Mexican Coleslaw

This side dish is light & delicious, and provides a healthy alternative to mayonaise based slaws.

Ingredients:
•1 16oz package of coleslaw mix that includes cabbage and carrots from your grocery's produce section. OR thinly slice 1/2 head of green cabbage and 1 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrots
•1/3 cup chopped cilantro
•1/4 cup rice vinegar
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 pinch of fresh cracked pepper
•1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
•the juice from half of a fresh lime

Directions:
1. Place cabbage/carrot mix in a large bowl
2. Whisk vinegar, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and salt & pepper in a seperate bowl
3. Add vinegar mixture to cabbage and carrots and lightly toss
4. Add poppy seeds and lightly toss again
5. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving.

Risotto-Style Butternut Squash

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup arborio or short grain rice
1 garlic clove
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. crumbled sage
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese


Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Then add rice and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, sage, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Stir in squash, and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in cheese. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes and serve.

Mushroom Marsala

Every time I make this dish, it reminds me of the family owned Italian restaurant I used to waitress at in high school. The fragrant smell of garlic, mushrooms, and onion cooking in the butter and Marsala wine smell just as they did then...like heaven!

After I've prepared my Mushroom Marsala, I like to serve it over a bed of egg noodles and mashed potatoes. You can lose the mashed potatoes if you're worried about the extra carbs...however, I highly recommend this combination! Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 lb. fresh mushrooms (I prefer baby portabella), cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
4 green onions, thinly sliced (or you can substitute half of a medium sized thinly sliced sweet onion)
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
*Melt your butter in a 10 inch frying pan over medium heat. Once the butter is hot, and garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
*Add mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes while stirring constantly but gently so you don't break up the mushrooms.
*Add red pepper flakes and onions and cook for another 2 minutes.
*Sprinkle with flour and and cook while stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
*Add Marsala and bring to a boil. Cook until Marsala is evaporated, about 5-7 minutes.
*Add vegetable stock and boil until almost totally evaporated, about 10 minutes.
*Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary or parsley and serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Fennel

This recipe was taken from ehow.com, I've posted a link below : )

Instructions:
3-4 medium bulbs of fennel
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cookie sheet

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 F.

2. Trim your fennel bulbs. Cut off the stalks and fronds and remove the base. Don't cut too deeply into the bulb when removing the base or you'll make it difficult to cut your fennel into wedges in the next step.

3. Cut your fennel bulbs into wedges. Do this by first cutting each bulb in half, then cutting each half in half again so that you have quarters. If your fennel bulb quarters are still larger than you'd like, cut each in half again.

4. Toss the fennel wedges with the olive oil, salt and pepper on your cookie sheet. Make sure they're evenly coated with the olive oil; use your hands. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to finish.

5. Place the pan in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Check the progress of your fennel to see if it requires more time. When your fennel is golden brown and soft, it's almost done.

6. Sprinkle fennel evenly with the grated Parmesan and place in the oven for 5 more minutes. Turn the oven off directly after placing the pan in, allowing these final five minutes of cooking to be conducted solely through the residual heat in your oven. Serve immediately, either by itself or with another dish.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5657510_roast-fennel.html

Oven Roasted Vegetables

This recipe is simple and delicious. It can be served alone, over your favorite grain (such as rice or quinoa), or over a mound of creamy mashed potatoes!! I am currently doing a gluten/yeast detox diet (which doesn't give me many food options!) and find this extremely flavorful and filling.

This recipe makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium summer squash, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red onion, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1.Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the zucchini, squash, peppers, asparagus, and onion in a large roasting pan. Toss with the olive oil, lemon juice,salt, and pepper to mix and coat. Spread in a single layer in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

Toasted Quinoa Pilaf with Garlic, Kale, and Pine Nuts

I am trying to eliminate more gluten from my diet, and on a recent search to find some gluten free recipes, I came across this wonderful blog...http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com. This vegan salad has a wonderful nutty flavor, and can be served as a main dish on it's own, or over a bed of fresh spinach.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onions, chopped finely
6 cloves garlic
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 large carrot, shredded
2 cups finely shredded kale
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup celery, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 c pine nuts

If you purchased quinoa in bulk, make sure you rinse it thoroughly in a fine strainer to remove its bitter coating. If you purchased a boxed brand, no rinsing is necessary unless otherwise stated on the label.

Place quinoa in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to move the quinoa around. Cook until the quinoa becomes golden brown. Remove from heat.

Heat oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan. Add onions and sautee until just beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add quinoa and sautee for a minute. Add all remaining ingredients except for celery and pine nuts.

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the celery and mix well, then cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until done. When quinoa is done, it should be tender and the spiral-like germ will have separated from the rest of the grain.

In the dry skillet used for toasting the quinoa, now lightly toast pine nuts over medium-low heat. Pine nuts burn quickly so stir them frequently and remove them from the pan the moment they appear golden brown. Stir into pilaf before serving.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Lentils with Brown Rice and Kale

This yummy recipe combines 2 of my favorite ingredients...lentils & kale! It's packed full of vitamins and nutrients, and is an excellent source of fiber...enjoy!

Prep time: 5 mins Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients for lentils and kale:
1 C brown lentils, rinsed
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
4 C kale, with heavy stems removed, rinsed and dried

For brown rice:
1 C instant brown rice, uncooked (for quinoa, follow cooking instructions on box)
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp dried basil

For onion:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 C onion, diced
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse lentils thoroughly in a fine wire colander, and remove any stones or debris.

2. In a 4-quart saucepan, cover lentils with 2½ cups of water. Add salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes (until adding kale in step 5).

3. In another saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice, salt, and basil. Cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside.

4. In a medium sauté pan, warm olive oil over medium heat and add onion, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion pieces become soft and dark brown (caramelized), but not burnt. If the onions start to stick to the pan, add a few drops of water and scrape the onions loose. Keep cooking until onions are completely caramelized (about 10–15 minutes total). Remove from pan and set aside.

5. After the lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, lightly place the kale on top of the lentils. Do not stir. Cover. The kale will steam while the lentils continue to cook, for another 10 minutes.

6. When the lentils are tender, but not mushy, mix the lentils, kale, and caramelized onions in the sauté pan and stir.

7. To serve, place a serving spoon full of brown rice on plate and top with lentil mixture. Serve immediately.

Fresh Asparagus Recipe

With Spring just around the corner, you're sure to start seeing bundles of bright green asparagus in the local grocery stores and farmers markets. This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and is lovey as a side dish or on it's own.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
2 tbsp of high quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight angle.

2. Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature and enjoy!

Purple Potato Gratin

I picked up some purple potatoes at the farmers market the other day, and decided I wanted to try this gratin recipe from eatingloud.com. Their list of ingredients includes bacon, which I have omitted.

Nutritional Benefits: Well, all potatoes are a good source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, and iron...but the purple variety are more nutritious because they are high in antioxidants!

1 1/2 cups milk (or half & half if you're not worried about the calories!)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 lbs purple potatoes, unpeeled and sliced thinly
1 cup sliced shallots (or sweet yellow onion)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste


1. To make the gratin sauce, place the butter into a small pan and melt. Add flour and stir to combine, cooking over medium heat for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese, when melted remove from heat. Add salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste.

2. In a frying pan, add the olive oil and shallots. Saute until shallots are slightly brown and caramelized. Remove from the pan.

3. Grease a gratin dish or shallow baking dish. Add half of the sliced potatoes to the dish and lightly dust with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the shallots over the potato layer. Add the remaining potato slices to the dish. Pour the gratin sauce over the top of the potatoes, spooning into any visible cracks and crevices. Top with parmesan cheese.

4. Place into a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. You may brown the top of the gratin by placing it under a hot broiler for 4 -5 minutes. Serve immediately.