Honey Mustard Dressing + Salad

Soooo good that even my son that hates salad dressing likes this one! 

2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard 
1/4 cup smooth dijon mustard 
1/4 cup avocado oil 
2 TBS Apple cider vinegar 
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced 

Mix it all together in a small bowl. 

I like to store this in a 12 oz tall mason jar with a mason jar salad dressing lid! 

Highly delicious on a salad with these ingredients: 
Romaine Lettuce and/or spinach 
Chicken 
Bacon 
Avocado 
Sliced red onions 
Diced fresh tomatoes 

Mexican Pizzas

Nice gluten-free version of pizza!  

24 Corn tortillas  (or so) 

Olive oil 

1 can of refried beans 

1/2 lb ground beef 

Taco seasoning 

8 oz shredded cheddar or mexican blend 

Toppers: 
salsa

Sour cream 
Tomatoes, chopped 

Avocado, chopped 
Green onion, chopped 
Olives, chopped 

Shredded iceberg lettuce 

Preheat the oven to 425.  

Spray or drizzle oil on a skillet.  Heat the tortillas one each side, for about 30-60 seconds.  

Place tortillas on a baking sheet.  Spread a thin layer of refried beans on the tortilla.  

Sprinkle about 1-2 TBS of ground beef.  Sprinkle taco seasoning.  

Sprinkle about 2-3 TBS of cheese on top.  Top with another tortilla. 

Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until top tortilla is crispy and cheese is melted.  

Serve with any of the toppers.  

Vietnamese BBQ Pork Noodle Bowl

When I ordered this at our local Pho restaurant, I knew I had to try and recreate it.  So simple and flavorful! 

Meat + Marinade 
1 lb pork, sliced into small bite-size pieces
2 TBS minced onions
1 TBS pressed garlic
3 TBS cane sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
1 TBS Soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid aminos)
1 tsp pepper
2 TBS olive oil

Mix together marinade and pour over meat pieces in a large ziploc bag.  Let sit for at least an hour, or overnight.  Spread on cookie sheet in a single layer and cook at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Broil on high to get a golden color, then flip the meat over and repeat. 

Nuoc Cham (Sauce) 2 minced garlic cloves
2 TBS sugar
1/2 C. Warm water
1/4 c. fish sauce
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 TBS white vinegar
red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it, I only added 1/4tsp)
1 green onion, chopped.

Mix together garlic cloves, sugar and warm water and stir till sugar is dissolved.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  This sauce is very water, but it totally works when poured on top of the noodles!

Serve with: Cooked Stir-fry rice noodles
Matchstick carrots
Cucumbers, cut into sticks (kind of like the matchstick carrots)
Bean sprouts
Mint leaves

Egg rolls on the side is a nice touch, if preferred.  You could also leave out the meat easily for a flavorful vegetarian dish. 

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce on Thai Chicken Wraps

Our Costco carried an amazing bottle of Thai sweet chili sauce over the winter.  It cost about $5 for a huge bottle.  During the summer, however, I haven't been able to find it there.  I looked around town, but the best I found was a tiny bottle at the health foods store for $4 and it was like 6 oz.  As if that would be enough for my family.  And it just wasn't the same.  I finally called Costco and they tell me that it's a seasonal thing.  Whaaa??  Alright, then, let's make our own!  I combined a few recipes to get this: 

1 cup water
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup white sugar (evaporated cane juice)
2 tsp fresh minced ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on how hot you like it
2 tsp ketchup
1 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS water

Bring the water and vinegar to a boil.  Add the sugar, ginger, garlic, red pepper and ketchup and let boil for 5 minutes.  Mix cornstarch and water, then drizzle into boiling mixture while whisking until thickened.  

Now, you may ask, what would I eat this with?  

THIS:   Thai Chicken Wraps

"Mom, it's like a burst of flavors mingling in my mouth" --- 14 year old son upon tasting this recipe

Trust me, you will love these.  Rave reviews all around.  We do serve these buffet style so picky eaters can choose what they like.  We also add cilantro and thai sweet chili sauce to everything already include in the recipe, and they are delicious!  

Alternatively, you can make these GF by simply skipping the wrap (or using a GF or lettuce wrap) and eating the filling or putting it on a salad.  You can also skip the chicken and go vegetarian easily, it's super flavorful.  

Yummy Chicken Curry

This recipe is yum and super easy! 

4 TBS butter
1/2 onion or small onion, blended
2 TBS curry powder (or less if you don't want it as spicy)
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups coconut milk (two cans)
4 cups cooked chicken
1 tsp lemon juice
cooked rice

Melt butter in pan.  Saute onion and curry powder for a few minutes until onion is translucent and curry powder aromatic.  Mix together cornstarch, salt, sugar and ginger in a small bowl.  Whisk into onion mixture until smooth as you can get it.  Whisk in chicken broth and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil, whisking often.  Boil until thickened.  Add chicken and lemon juice, and heat to warm.  Serve over rice.

Can top with almonds or peanuts, sliced green onions, sauteed stirfry veggies and/or onions, pineapple, coconut, etc.

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.

Simple Chicken Caesar Salad

My daughter told me we were all out of salad dressing, except 3 bottles of Caesar dressing that no one wanted to eat.  I discovered that Caesar dressing on lettuce isn't that tasty.  But caesar salad done the right way is!  No measurements are really needed, you just mix it up.

Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into salad size pieces
Leftover cooked chicken pieces (rotisserie, cubed, grilled, etc)
Shredded parmesan cheese
Bread, any kind (can use GF)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Caesar dressing (Make your own, or use a bottle.)

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut bread into cubes.  Put in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top of the cubes.  Sprinkle salt, stir and repeat until the pieces are all drizzled, but not completely sopping with the oil.  Be generous but don't overdo.  Spread on a cookie sheet covered in foil and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes.  Stir, and then cook for 3-8 more minutes until crisp.  Let cool.

Put lettuce in a large bowl.  Add some chicken, parmesan and croutons to the bowl.  Pour some salad dressing on the top and toss until the salad is all covered with dressing.  Serve immediately and eat it up.  Try not to omit the homemade croutons, that's what makes it taste REALLY good.

Quinoa Salad for Beginners

I HATE the smell of quinoa when it's cooking.  It smells terrible.  I can rarely ever eat something made of quinoa right after cooking.  That's why I usually cook it, then refrigerate it, then make something out of it.  

Anyway, this is one delicious salad!  My 1, 3, 11 &16 year old kids all love it.  The 6, 8 & 18 yo didn't dare try it.  This recipe is very forgiving, you can pretty much just throw in what you have. 


4 cups cooked, refrigerated quinoa
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped celery, carrots, cucumbers, sprouts, peppers, cilantro, parsley (all or any combination)
1/4 c. chopped green onions (or other onions)
1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken (or omit, it's good either way)

Dressing:
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. olive or sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dressing.  Mix quinoa & veggies.   Pour dressing over salad and stir.  Add extra salt if needed. 

Cheesy Chicken Beanoa Skillet Dinner

Here's one idea for a quinoa skillet dinner, but I bet you can make almost any flavor with your leftovers! Good enough that my teenaged son said, "This is actually something I would eat."

2-4 TBS Butter / Coconut oil (or combination)
3 garlic cloves
8 c. quinoa
3 c. frozen green beans
2-3 c. chopped cooked chicken
1-2 C. cheddar
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
garlic salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter, fry minced garlic cloves. Add quinoa, beans & seasoning, saute for about 5 minutes until beans start to defrost. Add chicken, saute for another 5 minutes. Add cheese, stir it in until melted and serve.

Other flavor combo ideas (add all or any combo):
Summer: Ground bee/chickenf,Zucchini, Basil & Mozzarella
Mexican: ground beef, beans, corn, green onions, tomato sauce, cumin, garlic salt, cheddar
Italian: Sausage, basil, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, parmesan
Fajita: Chicken, onions, peppers
Oriental: Eggs, green onions, soy sauce, stir fry veggies, sprouts, cashews

You don't have to add a protein, as quinoa is a complete protein. Add any veggies, seasonings, nuts, meats, cheese, etc for a tasty dish!

Quinoa

I've just recently dared to try quinoa. I always hated the smell of it. Big surprise! After cooking it up I found it's actually really tasty, and everyone in the family liked it. If you have cooked quinoa on hand, it will make fast, versatile dinners! And even if you don't, quinoa cooks pretty quickly. 

Quinoa is a complete protein, is very nutritious and is gluten free. To properly prepare quinoa, you should soak it first. 

 To soak: 

1 cup quinoa 

 1-2 TBS of an acid (whey, buttermilk, yogurt, vinegar or lemon juice) 

1 c. filtered water 

 Put in a cooking pot, let it soak for 7-24 hours.  Rinse overnight in filtered water and an acid. In the morning, rinse it well. This is much easier if you have a fine meshed strainer, but if not, you can put in a tea towel. 

 Pour it back into the pot and add 1 c. filtered water & 1/2 tsp real salt. Bring it to a boil, then turn down to low. Cover it and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes. 1 c. dry quinoa will yield about 4 cups cooked quinoa. I cook extra and freeze it in 4 c. bags.

INSTANT POT VERSION: 
While soaking it first is best, this is a super fast way to get some cooked quinoa! 

1 cup quinoa 

1 cup chicken broth (low sodium) or water 
1/2 tsp salt 

Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and drain really well. 

Mix together ingredients in instant pot.   Put lid on, and seal vent knob.  Pressure cook high 12 minutes, let natural release 10 minutes then flip the vent knob to remove lid.  

Toasted Quinoa alternative: 
Set instant pot to saute.  Pour 1 TBS olive oil in the bottom.  Pour in quinoa and toast quinoa till fragrant.   Then add water & salt and pressure cook for 10 minutes.  Natural release 10 min.   

Whole Grain Banana Bread Muffins

Great texture, yummy, non refined. And they have the added bonus that you don't have to throw out those black bananas that are too gross to even put in a fruit shake.

3-1/2 C. soft white wheat (aka whole wheat pastry flour)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 c. good fat - olive oil, coconut oil, or softened butter (can also sub 1/3 c. applesauce)
3/4 c. honey
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 c. mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 c. hot water

Mix dry ingredients together in smaller bowl. Cream together honey & oil. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in vanilla and mashed bananas. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet and stir. Add 1/2 the water, stir. Repeat till it's all added. Don't over-stir.

Spoon batter into greased muffin pan. Makes 24 muffins. Bake at 325 for about 12-16 min. Test with a toothpick to make sure they are done.

Bonus treat: add 1 c. chocolate chips.

Pesto Panini

It's 100 degrees today, and the AC broke. We just had salad bar for dinner, so I had to find something else to make for dinner that didn't require much heat. These made everyone happy (except I did have to make some without onions...)

Sourdough bread
Pesto sauce (homemade or from Costco)
Lunch meat, nitrate free, chopped in small squares (or any other kind of meat, or omit)
Mozzarella cheese
Red onions, sliced
Olive oil

Preheat a sandwich grill or George Foreman grill. If you don't have one, you can google how to make panini with two skillets or a skillet and a brick.

Take two slices of sourdough bread. Using a pastry brush, brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. That will be the outside of the sandwich. On the non-olive oil side, spread about 1 TBS pesto sauce. Sprinkle on some chopped lunch meat (I only used about 1/2 slice per sandwich), a bit of mozzarella and slices of red onions. Top the sandwich with the other slice of bread (olive oil on outside) and place in sandwich grill. Let cook until browned and crispy.

Serve with a big platter of veggies.

Potato Babies

I have no idea why these are called potato babies, they just are. Great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes! 4 out or 5 kids give these 2 thumbs up. I never measure these either!

3 c. mashed potatoes
1 egg
garlic salt to taste
1/4 - 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

butter
whole wheat flour or arrowroot powder

Mix first four ingredients together. If too sticky, add a little flour or arrowroot to the mix (but you don't want it to be so dry like playdough.) Sprinkle flour on the counter. Scoop out a large spoonful of potato mixture and plop it on the flour. Mash into a potato patty. Melt butter in a large skillet and then fry the potato babies up. Should be golden brown on each side, sometimes I'll add more butter to the other side before I flip them. Serve with ketchup.

Mexican Rice Bowls

Fast quick and delicious...

butter
Leftover cooked brown rice
Pinto beans (in a can or leftover)
garlic salt
cumin
onions
peppers
lime

In a pan, melt some butter (1-3 TBS depending on how much rice). Add leftover rice and beans, so it's about a 1:3 ratio (beans to rice.) Saute it in the butter, and sprinkle on garlic salt and cumin to taste. My kids love this for lunch, and sometimes we serve with healthier corn tortilla chips (or homemade ones.) For more gourmet tastes, saute' onions and peppers and serve on top of the rice bowl with a twist of lime. Can also add queso fresco cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and/or salsa.