CuisineNie

important!!

2011-07-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

I hate to do this but...

Maybe I can carry this on later, it really was fun for me.

(But since you are here, check out this awesome photo I took of my
girls yesterday morning. I have been laughing ever since.)

Salmon with pineapple rice

2011-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

I made this fast, delicious, easy meal in under 30 minutes.
We love salmon and I used brown rice instead of white.
We like brown better here at the Nielson home-healthier too!!

I hope you enjoy-

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine, or water
2 pounds salmon fillet
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. with a rack in the center. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, and white wine until the sugar has dissolved.
Cut salmon fillet into 4 equal-size pieces; arrange, skin side down, in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour glaze over the fish, and turn to coat evenly.
Bake until fish is opaque but still bright pink inside, basting every few minutes with glaze from baking dish, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

{Here is how I made the rice:}

2 cups uncooked basmati rice- {or brown}
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, cut into wedges, for garnish

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in the rice, reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice is tender but still firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain; rinse with cool water.
Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the pineapple, cilantro, bell pepper, and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover, and chill. Serve cooled with lime wedges.

I am back in the kitchen again.

2011-02-22T07:39:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright, so its been about 6 months since my last entries.
I am going to put a little more effort into this blog.

Each Sunday after church, I sit at my dining room table and write down a
list of meals for the week-dinner, mostly.
I decided to share with you what I am making each day- It is going to be super!
I hope you enjoy this, and maybe you can find a few of your favorites here too.
As you know {or may not know}, the Nielson clan don't eat meat.

{We don't take after our ranch-raising stock-that's for sure. Just a little heads up}.
And hey, if you have something to share, send me a e-mail and I will try it out.
I always love new foods to cook
cuisinenie@yahoo.com

Kisses,
Nie

{Beginning tomorrow (23rd)}

Peanut butter coconut tofu

2010-09-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

(It looks gross, but its delish...tofu soaking in coconut peanut butter sauce)

Every night Jane asks if I am making tofu.
I think perhaps I never make it much because you have to make it right or it tastes bad.
That means, It is a dish that you have to focus while making.
At the grocery store with Jane yesterday, we passed the tofu and without asking, she chucked 2 containers into the cart.
OK.
So, tonight I made tofu. In honor of Jane.

2 pounds firm tofu
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving
1 can coconut milk
4 tablespoons of natural creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, cut into wedges
9 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch squares
1 1/4 pounds bok choy, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, stem and green pieces separated
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
5 paper-thin slices fresh ginger
Lime wedges, for serving

(I love bok Choy)

Directions

Halve tofu block lengthwise; slice each half into 8 rectangles. Arrange on a paper towel-lined baking sheet; top with more paper towels and another baking sheet. Weight with canned goods or a skillet. Refrigerate overnight or at least 20 minutes.
Heat canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook tofu until golden, Add can of coconut milk and peanut butter. Keep on low.
In skillet over high heat, cook onions, red pepper, and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons canola or Olive oil until browned, 5 minutes. Next, add bok choy stems; cook 3 minutes. Add peas and ginger; cook 1 minute.
Add tofu to vegetables and stir until well combined.

(The vegetables steaming in the pot)

Serve over brown or jasmine rice. (we have jasmine tonight) and add soy sauce and fresh lime on top. Yum enjoy.

Check back and I am surprise you and cook/ blog more often.

Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup

2010-07-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Large Sweet Onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
1 Medium head Cauliflower, cored and cut into 1" piece flowerets
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth (canned or homemade)
2 cups half and half
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cups blue cheese
such as: Gorgonzola, Danish blue cheese, Stilton, or Blue Costello
1/8 tsp kosher salt

Garnish:
Chopped fresh basil
blue cheese crumbles

Can also add a few fresh made croutons or a few crosstini.

In a stockpot or large saucepan, heat butter;add onion and garlic, saute until soft. Add the cauliflower and celery; cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and bay leaves. Cook on medium heat until cauliflower is soft, about 5-8 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Transfer to food processor or blender in batches. Return to pot. Or use a hand held immersion blender, and puree until smooth.

Mix cornstarch into half and half. Add mixture to pot, with pepper, blue cheese, and salt. Taste, add more salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to simmer on low-medium heat, until thickened. Be careful because of half and half not to burn bottom of pot or overheat and cause curdling. Serve with garnish of choice.

Recipe and photos by Marie at Best Wishes Marie... just a person "trying to make sense of it all."
one letter at a time. Thanks, Marie!

Black Bean Burger Recipe with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

2010-07-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

Stephanie, your courage and kindness are inspiring. I am sending you many healing thoughts.

In my early twenties, I worked in a restaurant that, while sporting a fair share of meat and seafood dishes on the menu, was staffed by a pack of vegetarians. Not that they actually travel in packs, but they all seemed to congregate in this restaurant. I was one of the lone meat eaters and felt like a mink-wearing socialite at a PETA meeting. Aside from the typical array of salads, the only vegetarian option on the menu was the veggie burger. My experience, to that point, with veggie burgers was one unfortunate meeting with the dense, chewy frisbees of flavorless protein that were first introduced into the mainstream market. After much coercion by my plant-eating friends, I bit the proverbial bullet and ordered the restaurant’s veggie burgers. Black beans, rice, herbs, and spices had me hooked. While I may not have revoked my meat-lovers’ membership, I can say that I am content to work at least one vegetarian meal onto our menu each week. I’ve come a long way, baby.

Burgers:

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse 4 slices stale or toasted whole wheat sandwich bread to form breadcrumbs. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and sauté until soft. Add 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper (membranes and seeds removed – unless you like more heat), and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Saute for additional 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the food processor. Add 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 ¼ cups cooked brown rice, 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.

Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add ½ of the breadcrumbs and ¼ cup chopped cilantro. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes per side.

Cilantro-Lime Mayo

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir well.

Lightly toast 4 whole wheat buns. Spread 2 tablespoons cilantro-lime mayo on each bun, and top each with a black bean patty, 2 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese (found in most supermarkets), 1 slice large tomato, and 3 slices avocado. Serve.

Printable recipe (the link for the printable recipe is http://sites.google.com/site/cookincanucksprintablerecipes/black-bean-burgers-with-lime-cilantro-mayo)

Dara can be found cooking up an array of meat and vegetarian dishes at Cookin’ Canuck.

Sugar and Spice Sweet Potatoes

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. Goodness.

Say hello to my newest favorite potatoes.

The spices on these sweet potatoes are so awesome and can be used in so many ways to liven up these beautiful, orange delights.

This is what I did:

1. Combine well the following ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon course ground pepper

2. Boil the sweet potatoes until soft, take off the skins, and then cut them into 3rds or 4ths.

3. Smash them with a potato smasher and and then brush them with melted butter.

4. Sprinkle them with 1/2 of the seasoning.

5. Roast them, or fry them up in a pan with butter or olive oil. Turn them over and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning. Make sure you get a yummy, golden crust on the potato. It's the best part! Serve with fresh cilantro on top.

It is over the top delicious!

The seasoning would be great mixed in with just a regular baked sweet potato with butter.

This recipe was adapted by Melody of Cheat Day Cafe from DLYN. Photos and recipe courtesy Melody. Thanks for sharing!

An Easy Orange Cake for Strawberry Season

2010-07-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Stephanie - sending lots of happy, healing, deliciously sweet and juicy thoughts your way!

Several Amish families moved to our area two years ago, and in my opinion we're all the luckier for it. The Amish neighbors I've met so far have all been very friendly, and they've already brought much to our rural community.

There are three basket makers and a furniture maker. The rough cut siding on our new sheep barn came from the Amish sawmill down the road. One of the families sets up a stand next to their house each summer and sells organic produce from their large garden. They grow wonderful sweet corn, and I think I ended up buying most of their tomato harvest last year.

But best of all? This time of year, three of the Amish families sell strawberries.

Farmgirl Susan's Easy Orange Cake
Makes one 9"x5" loaf

My favorite way to eat strawberries is standing outside next to the berry patch. My second favorite way is alongside a slice of this moist, not overly-sweet cake.

This is the kind of simple recipe I love to have in my collection, and since creating it two years ago, I've turned to it again and again. It mixes up quickly, can be eaten plain or gussied up, and stays moist for several days. It tastes even better the second day.

I first made this cake specifically to go with fresh strawberries, but is also very nice with fresh blueberries. Like most baked goods it freezes beautifully—and can be easily sliced when frozen.

Sadly, commercially grown strawberries are high on the Environmental Working Group's 'Dirty Dozen' list of the most contaminated produce—and they're often beautiful but tasteless. Celebrate the short and sweet strawberry season by seeking out local, organic berries from a farmers' market, a small U-Pick farm, or a generous friend's garden. Their amazing flavor will stay with you all year.

3/4 cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
1¼ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons finely chopped or grated organic orange zest (I use a vegetable peeler & a sharp knife)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional syrup:
1/3 cup orange juice (strained if freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°.

2. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and use an electric mixer (I use a hand held mixer) to cream until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla, yogurt, orange juice, and orange zest and beat 1 minute.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well.

5. Pour batter into a greased 9" x 5" loaf pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Ovens vary, so start checking for doneness after about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes and then carefully remove it from the pan.

6. If desired, combine the orange juice and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves, then spoon or brush over the cake. Slice and serve (preferably the next day if you can wait that long) plain or piled high with fresh strawberries and whipped cream or ice cream—or both! This cake will keep at room temperature for 3 days or can be frozen.

Susan Thomas shares recipes, stories, and photos from her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres at FarmgirlFare.com. She writes about her organic heirloom garden (which is in desperate need of a new strawberry bed) at InMyKitchenGarden.com.

Apple Delight

2010-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today's treat comes from Amy at Super Healthy Kids. She's cooked up a healthy, kid friendly treat with only four ingredients!

Oats and apples! A combination we have used in our house a million different ways and never get sick of it. We love apples because

you can literally buy them all year round, although they get super yummy in the fall.
They are perfect for taking in your school lunch (have you tried packing a pear in your lunch? Always get’s squishy and bruised by lunch)
They are full of vitamins and fiber

And we love oats because they are

versatile (hot cereal, cookies, hamburgers, apple crisp… ton’s of uses!)
I can get 25lbs for under $10!!

While we experiment a lot with these two ingredients, this dessert has become a family favorite. This “dish” can be whipped up for one, or for the whole family. It’s super fast, and very yummy. We call it, Apple Delight:

Apple Delight

3-4 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

¼ cup dry oats

1/8 cup brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

Mix altogether and spoon into muffin cups. (I love the silicone cups) Bake in oven at 350 about 10 minutes, or until apples are soft.

Thank you so much, Amy! Recipe and Photo courtesy SuperHealthyKids.

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

2010-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Susan Whetzel at She's Becoming DoughMesstic is here today, sharing an amazing recipe for Sea Salt Caramel Brownies.

Or I guess you could call them Fleur de Sel Caramel Brownies, in case you want to serve them at a fancy dinner party. Everyone knows that you can get away with serving anything at a fancy dinner party if you name it something French. Francais. Whatever.

Talk about rich…these are the epitome of rich. Gooey. Salty. Sweet. Chocolate….what’s not to love?

I have been dreaming about making these brownies for weeks…but my problem was not having the right caramel recipe. So, I tweeted, and Jenny (@icywit) hooked me up with the recipe from the Baked Cookbook. Thanks Jenny! Of course, being me, I have to change everything a little bit, so I just added a splash of vanilla – YUM. Everything is better with vanilla.

You could make this caramel and use it with a box mix brownie if you want (I won’t tell) but this brownie recipe is almost as easy as opening the box. If you DO decide to go box method, I would recommend using the “fudgy” version, and using all butter versus oil. I would also reduce the amount of water. There you go. Easy, peasy.

Oh, and get the kiddos in on this one. My Seven, as you can see, had a great time!

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Sea Salt Caramel – adapted from Baked Cookbook

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt. Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved. set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Without a thermometer, just pull the sugar off the heat when it is a medium goldish brown – it will continue to cook in the heat of the pan. Better to pull it too early than too late. Remove from the heat and let cool for one minute.

Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temp, then follow the brownie instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate any leftover caramel. it makes a great ice cream topping or tastes great straight out of the jar.

Brownies

Ingredients

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch salt
1/4 cup Chocolate Syrup
half of the above caramel recipe

Preheat oven to 325F.

Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined

Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well.

In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour in the caramel. On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit. Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes. Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not overbake.

Enjoy with a nice glass of milk, or better yet – ice cream!

Thanks so much Susan, for sharing! This recipe and all photos were originally published March 8, 2010.

Beachy Green Pesto Pizza. Classic Marinara, Too.

2010-07-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today's guest is Kathy from Lunch Box Bunch. She's sharing her recipe for two delicious versions of vegan pizzas - her Beachy Green Pesto Pizza and a classic Marinara:

Sandy pizza is no fun, except when the "sand" is the crispy chewy cornmeal crust of my paradise-approved beach boardwalk pizzas.

Beach boardwalk pizza: that greasy, cheesy not-so-healthy fare that tastes perfect on a sunny day, just got a lot healthier with my mini beach pizzas. You make them at home (sandy shore not included, sorry.) You have to try my Beachy Green Pesto Pizza. With a thick spicy lemon pesto sauce and thick slices of vegan mozzarella cheese. And for all the green-afraid out there, I've thrown in a classic tomato marinara and cheese too. Both pizzas are vegan. Recipes and photos ahead. So turn up that "ocean waves" track on your itunes and start flipping some pizza dough....

Why Pesto? I love using homemade pesto as a pizza sauce. And since it is thick and rich, it works perfect for this beach boardwalk pizza-not too light-and just flavorful enough. The pine nut pesto adds that rich taste you are craving as you lounge by the shore.

Now let's get to the recipe...

Beachy Green Pesto Pizza
vegan
makes 1 mini pizza, 6 "

1 cup pizza dough
*tennis ball sized, multi grain or whole wheat is healthier than white dough
4 Tbsp pesto sauce (recipe below)
5 strips vegan mozzarella cheese
*I like Follow Your Heart brand
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup corn meal
red pepper flakes
1 tsp pine nuts

*You can also use my cheesy walnut pesto recipe here (this one is a bit simpler)healthy
1/2 bunch basil
3/4 cup pine nuts, raw
2 lemons, juiced
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 cup Italian parsley

Before Baking:

To Make:
Pesto
Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
Blend until smooth. I like a thick pesto for this pizza, so if you need to add more pine nuts or basil, go ahead.
You may also want to add more salt-do a taste test first.

Pizza
I get my pre-made multi-grain pizza dough from Whole Foods. But Trader Joe's and other supermarket's now carry fresh pre-made pizza dough. You can even buy it from some local pizzerias.
Punch out the dough.
Knead it a bit on a corn meal floured surface.
I like to do a few pizza dough tosses in the air before rolling it out with a rolling pin.
Using your fingers, press out the dough so that the outer crust is much thicker than the inside crust. The thinnest part of the crust should be the center.
Rub 1 Tbsp olive oil allover the front and back of the pizza dough.
Drape the bottom of the dough through your cornmeal.
Let the pizza sit and rise for about 5-10 minutes.
Now you can start layering your pizza.
Spread the pesto thickly on the crust.
Drape the cheese over the pesto.
Sprinkle the pine nuts over the cheese.
Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil on top of the pie.
And brush the crust with the other 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil.
Sprinkle a bit of corn meal on the top and sides of the crust.
You're done!
Bake the pizza at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Broil the pizza for 3 minutes to bubble the top cheese layer.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and some fresh red pepper flakes.

Next up, the Classic Marinara Beachy Cheese Pizza...
Before Baking:

Classic Marinara Beachy Cheese Pizza
vegan
makes 1 mini pizza, 6 "

1 cup pizza dough
*tennis ball sized, multi grain or whole wheat is healthier than white dough
3 tomato pizza sauce (bottled or my recipe below)
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, grated
2 Tbsp vegan cheddar cheese, grated
*I like Follow Your Heart brand
3 white button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 fresh garlic clove, sliced thin
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup corn meal
red pepper flakes
1 tsp pine nuts

Pizza Sauce
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp agave syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 small tomato
1/4 cup basil
pinch of parsley leaves
1 Tbsp lemon juice
*blend all in a mini food processor

Pizza
I get my pre-made multi-grain pizza dough from Whole Foods. But Trader Joe's and other supermarket's now carry fresh pre-made pizza dough. You can even buy it from some local pizzerias.
Punch out the dough.
Knead it a bit on a corn meal floured surface.
I like to do a few pizza dough tosses in the air before rolling it out with a rolling pin.
Using your fingers, press out the dough so that the outer crust is much thicker than the inside crust. The thinnest part of the crust should be the center.
Rub 1 Tbsp olive oil allover the front and back of the pizza dough.
Drape the bottom of the dough through your cornmeal.
Let the pizza sit and rise for about 5-10 minutes.
Now you can start layering your pizza.
Spread the pizza sauce on the crust-thinner amounts in the center of the pizza.
Sprinkle the cheese over the sauce.
Sprinkle the pine nuts over the cheese.
Lay the mushrooms on top.
Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes.
Drizzle 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil on top of the pie.
And brush the crust with the other 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil.
Sprinkle a bit of corn meal on the top and sides of the crust.
You're done!
Bake the pizza at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Broil the pizza for 3 minutes to bubble the top cheese layer.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and some fresh red pepper flakes.

Thanks so much, Kathy! Recipes and photos originally posted on the Lunchbox Bunch blog.

Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

2010-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Amanda from Amanda's Cookin' and Crafts by Amanda created this amazing treat!

Homemade ice cream is really quite easy. It's a little time consuming, yes, but along with the fabulous treat you'll have in your freezer comes the satisfaction of knowing you made it. What's even better than homemade ice cream? Developing your very own ice cream recipe!

The basic recipe for homemade ice cream is pretty simple, in fact, quite basic. You will need some milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar and flavoring. There are plenty of different recipes out there, but the basic recipe remains. There are some that use eggs, not just yolks, and some that use half and half or skim milk, brown sugar, white sugar, and even caster sugar. So after looking at a couple dozen different sources, I went with the basics and created my own brown sugar vanilla bean ice cream.

I've had some Madagascar vanilla beans in my pantry for several months now, just waiting for the right recipe to come along. I've always wanted to make vanilla bean ice cream, and using some brown sugar seemed utterly yummy, so why not combine the two?

The results were delicious!

Amanda's Notes:

1) I'm going to make this again, only this time I will make sure to use a rubber spatula when getting the milk mixture out of the saucepan. Unfortunately, and due to the dark pan, I washed a lot of the vanilla bean seeds down the drain when I rinsed the pan. :( Didn't even realize they were in there.

2) You can add a tablespoon of brandy or even vodka, the alcohol keeps the ice cream from getting rock hard, but you won't notice the taste at all. I forgot to add it in this batch and had to let the ice cream sit on the counter for a bit, or toss it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before I could scoop it.

3) This was a pretty sweet ice cream. I'm guessing you could cut the sugar total down to about 2/3 instead of 3/4 and still have fabulous flavor.

4) My recipe calls for adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract. You don't need it because of the vanilla bean, but I LOVE vanilla, so I upped the flavor using the extract.

I've made several dreamy frozen treats, but some of my favorites include Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream, Cinnamon Ice Cream, and Oreo Ice Cream.

The flavor of this was a little richer than your average vanilla ice cream, due in part to the brown sugar. A light drizzle of caramel sauce was the perfect topping for this sweet treat!

Brown Sugar Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
by Amanda Formaro

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Split the vanilla bean down the middle with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds. Set aside pods and seeds.

Combine the milk and the cream in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla bean pods and the seeds, then cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar and egg yolks until well mixed, will be light a fluffy.

Remove the cover from the saucepan and return the milk mixture just to a boil. Turn off the heat and slowly drizzle about 1/4 of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Adding the milk mixture in a very slow drizzle will temper the eggs, slowly bringing them to a warmer temperature without cooking them. You can increase the drizzle to a little faster flow, still continuously whisking until all the milk mixture has been combined with the egg yolk mixture.

Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan and heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, be sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan as your stir. Continue cooking until mixture thickens into a custard and coats the back of the spoon. A good test is to run your finger down in a line across the back of the spoon. If the line fills in, it's not thickened enough yet. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes depending on the heat of your stove.

When custard is ready, pour it through a sieve into a metal or glass bowl. Remove the pods from the strainer and set aside (to make vanilla sugar!*). Use a rubber spatula to ensure that you scrape out all the vanilla bean seeds from the saucepan. Stir in vanilla extract.

Place bowl of custard into a larger bowl of ice water to help it cool, stirring the custard occasionally. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Once chilled, churn the chilled custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remove ice cream to a covered container and freeze until set.

*For the reserved pods, allow them to dry, then push down into a bowl or jar of white sugar and cover. Makes a lovely vanilla sugar!

Thanks so much to Amanda for sharing! All photos and recipe courtesy Amanda's Cookin'.

Tomato Soup

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite go to meal, it is my comfort food and tearing up the basil is the best part. We all argue over who is in charge of tearing up the basil so we all end up over the bowl tearing up the leaves as fast as we can.

Tomato Soup
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 28 ounces canned whole plum tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups of organic free range chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cup of cream or half and half
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh torn basil and freshly grated asiago cheese on top.

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until onions have softened, about 15 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are soft, 10 to 20 minutes. Then add cream or half and half.
3. Working in batches, transfer soup to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra stock to thin. Serve immediately and top with basil and asiago cheese.
4. NOW! Be careful you don't even want to know how many times I have put too much soup into the blender...I turn it on and it explodes all over my kitchen and me. It hurts, and you would think I would not do it more than once. What can I say? Slow learner I guess.
I just buy a good multigrain artisan bread from my local grocery and a sharp cheddar cheese and make a killer grilled cheese to dip into the soup.

P.S. Warning for some reason after eating this comfort food you will also want to make chocolate chip cookies. Which I still cannot bake a good batch of, please email me if you have the winning recipe! inevergrewup@gmail.com

P.P.S. I also take chocolate chip cookie deliveries, just saying.

--
~Vanessa Brown~
Owner of www.INeverGrewUp.net

Shrimp & Garbanzo Bean Korma Curry

2010-06-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

Wait! Don't go onto the next post, if you don't think you like curry you must try this one. If you think curry might be too strong of a flavor for your kiddos, you have to try this one. It is a milder taste and very creamy with the coconut milk. ALSO! If you aren't big into coconut like some of my family you might very well still like coconut milk, that is what I have found here in my house.

Shrimp & Garbanzo Bean Korma Curry
• 2 lbs of shrimp, cleaned, shelled and deveined
• 1 large onion
• 1 fresh green chile
• thumb sized piece of fresh ginger
• small bunch of cilantro
• can of garbanzo beans
• Olive Oil
• 2 T of butter
• 2/3 cup of korma or mild curry paste (I like the Patak's brand)
• can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 3 T. unsweetened shredded coconut
• fresh pepper and kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups of plain or Greek style yogurt
• 1 lemon
1. Get your shrimp ready (devein, unshell, clean, etc.), slice your onions, mince your chili, peel & mince the ginger, chop up the cilantro and drain your garbanzo beans.
2. Add your olive oil and 2 T of butter to a skillet and put on high head. Add in your chile, ginger, onions and cilantro. Be careful not to burn it but cook it until golden. Which takes about 7 minutes
3. Add in the curry paste, coconut milk, half of the almonds, the garbanzo beans, coconut, water.
4. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Keep on eye on it to make sure it is not drying out, you can add a bit more water if you need too.
5. Then throw in the shrimp, shrimp doesn't take too long to cook so after 5-7 minutes it should be done. When your shrimp is cooked, add in the salt & pepper
6. Serve with some yogurt, sliced almonds and squeeze a bit of lemon over the top.

I like to serve this with turmeric brown rice, all you do is add some tumeric into your water when the cooking the rice and wala! Beautiful yellow turmeric rice.

--
~Vanessa Brown~
Owner of www.INeverGrewUp.net

Fish and Garbanzo Bean Burgers

2010-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Fish & Garbanzo Bean Burgers

1 lb of tilapia or white dover, or any white fish
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten

Salt & Pepper
Mini–whole-wheat buns or rolls
Romaine lettuce
Tomato slices
Tartar sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Put fish in sprayed pan and season with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Bake until flaky, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. In a food processor, puree beans, parsley, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Put bean mixture into a large bowl with the egg and crumble in fish. Gently mix with your hands until it’s mixed, then form into 8 small patties.

3. Coat an ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and put over medium heat. Add burgers and cook until brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip them carefully and place in oven for 5 minutes.

4. Serve on mini-buns with lettuce, tomatoes and tartar sauce.

Shopping Local Tip: Depending on where you live Farmer's Market season is here or about to be here! Call your local city office and ask if there are any in your area. Grab your kiddos and hubby and make a family outing out of it. Chat with the vendors to learn more about their farms, crops, life etc. Have your kids involved in the conversation too so they start to develop a direct relationship with where their food comes from.

Buying Organic Tip: Sure organic seems to be just a trendy word to use nowadays but now that the term "organic" is federally regulated do you know what it REALLY means? Read up on the ATTRA federal guidelines to really learn why organic is much better to feed your cute families & friends. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/organiccrop.html

Recipe and photo courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net and www.UtahsNaturalKids.com

Summer Berry Tart

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I use my great grandmothers tart pans when I make these, the girls and I play oldies and wear pretty aprons. We love making these, buying your berries from the local farmer's market for this is a must! Nothing tastes better than the freshest of berries.

Pastry Part of the Tart:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
4 tablespoons shortening, chilled
5 tablespoons ice water

Place flour in a bowl with the sugar and salt. Cut the butter and shortening into pieces, and cut into the flour until crumbly. Mix in vanilla. Add just enough water to form a ball: it should not be sticky. Knead quickly into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.
When ready to put together the tart line your pans the best you can pressing the pastry into the bottom and all up the sides. Trim off any overhanging and fill any tears.
Lightly prick the bottom with a fork, put a piece of foil covering all the pastry and fill with dried beans.
Bake at 375 for 12 minutes, then dump out beans, take off foil and cook for 3 more minutes. Let the pastry pan cool before you add in the lemon curd. (recipe below)

Lemon Curd Part of Tart (OR you can chose the Pastry Cream Part, but pick just one!)

8 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter
1 cup of sugar
Free Range & Organic Eggs, 2 whole, plus 1 yolk
3 Lemons
8 Tablespoons of Heavy Cream

1. Cut your butter into small squares and put it into a saucepan along with the sugar.
2. Grate your lemon zest and juice your lemons and add into saucepan.
3. Add in eggs and extra yolk.
4. Put saucepan over low heat and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until all the butter has melted and your liquid is very yellow and very runny. Keep it on low heat and keep stirring it until the mixture turns into a thick sauce. It usually takes me 9-11 minutes but be careful so you do not scramble the eggs. You will know it is thick enough when it can coat the back of a spoon and when you give it a good swipe with your finger it leaves a clear line.
5. Stir the cream into your lemon curd and fill the pastry shell up with the mixture.

Pastry Cream Part (OR you can do the Lemon Curd Filling, but pick just one!)

4 Tablespoons of Unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons of Flour
1/3 cup of sugar
2 Free Range Organic Eggs
2/3 cup of milk
1 tsp of vanilla

1. Put your butter over saucepan over low heat and let it melt while stirring. Then add your flour and sugar and eggs while beating so it becomes smooth.
2. Pour in the milk while still stirring until the sauce suddenly gets thick! Turn off the heat and cook for a couple more minutes. Then add in the extract and let it cool.
3. Put into pastry shell and let chill for an hour.

Assembly of Summer Berry Tart

Loads of berries, pretty ones (about 2 cups total)
Blackberry OR Raspberry Jam (4 Tablespoons)

1. Beautify your tart by assembling the berries quite pretty.
2. Warm the jelly in a saucepan over low heat and then brush over the berries.
3. Then let your tart chill for a bit in the fridge.

Buying Eggs: Be nice to the poor chickens, buy eggs from vendors where they treat the chickens nice. By letting them grow normally, be outside, move around and not shot up with hormones. Then they make nice eggs for you to use in things like this!

Farmers Market: Don't forget the best tasting berries will of course be from a local farmer at your local farmers market!

--
Recipe and photos courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net and www.UtahsNaturalKids.com

Best Banana Bread

2010-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

So my husband is a celebrity dog trainer, I love saying that cause it's true and sounds pretty neat. He also is the world's best banana bread baker. It is true and let me prove it to you with his extra secret Banana Bread recipe. My favorite mornings are when I wake up to the smell of this bread.

Best Banana Bread Recipe

by Ty Brown

Makes ONE loaf (you should probably double or triple it, it goes FAST!)

1/2 cup of oil

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 bananas (pureed with a hand immersion blender, you have to be CRAZY NUTS about how perfectly smooth and blended it must be. No lumps, NOT ONE!)

Mix together

2 cups flour

1 T. Baking soda

1 pinch salt

Grease and flour pan. Bake 350 for 25-30 mins.

--
Recipe and photo courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net and www.UtahsNaturalKids.com

Julia Child's Brownies

2010-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't claim fame for this recipe, it's Julia Child's recipe but ever since I made it for the first time I have never looked back. This is in fact that best brownie recipe known to man.

Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the pot to make certain the chocolate doesn’t scorch Add 1 cup of the sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.
Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don’t set from the heat.
Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.
When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.
Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan.
Bake the brownies for 25-28 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
Cut into the center at about the 23-minute mark to see how the brownies are progressing: they’ll be perfect if they’re just barely set and still pretty gooey. They’re still awfully good on the other side of set, so don’t worry if you miss the moment on your first try.
The brownies will keep, covered, for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. These never freeze solid, so you might want to think about using them as a mix-in for ice cream.

Tip from Vanessa: I love products that are made under "Fair Trade Regulations"which is an organized social movement that works to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement demands the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards. Chocolate & Cocoa are very easily found under fair trade regulations, find a store near you that sells them and pick some up to make these brownies!

--
Recipe courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net
Photo courtesy This Week for Dinner and used with permission. Copyright © 2010 This Week for Dinner.

Perfect Fish Tacos

2010-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Fish Tacos is one of our favorite family dishes although it has taken quite a while to find the “perfect” recipe but I think we have done it!

PART 1: Fish
Ingredients:
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces of Dover or Tilapia
• 16 (8-inch) corn or flour tortillas
• Canola oil
• 4 ounces tempura flour
• 8 ounces prepared tempura batter made with cold water
• 6 ounces panko bread crumbs
Directions:
In medium bowl combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper; mix thoroughly. Add the fish and toss to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes.
Warm tortillas on grill or pan. Cover with a towel to keep warm.
In a medium Dutch oven, heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F.
• Remove fish from marinade, shake off excess, dredge in tempura flour, and dunk in cold tempura mixed batter. Roll in panko bread crumbs, pressing panko onto fish. One by one add fish to oil, making sure to keep the fish pieces separated. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

PART 2: Sauce
• Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
• 1 chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and pepper
Directions:
…
Preheat grill or use side burners of the grill. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture in the blender and add the hot sauce, oregano, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Toppings:
-Crisp shredded lettuce (not in picture)
-Dollop of cold sour cream
PERFECT fish tacos!

--
Recipe and photos courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net and www.UtahsNaturalKids.com

Congo Bars

2010-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Birthday Cake? Forget it. Fancy Holiday Dessert? No way. In our house 'Congo Bars' is what everyone can't wait for. Today I will release our super secret Congo Bar family recipe. Must eat with hot cocoa (yes even in the summer) or ice cold milk (yes even in the winter).

Congo Bars

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cube of margarine

almost 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

2 1/2 tsp of baking powder

3 eggs

1 box (2 and 1/3 cups) of brown sugar

1 package of chocolate chips

Melt margarine and add sugar and oil. Cool a little before adding eggs, one at a time. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Bake in a 10x15" pan for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Enjoy!

P.S. Here is my question, what is your favorite brand/type of chocolate chips?
--
Recipe and photos courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net

Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

2010-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Peach and Blackberry Cobbler

1. Melt a cube of butter and pour in cobbler pan.

2. Peel and slice seven fresh peaches and toss with sugar. Let sit.

3. Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. baking powder. Stir in 1 cup half and half (or milk or heck even full cream).

4. Drain the juice from the sliced peaches and pour the peaches over the butter. Toss on a handful of lightly sugared blackberries over the peaches

5. Pour the batter over the peaches. Bake at 350 for about 40-50 minutes or till done.

6. Toss a mixture of cinnamon and sugar over the top about half-way through

Shopping In Season Tip: My favorite cookbook, guide to shopping farmer's markets and knowing what is in season is In Season: Cooking with Vegetables and Fruits by Sarah Raven and Dan Barber. It is a beautiful cookbook and a fabulous guide, trust me.

--
Recipe and photo courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net

Thai Vegetable Wraps

2010-06-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thai Vegetable Wraps

1/2 cup chopped raw cashews
1 T. sesame oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 maple syrup
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 T. chopped ginger
1 T. chopped red chile
2 T. soy sauce
1 cup almond butter
1/2 head of cabbage
6 large collard green leaves
1 mango cut into strips
1 big carrot cut into thing sticks
Sprouts
A bit of cilantro, basil and mint

Directions:

1. Mix the cashews, sesame oil and salt in a bowl and set aside for later.

2. In a blender puree the ginger, lemon juice, maple syrup, soy sauce and red chile. Add the almond butter and if you need to some water so you can get a batter like consistency.

3. Cut up the cabbage and add in the almond butter mixture. Toss well so it is combined well.

4. Take your collard green, cut out the center rib and divide the leaf in half with a knife. With the underside facing up spread out all your leaves. Then put a few tablespoons of the cabbage mixture across the bottom third of the leaf leaving 1 inch at the bottom clear. Then take your cashew mixture and put some on top. Then lay sticks of carrot, mango and some sprouts on top. Next put on some of the basil, cilantro and mint.

5. Fold the bottom of the leaf up and over the filling really tightly and tuck the leaf under the filling and roll forward. Put the roll seam side down on your pretty serving plate to serve with dipping sauce (recipe below).

Dipping Sauce

4 T maple syrup
2 T soy sauce
2 T olive oil
Bit of salt

Mix all ingredients really well

--
Recipe and photo courtesy Vanessa Brown of www.INeverGrewUp.net

Spaghetti Squash Confetti

2010-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

The first time I made this about a year ago I still remember my girls screaming, "THE PUMPKIN IS TURNING INTO SPAGHETTI NOODLES!" You have to try it just for that fact, it is pretty fun to watch pasta noodles come out of a squash.
Spaghetti Squash Confetti
Ingredients:
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 whole spaghetti squash
• 3 fresh tomatoes
• 2 vegetables of your choice
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and season with olive oil, salt and pepper on all sides. Place the squash flesh side down on cooking tray with foil covering all of the exposed skin. Roast for 45 minutes tp 1 hour or until tender.
• Meanwhile, saute two of your favorite chopped vegetables with oil, salt and pepper. I like to use zucchini and yellow squash but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• When the spaghetti squash is done simply pull your fork through the flesh and it will come out like spaghetti noodles!
• Combine the “noodles” and sauteed vegetables and serve with chopped fresh tomatoes. Sprinkles with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Buying Local: I love this time of year, the tomatoes taste like...you know REAL tomatoes! Run by the local farmer's market or stop by a roadside stand and pick up some fresh tasting bright red tomatoes. Then let your kiddos pick out the other two vegetables in this dish, they really do love to pick.

Buying Organic: Tomatoes are just a given to buy organic, have you tried a taste test of a regular tomato from the grocery store and an organic one? The results alone will have you switched to organic, at least for tomatoes!

--
Recipe and photos courtesy Vanessa Brown www.INeverGrewUp.net

Whole Grain Yogurt Waffles

2010-06-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Whole Grain Yogurt Waffles

Because really what could be better that waking up on the weekend and filling your belly with warm waffles?

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of a whole grains mix (If you cannot find this in your local market, it's ok, just substitute it with whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup of whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup of GROUND Flax Seeds

1 tsp of salt

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/3 cup of brown sugar

4 T. melted butter (cooled a bit after melting)

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cups plain yogurt, click here for homemade recipe.

Directions:

1. Whisk together all dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl whisk together butter, eggs and yogurt until smooth. Mix two mixtures together.
2. Cook on the waffle iron and serve with honey or maple syrup.

Getting Kids to Eat Healthy: Kids love choices, my kids aren't always happy to eat all the healthy things I make them BUT when I give them choices it makes a world of difference. Choices of different honey to choose from, letting them pick what kind of berries to top the waffle with or even what plate to eat it on.

Flax Seeds: I felt so silly the day that a nutrition expert told me that all the flax seed I thought I was so lovingly putting in our food was doing no good. Flax seed has to be GROUND to actually be digested, you can buy it ground so now I do!
--
Recipe and photos courtesy Vanessa Brown www.INeverGrewUp.net and www.UtahsNaturalKids.com

Special Guest Hostess: Meet Vanessa Brown

2010-06-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm Vanessa Brown and I blog over at INeverGrewUp.net on everything under the moon including weekly recipes for people to make with their families & friends. I grew up all over the country but for the time being live in Utah with my celebrity dog trainer husband, two beautiful little girls and two sweet dogs. I say things in public like "Oopsie Daisy, Whoopsie and Easy Peasy" to embarrass my kids, husband, little brothers & sisters. I have an ITTY BITTY obsession with Farmers Markets, trying new recipes, buying cookbooks, reading recipe blogs, watching cooking shows and putting a lot of research into where the food comes from that I feed my family. I feel really strongly that children deserve to grow up on real food that will help them grow to be healthy and get a fantastic start at life. I have loved to cook since I was a little girl, begged my mother to put me in cooking lessons when I was a teenager and have been cooking up a storm ever since. I also have quite the sweet tooth and can't wait to share the fun dessert recipes with you along with healthy vegetarian dinner ideas and some yummy breakfast ideas too. See you soon!

Caramel Swirled Brownies

2010-06-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

Here and happy to post on Cuisine Nie. Stephanie, I hope you are recovering well from your surgery and feeling good. As usual, best wishes sent your way.

When Jenny from BlogHer asked if I would put together a post for Cuisine Nie, she said Stephanie likes treats. You say treats, I say chocolate. So brownies it is. Chewy, fudgy brownies with caramel swirled in. And in my professional brownie eater’s opinion, these taste best the day after they are made. The chocolate seems to take on a richer chocolate taste and the texture of the brownie gets chewier. More chocolately and even chewier? Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Caramel Swirled Brownies
Recipe by Whitney Ingram, www.rookie-cookie.com

25 caramels, unwrapped
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter, cut into small pieces
8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1¼ cup sugar
3 eggs

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch pan with non-stick spray. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Spray paper and set pan aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine caramels and evaporated milk. Melt caramels, stirring often, until smooth. Once melted, remove from heat and set aside. Stir occasionally while preparing brownies.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove bowl from the saucepan. Whisk in sugar and eggs. With a spatula, stir in flour mixture until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the batter and swirl with a butter knife.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes and remove brownies from the pan using the parchment overhang. Cut into squares.

Yields 9 brownies.

Rookie’s Notes: Sometimes the whole “parchment overhang” thing can be confusing. Here is a picture of what I am talking about.

Doing this makes every brownie look pretty. None of them get sacrificed as the first one out of the pan. If you aren’t concerned about the brownies being pretty, then forget the parchment.

photos courtesy Whitney Ingram Yum!

(have a recipe you'd like to share? email jenny@blogher.com)

Back for May

2010-05-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

(me and the Mr. in the kitchen cooking...blurry picture courtesy of Nic)

I am back...not that I have a whole lot of energy to cook these days.
But, you have all been so kind to want my recipes, so here you go.
I will try and get cooking.

Thanks, Nie.

Chocolate Crincke Cookies

2010-02-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

ingredients:
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup hershey's cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar

directions:
in a large mixing bowl, combine sugar & oil. add cocoa; blend well. beat in eggs and vanilla. combine flour, baking powder & salt; add to cocoa mixture blending well. cover; chill at least 6 hours. heat oven to 350. shape dough into 1 inch balls. roll in powdered sugar. place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. bake 12 to 14 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched. remove from cookie sheet; cool on wire rack. makes 4 dozen.

{Thanks so much Ariel}

Pasta With Fresh Artichokes

2010-02-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

Pasta With Fresh Artichokes

1 box good whole-wheat spaghetti*

2-a gazillion cloves garlic, crushed and chunked

4-5 medium or 2-3 large fresh artichokes, prepared (instructions below)

Handful fresh parsley

2 fresh lemons

½-1 cup vegetable stock or pasta cooking water

Olive oil, butter

Parmesan cheese

1) Prepare the artichokes. This is the hardest part of this recipe, and the only real work. Set up a bowl of ice water and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it. Cut the stem off the artichoke (if you are willing to take the extra time, take a good peeler and peel the stem of the dark green until only the light green remains, toss the light green stick into the bowl.) Remove the leaves from the artichoke by working around it in concentric circles. Once you get toward the inside, cut off the top, cut in half, and then scrape out the choke and remove remaining leaves. Put the heart in the bowl, and continue with remaining artichokes. Set aside. (the lemon water keeps them a pretty green).

2) Chop garlic and parsley, and start the pasta to boil.

3) Put a large pan over medium heat, add oil. Drain the artichokes, dry carefully (water in oil spits) and then chop into bite-sized chunks. Sauté until there is a nice dark glaze on them.

4) Add the garlic, salt and pepper, and a dash of butter and cook until you can smell the garlic and everything is good and hot. Add broth or water, scrape to deglaze the pan, and cover to let steam, 7-10 minutes.

5) Check the artichokes for doneness. They should be fork-tender, but not mushy. I like them with a bit of crunch. When they seem done to you, add the juice of one, to one-and-a-half lemons, add parsley and a thumb-sized chunk of butter. Toss.

6) Drain pasta, reserving a bit of cooking liquid, put back in the cooking pan, put artichoke mixture over, toss to mix. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese.

*Whole wheat pasta can be gummy and is not always the best flavor for a particular sauce. This recipe is actually best with whole-wheat, it compliments the artichoke beautifully.

Thanks Elizabeth!

Cupcakes...yum!

2010-01-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kate, you can make these delicious cupcakes too!

Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
{adapted from Food Network}
Makes a whole lot.
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp grated key lime zest
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

The Frosting:
5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks 1/2 cup
(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup sour cream Fresh lime slices, for garnish

* Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely. While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated. Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest. * If you don't want to place fresh lime slices atop, you can always candy your lime slices so they are more edible. Google "candy limes" to find the how-to.

Waffles

2010-01-24T18:26:00.001-08:00

Mark Bittman - How to Cook Everything

The best possible waffles, if you can remember to start them the night before.

8 servings

¾ t yeast

3 c flour

1 ½ T sugar

¾ t salt

3 c milk

12 T melted and cooled butter — yeah, that’s a stick and a half

¾ t vanilla (optional)

3 eggs, separated

Before going to bed, combine dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.

Brush waffle iron with oil and preheat. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. Spread a ladle full onto waffle iron and bake about 3 to 5 minutes or until done. Serve immediately with maple syrup (no butter needed).

(thanks Kristine!)

Send me your food

2010-01-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

Send me a picture of your favorite recipe and the directions and I will post it!
I am in bed. Not much cooking going on here.

Kisses,
Nie

Cookbook Giveaway winner:

2009-12-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Congrats to: Sufoot!!!
You have won!!!

E-mail me at stephanienielson@yahoo.com for details
This is just too fun!
Lets do it again, sometime ;)

The Gathering of Friends

2009-12-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

This is such a fantastic Cookbook!
Perfect for the holiday season.

I am going to give one away...I will pick the winner tomorrow.
Go ahead, beg me.
Comment away-

Kisses,
CuisineNie-

Slamon and brown rice

2009-11-15T23:42:00.000-08:00

(photo MS)

1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)
4 teaspoons canola or peanut oil
4 salmon fillets (4 to 5 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 head bok choy (1 1/2 pounds), cored and chopped

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and agave, if using. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.
In same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add garlic and bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until bok choy is bright green, about 3 minutes. Serve salmon and bok choy with rice and soy-lime sauce.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopies

2009-11-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

My cute friend Stephanie, who also has a little boy named Oliver is guest posting this week on CuisineNie.

Thanks Stephanie

Oliver and I love trying new treats, especially when they are pumpkin treats.
This is my favorite baking season. It is just so delicious. As soon as Oliver got home from school today, we whipped up a batch of these pumpkin yummies.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopies
for the cookies:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 package spice cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

for the marshmallow spice filling:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
half of a 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (grease foil, if using).

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat pumpkin and butter on medium until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs, and milk; beat on low speed until combined, and then on medium speed for one minute.

3. By the heaping tablespoon, drop mounds of batter on cookie sheet; keep remaining batter chilled. Bake 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Carefully remove from parchment or foil; cool on wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, using new parchment paper for each batch.

If desired, place cookies in a covered storage container with waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking. Store cookies at room temperature for 24 hours. Prepare marshmallow spice filling up to 2 hours before serving.

4. To make marshmallow spice filling, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, marshmallow cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until well combined.

5. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons filling on flat side of one cookie; top with a second cookie. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours.

Makes 15 whoopies.

I neglected to buy marshmallow cream. So I made the filling without it, and you know what? It was still really really good. I also put chocolate chips in half of them because really, who doesn't love chocolate chips? I would definitely make these again. But be prepared to share. They are rich.

Sunday dinner.

2009-09-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

Mr. Nielson shares his Sunday dinner secrets:

Well here it goes folks…my first contribution to CuisineNie…by Mr. Nielson:

Sunday dinner is almost as religious as the rest of the day. The menu is meant to be down to earth, and easy to prepare (it is our Sabbath you know). And in our house, since before I was born, the patriarch is always in charge of the experience.

It’s amazing how little one can do to screw up good foods in their whole form. For example it’s nice to behold each spoonful or forkful as it makes its way to my palate and be able to say, “this is a beet because it looks just like it did when Jane plucked it out of the garden”. To me, ‘comfort food’ has a strong resemblance on the serving plate as it did before it was prepared.

Anyway, today’s smorgasbord offered the following:

Brown Rice – steamed to perfection served to taste with a dash of Kikkoman…use nothing other than Kikkoman.

Whole German Butterballs – soft-boiled potatoes garnished with copious amounts of parsley, garlic, S&P, and butter. You have to use extra salt on these puppies because since they are whole they contain a lot of flesh in the middle that must draw from their seasoned skins.

Thyme for Carrots – soft-steamed with butter and salt and usually I prefer fresh dill, but we were out, so it was thyme for something new. It worked too.

Stever’s Beets – the trick to these delicious vitamin rich bombers is the way the future Mayor of Provo makes ‘em…lots and lots and lots of vinegar. If they aren’t doing the breath stroke when you serve them it needs more vinegar. Also, make sure you cook them at least 45 minutes. Tough beets are as bad as tough beans.

Bread-Fairy Toast – every Sunday a Bread-Fairy drops off a fresh baked hot loaf of delicious homemade bread. What great (anonymous) neighbors we have. I am with C. S. Lewis and his character’s fondness for good old fashioned toast with butter and honey. Think about it…it’s mentioned in all of his works.

Popping Peas – gently heat them up, either fresh or frozen, never from a can. Seriously not too hot or they won’t pop when you eat them. A little bit of butter and even less salt.

Tomato Ratatouille – I didn’t ask for them, but Jane collected 5 different colors and types of tomatoes from the garden and I had to do something. The shooter sized orange, red, and yellow tomatoes I briefly sautéed whole in olive oil, and balsamic vinegar (and a little water). The green ripe and larger reds I quartered and added later to the mix along with diced garlic, and S&P. After the cut tomatoes begin to transform into a balsam sauce I removed from the heat and added fresh grated parmesan and fresh chiffonade basil.

Served with the Nielson’s-own bottles of “Chilled and Distilled”, or if you can get it Trader Joes version of the unpasteurized, unfiltered, grape juice.

And finally, I give the same advise as my wife…don’t burn yourself…seriously don’t.

Salmon Pesto burgers.

2009-09-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

End of summer is here.
The mountains are glowing with colors.
We decided to have our end-of-summer dinner with classic Salmon burgers last night.
Most grocery stores will have salmon burgers.
I know Trader Joes, Whole foods, and Sunflower markets carry them.

And remember, don't burn yourself

You will need:
Buns
Mozzarella cheese
Greens
Any other add-ins....tomatoes, mushrooms, or onions.
Pesto

Lightly toast your bun, add dab of mayo and slather pesto. Add salmon top with cheese (best if it melts) and greens (or any else you desire).
Mr. Nielson grilled our salmon. You can cook yours on the stove or in the stove...either way works fine.

Here is my classic Pesto recipe:

Pesto Recipe

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic blend again.
Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.
Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well.

Enjoy!

Back for Duty-Corn and cheese custard

2009-09-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to CuisineNie!!!

I have decided to cook again.
It is good therapy for me, and besides you can only have cold cereal for so long before you want to die of cheerio overdose.
Since yesterday was Sunday, I didn't cook.
It is the day we get to have my Dad's smorgasbord of goodness at Family dinner.
Instead I thought I'd post about another very good dish.
I found this on the Country Living site.
With corn a plenty around these parts, this would be a good 'welcome to fall' idea.
It is called
Corn and cheese custard.
If you like Gouda cheese, you will most certainly fall in love.
Enjoy-
And don't burn yourself!

1 1/4 cup(s)	heavy cream
1 cup(s)	milk
1 3/4 cup(s)	grated smoked Gouda
1 cup(s)	fresh bread crumbs
3	egg yolks
1 cup(s)	(about 2 ears) fresh corn kernels
1 teaspoon(s)	salt
1/2 teaspoon(s)	freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a 10 1/2- by 7-inch baking dish; set aside.
Heat cream and milk over medium heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Add bread crumbs. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks, 3/4 cup corn, salt, and pepper.
Pour custard into prepared dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup corn and 1/4 cup cheese. Place dish in a large roasting pan, pour 1 inch hot water into pan, and bake until custard sets, about 1 1/4 hours.

By the way, if you want a 'CuisineNie' button for your site, help yourself !
html codes to the right-------------------------->

Back in the kitchen again.

2009-09-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! CuisineNie is coming back Monday, September 14th.
I will be back cooking my meat-less vegetable loving cuisine again.

Jane's peanut butter cookies

2008-03-26T06:44:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

                 
                 DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

its coming

2007-08-07T07:28:00.001-07:00

recipes coming soon.

i promise.

Plum upside down cake

2007-07-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

I had plums smiling at me in the kitchen, and a sweet-tooth like crazy.
Here is what I came up with.

9 tablespoons (1 stick, plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
4 red plums, (about 1 pound), halved and pitted, each cut into 12 wedges
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
Whipped cream, (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch round cake pan; melt in preheating oven, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle melted butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Arrange overlapping plum wedges in a circle around edge of pan; repeat in center, covering bottom of pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together remaining 6 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and egg. Beat in sour cream until blended. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin-pie spice, and walnuts. Stir flour mixture into sour-cream mixture until just combined (batter will be thick).
Spread batter evenly over plums. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

Strawberry-blueberry vanilla smoothie

2007-07-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I am a crazy sucker for smoothies.

They are refreshing, delicious, and endless

when it comes to what can possibly be blended up.

(you've seen this before)

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries

1/2 cup organic vanilla yogurt

vanilla soy milk (or enough to make it thick)

1 frozen banana

mix together.

Penne with Tuna and Red onion

2007-07-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is a light, fresh meal with minimal
cooking and less prep work.
But the "catch"? You have to like tuna.

Serves 6

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne ( I used whole wheat) or other short tubular pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup half-and-half
2 (6 ounces each) good quality tuna packed in oil, drained
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, drained

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onion is very tender and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add half-and-half; raise heat to high, and boil 2 minutes.
Pour mixture over pasta. Add tuna, parsley, capers, and reserved pasta water; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Tofu stir-fry.

2007-07-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious dinner to make.
Be sure to serve over brown rice.
Mr. Nielson likes when I add 3 tablespoons of peanut butter

(to the cornstarch mixture.)
Or not.
Either way, this is goood.

1 pound firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 small onions, cut into wedges
9 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch squares
1 bunch bok choy cut into small strips, stem and green pieces separated
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
5 paper-thin slices fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water
lime wedges, for serving

1. Cut and drain tofu for 20 minutes
2. Transfer tofu to a shallow dish in a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil with 1 tablespoon water. Pour over tofu. Marinate 5 minutes (save marinade)
3. Heat canola oil, cook tofu until golden
4. Stirring occasionally, cook onions in skillet over high until browned, add mushrooms for 2 mins, add red peppers, and bok choy stems; cook 3 minutes. Add peas, and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add marinade, cornstarch mixture, bok choy greens, and tofu. Cook until heated through. Season with soy sauce as desired. Serve with limes and over brown rice.

Whole Wheat spaghetti with garlic zucchini and tomato

2007-07-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

This is a delightful summer dish, and easy to make!

Whole wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
course salt and pepper
small red onion cut into thick slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini cut lengthwise into sticks
2 plum tomatoes cut lengthwise into strips
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil noodles in salted water
Sautee 3 garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 3 minutes
Add zucchini and 1/2 cup water. Let sit on med. for 10 minutes
Add tomatoes, onions and 1 tablespoon of oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add cheese.

Frozen Berries

2007-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

I like to eat frozen berries. They are so delish! An ideal snack. Try it. I wont be cooking much the next few days as I prepare to leave on a much needed Utah vacation. Stay tuned for Provo cooking and what I am going to feed my children in the car so we don't have to pull over to eat. Fast food is gross, and can you say CAR GAS...nothing worse.

kisses,

Nie

2-4 Oatmeal

2007-06-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

We eat this every morning. It never seems to get old. Honey and fresh fruit on top make this breakfast worth waking up for

We use the 2-4 rule, meaning; 2 cups of heaping oatmeal to 4 cups of water.

Boil water and add the oatmeal. Turn off heat and cover. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Dish into bowl. I pour vanilla soymilk on top with fruit and ground up flax seed-oh and of course honey.

Homemade berry ice cream

2007-06-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

A few things you should know about us. We like-no, love smoothies. Today I decided to add vanilla ice cream to our afternoon fix-I like smoothies thick...really thick.

Basically it was like having berry ice cream-go figure. What a refreshing treat.

2 cups frozen berries

vanilla soy milk (as much as needed for desired thickness)

1 cup vanilla ice cream

add to blender-mix her up. You are in for a treat.

Sauteed mushrooms and onions with wilted spinach on Whole Wheat toast.

2007-06-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

Do you have bread? Do you have Spinach? How about cheese, onions and mushrooms? These are staples in my home, which means if I have had a long day, I can throw together this sandwich in a hurry, and still really think I put dinner together. It's brilliant!
Since I made this recipe up, I am not exactly sure on amounts. It is a easy and I am sure you can figure this one out.

Sautee white onion and mushrooms in olive oil together until soft.
Add course salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, toast whole wheat or grain bread.
Add Dijon deli mustard like and mayonnaise on toasted bread.
Right before adding mushrooms to toast, add bunch of spinach to mixture and let them wilt slightly add balsamic vinegar and mix around for a few more minutes.
Place on toasted bread with cheese such as fresh mozzarella.

Herbed Whole Wheat pasta with lemon butter

2007-06-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is a great dinner that can be made in under 20 minutes. So if you are like me and Mr. Nielson who reserve Friday nights as date night, this meal will be a great one to make in advance for the babysitter to feed the kids.
Instead of leaving the local pizza joint's number for your babysitter, leave her this meal and save that extra $15 bucks on dessert with your lover.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, and chives
crumbled feta

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
Stir in butter, lemon zest, juice, and herbs; season with salt and pepper. Add some of the reserved pasta water to adjust consistency, if needed. Top with crumbled feta.

Whole wheat zucchini muffins

2007-06-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

From summers early bounty of zucchini's to your kitchen, this will defiantly make your house smell good. I needed that since last nights fish was still permeating the house. blah!

This recipe is for bread, but my children think cupcakes are more exciting, just check the oven frequently as cupcakes cook shorter. I also made a cream cheese frosting and added a dollop on top.

1 large zucchini
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.
Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.
Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until fluffy. Reduce speed; add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat until well combined.

Fish Tacos

2007-06-20T07:11:00.001-07:00

I used orange roughy as the fish filler. Next time I am going to use tilapia, I thought it was somewhat too "fishy", plus it made my whole house stink.

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tilapia fillets, (or other firm white fish), cut into 16 equal strips
8 flour tortillas (6-inch)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. Toss cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeño with remaining sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining jalapeño half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches (starting with larger pieces), cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard jalapeño.
Meanwhile, warm tortillas according to package instructions.
To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves. Drizzle with reserved sour-cream mixture. Serve immediately.

Orange-Avocado Salsa

I made this salsa and placed the orange roughy (salmon would be good too) on top. It was delightfully sweet.

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 large navel oranges
1/2 firm, ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

In a medium bowl, whisk lime juice and honey until combined. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Slice off both ends of each orange. Following the curve of the fruit, slice away peel and white pith. Cut oranges into quarters lengthwise; slice sections crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces. Transfer to bowl along with onion and avocado; toss gently to coat with dressing.

Portobellos with Leeks and Spinach

2007-06-18T21:04:00.001-07:00

What is better than a portobello mushroom?
A portobello mushroom with wilted spinach, leeks and feta cheese on top. This is a very light, healthy dinner. The crumbled feta(for the salty flavor) on top with ground pepper really made for a delicious dinner.

2 leeks
4 portobello mushroom caps
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups chopped fresh spinach (about 2 ounces)
1 cup crumbled feta/ I also used fresh mozz placing them around the spinach.

Trim dark-green parts from leeks; slice leeks crosswise, and soak in cold water. Swish leeks to help loosen dirt. Repeat with fresh water until you no longer see any grit at bottom of bowl. Lift leek slices out of water, leaving grit behind; drain them thoroughly on paper towels.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place mushroom caps, gill sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until caps are just tender, about 15 minutes.
Top with leeks, spinach, and cheese; season again with salt and pepper. Bake until spinach wilts and cheese starts to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Very Fudgy-Father's Day Brownies

2007-06-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Line bottom and two sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Butter paper, and set pan aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paper overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on paper). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

Whole-Wheat pasta with Kale and chopped apples.

2007-06-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

This dish is quite fulling. The apples give it a little crunch. Chopped walnuts would be a nice little topper as well.

6 garlic cloves, chopped.

1 granny smith apple, chopped.
1 (1 pound) kale, thick stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup coarsely grated fontina cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
Cook garlic in skillet over medium heat until golden, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add half the kale; cook, tossing until just wilted, 2 minutes. Add remaining kale, apples and season with salt and pepper; cook, tossing until all the kale has wilted, 2 minutes. Add broth, and simmer until kale is tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Add kale and fontina; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved cooking water as desired. Divide pasta among plates; top with more cheese.

Herb Biscuits

I also used fresh thyme and sage. Any combo will do.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, fresh chives, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork or your fingers, work in butter (cut into small pieces) until small pea-size clumps form. Mix in milk until the mixture comes together as a sticky dough.
Using a 1/3-cup measure, drop 8 mounds of dough onto a nonstick baking sheet; pat down slightly.
Bake until biscuits are golden brown, rotating baking sheet halfway through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mexican Lasagna

2007-06-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

If you like to make casserole type dishes, this one is for you. Mr. Nielson really liked it, and wanted me to make a note of it for future dinners.

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.
Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.
Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Coming soon: oatmeal and whole wheat bread

Recipe's Revealed

2007-06-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

There you go folks, NieNie's Vegetarian week recipe's revealed Click on "June" near the bottom to get all the recipes. Enjoy, I truly HOPE they work out for everyone.

Kisses,

Nie

PS...check out CuisineNie every so oft, for something I cook up.

Homemade Marshmallows

2007-06-12T10:03:00.001-07:00

Vegetable oil, for brushing
4 unflavored gelatin, (3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 Teaspoons)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with oil. Line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Brush parchment with oil; set aside.
Put granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 238 degrees; on a candy thermometer, about 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, put 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer; sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.
Attach bowl with gelatin to mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With mixer on low speed, beat hot syrup into gelatin mixture. Gradually raise speed to high; beat until mixture is very stiff, about 12 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Pour into prepared dish, and smooth with an offset spatula. Set aside, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours.
Sift 1 cup confectioners' sugar onto a work surface. Unmold marshmallow onto confectioners' sugar; remove parchment. Lightly brush a sharp knife with oil, then cut marshmallow into 2-inch squares. Sift remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar into a small bowl, and roll each marshmallow in the sugar to coat. Marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

(i didn't say these puppies were good for you)

Whole-wheat Tortilla's

2007-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T olive oil
1/2 cup warm tap water

Combine flour, Baking powder and salt. Add olive oil and stir until well combined. Put in warm tap water 1 T at a time until dough can be gathered into a ball. Add more water if needed 1 T at a time. Knead on floured surface 15-20 times. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Divide dough into 10-12 equal portions and shape into balls. On floured surface roll out ball from center into a circle. Cook on ungreased skillet over medium-high heat on each side about 30 seconds or until puffy.

Black bean chili, with buttermilk skillet cornbread

2007-06-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chiles
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes
Salt
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cumin; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes more.
To the pan, add chiles, beans, tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups of the stew. Return the puree to the pan, and add frozen corn; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Buttermilk skillet Cornbread:

4 tablespoons butter
2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; place in oven until butter is melted and pan is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and buttermilk.
Carefully remove hot skillet from oven; immediately pour butter into the buttermilk mixture, and whisk to combine. Using a pastry brush, coat bottom and sides of pan with remaining butter.
Stir cornmeal mixture into buttermilk mixture until just moistened.
Scrape batter into hot skillet; bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Watermelon-lime berry pops

2007-06-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

2 cups chopped watermelon 3 cups berries (any kind) all-natural fruit juice, enough to make mixture blend 1 juice of lime--or lime to taste combine, add in Popsicle mold, freeze.

Pumpkin-chocolate chip bread

2007-06-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
one can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees;. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar with pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Banana-chocolate chip bread

2007-06-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (if desired)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees;. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Whole-wheat waffles with whipping cream and berries.

2007-06-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

1 3/4 Cup whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk (i use soy milk, works great)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix and bake. Top with whipped cream and fresh berries

1 quart whipping cream place in mixer until cream turns thick. You can add 1 teaspoon of sugar if desired.

Whole Wheat Pizza and Pesto

2007-06-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

2 3/4 Cups whole wheat flour 1 envelop active dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoons sugar add yeast to one cup warm water, let sit. mix dry ingredients, together then add olive oil. add yeast mixture and combine kneading for about 5 minutes. Let rise for 30-45 minutes roll out, add ingredients cook in oven at 450 for about 15-18 minutes.

PESTO Sauce
Pluse 3 ups basil levaves with 1/2 Cup olive oil and 1/4 cup pine nuts.
Add 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/2 cup cheese in food prosessor until finely chopped
Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and process until smooth.

Whole-wheat pasta mixed with arugula, sauteed garlic, onions and tomatoes

2007-06-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces plum tomatoes, cored and diced (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
12 ounces whole wheat pasta
1 bunch (8 ounces) arugula, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cover, and cook until onions wilt, about 20 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until onions are dark brown, 20 to 25 minutes more.
Add 1/4 cup water; stir to loosen any browned bits from pan. Stir in tomatoes; remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover lentils with water by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender but still holding their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; stir into onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
Add lentil mixture, arugula, cheese, and reserved pasta water; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more cheese, if desired.

Pineapple upside down cake

2007-06-12T09:15:00.001-07:00

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
small fresh pineapple, cut into circles.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, (about 1 lemon)
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups cake flour, (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch square cake pan. Heat in oven until butter melts, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange the pineapples on top of sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, cream remaining 8 tablespoons butter with sugar and lemon zest. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk and starting and ending with the flour.
Pour batter into cake pan, and spread evenly over pineapples. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then invert cake onto wire rack to cool again slightly before serving.

Arugula, cucumbers and strawberry salad

2007-06-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Serves 4

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons honey
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 bunches (12 ounces total) arugula, thick stems removed
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
Cut up strawberries (as many as desired)

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, honey, and coriander; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula, strawberries and cucumber; toss to combine.

Grilled tofu with red-potatoes, peas, and crushed peanuts

2007-06-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

2 container (14 ounces) firm or extra-firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
curry powder-I use a lot, just add to your liking.
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 box (10 ounces) frozen peas
4 red potatoes cut in cubes
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
Cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

Cut tofu into strips, Arrange tofu in one layer on a baking sheet lined with 3 layers of paper towels; cover with three more layers. Place another baking sheet and a weight on top. Let tofu drain until towels are soaked, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook red poatotes until soft, drain and set aside. Season with salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and cook, turning until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon oil, onion,and curry powder. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add coconut milk and 1/2 cup water; bring to a gentle simmer. Return tofu to skillet. Add green beans and potatoes, cover, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add crushed peanuts, serve over rice if desired.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Zucchini tacos

2007-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Serves 4

5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
6 ounces (1 1/2 Cups) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh salsa

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft).Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, shredded cheese, and salsa.

Homeade Corn Chips

2007-06-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Cut one package of fresh corn tortillas up in triangles. Heat a pan of canola oil on med-high Place tortillas in oil flipping until crispy.

Homeade pico

2007-06-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Makes 3 cups

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder, preferably pasilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and toss well to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated, for up to 2 days, until serving.

Watermelon-berry smoothie

2007-06-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

-3 cups chopped watermelon -2 cups frozen berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, strawberrys) -Fruit juice, enough to make smoothie blend -Touch of honey Healthier, hearty version Add ½ cup firm tofu
Add soymilk instead of juice (Mr. Nielson’s favorite)

Grilled Crusty-bread salad

2007-06-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

-1 loaf crusty white bread -1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half -1 bunch fresh basil cut up in strips -fresh mozzarella cut up in cubes cut the bread up in slices, spread butter on each side. Grill bread (I grill mine on my panini maker) Cut bread up in chunks and combine all ingredients adding fresh pepper, course salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Waldorf-style Tuna Wrap

2007-06-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

Make Dressing: -1/3 Cup (low-fat) mayonnaise -1/4 Cup Fresh lemon juice -1 tablespoon tomato-based chili sauce Season with course salt and pepper Whisk together.

In bowl stir together 3 cans (6 oz) drained solid white tuna (packed in water)

Add to tuna
-1/4 Cup dried currants
-1/3 cup chopped red onion
-1/3 cup chopped celery
-3/4 Cup chopped red apple
-1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans (almonds are good too)
Mix in dressing and combine

Warm up lavish bread (or some kind of wrap) place green-leaf lettuce in center and add tuna mixture and wrap tightly.

Organic Tomato Soup

2007-06-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

24 oz tomato purée
2 cups organic vegetable stock
2/3 cup organic half-n-half or milk
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
chopped fresh basil

Heat tomato purée with stock until simmering. Remove from heat and whisk in half-n-half. Season and garnish with mini toasts and basil.

Whole-wheat Pear Granola muffins

2007-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Makes 12

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 (2 cups) D'Anjou pears, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
(or use 3/4 cup plain granola)
1/2 cup granola
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, and butter. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add egg mixture to well, and mix in flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the granola and pears.
Make Granola Crisp Topping: In a bowl, toss together 1/2 cup granola, 1/4 cup each all-purpose flour and packed light-brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter into pieces; add to granola mixture, and rub in with fingertips until clumps form.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle with granola topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-06-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
2 sticks butter
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar (sometimes I add a bit more)
2-teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1-teaspoon soda
Chocolate chips (i usually use about a bag and a half.... one bag semi-sweet chips and half milk chocolate.
Cream the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well, and then add dry ingredients and mix. Stir in chips and cook for 9-11 minutes at 375

Welcome

2007-06-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

I would like to welcome you...Can't you just smell that salmon on the grill? (I guess I am technically not a Vegetarian, since they don't eat fish...whatever you call me, welcome!)

Since my Vegetarian week was such a nice hit, I am posting all recipes here. I hope you will enjoy them...Posting begins tomorrow...sometime. kisses, Nie

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2005-09-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

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