

Lentil Soup

I read somewhere that lentil soup is a form of pottage.  Pottage...what was desired when handing over one's birthright....why?  Because it is delicious!  My sister Rachel gave me this winning recipe and each time I make it our boys ask for seconds and thirds!  If someone hasn't tried lentils before and is wary, THIS is one to try!  The picture doesn't look nearly as yummy as it tastes!  It's awesome!

1/4  lb. bacon
2 c. finely chopped yellow onions
2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, peeled, minced
7 c.  chicken stock or broth
1 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. celery seeds
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 c. brown lentils, sorted and rinsed (1-1 lb. package)

Finely chop bacon and saute' in soup pot over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon with slotted spoon and reserve.  Add onions, carrots, garlic and saute' in bacon fat over low heat, covered until tender and golden...about 25 minutes. 

Add the chicken or beef stock, thyme, celery seeds, bay leaves, a grinding of fresh pepper (no salt until later..since it would toughen the lentils at this point) and the lentils.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer until lentils are very tender, about 40 minutes.

Discard bay leaves, and puree half of the soup. (An immersion blender makes this a snap.)  Return pureed soup to pot.  Taste, and correct seasoning, adding about 1 1/2 tsp. salt (I didn't add it to tonight and it was still delicious!)  Stir in reserved crisp bacon and simmer briefly before serving.  Enjoy!

One of the great things about lentils is that they don't need to be soaked before cooking yet are in the legume nutritional family.  There are lots of different kinds but brown (or green) are most easily found.  A 1/4 cup serving of cooked lentils is said to contain 11 grams of protien, %10 Potassium, %4 Calcium, 15% Iron, 10% Thiamin, 6% Riboflavin and 4% Niacin, of Daily Recommended Values.

From Wikipedia: " Nutritional Value and Health Benefits:  Lentils contain high levels of proteins, including the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, and are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world for those who adhere to a vegetarian diet or cannot afford meat.[1] Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cystine.[2] However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cystine.[3]

Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, Folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).[4] Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods.[5] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish.

Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful for preventing iron deficiency. Iron is particularly important for adolescents and pregnant women, whose requirements for it are increased.[6]"

Fresh Salsa

Another winner from Dora Gonzalez!  We like to add in other things we have in the crisper, or out of the garden, like lettuce, spinach, green onions, cucumber finely diced or whatever sounds best for the dinner it's going with.  Our boys enjoy salsa but if you show them something leafy they'll cringe.  So, so long as it is finely diced and they can't see it, they'll enjoy it (though we often omit the fresh onion if we're serving them...since they're getting that in whatever we're serving salsa with usually).  However those add-ins mentioned above are best if eaten right away.  (Yield:  Enough for garnish topping or a 1-2 person appetizer) Add more of everything if you're serving a larger group. 

1     chopped Tomato
1 T. chopped Onion
1     clove Garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Fresh Cilantro!

Mix all together and squeeze in Lemon or Lime Juice.

We really like to use our little 'Kitchen Miracle' gadget to slice dice and mix this all super fast...and the boys enjoy doing the mixing (another trick we use to get them to eat good things....they made it)!

Chimichangas

The basis of this recipe comes from Brent Done as listed in our Scott Family Cookbook, with a few of our modifications utilizing Savory Shredded Pork leftovers.  This works well to make up a double batch, 1/2 for dinner; another pan to freeze for later.  (Preheat to 500 degrees) Yield, 8-10 servings. 

One Batch Recipe

2 c.  reserved Savory Shredded Pork leftovers (or, 1 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder)

2 T  vinegar or lemon or lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced (we usually add much more)

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 can green enchilada sauce or 1 c. broth (or 2 c. water if starting with the uncooked pork roast).

3T  canned diced green chilies

1/4-1/2 tsp. ground oregano

Salt to taste

Smart Balance or water to brush on tortillas

8-10 Flour tortillas

If starting with the 1 lb. uncooked roast, Cut meat into 1 1/2 inch pieces.  Put in a 2 to 3 quart pan.  Cover and cook over medium heat to draw out the juices, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and cook on high heat until liquid evaporates and meat browns well in drippings; stir often.  Add water; stir to free browned particles from pan.  Cover and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.  Uncover; over high heat, boil away liquid.  Turn heat to low.

From here the directions should be the same for either meat being used. 

Add vinegar or lemon/lime juice, green chilies, garlic, ground oregano and ground cumin.  Stir up browned bits from pan; remove from heat (when hot throughout if reheating Savory Shredded Pork).  (If using roast, shred at this point by pulling 2 forks through meat in opposite directions).  Add salt to taste. 

Melt Smart Balance (if using).  Brush both sides of each tortilla with melted "butter".   (I learned from Rachel that brushing water on both sides of the tortilla works just as well to seal in the filling...just brush Smart Balnce on top of a finished pan of rolled chimichangas if browning is desired).  Spoon meat filling equally onto center of tortillas and roll burrito style.  Place seam down in a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Serve hot with your choice of sides and toppings (like Fresh Salsa or Guacamole).

If you need to stretch the filling a bit, toss in a few halved and sliced fresh tomatoes or a can of diced stewed tomatoes (boil off most the liquid during the heating phase).  Yummy!

Dora's Avacado Guacamole

This yummy recipe comes from Dora Gonzalez at church.  We love her recipes!

2 to 3 avocados (Peel, remove seed and mash)
Add:
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/2 lemon, juice of
1/2 t. garlic or 1 clove garlic (we'll often use even more)
Salt to taste
1 jalepeno pepper (if you like it hot)
Fresh cilantro if desired (We think this makes ALL the difference and is the BEST!)

Shredded Pork Tacos

A second meal from the left-over meat from the Savory Shredded Pork. Quoting from The New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, "This recipe is truer to Mexican tacos than the ones often eaten in the United States, which are made with ground meat."  Yield: 8 tacos. 

2 c     Savory Shredded Pork
8        Taco shells or four 6-8-inch flour tortillas
3/4 c  Salsa
2 c     Shredded lettuce
3/4 c  Diced tomatoes
Add homemade taco seasoning (we like to add in a little more garlic and cumin)
Top with guacamole if desired.

1. Prepare Shredded Savory Pork as in the recipe linked above.  Place taco shells on baking sheet and heat in a 350 degree oven about 10 mintues or until heated through (to simply warm tortillas for soft tacos, sprinkle with water and wrap in foil to warm).

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine Savory Shredded Pork and salsa; heat through (add additional salsa if necessary to moisten).   A pinch of cumin also adds great flavor.

3. Assemble tacos with a spoonful of pork mixture in warm taco shells.  Top with lettuce (cheese if you eat it) and tomatoes.  Serve with avacado or guacamole if desired.

Savory Shredded Pork

Originally from "The New Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook", this is one of those great recipes that gets great mileage with little effort.  Cook the Pork Roast ahead of time, use as a main dish for one meal served with sides of veggies and with a few additions, or use it for tacos or hearty sandwiches, then, use the rest to quickly make up chimichangas.  (This picture actually shows the meat with some chimichanga seasoning additions.) Again, we usually double the recipe (using at least a 6 lb. roast), to make extra to use at lunches or to extend the use for another quick meal preparation as described above.  The cooked meat will freeze well for later use.  Yield: 12 servings.

Ingredients:

1       3-pound boneless pork shoulder blade roast
8       garlic cloves, minced
2 t.    ground coriander
2 t.    ground cumin
2 t.    dried crushed oregano
1 t.    onion powder (or dried onions)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. ground red pepper
1 c.   beef broth

Trim fat from meat.  In small bowl combine seasonings, rub into meat.  Place meat in a roasting pan with cover; add beef broth.  Cover and roast in 325 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender.

Remove meat from liquid with slotted spoon; discard excess fat from cooking liquid, reserving liquid.  When meat is cool enough to handle, shred using 2 forks to pull through it in opposite directions.  Stir in 1/4 cup of reserved liquid to use as taco filling.  Or, stir in enough liquid to moisten; reheat in saucepan over medium heat, stir frequently, and serve on toasted buns.

Crock Pot directions:
Prepare as listed above.  Place meat in a 3 1/2 to 5 quart crock pot; add beef broth.  Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high heat setting for 4-5 hours.  Proceed as described above.

Confetti Rice

This one comes from our Scott Family Cookbook and is attributed to Aunt Peggy.  I loved this one growing up and I think it worked well to get veggies in us when nothing else would.  We love good food, but I don't like to be in the kitchen all the time.  So, we usually double this recipe and enjoy these leftovers too.  Yield: 6 servings

1/4 c.    butter (less works too and we substitute with Smart Balance)

1 1/4 c.  long-grain rice (uncooked)

2 (10 1/2oz) cans consomme (broth)

1 t      salt

3/4 c.  chopped green onion

3/4 c.  chopped carrots

3/4 c.  chopped celery

1/2 c.  sliced almonds* optional

In a large frying pan, add the rice to the melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated but not brown (about 5 minutes).  Add consomme and salt and continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil. Turn into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish (9x13).

Bake covered (we usually use foil and seal it well to keep the moisture in) in moderately hot oven (375 degrees) for about 30 minutes or until rice is tender.  About 10 minutes before rice is done, remove from oven and stir in chopped raw vegetables and almonds if desired.  Return to oven and continue baking with cover on for remaining 10 minutes.  The vegetables should remain quite crisp in contrast with the tender grains of rice.

NOTES:
To make this a one dish meal, I usually throw in some cooked chicken (previously cooked or canned). Shredded beef, tuna or other fish would work well too.

In place of the nuts, I usually substitute part of the long-grain rice called for with a wild rice mixture for the wonderful aroma and the nuttiness...I just have to add a little longer cooking time (about 45 minutes total) and an extra 1/2 to one cup broth to make up the difference.

The way we cook, everything in a recipe is subject to modification and substitutions.  We use the vegetables we have on hand.  The more color the better.  Here we used zuchinni, carrots and celery.  We often love to add squash and have even tried rasins or craisins with flavorful results.

Buttermilk Pancakes

This is one of our favorite and most versatile recipes that originally came from Meghan.  We started with this recipe when we began our journey of fixing food from scratch that our boys can eat, using substitutions.  Rachel gave me the idea of adding more fresh fruits, like shredded apple, within the batter. Due to it's versatility we use this recipe often as it is the most requested breakfast by our boys.  We usually make up a double batch and eat the left-over pancakes as a quick breakfast another morning.  They freeze fairly well too.  Yield:  approximately 18 pancakes

Ingredients:
2 T   Ground Flax Seed and 6T water OR 1 whole banana
2 T   Lemon Juice and enough Rice Milk to make 2 to 2 1/4 cup 'buttermilk'.
1 T   Oil
2 c   Flour
2 t    Baking Powder
1 t    Baking Soda
1/4 t Salt

(Add in whatever other ingredients you desire....wheat germ, frozen or fresh berries, shredded apple, pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc.  For thinner pancakes, use more milk, thicker, use less.)

Mix all ingredients and cook on hot griddle (warmed to between 300 and 350 degrees), til edges appear somewhat dry and top surface is bubbled evenly.  Flip and cook other side, serve hot topped with your choice of topping (Smart Balance, applesauce, strawberry jam, maple syrup, fresh or frozen fruit...).


Substitutions:

1   Egg = 1T ground flax seed and 3T water OR 1/2 banana
1c Buttermilk = 1T lemon juice (or vinegar) and enough milk (regular or your substitute--we use Rice Milk) to make 1 cup. (Let stand 5 minutes before using.)

This would be a great recipe to use to practice different flour substitutions as well.  Instead of bleached all purpose flours, try Whole Wheat, Rice, Potato, etc..  The recipe is so flexible and forgiving and the pancakes are great each time.

WHY

We are often faced with situations where food is involved.  Situations like church pot-lucks, camp-outs, preschool, play dates, and eventually school attendance prove somewhat stressful for children and others (like us) with food allergies.  But, it goes beyond that. We live in a society where dairy, food fillers, high fats and sugars, and little nutrition fill the menu.  We have begun a journey in our home to eat to LIVE rather than live to EAT. 

We started down this path searching for better health about three years ago when our oldest son had severe allergic reactions to toxic man-made chemicals used on the field crops around us that resulted in a need for medications to enlarge his airways so he could breath, which further resulted in a year of misery and sickness.  As is often the case, when you loose something as precious as health, you realize how grateful you are for it and want it back.  That was our experience too.

We generally avoid dairy foods like milk and cheese. This started out of necessity to another family allergy but when adopted by the whole family, our general health improved drastically!  We avoid eggs and nuts also due to allergies.  By choice we try to avoid foods containing empty fillers and possible cancer forming substances like artificial food colorings and additives like MSG, Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Nitrite, High Fructose Corn Syrup and other refined sugars, and many man-made chemicals that we can't even pronounce, especially found in pre-packaged empty or "DEAD" foods.   We're trying retrain our minds, behaviors and diets to include less meat and a wider variety of grains and vegetables.  Pump up the natural nutrion and eliminate the dead stuff.  We want to feel ALIVE and enjoy it! We're not perfect on any of these, but we are trying.

I can tell by the way some people look at me that they feel I'm some type of crazy fanatic.  Avoid milk?  Eggs?  What can you eat?!  Where do your children get the calcium they need? What an opressive mother to try to get her children to avoid sugars, no cake (containing eggs and milk)?  A world without fruit snacks?  Few sugary breakfast cereals? Absurd! 

Part of our obsession comes out of necessity to the dietary needs and allergic reactions of our children, who have a long list of sensitivities or allergies with side effects ranging from rash, hives, runny nose, severe airway constricting congestion, vomiting, behavior alteration and more.  The other part of our obsession comes with an increased awareness of and desire for general well being, physically, emotionally and spiritually. 
We want to be healthy, we want to feel good and we want to be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit because our bodies are healthy and in tune with our spirit.  We believe the Lord has revealed many answers regarding what is healthy for our bodies that medical teams world wide are only now begining to understand.  His revealed word can be found in the scriptures anciently through his living Prophet and Apostles as well as modern revelation in our day. 

Some of the modern revelation we speak of regarding healthy living was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith on Febrary 27, 1833, by the Lord as a "Word of Wisdom".  Found in a book of modern revelations called the Doctrine and Covenants, this Word of Wisdom was given to "[show] forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all the saints in the last days.." as a "principle with a promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and weakest of all saints" to avoid "evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days".   This revelation "forwarn(s)" us of specific things to avoid as well as things we should do with the promise that we will "receive health in (our) navel and marrow to (our) bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint...that the destroying angel shall pass by (us) as the children of Israel, and not slay (us)."

We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and strive to live this Word of Wisdom along with other commandments given by the Lord Jesus Christ for our health and salvation. We believe that He provides direction specific to the needs of individuals and families. We believe that through the direction of the Spirit, we are finding what works best to keep our family healthy.  A scripture from 2 Nephi 28:30, found in The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which reflects a similar scripture found in Isaiah 28:10,13, states:

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
 
We haven't even mentioned exercise or proper rest and more (we're still working on that too) but, we have felt the principle above manifested in our lives.  We are learning true health, line upon line as fast as we are able or willing to learn and have felt the blessings of improved health by hearkening to those promptings and revelations.  Our diet and lifestyle have no quick pill or easy fix, but instead a life journey of living what we learn.  We're not perfect.  We have much to learn.  This is a process not a destination.  We are not experts and claim no offical dietary training. This is about our personal journey.


We're not recommending that everything we do is something that others necessarily need to do, but these are some of the reasons that we DO eat and live like we do and have felt the Lord bless our efforts in our family with improved health and general well being. It is something we wish every family could feel, whatever their specific needs.  The sacrifices are SO worth it and get easier with time and practice!
 
This blog was created to help us track our progress...keeping track of what we've tried that works for us.  We've found that the hardest part of this journey is finding the recipes that work--especially important if someone besides us becomes responsible for any portion of care for our children.  Perhaps something here will help someone else too.