Coconut-Almond Breakfast Quinoa

Source: http://ourbestbites.com/2013/06/coconut-almond-breakfast-quinoa/

I made this yummy breakfast when I was at Val and Erin's a couple of months ago. I tripled the recipe, but a double batch would probably be perfect for the families with 4-5 kids. The adults all really enjoyed it. The kids were a little skeptical. You could try doing 1/2 quinoa and 1/2 steel-cut oats if your kids would like it better that way, but you will need to increase the liquid and cook it longer. I really loved the fresh berries and toasted coconut!

Recipe and picture source:
http://ourbestbites.com/2013/06/coconut-almond-breakfast-quinoa/

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 cup light coconut milk (from a carton, such as Silk brand)
2 teaspoons brown sugar (substitute honey or maple syrup)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For serving:
fresh berries
toasted coconut
additional coconut milk
honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup
additional brown sugar if desired

Place rinsed and drained quinoa, coconut milk, brown sugar, and almond extract in a medium-sized pot.  Stir ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover pot, preferably with a clear lid (so you can see through it and keep an eye on the quinoa).  Stir a few times during cooking.  If mixture seems to be boiling out, crack the lid to release steam, otherwise, keep covered.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.  In the last few minutes of cooking, feel free to add a little more liquid (water is fine, or additional coconut milk) until desired consistency is reached.  I prefer my breakfast quinoa on the soft side with enough liquid to make it more of a porridge.

Divide quinoa into bowls and top with fresh berries, toasted coconut and a splash of additional coconut milk.  If desired, add a drizzle of honey or agave or a sprinkle of brown sugar for sweetness.  Yields, about 4, 1/2 cup servings. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Recipe Source: Lori Hobbs (law school classmate of Josh)

1 lb. grass fed hamburger or turkey burger 
1Tbsp. olive oil 
1 large onion 
1 package mushrooms, diced 
2 minced garlic cloves 
1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. Hoisin Sauce*
2 tsp. minced pickled ginger (we've never actually used pickled)
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar 
Asian Chile Pepper Sauce - to taste 
1- 8 oz. can water chestnuts, diced 
1 bunch green onions 
2 tsp. sesame oil 
Butter Lettuce, Boston Bibb Lettuce, Bok choy, or Romaine lettuce 

1. Fry hamburger, onion, mushrooms and garlic with cooking oil in a skillet. 

2. Add green onions, water chestnuts, soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, minced pickled ginger, rice wine vinegar, Chile pepper sauce, and sesame oil. 

3. Stir in ingredients and heat through. Serve on lettuce with brown rice (optional) and additional Asian Chile Pepper Sauce or Sriracha Chili Sauce. We also like to have this Broccoli and Red Pepper Stir Fry on the side!

*The first ingredient in many Hoisin Sauces in sugar so read labels. This is the best store bought I've found, it only has 2g of sugar. I bought it at Whole Foods.  Or make your own: http://onehungrymama.com/2014/01/7-minute-homemade-hoisin-sauce-recipe-vegan-dairy-free/

http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/paleo-hoisin-sauce-recipe/

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.

Country Potatoes (aka Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes)

Recipe Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/cheesy-au-gratin-potatoes-2/

We love this version of Country/Cheesy/Funeral Potatoes. They have great flavor and no cream soup!

YIELD: SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (use gluten-free all purpose flour if desired)
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
• 26-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns or about 5-6 large russet potatoes, peeled, cooked and shredded or sliced
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
Topping:
• 3 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is softened and translucent,a bout 5-6 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Combine the chicken broth and milk in a liquid measure and slowly whisk in the mixture. Add the salt, pepper and thyme. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth. Mix in the frozen hash browns or potatoes, lifting and folding the mixture until well combined. Finally, stir in the sour cream.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the lightly crushed cornflakes with the butter until evenly combined. Scoop out the potato mixture into a 9X13-inch baking dish and top with the buttered cornflakes. If baking the potatoes by themselves, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until hot and bubbly around the edges. If baking the potatoes with a ham (my ham recipe bakes at 300 degrees), bake the potatoes for 90 minutes at 300 degrees then crank the oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes for 10 minutes more. In both baking situations, let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Garlic Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and picture source:
http://ourbestbites.com/2013/11/roasted-garlic-chipotle-sweet-potatoes/

Here is the recipe for the savory mashed sweet potatoes I made at Thanksgiving. The recipe makes a lot, so unless it is for a gathering I recommend halving the recipe.

Roasted Garlic Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

5 pounds fresh sweet potatoes
2 heads garlic
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
Buttermilk (about 1/4-1/2 cup)
Adobo sauce from chipotle chilies (and some chilies if you want some extra heat)
kosher salt, to taste

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Cut the tops off the bulbs of garlic. Tear a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to tightly wrap both the bulbs of garlic and place them, cut side up, on top of the foil and drizzle each of them with about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Wrap tightly with foil and place them, cut side up, into the heated oven. Roast the garlic for about 45 minutes. If you happen to have the oven going for other Thanksgiving-y things, just pop these in with them; if the temperature is lower, you’ll just have to extend the roasting time to about an hour. Just keep an eye (and a nose) on things; when it smells amazing and the garlic is soft, it’s ready.

As the garlic is finishing up, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size. Boil the sweet potatoes until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

When the garlic is done roasting, unwrap it and allow it to cool for a few minutes and then carefully squeeze it into the sweet potatoes, picking out any of the skins. Add 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and about 2-3 tablespoons of adobo sauce. With the wire whip attachment (or with a handheld electric mixer), mix until the potatoes break down and the butter melts. Test and add salt and adobo sauce to taste; I’d give specific measurements here, but this is going to be largely personal–some of you may end up adding all the adobo sauce or even a chili or two whereas for others, 2-3 tablespoons will be plenty (it will add a nice, smokey flavor and a tiny, tiny bit of spice).

When the seasonings are about right, add enough buttermilk to reach the desired consistency. Again, this will be super personal; some people like their whipped potatoes smooth as silk and other others like them lumpy. When you have the consistency you want, taste them again for salt and spiciness and add more adobo sauce and/or salt taste.

Serve immediately or transfer  to a baking dish and cover with foil for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to serve them, pop them (covered) into an oven heated to 425 degrees for about 1/2 hour. Or you could zap them in the microwave, but I’m not sure how long.

Serve with holiday meals or as a side dish for sandwiches, steaks, or roasts. Makes 12-14 servings.

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Mexican Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and Picture Source:
 http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-sweet-potato-skins

We had these stuffed sweet potatoes the other night and really enjoyed them! Great by itself or with a salad on the side.

Prep time:  1 hour

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 2-4 INDIVIDUAL chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (not the whole can!)*
• 1 ounce light cream cheese
• ¼ cup light sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack... anything will work)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
3. Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
5. Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
6. Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*I would recommend starting with 2 chipotle peppers. I convinced Josh to use 3 instead of the 4 he wanted and it was just right for us, but I know many in the family don't like things too spicy.

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

   Source: http://lilluna.com/glazed-lemon-zucchini-bread/

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour (I home-ground flour from red wheat, white wheat, barley & rye)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini (I used 1 cup blended yellow zucchini)
Glaze ingredients: (I only made 1/2)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB milk

Instructions

1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. Add lemon juice, buttermilk, lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.
3. Fold in zucchini until it is mixed well.
4. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend all together until well combined.
5. Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan (I used 4 small loaf pans and baked less time).
6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
7. While still warm, make glaze and spoon over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

*We love this--even Lared, who doesn't usually like citrus baked goods, likes it. It has a nutty taste. Next time, I'll add poppy seeds, too.