Martha Stewart's Turkey Lettuce Wraps!

Martha Stewart's Everyday Food- Stir-Fried Turkey in Lettuce Wraps

so yum. we made them at the beach and I think they will be a staple in our house!

http://www.marthastewart.com/338192/stir-fried-turkey-in-lettuce-wraps

We added sticky rice along with green onions & carrots to garnish! 

strawberry fields forever

Earthfare came to Alex's office last week to do a cooking demonstration. They made their Strawberry Fields Salad:

2 quarts mixed salad greens

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1 cup fresh strawberries

1/3 cup sliced red onion

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Wash & dry greens. Wash, stem and dice strawberries. In large bowl, toss greens w/strawberries. Reserve 1/3 cup berries for vinaigrette. add onion, feta & almonds. toss together.

And Strawberry Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp water

salt & pepper to taste

Mix oil, lemon juice, water & pressed or mashed garlic clove and s&p. With fork mash 1/3 cup strawberries and add (or blend them all up in food processor). Gently TOSS to coat greens.

YUM

I love it.

tollhouse cookies

My friend Stephanie shared this awesome cookie recipe with me!

Tollhouse Recipe except instead of 3/4 cup white sugar you only use 1/4 cup. And then you add a small package of vanilla pudding mix (the 4 serving size). So basically you just swap 1/2 cup white sugar for the pudding mix.

SO GOOD!

AND- Anne mixes the batter, makes them into little balls, freezes them on a cookie sheet and then puts them in a ziplock bag for later or to give as a gift!

dairy free pumpkin muffins

From a great website: www.eatbelive.wordpress.com

Moira says these are moist, low in sugar and make a great afternoon snack or breakfast addition. I made 12 and ate 6 :) alex and ava shared the others.

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil (canola or olive)

2 eggs

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (use 100% pure pumpkin puree- unsweetened)

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup flour (all purpose, whole-grain, whateva you want)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (i used the nut,wheat,egg,dairy free)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin pan or 24-cup mini muffin pan or use cups. Whisk together the first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Blend together flour, powder, soda, spices in med bowl. Add wet mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in nuts & chips. Spoon into pan. Bake 20-25 min Enjoy!

carrie's awesome chicken & pesto pasta

This is a dish Carrie made for us the first week we had Anna. Since then i've made it for us a few times and for a few others who have had babies. Everyone raves about how great it is!

I box whole wheat penne pasta cooked and drained (or whatever kind you want, we have done regular, and veggie pasta)

4 oz cream cheese softened (I put this in right after I drain the noodles so it will melt a little more and mix easily)

1 jar Classico Pesto Sauce

1 can diced tomatoes drained

some fresh baby spinach leaves (as little or as much as you like)

diced chicken breast cooked (I have used left over chicken, the tyson already cooked stuff in a pinch, and fresh sauteed or grilled chicken)

toss all together and put in a baking dish

top with mozzarella cheese

put in oven for about 5 mins on broil (keep a close eye on it when it starts to get a little tan spots on top take it out)

Super easy if you have cooked chicken. (It is worth the tyson for me because it makes clean up so easy).

butternut squash & macaroni casserole

I just got the Whole Foods App and have tried a few recipes. I really liked this one.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 in pieces

1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk

salt & pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped sage (i didn't have this and i thought it was still good)

3/4 pound dried elbow macaroni (i used penne b/c that's all i had)

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Method

Prehead oven 350. Lightly oil a 9x13 in casserole dish, set aside

Heat oil in med pot over med heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, unstil softened, 5-7 min. Add squash, cocount milk, s & p and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to med low and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 min. Stir in sage & simmer 1 min more. (This part can be made ahead, up to 1 day in advance).

Meanwhile, brin ga large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macacroni (or other pasta) and cook until tender but still firm, about 8 min. Rince in cold water, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Transfer squash mixture to bowl with macaroni. Add walnuts, s&p and toss to combine.

Transfer to prepared dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake until just golden brown and hot throughout, about 30 minutes.

Serves 8

chocolate bowls

This week at the beach Ava and I had the chance to hang out with some pretty awesome ladies who are on staff with Young Life across SC & Charlotte. A few of them were assigned to our meals- all very yummy and I had to share this one:

Dessert!!! Chocolate bowls!
I found a recipe on this website: The Wicked Noodle!

We made icecream sundaes in ours!
Enjoy!

roasted sweet potatoes with honey!

Okay! i'm back! Pregnancy sure does mess with your desire to cook and eat! I'm back to wanting to eat healthy again and have deleted some recipes and will begin adding more soon!

This one comes from the referral of a friend Laurin. It's on the Food Network Site (Tyler Florence) and i'm making it tonight for the third time! So easy, simple and yum.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey! (link here)

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.

Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

Mexican Corn Dip

Can you tell i love dips?

1 (24oz) can of Whole Kernel Corn, drained
6 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies, drained
1 cup Hellmann's mayo (ewwww, but it will be good)
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno chili chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Mix corn, cheese, chilies, mayo, sour cream, onions, jalapeno & salt in bowl. Chill & cover 4-10 hours. Serve cold or spoon into 9x13 dish and bake at 325 for 20-30 min. Serve with chips.

great websites

Well, i haven't posted anything in a few months b/c i've been so nauseous that I haven't really cooked and most of the time I don't want to eat anything at dinner time (except refried beans & cheese, fried rice, or cereal). So i have only made a few new things (recipes to come).

HOWEVER, i have been surfing around and found two cute recipe sites. Food Gawker & No Special Effects. Enjoy.

I cannot wait to make THESE!

egg muffins & quinoa

So i started working through my new cookbook and have 2 ideas to share!

Egg Muffins- never thought to bake eggs in a muffin pan before! Just mix egg whites & eggs with a little milk, pour into muffin cups and bake for 12-15 min at 400 degrees! Sprinkle with bacon- yum! Jessica Seinfield suggests adding chickpeas for added protein without the fat, but we didn't really like the taste. I would add more cheese to bake into the egg!

Quinoa- my new favorite super food- a protein rich seed that's gluten free! It's a little pricey so I am keeping my eyes open for sales. I cook mine for dinner with chicken broth to give it a great taste instead of cooking with water. Jessica has a recipe for breakfast made of cooked quinoa, sweet potato puree, little maple syrup, milk, cinnamon and pinch of salt! So yummy, i loved it!

microwave cake- i know, weirdest post i'll ever make

I am a little embarrassed to even be putting this up, but i'm making it right now for the second time and there's a chance I might make it again and I don't want to lose the recipe. Especially since I googled my way around and found it on www.elder-one-stop.com= Your one-stop Resource for elderly issues & Seniors. hahah- i was afraid i would forget the website name.

I made it one night for alex when he really wanted a dessert and we had next to nothing but whole wheat pastry flour, butterscotch chips & carob powder. I'm sure i could have found a recipe a little healthier, but this is what i tried and alex liked it!

Microwave Cake

by Marta

This extra rich, natural microwave cake is an easy 5 minute cake-for-one recipe, made in a mug...with options.

This is perfect for both elderly and kids to make, it's so easy. Great when you're in a hurry or just want a quick but home-made tasting treat. Make sure you use a microwavable mug!

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons of flour (healthy option: whole wheat pastry flour- i used this)
4 Tablespoons sugar (or splenda they said)
2 Tablespoons coco (or try carob powder- i used this)
Pinch of salt (optional)
1 egg
3 Tablespoons of oil
2 Tablespoons of milk
About 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (healthy option: carob chips)- i used butterscotch
1 Tablespoon dried fruit (optional)- didn't do this

Put the dry ingredients into a microwavable mug. Mix well.
Next, add in the egg and mix together thoroughly.
Then add in the milk, oil and vanilla, mixing well.
Add in the chocolate chips and dried fruit, if using.
Give it one final mix.

To bake your microwave cake, just put your mug into the microwave.
Cook for about 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
NOTE: The cake will rise over the top! This is normal.
Let it cool before eating. You can dump the mug upside down and put the cake on a plate or in a bowl. This may also be enough for 2 people depending on their appetites, especially if you add ice cream!
FEEL FREE TO ADD ICING TOO!

broccoli salad

This is from Publix Apron's Recipes. A friend made it for a party and i like it! Simple, raw broccoli, yum.

Ingredients
12 oz fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons cooked bacon pieces
8 oz light Vidalia onion dressing (1 cup) - INSTEAD of this dressing, the lady at publix said they were told to use this Naturally Fresh POPPY SEED dressing. that is what I used. try each if you want!


Steps

1. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces, if desired; place in medium bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 270kcal; FAT 16g; CHOL 20mg; SODIUM 430mg; CARB 27g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 8g; VIT A 50%; VIT C 130%; CALC 20%; IRON 4%

New fav smoothie

So my new fav smoothie is:

1 cup kale
1 orange peeled
1 cup another fruit
1 cup apple juice
1 cup ice

blend...
yummy

Greek Chicken & Orzo

A group of friends & I do this thing called "Meals in Heels". See my friend Danielle's post about it.

One of our favorite meals to make & freeze is Pampered Chef's Power Cooking Recipe for Greek Chicken & Orzo!

What you need:
1 lb. of cooked chicken (cut chicken into cubes and cook over olive oil on med-high heat until no longer pink)
2 medium zucchini, cut into
1/4 in. pieces
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans,
drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) garlic and onion-
flavored diced tomatoes
3 tbsp Greek Seasoning (found at Publix & Walmart)
2, 14oz cans of chicken broth
1 box (16 oz) Orzo pasta (found at Publix prob walmart too)
Feta Cheese for topping
Kalamata olives for topping if you like

Directions:
• Add tomatoes, garbanzo beans, greek seasoning, two cans (14 oz each)
chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to (12-in.)
Skillet; cover. Bring to a simmer over
medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium; add 1 lb uncooked
orzo. Cover and cook 5 minutes (or halfway
through cooking time according to package
directions), stirring occasionally.
• Add chicken & zucchini. Cover and cook 5-7
minutes or until orzo is tender and zucchini
begins to soften. Remove from heat; top with
2 oz crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with
coarsely chopped pitted kalamata
olives, if desired.

yummmmmmmy! We've made it without chicken and it's great. we've made it without chicken or beans and it's STILL great! so for all you veggies out there, this is a good one!

veggie burgers anyone?

Hey again! I tried to take off my comment about not having made them before, and the whole post disappeared! We tried them, but used our own black beans we soaked & cooked- didn't work too well.

Just use canned black beans and canned corn and it should be great!

Thanks Dawn!

Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup whole kernal corn

1/4 cup think and chunky salsa

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Mash beans. Finely chop onion. Add onion, corn, salsa, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper to beans. Mix well. Add bread crumbs and egg whites to bean mixture; mix well. Form bean mixture into four round patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot. Lightly spray pan with nonstick cooking spray; cook patties 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cucumber-Lime Smoothie!

Any of you doing a co-op or with a garden, have cucumbers coming out of your ears?

I found this...and I think it needs a little something extra...i'm going to try it again with strawberries too! Let you know how it goes.

This came from Diana's Desserts
Comments:
A healthy (yes, healthy, each serving has only 21 grams of carbs and fat-free) and refreshing drink to serve your guests during the warm summer months.

Ingredients:
3 quarts water
3 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Crushed ice (optional)
Slice of lime or mint sprig, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of the water and 1 cup of the cucumbers in blender. Blend until cucumbers are pureed then add more cucumbers and water until all cucumbers are pureed.
2. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain cucumbers into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp (I DID NOT DO THIS..didn't need to). Stir in remaining water, lime juice and sugar.
3. Chill before serving over crushed ice garnished with a slice of lime.

Makes 4 servings (Serving size: 9 ounces/269 grams).

Variations:
Instead of cucumbers, use tropical fruits like papayas, guava, pineapple or traditional fruits like orange, pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, watermelon or a combination of 2 or more.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (9oz./269g)
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount per serving
Calories: 86
Calories from fat: 0
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total Carbohydrates: 21g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 12g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A:10%
Vitamin C: 35%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 4%

Swiss Chard Pot Stickers!

We got some Swiss Chard a few weeks ago and the farmers gave us a recipe, I lost it so I found this one on Whole Living! We left out the mushrooms. Alex LOVED them to say the least. Great way to sneak in some veggies!

Makes 24

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 8 ounces Swiss chard (one small bunch), leaves coarsely chopped, stems minced
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps chopped (I DIDN'T USE MUSHROOMS B/C WE DON'T REALLY LIKE THEM...)
  
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (DIDN'T USE THIS EITHER B/C IT WAS EXPENSIVE)
  
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 24 round dumpling wrappers (FOUND THESE AT ASIAN STORE)
  

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chard, mushrooms, scallions, and garlic and cook until chard stems are crisp-tender and liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from chard. Transfer to a bowl; stir in vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce; season with salt and pepper. Wipe skillet dry and set aside.
2. Place 1 rounded teaspoon filling toward the edge of a dumpling wrapper. Moisten one edge with water using your finger. Bring two edges together, forming a half moon and enclosing filling. Pinch a couple of small pleats along top layer of wrapper. Seal by pressing pleated and unpleated edges together. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat. Keep dumplings and unused wrappers covered with damp paper towels while working.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange dumplings in pan, tightly, flat-side down, and cook until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of water. Return to heat. Cover and cook until heated through, all the water has evaporated, and bottoms are crisp, 4 to 6 minutes more (remove the lid for the last 30 seconds of cooking). Slide dumplings onto a serving platter, and serve with dipping sauce (we used duck sauce).

cinnamon baked french toast

So easy! You can put it all together the night before, stick in fridge and put in oven in the morning! I've made it twice. Alex liked it better the second time when I cooked it a little longer.


The Pioneer Woman's French Toast!

veggie lasagna

1 9oz box whole wheat lasagna (no bake, the brand she used was Gia Russa, but I am sure you could use any no bake noodle)
2 24 oz jars tomato basil spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 medium sized zucchinis or 3 small (my mom used a combo of yellow squash and zucchini)
1 8oz package baby bella sliced mushrooms
1 6 oz package baby spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic minced (she used more garlic)
additional grated parmesan and romano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9X13 glass baking dish (if using a foil pan it says to allow 10-15 extra minutes to cook) with nonstick cooking spray
2. In a medium bowl combine:ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese, eggs and parsley; set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic; add zucchini, squash, mushrooms and gently saute for approximately 2-3 minutes (careful not to overcook, they will continue to cook while baking); set aside
4. remove lasagna from box, DO NOT BOIL
5. To assemble, cover the bottom of the baking dish with 3/4 c sauce
6. Layer 4 uncooked noodles (slightly overlapping), 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture, 1/3 of veggies and 1/3 of spinach. Drizzle 3/4 cup of sauce over veggies. Next layer another row of noodles and press down slighlty, repeat previous steps until there are 4 layers. Top with 3/4 cup sauce
7. Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 min or until hot and bubbly.
8. Remove from oven and let stand for 15-20 min before cutting and serving. Heat remaining sauce and serve with lasagna.