SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN BUDDHA BOWLS WITH MANGO TAHINI SAUCE

recipe and image from here

Both Cheryl and I tried these bowls within the last month and loved them

Not so much for my family members, but they could pick and chose their ingredients.

I wouldn't roast the beans as they recommended as they just dried out.

I just mixed the sauce with some frozen kale as part of the bowl.

The leftovers were divine as well. 

And, my curious nature wondered why name buddha bowl is a trend. 

So click below the last image for more info.

Also, click below the first image for more tasty and healthy fare 

on the Hummsapien cooking blog.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Buddha Bowls with Mango Tahini Sauce

For the bowls:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
2 T. coconut oil, melted
1/2 t. fine sea salt + freshly ground pepper
4 c. chopped and de-stemmed kale, packed (about 5oz)
2 c. cooked brown rice
1/3 c. chopped green onions, for garnish

For the mango tahini sauce:
3 T. tahini
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 ripe mango, diced or 1 c. defrosted from frozen mango*
1/2 c. + 2 T. water
1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. mild curry powder
1/2 t. fine sea salt + freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silipat.

Place black beans and sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Toss with coconut oil, 1/2 t. salt and several grinds of pepper. Spread onto baking sheet and arrange in an even layer. Roast for 25 minutes (or until sweet potatoes are tender), tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, place tahini, olive oil, mango, 1/2 c. of the water, apple cider vinegar, curry powder, salt and a few grinds of pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed (I did another 2 T.). You may need to add more water depending on how thick your tahini is. You should be able to drizzle the sauce with a spoon. Season to taste with another pinch of salt or a splash of maple syrup if needed to balance the flavors.

Place kale in the bowl you used for the beans and sweet potatoes. Massage 1/4 c. of the mango sauce and a good pinch of salt and pepper into the leaves, until slightly wilted.

Assemble bowls by placing a scoop of rice in the bottom of the bowl followed by a handful of the dressed kale, then the bean and sweet potato mixture. Top liberally with mango sauce and garnish with green onion, if desired.


*If using frozen mango, be sure to fully defrost it in the microwave or over the stove prior to blending.

INSTANT POT: Place 1 c. brown rice, 1 1/4 c. water, and 1/2 t. salt in the pot. Cook on Manual/High Pressure for 10 minutes and then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release any additional steam, open lid, and fluff with fork.

STORAGE: Store leftovers separately in the fridge in air-tight containers for up to three days. Assemble right before serving

Click here see the image source,
and know more about Buddha bowls.

Rainbow Bowl with Peanut Dressing, Immunity Boosting Soup, Avocado Chocolate Pudding

My friend Cami & I attended a healthy cooking class

at our local Adventist hospital.

It was fantastic, and instructor Emily

shared great recipes, information and tips.

Here is her website if you want to learn more.

All of the recipes were delicious.

I previously posted a coconut avocado chocolate pudding.

It is actually good! Here's a link.

Click on each recipe for a bigger picture.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

recipe and image from here

A friend makes these all the time, so I thought I'd give them a try.

I put half the amount of cayenne as I don't like things really hot.

They turned out just so so. Maybe more cayenne, or 

maybe I'll try one of the other chickpea recipes on this blog!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas
1-1/2 t. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the spices and the olive oil. Toss the chickpeas in the spice mixture and spread the seasoned chickpeas over a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the pan from the oven. Use a spatula to toss the chickpeas, then replace the pan and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until browned (but not burned) and crispy. Allow to cool. Snack away.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie Bowl

image and recipe from here

This may not be for everyone, but I loved it...and look forward to having it again.

I used previously blanched and frozen yellow squash,

and topped it with a few cashews. 

I also used kefir for yogurt, and regular milk for almond milk

and powdered ginger for fresh (too lazy to grate right then).

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie Bowl

1 small sweet potato
1/2 c. steamed then frozen zucchini*
1 small banana, frozen
1/3 c. yogurt (+ more for topping)
1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk (more for a thinner consistency)
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. cardamom
fresh ginger (about the size of your fingernail)

To cook the sweet potato:
slice sweet potato in half and then steam in a steamer basket for 10 mins
OR wrap in foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

For smoothie:
place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Top with additional yogurt and pumpkin spice or toppings of choice

NOTES
*COULD USE UNCOOKED ZUCCHINI AS WELL

Black Bean Sweet Potato Power Bowls

recipe and image from here

I love these yummy bowl meals. 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Power Bowls

Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-1 " cubes
1/2 head small cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1/2 medium red onion, chopped into ~3 big chunks
2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
3/4 cup water
1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 c. black beans (drained and rinsed)
Extra add-ins:
diced avocado
juice of lime
chopped cilantro
plain Greek yogurt


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place your diced and chopped vegetables on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables then toss, spreading the olive oil evenly on the vegetables. Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and toss again to distribute the seasonings. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning half way through. When done, remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool. Remove and dice the onion chunks into smaller pieces, then mix back in with the sweet potatoes and cauliflower.

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add in the quinoa and return to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer until tender and the liquid has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

To assemble the bowls, divide everything between 2 bowls starting with the quinoa on the bottom then the roasted vegetables and black beans. Top with desired additional toppings, such as avocado, lime juice, cilantro or plain Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

If you end up with a little extra than can fit into two bowls, pack some away and reheat for lunch tomorrow!

Salmon Roll Sushi Bowl

recipe and image from here

Ian and I had this for dinner today. Scott had it without the seaweed. 

I didn’t have avocado, but would have loved it, but not the guys. 

I mixed the vinegar with the dressing
(instead of doing it separately with just the rice)

 and just used a drop of hot sauce, because Ian and I are wimps!

Salmon Roll Sushi Bowl

This delicious sushi bowl recipe includes salmon, sliced avocado, diced cucumber, crumbled seaweed, and toasted sesame seeds. Best yet, there’s an easy-to-make spicy dressing made of soy sauce, sriracha, and a hint of lemon.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 608 kcal


For the sushi rice:
2 c. white rice cooked
3 T. rice vinegar
1 t. salt

For the toppings:
6 oz. canned salmon, drained and fluffed with a fork
1 avocado thinly sliced
half a cucumber diced
0.2 ounce roasted seaweed sheets crumbled
black toasted sesame seeds to taste

For the spicy dressing:
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sriracha
1 T. fresh lemon juice about half a lemon


Sushi rice:
Using a mixing bowl, mix the cooked rice with rice vinegar and salt. Divide the rice between two bowls for serving.

Assembling:
Add salmon, avocado, cucumber, and seaweed to the two bowls. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Dressing:
Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Pour over the bowls or leave the dressing on the side.

Crock Pot Pho

recipe and photo here

Erik taught us about pho, after learning about it from serving among the Hmong people in Central California. Pronounced "fuh", I also learned to love this Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup especially on those wet and cold days here in the Northwest. Last year I went with a local Hmong lady (who helped teach Erik the language in Merced), to some Asian markets to find the ingredients. She taught us how to make it along the way. Did I write it down? no, silly me. Have I made it? yes, winged it! Ian said it wanted to have it again, so I'm checking out this recipe online. I'll try to mesh it with what I remember and hopefully enjoy it after work tomorrow, if I can get the prep work done today!

Crock Pot Pho

This is a recipe for a 6.5 quart (or larger) Crock Pot. Any smaller really isn't that great - you won't get enough stock out of it...because the beef bones are really chunky and big. The thinly sliced meat for the bowls may be easier to slice if you freeze the chunk of meat for 15 minutes prior to slicing. You really want them as thin a possible. You can also do what I do - palm your butcher a $5 bill and he'll slice the meat for you on his fancy slicing machine.
[notes from author at Steamy Kitchen. It's a pretty funny read!] 
Servings: 4

For the Pho Stock:
4 pounds beef bones*
1/2 onion
4 inch section of ginger, sliced
1 package Vietnamese Pho Spices (or as many of these spices as you have: 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 t. whole coriander, 1 t. fennel, 3 whole star anise, 3 whole cloves, 1 cardamom pod) *
9 c. water
2 1/2 T. fish sauce or to taste
1 t. sugar

For the Pho Bowls:
16 oz. fresh or dried rice noodles
1/2 lb. flank, london broil, sirloin or eye of round steak, sliced as thinly as possible.*
11 oz. Vietnamese beef balls, cut into half*

For the table:
1-2 limes, cut into wedges
fresh herbs: cilantro, Thai basil, mint
2-3 chili peppers, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts
Hoisin sauce
Sriracha hot chili sauce

1. Bring a large stockpot with water to boil over high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the beef bones and boil vigourously for 10 minutes.

2. In the meantime, heat a frying pan on medium-low heat. Add the Vietnamese Pho Spices and toast until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Dump the spices to the empty Crock Pot or slow cooker immediately. Return frying pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger slices and the onion half. Cook until the ginger is browned on both sides and the onion half is nicely browned and softened. Add the ginger and the onion to the Crock Pot or slow cooker.

3. When the bones have been pre-boiled, drain, discard water and rinse bones briefly to clean them. Add the bones to the Crock Pot or slow cooker. Fill the Crock Pot with fresh, clean, cool water to just 1-1/2 inches below surface, add the fish sauce and sugar. Cover and set the Crock Pot or slow cooker to cook on low for 8 hours. Taste and season with additional fish sauce if needed.

4. When you are just about ready to eat, you'll prep the rest of the ingredients for the Pho bowls. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the beef balls and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove the balls, keeping the water boiling and now cook the noodles according to package instructions. If you are using fresh noodles, all they need is a couple of minutes. Drain immediately.

5. Strain the stock with a fine meshed sieve. Discard the solids.

6. Line up 4 large bowls on counter. Distribute the noodles, beef balls and thin steak slices evenly amongst the bowls. Ladle the hot Pho stock into each bowl. The hot stock should cook the thin steak slices. Serve with lime wedges, fresh herbs, chili peppers, Hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot chili sauce at the table.

These were the broth ingredient packages Yia said to get.
The orange has ground spices in a little bag (two per box).

* Dee notes: 

1-When shopping for bones, this was the part that took the longest.
We went to three markets. Yia (the Hmong friend),
just kept shaking her head and saying no.
She finally settled with some beef neck bones,
but I don't think they were exactly what she wanted.
Lost in translation I expect.  We did buy flank steak.

2-When I made this last, the final tasting broth wasn't
as tasty asI remember from all the times I've had it.
I did by the spice packets at the Asian market that Yia recommended,
 but maybe the instructions in the recipe online about toasting the actually spices—which I didn't do—would make the difference.

3-I don't care for the meatballs.

4-After trying this recipe, we were underwhelmed. The broth is not as tasty as it is in the restaurant. Maybe roasting the spices instead of using the orange boxed spice packet would help a little, but it's just not beefy tasting enough. Maybe a lot more beef bones than I used (just a couple smallish ones), and cooking it for longer. Also, the flank was tough, I had boiled it in the water for the noodles, as it was a bit thicker than I expected would go from raw to cooked enough with the pho broth in our bowls. I think the only answer may be regularly going out to get pho. There is a Thai cafe going into the shopping corner closest to our house, and pho is on their menu. It was supposed to open in September. My friends and I have been waiting impatiently. Walking for Thai. MMMmmm!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries, Green Chili Pumpkin Soup

recipe and image from here

Today I'm posting a couple more recipes I want to try, but haven't yet.

Scott won't go for the Pumpkin Soup,

but said he is looking forward to the Cheesecake Strawberries!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
24 strawberries (medium to large)
8 oz. light cream cheese
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1. Remove the tops of all the strawberries and and cut out a cone shape from inside the middle of each strawberry with a paring knife - a little well to be filled with cream cheese mixture.

2. Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Fill a ziploc bag with the cream cheese mixture (filling it into one of the corners). 

3. Twist the top of the bag and snip the corner of the bag with the filling.

4. Squeeze filling into each strawberry and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN STRAWBERRIES

recipe and image from here

Green Chili Pumpkin Soup
4 oz. diced green chiles, divided
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. cilantro
1 small onion, diced
1 t. oil
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can vegetable broth
1/2 c. water
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground red pepper


1) In a food processor, combine 1/2 of the chiles, sour cream and cilantro. Process until smooth. Set aside.

2) Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and remaining chiles. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onions are softened. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and red pepper. Cook for 1 minutes or until fragrant.

3) Add remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If soup is not smooth enough, use an immersion blender to make it smoother…this is totally optional!

4) Swirl sour cream mixture into soup just before serving.

The sour cream mixture adds a cooling component and a little tartness to the the soup. I think it is the perfect compliment. Plus, you can get this to the table in under 30 minutes which means it is the perfect weeknight meal for fall and winter too.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad, Better Than Thin Mints... Grasshopper Poke Cake

recipe and image from here

I saw this recipe and wanted to try it. 

The event was a friend's surprise birthday lunch for four. 

This salad, sparkling cider and the yummy cake another guest made 

(see recipe below) made it fun.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

For the Salad
3-4 Chicken Breasts, cooked in Teriyaki sauce, sliced thin

(or use the pre-cooked Teriyaki Chicken by Tyson at Costco)
1 Large Bag of Spring Salad Mix
1 Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 c. Celery, sliced *optional
1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
1 Can Pineapple Chunks, drained
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 c. Raspberries
1 c. Cashews
Dressing (recipe follows)


Dressing
In a blender combine,
¾ c. White Sugar
1 t. Dry Mustard
2½ T. White Vinegar
2½ T. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T. Diced, Purple/red Onion
1 c. Canola Oil
1½ T.  Poppy Seeds


For the Salad
In a large platter, flat to spread out, arrange the lettuce with all of the other ingredients on top, leaving the cashews to be added right before serving, so as to not get soggy.
Sometimes it's also nice to just arrange the ingredients around the side, so everyone can take what they want if it is being served family style in a casual setting.
Drizzle the dressing and top with cashews, serve immediately.


For the Dressing
Blend the sugar, mustard and vinegars on high until thoroughly mixed, this should only need a few pulses. Turn off the blender.
Add the purple onion. Turn the blender back on and in a slow, steady stream drizzle in the canola oil.
Add in the poppy seeds and give the blender a few quick pulses to mix in the poppy seeds. Chill and serve over the salad.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6-8 servings

recipe and image from here

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Better Than Thin Mints... Grasshopper Poke Cake

1 chocolate cake mix + water, oil, eggs as listed on the box
1 - 14.5 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 - 12.8 oz jar Hershey's Special Hot Fudge Sauce
1 - 10 oz package Keebler Fudge Mint Cookies (or Thin Mints, when in season)
1 - 16 oz container cool whip (I like lite)
1 Duncan Hines Mint flavor packet
1 c. Andes Mint chips


Prepare and bake the cake mix in a 9x13 baking dish. Allow to cool completely.
Use the bottom of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the entire cake (about 20 holes). Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake, trying to fill the holes.
Heat the hot fudge sauce in a small bowl in the microwave. 30-40 seconds should do the trick, you jut want it to soften a little.
Crumble half of the fudge mint cookies into the hot fudge sauce and mix. Spread the cookie/fudge sauce over the cake.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mint packet and the cool whip. Spread the whipped topping over the fudge layer.
Crumble the remaining cookie crumbs over top of the cool whip. Sprinkle the Andes Mint chips over top.
Refrigerate and chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
Cut and serve. Serves 12-15.

Steelhead Trout Baked with Honey or Maple Glaze

recipe from here

Scott, Doug, Jared and Brandon were able to catch their limit in the Columbia River this month. It was a great trip. All were Chinook salmon, but one. Scott caught a steelhead. We had one of the fillets today using this recipe. It was great.


Steelhead Trout Baked with Honey or Maple Glaze

1/4 c. butter
2 garlic cloves
2 T. honey or maple syrup
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. rice vinegar (feel free to experiment with other types like cider)
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. soy sauce

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Whisk in the ingredients. Place the fish in the center of a rectangle of foil. Pour the glaze over the fish and fold the packet around the fish. Preheat the oven to 400°F. (This essentially allows the fish to marinate). If you're in a big hurry, start the oven before you make the glaze and just pop it in. Bake for 10 minutes + 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. So, a one inch thick fillet would bake for twenty minutes. 1.5″ would be 25 minutes. Got it? The recipe makes enough glaze for a little over two pounds of fish. It is easily halved or doubled. This recipe could be done on the grill, but remember to not cook the fish over direct heat, unless you enjoy rubbery, dried out fish. On the grill it can be done in a foil packet as described or you may skip it. If you choose to grill, place it skin side up, first. Once the fish has cooked, it falls apart, the skin sort of holds it together, making transfer a little bit easier.

YIELD 2 to 4 people

(Our notes: we use honey, apple cider vinegar and decreased mustard to 1 T. We thought it was funny that the recipe "Yields 2-4 people"!)


by Scott, Barbara's son

Kiwi & Strawberry Chia Popsicles

recipe and image from here

As soon as we are out of rain, and have sunshine again,
 I'd like to try these! The link above includes a video.

Kiwi & Strawberry Chia Popsicles
1-3/4 c. canned coconut milk
1/2 c. soy milk (or any milk alternative)
1/4 c. chia seeds
1 tablespoon honey, or more to your liking
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
3 strawberries, sliced

Stir together coconut milk, soy milk, chia seeds, and honey.
Place sliced kiwis and strawberries in popsicle molds. Use knife or the back of a spoon to press kiwi and strawberry slices to the sides of the mold.

Gently pour liquid mixture into popsicle molds. Insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 4 hours until popsicles are solid. Remove and enjoy!

 

Makes: 6 popsicles

Crockpot "Refried" Beans

recipe and image from here

Here are the beans Erik & Carissa like to make and use.

Addy and Ethan

Crockpot "Refried" Beans

2 lbs. pinto beans (4 c.)

1 large onion, chopped

4 T. jarred minced garlic

* Up to 2-1/2 T. salt

1 t. black pepper

2 t. cumin

10 c. hot water

* You can use as little as 1 T. of salt. It all depends on how you like your beans.

Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans.

Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours and on LOW for 2 hours.

Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are mashed. (We like our beans somewhere between the very liquidy restaurant style beans, and the canned version of refried beans.)

Mash beans with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.

*Makes about 16 cups

Ethan and Addy visit the Houston Temple. by Carissa, wife of Barbara's grandson Erik

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

image and recipe from here

I saw this recipe online and thought I'd give it a try this weekend.

We have some leftover chicken to use, so I won't exactly follow it....

but Barbara doesn't usually follow a recipe : )

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

4 medium zucchini (about 1¾ pounds)
1 lb. ground chicken
¼ t. salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. pasta sauce
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional: sliced fresh basil for topping


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and break it apart with a spoon. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally and break down the chicken into small chunks.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic to the chicken. Cook 1 minute stirring often. Add the pasta sauce. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the chicken cooks, cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and center out of each zucchini half, leaving a ¼ inch thick zucchini boat. Place the zucchini in the baking dish cut-side up. Spoon the chicken mixture into the zucchini boats. Press the mixture down into the zucchini using the back of the spoon.
Sprinkle the zucchini evenly with the parmesan, then the mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

Spinach Pasta Salad

image from here

Here's a fabulous recipe that was served
at our Stake RS Conference last week. 

Spinach Pasta Salad 

Sauce:
1 c. oil
3/4 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
6 T. sugar

Mix together until sugar dissolves (can add a bit of salt and pepper).

Cook one pound bow-tie pasta al dente. Marinate the noodles in the sauce overnight. Put in gallon-sized ziplock bag and turn over numerous times.

When ready to serve, add the following ingredients to the marinated noodles, sirring thoroughly to coat all ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2-4 green onions, chopped
3/4 c. chopped yellow, red and orange peppers
1 c. craisins
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 c. slivered almonds
1 lb. baby spinach (I use organic pre-washed spinach)

serves 9-10 for main dish or 20 for a side.

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Avocado Baked Eggs

I thought you might enjoy trying this delicious breakfast. Can I just say YUMMY! Christian got this recipe off the internet and it didn't get very good reviews but it was really tasty to me. He made some slight modifications (cheese & green onions) so I included those changes in the recipe. If your avocado pit hole is small, you will want to enlarge the pit cavity so the egg fits.

The picture I attached is from our breakfast.

Avocado Baked Eggs
1 avocado, halved and pitted
2 eggs
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1⁄4 c. crumbled cooked bacon
1 T. chopped fresh chives or green onions
Shredded cheese

Prep 10 min. Cook 15 min.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place each avocado half in a ramekin. Crack 1 egg into each avocado half; season with 

salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven until egg is cooked to desired doneness, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle each avocado with shredded cheese, bacon, and chives/green onions.

ENJOY!

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

images and recipe from here

I recently needed  a ranch dressing mix for a recipe,
and didn't have one un hand.

The Internet came through with this recipe that worked well.

I'm posting for future reference.
You can mix this with kefir instead of buttermilk.

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

1/3 c. dry buttermilk (**see note below**)
2 T. dried parsley
1 1/2 t. dried dill weed
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. dried onion flakes
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. dried chives
1 t. salt

Whisk all ingredients together until blended. If you want a more finely-ground seasoning mix, you can pulse the mixture in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

*3 T. of this mix = 1 packet of the store-bought seasoning mix

**TO MAKE RANCH DRESSING:

Combine 1 T. seasoning mix with 1/3 c. mayo and 1/3 c. milk, and whisk to combine. You can also substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo.


**You can omit the buttermilk powder if you would like to use fresh buttermilk, or if you would just like the straight spices for the seasoning mix.**

Crispy Cauliflower Cheese Bites

image and recipe from here

We tried these tonight, and thought they were good!
They didn't get as crispy as I thought they would, though.
Maybe next time I'll try lightly oiling the pan as suggested,
instead of just using cooking spray. 
Also maybe try with the silicone mini-muffin pan we have.
Definitely another tasty way to have cauliflower!

Crispy Cauliflower Cheese Bites

Half a cauliflower head

125g (about 4.5 oz.) cheddar

1 t. freshly cracked black pepper

1 free range egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roughly chop the cauliflower and add into a food processor to chop it into a finer crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry – you can chop it by hand, it just takes a little longer.

Grate the cheese and add it to a large mixing bowl with the cauliflower, egg and black pepper. Mix everything well until it starts to feel a little more like a mixture.

Lightly grease a muffin tray with some vegetable oil and spoon in around 1 and a half T. of the mixture into each hole. Add the tray into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Makes 12

Mega Crunch Salad with a Bite

image and recipe from here

I picked up this salad one day at Trader Joe's for lunch.
It's always a treat to go there, as it's not close to where we live.
I loved this salad. I made it for our book group and it was enjoy by many.
I'm making it again for our New Year's Eve party tonight.

Mega Crunch Salad with a Bite

1c. chopped carrots
1c. chopped radish
1c. chopped broccoli stalks
1c. chopped jicama
1c. roasted sunflower seeds
1c dried cranberries
1c. adzuki beans (or other red beans)
1c. cooked quinoa
3 c. chopped romaine lettuce

Combine until all ingredients are distributed through the salad.




Cilantro Dressing
2 bunches of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1 heading T. of chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Add all to a food processor or blender and blend until all combined.

(Notes by Dee: I only use half of the dressing recipe for this salad. Also, I only added 1 t. of chili powder to my half dressing recipe, as I do not like things too spicy.

Amazing Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker

image and recipe from here

There was a great price of pork tenderloin, so I bought a large one,

divided it, and found this recipe. We were not disappointed.

It was so easy and so wonderful.

Here's an option for leftover turkey!

Amazing Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker
1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 c. water
3/4 c. red wine (substitutes here)
3 T. minced garlic
3 T. soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.

Health Food Face-Off

You can click on the image for a closer view.

One day I was trying to remember why steel-cut oats are supposed to be healthier for you than regular rolled oats. I found this fun Food Face-Off page on the Prevention.Com site. I love visuals, so these appealed to me. There are many more to look at. I love to learn the reasons behind doing the things we should do. It's like learning the promised blessings associated with the commandments!Find more here.