Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed green beans, cut to 2 to 3 inch long pieces
• Salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (or shallots)
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
• Freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the chopped onions in a small bowl of water. This will help take the edge off the onions. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (2 Tbsp salt for 2 quarts of water). Add the green beans to the water and blanch only for about 2 minutes or so, until the beans are just barely cooked through, but still crisp. Fresh young beans should cook quickly. Older, tougher beans may take longer. While the beans are cooking, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the beans are ready, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the boiling water to the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the green beans and the red onions.

3 Place the green beans, red onion, and chopped basil in a large bowl. Sprinkle in the olive oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle in the balsamic and Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Chill until ready to serve.

Classic Tomato Soup

I wanted something nummy to go with our grilled cheese the other night and these are ingredients I always have as staples in my kitchen.  This was a special Valentines Day dinner for the kiddos so that explains the floating heart-shaped carrots.

Ingredients:

12 ounces tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup milk
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs freeze-dried basil or oregano
sea salt & pepper

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. If using diced tomatoes, use stick blender to make the soup smooth. Heat on medium high about 5-10 minutes but do not boil.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

Yum.  Nuf said.

Ingredients

2 tbls vegetable or canola oil

1/2  of a yellow onion, finely chopped

6-8 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1/4-inch cubes

2 tbls chili powder

1 tbls cumin

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat two tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Then add the garlic and sweet potatoes, and saute for another 5 minutes. 

Add in the chili powder and cumin and stir to coat the vegetables in the spices.  Pour in the vegetable stock and using a spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the spices off the bottom.  Add the two cans of tomatoes and stir.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer covered for 10 minutes. 

Add the beans to the pot, and check for seasonings.  Add salt & pepper at the time if you need it.  Cover and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  Recheck for seasonings and serve.  

Credit: Ruminations on Food

Slow Cooker Meatballs and Curried Veggies

This one comes from a good friend of mine, and it is delicious!!  Another great slow cooker-non-soup recipe :)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken, beef, or turkey
salt, pepper

1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 inch stip of fresh ginger, peeled (or 3 cubes dorot ginger)
4 carrots
6 small potatoes
2 cups cauliflower florets*
2 stalks celery*
1/2 cup dried fruit of choice (figs, dates, prunes, or raisins)

2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder

Cilantro and/or parsley

Place chicken in a bowl and add a generous amount of salt and pepper. Gently mix in the salt and pepper while forming the chicken into 1 inch size meatballs with your hands. Evenly distribute meatballs in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.

Coarsely chop all vegetables and dried fruit and, in the order listed, place atop of the meatballs, spreading around the slow cooker so they are evenly distributed.

Whisk curry powder into chicken stock in a small bowl and pour over the meatballs and veggies.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3- 3 1/2 hours, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Serve with cilantro/parsley as a garnish.

*I didn't have cauliflower or celery but I did have mushrooms and threw those in.  Sub whatever hearty veggies you have on hand!

Credit: 18 Hour Kitchen

Crockpot Cheese Tortellini

Lately, I've been eager for crockpot recipes that don't turn into soup/stew.  This fit the bill and it was delicious!!

Thanks, Pinterest :)

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen tortellini
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 cans of italian style diced tomatoes
1 box or 4 cups or chicken broth
1 block of cream cheese
1 lb. of roll sausage*

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crockpot, chunking up the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 5-6 hrs.

Credit: Little Fellows 

*If you want to omit the sausage, it's still worth making!!

PB&J Energy Bites

Yum.  You know those totally-amazing but completely-bad-for-you peanut butter balls that show up at Christmas time?  THESE are an excellent, good-for-you stand in the next time you're fighting a craving!

The "jelly" here is figurative and manifests in the form of dried cranberries.  Really you just want some kind of sweetness/tartness to offset the salty.

These called for chocolate chips, which would be amazing no doubt, but we're currently trying to avoid sugar, desserts, sweets, etc, so I opted for dried cranberries instead.

Ingredients:
-1 c dry oatmeal
-2/3 c coconut flakes
-1/2 c peanut butter
-1/2 c ground flaxseed
-1/2 dried cranberries (or chocolate chips!)
-1/3 c honey
-1 tsp vanilla

1.  Place oatmeal and coconut in the food processor and pulse to desired texture.

2.  Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. 

3.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. 

4.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. 

5.  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Credit:  Pinterest via Gimme Some Oven

Homemade Lara Bars

The ever-popular, ever-expensive Lara Bar.  Here is a homemade version.  These need to be refrigerated to hold their shape, but I prefer them even more out of the freezer.  Just sayin.

Ingredients:
-2 c raw whole almonds
-1/2 c chopped dark chocolate (or choc chips)
-3 c whole, pitted dates
-1 c dried, unsweetened cherries
-2 T almond butter

1.  Line a 9 x 13 straight-sided pan with a piece of parchment paper, so that the paper hangs over the long sides.
2.  Place the almonds in your food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chocolate and pulse again until finely chopped. Pour mixture into a large bowl; set aside.
3.  Place half of the fruit in the food processor and process until a paste forms and clumps together. Add 1 T. of the nut butter and 1/2 of the almond/chocolate mixture; process until evenly combined. Scrape into the prepared pan.
4.  Repeat with the remaining fruit, nut butter and almond/chocolate mixture. Scrape into the prepared pan.
With slightly wet hands, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Fold the excess parchment over the bars to cover, and use something flat and heavy to press down firmly on the mixture until it is smooth (I used a small cutting board).
5.  Chill for at least two hours. Using the parchment paper as a guide, transfer the bars to a cutting board. Cut into desired shape and size.

Credit: Pinterest via Donuts, Dresses, and Dirt