Cabbage Apple Coleslaw

I love this product and have been incorporating it in MANY things I make.  It is non-GMO, dairy free, soy-free, and gluten free!   They make more than just mayo and here's a link to their website:  https://www.hamptoncreek.com/just-mayo

Ingredients:
2 pkgs cole slaw or 1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped unpeeled apple
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsps "Just Mayo"

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together, add Just Mayo starting with 2 tbsps.  Add more if desired.

*We prefer the spicier spread- either Just Mayo Chipotle or Just Mayo Sriracha.  If you like spicy- add a couple of tsps of chipotle powder to the mix.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

On a recent visit to Santa Fe with my awesome friend Annie Welsh, I was treated this most amazing soup!  Sad for my low cholesterol hubby that he wasn't able to have it so I have devised this almost-vegan alternative. This recipe tastes just as yummy as the original.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. sliced mushrooms
1 medium finely diced onion
2-3 tbsps. olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsps. Earth Balance (butter alternative)
2 tsps. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Tamari sauce
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp. dried dill weed
2-3  tbsps. smoked Hungarian paprika
1/2 cup greek yogurt
Salt/pepper to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:
Saute' onions in olive oil on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent.  Then add garlic, Earth Balance, and mushrooms and saute' for and additional 5-10 minutes until the moisture in the mushrooms evaporates.  Transfer to stew pot. Add vegetable broth, lemon juice, dill, paprika, Tamari, and almond milk to pot.  Simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool, then add yogurt.  Heat again before serving. Add parsley for garnish.

Jalapeño Cilantro Pesto with Walnuts

A versatile, spicy condiment!

No jalapeño was ever created equal! I have found that jalapeños range from mild to medium heat, but some are so spicy even I can't eat them.  Before you try this recipe, test the heat of your jalapeños.  If they are too spicy, use only 1 and substitute the rest with a poblano chili which is also called pasilla chili.   Poblano chilis are very flavorful and relatively mild.






Ingredients:
1 cup Italian parsley
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
3 medium-sized jalapenos, stem and pulp removed
*Optional- 2 T chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I chop them into smaller pieces to make pureeing easier)
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tsp. Italian red pepper flakes
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to food processor.  Puree for about 1 minute.

This is a great condiment for a spicy cuisine. If you have a mild palate, you won't enjoy this recipe.   There are so many ways to use this recipe! Try it as a topping for meat, poultry, or seafood dishes, or add to pasta dishes.  It's also great to flavor veggies, spread on sandwiches and wraps, and even use as a dipping for bread.

Last night we slathered this pesto over 4 large chicken breasts and baked in a covered dish for 60 minutes at 375 degrees. Delicious!

Oven Poached Salmon with Hatch Chilis

It's that time of the year again!  Hatch green chiles are roasting at many southwestern  Farmer's Markets and here's a very tasty, heart healthy salmon recipe to try.  Spoiler alert: it is spicy so those with mild palates need not apply!

Are you aware that there is more than twice as much vitamin C in chili peppers as in oranges?  Chiles are packed with many other nutrients such as calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins A, B12, b6, niacin, lysine...the list goes on.  The compound capsaicin, found in chili peppers which is responsible for chili's heat, may help relieve joint and muscle pain AND by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, capsaicin speeds up our metabolism enabling us to burn more calories!

Ingredients:
1 lb salmon
2 large roasted hatch chiles, skin and stems removed
1 cup Daiya jalapeno shreds (or any shredded cheese alternative)
1 cup green chili salsa
Salt/pepper to taste or for more heat Southwestern seasoning blend (I like Mrs. Dash Southwest chipotle seasoning blend)

Directions:
Season salmon or both sides with salt and pepper or a Southwestern seasoning blend.  Place salmon filet into shallow casserole dish.  Layer cheese alternative over salmon, then top with chiles. Spread salsa over top and sides then cover dish with foil or lid and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until salmon is tender and flaky.

Red Kale and Walnut Salad

All the kale to be found last week at the grocery store was red kale!  Red kale is coarser and maybe a bit more peppery than what I'm used to but here's a recipe that actually turned out to be one of our favorite kale salads!

Ingredients:
4 cups red kale
1 cup red cabbage
1/2 cup onion
1 cup walnuts, toasted
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps shaved parmesan cheese or shredded non-dairy cheese substitute
Salt





Directions:
Separately chop kale and red cabbage as if you were making slaw.  Saute' walnuts and onions in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add red cabbage and saute' for 2 more minutes.  Salt sauteed mixture, then mix with chopped kale.  Top with parmesan (or non-dairy cheese substitute). Toss with a very light vinaigrette.  We actually enjoyed this without any salad dressing!

Gluten-Free Cauliflower Walnut Tabbouleh

Tangy, cool, and refreshing side dishes are just what we need to survive summer in Scottsdale, AZ and this dish is perfect.  I toasted cauliflower to replace quinoa or wheat berries in this recipe.  Although I love the taste of walnuts, pine nuts are delicious too.








Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 cup walnut pieces
2 tbps olive oil
1/2 medium Vidalia onion
1 cup parsley, larger stems removed
1/2 cup mint
1 English cucumber, peeled
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
In separate cookie sheets, coat cauliflower and walnuts in olive oil and roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until cauliflower and walnuts turn golden brown. Pulse cauliflower, onions, parsley, and mint in food processor until ingredients are rice-size.  Finely chop tomatoes and cucumber and add to medium salad bowl.  Then add ingredients from food processor, lemon juice, olive oil, roasted walnuts, and salt to taste.  Mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup avocado or canola oil
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup Italian parsley
1 tbsp fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic
1 medium shallot
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
*1 tsp Italian red pepper flakes-optional for extra heat
1/2 chopped poblano chili
1 lb. chicken strips
1 medium onion cut into 2 inch squares

Directions:
Thoroughly wash and trim large stems from parsley and cilantro. Add all ingredients to food processor except chicken strips and onion.  Pulse until ingredients are the consistency of pesto. Marinate chicken strips for 1/2 hour to 1 hour before grilling.  Thread chicken strips and onions onto skewers and cook for approximately 15 minutes on medium grill, basting with excess chimichurri sauce. This recipe works well as an appetizer or main dish served with seasoned brown rice.

Vegan Pistachio Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe rocks!  We've served it now for company twice and our guests love it!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. white button mushrooms
1 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted pistachios (I prefer the Trader Joe's brand)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 Daiya vegan cheese shreds
1/4 cup oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash mushrooms and carefully scrape out the stem and some of the pulp of each mushroom.  Place remaining ingredients in food processor and blend until ingredients are rice sized.  Fill mushrooms with mixture.  Line cookie sheet with foil and spread oil over the foil.  Cook mushrooms at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Vegan Pizza with Arugula, Kalamata Olives, and Daiya

Ingredients:
2 whole wheat Naan flatbreads
2 cups Daiya mozzarella shreds
4 cups baby arugula
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1//2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1 thinly sliced tomato- or chop up some sun-dried tomatoes and toss them onto the flatbreads
1 cup vegan pesto- recipe can be found here:  http://hearthealthylifestyle.blogspot.com/2012/05/vegan-penne-pasta-with-pesto-and.html

Directions:
Spread pesto over each flatbread.  Layer onions, arugula, tomatoes, olives, and lastly the Daiya shreds.  Bake on pizza pan or cookie sheet for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees until Daiya shreds are melted.

I have used so many ingredients for my vegan pizzas but this one is my favorite!

Spicy Pecans

Ingredients:
3 cups whole pecans
3 tbsp sesame seed oil
2 tbsps hot pepper sauce
2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Sweet Mesquite Seasoning (Costco product) or Ms. Dash southwest chipotle seasoning
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in pan, add pecans, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.  Toss until thoroughly mixed and allow liquid to reduce then add seasoning.  Toss until seasoning evenly coats pecans.  Salt to taste.

Easy Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Herbed Marmalade and Cranberries

Ingredients:
1 large turkey breast (bone in)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsps rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup whole fresh cranberries
1/2 cup orange marmalade

Directions:
Chop garlic and rosemary then mix with marmalade.  Lift the skin on the turkey breast and spread the mixture underneath the skin and all over the rest of the breast.  Place turkey and cranberries into crock pot on high.  Cook for about 2 & 1/2 hours until turkey is tender or until meat thermometer stuck into thickest portion of the breast reads 165 degrees.

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 pkg whole button mushrooms
2 tbsps balsamic vinaigrette
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsps onion, finely chopped
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 small poblano chili
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup left-over mushroom stems
*1/2 cup Daiya (dairy-free cheese substitute)*
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup panko crumbs
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
Scoop out stem and some of the area surrounding the stem of each mushroom, taking care not to tear the mushroom.  Rinse mushrooms and place face down on a paper towel.  In food processor pulse, all ingredients except rice, Panko crumbs, and vinaigrette until the pieces are rice-sized, then add to pan with rice and vinaigrette. (I want the garlic and onion to be minuscule so I chop them even though I'm also adding them to the food processor.)  Saute' until Daiya cheese substitute is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place mushrooms into shallow baking dish and scoop a heaping portion into each mushroom. Sprinkle Panko crumbs over top and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

*About Daiya...I LOVE this company!  Their cheese alternatives are dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free.  The best part of all...unlike many cheese substitutes, Daiya MELTS!  And it is delicious!  

Check it out!  http://us.daiyafoods.com/

Spicy Chili Chicken Stew

26 days and counting to Super Bowl and another spicy dish to add to your party buffet.  

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts (approx. 4 breasts)
8 oz can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 finely chopped garlic cloves
3 cups peeled potatoes diced into 1-inch cubes 
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 cups red Colorado chili sauce (I like Las Palmas)
1 & 1/2 cup water or vegetable both

Directions:
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Mix salt and pepper into flour, then dredge chicken pieces in flour.  Heat oil in large skillet, then add chicken and potatoes and saute' turning until chicken browns on all sides. Add onions and garlic and saute' for 1 minute.  Add chili sauce, green chilies, tomatoes, and water or vegetable broth.  Bring mixture to a boil, add more broth if needed, then cover skillet and simmer on low for about 45 minutes.  As a buffet dish, serve in a crock pot with heat set to low.

Turkey Mushroom Meatballs in Cocktail Sauce

28 days and counting until Super Bowl!  Here's a great recipe...a healthy alternative to meatballs in cocktail sauce!

One of my goals is to make dishes low in cholesterol and fat that mimic the meat dishes we used to enjoy.  In this recipe, I used 99% fat-free ground turkey, and then, using mushrooms and veggies as filler, created meatballs with half the meat content. It tastes as good or even better than the sausage/hamburger version of this recipe and although I love Costco, if you cook this, it's all homemade and much healthier than the store bought version. I have found that mushrooms take on a meat flavor when cooked and zucchini can act as a binder, as well as adding fiber.

My version of meatballs in cocktail sauce isn't low calorie, because of the sauce, but they are low in cholesterol and high in fiber.  If you follow this blog, you know we like spicy and after I made this, we decided it would taste great to add some hot pepper sauce (Chalupa or Tabasco) to the sauce.  We did and we loved it but if your taste buds don't prefer the heat, leave it out.

Ingredients for turkey-mushroom meatballs:

I lb extra lean ground turkey

1 small zucchini

2 cloves garlic

1 carrot

8 oz pkg sliced mushrooms

2 tbsp parsley

½ large onion

2 egg whites

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

½ coarsely chopped poblano chili, optional- we like the heat!

1 tbsp canola oil (or any other healthy cooking oil)
Bread crumbs, optional

Directions:

Coarsely chop all ingredients.  Place all ingredients except oil and ground turkey in food processor and pulse until ingredients are rice-sized.  Remove and mix with ground turkey. Depending on how much moisture is in the veggie mixture, bread crumbs may be needed to thicken.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover cookie sheet with foil.  Smear cooking oil over foil.  Shape meatballs into 1 inch to 1-1/2 inch balls then place on cookie sheet.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Ingredients for sauce:

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

½ cup ketchup

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup red chili sauce- I prefer canned red Colorado chili sauce.  Bottled brands contain high fructose corn syrup.

¼ cup orange marmalade

1-½ tbsps cider vinegar

2 tsps Worcestershire saue

Salt/pepper to taste
Optional- 2 tsps. hot pepper sauce

Directions for sauce:

Sauté shallots and garlic in 1 tbsp oil for 2 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, stir until well blended.  Remove from heat.

Place meatballs on large platter, liberally drizzle with sauce, stick toothpicks in meatballs. 

White Chili for Christmas

Robust flavor, a bit on the spicy side, perfect for cold winter nights! Well...cool winter nights as in the Arizona desert!  This recipe is even better on the second or third day of left-overs.

Ingredients:

1 cup diced cooked chicken breast

15 oz. can Cannellini beans

15 oz. can black-eyed peas

½ diced medium onion

1 poblano chili, diced

1 tbsp oil

6 oz. can diced green chilies

2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced

28 oz. chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups sliced cherry or grape tomatoes

Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute’ diced onions, diced poblano chili in oil.  Add cooked chicken breast, garlic, beans, peas, green chilies, and tomatoes and stir.  Add all ingredients to stew pot, and then stir in chicken broth.  Simmer for 20 minutes until flavors blend.  Serves about 6.

Crunchy Garlic Chipotle Chicken Strips

We love this recipe! Intense flavor!  Sweet, very spicy, and crunchy! These are not your mother's chicken strips.  We paired this recipe with a brown rice/quinoa mixture and a kale salad.

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-2 tsps Ms. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning blend
1/3 cup oil
2 tbsps Embassa chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4-5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Cilantro for garnish

Directions:
In medium bowl, mix chipotle peppers, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  In large skillet, saute' chopped onions in oil, then add ketchup mixture and heat until mixture starts to thicken.  Remove from skillet.  Heat oil in skillet, then add chicken strips.  Season chicken strips with Ms. Dash.  Saute' until cooked through (about 10 minutes) then add sauce and continue to cook for about another 5-7 minutes until sauce is caramelized. Transfer to serving dish.  Add 1 tbsp oil to small sauce pan and heat oil, then add diced garlic.  Fry garlic until it turns golden brown.  Remove from pan and top chicken strips with crunchy garlic, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Chipotle and Lime Butternut Squash Potato Soup

At our house, we like spicy!  Chipotle seemed like the perfect spice to go along with this creamy, vegan, savory soup.  We tried it and loved it...if you don't like spicy, eliminate the chipotles or just use a little.  The creamy texture of this vegan soup comes from the addition of some raw cashews. Here are some very interesting attributes of butternut squash from the following website:


http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/vitamin-supplements/what-are-carotenoids.htm

Not only is butternut squash a delicious vegetable, it is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients such as lutein and beta carotene, (good for our eyes), and antioxidants as well as significant amounts of digestive fiber.  Butternut squash is also very high in antioxidant carotenoids which are the colorful plant pigments some of which the body can turn into vitamin A or retinol.   These are powerful antioxidants that can help prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease, and act to enhance your immune response to infections. Antioxidant carotenoids also serve to  protect your body’s cells from damaging free radicals.  

 A study by the University of Manchester, with more than 25,000 people, found that those with the highest intake of the antioxidant carotenoid, beta-cryptoxanthin, in the diet were only half as likely to develop arthritis over a 7 to 15 year period as those with a lower intake.Another pooled analysis study published in Cancer Epidermiology Biomarkers and Prevention analyzed nearly 400,000 people for up to 16 years. It found that a high intake of beta-cryptoxanthin reduces the risk of lung cancer by more than 30%. 

Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and coarsely chopped 
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
*1-3 chipotle peppers from a small can (I used Embasa)- adjust according to your taste
2 tbsps oil
32 oz. vegetable broth
Juice from 1 lime
3 tbsps chopped herbs such as basil, tarragon, parsley, or thyme
3-4 cups water- adjusting to desired consistency
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
In large frying pan, saute' the first 6 ingredients for about 5 minutes.  Then add chipotles and vegetable broth, cover pan and simmer until potatoes and squash are soft. Puree in blender until smooth and pour into large stew pot.  You will need to puree ingredients in 3 batches until all ingredients are pureed. Stir enough water into the pot until you reach your desired consistency for your soup.  We like ours fairly thick.  Add lime, salt/pepper, and herbs. This recipe makes enough for 8-10 servings. You can freeze the other half of the butternut squash.

Ground Turkey Mushroom Burgers

Courtesy of Steve and Kathy...our new neighbors and friends!  Steve is a mushroom aficionado and he is my inspiration for this amazing burger!  Extremely low in cholesterol, this hearty burger is delicious and tastes like meat!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground turkey breast
1 pkg mushrooms or 2 large Portobello mushrooms, rinsed thoroughly
2-3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1/2 cup  fresh chopped basil
1 medium zucchini
2 tsps salt
2 tsps pepper
4 tbsps oil

Directions:

Place all ingredients in food processor except for turkey meat until ingredients are a bit smaller than peas.  

Thoroughly mix with ground turkey breast.














Shape into burgers, then saute' in oil on medium high for 4 minutes per side.  If there is moisture in the pan, remove burgers, then cook on high until moisture is reduced to a thin layer in the bottom of pan.  Replace burgers, cover pan, and simmer on low for an additional 5 minutes. This recipe makes approximately 8-10 burgers.

We served it with shaved, lime tarragon corn and cabbage apple slaw.

Heart-Healthy Baked Ziti

Today it occurred to me that not everyone is like me-some epiphany, right?  Cooking for me is one of my escapes.  The aromas, the beautiful colors of the food, the feel of the ingredients in my hands as I prepare a meal is a source of enjoyment to me which is one reason why I continue this blog.  But what I do takes time and if cooking is your "thing," you get me!

Ingredients:
1/2 large eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 lb. 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped onions
Several coarsely torn basil leaves
25 oz. jar low fat organic pasta or marinara sauce
8 oz. vegetable organic vegan cheese shreds
4 cups prepared whole wheat tubular pasta
1/2 cup canola oil





Directions:
Lightly oil cookie sheet and place zucchini and eggplant slices in oven on broil until the slices are softened- about 8 minutes depending on how hot your oven cooks.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Saute' onions, garlic, turkey breast, and mushrooms in 1/4 cup canola oil.  When meat is cooked through, add pasta sauce.  Remove from stove.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish, then spread a thin layer of the pasta meat sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Add 2 cups prepared pasta, some of the basil, 2 oz. of the vegan cheese and press into bottom of the dish, then layer 1/2 remaining sauce. Layer zucchini and eggplant, basil leaves, then more pasta, remaining cheese over the pasta, and finally the remaining sauce.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serves 8-10.

Totally Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup organic silken tofu

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsps Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp capers

1 large garlic clove

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sesame oil

1 tsp pepper

Salt to taste

Directions:

Puree all ingredients except salt in food processor.  Salt to taste.