Citrus Coleslaw

Have you ever wanted fresh fruits and vegetables in a non-heavy kind of slaw?  One that isn't mayonnaise based with lots of other chemicals lurking behind the scene?  Want it to be refreshing too?  Well, this is the recipe for you - it was for me!  I had this slaw at a dinner party and fell in love with it.  The host was clear on the ingredients list, but vague as to actual amounts because she felt you could add however much you wanted of any one ingredient to suit your own tastes.  Normally, I like a straight forward recipe, but this one is particularly forgiving and really great to make how you like it.  It is totally fresh and completely processed free.  I'll give some rough estimates for the ingredient list, but personalize this to your own tastes. 

1/4 to 1/2 head of shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 zucchini, shredded
6 to 7 radishes, shredded
1/2 to whole apple, shredded (I like pink lady)
1/2 to 1 cup pineapple, finely chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
zest of 1-2 limes and their juice
(optional: add a bit of freshly grated ginger)

Combine all in a bowl and stir - it's that simple!  I really have made this with lots of varying amounts and it has always tasted great.  I take a bite and see what else it needs and call it good. 

Potato Salad

I know everyone thinks their mom's potato salad is the best, and I guess I'm no exception.  Our whole family swears by this simple, yet delicious version with no fills or fuss.  To me, this will always be the way potato salad should be - thanks Mama!  

4 lb. bag red potatoes

1 dozen eggs

3/4 of a 15 oz. jar of mayonnaise (I like safflower mayo or Veganaise)

salt and pepper

First, hard boil the eggs.  In a medium pot, place the eggs and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, then turn off the stove and cover for 12 to 13 minutes.  Pour out the warm water and run the eggs under cold water.  Peel and chop.  Set aside.  Dice the potatoes (you can peel them first, but it's more nutritious to leave the peel on) and put them in a large pot.  Cover with water and add salt - potatoes need salt!  You'll also be able to add more later if you need to.  Cook until tender.  Drain in a colander and run cold water over the top.  Stir the eggs, potatoes and mayo together with salt and pepper to taste.  The egg yolks will mix with the mayo and make the most delicious, creamy sauce.  Check for seasonings (especially if it needs more salt) and you're ready to serve!

Coconut Flour Popovers

I think popovers are really delicious, easy, and fun.  My kids love to watch them puff up through the oven door and sink a little as they cool.  We are trying to eat less grains because of my husband, so this recipe is in his honor.  The addition of the coconut flour will make these slightly different from a regular popover, but they are still really easy and delicious.  Plus, it's always good to know a processed free version of any recipe, right?

2 Tbsp. butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk (use almond or coconut if you are dairy free)
3 Tbsp. coconut flour (accurately measure - don't approximate with this flour)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut off one tablespoon of cold butter at a time for a total of two, and slice each one in half, then each half into 3 pieces.  This should make 12 equal-sized, small pieces of butter.  Place each one inside a 12 count muffin tin and place this in the over to let the butter completely melt and the pan to heat up.  Watch that you don't allow the butter to burn while you are making the batter.  In a blender, pour in the eggs, milk, coconut flour, and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Remove the hot muffin pan with the melted butter and pour in the batter filling each cup about half full.  

Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.  Don't open the oven door while they are cooking or they will deflate and not rise again.  They will look very puffy when done, but shrink down as they cool.  You can eat these plain or top with an all fruit jam (no added sugar), more butter, or my favorite - a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and drizzle of real maple syrup!

Quinoa in the Rice Cooker

 

My life just got even easier the day I learned you could make quinoa in a rice cooker!  I know it's not that complicated on the stove top, but how much better is it to throw everything in and just walk away.  That's my favorite kind of cooking!  Plus, this is ready in about 15 minutes, so I can turn it on, prep the rest of the meal and in no time everything is ready to eat.  Here are the basics, but you can play around with the ratios to make this how you prefer.

 

1 cup rinsed quinoa

2 cups liquid

1/2 tsp. salt

 

Do not skip the step of rinsing the quinoa or it will be kind of bitter.  Just pour it in a fine strainer and rinse in the sink - this will only take you about 30 seconds.  As far as the liquid goes, I use one cup water and one cup chicken stock, but you could use all water, all chicken or vegetable stock, etc.  Dump it all in the rice cooker, put on the lid, and press the button.  Done to perfection!

 

If you are trying to go grain free, this is a fantastic substitute for rice in just about any dish.  It's also good all by itself.  Get creative and add all kinds of chopped veggies, vinaigrettes, seeds, nuts, cheese crumbles, etc.  Plus, quinoa is high in protein - great for my whole family!

"Refried" Beans

 

I love refried beans!  I am from the Southwest and this is one of the staples to the region.  I do not, however, like canned refried beans - never have.  They taste stale and too doctored.  Refried beans should be simple and clean in flavor.  Let the beans be the star.  My mama taught me how to make her recipe, and they couldn't be simpler!  Of course, they are processed free and you only need three ingredients.  The best part is there is no frying involved.  Put easy "refried" beans on the menu!

 

2 lbs. dried beans (pinto or pink)

water

2 Tbsp. sea salt

 

Pour the dried beans in a large pot.  Now add about 3 times as much water as the beans.  You need a lot of water because the beans will soak them up.  Bring this to a boil, then turn this down to a simmer with the lid slightly ajar for about an hour and a half.  Occasionally stir it, but don't feel like you have to babysit this at all.  After that time has passed, it should look something like this.  The beans have soaked up a lot of the water and are getting soft.  Now, stir in the salt.  You can't add the salt at the beginning or it will make the beans kind of tough. Put the lid back on, slightly ajar and let this simmer another hour to hour and a half.  

 

The beans will have soaked up even more water and been seasoned by the salt.  Turn off the heat and mash the beans.  You can use a potato masher, a blender, a food processor, whatever you have.  I like to use my immersion blender and puree them right in the pot.  If they seem too dry at any point (during cooking or blending) you can always add a little more water.  That's it!  Told you it was easy.

 

Here are a few ways to use them: make bean burritos, dip or layered dips, Mexican pizzas, tostadas, soft or hard tacos, add them to soup, use them in casseroles, etc.  These are also the perfect side dish for a Mexican feast.  I personally love to smear these on homemade Indian Fry Bread!  Another bonus is that ALL my kids like these beans - that makes this a winner of a recipe.  They also freeze really well, so don't throw our any left overs.  Whether you have a lot of dried beans lying around, want another option besides meat or just love refried beans, I hope you'll give these a try!

 

Bacon Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I got the idea for this recipe from my sister.  I'm not sure where she found it, but I decided it was worth taking the time to make processed free.  My family loved it!  This has been the tastiest Brussels sprout recipe I've ever had.  I think this little veggie might make the regular rotation cut!

4 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
1 tsp. sea salt
4 oz. uncooked bacon, chopped
1 large (or 2 small) shallot, finely diced
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock

Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half.  Heat a large pan over medium heat with the coconut oil and add the Brussels sprouts.  Season with the sea salt and a little pepper.  Allow them to brown on both sides for a few minutes.  Here you can do one of two things.  You can either remove the sprouts from the pan and cook the bacon before adding them back in, or you can just add the bacon to the pan without taking out the sprouts and cook it that way.  The only difference is that your bacon will be a little softer and not as crisp if you leave the sprouts in.  It's up to your personal preference on crispiness.  Add the chopped shallot and garlic and let the cook until the shallot is translucent.  Add the balsamic vinegar and chicken stock and cook for a few minutes until they are a glaze.  Serve hot!

If you don't eat meat, you could still make these with vegetable stock and maybe a little liquid smoke.  I like the bacon because they just seem like a match made in heaven!

Pesto Pasta Salad

Being part Italian (thank you mama), I love pasta and anything with fresh basil.  Pesto sauce has got to be one of my all time favorite sauces and I find that you can add it to almost anything for a punch of fresh flavor.  If you're looking for a quick dinner or the perfect side dish for an outdoor party, give this a try.  I'll give you a rough outline, but taste as you go and add more or less of anything you want.

1 lb. whole wheat pasta, cooked
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella or 4 to 6 string cheese sticks sliced
1 cup or more of pesto sauce
3 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Combine everything in a large bowl and taste as you stir everything together.  I like to look at the proportions too and decide if it looks prettier with more tomatoes or cheese.  Again, add or subtract what you prefer - this is rough outline.  If your pasta is still hot, the cheese will melt.  That's great if that's what you want, but if you want the shredded or chunks of cheese to keep their shape, let the pasta cool first.

If you want a good recommendation for a store-bought pesto sauce, try the basil pesto from Costco.  I love this one because it's ingredients are processed free and in terms of color and taste, I have to say it rivals even my grandmas fresh pesto and that's saying something! 

Here is my grandma's recipe if you want to make some from scratch:

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated romano
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. pine nuts

Put all the ingredients in a blender or a food processer and combine until smooth.  Don't just limit this sauce to pasta.  Spread it on bread, pour over fish or chicken, use as a pizza sauce, spread on wraps or sandwiches, add to scrambled eggs, add it to soup, use as a salad dressing, top cooked veggies, use as a dip, mix it with mayonnaise, the possibilities are endless!  You can also freeze it and always have it on hand.  This makes for a quick dinner in a pinch that tastes great.

Cooking Brown Rice in the Rice Cooker

If we have rice with a meal, I never make white rice anymore.  I actually prefer the nutty taste and chewy texture of brown rice better.  It just happens to be processed free and more nutritious too - score!  Homemade rice is also really cheap and easier on our family budget than pre-cooked.  But, I always have had trouble making brown rice on the stove top and not having it be constantly watched, take a long time or turn out badly over or undercooked.  That's when I discovered you could cook it in your regular old rice cooker!  Talk about easy.  You pour in the rice and water, turn it on and walk away.  Cooking can't get any simpler.  It does take more time than white rice (I figure about 1 hour) and more water, so I start the rice first and then time the rest of my cooking so that my whole meal is done together.

Here are some rough estimates for water and rice ratios:

                                       Water                    Rice
White (long grain)         1 3/4 cups                  1 cup
Brown (long grain)          2 1/4 cups                 1 cup

For brown rice, you can see more water is needed.  Depending on your cooker you might need even up to 3 cups.  Start with less, and if your rice is undercooked, just add more water and restart the cooker.  Some people prefer to presoak their rice or rinse it before cooking.  I usually don't bother, but you can if you want.

Want more flavor?  Consider adding a bay leaf, cardamom pods or star anise - you would discard all of these after cooking.  They will infuse your rice with delicious and unique flavors.  Or use chicken broth or coconut milk in place of some or all of the cooking water.  Yum-O!  I hope you never shy away from making brown rice again.

Clean Glazed Carrots

My sister insists that if we eat carrots with her, they have to be sweet glazed carrots or she won't eat them.  To try and keep the peace at a large family meal, I decided I could swap out brown sugar with sucanat and pretty much have the same effect in terms of flavor.  And boy are these good!  I like just plain carrots, but these really do disappear quicker at a family gathering than any other way I prepare them.  Here is an easy, processed free version of a decadent side dish.

2 pounds baby carrots (organic if you can get them)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sucanat
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. orange juice
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

Place the carrots in a pot and add enough water to cover them.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until they are tender.  Drain and set aside.

In the same pot, melt the butter, sucanat, salt, cinnamon, orange juice, and white pepper together until the sucanat and salt have dissolved.  Add the carrots back into the pot, stirring to coat evenly.  Cook for another few minutes in the sauce.  Now it's ready to  serve. 

This is the amount I would make for a large group, but for just my family, I would cut this in half.  Enjoy!

Basil Lemon Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

 

Do you want a veggie on your table that you just can't get enough of?  Then this is the recipe for you.  Whenever I make these green beans, I notice that almost everyone goes back for seconds and I always seem to go back for thirds.  Not only is this processed free, but I start to crave these - they are that good.  In fact, I pretty much don't want green beans any other way.  This recipe is fast, delicious, and healthy!  I originally found this recipe here and only made a couple changes.  Yum!

10 oz. fresh green beans
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt

Don't worry too much about getting the exact weight on the green beans, I typically have a little more than what the recipe calls for and it always turns out great.  Cook the green beans in rapidly boiling water for 6 minutes.  While they are cooking, combine the oil, lemon juice, basil, garlic, and salt in a small container with a lid and shake to incorporate and set aside.  Place the pine nuts in a small pan over medium-low heat and toast them for about 2 minutes.  Set these aside as well.  Once the green beans are done, drain them into a colander then rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and lock in the color.  Put them in a bowl, pour over you basil mixture and pine nuts and toss.  I think you're going to be surprised at how tasty these are. 

Mashed Cauliflower

 

 

I feel like I'm always looking for variety in my food.  We have never had a certain night a week for a particular dish - that would drive me nuts!  Plus, I love too many different foods and flavors to have that satisfy me.  So here is a recipe my family loves that gives us a little something different for a side dish that is also processed free.  We have been making mashed cauliflower for a few years now, and even my daughter would eat this when she was just a baby, in fact she couldn't get enough of it.  I also think it's nice to vary the vegetables you are eating (not just mashed potatoes) to get different vitamins and minerals.  I hope you like this too!

1 head of cauliflower
1 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. cream cheese (I like Neufchatel)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup coconut milk or regular milk
pepper

Steam the cauliflower so that it becomes tender.  Place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth or use an immersion blender.  I actually use the immersion blender so that I don't dirty more bowls, but I think the food processor might just get it a little smoother. 

You can also use a package of frozen cauliflower, cook it then blend everything together.  I'll often do this if I need a quick side and don't have fresh cauliflower.