Kale Chips

These can be a good snack or a healthy side dish. Yummy and crunch much like a potato chip.

Kale Chips
1 bunch of Kale
2 tbs Olive Oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt to taste

Wash and dry the kale leaves. Then cut and discard the hard middle stem cut or tear the kale into potato chip size pieces. Preheat oven to 300° F. Place the kale in a large bowl add the oil, parmesan, and salt and mix (your hands work best) until the kale is well coated. Place the kale in a single layer on a large baking sheet or 2 if you have a lot of kale. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the kale is crunchy. remove from baking sheet and let cool before enjoying.

Squash Drops

I made a Butternut Squash Risotto the other night and had left over cooked butternut squash. I decided to puree it and try making a drop recipe with it. They turned out wonderful and my kids are begging for more. 

I recently made this again but this time I used pumpkin puree and added 1/4 tsp ground cloves they were delicious!

Squash Drops

1 cup Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Puree

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup rapadura sugar or granulated cane sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Optional Additions

½ cup chopped nuts
½ cup chocolate chips

⅛ tsp ground cloves (add with the rest of the spices)

Blend together the puree, applesauce, and sugar using a stand or hand mixer. Add the rest of the ingredents except the flours and mix until well blended. Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time until completely mixed in. Depending on how liquid the puree was you may need to add up to 1/4 cup more of each flour for a total of 1/2 cup more flour. Stir in and desired additions. Scoop tablespoon sized drops on to a baking stone. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 10-12 min. Cool on a wire rack, serve slightly warm, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days, or freeze for later use.

Barley Baked Beans

I found this recipe in the Clean Eating magazine and made a few changes for our tastes. It turned out to be delicious!

Barley Baked Beans
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups cooked navy beans
1 pear, chopped
1/2 tsp dried ginger
1 tbs honey
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups cooked barley

Saute the onion in olive oil over med heat for about 3 min. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for 2-3 more min. In a casserole dish combine the veggie mixture, navy beans, pear, spices, honey, and balsamic vinegar, and veggie broth. Mix well. Cover with glass lid and cook for 45 min at 325 F. When done mix the barley with the baked beans and serve warm.
We enjoyed a loaf of french bread with our meal.

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