Baked Potato Soup

This is one of my husband's favorites.  I've adapted the recipe to be gluten free and dairy free for my allergic kids and it's still just as tasty as the original dairy-laden version.   

1/2 lb bacon (or so)
2/3 c. butter*
2/3 c. flour or cornstarch for gluten free
2 TBS better than bouillon + 6 c. of water (or 6 c. chicken broth/stock)
1/2 onion, blended
9 small or 4 large baked potatoes
5 green onions, chopped
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese*
1 c. sour cream*
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Black pepper to taste

If your potatoes aren't baked yet, you can scrub them, poke them with a fork and cook in the microwave.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet (use one with edges!  Like the 15x10x1" tray) with tin foil.  Lay the bacon out on the tin foil.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy how you like it.

In a large pot, melt the butter.  (You can also use bacon grease or any combination of butter/grease.) Add 1/2 blended onion to the butter and saute 3-4 minutes until translucent.  (Blend the onion in a blender by adding a little water.)  Mix in the 2 TBS of better than bouillon (if using) with the butter/onion mix.  Then add the flour or cornstarch and mix to make a paste.  Add water or chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and let thicken on med. heat.

Peel the potatoes and mash slightly, depending on how chunky you like the soup.  Add potatoes and season to taste.

Set out the following for toppings:
Green onions
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Crumbled bacon

*This soup tastes fabulous even without the dairy toppings.  Also, most people who are allergic to dairy can still eat butter, but if not, substitute bacon grease or another dairy-free alternative.   Sour cream and cheese can also sometimes be tolerated by lactose-intolerant people like my 3 year old who doesn't do well with straight milk/ice cream.

Warm Chocolate Pudding

Serve this with vanilla ice cream for a real treat! 

1 cup sugar (evaporated cane juice or sucanat)
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
4 cup milk (can use coconut milk in the box, or try other non-dairy milks)
2 T butter
2 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients:  sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt.  Whisk in the milk.  Over medium-high heat, whisk until mixture gets bubbly and thick.  Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.

Super Simple Coleslaw

Super tasty with shredded pork! 

1/4 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 c mayo
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 TBS sugar or evaporated cane juice.
1 T minced onion (optional)
Salt/Pepper

Shred cabbage and carrot, put in bowl big enough to toss.  Mix mayo, vinegar, sugar and onion to make dressing.  Add to cabbage mix and toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Mini Meatloaves

Of course you could make a regular meatloaf, but  mini meatloaves are much more fun and cook a lot faster.  

1 c. ketchup
1 c. oat flour (just put 1 -1/2 c oats in the blender - use GF oats for GF version)
1/2 c. pureed onion  (just put the onion with a little water in the blender)
1 large egg
1 T Worcestshire sauce
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1.5 to 2lbs ground beef

Mix together all the ingredients except the beef.  Add beef and mix with your hands.  Put in muffin pans about 3/4 full.  

If desired, top with:
ketchup
Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
Leftover mashed potatoes w/dab of butter
spaghetti sauce, cooked sausage, cheese for pizza meatloaf

Bake 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Shipwreck in a crock pot

Simple, easy, tasty.   And it even has a fun name. 

4-5 potatoes, cut into 1/2" sticks (like french fries)
1 lb ground turkey, cooked
1 onion, pureed
1 carrot (or 6-8 baby carrots), chopped or sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped or sliced

2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

Put the above ingredients in the crockpot.

Make the sauce in a pot:

1/2 c butter
6T flour or cornstarch
2t bouillon
3 c milk (can do dairy free if desired)
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter, then add flour and bouillon. Mix to make a paste.  Add milk and worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil until it's thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

Pour over the top of all the ingredients.  Yeah, it kind of looks like a shipwreck, but don't worry, it tastes good.

Turn crockpot on 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS: 

Saute 2 TBS butter with the chopped onion, carrot and celery 4-5 minutes until translucent.  Add the ground turkey (uncooked), 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Cook until ground meat is no longer pink inside.  Add potato sticks.  

Add 3 cups of water, 1 TBS beef bouillon, 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, stir. 

Put lid on the instant pot and set on high for 7 minutes. 

In the meantime, mix 1/2 cup of milk with 3 TBS of cornstarch.

Let natural release 10 minutes.  Turn to saute.  

Whisk in to the stew to thicken.   

Garlic Oil

This is great for sickness! Garlic is a natural antifungal and antivirus.  And I think it even keeps the vampires away.  You can swallow small whole cloves if you prefer.

To make garlic oil:
Mince 4-5 garlic cloves in a small bowl.  Pour olive oil in to cover the garlic.  Let it sit for an hour or so.   Make in small batches when you need it.

To use:
Immune booster:  Mix with salt, parsley, basil, oregano and dip bread in it.  Eat!  Pour on salad, rice or quinoa.  Eat fresh parsley afterwards to counteract the garlic taste.

Cough, cold, flu, fevers: Strain the oil, then rub the oil on your feet and then put socks on.  Can also rub on chest, cover with cloth.

Ear ache - warm oil by dropping oil on spoon over burner on med heat.  (this doesn't take very long.)  Get a dropper and test warmth by dropping a drop of oil on the inside wrist - it should feel warm, not hot or cold.  Drop 2-3 drops in each ear 2-3 times a day for several days, continuing 1-2 days after the pain leaves. Put a piece of cotton ball in the ear to keep it from running out (can remove after a few minutes.)

Ginger Tea

Fresh ginger is great for soothing sore throats and respiratory infections.   It's also excellent for colds and flu, digestion, nausea, motion sickness, gas, bloating, and menstrual cramps.  I used to think it tasted like flowers, but it doesn't really.  It tastes like ginger and it's kinda spicy! 

Ginger Tea:
To peel ginger, use the edge of a spoon.  That makes it easy!
In a small pot, add 2 cups of water.  Peel 1" of ginger and then grate it into the water.  Simmer on med. low for 20 min.  Remove from heat and strain.  Add honey to taste.  Can also add lemon if desired.

If you feel like you are getting sick, make up a batch and sip it through the day.  You can also rub this on sore muscles.

You can take a ginger bath.  Add tea to bath.

Natural Pancake Toppers

What do you put on top of pancakes and waffles?  Here are some more natural options:  

Applesauce (natural kind, sugar free)

Apple butter (natural kind, sugar free)

Maple icing (1:1 ratio of maple syrup to vanilla yogurt)

Honey butter sauce (1:1 ratio of butter to honey, melt in pan)

Buttered maple syrup (2:1 ratio of butter to maple syrup, mix with stick blender)

Jam Syrup (1:1 ratio of fruit sweetened jam with water.  Mix together with stick blender.)

Cinnamon & Sugar (1:1 ratio of cinnamon and evaporated cane juice.  Spread butter on, then sprinkle.)

Berries & cream (thaw frozen berries or chop fresh strawberries.  serve with whipped cream - dairy or not)

Berry sauce (Place frozen berries in a pot, add water to about 1/2 the height of the berries.  Bring to a boil, let simmer until berries are soft.  Blend with a stick blender. Keep berry sauce simmering.  Put mix cornstarch and water in a jar at a 1:1 ratio - start with 1 TBS of each.  Shake it up.  Slowly pour into berry sauce while whisking.  Add more cornstarch to get thickness you like.  Add 1 tsp of vanilla.  Then add agave, honey or stevia to taste.)

Tips: Pinhole or put in squirt container so you don't pour too much

Baked Beans

I got this recipe from a church dinner.  Hearty enough as a meal in and of itself! 

Brown 2lbs hamburger with chopped onion

Add:
2 large cans pork & beans
2 small cans red kidney beans
2 sm cans white beans

Mix in separate bowl, then add.
1 c ketchup
1 t mustard
1 t salt
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t dry mustard
1 T vinegar
1/2 t pepper

Put in crockpot on low 4 hours or 13x9 dish at 350 degrees 40 minutes

Three Bean Salad

My daughter and I were lucky to hear one of the ladies from www.wholefoodmommies.com speak and they shared this recipe with us.  We loved it, and my daughter didn't even think she liked beans.  I have adapted it a bit for our tastes.

1 can red beans, drained & rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 c. frozen corn  (thawed, or add frozen and wait to eat it) (optional, buy organic for non-gmo.)
1/2 red onion, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1/8 c cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1-2 T lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine it all and eat.  Chill in fridge before eating for better flavors.

Chocolate Strawberry shake

Toss this in your blendtec and enjoy!  Kind of funny because the littles (4 &2) didn't really like this, but everyone else thought it was fantastic.  

5 c. frozen strawberries (approx)
4T cocoa powder
1 can coconut milk
approx 1/3-1/2 sweetener (can use honey, agave, etc.  I like to do part coconut sugar with a little stevia.)
2 c. water (or so, depends on how thick you want it)

Blend.  Drink.

Massaman Curry

Massaman curry is one of my favorite dishes to get at the local Thai restaurant.  This isn't exactly the same, but it's pretty close.

5 T massaman curry paste
1 T oil
3 c. coconut milk (about two cans)
1 lb chicken, cut up into small pieces (about 1/4" x 1") - about 2 costco frozen breasts
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (traditional massaman curry has big chunks, I like them small - about 1/2" cubes - plus it cooks faster!)
1 onion, sliced in large pieces
2T peanuts (or cashews)
1 c. water
3 tsp coconut sugar (or other sweetener), optional
1 tsp tamarind paste, optional

Saute curry paste in oil until aromatic.  Add coconut milk and bring to boil.  Add chicken, potatoes, onion, nuts and water.  Return to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 15-25 minutes until potatoes are soft. The sauce should be fairly runny and plentiful.   Add coconut sugar and tamarind paste.

Serve over cooked rice.