30 Minute Rolls

I adapted this recipe from the Real Mom Kitchen cookbook. These are dense but delicious 100% whole wheat rolls with no oil or refined sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. plus 2 Tb. warm water
• 1/3 c. applesauce
• 2 Tb. yeast
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In mixer bowl with kneading hook combine water, applesauce, yeast, and honey. Let sit 15 minutes. 
3. Mix in salt, egg, and 2 cups of flour till combined. Add remaining flour 1/2 c. at a time.
4. Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a baking sheet with oil, then grease your hands and roll the dough into 12 balls.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes on the top rack. If they start getting too brown on top cover with foil. 

Notes about this recipe:

1. After getting the dough into balls you could let them rise for another 15 minutes if you wanted/had time.

Apple Spinach Salad with Spiced Nuts

 (Photo from Redhead Recipes.)

This recipe was recommended by Katy L. She found it at Redhead Recipes. She paired it with White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, which I will post as soon as I get permission from the blogger.

Ingredients and Directions: 

Apple Spinach Salad with Spiced Nuts

• 1 bag prewashed spinach
• 1-2 granny smith apples, cored and sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup spiced caramelized nuts (recipe below)

Place all ingredients in a bowl. (Now that's a difficult recipe!) And top with apple cider vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Spiced Caramelized Nuts

• 1/2 cup pecans (or favorite nut)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 small pinch of cayenne (don't get scared!)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine sugar, cayenne, cinnamon, and nutmeg thouroughly. Place in skillet over medium heat. When sugar starts to melt stir in nuts. Stir occasionally. Once all sugar has melted and nuts are coated, place nuts on parchment paper to cool. Eat plain, in a salad, or on top of ice cream.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dijion mustard
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a curet and shake.

Nectarine-Grape Spinach Salad with Pecans

 Fresh fruit in salad is always a plus, in my book.

Ingredients:

• 1 nectarine, sliced 
• about 1 cup of halved red grapes
• 3 to 4 large handfuls of spinach
• 1 or 2 handfuls of pecans

Directions:

1. Put spinach in a serving bowl. 
2. Add all the fruit, then top with the nuts. 
3. Enjoy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Honey Almonds

This is a family favorite at our house. Simple and delicious, even without the almonds.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 large handfuls of spinach
• 4 or 5 strawberries, sliced
• small to medium handful of almonds, chopped
• honey, between 1/2 Tb-2 Tb...depends on your amount of almonds and how sweet you want them
• poppy seed dressing, we prefer Briannas Home Style (as pictured above)

Directions:

1. Put spinach in a bowl. Add sliced strawberries.
2. Place chopped almonds in a pan and heat on medium low for about 5 minutes, stirring so they don't burn. Then turn the burner off and drizzle honey all over the nuts. Stir until completely coated. Let cool for 1-2 minutes then add to the salad. (If you let them cool too long they will get really stuck together and it will be hard to get them in bite size clumps.)
3. Enjoy! Makes about 4 servings.

Nectarine Summer Salad

Sadly, I have no picture for this recipe. I was eating it and thought about taking a picture, only to realize I didn't know where my camera was. 

I adapted this recipe from Kelsey's Apple a Day blog, and she adapted it from The Curvy Carrot. 

If you are interested in seeing a picture of what my salad was similar to, head to Kelsey's Apple a Day for a peek.

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 TBSP raspberry vinegar dressing
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• about 1 1/2-2 tsp orange juice
• 4 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 7-10 oz of salad greens of your choice (I used 1/2 romaine, 1/2 spinach)
• 1 generous c. fresh cherries and strawberries, sliced (pit the cherries!)
• 1 nectarine, thinly sliced (by all means use more if you want!)
• chopped almonds, for sprinkling on individual servings

Directions:

 

1.  Make the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a measuring cup with a spout (for easy pouring)

2. Slice nectarines, cherries, and strawberries. If you want you could toss them with a bit of oj too.

3.  Add the fruit to the greens. Add the dressing and nuts on individual servings.

Notes about this recipe:

1. My hubby actually preferred the salad without the dressing because the fruit was so yummy!
2. You could definitely substitute peaches, and other types of berries for the ones in this recipe.
3. We ate it with some herb rolls, so it was a light dinner but perfect for a hot day. We were also going on a date to eat smoothies so we didn't want to fill up all the way.

Roasted Tomato Soup

(Picture from Cafe Chocolada.)

This recipe was sent in by Vanessa H. She found it at Cafe Chocolada. There is also a recipe noted there for grilled cheese croutons, if you are interested in checking those out.



Ingredients:

• 6 cups (3 pints) cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°. On a baking sheet, combine the cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients to coat evenly and spread them in a single layer. Roast the tomatoes until they are shriveled with brown spots, about 35 to 45 minutes.

In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, the thyme, and the roasted tomatoes, including any liquid on the baking sheet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until it's smooth. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Without letting the soup boil, warm it over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming. Add salt and pepper, if necessary.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

(Picture from Lulu the Baker.)

This recipe was sent to me by Vanessa H. She found it at Lulu the Baker.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)
• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Black Bean Salad

This recipe was recommended by Marissa B. She says her and her hubby have been making this for almost 5 years now and it tastes just as good every time they make it.

The recipe is copyrighted so here is a link to find this delicious recipe at Food Network.

100th Post!! Tomato Basil Soup

Can you believe it!?

With your help we have collaboratively shared just under 100 recipes (a few of my posts have been no recipe posts) since July 2011. I think that is incredible and couldn't have gotten so many recipes without all of your contributions. Please keep sending them my way!

(Picture from Everyday Occasions.)

For our 100th post, this recipe comes from Vanessa H. She found it at Everyday Occasions.

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
• 2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned
• parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.

To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil. Serve topped with parmesan cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich. Get the recipe for The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich here.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta

(Picture from Smitten Kitchen)

This recipe was sent in by Vanessa H. She found it at Smitten Kitchen. The author of the blog
adapted it from Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spiral-shaped pasta
• 1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
• 1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese (the pre-crumbled stuff will not melt as well)
• Fresh lemon juice to taste (optional)

Directions:

Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season genersously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick.

Serves 6

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used Boursin Garlic & Herb Cheese instead of goat cheese.

Orange Cashew Rice

This recipe comes from Vanessa B. She found it at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped red peppers
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1 (8-ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained well

Directions:

For the rice, in a 2-quart saucepan, bring the water, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil and salt to a boil. Stir in the rice. Cover the saucepan and lower the heat to a gentle simmer, simmering the rice for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has totally evaporated. Let stand, covered, off the heat for 5-10 minutes.

Scrape the rice into a large bowl. Add the cashew pieces, peppers and green onions. Season with salt and pepper and add the drained orange segments to the rice, folding them in gently to prevent the oranges from breaking.

Serves 4

If you don’t have basmati rice on hand, you can try substituting long grain white rice since it has the same basic rice-to-liquid ratio. Also, if your cashews are untoasted/unroasted, simply scatter them in a skillet and toast them for a few minutes on the stovetop for a few minutes until golden.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I used long grain rice and thought it turned out great.

Baked Cauliflower Poppers

(Picture from Delighted Momma)

This recipe was sent in by Katie M. She says she is completely sold on the idea that any veggie would be improved with roasting. She also says she especially loves this dish because would make a great side dish but is also a super yummy finger food/snack. She found this recipe over at Delighted Momma.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash and clean the cauliflower. Cut off and discard the stem. Cut the cauliflower up into small pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower pieces and thoroughly coat each piece.
4. Place cauliflower pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for one hour and turn 3 times during cooking until each piece has a nice brown coloring. The browner they are the better.
5. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Vulgar Bulgar Salad

This recipe was submitted by Maghann B. She adapted it from a cookbook she was given called Love At First Bite: The Complete Vampire Lover's Cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fine-grain bulgar
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 bunches scallions, finely diced
• 1 cucumber (or 2 small cucumbers), diced
• 1 bunch mint, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste
• salt to taste

Directions:

Soak the cracked wheat in the boiling water and let it absorb the liquid for about 20 minutes. After that time, if any water remains, drain it off so the grains are plump but dry.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredeints in a large bowl, tossing to combine well. Add the bulgar and toss together well. Set aside for about 1 hour so the flavors can mingle.

Notes about the recipe:

1. It's really minty, so if you don't like mint you may want to tone that down.

2. This last time I didn't have parsley so the picture shown is without it and I didn't have fresh mint on hand so I just used crushed dry mint and it's still good!

Sauteed Kale

(Picture from squidoo.com)

This recipe was sent in by Liz D. She found it at Food Network. Please note, the above picture is not the sauteed kale, but fresh kale...just in case some of you weren't sure what it looked like. (Before I started doing more veggie meals, the only time I had ever seen kale was when I worked at a college cafeteria and used it to decorate the ice by the condiments; I had no idea you could actually eat it.)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Asian Bowtie Pasta

This recipe was submitted by Vanessa H. She found it at the blog, Week of Menus. The original recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, but Vanessa left it out and turned into a delicious veggie meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta (I used the mini farfalle)
• 1/3 cup canola, safflower or other mild tasting oil
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut julienne
• 1 cup of scallions, diced
• 3 tablespoons roasted sesame seed
• Pepper to taste
• 3 cups washed baby spinach
• 1/4 cup cilantro, OPTIONAL
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes, OPTIONAL
  

Directions:

Boil and cook pasta according to directions. Make sure to salt the cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside. Return the pasta pot back to the stove. (You don't need to wash it.) Add the canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and rice wine vinegar. Heat over low heat until the honey is dissolved. Remove from heat and toss in the pasta. Add the bell peppers, scallions, pepper, sesame seeds, cilantro (optional) and red pepper flakes (optional). Toss well to coat all the ingredients. Before serving, toss the pasta with the spinach, to keep the vibrant green as much as possible.

This can be chilled or served warm at room temperature (which was really delicious.)

Serves 6-8

Notes about this recipe:

1. I did NOT stir in the spinach at the end. I don't want soggy spinach in my leftovers, so I put some spinach on each plate and spooned the pasta on top.

Tofu Lo Mein

I adapted this recipe from the Chicken Lo Mein recipe in the Joy of Cooking cookbook. It was so tasty there were no leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 6-8 oz of tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes (probably 1/2 inch cubes)
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 Tb. oyster sauce
• 1 Tb. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 6 oz angel hair pasta (I prefer wheat), or Chinese egg noodles
• 3 Tb. olive oil
• 4 oz. (or 2 1/2 c.) bok choy, cut into 3-inch pieces, (see here for info on how to work with bok choy)
  
• 1/4 c. (or 8 oz can) canned bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained, and sliced (I like to buy them already sliced.)
• 1/4 c. sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Optional add ins: scallions, bean sprouts

Directions:

1. Stir cornstarch, salt and 1 tsp of sesame oil together in a medium bowl. Add the tofu and stir to coat. Let sit for 10-20 min.
2. Put pasta water on the stove to boil. In the meantime, stir together the water, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Set aside. Add noodles to boiling water and cook according to directions on packaging.
   
3. While the noodles cook, chop up your veggies and set aside.
   
4. When the noodles finish, drain and rinse with cold water, and then drain again. Toss the noodles with 1 tsp of sesame oil.
5. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat with 2 Tb. of the olive oil in it. When it is hot add the tofu and stir-fry, cook until the outsides start to get crispy looking.
   
6. Then add last Tb. of oil, along with all the veggies. Stir so all the veggies get coated with the oil (about 45 sec). Then add the water/oyster/soy sauce mix. Stir again and cover to steam the vegetables, about 2-3 minutes. Uncover and add the noodles. Stir, so it all gets mixed together and covered with sauce. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Then serve!
   

Notes about the recipe:

1. Make sure you don't overcook your noodles. And serving right away is best. We had a little diaper rash emergency right as I was in the last few stages of this recipe, so my noodles were in the pan for a while, which made them start to fall apart. It was still tasty, but probably could have been better if we had gotten to eat it right away.

Taco Soup

I adapted this recipe from one my mom gave me. Super yum, super easy, super awesome crockpot meal.

Ingredients:

• 1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 2-14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes, preferably no salt added
• 1-14.5 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• about 2 cups/16 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
• about 12-14 oz of water
• 2 cups/16 oz frozen corn
• 1 package of mild taco seasoning mix
• 1 package of ranch dressing mix
• Optional toppings: tortilla chips, green onions, avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a crockpot and stir.
2. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Garnish with your choice of the optional toppings.

Notes about this recipe:

1. You can fudge on the bean amounts. It's up to you and how much of each bean you prefer.
2. The soup also tastes good without the ranch packet.
   
3. If you are using a regular taco seasoning package (not mild) but don't want it too spicy then just add half the package.
   

Company Cauliflower

(Photo from Allrecipes.com)

This recipe was submitted by Liz D. She found it at Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads cauliflower
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch casserole dish.
2. Break cauliflower into florets, place in large covered saucepan and steam until tender.
3. Place cauliflower in casserole dish; gently stir in sour cream and cheese.
4. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt butter; add bread crumbs and evenly coat.
5. Sprinkle bread crumbs over cauliflower mixture and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash

(Photo from Allrecipes.com)

This recipe was recommended by Liz D. She found it at Allrecipes.com. She says it was "a win." Around here we are all about recipes that win!

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Mock Chicken Soup

(Photo from Fabulous Foods)

This recipe was submitted by Tracy G. She found it at Fabulous Foods.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 6 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash brand
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 4 to 6 ounces short, fine noodles (see note below)
• 4 to 6 ounces baked tofu, finely diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and about 2 tablespoons water. Cover and sweat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the water with bouillon cubes, seasoning and dried dill. Bring to a rapid simmer. Lower the heat, cover, ad simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Raise the heat and bring to a more vigorous simmer. Add the noodles and simmer steadily for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente.
4. Stir in the diced tofu, then season with salt and pepper. Serve at once. As the soup stands, the noodles quickly absorb the liquid. If you plan on having leftovers of the soup, add a cup or so additional water before storing, and adjust the seasoning. This way the soup can develop more flavor as it stands.
5. Note: You can use vermicelli or angel hair, broken into 1 1/2 inch pieces; soba noodles are good too, if you want something a bit more nourishing or assertive. Fine, round noodles such as anellini are also good.

Notes about this recipe:

I omitted the Dash Seasoning and dill and used salt, pepper, thyme and oregano instead.

I replaced the spaghetti noodles with whole wheat egg noodles.

I sauteed the tofu cubes in olive oil and thyme instead of baking it.