Green Smoothie

I found this recipe the other day and my boys love it!  All three of them which is a miracle because my middle litte guy is extremely picky.

1 handful of frozen strawberries
1 handful of frozen peaches
1 big scoop of greek plain yogurt
2 bananas
1 handful of spinach
1 handful of kale (you can just do 2 hanfuls of spinach if you do not have kale.
Also add a little apple juice, milk, soymilk, rice milk, almond.  any of these work.

Blend it up and enjoy...you can also add flax seed.

Chili

My friend Debbie is in Oregon getting for ready for a camping trip and wanted this recipe.  This is my favorite chili recipe. I found it in the cookbook Zone Meals in Seconds.

You can do this in the slowcooker but i usually do it in a pot on the stove.  For the slowcooker you just add everything and let it cook on low for 7-9 hours.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups diced fresh onion
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
18 ounces ground beef ( you can omit this if you are going vegetarian)
2 cups diced bell peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 cans chopped tomatoes ( you can add more depending on your taste
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions if not in slow cooker.

Cook the ground beef.  Set aside and Saute onion, bell pepper and garlic til tender.
 Add all other ingredients including the beef then let come to a boil then simmer for 30-60 minutes.  Great dish to freeze.  Enjoy Debbie and have fun!

Massaman Curry

This is one of my favorite Thai dishes and I have been wanting to learn how to make this for some time.  I found some recipes online and headed to the Asian Market to get some of the things I would need for sure.  The lady helping me gave me her recipe and I got Massaman curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk and tamarind.  She told me to prepare in the morning so that all the flavors could marinate together throughout the day.  I gave the recipe a try today and it turned out great.

2 Tbsp.  Vegetable Oil  (I used coconut oil)
3 Tbsp.  Massaman curry paste
Stir fry for 2 minutes on medium heat.
add 1/3 can of coconut milk
Stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add raw chicken or beef (I used chicken)
Stir fry for 3-4 minutes
Add the rest of the coconut milk
 and 1/2 can of water
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp. sugar (I used agave nectar)
2 Tbsp. Tamarind liquid
4 Potato chunked ( I used gold potatoes)
3 carrots chunked
1/3 cup roasted peanuts or cashews (I used peanut butter)
Boil for 1/2 hour
Simmer for 1/2 hour
I felt like I needed to add more water because the sauce was too thick.

Serve with jasmine rice.

Maple Almonds

My friend gave me this recipe and these are sooo yummy and sooo simple.  These are such a great snack.

1 pound whole raw almonds
1/4-1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Place whole almonds in a bowl.  Drizzle maple syrup over top, and stir to coat all nuts.  Place on baking sheet (can line it with parchment paper) and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Stir and then bake for 5 more minutes, until syrup seems to have dried up on the nuts.

Store in an airtight container.

4 Grain Hot Cereal

I love steel cut oats for breakfast in the morning and I especially love putting blueberries and agave nectar in it.  I don't have time in the morning to make it so I boil the water the night before, add the oats put the lid on and refrigerate overnight and then reheat in the morning.  I was at my neighbors the other day and she had hot cereal for breakfast but with a lot more grains.  She uses amaranth, millet, steel cut oats and quinoa.  She uses a pressue cooker but I think you could probably use the same method that I use to make my steel coat oats in case you don't have time to wait 30 minutes for breakfast to be ready. I think this is a great way to add extra beneficial grains to your diet.

Hot Cereal

1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup amaranth
1/4 cup quinoa

Boil 4 cups of water.  Once boiling add all the grains and cook for about 20-30 minutes til grains are tender.  Once tender add a heaping spoonful of Coconut oil and aquave nectar to taste.  I also add frozen blueberries.  You can make all grains evenly measured, it just depends on your taste.  You can also add some milk, almond milk, soymilk and even walnuts or pecans would be a great addition.

My husband is constantly reminding me to eat breakfast once I wake up.  He always tells me that if you wait more than 20 minutes your blood sugar will drop.  So don't forget to eat your breakfast.:)

Baked Kale Chips

I have been behind on blogging but definitely not behind on cooking.  I have recently discovered a new blog My Life in Food.  I have tried several of her recipes and am excited to try even more.  Since I posted last we have moved one street over and into a tiny house but my kitchen is much bigger and I have maybe the oldest oven around but I am loving having more space.  We have also been to NC, CO and had a visit from my mom.  Only 3 weeks or so til my oldest starts first grade.  I cannot believe it but he is very excited and I am so happy for him that he loves school and loves his friends.  But I have loved the summer and this is our first summer in Utah and it has been wonderful.  The weather has been amazing and I can't get enough of being outside.  Here is one of the recipes that I have tried before but made again today, Kale chips.  I love these.  My oldest loves them too.  My husband hates the smell of them but he enjoys them too.  I am sorry for the lack of pictures.  I have finally found my camera cord but have just not had time to take pictures.  Trying to make dinner and keep track of my 3 little guys keeps me plenty busy.  I am just happy that dinner makes it to the table.:)

Baked Kale Chips

adapted from smittenkitchen.com

1 bunch kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse and dry kale, then remove the tough center stems. Cut into chip size pieces, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. You might need to do this is two batches. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Cool the chips and eat.

I have stored mine in a plastic bag but I think it adds moisture back to the chips  so you might want to store them in something  else.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

I love having this blog.  I feel like when I cook I am cooking for more than just me and my little family and that motivates me.  I do feel bad that I have not posted any pictures yet.  We are in the middle of a move right now and my camera cord is still missing but I keep hoping it will turn up soon.  I hope you enjoy these recipes and hopefully they will help you enjoy food more and be healthy!

A couple of weeks ago I had run out of salad dressing and thought I'll just make my own.  I love balsamic vinaigrette and usually busy Newman's Own Vinaigrette but I don't love all of the ingredients on the ingredient list but it is better than most dressings.  So I quickly googled balsamic Vinaigrette found a couple of recipes and combined them and this is what I came up with.  It is easy, healthy and yummy!

1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 Cup-1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp.  Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp. Honey or Agave Nectar
1 clove garlic
and salt and pepper to taste

It is quick and easy to make and has a great consistency! Tonight we had a big salad bar with spinach, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, boiled egg, feta cheese, turkey bacon, baked chicken, strawberries and cucumber.  It was a big hit and the balsamic vinaigrette was a great final touch.  I think we will be doing salad bars a lot more!

Chicken Baked in Parchment

This is an amazing recipe. I haven't made it in a while but my friend asked me for the recipe so I thought I would post it. I found this in the Joy of Cooking cookbook...one of my favorites.

 Rinse and pat dry:
 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

 Lay on a work surface with the smoother side up. Make an incision about 3 inches long and 2 inches deep in the middle of the thick side to create a pocket.

 In a small bowl, combine:
 4 ounces of mild goat cheese, at room temperature
 2 medium fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced(I just use 1)
 3 sundried tomato halves in oil, minced

 Spoon one quarter of the filling into each pocket. Press to seal the edges. Generously season each chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

 Meanwhile combine: 2 cups cooked black beans rinsed and drained
 1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Pinch of ground red pepper

 Preheat the oven to 375 Cut four 15-inch squares of aluminum foil or parchment paper (I prefer parchment paper) and crease them in half on the diagnol. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the black bean mixture on one side of each paper, top with chicken breast and sprinkle with hot paprika. Fold the empty half of the paper over the chicken to cover. Fold the edges of the paper together all the way around, closing the packet tightly. Set on baking sheets and bake until the packets are browned and puffed, about 5 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and rice.

 This is one of our all time favorite recipes.

Meatloaf....what a great comfort food!

I have always really liked meatloaf and now that I have found this recipe I love meatloaf...especially, when I am wanting some good hearty comfort food. This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking and my cookbook is falling apart because it is one of my favorites.

Meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan.
Combine in a large bowl:
12 ounces ground beef chuck
12 ounces ground beef round (depending on what I have I usually just use 24 ounces of the same beef)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats or breadcrumbs (I use the old fashioned oats and those have worked too)
2/3 cup ketchup
2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. ground thyme ( I usually don't have this and tonight I just added a little Italian seasoning)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Knead the mixture with your hands until everything is well blended.  Do not over mix.
Fill the loaf pan with the meat mixture, mounding the top. I sometimes put more ketchup on the top.  Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the meat is firm to the touch and has shrunk from the sides of the pan or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the load reads 160 degrees.  1- 1 1/4 hours.  Pour off the excess fat and let stand for 15 minutes.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa...Always a hit!

Happy Easter!  Yesterday we went to a family Easter party with my Aunt Lorna and Uncle Ed.  We had a great time and were runner ups in the egg toss.  Movie tickets were on the line and we were soooo close.:)  I brought one of my favorite recipes Black Bean and Corn Salsa.  I was given this recipe at one of my bridal showers and it has always been a big hit.  Everyone LOVES it!  Hope you enjoy!

Black Bean/Corn Salsa

2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
1 can corn
juice of 1 fresh lime
4 Tbsp. oil (I use olive oil)
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 cans rotele tomatoes with chilies
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 avocado, chopped

Mix all ingredients excluding avocado.  Add the avocado just prior to serving. 
Great with Hint of Lime tortilla chips!

5 Star Vegetarian Dinner

Tonight I went vegetarian and gluten free. My dear friend Deb posted a meatless burger on her blog that I wanted to try and it was wonderful. This is a great dish with plenty of protein without the meat. This will definitely be served again. I served it topped with avocado, a side salad and Pao De Queijo (a brazilian cheese bread). I love Pao De Queijo and so do my boys!

Here are the recipes:

Lil Debs Meatless Burger

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked brown rice (I didn't have time to make rice so I doubled the quinoa)
1 cup cooked black bean
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese(I used mozarella cheese)

2 eggs
2 tablespoons of brown rice flour (all purpose is fine)
2 green onions
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Oil for  cooking

Easy, Mix it all together. Heat Frying pan with a few teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Only coat the pan with the oil, you are not trying to drown the burgers in oil. Measure 1/4 cup and form into patties. Cook until golden-brown, about 3 min each side. I made about 15 patties.


Quick Brazilian Cheese Rolls {Pao de Queijo} – Gluten Free!
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk (I used rice milk)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup tapioca flour (sometimes labeled tapioca starch) no substitutions
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese* (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
*you can play around with the cheese.  I’ve used Monterey Jack, low-moisture mozarella, swiss, and even gruyere in place of the cheddar.  All great!

Optional:  extra cheese to sprinkle on top and any herbs/flavorings you’d like to add.  Try rosemary and or garlic powder, my favorites!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth.  Add cheeses and pulse 2 times.  Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn’t non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.  If desired (and I recommend), sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top and/or a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden.  Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan.  Serve warm. {Que Gostoso!}  These actually don’t re-heat well so I recommend making and eating fresh.

Yield: anywhere from 16-24 rolls, depending on how full you fill your muffin pan. I fill  mine pretty full (a good 3/4 full) and I generally get about 16-18.

These will go quickly!

Sweet Potato Fries

Last night for dinner we had turkey burgers, green beans and sweet potato fries.  My 22 month old ate most of them because they are so yummy.  I found the recipe at Our Best Bites.  I have made them several times and we have never had left overs.  I have not tried it with the sauce but I am sure that would be yummy too.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Honey-Lime Dip

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4″ match-sticks

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t coriander

1 t kosher salt

1 t parsley

1/8 tsp black pepper

*you want 1lb sweet potatoes after they are peeled, sliced, etc. If you weigh them at the store make sure you have a little more than a pound to allow for the peeling, and tossing of small pieces.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, parsley, and pepper. 

Place sweet potatoes in a pile directly on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Use hands to toss until all pieces are well coated.  Sprinkle seasoning mixture on top and toss again with hands to coat. 

Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer so that pieces are not touching each other.  Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Use a metal spatula to gently flip fries and then return pan to oven. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes or until fries are starting to lightly brown and crisp.  Remove pan from oven and cool 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Honey-Lime Dip

6oz container plain, low-fat yogurt

1 T mayo (low cal is fine)

1/2 T honey

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

1/4 t cumin

1/8 t oregano

1 t parsley

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t kosher salt

Mix all ingredients until combined.  Chill until ready to use.

And sorry that my camera cord is still missing.  I am sure one of my kids have put it in a very safe spot.  Hopefully there will be pictures soon!

Pizza Dough with Quinoa

I received this recipe from a friend and it is GREAT! I made it for two pizzas and it turned into 6 medium pizzas. So I froze 4 of them. I rolled them out on parchment paper then I baked them for 2 minutes. Once out of the oven, I cooled them, then put them in the freezer on the parchment paper. Once they were mostly frozen, I took them off the parchment paper and put them in freezer bags and then back in the freezer until we have another pizza night. Just remember to not make the crust too big or it won't fit.

Here is the recipe for 2 pizzas:

In a bread mixer( mixer with a dough hook)
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tblsp. Honey or sugar(I used agave nectar)
1 1/2 cups cooked cracked grain ( kamut, oat groat, wheat, whole millet, whole quinoa)
3 cups flour ( high gluten preferred)
2 Tbsp. yeast
Mix well. It will be a little runny. Let it sit and 'sponge' for 10-15 minutes. Then pulse to release air.

Add:
4 Tblsp. Olive oil
1 cup flour
On top of flour add:
2 tsp. salt
Mix/knead. Add flour a little at a time while mixermis kneading until the dough pulls away and cleans sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Then knead. 10-15 minutes.

Separate pizza dough into 1 3/4 lb-2 lb. balls. (I guessed). Oil outside of ball if you want. Let it relax 5-10 minutes. ( pizza will roll out easier if you don't knead it after it has relaxed.). Roll out to desired size and thickness. Place it on a piece of parchment paper. Oil if you want. Let it rise a bit. Put toppings on top. Bake at 450-500 degrees for 5-9 minutes.

Fish Tacos

We loves fish tacos but we are picky about our fish tacos.  This is the best recipe that I have found so far.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup beer ( I completely skip this step and just dip the fish in the egg and flour and somtimes totally omit this step.)
•  
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime, juiced
• ( I usually omit the jalapeno) 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• (I usually omit this too) 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• (I love this sauce)
•  
• 1 quart oil for frying ( I like to just pan fry my fish with olive oil)
• 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
• 1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

Directions

1. To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about a few lumps).
2. To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

It is also great with sliced avocado, tomato and lime.  We can't get enough of it!  

Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Muffins

My dear friend Debbie posted this on her blog recently and so I gave it a try to give my boys a healthy yummy treat!  It turned out wonderful and smelled amazing!  Here is the link to her blog RN Mommy Blog.

Here is the yummy recipe:
Dry Ingredients:
GF Mix: 1 cup sorghum flour
               1 cup tapioca starch
            1/2 cup almond meal ( my husband has an almond allergy so I just blended up some pecans)
*When possible I try to make my own "meal" or flour. It keeps the cost low. example, buy your almonds or brown rice, and grind them up. It helps that I have a dry blade container for my Vita-mix. There are lots of contraptions you can find to grind your goods.
**I make extra of this mix and keep it in a large mason jar. I use it for pancakes and waffles too.**

6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

WET INGREDIENTS:
4 large ripe bananas (the more specks the sweeter)
1/2 cup honey ( I used agave nectar)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
2 large organic eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins with coconut oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together. Pour batter in tiny muffin tins. Bake for about 30 min. (here in Utah I only cooked it for 12 minutes and it was all done) Stick a toothpick in the middle to make sure it is done. Keep in longer if need be.  Let cool for about 15 min and pop them out. They did really well in the fridge for a week. You can also put them in the freezer and eat them later.  ( I also did some in a regular muffin pan and it still turned out great)  My camera cord is still missing so this is my friends pic.:))  



Thanks Deb for the great recipe.  This is the first time that I have used Sorghum Flour and it really was yummy.  My five year old whom we like to call A-A loved them!  Next time I think I might even had some chopped walnuts and some coconut!:)

Quinoa Pizza Bites

My good friend Bekah sent me this recipe to try and it was very yummy. Here is the link to the site Gluten Free Quinoa Pizza Bites

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced (the original recipe called for pepperoni so that is another option)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pizza sauce for dipping

Directions

1. Place the quinoa and two cups of water in a covered pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (one heaping tablespoon each), and press down gently to compact.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.

Makes 24 mini muffin bites.

My hubby loved them and my 5 year old also enjoyed them.  We had them for lunch but they would be a great snack!  Enjoy!

Granola

I have been a little under this weather this week so I have not been keeping up the way I would like but here is a great recipe for granola that I made today. I am on the lookout for other great granola or granola bar recipes so send them my way if you have any. I found this recipe at 16 and Me Blog.


Combine in large bowl:
4 cups of oatmeal  (Old Fashioned is the best)
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup of nuts (Optional)(I used peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds and pureed them so my 21 month old wouldn't choke on them)
1/4 to 1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 cup flax seed
1/4 cup chia seed (Optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix separately, then heat in microwave until very warm and easy to pour:
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix thoroughtly, spread on large cookie sheet which has been lined with cookie liners or a silicone silpat(I lined mine with parchment paper).  Bake on 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  About half way through your cooking process turn all the granola, so that it does not get to brown on one side. If it seems to be to soft remember it hardens after you take it out of the oven.  Add 1-2 cups of any dried fruit. (Appples, raisins apricots, etc.) ( I added raisins and dried apples) When it come out of the oven I like to push it to one side and mush it together so that when it cools it ends up in bigger chunks. Note: Everyone of the grains in this recipe can be eliminated or changed for another seed.  My children like it with just the oatmeal and the coconut without the seeds.  It is really good anyway you make it. (I also really enjoyed it as cereal and my son loved it in his yogurt)

ENJOY!!

A Flop

So my dinner last night Turkery meatballs with Asian Style Noodles sadly failed.  I don't think it was because of the recipe but because it was too involved when you are trying to make dinner with 3 little boys running around and cranky because dinner is not ready yet.  I learned my lesson...simple is better or give my self plenty of time to prepare it!  

Tonight is date night with the hubs.  Cafe Rio it is and I am really looking forward to it!! Have a great weekend!

What's for dinner tonight?

I am trying a new recipe tonight Turkey Meatballs with Asian Noodles. What are you having for dinner?

Northern Bean Soup

I found this recipe on 16 And Me Blog I made it last night and it turned out very tasty even though I would change just a couple of things. Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:
¼ cup butter (I used olive oil)
2 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
1 large onion 
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 clove of garlic
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 breasts of diced chicken
3 cups of chicken broth
2 cans of great northern beans (Undrained) (Or try cooking your own raw beans, just follow the directions on the back of the bag.)
4 tomatos

Directions
Pre-cook chicken cut into bit sized pieces. Melt butter in sauce pan with the onion and the garlic then add to the chicken. Put all remaining ingredients together except tomato. Heat to boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Tomato is to be added to each individual bowl of soup. You can also break up the cilantro and add to the individual bowls of soup as well.

Next time I will add a little jalapeno and some lime juice and my husband would prefer rice instead of beans. It is also great with some avocado on top too. My friend joined us for lunch today and she really enjoyed the soup too. My five year old said "Mmmmm mommy this soup is really good."

Homemade Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I am still missing my camera cord so no pictures yet.  But two night ago I made homemade Barbecue Chicken Pizza.  Here is a dough recipe that I have used several times and really like:

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust (found at allrecipes.com)

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar ( I have also used honey in place of the brown sugar and it works well)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

I plan to try a gluten free pizza crust this month and I recently found another recipe which uses amaranth which is very yummy.  Let me know if you are interested in the recipes.  So after I made the dough I rolled it out on a piece of parchment paper and then spread barbecue sauce on top of the dough then cheese, cooked shredded chicken, chopped red onion,  chopped cilantro and I also really like pinneaple  with it too.  I then transferred the pizza and the parchment onto a pizza stone that had been heating in the oven and I cooked it at 425 for 20 minutes.  It was very yummy!!  The one thing that you have to remember when making pizza dough is to give yourself plenty of time for the rising of the dough.  You can even make the dough in the morning, let it rise and then put it in the fridge until you are ready to roll out the dough.  I also found out recently that you can make several pizza crust, roll them all out, precook the dough just a little then freeze the crust as is til you are ready to use it.  This is a great way to have homemade pizza anytime you want.:)    

Black Bean, Avocado and Quinoa Salad

This is by far my favorite quinoa recipe.  I made it today for lunch and was missing the lemon so it wasn't quite perfect but everyone in my family enjoyed it.

Cook the Quinoa (2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa and cook for 20 minutes)
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 cucumber chopped
1/4 or less of red onion chopped
handful of cilantro chopped
1 avocado Chopped
1/2 can black beans drained and rinse ( I don't always use the black beans but it definitely more filling)
Lemon juice to taste (I like a lot of lemon juice and you can also use lime if you have that on hand.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cumin to taste(optional but adds a great flavor)
Can also add a little Olive Oil if it is too dry

For lunch I also added Apple Chicken Sausage and it made for a very hearty lunch.  Enjoy!

The Perfect Roast

I am planning to put pictures on here very soon but I have seemed to misplaced the cord that I use to import my photos.  Once I figure out where it is hiding then pictures will be up.  Sunday night we invited some friends over and I decided to try the Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast.  I had never done a Pot Roast in the oven before but my sister in law just made this roast about a week ago and the picture looked amazing. So I gave it a try.  The first time I read the recipe I thought I read that it would take 2-3 hours to cook but it really said 3-4 hours depending on the size of the roast.  So my perfect roast ended up not being quite perfect but it was all because of poor timing.  The flavor was amazing and definitely my favorite roast that I have had before.  Next time I think I will brown everything and do all the prep work but then cook it in my slow cooker.  But I will let you know how that goes.  As for now give it a try and I don't think you will be dissapointed.
Here is the link to the recipe: The Perfect Pot Roast