Vegetable Chicken Pot Pie

 

Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorite comfort foods and I love the flexibility of the recipe to add variety with whichever vegetables are fresh on hand.  (And with whichever topping sounds best.  See notes below).  It was a lot easier when I could add in a can of cream of chicken soup, but isn't too much more difficult (and probably healthier) to make up my own creamy sauce.

Vegetables:

Any you have on hand that sound tasty together.  Prepare by peeling if needed; slicing, dicing or cutting into bite-sized pieces.  Some recommended vegetables include: Carrots, potatoes, green beans, zuchinni, squash, onions, celery, etc.  (Frozen vegetables may also be used).

Vegetable Cream Sauce:

Makes: 1 1/2 cups thick cream sauce (Vegetables will add more liquid when cooked).

2 T Smart Balance (butter or margarine)

2 T all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup RiceMilk

1 cup Chicken broth

Black pepper and salt to taste

1 chicken breast, cooked, shredded

1. In saucepan, melt Smart Balance.  Whisk in flour, salt and pepper.  Whisk in milk and chicken broth.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.

2.  Add in shredded chicken and vegetables. Stir together. Turn to low and prepare or roll out pie dough.

CRUST:

Prep: 15 minutes, Makes: 8 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening or Smart Balance

6 or 7 Tablespoons cold water

Dried or fresh herbs (if desired)

1. In large mixing bowl stir together flour and salt.  Add in fresh or dried herbs to taste (if desired), I think for this recipe I added in 1/2 tsp basil, parsley and/or oregano. Using pastry blender (or Bosch wire beaters), cut in shortening/Smart Balance until pieces are pea-size. 

2.  Sprinkle 1 T water over part of mixture; gently toss with fork (mix in with whisks or switch to cookie beaters).  Push moistened dough to side of bowl.  Repeat, using 1 T water at a time, until all dough is moistened. (I usually add in 5 T water and mix together with dough paddles in Bosch then add more water as necessary).  Divide in half.  Form each into a ball.

3.  On lightly floured surface, use your hands to lightly flatten one ball of dough.  Roll from center to edge in a 12 inch circle.  To transfer to pie dish, wrap gently around rolling pin.  Unroll into a 9 inch pie plate, careful not to stretch pastry.  Trim even with rim of pie plate.

4.  Roll remaining dough into 12 inch circle.  Once filling is inside pastry, place pastry on top; trim 1/2 beyond edge of plate.  Fold top pastry under bottom pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Use any excess dough to decorate top if desired, making sure to cut slits to allow steam to escape (these can also be made decoratively).  Bake for 1 hour.  (Cover pie edges with foil last 10 minutes or so of baking, if desired, to prevent overbrowning.)

5.  Cool 5 minutes and serve.

*For another delicious twist on this recipe we've also made up the vegetable cream sauce filling then covered it with Suffing mix or home-made stuffing and baked as above.

*For a third tasty topping, try covering it with biscuits (homemade or store-bought).  It all comes out as yummy comfort food.

Candied Squash

Walking through the grocery store, our oldest spotted a beautiful Red Kuri Squash, which looked like a small pumpkin with character, and wanted to give it a try.  We looked up several squash recipes and decided to base ours on one from our Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook.  We decided the result was very tasty and a perfect Fall side dish.

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 60 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees
Yield: Will be determined by the size of squash you choose (The squash mentioned above was the size of a small pumpkin and probably about 5 lbs.)

Ingredients:
1 large squash of your choice (We used Kuri Squash)
1/8 cup maple syrup or 1 1/2 T brown sugar
2 T margarine or Smart Balance
1/2-1 tsp finely zested orange peel
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon or nutmeg

Wash squash exterior, cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds.  Arrange halves in 9x13 pan, cut side down.  Add 1 inch water to dish.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn cut side up.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together syrup or sugar, butter, orange peel and cinnamon.  Drizzle orange mixture down sides of interior of squash, allowing to collect in center of each squash half. 
Bake squash another 20 minutes or so until squash is tender.  Remove from oven and scoop squash out of peel to serve each portion, Or slice and serve in the peel.

Pizza Ratatouille

Fall vegetables warrant experimentation with tasty new dishes.  With eggplant and zucchini calling my name, we came up with a modified Friday night treat.

Preparation and Baking about an hour
Preheat: 475 degrees, Bake: 475 degrees, Approximately 15-20 minutes.
Yield: 1 14-16 inch pizza.
Pizza dough:
1 package dry yeast (Approx 2-2 1/4 t)
1 cup warm water (to dissolve yeast)
2 tsp honey (or sugar)
1 tsp salt
3 cup flour (add approx 3/4 cup at a time, make it all whole wheat flour, mix with all-purpose flour--as you like)
Dash oregano* (optional)

Combine warm water, yeast and honey in bowl of mixer.  Let yeast activate (approx 5 min).  Add salt and flour 3/4 cup at a time.  Add additional flour if needed, small amounts at a time.  Add in seasonings if savory dough is desired.  Knead in mixer until dough pulls away from sides and is well kneaded (approx 5 min).

Ratatouille Toppings:
1 Young Eggplant, (younger eggplant has fewer seeds) peeled and grated
2-3 Zucchini (grated)
1/2 cup sliced or diced white/yellow Onions
1-2 T Olive Oil
Italian Blend Seasoning (oregano,
1-2 tsp minced Garlic
2 Tomatoes, seeded and sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced or diced *if desired)

Combine ingredients in pan and saute in heated olive oil til tender.

Other Toppings:
Crumbled Sausage/sliced links
Pepperoni or Turkey Pepperoni
One jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, (We like Classico and Barilla best lately)
Cornmeal to sprinkle under dough before baking.
Mozzarella cheese if desired* We don't use cheese.

Sprinkle pizza stone with corn meal and roll dough out onto stone/pan.  Use fork to create vent holes across surface of pizza to promote even cooking throughout.  Top with ratatouille mixture (reserve 1/2 if you desire to top the pizza with a tender topping, create a 'moat' towards the outside edge in the ratatouille's toppings to prevent sauce spilling off of the sides, then pour in marinara sauce and cover toppings in the center of the pizza as well.  Sprinkle on sausage and other meat toppings as desired, cover with remaining ratatouille topping if previously reserved, and cook in 475 oven approx 15 minutes or until sides of dough are lightly browned.  Serve and enjoy!

Hearty Tomato Basil Soup

Warm, creamy, vegetable deliciousness!

Makes approximately 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

1 can stewed tomatoes

2-6 oz cans V8 or vegetable juice

2-6 oz cans tomato paste

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup RiceMilk

1 tsp dried, crushed Basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 box favorite pasta (we used Rozoni's Garden Delight Penne Rigate)

1-2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed

1.  In large pot, heat stewed tomatoes, V8 juice, tomato paste, and chicken broth and heat, stirring frequently. 

2. When heated through, stir in RiceMilk and basil leaves.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to low boil, continue stirring frequently. 

3. When soup begins to boil add pasta; cook until tender.  Stir frequently! Just before serving, add in spinach leaves.  They'll wilt but retain their bright green color making a beautiful soup.  Serve and enjoy with your favorite crusty bread or toast!

Savory Beef Stew

Hearty and wonderfully aromatic; especially great for a cool evening served with your favorite bread.  An adaptation of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book's "Polenta Beef Stew" sans polenta, p. 489.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

2 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. snipped fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-oz can beef broth

1 1/2 cups water

8 ounces boiling onions

5 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks

5 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup snipped fresh flat -leaf parsley

1 4 oz can tomato paste (or 8-10 oz V8 Vegetable Juice)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Place flour, garlic powder, thyme, basil 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a plastic bag.  Add meat pieces a few at a time, shaking to coat.  In a Dutch oven, (or large skillet) brown meat, half at a time, in hot oil; drain fat.  Return all meat to Dutch oven; add chopped onion, dried rosemary (if using) and garlic.  Cook and stir until onion is tender.  Stir in broth and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer covered 1-1/2 hours.

2.  Stir in boiling onions, potatoes and carrots.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, about 30 minutes more until meat and vegetables are tender. 

3.  Just before serving, stir the 1 tsp. fresh rosemary (if using), parsley, and tomato paste (or Vegetable Juice) into the stew.  If desired, garnish with rosemary sprigs.

NOTES: 

*I usually make up a large batch of Beef Stew Meat following the proportions for spices and directions for browning the meat in step one, cool the extra in the refrigerator then freeze 1-2 lb portions in a quart freezer bag to add to vegetables for making a "quick" stew later. 

* After having prepared the meat, I often go off a basic mental formula for the rest of the ingredients. I usually use one to two cups broth (often water + beef bullion for stew) for each person I'm planning on serving, along with at least one carrot and one potato per person expected to dinner. My Grandma Phelps taught me that 'should company show up at dinner time, just add an extra cup of broth or water to stretch it a little farther'.

* I like to prepare the stew in the morning or early afternoon and cook it in a Crock Pot, enjoying the soothing aroma in the house all day and later enjoying time with my children during the evening hour that I'd otherwise be preparing dinner.  On low 6-8 hours (all day) or on high for 3-4 hours.

*Adding the tomato paste or V8 juice at the end, for that added savory flavor, ensures the acid doesn't toughen the stew, but that it is tender instead.

*I often use onions I chopped previously and stored frozen, or I rehydrate dehydrated onions instead of using onion powder and boiling onions.

Pumpkin Craisin Muffins

This tasty moist muffin recipe, based on the Pumpkin Wheat Honey Muffin recipe I found on Allrecipes.com, emanates the wonderful cranberry, pumpkin and cinnamon-spicy sweet smells that say "Fall" to me. 

Preheat: 350 degrees    Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup Craisins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon EnerG Egg Replacer and 4 Tablespoon warm water (2 eggs)
1 cup fresh pureed pumpkin or 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or line with paper liners. Place the craisins in a cup, and add enough hot water to cover. Let stand for a few minutes to plump.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center, and put in EnerG Egg Replacer mixture, pumpkin, oil and honey. Mix just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Drain excess water from craisins, and stir into mixture until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups so they are about 2/3 full.

3. Bake for 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan before removing from cups.

*Muffins tend to freeze well when made in advance.  For quick and easy breakfasts, make a double batch when preparing, cook both batches and freeze one.  Just pop frozen muffins in the microwave to heat and serve warm.

Minestrone Soup

This soup turned out so beautifully colorful and satisfied our craving for something warm, and full of healthy tasty vegetables.  I added more pasta than called for in hopes that would help our kiddos eat it better...next time I think we'll enjoy more broth.  It was so yummy and we look forward to enjoying it again!

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 large tomatoes, seeded, chopped (or one can diced tomatoes)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach

1 (16 oz) can chickpeas (or red kidney beans) drained & rinsed (we left these out this time)

1/2 cup uncooked small-shell pasta (or other small pasta)

1 small zucchini, diced

2 T chopped fresh basil (or 1 t. dried)

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, heat oil and saute carrots, celery and onion till softened (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic, cook a minute more. 

2. Stir in broth, tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas (or beans) and pasta.  Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. 

3.  Add zucchini, cover and cook additional 5 minutes more.

4.  Remove from heat, stir in basil.  Portion into bowls and serve.

Foil Dinners/ Hobo Dinners

These have been a favorite of mine since childhood and family camp-outs.  We always called them foil dinners but I've heard others call them 'hobo' dinners.  Each child in our family was often invited to make their own, to fit their preferences, and mark their name with a permanant marker on the outside for identification after it was cooked.  If we planned to travel a long way to our camping destination, the meat patties were frozen before going in the dinners and transported in a cold cool chest.  These can be cooked in a 350 degree oven for an hour or more, but they're SO much better hot off the coals and eaten outdoors after a healthy day of outside play.

Igredients:
Meat (Ground Beef Patties, Chicken Breast, Sausage, or a fillet of Fish should all work well).
Vegetables, sliced, to compliment the meat

Our traditional dinners include:
Cabbage leaves (washed)
Carrots (baby or large carrots peeled, cut in bite sizes)
Potatoes (peeled and cut in bite sizes)
Ground Beef or Ground Turkey Patties
Onions, sliced (if desired)
Salt
Pepper
Ketchup, Mustard, Steak Sauce, etc. (reserved).

Start by placing two sheets of aluminum foil, shiny side up,(approximately 15-20 inches long, depending on the size of dinner you're wanting to cook).  With the reflective side facing up, place a leaf or two of cabbage in the middle of the foil (the cabbage keeps the meal from burning while cooking--if preferred,  layer newsprint between the sheets of foil for a similar effect).  Layer in the vegetables and top with the meat.  Sprinkle on the salt and pepper to taste. Top with another leaf of cabbage.

Wrap meal tightly to keep in juices and steam while baking.  Bring either end of the foil together above the meal.  Roll theses sides together, as though closing a bag of chips, until seal is snugly against the meal.  Now, fold and roll in each short end till they also touch the meal and make a 'snug' packet.  Place the dinner on hot coals to cook.  Cook for one hour, or until the yummy aroma begins to fill the air, the vegetables are tender and meat cooked through; rotating or turning the dinner at least every fifteen minutes (Caution: Of course it's hot!) 

When done, remove from coals and allow it to sit until it's cool enough to touch, place on a paper plate if desired.  Open carefully allowing steam to escape and keeping ashes out.  If desired, top with steak sauce, ketchup and/or mustard and enjoy!

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!

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.

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)!

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.