Quick Stuffing and Sweet Potatoes

We have a ton of zucchini and squash in the garden so every meal we currently eat includes one or the other. So last night I decided to throw something together using all the stuff in the fridge including zucchini. I came up with a quick stuffing like mixture with baked sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes
wash, peel, and cut 2-3 sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Toss potatoes with 4 tbs olive oil and bake in a 450 oven for 20 min. Sprinkle potatoes with nutmeg and salt. Let cool for 5 min then toss with 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

Stuffing
5 cups bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 carrots chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 to 1 cup veggie broth

Toast bread cubes in a 400 oven for 10 minutes.
In a large pot melt butter and saute the carrots, onion, and zucchini till tender. Add spices to veggie mixture.
Combine walnuts and bread cubes in a large bowl before adding them to the veggie mixture. Pour enough veggie broth to moisten the bread cubes. Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Spoon stuffing mixture over sweet potatoes and serve warm.

Banana Cake

Last night we made a delicious banana cake with chocolate frosting. It also made a wonderful breakfast:)

Banana Cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Grease and flour two round baking pans. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer beat together bananas, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture till combined. Add eggs and beaton medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool in cake pans for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely before frosting.

Simple Breaded and Baked Zucchini

We are overloaded with Zucchini right now, not that I am complaining. My sister suggested breading and baking the zucchini so I went to try it. Unfortunately I had a tone of bread crumbs (I make them from the heals and crust of our bread) and zucchini but no eggs to dip them in. I decided to try it with milk. They were delicious! Especially when I dipped them in some homemade ranch. Next time I make them I will add some grated Parmesan cheese and garlic powder to the bread crumbs.


Simple Breaded and Baked Zucchini
Zucchini
Milk
Bread Crumbs

Cut zucchini into 1/2 inch thick strips. In 2 separate bowls place the milk and bread crumbs. Dip each strip in the milk and then in the bread crumbs to cover. Place each strip on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven at 400° F for 15-20 minutes.

Zucchini Overload

Right now we have a ton of zucchini so we have been using it and freezing it like crazy. Here is a list of things I do with my abundance of zucchini.

1. Puree and use or freeze in 1 cup portions to use in my flavored tortillas.
2. Shred and use of freeze for Zucchini bread
2. Chop and freeze for adding to any of my tomato sauces.
3. Slice and make Zucchini Fettuccine
4. Slice and make Breaded Zucchini Sticks

PB Cream Spread

Squeezing veggies in to snack time is something I am always working on. Here is a peanut butter like spread that we use instead of peanut butter for snack at our house. It can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.


PB Cream Spread
½ cup sliced carrots
2 tbs water
3 tbs cream cheese softened
1 tbs orange juice
2 tsp creamy peanut butter

Cook carrots in water till very soft allow time for carrots to cool then puree carrots and water in a blender. Add the cream cheese, orange juice, and peanut butter to the carrot puree. Blend until smooth
Serve on crackers, toast, or celery.

Falafels

Falafels

2 cups Garbanzo Beans

1 clove Garlic

½ tsp Parsley

¼ tsp Coriander

¼ tsp Cumin

½ tsp Mint

2 Carrots finely shredded

½cup Bread Crumbs

4 Pita Bread shells

oil for frying

Lettuce

Mayonnaise

Puree Garbanzo beans and add garlic, finely shredded carrot, spices, and breadcrumbs mix well. This can be done by hand or in a food processor. Scoop out ping pong sized balls from the mixture and fry in hot oil for 8 minutes turning once.

Warm pita bread and fill with mayonnaise, lettuce, and falafels.

Falafels can be frozen after cooking. Reheat by baking at 350° for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with potato chips and fruit.

Pita Pocket Bread

Pita Pocket Bread

1 ¼ c warm water
1 tbs oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

1 c All-Purpose Flour
1 ¾ c whole wheat flour
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
1 ½ teaspoons dry yeast

Place in ingredients in bread machine on dough cycle. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each ball into a 6- or 7-inch circle. Let rise for about 25-35 minutes. Preheat oven to 500°F. Place 2 rounds, side-by-side, onto a wire rack. Place the rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes. The bread will expand and become golden brown. Remove from oven wrap/layer pita breads in a damp towel. Cool completely.

Pot Pie

I love pot pies but finding an organic veggie pot pie that my husband and I both like is next to impossible. So I came up with my own recipe and it is wonderful, or at least we think so.

Pot Pie Crust

1 ¼ cups flour

¾ cups wheat flour

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup shortening

4-5 tbs water

Mix flours and salt together. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add just enough water to the flour to form a ball. Knead the dough until smooth. Then roll out to fill and cover the pot pie dishes.

Pot Pie Filling

2 tbs butter

2 cups potatoes (I use frozen organic shredded potatoes the kids used to make hash browns because it is easier but you can use fresh potatoes pealed and cubed)

3 cups veggies (peas, carrots, corn, beans, whatever you like fresh or frozen)

¼ cup flour

1 cup milk (room temp)

2 cups vegetable stock (room temp)

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

½ tsp thyme and sage

1 tbs parsley

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Melt butter in a large sauce pan and sauté veggies for 5 min. Add potatoes and sprinkle veggies with flour stir for 1-2 min. Add the milk and veggie stock stirring until sauce thickens. Add the garlic and spices and continue to cook for 5 min. Roll out dough and put in dish, place veggies on crust. Put crust on top and cut slits in top. Cover and freeze or Bake at 425° for 30 min.

Potato Pancakes

Potato Pancakes

3 cups Shredded Potatoes

½ cup frozen Corn

1 cup Broccoli

1 cup grated Cheese

4 Eggs

1 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Butter

Chop broccoli into small thin pieces. Place the corn in a colander and run water over them until corn is thawed, drain well. Beat eggs and spices together in a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes, corn, broccoli, and cheese to the eggs and mix well. Heat a large skillet and melt a small amount of butter in it. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture and flatten on the skillet like a pancake. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Continue cooking the pancakes in this manner until all of the potato mixture is gone. Top with sour cream and serve warm.

Note to keep the pancakes warm while I cook the rest I will heat the oven to 200 and place a large baking sheet in the oven. As I cook the pancakes I will place them on the baking sheet in the oven.

Grilled Pizza

Pizza cooked on the grill adds and extra crispness to the thin crust. These are great when we have extra tortillas or flatbread in the freezer.


Grilled Pizza

4 tortillas or flatbread

Pizza Sauce

Bar-B-Q Sauce

2 cups Veggies of you choice*

2 cups Cheese
Foil

Heat grill to med-low. Mix a small amount of Bar-B-Q Sauce into the pizza sauce. I use about 2 tbs bar-b-ques sauce for every 1/2 cup pizza sauce. Spread the sauce mix on the tortillas. Sprinkle the pizzas with grated cheese and veggies. Place tortillas on a large sheet of foil and grill for about 5 minutes until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted.

If using frozen veggies place them right on top of the cheese in the pizza. If using fresh veggies it is best to soften them first by grilling them or sauteing them for 2- min depending on the veggie.

Fondue

We love fondue around here. I give the kids a small bowl with fondue in it and a mixture of bread, fruit, and veggies so they can enjoy the fun of Fondue. We have a small flame fondue pot for Stephen and I.

Fondue

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 clove Garlic

1 Bay Leaf (take out before serving)

1/8 teaspoon Pepper

¼ teaspoon Marjoram

1 cup Milk/ veggie broth

3 cups Cheese use a variety for different variations.

½ loaf French Bread

Carrots, Broccoli, or any fresh veggies you may have on hand
Apples cut in wedges

Cut up veggies and lightly steam them or serve raw. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes and shred the cheese. Melt and slightly brown butter in a medium pan. Add garlic and spices to the butter and heat for about 1 min. Whisk in flour and cook for another min stirring constantly. Add milk/broth and whisk until blended. Continue to stir the mixture until thickened. Add cheese and stir till melted. Dip bread, veggies, and fruit in the fondue and enjoy.

Wraps

Wraps

4 Tortillas

½ cup Rice

1 cup water

½ tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons lime juice

½ teaspoon cilantro

2 cups Black Beans

1/3 cup Corn

1 Pepper

1 cup Cheese

Sour Cream

Avocado (guacamole)

Bring water, butter, and lime juice to a boil and add rice. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 min. Add cilantro to the rice after it has cooked.

Heat beans on the stove top in a small amount of water. Cook corn and peppers in a little skillet with a small amount of oil. Heat tortillas in a skillet for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side or until soft and flexible. Place rice, beans, veggies, cheese, sour cream, and avocado (guacamole) on tortilla and wrap up.

Nachos -Tortilla Chips

Left over tortillas are the perfect excuse for nachos or use store bought tortilla chips. After making the chips, guacamole, and cheese sauce everyone can simply place the chips on a plate and top them the way they like. Add any other topping you may like such as tomato salsa, cheese sauce, guacamole, refried beans, sour cream, olives, and tomato salsa.

Chips

6 Tortillas

Oil for frying

Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Heat oil in a skillet. Fry tortilla wedges for about 1 minute on each side in hot oil. You want them to be slightly brown and crunchy. Sprinkle chips with salt immediately after taking them from the oil.

If you would rather bake the chips- Lay the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake the wedges in 350° oven for about 20 min.

Enchiladas

I love enchiladas and these are so easy to pull together. They freeze wonderfully and make delicious leftovers. 


Enchiladas
5 Tortillas
4 cups Cheese
2 cups Black Beans
1 Squash
1 Bell Pepper
Sour Cream
3 cups Enchilada Sauce


Cut squash and peppers into bite size pieces or stripes. Pour a small amount of Enchilada Sauce in the bottom of a glass dish, just enough to cover the bottom. Heat tortilla slightly in a skillet. Place veggies, beans, and cheese in tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place in the glass dish seam side down. After placing all tortillas in the pan top with the rest of the sauce and cheese. Cook at 375° for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream and avocado.

Egg Omlet Breakfast

Egg Omelet Breakfast

6 Eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon Olive oil

1 cup Veggies

1 cup shredded Cheese

¼ cup Cream Cheese

Whisk milk and eggs together. Heat oil in a large skillet. Pour eggs into skillet and cook until almost firm. Flip eggs and place veggies, cheese, and cream cheese on top. Fold omelet in half and place on plate. Cut into 4 pieces.

Serve with hash browns and toast

Dinner Biscuits

Dinner Biscuits

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup wheat flour

1 tbs baking powder

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp cream of tarter

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic, ½ tsp basil

½ cup softened butter

2/3 cup milk

Mix together all of the dry ingredients. Cut in the softened butter until thoroughly mixed. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk. Mix together forming a soft dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth. Roll out dough and cut into biscuits.

Bake or Freeze

Bake at 450 for 15 min

Burritos

This is another great dish for freezing.The ranchero sauce makes them moist and add an extra layer of flavor.

Burritos

4 Tortillas

2 cups shredded cheese

Refried Beans

Cooked Rice

Grilled veggies (zucchini, squash, tomato, peppers, corn, etc)

Ranchero Sauce

Avocado

Sour Cream

Place a small amount of each ingredient in each tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in a shallow dish. Continue with all 4 tortillas. Pour ranchero sauce over the tortillas and bake for 10-15 min at 350. Serve topped with sour cream or avocado slices.

To Freeze: Follow directions but do not bake. Tightly cover the dish and freeze. When ready to eat bake for 10-15 min longer then stated above.

Pesto Salad Dressing

I love The Old Spaghetti Factory Pesto Salad Dressing. On New Years we decided to try out the recipe and make it ourselves. It was absolutely wonderful and I will be making it again. I also think the mix could be used on my Pizza Salad instead of the Ranch Mix to make a wonderful Pesto Pizza Salad.

Pesto Dressing Mix
2 tablespoons grated Romano Cheese (you can also use Parmesan)
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Mix all ingredients together.

To Make Salad Dressing
Mix 1/2 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Let sit for 10 min.
Or you can use 1/2 cup buttermilk instead of the milk and vinegar.
Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise with the milk mixture or the buttermilk until smooth.
Mix the Pesto mix with the mayonnaise mixture.
Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Ranchero Sauce

I have used this sauce on nachos, burritos, and even as an enchilada sauce. It is a very mild sauce.

Ranchero Sauce

1 tbs butter

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup bell pepper

1 garlic clove

¼ tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin
2 cups veggie broth

1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add veggies and spices and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add broth and tomato sauce and cook until sauce thickens stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Mix in cilantro.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the freezer.