Mexican Squash Soup

This is yummy! I made it a few years ago and we all liked and I forgot I had the recipe. We made it tonight and loved it, the kids even ate it.

Spiced Mexican Squash Soup

1 ½ T Olive Oil
2C chopped Onion
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp Oregano
1 Butternut Squash (peel and dice into ½ inch cubes)
3 C Water
1 tsp Salt
¼-1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 ½ tsp chili Powder
2 C fresh Tomatoes (diced) or 1 can
2C Red or Green Peppes (chopped)
2 C Corn Kernels
1 can black Beans (15 oz- drained and rinsed)

Saute Onion/Garlic with Oregano
Add in Squash with the water and remaining spices. Simmer 5-10 min, add tomatoes and peppers and simmer 10 more minute.
Stir in corn and black beans and simmer few more minutes until corn is tender.

Serve with Tortilla chips and avocado dices
(optional: serve with sour cream and shredded cheese)

Vegetable Fritters

Ingredients:

1 Medium Zucchini

1 Large Carrot

1 Walla-walla onion along with 2 inches of the stem

Chard (I used 2 stems, you could use more)
4 cloves Garlic

1/4 c bread crumbs

2 eggs (If you don't use eggs, this would work great with 2 T ground flax seed soaked in 1/4 c water)

Basil

Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Grate Zucchini and Carrot, place in Medium mixing bowl

2. Roll Chard into a bundle with Herbs and chop roughly, Add to bowl

3. Dice onion add to bowl. *

4. Mince Garlic and add to bowl. *

5. Add bread crumbs and eggs to the bowl along with salt and pepper. Mix.

*If your family has issues with onion blend the onions, garlic and even the herbs together in the blender.

Red Onions would make this even prettier, but it wouldn't taste quite as sweet.

Take 1/4 cup at a time and fry in a lightly oiled frying pan (Non-stick really works best). Let cook 3-5 minutes then flip and cook through.

Serve- These would be great with a little tahini warmed and drizzled over the top, some Aioli, or just plain.

This would be great with a little tahini warmed and drizzled over the top, some Aioli, or just plain.

Cabbage Rolls!

Not as complicated as they look and so Yummy! My husband just kept eating them and eating them and eating them... (I used couscous instead of Bulgar, brown rice would probably be good as well)

Bulgar Stuffed Cabbage

½ cup cooked bulgar or Couscous

1 head cabbage (remove tough outer leaves)

2 tsp olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

4 oz sliced mushrooms (optional)

1 zucchini (sliced)

½ tsp basil

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp thyme

¼ tsp pepper

1 egg white

2 tsps lemon juice

1 can 8oz tomato sauce

Serve with Rye bread and Green Salad

Prep 25 minutes, cooking 1 hour

Serves 4 Adults

1. Cook couscous or bulgar and set aside
2. Place cabbage in boiling water for about two minutes, then remove four leaves, repeat until you have 12 leaves
3. Heat oil in skillet over moderate heat and sauté onion, red pepper, and mushrooms, sauté 5 min
4. Stir in zucchini and cook for a few more minutes, until tender
5. Remove from heat add to couscous, stir in lemon juice and egg white
6. Stuff each cabbage leave like a burrito with the filling
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place rolls in baking dish, then spread tomato paste along top.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and cook 25 min, remove foil and cook 10 more minutes

P.S. The leftover cabbage was really good in stir-fry the next day.

Taco Bar

This is how we make Tacos- take whatever vegetables you have, slice, them dice them, out them in bowls and Enjoy!

Cheese-less Tacos
2 cups Rice
2 cups cooked beans (refried, black, Kidney)
1 yellow Onio, diced finely
1 cup Corn
Spices; Taco Seasoning, Cumin, Salt
Corn Tortillas
Vegetables

Cook the rice in a rice cooker or on the stove, add in 3 Tb lime juice, 1 Tb honey and some chopped fresh cilantro.
While rice is cooking prepare your beans. First saute your onion in a little olive oil, can add in garlic too. Add your beans, corn, about 1/4 cup water and spices to taste. Heat through.
Tacos fixing can include:

grated Carrot

grated zucchini
diced tomatoes
diced avocado
diced bell peppers
chopped red cabbage (optional)
greens (optional)

Western Grains Casserole and Lemon Chicken

Western Grains Casserole
(taken from the Feel Good Cook book which adapted it from the "Nut Tree Restaurant" in Vacaville, CA)

When we made this I halved the recipe, then it made 4-6 large servings.

4 cups brown rice
1 cup of grains (whole wheat, barley, rye or other whole grain or mixture of grains)
10 cups of water
2-4 cans of cut green beans (drained and rinsed)

Gravy:
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 cups water
1 tsp. salt
3 Tb. healthy mayo (Vegenaise)
Pepper to taste

Steam grains and water in rice cooker. Combine gravy ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until thick and bubbly, stirring to prevent scorching. When grains are cooked (about 30 min) fold in green beans and gravy mixture. Optional: sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Our personal thoughts: we wanted more green beans, I think it would work with an even higher ratio of grains to rice, the original recipe didn't call for pepper


Lemon Chicken
This was a good compliment with the rice dish.

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed (we actually used skinless thighs)
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges (like whole orange segments)
2-3 large carrots, diced
2-3 stalks of celery, diced

Sauce:
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 cups warm water
1/2 Tb salt
1 lemon juiced
1 Tb each of honey, onion powder, and basil

Saute chicken and vegetables in olive oil in a large skillet (may need to add a cup of water to help keep chicken from sticking and aid in cooking the chicken). Meanwhile, blend sauce ingredients and when chicken is done pour over. Simmer until bubbly. Serve over brown rice.