Every Day Stir Fry

I eat this for lunch almost every day.  Can't get enough!!  I make a huge pan of it and eat it for a few days.  I think it tastes better the next day.

Onion
Garlic
Carrots (steam for a few minutes first, to soften)
Broccoli
Zucchini
Peas (frozen is fine)
Cabbage
Kale
Swiss chard
Brussels Sprouts, thinly sliced
Pretty much any veggies you like!  Spinach, red cabbage, celery, asparagus, sugar snap peas...it's all good!!!

Saute over med heat in some olive oil until everything is tender.  Sprinkle with desired seasoning (I like chicken seasoning) and s&p.  Serve over basmati or brown rice or over the toasted millet/quinoa.

Simple White Gravy

1 cup milk
1 TB butter

Bring to a slow boil.

Whisk in about 3 TB flour, until desired thickness.

Add s&p and serve immediately.

***
My friend Staci gave me this recipe.  The best way to serve this is to toast a piece of whole wheat bread (recipe below) and place a fried or poached egg on top.  Pour gravy over top and a small pat of butter.  YUM, best breakfast ever!

Simple Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water

3 tsp yeast
3 TB sugar

Combine in mixing bowl and let sit for several minutes.  Then add:

3 tsp salt
3 TB melted butter

Turn on mixer and slowly add 6 cups whole wheat flour.  Dough should pull completely away from the bowl by the end.  Let the mixer knead (or do it by hand) for about 8 minutes.

Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let rise for about an hour.  Punch down dough, divide into two loaves.  Place into greased bread pans and let rise again.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

***
This is my new go-to bread recipe.  It is simple, quick and delicious!

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb beef
1/2 onion, diced
2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
Black pepper
1/2 tsp basil

Cook beef and onion.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 min.  Serve over pasta.

Secret Enchiladas

INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tbl olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 3/4 lb)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup carrot puree OR sweet potato puree
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 cup shredded, reduced fat (2%) cheddar cheese or part-skim mozarella, divided
6-10 whole wheat flour tortillas
1/2 cup spinach puree (I used fresh spinach...it wilts down in the oven anyway)
1/2 cup mild tomato salsa

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350
Coat 9 by 13 inch pan in nonstick cooking spray
Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with garlic powder and pepper
Cook the chicken in the pan 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle
Take the pan off the heat and mix in the carrot OR sweet potato puree, sour cream, and HALF the cheese in the skillet
Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up
Place seam side down in baking dish
Dot the tops of each enchilada with the spinach puree (or sprinkle the middle with fresh spinach like I did)
Spoon the salsa over the spinach and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese
Cover with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the cheese melts and the filling is hot.

***
My friend Natalie gave me this recipe.  To make the carrot puree, steam some carrots until soft, then puree in a blender with some of the steaming water.  These tasted really good!  No need for enchilada sauce, which was great because Cam doesn't like it.  My kids gobbled them up!  The "secret" carrots were never detected!  I want to try the sweet potato next.

Quinoa Turkey Chili

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 1/2 cups water, divided
1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin (I used a tad less)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 zucchini, chopped
1 chipoltle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 TB adobo sauce
1 bay leaf
1 tsp oregano
s&p
1 cup frozen corn

1. In a large saucepan, bring quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook turkey, onion, red pepper and garlic over medium heat until turkey is cooked.  Stir in chili powder, cumin and cinnamon and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add beans, tomatoes, zucchini, pepper, adobo sauce, bay leaf, oregano, s&p and remaining water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stir in corn and quinoa, and heat through.  Discard bay leaf and serve.

Baby Cereal: Millet

Millet is a highly nutritious, easy-to-digest grain not likely to cause an allergy. It's also high in iron. This recipe was created for babies 6 to 8 months old. It will make 1 cup.

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons millet
1 cup water
Breast milk or formula as needed

Preparation

1. Blend millet 1 to 2 minutes or until it resembles fine flour. (I used my nutrimill)
2. Pour water into pan and stir in millet. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring a few more times.
4. Add breast milk or formula as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

Nutrient analysis per 2 tablespoons
22 calories
1 gram protein
Manganese 40%
Magnesium 10%
Vitamin B6 10%

Carmelized Brussel Sprouts

recipe/photo from eatliverun.com

12-14 large brussels sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

Directions:
Slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons. Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender. Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together. Finish by adding the toasted nuts.

***
I got some brussel sprouts in my Bountiful Basket this past weekend, and I had no idea what to do with them.   I found this recipe, and it was SO good!  I left the nuts out and added extra garlic.  My kids loved this too.  Lots more brussel sprouts in our future!

Toasted Millet and Quinoa

Recipe from "The Real Food Daily Cookbook".

3/4 cup millet
1/2 cup quinoa
2 1/2 water
1/2 tsp sea salt

Rinse the millet well and drain.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the millet and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the moisture evaporates and the millet is dry and fragrant.  Transfer to a bowl.  Repeat process with quinoa.

Combine water and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add grains and return to a boil.  Turn down to med-low heat, cover and let cook for 25 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.

***
LOVE these two grains combined like this!  I ate it alongside some sauteed zucchini, so delicious!  You could literally throw this into ANYTHING.  I mixed it into spaghetti tonight for my kids.  You could throw it into soups, rice, pasta, anything!  I like to just eat it alongside freshly cooked veggies.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

From: fortheloveofcooking

• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• Chocolate chips

Lightly spoon the flours into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the flours and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Combine yogurt and next 3 ingredients (through eggs) in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or skillet. Top each pancake with chocolate chips. Cook 2 minutes or until the tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 more minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Enjoy.

***

These tasted great, I love the whole wheat flour in them.  The dough was pretty thick, so I added a splash of milk.  This doesn't make very many pancakes, so you will need to double or even triple the recipe if you are feeding more than 3 people.