Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salad

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There is nothing like fresh corn, right off the cob!  Here in Lancaster County, there is no shortage of corn.  We eat corn on the cob plenty when it’s in season, and I always make this with the leftovers.  Also,  tomatoes are in season and I am getting cilantro from our CSA the past few weeks.  I took this salsa to the beach this year, and it was gobbled down on the first night there!  You can eat this on it’s own or with corn chips or I love to add some grilled chicken and/or avocado for a quick lunch!  Don’t skimp on the cilantro, it really adds to the fresh flavor of this salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh corn (or more!)

1 can (15oz) of black beans

1 jalapeno pepper, diced (use the ribs and seeds for more heat!)

1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes (or any chopped tomatoes will do)

juice of one lime

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and Enjoy!

cornblackbeansalad

Blueberry Breakfast Cookies (using the almond pulp from making almond milk)

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I never knew that one cup of raw almonds could go such a long way!  In a previous post, I posted how to make homemade almond milk.  It’s so easy!  Just soak a cup of raw almonds overnight, drain the almonds and place in blender with 4 cups of water, a pinch of salt and a pitted dried date (if you don’t have a date, omit it!). Blend until milky and then strain the almond pulp from the milk using a find mesh sieve and cheese cloth or a milk nut bag.  I just bought a nut milk bag (I know, it sounds weird) and it is amazing!!  Totally worth the $6 I spent.  I just bought it off of Amazon, but I’m sure a kitchen store would have it too.  Anyway, it works great.  Here’s what it looks like….

milk nut bag 1 milk nut bag 2

Once the milk is finished, you are left with about a cup of almond pulp.  I hate to waste it, so I use it in recipes that call for almond meal.  I use it in my granola bars, in a berry crisp and these awesome breakfast cookies!!  This recipe is from the book Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist.  These are so good for a quick breakfast or snack and there is NO added sugar.  Add seasonal berries, dried fruit or use chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

3 large ripe bananas

1/4 cup coconut oil (warmed so it is not solid) or use olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups of rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal (I used the almond pulp here)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or I’ve used slivered almonds)

1/4-1/2 cup blueberries (or chocolate chips)

Mash the bananas and add in coconut oil and vanilla.  Then mix the dry ingredients and combine.  Fold in the berries. I use an ice cream scoop to scoop out balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Flatten them a bit and bake at 350 degrees for 14-16 minutes.  Then enjoy some right away with your almond milk!

breakfast cookie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabbage, Apple, Walnut and Carrot Salad

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I am absolutely in my glory with all of the wonderful, local produce in season. We don’t have the need to go to the grocery store as much this time of year, which I love.  We have found other sources or our produce, eggs, cheese, meat, etc.  Our CSA, garden and farmers markets provide most of what we need.   This is a very simple salad that is a go to for lunches and or a quick snack.  This is another adaptation from the book, The Family Cooks by Laurie David.  The cookbook has a wonderful apple, walnut and carrot salad and I added the cabbage. Sometimes I add kale or goat cheese.  We got some cabbage in our CSA and it is so plentiful and cheap this time of year.  I used Savoy cabbage, which is more tender and less “rubbery” than green cabbage.  It is has a milder, sweeter taste as well.

cabbage saladIngredients:

Walnuts, roughly chopped

Carrots, grated (if you buy organic, no need to peel)

Apples, peeled and chopped

Savoy Cabbage, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

To make things really easy, I just use equal parts of the walnuts, carrots, apples, cabbage and then add the lemon juice and salt.  If you have time, toast the walnuts the oven (350 degrees for 7-10 min) or in a skillet.  I just used raw walnuts here, and like the taste that way.  This salad will last for several days refrigerated.  Place in jars for a great lunch on the go! Enjoy!

Sausage, broccoli, egg bake with sweet potato crust

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On these hot summer days, the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. This is another very easy weeknight dinner in a pinch. You can use up whatever veggies you have on hand, add fresh herbs and it is packed full of nutrients! I got the basic recipe from another one of my favorite cookbooks, “Against all Grain” by Danielle Walker and added my spin to it.  I added broccoli, but spinach, swiss chard or arugula would work great or add tomatoes, peppers or mushrooms, the variations are endless! Keep this recipe in your back pocket when you don’t know what to make for dinner or for a tasty breakfast.

egg bake 2

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced very thin

1/2 lb cooked sausage

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 tsp of fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)

8-10 eggs

3 tablespoons milk of choice (I used almond milk)

1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced sweet potato in the bottom of a greased pie plate or small oven safe skillet so they cover the bottom of the pan. Spread the cooked sausage, broccoli or other toppings. Sprinkle in the fresh herbs. Whisk the eggs, milk and salt and pepper and pour into the dish. Add shredded cheese if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 min.

 

 

Maple mocha iced coffee with homemade almond milk

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I love coffee! And every year when it’s starts to get warm, it seems like there is a switch that makes me crave iced coffee over warm coffee. There is nothing more refreshing then a good iced coffee on a warm day.  But watered down iced coffee is no good. This coffee is concentrated and keeps it’s taste when ice is added. You can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for days.

Iced Coffee

Ingredients

1/2 lb of your favorite coffee, ground

1 gallon of water

Mix the coffee and water in a large container and let it sit on the counter overnight or at least 8 hours. Using a fine mesh sieve and cheese cloth (or I have used a coffee filter on the sieve) strain coffee grounds from the mixture. What’s left is a lovely coffee concentrate. Chill the coffee then enjoy over ice and your favorite add in.  I added homemade almond milk and a tsp of cocoa and a 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp maple syrup. Here’s how I make the almond milk. There’s different variations of the basic process to make almond milk, but I use the recipe from the cookbook “Against all Grain” by Danielle Walker.

Almond Milk

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds

8 cups of water

Sea salt

1 small date

imageimageSoak the almonds and a pinch of sea salt in water overnight. Drain the nuts and rinse. Place almonds and date in blender with 4 cups of water.  Purée until smooth. Strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve and cheese cloth. Squeeze to remove all the liquid. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Save the pulp and use in your baking. I’ll be posting a berry cobbler recipe soon where I used the almond pulp. image

Beet green smoothie

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So, if you have run into me in the past week or so I was probably raving about using beet greens in my smoothies.  I seriously can’t stop talking about it- like I invented using beet greens in a smoothie or something.  Clearly, that’s not the case but it’s not something I thought about doing with the wonderful beet greens that come with the beets.  I was always too focused on using the beets, that the greens were an afterthought. Beet greens are great in smoothies because they have a mild flavor like spinach and they are packed with nutrients.  And in season, they are plentiful and cheap!

I have been loving smoothies for breakfast. When the kids wake up and I say “who wants a smoothie?” I get the inevitable “meeeee” from my 2 year old.  The other two have wised up to my use of kale, spinach, beet greens- whatever I can throw in there to add nutrients.   They will happily drink one that has more fruit than greens and is not “green”, so I just do what I can.  Even if they get a little of that good stuff in there, I’m good.  For me, the key to a good smoothie is the frozen banana.  I always have frozen bananas on hand for smoothies and banana “whips” as my friend calls them.  Just whip up a frozen banana and fruit or peanut butter and Nutella to the consistency of ice cream and it’s an instant dessert!  So yummy!  But back to the smoothie.  I rarely measure the ingredients when I make a smoothie, but I tried to give an idea what I put in mine.  You can adjust to your own taste.  The fruit options are endless.  I used strawberry here, but any berry or fruit will do. I had a raspberry one this week that was delicious.  We are at the end of strawberry season here, but raspberries, black berries and blueberries are in season.  And since my 2 year old will not eat much for breakfast other than a smoothie, I started putting oats in it to make it more substantial.  I put protein powder in mine if I’m making one for after a run or workout.  I am not an expert on protein powder, but I use a plant based protein and it’s been working well for recovery.

I also think it’s great to get the kids involved in making and growing healthy foods, and while I know this, I still have a hard time taking the time to get them involved rather than rushing through it myself and onto the next task. I have to be mindful of this and it’s something I’m working on.   This day, my 2 year old happily helped me in the kitchen and we sat and drank them together.

smoothie3smoothie2

Ingredients

1/3 cup rolled oats, pulsed in blender into a fine powder

1-1 1/2 frozen banana

2 cups beet greens, tough ribs and stems removed

2 cups capped strawberries or any berry or fruit you have on hand

1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice

*If you need more sweetness, add a little honey

Pulse the oats first and then add the rest of the ingredients to a blender and enjoy-preferably in a pretty glass or jar!  It makes the smoothie taste better in my opinion!

smoothie1

Sausage Kale Skillet

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This is not so much a recipe, but something I put together for dinner in about 10 minutes and it tasted fabulous!  A good friend asked me this weekend how I use kale and oh boy, let me tell you I could talk all day about kale!  Hopefully I toned it down enough because I don’t want to drive all of my friends away with my fascination with this leafy green vegetable!  I currently have 10 kale plants in my very small garden…so let’s just say I like kale and leave it at that.   But this recipe is very versatile and any leafy green vegetable can be substituted.  I like kale here because it holds it’s texture and does not wilt as much as other leafy greens when cooked.  But play with it and use what you like and have on hand.  I also think the fresh herbs really add to the dish.

Sausageskillet

Ingredients:

1 lb sausage (or use turkey sausage, ground turkey or ground beef)

1/2 onion, chopped

2-4 cups of chopped kale, ribs removed

1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed

10 cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fresh thyme (rosemary or sage would work here)

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the loose sausage and onion in olive oil or coconut oil.  Add the rest of the ingredients until the kale is tender and the beans and tomatoes are cooked through.  Add the stock to desired consistency.  I just added a small amount to prevent dryness.  This dish is also great for leftovers.  Eat the leftovers over a bed of greens or scramble with eggs for breakfast!

 

Summer Quinoa Salad

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The summer is in full swing for us.  Swim schedules are dominating, but at least the days are wonderfully warm and there’s no homework!!  But a busy schedule means a lot of planning when it comes to eating.  Two days a week dinner is at the pool at a swim meet.  I made this quinoa salad at 10PM the night before a meet because I knew I worked the next day and there would be no time otherwise.  This is a wonderfully versatile salad with many raw veggies and protein and keeps for several days refrigerated.  I got the recipe from my favorite cookbook at the moment, The Family Cooks by Laurie David.  The recipes in this book are so simple and so healthy with fresh, whole ingredients and I’m in love with this book!  It also has a wonderful overview of the evils of SUGAR in our diet and our nation’s food supply. If you can, cut added sugar in your diet (including artificial sugar).  Seriously, just do it.  You will thank yourself later!!

I did not change the recipe much, but it can be easily adapted to what ingredients you have on hand.

quinoa salad ingredients

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1/2 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds (I used raw pumpkin seeds or use chopped nuts here)

1/2 to 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup dried cranberries, cherries or raisins (watch the sugar content here)

2 celery stalks chopped (I didn’t have any, so I omitted)

2 carrots chopped (unpeeled if organic)

8 kale leaves, stems removed, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste (the recipe calls for 1 tsp, but that was too salty for me)

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the rinsed quinoa (I always rinse mine with a fine mesh sieve) return to a boil and cook 10-11 minutes.  Drain and cool.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the cooled quinoa.

quinoa salad

This a wonderful salad to make for lunches or dinners on the go.  Or bring some to your next picnic! Your friends will love you for bringing something so light and healthy!!

Basic Overnight Oatmeal

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On days when I need to be at work early, I love to grab one of these cute little jars out of the fridge for a healthy  breakfast on the go.  This is just a basic recipe that you can really mix up to your taste and according to what you have on hand.  The add-ins are the key to making it your own!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Rolled Oats

1/3 cup Almond milk  (or milk of choice)

1/2 banana sliced

1 heaping tsp Almond butter

Drizzle of honey to your desired sweetness

Mix all ingredients in a jar and place in the refrigerator overnight.  I find these keep 2-3 days, so mix up several at a time.

Today I added blueberries and hemp seeds in the morning.  You can add any fresh fruit, chia seeds, nuts, dried fruit, etc.

Very easy Guacamole

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I do not like to eat avocados that are too ripe- they have to be just perfect for me to cut up and eat on a salad, etc.  So the perfect solution is to make this super simple guacamole.  I picked some red onion from the garden and found some cilantro that has come up and I had the perfect lunch!  I don’t measure these ingredients, I usually just add everything to taste so feel free to experiment!  The greek yogurt just adds a creaminess that is so good!

guac2Ingredients:

1 ripe avacado

2 Tbs fresh cilantro

1 tsp diced red onion

Juice from one lime

1 Tbs plain greek yogurt (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mash ingredients together in a bowl with a fork.

It’s that easy!  To mix it up a little, add fresh tomato, or a jalapeno pepper, crushed red pepper or oregano instead of cilantro.  I’ve also used dried cilantro or omitted altogether when it’s not in season and it’s still tasty!

guac