The New Lasagna

Happy holidays, everyone! I wish you all a spectacular 2011. Who's ready for a new year? I know I am!

With the new year comes thoughts of old practices, old habits, old ways, and consideration about what's working for us and what isn't. Well, this recipe is just in time for you! We are going to take lasagna and power it up, give it some oomph, and pack it with superfoods. And it will be most delicious! (Just ask my 9 year old.)

Let me start off by saying that this recipe was inspired by one I found in Terry Walter's book "Clean Food". This is absolutely one of my most favorite cook books on the planet! Her recipes are easy, healthy, and crazy-good. When I first read through this one, I was skeptical. I wondered how tasty kale could really be in a lasagna, and the tofu almost stopped me cold, because, well, tofu and I are just casual acquaintances...we don't have a strong relationship. After this recipe, I can tell you that my esteem for this food has deepened, and I can picture us having many happy days. Tofu is classified as a superfood, and on its own is pretty bland, but it is like a sponge; it soaks up whatever deliciousness you expose it to. So if you're looking for a hearty, satisfying meal to power you through the winter and keep you well, look no further!

The New Lasagna

Ingredients:
7 sun-dried tomatoes
12 lasagna noodles
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 12-18 ounce packages firm tofu
2 Tablespoons mirin
1 ounce package fresh basil, finely chopped
1 handful fresh italian parsley, finely chopped
2 bunches of kale, finely chopped
2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Mezzetta's Napa Valley Bistro Arrabbiata, 25 ounces each)
2 cups grated mozzarella (you can use soy or rice cheese if you like)
salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes, if you like

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Soak sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl of water until they are soft, then drain, chop, and set aside. Chop the kale and set aside. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Make the Filling
In a BIG pot, drizzle the olive oil, heat to medium, and add onions and garlic. Cook until soft. If you like spicy, add a little cayenne or red pepper flakes here. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 more minutes. Drain the tofu, wrap in towels, and squeeze like a sponge to remove excess water. (There will be a LOT of water. But this is an important step. If you skip it, your lasagna will be soupy.) Once the tofu is pretty well dry, crumble into the pot. Add mirin, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and parsley and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the kale, and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put it together
Crack open one of the spaghetti sauce jars and pour a little bit (1/3 of the jar) on the bottom of a 9X12-inch pan. Use 4 noodles to form the bottom layer over the sauce. Cover with half of the kale mixture. Pour the rest of your first jar of sauce over this. Sprinkle with 2 handfuls of cheese. Top that with another noodle layer, the rest of the kale mixture, 2/3 of the second jar of sauce, and two more handfuls of cheese. Layer the rest of the noodles on top with the rest of the sauce and the rest of the cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve it up, hot and delicious! And you don't even need to make a salad with it, if you don't want to, because your greens are already in there!

Serves 8
(Although my husband, daughter and I polished off half of the pan in one sitting...)

Warming Belly Brew

We had our first snowfall in Minnesota today, and it was ushered in by gale-force, biting, cold winds. Sunny warmth has flip flopped into bone chilling cold. What better time to snuggle up with a big mug of this spicy, tangy brew. The ginger warms your belly and bones and works with the lemon to enhance your immune system, while the cinnamon helps regulate your blood sugar. Sip on this brew and keep strong all winter long!

Warming Belly Brew

Ingredients:
Big pot of water
2-3 inches of ginger root (usually found by jalapenos or garlic)
1-2 lemons to taste
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon or 1 stick of cinnamon
honey or maple syrup to taste

Directions:
Put the water on the stove and heat to boiling. While water is heating, peel the ginger, and chop it up in dice-sized cubes. (You don't have to, it just gives up more flavor. You can actually drop the whole thing in the water if you wish.)

Add ginger to the hot water and stir in the cinnamon stick.

Reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

When it's good and spicy, squeeze the lemons in, and if you didn't have cinnamon stick, add the ground cinnamon at this time.

Drizzle in honey or maple syrup, or a little bit of both if you like, to taste.

Sip. Breathe. Rest. Enjoy.

Chillin' Chicken Casserole

We are enjoying a spectacular Indian Summer in Minnesota, with temperatures 20 degrees above normal. Usually fall ushers in soups and stews in our house, but it's just too warm outside for that right now.

This meal is a favorite of mine because it takes hardly any time at all to make, is delicious, packed with whole foods, and it has nice, simple flavors that can be admired by all. Best of all, it is super tasty cold. A couple of notes here: to save time, you can purchase a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. You can use the entire chicken in this recipe if you like, but I just use the breast and save the rest for other stuff. Also, you can find pre-cooked, frozen brown rice in the freezer aisle. Then you don't have to wait an hour for the rice to cook. Or you can precook your own rice and store it in the freezer.


Ingredients:
1 cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups of dry rice
2/3 package of frozen peas and carrots
20 baby pickles
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook rice. Put in a large bowl. Chop chicken in small cubes. Chop pickles. Put rice, chicken, pickles, garlic powder, peas and carrots, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a little pickle juice on top. Mix it all up. Eat right away, or put in the refrigerator to cool. Enjoy!

P.S. You don't have to cook the peas and carrots first, since this is a cold salad. Simply mixing it with the warm rice heats it up enough to make it not frozen.

Getting Corny with Quinoa

The corn this year in Minnesota is just bursting with flavor! I just had to find a delicious way to include it in my quinoa...here is the result of a little fooling around in the kitchen. This is my new favorite quinoa.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup quinoa
3 cups water

5 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
1 small head of broccoli
2/3 of a bunch of asparagus
1 can of aduki beans
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of mirin
1 tablespoon of brown rice syrup
juice from 1 lime
a huge handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon of sweet curry from Penzey's spices
1 tablespoon of hot curry from Penzey's spices
2 ears of fresh cooked corn, cut off of the husk


Directions:
Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add quinoa, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil on medium, add minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add chopped broccoli and asparagus, and cook for a minute or two. Add the curry powders, soy sauce and mirin, and cook for a minute. Drain and rinse the beans and add those. By now, your quinoa should be done cooking, so add that to your pan, along with the lime juice, cilantro and brown rice syrup. Turn off the heat and add the corn. Mix well. This is delicious hot or cold, and seriously, it whips up in 20 minutes flat. It goes really fast (both the cooking and the finished product!)

Yummy Nutty Mix-It-Up

This is for my friend, Byron, who was challenged by his wife to not only create meals for his entire family for the next 30 days, but to keep it all LIVING food. This stuff makes a great dip or a filler for big green leaves...

Ingredients:
2 cups of walnuts
1 red bell pepper
5 green onions
2 stalks of celery
pinch of sea salt


Directions:
Blend it up in a food processor.

That's it.

Dip your veggies in it, or wrap it up!
Good luck, my friend!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Don't feel like cooking? Is the hot summer day making you loathe turning on your stove? This dinner whips up in 5 minutes flat!

But first, a little information about why you would want to eat portabella mushrooms, I mean, besides their magnificent taste and wonderful, meaty texture...

Portabella mushrooms contain a high amount of vitamin D, selenium, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus, conjugated linoleic acid and antioxidants.

But most exciting, a clinical trial is scheduled to take place at the City of Hope National Medical Center due to earlier research indicating that the common mushroom can inhibit aromatase, and therefore may be able to lower estrogen levels in the human body, which might reduce breast cancer susceptibility. In 2009, a case control study of over 2000 women, correlated a large decrease of breast cancer incidence in women who consumed mushrooms. Women in the study who consumed fresh mushrooms daily, were 64% less likely to develop breast cancer, while those that combined a mushroom diet with regular green tea consumption, reduced their risk of breast cancer by nearly 90%.

Did you read that number? 90%!!!! How many people do you know have had this horrible affliction?

The table mushroom has also been shown to possess possible immune system enhancing properties. An in vitro study demonstrated the mushroom enhanced dendritic cell function.

Beyond all of these benefits, they just taste yummy!


Ingredients:
2 whole, large portabella mushrooms
1 large avocado
1-2 tablespoons onion (it can be green, red, yellow, white)
1 large tomato
10 kalamata olives
1/2 cucumber
Two big handfuls of mixed greens
2 lemon wedges
1 tablespoon of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, if you don't have this)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

Directions:
Place greens on a plate.

Wash mushrooms, remove the stems, and use a spoon to scoop out the gills (this just makes room for the stuffing)

Mash avocado in a small bowl, finely chop onion and add it to the avocado. Place mushroom on the plate of greens and stuff it with the avocado mixture.

Dice tomato, slice olives (if you feel like it), and dice cucumber and distribute evenly among the two plates.

Sprinkle Bragg's over the mushroom, squeeze lemon over the entire salad, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Top with fresh cracked pepper if you wish.

Have a sharp knife on hand for eating this...these mushrooms are huge and satisfying!

Mediterranian Noodles

This one's for you, Julie, since you have tired of steaming your zucchini and making bread from it...

Zucchini originates in the Americas. Archaeologists have traced their origins to Mexico, dating back from 7,000 to 5,500 BC, when they were an integral part of the ancient diet of maize, beans, and squashes. That pre-Columbian food trio is still the mainstay of the Mexican cuisine and is known today as the "three sisters."

Ironically, just thirty years ago, this fruit (yes, it's actually a fruit) was not highly recognized in the United States. However, it's popularity has exploded as people discover that there is much that can be made with this yummy thing.

In Italy, zucchini are served in a variety of ways, especially breaded and pan-fried. Some restaurants in Rome specialize in deep-frying the flowers, known as fiori di zucca.

In France zucchini is a key ingredient in ratatouille, a stew of summer fruits and vegetables prepared in olive oil and cooked for an extended time over low heat. The dish, originating near present-day Nice, is served as a side dish or on its own at lunch with bread. Zucchini are stuffed with meat with other fruits like tomatoes or bell peppers in a dish named farcis (stuffed).

In Turkish cuisine, zucchini is the main ingredient in the popular dish mücver , or "zucchini pancakes", made from shredded zucchini, flour and eggs, lightly fried in olive oil and eaten with yogurt.

In the Levant, zucchini is stuffed with minced meat and rice plus herbs and spices and steamed. It is also used in various kinds of stew.

In Greece, zucchini is usually fried or boiled with other fruits (often green chili peppers and eggplants). It is served as an hors d'œuvre or as a main dish, especially during fasting seasons. Zucchini is also often stuffed with minced meat, rice and herbs and served with avgolemono sauce. In several parts of Greece, the flowers of the plant are stuffed with white cheese, usually feta or mizithra cheese, or with a mixture of rice, herbs and occasionally minced meat. Then they are deep-fried or baked with tomato sauce in the oven.

In Bulgaria, zucchini are fried and then served with a dip, made from yoghurt, garlic and dill. Another popular dish is oven-baked zucchini—sliced or grated—covered with a mixture of eggs, yoghurt, flour and dill.
Different types of zucchuni

In Egypt, zucchini are cooked with tomato sauce, garlic and onions.

In my kitchen, I like to make it like this:

Ingredients:
2 zucchinis or 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash
1 pint of mushrooms
1 small onion
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (I like Penzey's Tuscan Sunset)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 pound noodles of your choice
Parmesan cheese (optional)


Directions:

Prepare noodles according to package instructions.

Slice onions and mushrooms thinly and mince garlic.

In a large skillet, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat to medium.

Add in onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning over it and saute another minute or two. (I also like to add a sprinkle or two of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.)

While mushrooms and onions are cooking, chop zucchini and/or squash into slices, matchsticks, cubes, or whatever you are feeling.

Add zucchini/squash to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Toss vegetable mixture with the drained noodles, add a splash more olive oil if needed, and sprinkle with cheese if you like. Serve with a simple green salad and crusty, warm bread.

Sometimes I toss in spinach at the last moment, or I add white kidney beans or garbanzo beans in with the zucchini. Sometimes some toasted pine nuts also find their way into the mix, or juice from a fresh lemon (both of these you would add in at the very end, when everything is being combined)...it all depends on what's in my kitchen at the time. It's really quite versatile and oh, so good!

Sweet Summer Quinoa

The Fourth of July is always a big holiday for my family. It is my nephew's birthday, and a national holiday; two very good reasons for us to get together and celebrate...and we will use any excuse to party.

Trying to get away from the usual, traditional Fourth of July fare, I created this sweet and tasty summer salad. It's fruity enough for the kids to go crazy, and nutritious enough for me to be happy to give them.

Use this idea as a base for your own, and add your favorite fruits and nuts. It is a perfect cold dish to share!


Sweet Summer Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/4 fresh pineapple, diced
1 fresh mango, diced
1 tablespoon shredded dried coconut
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
1 handful of toasted, sliced almonds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil


Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat and cover, simmering for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

While the quinoa is cooking, chop up your pineapple, cilantro and mango. If your almonds are raw, toast them on medium heat in a nonstick pan for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.

When the quinoa is done cooking, heat a large skillet on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Toss in the quinoa and mix well. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, pineapple, mango, cilantro, brown sugar, coconut and toasted almonds.

Refrigerate and enjoy!

Monkey Fruit Cake

Here it is: as seen on TV! I know I've mentioned before with my ice cream blog all of these options, but now you can see just how quickly and easily your sweet tooth can be satisfied! And with good, body-nourishing ingredients. Enjoy!!

Blueberry morning!

Breakfast is a snap! Here's what I made.

Blueberry Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 pint of fresh blueberries
3 bananas
2 frozen bananas
3 pitted dates
1 cup Good Belly blueberry acai probiotic drink

Blend all ingredients together, drink and enjoy!

Good Belly probiotic drinks are great for people that are lactose intolerant or want to cut back on dairy, because they have all those great gut-friendly bacteria that yogurt contains and the flavors are awesome! I love adding it to my smoothies. Good Belly can be found at most health food stores, co-ops, and some grocery stores, in the soy milk area.
http://www.goodbelly.com/probiotic-drink

What to do with turnips

Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) are becoming ever more popular as the desire to eat fresh, organic, locally grown food is growing. A CSA is set up so a person can buy a "share" of a farm, and then every week the bounty of the season is delivered fresh, usually picked the same day. A whole array of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers can be expected, although one never knows what exactly will show up in the box each week.

My darling sister received turnips in her box this week, and has challenged me to find ways to prepare them. I do love challenges! So here we go.

First, a little bit about why you would want to eat a turnip. Turnips have been enjoyed since ancient times, when they were cultivated nearly 4,000 years ago in the Near East. This round, apple-sized vegetable was prized by the Greeks and the Romans, and was even called one of the most important vegetables of the time by ancient author Pliny the Elder. They belong to the same family as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage (cruciferous vegetables), giving them powerful cancer-fighting abilities as well as nutrients such as fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, potassium and copper. When eaten raw, they have an earthy, spicy taste, like a radish, but when they are cooked the flavor becomes very mild, so even your fussiest child will enjoy them.

You can use turnip roots anytime you would use a potato, and then some. Try them mashed, baked, boiled, in stews, soups and stir-fries, or lightly steamed with some butter, salt or lemon juice for flavor. Or you can thinly slice them, brush them with olive oil, lightly salt and bake them like potato chips. Or you can try the recipe at the end of this post.

Don't forget about the greens! They are delicious sautéed or steamed as a side dish with garlic, onion, olive oil and lemon, or as an addition to soups, stews and pasta.

And now, for a recipe...

Hearty Rooty Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium turnip
1 large parsnip
1 large carrot
1 medium onion
1 medium rutabaga
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the vegetables and then coarsely chop. Put them in a 13X9 baking pan, sprinkle seasoning and garlic on top, and then drizzle with olive oil. Give it a quick stir, cover and bake for 1 hour.

Cheeseless Cheesecake!

Say cheese! And then remember that while our palates may have a love affair with the stuff, our bodies certainly do not. More and more people are realizing they are lactose intolerant, and if your body is telling you it does not want something (and it gives you signs like pain, diarrhea and excess mucous) then common sense would tell you to stay away from it. Even if you don't experience these symptoms, all scientific evidence points to cheese as an artery-clogging substance.

But I LOVE cheese! I don't want to give it up! Well, the good news is, nobody has to completely abolish the stuff from their diets. Our bodies can handle moderation. Using a substitution like this will translate into less cheese consumption. A double treat!

This recipe is for those cheesecake lovers out there that don't want to be without. Again, this was inspired by Angela Elliot and her raw dessert book. Can soaked nuts really stand up to cheese, delicious cheese? I shared this dessert with my friends, and they all went cuckoo! It is super easy to do, and if you don't have a spring form pan, just make this baby up in whatever pan you have.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups macadamia nuts
6 pitted dates
1/4 cup dried coconut

The Cheesecake:
3 cups soaked cashews
3/4 cup lemon juice
9 pitted dates, soaked in enough water to cover them
3/4 cup coconut oil
pinch of sea salt

Strawberry sauce topping:
1 pint fresh strawberries
6 pitted dates, soaked and drained
extra strawberries for garnish


Directions:
Get the cashews and dates soaking. You should soak them for at least 1 hour.

Line a 9 inch spring form pan with coconut (or whatever pan you're using)

Process the macadamia nuts and dates in a food processor. Press over dried coconut.

Process cashews, lemon juice, dates (with the soaking water), coconut oil, salt and half cup of water until it is smooth like cheese.

Pour over the crust and shake the pan to settle the ingredients.

Freeze for 2 hours.

At the end of the 2 hours, process your pint of strawberries with the soaked, drained dates until smooth.

Remove cake from freezer and place on a plate, or if you used a cooking pan, you can just leave it in there. Pour strawberry sauce over the cake and decorate with more strawberries.


This will keep in the fridge for about a week. And if you keep it in the freezer, it keeps even longer of course!

*A note about coconut oil: If you don't have this stuff in your cupboard, you are really missing out! It's packed with nutrients and tastes delicious. It gives depth to stir-frys and desserts and is crazy good on popcorn. When you purchase the oil, you will notice it is hard, like vegetable shortening. To use it in this recipe, stick the oil jar into a bowl of hot water to melt it a bit, and pour out the 3/4 cup you need.

Nuts about brownies

I'm in the last few weeks of training for Grandma's Marathon. My long run days have stretched into 17 and 18 miles, and the mileage will keep going up until the big day (26.2 miles!) in mid June. My metabolism is kicking into high gear, and I can feel it! I get crazy, strong cravings, and they are mostly for sweet, naughty treats.

So in my quest for satisfying my body while not filling it with trash, I stumbled upon an e-book from Angela Elliot, a woman who makes "raw" food. If you are new to the raw food world, it basically means that food is eaten in it's most natural state. It is fresh, it comes from a plant, and it isn't heated above 105 degrees, which leaves all of the food's enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients intact. The goal of eating this way is to get the most "bang for your buck" from the food you eat.

These brownies are a delicious way to eat something completely decadent without adding any processed foods such as flours, sugars, or other things into your diet. Also, you will be swapping out the "bad" (animal) fats that have been linked with heart disease, etc. with "good" (plant) fats that have been shown to aid in ridding the body of these same maladies (when taken in moderation, of course). Since they are made mostly of nuts, they have a lot of calories, so even though these babies are nutrient-dense, too much can lead to weight gain. The whole point is to have a tasty treat that also gives your body some wonderful nourishment.

Before starting this recipe, you will need to put your cashews and dates in separate bowls and cover them completely with water for at least one hour. This will get them to the proper consistency for the recipe. You also need to have a food dehydrator and food processor. If you don't have these, you might want to think about getting them. The Cuisinart has saved me tons of time, and the value of having power packed food makes the dehydrator totally worth it. The purpose for dehydrating these dishes (instead of just baking it) is they are kept below the heat level that destroys the good stuff.

The actual "making/doing" of these scrumptious bits of chocolaty goodness is quite easy and fast. So don't let the new parts overwhelm you. Give it a go! You won't be sorry.


Ingredients:
3 cups walnuts
2 Tablespoons seed or nut butter (I used sunflower seed butter)
6 dates (soaked and keep the water)
1/4 cup Cacao powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

And for the frosting
1 cup raw cashews (soaked and drained)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 dates (soaked and keep the water)
1/4 cup water


Directions:
Process the walnuts into a fine flour in your processor.
Add the rest of the ingredients (including the date soaking water) and process until smooth.
Scrape into an 8X8 cake pan
Place in your dehydrator for 24 hours, at its lowest temperature.

Once the brownies are ready, process the drained cashews, cinnamon, dates (with soaking water) and 1/4 cup additional water until smooth.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes to thicken it up. Spread over brownies.


Notes:
If your dehydrator is the traditional round kind that you can't get a pan into, no worries! Cover the bottom with parchment paper, and scoop out spoonfuls, and shape into whatever shape you wish your brownies to take. They won't expand or grow, so you can put them pretty close together.

I love to top these with fruit! Last night we had some strawberries that I threw in the blender and poured that over the brownies. Can you say yum? This is also sensational with my banana ice cream. Here's that recipe: http://cookingwithrebecca.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-scream-you-scream-ice-cream.html

I Scream, You Scream.. ICE CREAM!

We are having an unbelievably early spring here in Minnesota. I've only lived here for five years, and in that time I haven't experienced an April demanding shorts and flip flops, but who am I to argue? After running around the park with Marisa, or just running in general, I'm ready for a cool, delicious treat. This satisfies that craving, and whips up in a snap. And to top it off, while it fits the bill as a dessert, it's just fruit, so it's good for you!

Do-It-Yourself Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 banana per serving you wish to make


Directions:
Remove peels from bananas, store in an airtight container in the freezer for at least one hour. (Bananas will keep a couple of weeks this way.)

Take frozen bananas and put in a food processor. Process for almost 10 minutes, taking time to push down the sides and mix it up from time to time. Don't be afraid if it gets a little loud, shakes a bunch, or seems like it will never whip up. It will. You will have a frozen treat the same consistency as soft serve.

Remove this deliciousness and put in individual bowls. Then have fun. Top with chopped nuts, berries, a squirt of chocolate sauce, or cut in some nut butter! When I'm going all out, I dice up some angel food cake* and top it with this ice cream and fresh berries. Yummy, yummy, yummy!

*A note on angel food cake: if you are buying a pre-made cake from the store, be sure to check the ingredient label! Some stores put some pretty wacky ingredients in it, like sodium lauryl sulfate, which is actually a chemical that is used in most soaps for it's foaming effect. Besides being a nasty chemical that you shouldn't be eating, this same chemical has been given the red light from the environmental working group (www.ewg.org)for it's carcinogenic effect on the body when using it as a soap. So please don't feed it to your family!

Crazy Cakes!

I love pancakes, especially when they are topped with real maple syrup. Unfortunately, pancakes do not love me. Whenever I eat them, about an hour later, I feel unbalanced and jittery. I suppose it's from the sugar rush, combined with the fact that traditional pancakes don't contain very much in the way of protein, fiber or nutrients. It's just a bunch of white flour and sugar.

There's no need for tears or sadness though. You can still have your cakes and eat them too! AND you can get more good stuff in them. May I introduce to you...buckwheat!

You can read up some juicy details of this wonder-food here: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-buckwheat-flour.htm

I like to combine this superfood with fruit and nuts in the batter, to load up on nutrients, fiber, and FLAVOR! This power-packed dish served us well as a carb-loader the night before a long race, so all you runners out there, here is another option to the traditional "pasta feed".


Ingredients:
Buckwheat pancake mix
chopped walnuts (a handful or two)
1-2 chopped bananas
1 pint red raspberries
1-2 handfuls of blueberries


Directions:
Prepare pancake mix as directed on package. Stir in fruit and nuts. (You might need to add a touch more water. You want the mix to be able to pour out a bit, like traditional pancake mix.)

Pour mixture on griddle to form pancakes. When the top gets bubbly, it's ready to flip. These cook up just like regular pancakes.

Top with a touch of REAL maple syrup and enjoy!


P.S. And of course, feel free to use any fruit or nut combination that makes you happy. Frozen fruit works as well as fresh, as long as you defrost it first.

Power Bars

These tasty treats are great for a quick breakfast, an after dinner treat, or a midday snack. I love to have one an hour before a long run. It fuels up my system without making me "full". This recipe was inspired by a similar one I found in Eating Well magazine, but I had to tweak it a bit because the bars fell apart too easily. It's super easy, packed with whole foods, and quite yummy!

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (raw, not salted or roasted)
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 cup unsweetened whole grain puff cereal (like Kashi's 7 Whole Grain Puffs)
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and sesame seeds on a large baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cereal, currants, apricots and raisins; toss to combine.

Combine almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2-5 minutes.

Immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well, until no dry spots remain. Transfer to an 8x8 cooking pan and press down firmly into the pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into 8 bars.

Quick Morning Greens

Greens for breakfast? You're kidding, right?

Mornings can be super hectic around here. Sometimes I don't have the time to sit down and eat. Studies show that we need to eat breakfast, that it gives our metabolisms a jump start, and gives our bodies the power to get through our daily tasks.

We are also told that we need to eat more vegetables, namely leafy green vegetables.

Well without further ado, here is a super fast and super easy recipe for a delicious, nutritious smoothie that you can whip up in seconds and grab on the go. You can sip it in morning traffic on your way to work. Delight in it while doing the dishes and straightening up the house. Feel those dark, leafy greens working their magic!




Super Smoothie

1-2 bananas
1 frozen banana
1/3 cup of water
2 huge handfuls of greens, such as spinach, romaine, kale, collard greens, or whatever you have on hand
a dash of honey, if you feel it isn't sweet enough already


Directions:
In a blender, puree the ripe banana with the water. Once smooth, add the leafy greens. Once that's all mixed in, pulse your frozen banana in the mixture until creamy. Taste. Add honey, if you like. Pour and sip. Mmmmmm....breakfast!

*You can also add some protein, such as a scoop of hemp protein powder or 4 ounces of silken tofu, however greens actually do contain protein, so it isn't necessary. While the numbers aren't as high as those found in animal sources, your body is better able to absorb it completely, and your blood pH becomes more alkaline, which helps your immune system.

Smashed potatoes...no CAULIFLOWER!

Don't let the ease of this recipe trick you...it's quite tasty!! It goes well as a side dish when mashed potatoes would be the norm.

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons "Fox Point" from Penzeys Spices*
1 Tablespoon of butter or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle a shake of salt in it. Add chopped cauliflower and cook for 20 minutes, or until soft. Drain. Add Fox Point and butter or oil and smash it up with a fork, potato smasher thing, or use a hand mixer (which I hardly find necessary when the cauliflower is nice and soft). Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.


*Fox Point is a blend of salt, shallots, chives, garlic, onion and green peppercorns. If you don't have any on hand, you can use powdered versions of these spices, or simply cut up some chives and mince some garlic and add it in.

Chili-flower

Spring is trying really hard to settle in Minnesota. The birds are singing, the snow has melted, and there are days when one can venture outdoors without a heavy coat, or in true Minnesotan-style, with no coat at all. Who needs it when the sun is out and the temperature is above freezing?

I wanted to sneak this recipe in for the last few cold days that pop up unexpectedly. It is a warm, satisfying dish. So warm that my husband had to open the windows yesterday when we were eating it! I call it "chili-flower" because instead of meat, I opted to use the SuperFood cauliflower.


Ingredients:

Drizzle of olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper (whatever color you like, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 head of cauliflower*, cut in tiny, tiny pieces
2-3 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
a sprinkle of salt and pepper
splash of white vinegar
cayenne pepper to taste (I use 2 teaspoons)
2 cans red kidney beans, drained
2 cans pinto beans, drained
1 huge can of tomato sauce (29 oz)
1 huge can of diced tomatoes

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in a big stock pot on medium heat. Add peppers and onions and saute until shimmery (about 5 minutes). Add cauliflower and sprinkle chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper on top of the veggies and add a splash (about 1 Tablespoon) white vinegar. Mix it up and let cook while you open all those cans.

Rinse off beans and add them to the pot. Immediately add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Bring to a slight boil and then simmer as long as you like. (You can eat it after 30-45 minutes, or you can let it simmer for a couple of hours. The flavor gets stronger the longer it simmers.) Garnish with green onions and avocado and serve with crackers, corn bread or toast. Absolutely delicious and oh, so good for you!


*I use cauliflower as a "filler", since I opted out of meat. So I chop, chop, chop it up into tiny pieces that resemble what browned meat would look like. I'm not trying to trick myself into believing it is meat, because it doesn't taste anything like it. The fun thing about cauliflower is that it really picks up whatever spices you add, so it fills out the dish nicely while filling your body with vital nutrients. How great is that? The leftover half of cauliflower I typically use as a version of "mashed potatoes" because I just LOVE it and have become addicted...

Here's THAT recipe --> Smashed potatoes, no, CAULIFLOWER!

As far as the spices go, I don't really measure those. Once I have added the cauliflower, I sprinkle enough chili powder over it to cover it up in red (without stirring it) and then I sprinkle about half that amount of cumin on top.

One more note: you can add more vegetables to this dish if you are feeling adventurous or if you have lots of veggies on hand. Zucchini, squash, and carrots all work well. You can also change up the beans. I use pinto beans because I adore their buttery taste, but you can add black beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, or whatever you like.

This Dish Needs a Name!

The other night, my girlfriend had a fun dinner party and served cabbage rolls. They were amazingly delicious. She had filled them with turkey, rice and the usual things that I have found in cabbage rolls. It got me thinking...I'd like to make a cabbage roll that is completely vegan, and I'd like to switch out the typical Italian taste and go for something a bit more Thai inspired. Would it work? I wasn't sure, I hadn't heard of anything like it before (which doesn't mean it doesn't exist). I peeked in my fridge and looked in my cupboards to see what I had on hand (I was much too tired to go out shopping) and here is what I came up with...Please understand that I am not the best at measuring, so these are "guessstimates". I don't think you can go wrong, and feel free to adjust the flavors to your liking. Me, I like food to be a little fierce, to go "Pa-POW!" So if this is too intense, go ahead and add a little less garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes...

Title goes here... (Can you help me give this dish a name?)

1 head of cabbage
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 inches of fresh ginger, minced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 leek, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 handfuls of deluxe mixed nuts, finely chopped (I just threw them in the food processor and pulsed a bit)
1 handful of arame, soaked in water for 10 minutes, then drained
1 cup cooked rice (measured after cooking)
1 cup cooked red lentils (measured before cooking)
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
Juice from 1/2 lemon
A sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon "Better than Bullion" mushroom bullion
2 cups of water
1 can coconut milk
1 Tablespoon of Sate, from Penzeys Spices
(Sate contains salt, brown sugar, garlic, onion, coriander, shallots, ginger, tumeric, sweet paprika, Ancho pepper, galangal, cayennne red pepper and lemon grass)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

To start, cook the red lentils in the water with the mushroom broth. While this is cooking, mince the garlic and ginger, or if you are feeling lazy, throw it in a food processor. Chop the onion, celery and leek.

Drizzle the olive oil in a large pan and heat to medium. Toss in the garlic, ginger, onion, celery and leek and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onion is shimmery.

Add in the soy sauce, mirin, red pepper flakes, arame, mixed nuts and lemon juice and saute for another 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cooked lentils and remove from heat.

To get the cabbage leaves off the head without ripping them, boil a large pot of water and remove the core of the cabbage. Toss the cabbage into the pot for 10 seconds, remove from the water, and gently peel the leaves off. Repeat as necessary until you have all of the leaves you need. Heap a spoonful of the good stuff from the skillet into each leaf, roll up, and place in a 13X9 baking pan.

In a small pot, whisk the coconut milk and Sate together, and warm thoroughly. (If you want to take more time in the oven, skip this step. I was starving and didn't want to wait.) Pour over cabbage rolls and cover. Bake for 45 minutes.

A couple of notes:
I used Sate because my girlfriend suggested to add curry with the coconut milk, and I didn't have any curry on hand. So I would imagine curry would work equally well.

The red lentils cooked into a mushy paste, which I liked, however you can use the green or brown lentils instead, and I would imagine they would be a little firmer and hold their shape, which may also be nice.

A bit about Quinoa (keen-wah)

Here is the last day of my television debut. The entire week I had one minute to give a short presentation about the stuff I had made and then the judges would give it a taste, vote and then someone would be kicked off. The ax never fell on my neck until the final day, which you can see here, but before it did, I got the chance to cook live on the show with the hosts, John and Elizabeth. We had a fabulous time stirring up what I hope can be the new Minnesota Hot Dish. So easy to make, and so good for you, add it to your go-to recipes today!

twincitieslive.com - Kitchen Star: Quick-n-Easy Quinoa

Oh, and I only spoke briefly about this during the segment, but I encourage you to make this recipe your own! See what you have in the fridge, notice what you are craving, and put it in. Maybe not Jello-pops, but certainly you can combine different things. Here's a quick list of some possibilities:
olives
garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans
chicken, fish or other meat (although you do already have enough protein in this dish without it)
fresh herbs, like basil, cilantro, rosemary, sage, thyme
lemon or lime juice
sundried tomatoes
red pepper flakes
bell peppers
tomatoes
jalapenos
spices such as cumin, garlic, cayenne, chinese 5 star, ginger
leafy greens (these are especially delicious)
bean sprouts
water chestnuts
corn, peas, carrots
nuts and seeds
cucumbers
different cheeses such as feta, parmesan, blue cheese, or whatever you like

You see? The list can go on and on. You could put some ginger, soy sauce, bok choy, water chestnuts and almonds for an oriental taste. You could add coconut milk, green onion, peanuts and ginger for a Thai taste, or go for basil, tomato, cucumber and onion for an Italian taste. Whatever you choose, it makes a warm, satisfying hot dish in the winter and a light, easy meal in the summer, and it is delicious hot or cold. You don't even have to stick with savory; you could turn this in to a sweet dish by adding apples, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, coconut flakes, yogurt, whatever! So get in your kitchen...you are 15 minutes away from a FEAST!

JaPancakes? JaPancakes!

When I was searching through ideas for the Kitchen Star contest, I came across Okonomiyaki, which is the Japanese version of pizza. Really, it is nothing like pizza, with its cabbage and leek base, but the word "okonomiyaki" means "as you like it", and is traditionally topped with whatever the customer chooses, whether it be octopus or squid, or some vegetables. I decided this would be a fun dish to sweeten up for kids, using an apple, some raisins and some sunflower seeds. It is absolutely terrific! And it hardly takes any time at all to make.

JaPancakes! from rebecca eichenberger on Vimeo.

2 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup leek, well washed and chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
a couple pinches of salt
2 eggs, beaten
1+ tablespoon olive oil
1 large apple, peeled and shredded
1 cup raisins

Garnish
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon raisins
1 tablespoon cilantro
(optional: a sprinkle of cinnamon on top)

Combine cabbage, leeks, flour, salt, apple and all the raisins (reserving a small handful) in a bowl. Toss until everything is coating with a dusting of flour. Stir in the eggs and mix until everything is evenly coated.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add half of the oil. Scoop the cabbage mixture into the pan and form little pizzas. Use a metal spatula to press it into small pancake shapes, as flat as you can get it. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. Flip and add more oil if needed, and cook for another 3-5 minutes. (You can also form one giant "pizza" round. To flip this, slide it on to a plate, and then in one quick motion, flip it back into the pan.)

When it is finished cooking, cut into wedges and garnish with sunflower seeds, raisins, cilantro (unless green frightens your child) and cinnamon. This is delicious hot, cold, or room temperature.

Fabulous Kale Salad!!

It's true! This salad is most fabulous! I can't take all the credit here; my little sister Jessica was the one who introduced me to this fantastic recipe...so thank you Jessica!

This is not the kind of salad you will eat because you "should" eat salad...you will eat it because you LOVE it! Because you are CRAVING it!! And when you bring it to a potluck, your friends will know that you love them, because you won't be filling their bellies with empty calories, clogging their arteries, or messing with their blood sugar. Instead, you will be sharing a dish of pure deliciousness, that is packed with super-foods! I mean it! We are talking kale, avocado, shiitake mushrooms...this dish has got it all!

But don't reserve this for potlucks. We make this our entire dinner some nights. It's quite satisfying, and contains ample amounts of protein, carbs and good fat to keep you happy until the morning.

As planned, I have a video for this recipe. My cameraman was busy, so I had to get it done on my own in a single shot, which of course, I messed up, so everything I had said and done went unheard. So then I recorded again, and this is the end result. When this contest is over I will get back to more entertaining versions of my recipes...I just want you to be able to make this right now! Today! So get cracking!!!

Fabulous Kale Salad from rebecca eichenberger on Vimeo.

I'm in!! I'm in!!

They picked me out of 36 submissions to come be on their show. I'm so excited and nervous!! So here's the breakdown of the week...
Feb. 15 - Potluck challenge (create a recipe designed to share at a potluck together, using at least 1 cub store brand in the dish)
Feb. 16 - Lunchbox challenge (sandwich for kids)
Feb. 17 - International challenge (create a recipe using 3 ingredients from cub's international foods aisle)
Feb. 18 - Seafood challenge (create recipe using 1 ingredient from cub's seafood counter)
Feb. 19 - Ingredient challenge (create a main course dinner using 5 ingredients or less)

Right now my brain is spinning, and my mind is like a blank slate. I have no idea what I should make. Oh, and all of the ingredients need to be purchased this Thursday, on camera, (they will be filming me) and be under $100 total.

Hmmm...what to do, what to do. Feel free to remind me of anything I have made that you have loved that fits in any of these categories! : )

I will keep you all posted...maybe when I start figuring it out, I'll put it to a vote, and then when I win it will be because of YOU!

I've entered a contest!

Who's going to be the Twin Cities Live Kitchen Star? Me! (I hope.) I am waiting with nervous anticipation to hear the results. There are 36 entries, and only the top 6 will be selected for an appearance on the Twin Cities Live show. From there, it will be a routine elimination-formula contest. Each day, for one week, one person will be eliminated, until Friday, when the ultimate champion will be announced.

Here's my video:

Lemony Lentil Soup from rebecca eichenberger on Vimeo.

Can whole, real, natural food stand up to rich animal fats, sugars and salt? I really don't know. In my house they do. If the palate is used to experiencing certain tastes, how will it react to wholesome goodness?

You know, the whole point of this isn't necessarily to win. (I wanna win, I wanna win!!!) The reason I entered this contest is to promote an awareness to our food selection, and how those little every day choices have a cumulative effect on our overall health. The top killers of Americans (heart disease and diabetes) are completely preventable and reversible by diet alone. Did you hear that? Yes, we've all heard that. People want to change. As a counselor in a weight loss center, I quickly realized that everyone agrees that they should eat better, everyone wants to eat better. But how do we do that? Making the change is where we get stuck. We have our routines, our habits, the things we know. The good news is these things can easily be replaced with new routines, and new habits, as our knowledge expands.

I am taking steps towards change. I am taking my family with me. By trial and error, we are blazing a trail to vibrant, happy health. We want to live long and strong. And I want to bring you with me.

Love,
Rebecca

P.S. Enough with the serious stuff. Let's get cooking!