Recipe- Vegetarian Tomato-less Chili

Vegetarian Tomato-less Chili

Chili is a great winter dish that is both easy to make and filling.  Try this tomato-less version for a different spin on things- the herbs and lemon zest really add a nice flavor.  If you're not vegetarian, feel free to add ground turkey, chicken, or beef instead of tempeh.  Enjoy!

Vegetarian Tomato-less Chili by Savor & Nourish
(makes 5 servings)
8 oz tempeh (1 package), chopped into bite-sized bits 
2 tbs olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2- 15oz cans beans (Kidney & Pinto), drained and rinsed
2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
zest of one lemon
3 tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1.  Heat a large pot over medium flame. Add 1 tbs olive oil and tempeh. Cook tempeh until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Stir occasionally.

2. Add 1 tbs olive oil, pepper, zucchini, squash, onions, garlic. Cook 5 minutes.

3. Add beans and spices. Stir to combine.

4. Add broth. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes.

5. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Cook another 5 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

Written by Open Eyes Press.  Photo and recipe courtesy Savor & Nourish.

Pot Roast Recipe

After a long day of holiday shopping, it can be exhausting to make dinner. Here is a great recipe to make in the morning, and by the end of the day all you have to worry about is eating it!

 Slow Cooker Pot Roast
 - 1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
- 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
- 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix
- 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry
- 1/2 cup water - 1/2 cup Baby carrots
- 1/2 cup Rutabaga, chopped
- 1/2 cup Pearl onions
- 1/2 cup Baby spuds 1

Place beef roast and veggies in crock pot. 2 Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast. 3 Pour the water around the roast. 4 Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Voila! Everything is so tender and juicy, and perfect to warm those chilly nights!

 What's your favorite slow cooker recipe? Let everyone know in the comments section below!

 Written by Spry Sprout

Hummus in a Hurry

Hummus is a staple food in my house, especially during the summer months when the vegetables are rolling in from the garden.  For whatever reason, I was never big on making my own until I discovered Ann Byrne's "Hummus in a Hurry" recipe (What Can I Bring Cookbook, 2007).  It doesn't require sesame tahini, which I rarely have laying around, and is super easy to throw together.  All you need are seven ingredients, and a food processor or blender.  This dip is great for parties, too- it's vegan/vegetarian friendly, gluten free, and doesn't have sesame, which some people are allergic to.  If you have the time, I recommend adding roasted garlic instead of raw, and/or roasted peppers or eggplant to change up the flavor.  Enjoy!   

                                                                       Photo courtesy MyRecipes.com.
 

Hummus in a Hurry (serves 6 to 8)
3 medium size or 2 large size garlic cloves, peeled
1 can (about 15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil

1) Using a food processor or blender, mince the garlic cloves.

2) Drain chickpeas, setting aside the liquid.  Add the chickpeas, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper to the minced garlic.  Process in short pulses until the chickpeas are minced.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

3) Add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved chickpea liquid to the processor bowl.  Process until the hummus is smooth, adding 1 to 2 more tablespoons of the chickpea liquid as needed- the hummus should have the consistency of a milkshake.  Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Written by Rachael of Open Eyes Press.

Summer Vegetable Wrap - recipe?

Summer might be winding down for most of us, but summer vegetables are still in abundance. YAY!

While I have many recipes that I turn to in the summer months that make GREAT use of summer veggies, this is a quick treatment of those veggies that is almost a non-recipe. And with school starting up soon, I know many of us appreciate QUICK meals. This is one of those.

Ingredients
Flatbread or tortilla
and
Any combination of the following:
Carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber, sweet bell peppers, onion, tomato, avocado
lettuce

Special Sauce (optional) (amounts to taste)
Rice wine vinegar
garlic chili sauce
peanut butter


Technique
Julienne, Slice, Chop, or Shred the vegetables
Place on flatbread
Whisk sauce ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle over veggies
Roll

ENJOY!

So colorful! 

SO delicious!

SO very healthy!

and so versatile too. 

You can swap out veggies. You can change the sauce (try ranch dressing for your kids). You can add feta cheese. (or your cheese of choice)

One tip: I tend to enjoy this wrap the most when the vegetables are julienned very thin. This seems to help everything hold together very well. But really - there is no wrong way to make this ! 

ENJOY!

Written by: Janice of Doxallo Designs Studio

Recipe: Banana Drop Cookies

If you're a banana bread lover like myself, try a new take on this classic quick bread and make them into delicious, travel-friendly drop cookies! This recipe from Haniela's guest spot on A Little Bit of Everything blog is sure to please both kids and adults. : )

 Ingredients
 1/2 cup canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Turbinado/raw sugar, if you can’t find any, use brown sugar instead
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mashed banana(about 2 large very ripe bananas)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2cup +2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp peanut butter chips, roughly chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions
 Preheat oven to 350F, line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper In a bowl of you mixer beat oil with sugars for 5 minutes. Add egg and beat until foamy and doubled in volume. While you eggs are beating, sift together flour,cinnamon, and salt, set aside In a small dish combine mash bananas with baking soda and let sit for 2 minutes. On low speed, alternatively add flour and mashed banana into the egg mixture, fold in chopped nuts and peanut butter chips. Using a small cookie scoop drop the dough onto the baking sheet, bake at 350F for 9-12 minutes, until golden brown. Store layer between wax paper.These also freeze well, again when freezing layer them with wax paper to prevent sticking

Written by: Rachael Kondylas from Open Eyes Press

Key Lime Martini Recipe

This drink is like liquid key lime pie and it is wonderful!

Ingredients:
43 Liquor
Whip Cream vodka
Half-and-half
Key West lime juice
Crushed up graham crackers
Lime (optional garnish)


Mix three parts 43 liquor, three parts Whip Cream Vodka, one part half-and-half and one part Key West lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Rim glass with crushed graham crackers, pour in cocktail and garnish with a lime.

 

Written by Kolleen Kilduff from Design by Night

Recipe - Coffee Rubbed Tenderloin in a Whiskey Chocolate Peppercorn Sauce

Coffee Rubbed Tenderloin in a Whiskey Chocolate Peppercorn Sauce


Serves 10

1EA Beef Tenderloin Trimmed
1C Coffee
TT Salt
TT Pepper
TT Garlic
TT Onoin Powder
TT Ground Rosemary
TT Thyme
2LB Chocolate Tempered
1C Heavy Cream
2T Peppercorns
1C Whiskey

Combine coffee to other seasoning and cover tenderloin overnight
Next morning wipe excess rub off
Sear beef in pan with little oil until forms crust
Remove beef and add peppercorns, saute briefly
Add whiskey to flambe and then cover
Remove cover add heavy cream and then chocolate
Let simmer for 10 minutes not to burn
Place beef in over on an elevated rack until desired doneness and serve with chocolate sauce

It's absolutely delicious!

Recipe courtesy Chef Ben Simpkins at Richardson Farms

Written by Kelly of Kelly's Keychains

Easy (really!) cheese recipe

I've always thought of cheese as one of those basics that one just doesn't make at home. It's got to be too complicated, need too much specialized equipment, too difficult to get right and I am not, let's face it, a Julia Child or Marcella Hazan. Why did I even decide to try?

I've been going to the farmers markets in Waverly and under the JFX overpass for the last year and become totally addicted to the great, fresh food I find there. There is very delicious cheese but no feta and, more importantly to me, no gibna talega. Gibna (cheese) talega (refrigerator) is a wonderful white cheese that I am obsessed with finding here it the States. It's softer and less tangy than feta but different than goat cheese. I could have lived on it when I resided in Egypt. I haven't even found it at Middle Eastern groceries. I decided to see if I could make it.

The following is a combination of a recipe by Tom Beni and an instructional video by Chef John from food wishes.com.

Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into a thick-bottomed pot (not really sure if my pot has a thick bottom). Slowly heat to 165 degrees. (I did have to buy a thermometer.)Stir sometimes.Turn off heat. Pour in the juice of 4 small lemons (not quite half a cup)

Let sit for 15 minutes. The milk will start to look strange, kind of lumpy. Put two layers of cheese cloth (I didn't have any of that either) in a strainer or colander over another pot or large bowl. Pour milk into strainer.

Leave it alone for 10 minutes. Dump the watery stuff if it gets too high and cheese won't drain.

Gather the cheese cloth together. Tie something (shoelace?) around it and suspend it so it will continue to drain. I hung it from a cabinet door. You're supposed to tie it to a long spoon and set the spoon across the top of a stock pot. I'm using my stock pot for steaming my scarves.

Leave it for another 50 minutes.


Turn out of the cheese cloth onto a plate or bowl. Mix with some salt (try a quarter teaspoon). You don't have to, but it makes a nice shape if you then press it into a little container. Apparently the flavor is enhanced if you leave it in the fridge overnight. I've not been able to do that yet. Whenever you decide to eat the cheese, turn it onto a plate.

Shake pepper and oregano (if desired) over the cheese. Slather with extra virgin olive oil. Eat with pita or spread (it's too soft to slice) onto bread or melba toasts.

A few observations: This cheese has a slight lemon taste, which I think is nice with the olive oil and spices. I've heard you can make cheese using the whey (that's the watery stuff you threw away). I'm hoping that makes a non-lemon tinged cheese as my son doesn't like lemon. Also, while I think this is an amazingly delicious and EASY (I really can't stress that enough) cheese, it is not gibna talega. My search, my quest, for that particular cheese will continue.

By Susan Brandt

Healthy Recipes: Kale

The National Cancer Institute has listed kale as being one of the top ten cancer-fighting foods (alongside garlic, grapes, tomatoes, and blueberries just to name a few). Here are a few gems from one of my favorite cooking blogs that incorporate this tasty dark leafy green. Enjoy!

Gypsy Soup


(recipe_image-1.jpg)

Kale with Garlic and Cranberries



Lemon Garlic Shrimp Scampi with Kale and Polenta




Photos courtesy Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice.


Written by Rachel of Open Eyes Press

SPOOKY PUMPKIN PANCAKES

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Whipped Butter
• Fresh Blueberries
• Strawberry Jam or Jelly
  

Directions for Cooking:

1. In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Directions for Decorating:

1. Using a melon scoop, scoop out two balls of whipped butter and place them on pancakes.
   
2. Make groves in the butter with a toothpick and fill with strawberry jam or jelly.
3. Place fresh blueberries in the center for pupils.

Written by: Kelly's Keychains http://egyptianruin.etsy.com

Recipe - Cucumber Cups

What you will need:
2-3 cucumbers
1lb cooked shrimp (I just used a bag frozen of mini shrimp)
Greek Yogurt (start with 2 tablespoons and add more if you’d like)
1 tsp of dill
1/4 cup chopped onion
Chopped scallion (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Old Bay

Slice the cucumbers into 1″ slices. Using a melon baller, carefully scoop out the center (leaving the bottom in tact.)

Mix all other ingredients together and scoop into the cups. Sprinkle with Old Bay.

Tips: *This would also be great for crab or tuna salad

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes Tutorial

You scream,

I scream

We all scream for Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes!

These cute and clever cupcakes by the Sweetest Baker are perfect for parties because they are easy to carry and there is no paper wrappers to throw away. Not to mention they are absolutely adorable! If you want to know how to make these delightful Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes for your next shindig, visit the www.thesweetestbaker.com.

Homemade Preserves Recipe Using Seasonal Maryland Fruit

Right now fresh fruit is abundant and inexpensive and available at local farms and farmers markets. There are a lot of great seasonal fruits available in Maryland during the month of August including: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, plums, peaches, pears, and nectarines. One way to save some money and eat healthy is to turn all of that amazing fruit into jams and preserves.

There are literally millions of recipes online for jam, but I have found the simpler, the better. Check out this easy recipe for blueberry jam. Be sure to sterilize your jars if you plan on saving for delicious jams for the coming months. And if you don't like blueberries, you can substitute any berry... or even live dangerously and mix a few together!
Check out CanningCrafts on Etsy for a multitude of labels perfect for dressing up your delicious preserves and jams!

Written by Dana of whoop.

Recipe: Pizza Soup

I love homemade soup! This one is always a winner in our house....everyone likes pizza!
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 can (15oz) pizza sauce
1 cup chopped pepperoni
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup cooked Italian sausage
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)

In a large saucepan, saute mushrooms and onion in oil for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add water, pizza sauce, pepperoni, tomatoes, sausage and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese. Garnish with mozzarella cheese. Serves 4.

Written by Sugar Paperie.

Recipe: Banana Muffins

I found this banana muffin recipe in Taste of Home magazine back in 1999. I only know this because the date is on the recipe card I cut out not because I have a fantastic memory. Any way when I first made them, I made them full size and my kids loved them. But back then I only had 2 kids, ages 4 and 1, who really couldn't finish a whole muffin. So I bought a mini muffin pan and everyone was happy.

Over the years I have made some changes to the recipe besides the size. I changed the flour proportions, I now puree the banana since my kids didn't like finding chunks of banana in there and I use mini chocolate chips. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it. I made some yesterday and the 3 of them ate 2 dozen for a snack.

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 medium ripe bananas, pureed
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
about 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips, sometimes more depending on how it looks

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In the blender, combine bananas, milk, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir liquid mixture into dry ingredients until moist. Add chocolate chips and mix well. Grease muffin pan and fill about 3/4 full. (I don't measure for this step I use a small ice cream scoop to fill the pan) You can use muffin cups if you would like too. Bake at 400* for about 11 minutes or until done. Makes about 4 dozen mini muffins.

When I make these, I usually double it and then freeze about half of them since my kids eat them like I never have fed them before. Also. it is the only way I can get them to last more than 3 days.

Written by LindasPaperie

Recipes - Raw Oatmeal

I have been eating high raw for over a year now and am loving all of the health benefits that I've seen. People often ask me if eating raw is boring. They must think its all salads all the time.
Well its not!

I thought I'd share some recipes over the next few months to give people an idea of what eating raw looks like for me. And why not start at the 'beginning' with breakfast?


I make a very yummy, VERY satisfying raw 'oatmeal' and the best part is, the recipes is totally flexible. No exacting measurements, no hardcore list of ingredients. You can vary this with items you have on hand, with a few exceptions. The staple is raw oats. Not rolled oats, but raw oat groats.

The oat groats are first ground in a coffee grinder (they really don't seem to grind well in my mini-processor). I grind into a coarse meal.
In a minichop processor, place a couple of medjool dates (remove pit first!) and a variety of nuts.

It will look something like this - coarse, crumbly.

Now the ground oatmeal goes into a bowl. Add the date and nut mixture and give it a quick stir.
Then decide what fruit to add. Part of the meal mixture goes back into the processor

and the cut up fruit goes in on top - its a tight squeeze!
Give it a good whir to blend. I like to leave some texture in there so I try to not overdo it!Sometimes I will add some raw chia seeds or cocao nibs. The cocao nibs are EXTREMELY hard but when mixed with the oatmealish dish, they soften up and are so yummy!
Cut up some fresh fruit for the top if you wish. Drizzle with agave or raw honey or maybe add a little dollop of almond butter.OR a sprinkle of raw dehydrated coconut!

This is really a fabulous raw morning treat. I have this or some variation of this a few times a week. Enjoy!

Written by Janice of Doxallo Designs.

Recipe: Tzatziki

So lately I've been trying different things, and I decided to try making falafel. The falafel turned out pretty good, if a tad on the burned side...I'll have to remember to not leave it in the oil for so long. But, I realized that I would need something to top it with. So I looked for a good, simple tzatziki recipe. You wouldn't believe how many there are. And I finally came upon one that was easy to prepare.

image by pinchmysalt

14oz of strained Greek Yogurt
1lb. cucumber, grated
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbs of. fresh chopped dill or 1 tbs. dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

* Use strained yogurt to skip the overnight draining in a cheese cloth stage.* Yes, I know it's weird, but use a cheese grater. Use the smallest grate holes. And if you don't have a garlic press, you can use it with the garlic, as well.

Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add dill, salt and pepper, and stir.Pour into serving bowl, and refrigerate for at least an hour before use, but preferably overnight. Goes great with falafel, gyros, and burgers.

Recipe-Empanadas

If you are looking for something a little different, this is a really flavorful empanada recipe but I have to warn you, it's not for the faint of heart. It does take a little work to get to the end result but it is so worth it.


Ingredients
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound grnd beef
1/2 green pepper, minced
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. minced raisins
1/4 c. minced pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. flour
1 3/4 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse grnd black pepper
1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 oz.)
1/3 c. minced fresh cilantro
2 (12 ounce.) Packages Big Country buttermilk biscuits
2 egg yolks (for glaze)
Hot Sauce to taste

Hint: I'll toss the olives, raisins and peppers (not together) in the food processor to chop them.

Directions
Heat extra virgin olive oil in skillet. Add in grnd beef, green pepper, garlic and cook till beef is browned, about 6 to 7 min.
Add in raisins, olives, vinegar, flour, allspice, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, and cook over medium heat till thick, about 5 min. Remove from heat stir in the Monterey Jack cheese and the cilantro. Mix well and set aside to cool for at least 45 min.

Recipe to this point can be made up to 48 hrs ahead and refrigerated till ready to use.

Beat the 2 egg yolks till smooth (glaze). One at a time, roll biscuits out on lightly floured bread board, to discs of about 4 1/2" in diameter. Brush a 1/2" strip of the glaze around one half of the edge of each disc. Put one heaping tablespoonful of filling in the middle of each disc. Fold unglazed half over to create half circle. Crimp edges together using dinner fork dipped in flour. Put empanadas on ungreased cookie sheet, brush tops lightly with remaining glaze.
Bake at 375 degrees till golden on top, about 12 min.
Makes 20 empanadas. (Or possibly, use one package of 10 biscuits, and save half of the filling to make 10 more a few days later.)

Serve with sour cream and a sweet salsa.

Recipe-Clementine Cake

It is almost Clementine season and while I like them and all, a whole box is a bit much. A neighbhor had given us a box for the holidays and not wanting to waste a single one, I turned to the internet in search of something interesting to do with them. I came across this recipe by Nigella Lawson which fit the bill. I love that it uses almonds instead of flower, it makes a great breakfast treat for holiday guest as an alternative to muffins.




Ingredients
4 to 5 clementines (about 1 pound total weight)
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/3 cups ground almonds
1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder

Directions
Put the clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds. Then finely chop the skins, pith, and fruit in the processor (or by hand, of course).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this, and frankly, you can't balk at a little light stirring.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top from burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, in the pan on a rack. When the cake is cold, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it anytime.

I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges and lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 1 1/4 cups and slightly Anglicize it, too, by adding a glaze made of confectioners' sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water.

Recipe-Pepperoni Bread

Pepperoni bread has been a favorite in my family since I was a kid. It is super easy to make and is sure to be a big hit every time. I can't tell you how many football Sundays, office parties and potlucks this baby has made an appearance at and there is never a piece left over.


Ingredients
1 loaf Frozen white bread dough (Riches makes on and Shoppers Food Warehouse has their store brand as well)
1 pound sliced pepperoni
8 ounces mozzarella (shredded works just fine)


Directions
Let bread dough thaw and rise per package instructions (I typically start thawing the day before). Roll dough out flat on flowered surface. Put down one layer of pepperoni, one of cheese, another of pepperoni, one more of cheese, then a final one of pepperoni. Pull edges up around pepperoni and cheese and seal together to close all of the ingredients into a loaf. I find a little water or egg helps the edges to stick together.

Flip the loaf over so the seam side is down and place on a baking sheet. I recommend a baking sheet with a lip as more often than not, the loaf will spring a leak and pepperoni grease may come out.

Bake at 350degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes until the top of the loaf is golden.