Easy Lunchtime Salad

Ingredients: 
-Several handfuls mixed spring greens.
-Two diced green onions.
-Handful of nitrate-free pepperoni, diced.
-Healthy sprinkling of gomasio (sesame seeds with sea salt and sea vegetables).
-Olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Rhubarb Pepper Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 large stalks rhubarb
• 3 green onions
• 1 jalepeno
• 1 small green bell pepper (organic)
• 1 lime

Directions:
Start a small pot of water boiling.  Chop the rhubarb and add to boiling water, blanch for approximately 2 minutes, then drain.  Let rhubarb cool (I put in a dish in the freezer to speed this process up).  Dice the green onions (white and green parts), jalepeno (seed the jalepeno for less heat), and green pepper and mix.  When rhubarb has cooled, add to the onion/pepper mixture with juice of one lime.  Add salt or pepper if desired, serve.  Enjoy!

Tips: If your lime doesn't seem to produce a lot of juice, put lime halves on a plate in the microwave for 10-30 seconds (depending on power).  Let cool and then squeeze the juice.

I modified this recipe from this one on AllRecipes, I did not think that extra sweetener from the honey or apple was needed.  This was excellent on both beef and pork tacos.

Cabbage Quinoa Soup

This delicious soup was modified from this recipe at the Traveling Spoon.  It keeps well in the fridge for days and is very hearty.


Ingredients: 
-olive oil
-1 onion, chopped
-4-5 cloves garlic, diced
-4-5 organic carrots, diced
-8 cups water
-1/2 head green cabbage, cored and chopped
-1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes (or sub approx. 4 fresh tomatoes)
-1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
-1 bay leaf (optional)
-1/2 pound cooked ground beef or turkey (optional)
-other veggies or herbs (optional--I like to add organic celery)
-salt, pepper

Directions: 
In large stockpot, heat olive oil.  Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent or soft.  Stir in carrots and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes.  Add water, salt, pepper and bring to boil.  Add the cabbage and reduce heat to simmer until the cabbage is softened, about 10 minutes.  (This time can be used to rinse the quinoa and/or brown the ground turkey or beef).  Stir in the tomatoes, barley and bay leaf and return to boil.  Simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked.  Add the ground beef or turkey if desired.  Enjoy!

Ardelle's Sweet and Sour Cucumbers

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, finely diced

Directions:

Combine vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Combine with cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate, serve chilled. This keeps well in the fridge and is better if made a day or two ahead of serving. Enjoy!

Photo credit: CDC

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Gluten Free, Cow-Dairy Free)

Modified to be allergy-safe from Tasty Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups tapioca flour
• 1.5 eggs (I used equivalent Ener-G egg replacer)
• 4 ounces goat cheese or other cheese substitute (I used goat's milk cheddar)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease baking sheets. In saucepan, bring milk, water, oil and salt to a boil. Remove pan from heat and set aside. Add flour in increments, stirring constantly until the dough becomes pliable and can be kneaded with hands. Only add enough flour until the dough reaches desired consistency. Stir in the egg (or egg replacer) and the cheese. Stir until dough becomes thick and can be molded, adding additional tapioca flour if needed. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip the tops into any extra cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown. Enjoy!

Crockpot Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Modified from Bev Cooks to be allergy-safe.

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breast halves
• 5 gloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs fresh ginger, minced (I keep this on hand in the freezer)
• 2 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk (I used approx. this much from a carton of unsweetened coconut milk since we use a lot of this)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 oz. thin rice noodles
• 2 jalapenos, finely sliced
• 2 limes
• cilantro
• salt and pepper
• (optional--soy sauce--for garnish for those that can safely consume soy).

Directions:

Add the coconut milk, broth, garlic, ginger, chicken, salt and pepper to the crock pot. Cook on high for 3 hours. Using tongs, remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Return to pot. Add the rice noodles. Cook 30 more minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with cilantro, jalepenos and limes. Enjoy!

Easy Tortilla Soup Recipe

Although I like this Tortilla Soup Recipe I posted awhile back, it required fairly specific ingredients and took a fair amount of time to put together. This week I made a stripped-down version that also turned out well.

Ingredients:

-Whatever you have on hand that seems appropriate: I used leftover organic green and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions from our Valentine's Dinner.

-2-3 jalepeno peppers

-1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and green chiles (from Trader Joe's, you could use something similar from another store)

-1 can of water

-stale tortilla chips

-avocado, rice, lime, other garnish as desired (optional)

Directions:

Chop vegetables and saute in oil until soft. Add canned tomatoes and can of water. Crumble several handfuls of stale or fresh tortilla chips into the soup. Blend with a hand mixer. Simmer until warmed through. Serve over rice if desired or with avocado or lime. This tastes better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld.