Sweet Potato Salad

3 large sweet potatoes

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (red wine of golden balsamic work)

2 Tbsp orange juice

2 Tbsp real maple syrup

1 tsp dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed

1/2 c dried cranberries (make sure they are the no sugar kind)

1/4 c pecans, soaked and dried, then toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil.  Bake them at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Peel potatoes, and cut into cubes. 

Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, mustard, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well-blended.  Set aside.

Add the apple, dried cranberries and pecans to the sweet potatoes.  Toss gently with the dressing.  Serve warm or chilled.

Cucumbers with Vinegar

Slice cucumber
3/4 c roasted garlic rice vinegar
1/4 c water
Salt and pepper

Garlic Rubbed Cabbage Steaks

Recipe and picture from: http://www.everydaymaven.com/2012/garlic-rubbed-roasted-cabbage-steaks/
& http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/garlic-rubbed-roasted-cabbage-steaks.html

Ingredients:

1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1" thick slices
1.5 tablespoons olive oil (I just use my Misto and spray the olive oil)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

1

 Preheat oven to 400° F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices. *You can increase the temperature to 425°, decrease baking time to 20 minutes per side.

2

 Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

3

 Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices or use an olive oil sprayer.

4

 Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

5

 Roast on the middle rack for 25 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 25 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Broccoli & Red Pepper Stir Fry

This yummy veggie dish tastes very fresh. It is great paired with Asian Lettuce Wraps!

Recipe and picture from:
http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2014/04/broccoli-red-pepper-stir-fry/

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups broccoli
• ¼ cup broth (or water)
• 1 large red bell pepper cut into strips
• ½ medium onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Add oil and garlic to a skillet over high heat. Once the garlic begins to sizzle (not brown) add broccoli and sauté until bright green. Add broth, remove from heat and cover for about 2 minutes.
2. Return skillet to high heat adding the onions and pepper. Sauté another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in lemon juice and salt.

*Update 7 Feb. 2018: Today I roasted the stir fry instead of doing it stovetop and it was even better! Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the broccoli on a sheet pan and spray with olive oil then sprinkle with salt. Roast for 10 minutes, then add the slice red pepper and onion (I tossed these with a little more olive oil and sprinkled with garlic powder). Roast another 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with some lemon zest and juice. Add more salt to taste.

Perfect Brown Rice

Sheri's favorite way to cook brown rice :)

1 1/2 cups brown rice (can substitute some quinoa)
2 1/2 cups boiling water (can use part chicken broth (but reduce salt) if you want the flavor)
   1 TB butter (or 2 tsp oil)
   1 tsp salt

Place rice in 8X8 pan.  On stovetop, bring water to a boil and add butter (or oil) and salt, stirring until melted and dissolved.  Pour water over rice.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

(Optional step, but makes it fluffier): Remove foil, fluff with fork, and cover with thin kitchen towel (wrapping around sides and tucked underneath tightly so it doesn't touch the rice), and let sit for 5 minutes (to absorb moisture). Uncover and stand 5 more minutes before serving.

*Sometimes I substitute quinoa for part of the rice so you have a rice/quinoa mixture, and it works great.  Substitute equal amounts of quinoa for rice (if you use 1/2 cup quinoa, use 1/2 cup less rice).  I usually use 1/2-3/4 cup quinoa when I do this.  I have never tried using all quinoa, but it would probably work with these same cooking instructions.

**Leftovers can be used with milk and cinnamon/sugar, in rice pudding, added to soups or burritos, or added while sauteing vegetables and meat to eat over salads or in fajitas.

Roasted Cauliflower

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/cauliflower-popcorn-roasted-cauliflower-115153

1 head cauliflower or 1 head equal amount of pre-cut commercially prepped cauliflower
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 -1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 Trim the head of cauliflower, discarding the core and thick stems; cut florets into pieces about the size of ping-pong balls.

3 In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and salt, whisk, then add the cauliflower pieces and toss thoroughly.

4 Line a baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup (you can skip that, if you don't have any) then spread the cauliflower pieces on the sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning 3 or 4 times, until most of each piece has turned golden brown.

5 (The browner the cauliflower pieces turn, the more caramelization occurs and the sweeter they'll taste).

6 Serve immediately and enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oven-roasted-asparagus/

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon sea salt    OR substitute garlic salt for garlic & salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, I omitted)

1.  Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.  Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

* I didn't measure anything when I made this. I just drizzled the oil on the asparagus in the pan and rolled it around, then sprinkled on Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and pepper.

Refried Beans

Recipe from Our Best Bites.  They adapted it from The Homesick Texan.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed and sorted for stones and sad-looking beans

1 1/2 medium white or yellow onions, divided
6-8 cloves garlic, divided
1 jalapeno, seeded
2 tablespoons white vinegar or liquid from a jar of jalapenos or banana peppers
4-5 tablespoons bacon drippings (or lard or vegetable oil, but really, the bacon drippings)
salt to taste

Instructions:

Place the rinsed beans in a medium saucepan. Fill the pan with water so there’s 1″ of water covering the beans. Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the beans.

Place the beans the pot of a slow cooker and fill the pot with water so there’s about 2″ of water covering the beans. Add the jalapeno, 1 onion, peeled and cut in half, and 4-6 cloves of smashed, peeled garlic. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours (high elevations may take longer, so plan accordingly).

When the beans are tender, reserve 1/3-1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and add the vinegar or liquid from the jarred peppers to the reserved liquid. Drain the beans, discarding the rest of the liquid. Place the beans (and cooked vegetables) in the jar of your blender. Add 1/3 cup of liquid and blend until the desired consistency is reached (I like mine pretty smooth), adding more liquid if necessary.

Mince the remaining 1/2 onion and 2-4 cloves of garlic. Heat the bacon drippings in a large cast iron skillet (if you have one) over medium heat. When the drippings are hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until tender. Add the bean puree and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until the drippings and beans are incorporated and are light, fluffy, and hot. Salt to taste. Serve alongside Mexican food, wrapped in tortillas with cheese, or by themselves. Makes 8 1/2-cup servings.

Note: These taste like El Toro's refried beans, which I love.  I always wondered how they made them.

**I would definitely recommend the bacon drippings, and I like to use peppercini juice for the liquid.  I tend to use more liquid from the beans than it calls for because I don't like them too stiff.  I cook the onions most of the way, then add the garlic for about a minute.  Sometimes I add a little garlic salt if it needs more garlic or salt.

Green Bean Casserole

modified from Paula Deen

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

· 6 T. butter
· 2 cups diced onions
· 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
· 2-16 oz bags frozen green beans (French or regular) OR 8 cups sliced fresh green beans
· 12 cups chicken broth, optional
· 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
· 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings (I use up to 4.5 oz)
· 1/2 tsp (or to taste) House Seasoning, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth or water for 10 minutes and drain (or just cook as directed on bag). Add the green beans, mushroom soup, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the French-fried onion rings and bake for 5-10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Note: I was asked to bring Green Bean Casserole to the Hansen Thanksgiving Dinner last year, and I am not a fan of the traditional Green Bean Casserole! So, I found and modified a recipe more to my liking--light on cream soup with added onions and mushrooms. I was asked to bring this to every other family meal for the rest of the winter--they loved it! And I like it, too. :)

Chili-Roasted Carrots

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chili_roasted_carrots.html

From EatingWell:  September/October 2009

4 servings, about 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds carrots (10-12 medium), cut into 1/4-inch diagonal slices
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted this)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (I omit this; most of my family prefers the carrots without it)

Preparation

1.     Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450ºF.

2.     Combine oil, chili powder, cumin and salt in a medium bowl. Add carrots and toss well to coat. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the carrots, stirring once, until tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

3.     Toss the carrots with cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 161 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 23 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 7 g Fiber; 455 mg Sodium; 750 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 fat

Sweet Potatoes

3 c. cooked mashed yams
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter (softened)
1 c. chopped pecans

Mix together, and put on top of sweet potato mixture
Bake @ 375 degrees for 30 minutes

Buttercup Squash with Apples

Ingredients

1 small buttercup or other winter squash, cut in half, seeds and fibers removed (1 pound)

1/2 cup chopped tart apple

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons margarine or butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Heat oven to 400°. Place squash halves cut sides up in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches. Mix remaining ingredients; spoon into squash. Cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender.

source: www.bettycrocker.com