Tuna Salad with Cannellini Beans

Tuna Salad with Cannellini Beans
Recipe by John Maclay
One can white cannellini beans (do not cook or rinse)
Two 6 oz. cans of white tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 small red onion, chopped into small dice and rinsed
Salt and Pepper to taste
Balsamic Vinegar to taste
Drain the cannellini beans.  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.   Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.   Eat and enjoy.
Serves 4

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding
Recipe by Mark Bittman,  published in the NY Times

3/4 cup sugar
1 pound silken tofu

8 ounces high-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
Chocolate shavings (optional)

In a small pot, combine sugar with 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
Put all ingredients except for chocolate shavings in a blender and purée until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down its sides if necessary. Divide among 4 to 6 ramekins and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate shavings before serving.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Lemon-Buttermilk Ice Pops

Lemon-Buttermilk Ice Pops
Recipe from Bon Appétit,  July 2002
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I used one very large lemon)
2 tablespoons lemon zest (I used the zest from one lemon)
Pinch of salt
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
Whisk sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in 4-cup measuring cup until sugar dissolves. Whisk in buttermilk. Divide mixture among 8 ice pop molds (each about 1/4 to 1/3 cup capacity). Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
Yield:  6 – 8 pops

Homemade Tart Lime Pops

Tart Lime Pops
Adapted from Real Simple Magazine, August 2004
1 15-ounce can sliced pears or pear halves
1/4 cup of juice from the canned pears
1/4 cup limeade concentrate, thawed
Drain the pears, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. In a blender, puree the pears, reserved juice and limeade until smooth. Pour into pop molds.  Cover and freeze until firm, about 3 hours.
Yield:  4 – 6 pops (depending upon the size of the pop molds)

Cheryl's bean soup

One fresh ham bone
One potato cut into chunks
3 carrots cut large
One stalk of celery cut in half
One bag of northern beans
Two tablespoons of old bay seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse beans add to pot of water,bring water and boil, stir, turn off heat, let beans soak until cold about 1 hour
At this time add ham bone bring back to a boil,  stir to mix, turn off heat let rest for 1 hour
now add potato, celery and carrots, old bay, and salt and pepper, bring back to boil, let rest until cold, put in fridge and its ready for tomorrows night dinner. remove ham bone and celery and enjoy with some homemade rolls.

If soup is to thick add a bit more water.
Serves about 10

Homemade Apple sauce

Freshly picked apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
Sugar to taste
Dash of cinnamon, to taste
Water or apple juice, for simmering


Place all in slow cooker or use a heavy bottom pot on stove use low flame.
cook until apples are blended and softened.
you may mash them smooth or leave chunkier.


Enjoy
(from the cookbook The complete crockery cookbook 2003)

Cheaters Applebutter

Take one very large jar of natural sugar free applesauce, put in a heavy bottom pan, fill half of the empty apple sauce jar with sugar, preceed to cook this down, for about 25 minutes or until its as thick as you want it...

thats it...you now made cheaters applebutter for those of us that cant wait until apple season arrives.

Enjoy.

Raw Sweet Potato Fries

Raw Sweet Potato Fries

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1/2 C Nama Shoyu
• 1/2 C Olive Oil

• Slice sweet potatoes into fry shapes. These will dehydrate down quite a bit so I usually start with about 1/3 x 1/3. Mix together Nama Shoyu and olive oil. Pour into a large zip lock bag and add sweet potatoes. (you can also use any type container, just make sure that the potato slices are covered). Marinate over night. Drain, place on dehydrator screens, sprinkle with sea salt and dehydrate at 145 for 1/2 hour. Reduce temp to 115 and dehydrate until desired dryness is achieved. You will want to check them after about 4 hours. Some people like them very dry, I tend to like them less dehydrated. 
• http://www.rawmazing.com

Raw Carrot-Raisin Bread

Raw Carrot-Raisin Bread (Inspired by Hi-Rawkus; makes about five slices)

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot juice pulp
1/3 cup green pulp (celery or cucumber would be ideal)
½ cup ground flaxseed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp flax oil
¼ cup raisins, packed
1/3 cup water (if needed)

Begin by blending the first five ingredients in a food processor until well mixed. Add the raisins and pulse until they’re well incorporated.

Next, drizzle in water until the mix is clumping together – just as you would make any bread in a processor. Don’t use it all if you don’t need it – you don’t want an overly sticky consistency. (You could also do this by hand, it’ll just take some extra time.)

Roll the “dough” out onto a wooden board. You’ll probably need to oil the roller and board for this. Cut it into rectangles (mine yielded five sizeable ones).

Turn on your dehydrator, and set it to 115 degrees. Put the bread onto a Paraflexx-lined dehydrator tray, and place the bread in the machine. Dehydrate for about one hour, and flip the bread. Dehydrate for another hour and a half. Then, flip the bread again, and dehydrate for thirty-forty minutes, or until the bread has reached a consistency you like. I was aiming for a soft, yet sturdy texture, and it’s exactly what I got!

Remove the bread from the dehydrator. If you’re not eating it right away, but it in an airtight container and store in the fridge (should keep a few days). Or, go ahead and whip up a raw sandwich!

From http://www.choosingraw.com/adventures-in-raw-bread-making/

Monkey bread

3 cans Buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2-3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter


Preheat the oven to 350.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. 3 will be really cinnamon-y. Dump this mix and the biscuits into a gallon size zip lock back and shake it up really well.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into a bundt pan (or jumbo muffin cups).

Melt the butter with the brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium-high heat until combined. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for 30-40 minutes (or 20 minutes for the muffin cup ones) until the crust is deep brown on the top.

I should now say that you should let it cool for about 15-30 minutes, but that’s practically impossible. Just tear you off a piece, blow on it for a minute and stick it in your mouth.

Oh man, it’s good.
Enjoy.

FROZEN BANANA BITES

FROZEN BANANA BITES

What you'll need . . .

• 2 large bananas
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup vegan or chocolate chips of your choice
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• Unsweetened coconut flakes

Method . . . 

1. Set out a large plate or bowl with a piece of parchment or wax paper on it.
2. Cut up the bananas into good-sized chunks. Each banana should give you around 5 to 6 pieces.
3. Heat the peanut butter and chocolate chips in the microwave on high for about a minute. Then stir until smooth.
4. Dip the banana pieces in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Lay them out leaving some space between them on the parchment/wax paper. Then when you've "covered" them all, use the remaining mixture to spoon over the tops (for even more chocolate-y goodness).
5. Then sprinkle the unsweetened coconut flakes on top. Transfer to the freezer for about an hour until hardened.
6. You can enjoy them like this (but they really aren't frozen yet -- and when they're frozen, the banana tastes like vanilla ice cream) . . . I suggest then covering with some plastic wrap (or really you can do all of this in some kind of Rubbermaid container) and let freeze overnight.

Crown Pleaser Sal-sa Chicken

In large pot cook 6 chicken breast in olive oil  until tender, shred.
in same pot add
1 can of black beans rinsed.
1 large can of corn.
1 jar of green verde sauce.
 cook until hot and steamy.
put on flour or corn tortillas, add sour cream and Mexican cheese.

Enjoy.

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes


Ingredients

6 Medium Size Potatoes
2 - 3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
30 g Butter
Maldon Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Put the potato on a chopping board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals.

Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

Enjoy.

Green Salsa Chicken

6 chicken breast salt and peppered
1 can of corn drained
1 can of black beans  rinse and drained
1/2 to 1 jar of green (verde) salsa depending on taste.
oil

In heavy pot coat bottom with oil, fry chicken until brown on both sides, add the remaining ingredients and cover until chicken is pull apart ready.
Serve with warm totillias and rice.
Enjoy.
 

White cake with strawberries.

 

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Brand Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
• 2/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Pour half of the batter into medium bowl. Add dry gelatin mix; stir until well blended. Spoon half of the white batter and half of the pink batter, side-by-side, into each prepared pan. Swirl batters together using a teaspoon.
2. Bake 30 min. Cool 30 min. in pans. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
3. Mix sour cream and powdered sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Place one of the cake layers on serving plate; spread top with 1 cup of the whipped topping mixture. Top with 1 cup of the strawberries and remaining cake layer. Spread top and side of cake with remaining whipped topping mixture. Top with remaining 1/2 cup strawberries just before serving. Store any leftover cake in refrigerator.

Carrot Zucchini Bread

Carrot Zucchini Bread:

4 carrots

1 zucchini

2 cups of flax seeds

1 1/2 cup of water

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Mix all of your ingredients in a food processor until evenly blended. Pour the mixture onto dehydrator trays and set the temperature at 115 degrees. Leave the bread in for 10 - 15 hours and cut it up into pieces of bread.

Enjoy!

NO fuss easy tomato sauce

If you are not a fan of canned tomatoes or want to go fresh, a quick sauce is still a delicious option. Organic tomatoes are available in most grocery stores and farmers markets and can easily be roasted and turned into a quick sauce. A sauce containing organic and roasted tomatoes is one of our favorite sauces to serve over gluten free pasta. The following dish is served with a fresh salad.

• Three lbs tomatoes
• 1/2 onion, cut in half and sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 green or red bell peppers sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme (if fresh, use more)
• 1/2 tsp basil (if fresh, use more)
• 1/2 tsp oregano (if fresh, use more)
• Fresh rosemary sprigs
• Ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the core. Place the tomatoes face down on a rimmed baking sheet. Peel and crush the garlic cloves and add them to the sheet along with the onions and carrots. Sprinkle the spices over the vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Roast until they are tender, about 45 minutes.

When the vegetables are finished roasting, remove them from the oven and use tongs to place the vegetables and juices into a food processor or blender. Pulse several times until the sauce has reached the desired consistency. Serve warm over your favorite gluten free or regular pasta and enjoy!

flat pizza dough

Olive Oil Pizza Dough

Makes 4-1 lb loaves.
Ingredients
2-3/4 cups lukewarm water
1-1/2 tablespoon granulated yeast (2 packets)
1-1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Directions
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, or in a large (5 quart) bowl working with a wooden spoon, mix the yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil with the water.
2. Mix in the flour without kneading. I found this process to be incredible simple with my stand mixer, but it will certainly come together the old fashioned way. If you are not using a machine, you may need to wet your hands in order to incorporate the bit of flour.
2. Transfer dough to large (5 quart) bowl or lidded food container. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
3. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 12 days.

Oat Yogurt is Easy to Make

First, Take Some Oats…

You can make oat yogurt from either raw or cooked oats. You can use oat groats, rolled oats or steel-cut oats, or oat flour, whatever you've got.

For the best flavor and nutrition, start with unprocessed raw whole oat groats. Groats is just another word for grains. For some reason, buckwheat grains and oat grains are called that. Start with either unprocessed oats or milled oats, then let them ferment.

Put the oat groats in a ceramic or glass bowl, or a glass jar. Add some water, enough to get them moist, with a little extra water covering them. After a few hours, or overnight, put the soaked oats and the soaking water in a blender or food processor or mortar and pestle. Blend until smooth. Pour back into bowl.

Enjoy

PECAN ROLO-MELT MINI-PRETZEL TREATS

NOTE: This recipe is tested tested on 12-18-10......kids would not stop eating them so make more to hide..

You will need:

- Hershey’s Rolos candy, with foil wrappers removed from each piece
- Mini pretzels (about the width of a silver dollar)
- Shelled pecan halves...or any nut would work
- a cookie sheet for a conventional oven or a microwave-safe plate

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (unless using microwave)
2. Spread out some mini-pretzels on cookie sheet (or microwave-safe plate)
3. Place one Rolo on top of each pretzel
4. Place one pecan half on top of each Rolo
5. Carefully place cookie sheet in oven or plate in microwave, keeping “stacks” of ingredients intact
6. Bake/cook (and keep watching) only until Rolos soften and attain “squished-down” melted state
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool so that the Rolos re-solidify
8. Make batches as big or as small as desired; serve or store after cooling.
Enjoy

CARROT & ORANGE SOUP

¼ cp unsalted butter
2 ½ cps chopped yellow onions
12 large carrots, peeled and chopped
5 cps chicken or vegetable broth
1 cp fresh orange juice 
salt and pepper to taste
grated zest of orange
1/8 tsp cinnamon 

Heat butter in large saucepan. Cook onions in the butter over low heat for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, broth to onion mixture, mix well. cook until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally.
Reserve 1 cp of the broth.
Remove solids to a blender using a slotted spoon. Add a small amount of the mixture and process until puréed. Return to the saucepan mix well. Stir in orange juice and reserved broth. stir in the orange zest. Simmer just until heated.

Cooking on Sundays...for the work week

Ok so to make cooking easier for the week...
On Sunday cooked up a whole chicken, use the stock to make soup or freeze for later, the chicken for salads, sandwiches or anything else you can think of like chicken tacos.
Cook up 8 eggs for salads, deviled eggs and just for eating as is.
Cook up 8 to 10 potatoes in water to done, use these for quick mashed potatoes, quarter fries, chips, in salads, or pop in the mic for a really quick baked potato.

Enjoy your week.

Tuna burgers/cakes

2 cans (5 oz. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
3/4 cup water
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. CLAUSSEN Sweet Pickle Relish
Mix and form into balls, cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side....add more cheese on top when cooked.

Enjoy

Apple chips

Apple chips

Thinly slice apples (really thin, or you’ll be cooking these for HOURS)
Lay out your slices If there isn’t too much “core” or seedy bits, the punched out hearts can be baked too! Dip all the slices in some freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning (optional). Bake the apple slices on some parchment for an hour and 10 minutes in a 250F oven. Some of the thicker slices took a few minutes longer. Once they are lightly browned, pop ‘em out of the oven and let cool. They’ll crisp up in no time and are totally delish.

Enjoy

How to Make Tomato Sauce Using Fresh Tomatoes

How to Make Tomato Sauce Using Fresh Tomatoes

things you'll need:

• 25 fresh tomatoes (garden or produce stand)
• 5 lg canning jars (sterilized in dish washer)
• blender or food processor
• tablespoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of sugar

1. • 1
     Peel your tomatoes (you may blend them or put them in a food processor then strain the sauce out from the left behind skins)
   • 2
     Next you should combine the sauce you have extracted with all of the ingredients, note the onion should be peeled but remain whole so you can remove it after it is cooked.
   • 3
     When all ingredients are combined in your pan simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
   • 4
     Pour your sauce into the jars until they are 1/4 inch from the lid.
     Cover tight so that they seal. Let stand to cool. Lids should seal.
     NOTE: Another way to seal them is to pour sauce into jars and then put them into boiling pot of water for 8-12 minutes. Then shut off burner and let cool to room temperature. Once cool dry completely and they should seal nicely.

     Store your jars for up to a year for fresh flavor.

     Enjoy.