Roasted Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Wrap

This recipe is a great one to have for finger foods or an appetizer for party. I used this recipe for a Tea Party. The left-overs will keep in your refrigerator for a week.

1 Jar Roasted Red Pepper, cut into chunks, drained and reserve juice
1 Jar Sun-Dried Tomatoes, in olive oil, drained and reserve oil
2 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients above into a blender into smooth, use reserved juice or oil to get the mixture to the right texture.
Place into a bowl, then add;
4 green onions, minced
2 (8oz) cream cheese, really softened

Stir until smooth texture, refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Spread onto a tortilla and roll up and cut into pinwheels, or add a little spinach and roll up as a wrap.
Spread onto a crust less white bread.
Place spread into a piping bag and pipe onto a Trisket cracker.

(If you don't like basil you can replace with cilantro.)

Vegan & Paleo recipe by Detoxinista

A few people have been asking me if I have any Paleo or Vegan recipes. I have a few recipes that I make, but not that often. Detoxinista.com is where I go to get recipes for vegan or paleo if I am asked to make for someone. I thought I would share the website. 

Clean Green Bean Casserole (Vegan, Paleo)

Author: Detoxinista.com

Prep time:  1 hour Cook time:  30 mins Total time:  1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 9-12

Featuring fresh green beans and caramelized onions, this homemade green bean casserole is just about as clean as it gets. Rather than relying on a cream-based soup, it's held together by a creamy puree of parsnips and mushrooms! The caramelized onion topping still delivers the buttery onion flavor that we all love, without the deep-fried grease and flour to go along with it. All of our favorite flavors covered, without the heavy food-coma to follow!

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon coconut oil, or butter

2 cups parsnips, chopped

10 oz. mushrooms, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1½ cups water

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 lb. fresh green beans

Instructions

Melt a pat of coconut oil, or butter, in a large skillet and add the sliced onions. Saute gently over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until caramelized. Use a splash of water, as needed, to prevent sticking. Once the onions are tender and golden in color, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl for later.

While the onions are cooking, you'll have plenty of time to steam the parsnips. Fit a steamer basket into a saucepan, and fill with one inch of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the 2 cups of chopped parsnips, and bring the water to boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low, steaming for about 8 minutes, or until the parsnips are easily pierced with a fork. Transfer the steamed parsnips to your blender container, and set it aside.

Using the same steamer basket and saucepan, break the pound of fresh green beans into one-inch pieces, and toss them into the steamer basket. Bring to a boil, then cover and steam for 6-8 minutes, until the green beans are bright green with a bit of crunch. Transfer the cooked green beans to an 8" x 8" glass baking dish.

*Note: At this point, cook the green beans to be as tender as you like-- if you prefer them softer, steam them longer. The baking process later will not make them any more tender, so this is your chance to achieve the texture you like. (This is where I salt and pepper the green beans a little.)

Once the onions have finished caramelizing, you can use the same pan to saute the mushrooms and garlic. Melt another pat of coconut oil or butter, and saute the garlic for about 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Cook for about 6 minutes, until liquid is released from the mushrooms.

Spread half of the mushroom mixture into the baking dish of green beans, and pour the other half of the mixture, along with any liquid, into the blender container with the steamed parsnips.

Into that blender container, add 1½ cups water, 1½ teaspoons sea salt and ¼ cup of nutritional yeast to the cooked parsnips and mushrooms. Blend until smooth and creamy. (This mixture may be a bit salty to taste at this point, but keep in mind that it will be diluted when it's poured over a pound of green beans!)

Pour the creamy sauce over the green beans and mushrooms in the glass baking dish, and stir to coat well. (You may very well have more sauce than you need for this recipe-- I only used about 1½ cups to coat the vegetables well. Save the rest for a future dish!)

Smooth the creamy vegetable mixture with a spatula, and top with the caramelized onions to finish.

*At this point, you could cover the dish and store it in the fridge until you're ready to heat and serve.

When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until bubbly. Serve warm and enjoy!

You have some Spaghetti Squash you need to use pretty quickly. Yummy & Fun recipe

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Boats

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 (3 lbs.) spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups fresh spinach

1 (14.5 oz) can roasted tomatoes with green chiles

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 ounces goat cheddar, shredded

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper . Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out and discard the seeds in the center, and place the squash halves face-down on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

In the meantime, pour the entire can of roasted tomatoes and green chiles (including the liquid) into a blender and add in the ground cumin and salt. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion until it is tender, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and spinach, and stir until the spinach is wilted.

Use a fork to scrape the cooked spaghetti squash flesh into pot and pour the enchilada sauce over the top. Stir well until everything is heated through, season to taste, and then divide the cooked vegetables between the two shells of the spaghetti squash arranged cut-side-up on a baking sheet. (Alternatively, you can just use two oven-safe serving dishes, if you’d prefer.) Top each serving with shredded goat cheddar, and place the baking sheet under your oven’s broiler, set to high, for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

*Note: This meal can be prepared very quickly on a weeknight if you have the spaghetti squash prepared ahead of time. I like to cook two squashes at a time, so that I have an extra one to use for a quick future meal! Also, feel free to use a jar of prepared enchilada sauce in this recipe, if you prefer. (Though if you need to remain gluten-free or grain-free, be sure to check in the ingredients– many of them contain flour.)

Hobo Dinners

I'm ready for fall weather! A great family tradition is usually s'mor's when you are around a fire pit or fireplace. How about the whole meal outside in one little wrapping! You can still have s'mor's afterwards.

HOBO DINNERS

                1 pound ground hamburger meat

                2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

                1 pound smoked linked sausage

                8 new potato, pre-cooked and halved

                1 bag frozen carrot, sliced

                1 bag frozen green beans

                1 chopped red onion

                1 can pinto beans, drained

                1 can cream of mushroom soup

                8 tablespoon butter

                2 sheet heavy-duty aluminum foil 

               (18 inches x 13 inches)

                Salt and pepper to taste

                Optional ideas to add; salsa, jalapeno, red bell peppers, corn and peas

Directions

Hamburger meat and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl and shape into a patty;  sausage is cut into bite size rings; place in the center of 2 foil with potato, carrot, onion, and all the other vegetables you like. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon of cream of mushroom soup and 1 tablespoon of butter. Fold foil over and seal well. Place your name on top.

Oven - Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. 

Grilled - covered 45 minutes

Fireplace- over medium coals (3 inch deep of hot coals) for 20-25 minutes or until hamburger meat is done.

Uncover very carefully, very hot inside.

Taco Meat Seasoning

     YOU have been asking so I am sharing! This recipe can be doubled and stored in a sealed container to use on chicken, fish or in soup. 

TACO MEAT SEASONING

1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon corn flour (optinal)

1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons seasoned salt

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion

1 tablespoon dry cilantro

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and place in a sealed container.  When you are ready to use add 3-4 tablespoons of mix to 1 pound of hamburger meat and ¼ cup water.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

BROCCOLI AND CHEESE SOUP

 2 tbl Butter

1 tbl Olive Oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli or One crown of fresh broccoli

1  ½  cups chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can pet milk

3 tsp. Flour

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

8oz. Colby jack cheese, shredded

In a stockpot, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli and simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer.

In a bowl whisk together chicken soup, pet milk, chicken broth, flour, salt and pepper. Add to the broccoli and stir continually on low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add 2 cups of soup to a blender and blend for 1 minute.  Pour blended soup back into to stockpot.  (Be careful because it is hot, place a rag on top of blender lid and have it on low.) Add cheese to soup and stir by using the figure 8 motion until cheese is melted and smooth. Now lower the heat to simmer, place a lid on and cook for 10 more minutes stirring occasionally so soup doesn’t stick to bottom of pan.

Turn heat off and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

4 – 8oz bowl serving

SPICES AND WHAT TO DO WITH THEM

Chili Mix

2 Tbl chili powder

2 Tbl Smoked Paprika

2 Tbl Brown Sugar

1 Tbl Onion Powder

1 Tbl Onion Flakes

2 Tbl unsweetened Cocoa Powder (optional but good)

2 tsp ground chipotle

2 tsp ground Cumin

1 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

2 Tbl Granulated Beef Bouillon

Store spice mix in a sealed container until ready to use.

Hamburger Chili

1 pound of Ground Chuck Hamburger meat, brown and drain fat.  Add the spices and large can tomato sauce

Baby Back Ribs

2 racks or 4 to5 lbs ribs

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbl Cider Vinegar

3 Tbl Molasses

Add Chili Mix Spices, mix together.

Rub all over the ribs, front and back.

Slow cooker 7 hours on low, cut off each rib place in slow cooker.  Pour small can tomato sauce over ribs and close.  (OR) Oven 300* wrap ribs in foil on a cookie sheet 3 hours. Save juices, throw ribs on a hot grill if you like to get those grilled marks. Brush the saved juices on top of ribs.

Chili Spaghetti

1 pound of Ground Chuck Hamburger meat, brown and drain fat.  Add the spices and large can tomato sauce.

Add 1can kidney beans, drained

Pour over 1 pound of cooked spaghetti add 2 cup cheddar cheese and 2 green onions chopped.  Bake 350* covered, 40 minutes until bubbly.