Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes

Little Michelle made these for a picnic that we went on recently. They are wonderful and healthy! The recipe comes from the Eating Bird Food blog.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes

This is a copycat recipe created with the HSH Quinoa Sweet Potato Cakes served in the prepared foods section at my local Whole Foods. I like these quinoa cakes served hot, at room temperature, or even leftover and cold straight out of the fridge. Make them into burger size patties or make smaller cakes and serve them as appetizers! This recipe makes a lot (2.5 lbs of quinoa cake “dough”) but the baked patties do freeze well!

* 1 lb. sweet potatoes (2 medium sized), peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
* 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions
* 1 cup lundburg wild rice blend, cooked according to package directions
* ½ cup green onions, sliced
* ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
* 1 tablespoon dried sage
* ½ tablespoon sea salt
* ½ teaspoon black pepper

Prep

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Steam sweet potato chunks for 20-25 minutes. Then puree sweet potatoes in stand mixer. You could also use a food processor or blender.
3. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, cooked rice, green onions, cranberries, sage, salt and pepper.
4. Form and flatten portions of the “dough” into patties.
5. Lay the patties onto parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray (or stoneware) and bake for 15-20 minutes until they’re lightly brown and crisp on the outside.
6. Serve warm, at room temperature, or straight from the fridge.

Jamie Oliver Recipes

I'm a tad in love with this man...

Green Salad

Farro Salad with Roasted Veg

Greek Salad

Pesto

Party Squash Soup

Mexican Barbecued Corn on the Cobb

Spicy Parsnip Soup

The Best Pasta Salad

Stir Fried Vegetables

Yogurt Pops

PIEtisserie Pie Crust

PIEtisserie Pie Crust Recipe (for a double crust sweet or savory pie)

• 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 3 cups flour (unsifted)
• approx 1 cup ice cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (?)

Measure three cups flour into a large mixing bowl. Do not pack the flour into the measuring cup, simply scoop and level with the back of knife. Add the salt, and mix.
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Grate the butter over the flour with a cheese grater or by scraping with the tines of a fork. The butter can also be cut in pieces over the flour. The butter should be very hard, straight out of the fridge. It also does not have to be an exact cup of butter, it’s ok if you add a little more, better to have a little more, than not enough.

Combine the flour, butter, and salt with a fork or pastry cutter. The mixture should look crumbly, sandy-looking and not uniform. There should be small clumps of butter, about the size of pebbles/gravel, and roughly no larger than nickels in diameter, throughout the mixture. Butter will clump on the fork, be sure to scrape it back down into the mixture.

Add the ice cold water by sprinkling it over the flour-butter mixture in increments of (approx) 3-4 tablespoons. Stir with a fork after each addition of water. Add enough water until the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingertips and balls up into a dough ball. Avoid combining the butter-flour-water mixture with your hands, as the heat from your hands will warm the butter and water, when the butter and water should stay as cold as possible. There may be a section of your mixture that is drier than the rest, focus on adding water to that area.

Just like the butter, it’s better to add a little more water, better to have a little more, than not enough.

Once the butter-flour-water mixture form a large sticky lump in your mixing bowl, gently and quickly shape it roughly into a ball and store in a Ziploc bag or some other airtight container. If your ball of dough is not sticky to the touch (does not leave dough on your finger when touched), add a little more water.

Refrigerate your dough for 25 minutes, or longer. The colder the dough the better, as it will bake up lighter and flakier.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut in half. Store the other half in an airtight container. You may also place the container of dough back in the fridge. The first half of dough being rolled out is the bottom crust.

Roll out to 1/8 in. thickness.

Optional: Lightly brush the top of the upper crust with cream or a beaten egg for a crispier crust and glossy finish. Be sure to evenly coat the entire top.

Baking Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pie on a lower rack on a cookie sheet (to catch any dripping filling).

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 mins. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25-30 mins.

Juice should run from the pie when it’s done.

Dutch Babies

This recipe is so easy, SO delicious, and SO fun! Since the batter recipe doesn't have any sugar I have ideas of treating them like crepes and making savory Dutch Babies. I also have thoughts of making "healthy" Dutch Babies with whole wheat/buckwheat flour and egg-whites. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ingredients

* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
* 1 pinch ground nutmeg
* 1 or 2 pinches of cinnamon
* a splash of vanilla
* 1 pinch salt
* 2 tablespoons butter
* powdered sugar for dusting
* lemon/lemon zest for sprinkling on top.


Directions

1. Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet inside oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
3. Remove skillet from oven and reduce oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in hot skillet so that inside of skillet is completely coated with butter. Pour all the batter in the skillet and return skillet to oven.
4. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and sprinkle with powdered sugar and lemon juice/zest.

Another awesome looking recipe that Michelle found for me here.

Apple Crisp

* Three lbs of tart apples
* Two tablespoons of lemon juice
* Half a cup of light brown sugar (pack it tightly)
* Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
* Half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg
* One-third cup of all-purpose flour
* One-third cup of granulated sugar
* One-third cup of rolled oats
* Four tablespoons of cold butter (Half a stick)
* Half a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

How to Prepare:

The first step is to chop the apples into slices. Remember to remove the peeling and core. Grab two bowls. In one bowl, add the apples and lemon juice. In the other bowl, combine the brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Now combine the bowls and mix together. Grab another bowl and mix the flour, sugar, and oats. Slice the butter into small pieces. Now use two forks to mix the the flour and butter until it looks crumbly. Add the chopped nuts. Grease a 9 in. square baking dish and spread the apple mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top it off with the flour mix. Cook for 30 - 45 minutes at 375°, or until the apples are soft and topping is browned slightly. It tastes best if you serve it warm, or at least at room temperature (I've also tried it cold and it's not too bad cold either!). I recommend serving it with a scoop of heavy cream or vanilla ice cream.

John's Recipe/Site

Spicy Szechuan Eggplant

I have some Asian eggplants, and chilies that I harvested from my garden today. I LOVE LOVE LOVE spicy eggplant and want to try this recipe out.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
Sauce:
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon red rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Other
4 Asian eggplants
1 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1 tablespoon bean sauce (hot bean sauce if possible)
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic, or to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the broth, dark and light soy sauce, vinegar, and honey. Whisk in the cornstarch.

Cut the eggplant into 1-inch squares. Mince the garlic.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Stir-fry the eggplant until it is softened (about 5 minutes). Remove and drain on paper towels.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bean sauce. Stir-fry until aromatic. Add the sauce in the middle and bring to a boil, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the eggplant slices and the chile paste. Cook for a few more minutes and stir in the sesame oil. Serve hot.

Ginger's Green Enchiladas

Ginger’s Green Enchiladas –Adapted from “Cheese Enchiladas with Green Sauce” from Epicurious.com

Sauce:
Oilive oil
½ large onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeños (including ribs & seeds), chopped
½ lb. tomatillos, husked and chopped
½ bag frozen spinach (Trader Joe’s)
1 4oz. can diced green chilies, drained
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
3-4 green onions, minced
2-3 teaspoons ground cumin (or to taste)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon flour
2 cups half-and-half
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup sour cream

Saute onions, garlic, jalapeños, and tomatillos in olive oil until soft. Add frozen spinach and canned green chilies. Simmer until spinach thaws and excess moisture evaporates. Add cilantro, green onions and cumin. Stir and cook a few more minutes and set aside. In another pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir mixture 2 minutes. Do not brown. Gradually wisk in half-and-half. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in vegetable mixture. Puree in batches in food processer (I used a stick blender in the cooking pot –much easier) until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (This sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.) When ready to use sauce, stir in the sour cream.

Enchiladas: 13 x 9 pan

Option 1: Cheese Enchilada casserole
-Green sauce (from before)
-Corn tortilla halves
-4-6 cups grated cheese (I used equal parts: TJ’s Grated Sharp Cheddar and TJ’s Pepper Jack)
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ bag TJ’s frozen roasted corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Set aside 1½ cup cheese mixture. You are going to make 3 total layers. Spread a little sauce in the bottom of the pan. Dip each tortilla half in remaining sauce, wipe off excess, and sent in pan to make one complete layer of tortillas. Layer cheese, corn, onion, beans, and cilantro. Continue layering 2 more times. Top with sauce and reserved cheese.
Bake in preheated oven at 375° for about 25 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Option 2: Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Same ingredients and layering as above, except leave out the beans and add 3-4 cups chopped, cooked chicken. Bake as above.

Option 3: Individually Rolled Enchiladas
½ cup vegetable oil
12, 16 inch corn tortillas
Filling of choice as above (reserve 1½ cup cheese for the top)
Green sauce

Heat oil in heavy, small skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, briefly dip each tortilla in oil to soften (about 15 seconds per side). Transfer to paper towel and drain. Combine filling of choice above. Place generous ¼ cup mixture in the center of 1 tortilla. Place seam side down in 13 x 9 baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with reserved 1½ cup cheese. Bake as above.

Michelle's Apple Cake

Apple Cake

4 to 6 tart apples (medium size; I used 3 large granny smith apples)
2 lemons, juiced (this is just for the apples)
3 tablespoons sugar (this is just for the apples)
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks (do not put 2 yolks together; they will be used individually)
1/2 lemon, juiced, peel grated
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon rum (I didn't include this)
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon butter (to grease pan)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons powdered sugar (just for decoration; both times I've made this, I didn't bother to add it, though in the picture it was added along with what looks like Cinnamon)

Peel apples. Cut in half; core. Cut decorative lengthwise slits in apples, about 1/2 inch deep. Sprinkle with lemon juice and 3 tablespoons sugar; set aside.

Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar together. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Gradually beat in lemon juice and grated peel.

Sift baking powder and flour together; gradually add to batter. Blend in milk and rum.

In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter.

Generously grease spring form pan. Pour in batter; top with apple halves. Brush with oil.

Bake in preheated 350 F oven 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from pan; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Yield 6 servings.

So I used this sugar-honey substitute break down: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Baking-with-Sugar-and-Sugar-Substitutes/Detail.aspx I pretty much eyeballed what I thought was 3/4 of whatever the original sugar amount was.

Also, I only had 2 small lemons, so I juiced one for the apple honey mixture, and the other was juiced (and peel grated) for the cake.

F.Y.I. I used a (non-spring form) bundt cake pan with ridiculously high sides because the first time I made this cake I used a standard (non-springform) 9" pan and it looked really close to spilling over (thankfully it did not). Also, if you decide to use a non-springform pan, the cake will still release from the pan (provided enough butter was used to grease it), though some (apple) juice is lost from turning it over. And then there's turning it over again so the apples are facing up, which is tricky, but totally do-able!

"There's a hole in this cake" -My Big fat Greek Wedding

Birthday Strawberry Shortcake

Birthday Strawberry Shortcake
Inspired by Cafe Gratitude's "I Am Rapture"

This recipe is for a 9" diameter spring-form pan. All of the ingredients except for the lecithin and coconut butter/oil can be purchased at Trader Joe's (you can find lecithin & coconut butter/oil at Whole Foods).

Cake
2 cups well packed dates, chopped
¾ cup raw, unscented coconut butter
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups almond meal, almond flour, or left-over pulp from making almond milk (wet pulp is fine)
3 cups strawberries

Whipped Cream/Frosting
2 cup soaked/drained cashews
2 cups coconut milk (you can use canned milk, or simply blend 1 part dried coconut with 3 parts water in high speed blender)
½ cup honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 cup melted coconut butter
2 tablespoons lecithin (found at Whole Foods or another health food store)

**If you want to have pink filling, add a handful or so of strawberries during the final blend. Also, if you want to “frost” the entire outside edge of the cake make a double recipe of the cream**

Strawberry Layer and Decoration
3 cups strawberries, sliced or diced (depending on how you like it)

Assembly:
To make the Whipped Cream:
Blend all ingredients except lecithin and coconut butter until smooth. Add lecithin and coconut butter and blend until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a wide, shallow pan and set in fridge for about 1 hr.

To make the Cake:
Place dates in food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. You may need to add a little water. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the almond flour and mix until smooth. Finally mix in the almond flour by hand. When thoroughly mixed separate cake into two equal portions.

Cake Assembly:
Grease a spring-form pan with a little coconut butter. It might also be useful to put wax paper on the bottom portion of the pan. Next, form an even layer on the bottom with ½ of the cake mixture, followed by some of the whipped cream. Top with 1/2 of the strawberries, and some more whipped cream. Set in fridge for 20 minutes or longer. Add the second and final layer of cake, and then set in the fridge for 20 minutes or more. Finally, add the final layer of cream frosting and strawberries, and make sure that the strawberries on top are decorated/arranged the way you want them! Leave in the fridge until you serve the yummy cake!

My 31st Birthday Cake

I think that I am going to make this as my birthday cake for my party. This recipe is from Cafe Gratitude.
"I am Awakening"

The Crust:
1.25 cups macadamia nuts
1.25 cups pecans
.25 well-packet, finely chopped dates
.25 teaspoon vanilla
.25 teaspoon salt

Filling:
.75 cup lime juice
7.5 ounces avocado
.5 cup + 1 tablespoon agave nectar
.25 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut milt
.5 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lecithin
.5 cup + 1 tablespoon raw unscented coconut butter
.5 teaspoon Vitamineralgreen (optional)

"I am on Top" Meringue:
.75 ounce Irish Moss
.5 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
.5 cup coconut meat
.5 cup soaked cashews
.25 + 1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1.5 teaspoons lecithin
.5 cup coconut butter


Garnish:
half of the recipe for "I Am The Top" Meringue
1 lime and/or strawberries & mint

------------------------------------------------

To make the crust:
In the bowl of your food processor fitted with the "S" blade, process pecans, macadamia nuts, vanilla, and salt until small and crumbly. Continue processing while adding small amounts of the chopped dates until crust sticks together. Press crust into greased (with coconut butter) 9-inch pie pan.

To make the filling:
Blend all ingredients except lecithin and coconut butter until smooth. Add lecithin and coconut butter, blending until well incorporated. Pour into prepared crust and set in fridge/freezer (for about an hour) until firm.

To make meringue:
Blend Irish moss and water until smooth and thick. Add coconut milk, meat, cashews, agave, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add lecithin and coconut butter until well incorporated. Pour into a wise, shallow pan an set in fridge for up to 3 hours. When set, top pie; and if you like, peak with the back of a spoon.

Finishing it up:
Once the pie and meringue are set, spread a thin layer of meringue on top of the pie and decorate with lime or strawberry slices.

Sugar-Free Mocha Cream Pie

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon white stevia powder
1.25 cups unsweetened carob chips or grain sweetened chocolate chips
2 teaspoons ground coffee
3/4 cup water
1 level teaspoon agar flakes (also known as kanteen -available in health food stores)
1/8 teaspoon white stevia powder
9-inch pie crust or graham cracker crust
toasted, shredded coconut for garnish

1. place 1 cup of the cream and 1/4 teaspoon stevia in a 2-quart pot over medium heat. As the cream begins to warm, gradually add the carob chips and stir until they have melted.

2. Add the coffee, water, and agar to the pot, and increase the temperature slightly, Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and cook until it is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

3. Place the remaining cream and 1/8 teaspoon stevia in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat.

4. Fold the cooled carob mixture into the whipped cream, blending carefully but thoroughly. Pour the filling mixture into the crust and refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. Before serving, garnish with toasted coconut.

NO Bake, Sugar-Free, Pumpkin/Squash Pie -YUM!

4 cups cooked, mashed butternut squash
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
1/4 teaspoon white stevia powder
pinch of sea salt
9-inch pre-baked pie crust

1. blend all of the pie filling ingredients until smooth
2. pour the filling mixture into the crust and refrigerate for at least one hour
3. serve chilled or at room temperature

David's Delicious Kale Salad

Thanks David for this awesome recipe! I can feel my body and soul thanking me with every bite!

2 bunches of stripped, hand shredded kale
1/4 cup (or more) of olive oil (enough to cover the kale with)

massage the kale in oil until tender (this takes a lot longer than I originally realized)

add the juice of two lemons, two chunked avocados, some kalamata olives, 4 (or more) diced cloves of garlic
.

I also added to the recipe some salt, cayenne pepper, and some diced sage.

So incredible! I could eat this every day for the rest of my life! mmmmmm.....

Scrumdiddlyumptious Squash Soup

Put everything in a soup pot:

Bake 1-2 pumpkins, depending on size
Saute 1/2 to 1 onions in olive oil
add fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme
add carrots and celery
paprika (or cayenne), pepper, salt

Puree all with a hand blender, oh and you'll need to add some water too.

mmm...mmmm...mm!

Delicious Late-Summer Harvest Soup

-Fresh zucchini
-Fresh Basil
-Oil
-Fresh Corn (cut from cob)
-Salt
-Cayenne Pepper or fresh jalapeno pepper
-Fresh Garlic

Steam zucchini in a bit of water. Puree with lots of fresh basil, a jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Add oil and fresh corn. Salt to taste. SO DELICIOUS. Perfect for a blustery late Summer/early Autumn day.

Amy's Amazingly Delicious, Creamy, Squash Risotto

Olive oil,
Garlic and
Onion.
1 Kabacha squash.
1 cup white wine
1.5 cup Arborio rice (or risotto)
1 box vegetable broth

1. Bake the squash (when it is done cut it into small pieces)
2. Sauté onion and garlic in oil.
3. Add rice and sauté five minutes
4. Add wine and stir until wine disappears
5. Add vegetable broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly.
6. Cook on medium/low until liquid is absorbed.
6. At the end stir in the squash.
7. Add salt to taste.