Simplify your Thanksgiving cooking

Our pastor's wife is an amazing lady.  Besides her very loving and personal commitment to each of us, her creativity and energy, she's a wonderful cook.  She is always preparing or hosting something, complete with delicious homecooked food.  I stand in awe.  So this week I asked her how she does it.  Peaceful, unflappable, and always prepared.

Her secret is doing a lot stuff ahead of time and using her freezer.  Instead of putting Italian sausage away in the freezer when she gets home from shopping, she fries it up in two big skillets, throws in tomato sauce and seasonings, then freezes it measured out, all ready for lasagne.

I especially loved the way she does Thanksgiving.  While all the special food is wonderful, I really dislike spending the whole day in the kitchen, trying to put on a Normal Rockwell spread, ending with the turkey-picking and a mountain of dishes.

Here's a few of her tips...which, all taken together, free her up to go play games with the family and be with PEOPLE, not just food all day.

• Pre-cook sweet potatoes, peel, dice, and cover with your topping; cover and freeze.  Defrost on T-Day and warm in the oven.


• Pre-cook the turkey a few days ahead of time.  (Then you don't have to find room for it in your fridge or freezer!)  Slice and drizzle some of the broth over; cover and freeze.  Warm in the microwave at serving time (not the oven -- she says that gives it that leftover taste).


• The rest of the broth frozen, ready to thaw and make gravy.


• Cooks up her turkey soup ahead of time, instead of the day after.


• She uses festive paper plates and napkins -- that don't have to be washed!  She sets the table the night before.

And I know there are other short-cuts that work...freezing dinner rolls, having the cranberry sauce pre-cooked or pre-sliced.  Freezing your pumpkin pies.

You know, I think my freezer is too small.  I can see whole vistas of this method for year-round, simplifying my life even more.   Think how handy to have a pre-done casserole or pot of soup for that unexpected company.  Though I've done some of this on a sporadic basis, I'm going to get really intentional about it.

Have a blessed and stress-free Thanksgiving!

Beef-Barley Vegetable Soup

By popular demand (two requests :-) ), herewith is one of our favorite winter soups.  It's hearty, healthy, can be done either on the stove or in a crockpot, and definitely qualifies as a comfort food.  Great with a whole-grain bread and better the second day!
~~~~~~~~

 Brown 1 lb. of stew meat or hamburger and drain if necessary.  (You can also use leftover cooked roast.)  Add 1/2 c. chopped onion and 1-2 cloves garlic, minced; cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add:

• 7 c. beef broth or water
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2-1 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. sliced celery
• 1/2 c. sliced carrots
• 1/2 c. pearled barley
• 2-4 bullion cubes (if using water)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. basil

Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cook for 1 hour.  Barley soaks up a lot of liquid so add more water if necessary.  Add 1 pkg. frozen French green beans, cover and cook another 20 minutes, again adjusting liquid level if necessary.

Enjoy!

Cooking with stevia cookbook

I checked out a great cookbook from the library this week and thought I'd give it a recommendation here.  It's called Low-Carb Cooking with Stevia by James Kirkland. 


You're sure to get a lot of your stevia questions answered here--from all the various forms it comes in to how to use this sweetener as a sugar substitute in baking and cooking.  Having checked a number of other stevia cookbooks before, I'd have to say this is one I'd like for my kitchen.  Kirkland not only takes the guesswork out of substitutions, but uses some ingredients I wouldn't have thought of to bring the carb counts down on favorite dishes.


He has authored another, more basic, cookbook called Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia which I'd also recommend.

Eggplant French toast

This is a great substitute for the real thing (desperation drives one to new creativity in the kitchen!).  It's gluten-free, milk-free, and great for a low-carb candida diet and can be sugar-free.  I've been discovering some different ways to cook and eat eggplant, not one of my favorite veggies, and this is one of the better ones.


This first step can be done ahead of time and frozen or just before you make the recipe.   I freeze individual portions in freezer bags and just do a quick thaw in the microwave when I want to use one.


Peel and slice an eggplant 1/2 inch thick, then bake them on a stovetop griddle or frypan on a lightly oiled surface, several minutes on both sides until golden and tender when pierced with a fork.  (Or, peel, cube, and saute in coconut or olive oil in skillet until tender.)


Arrange baked eggplant slices in a non-stick, oiled skillet.  Heat skillet on medium.


Beat together 2 or more eggs (your choice) with 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, dash salt, and 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) stevia OR 1 tsp. sugar.


Pour carefully over eggplant, lifting each piece to allow egg mixture to run a bit underneath.   Cover and cook for a few minutes, then turn whole thing like an omelet.  Cover again and cook until done.


Serve hot with butter and syrup or your favorite topping.  (I use a bit of liquid vegetable glycerine mixed with maple flavoring as a sweet, non-sugar substitute--tastes just like maple syrup!)


M-m-m-m!  Yummy.

Marinated summer salad

I threw this together the other night as an alternative for a regular tossed salad--and we all liked it!   Very colorful and appealing, as well as delicious.  Thought I'd pass it along.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Use the amounts of each vegetable you want, and vary the seasoning according to taste.

Toss together in a bowl:

• sliced, diced raw zucchini (could also add yellow summer squash)
• diced mixed peppers:  green, red, orange, yellow
• thinly sliced red onion
• sliced hearts of palm
• minced fresh garlic

Mix and pour this marinade over veggies:

• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar (I like Braggs)
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. mixed Italian herbs
• sea salt, a shake of pepper

Blend and chill well before serving.

Homemade Ranch dressing

This quick and yummy dressing can be used as a salad dressing, dip, or sandwich spread.  Tastes amazingly like the commercial variety but without the chemicals and additives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a bowl, blend with a whisk:

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt, buttermilk, OR kefir
• 1 T. dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. each garlic powder & onion powder
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

Adjust seasonings to taste.  Chill and enjoy!

My aunt's simple and yummy hamburgers

These are great!  What I like is that they are very moist and not tough as hamburgers can often be.  And it's a good way to get some more veggies into your diet.


These are the proportions I used tonight:

• 1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
• 2 grated zucchini
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (we like garlic)

Mix well and form into thin patties.  You can either fry them up or freeze them for future use.  I like to serve them with mayo, sliced tomato, and very thin slices of onion.


Enjoy!

Salmon-Millet Loaf with Creamed Peas

This is a great gluten-free dish.  If you don't care for creamed peas, you can eat the salmon loaf plain, or with a sour cream-cucumber sauce spooned over it.  It's also great cold, sliced, as a sandwich filling with tomato, lettuce, and mayonaise.  You can substitute two cans of tuna for the salmon if you prefer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bring 1 c. millet in 2 c. water with 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil, cover and turn down to simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until fluffy (as you would cook white rice).

Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute in 2 T. butter:  1 c. finely chopped celery, 1/2 c. finely chopped onion, 1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper, and 1 clove garlic, minced.

In a large bowl, fluff cooked millet with a fork to break up any lumps. Add 2 eggs, the sauteed vegetables, a 14.75 oz. can of salmon with juice, 1 tsp. dill weed, and pepper to taste.  Mix well, breaking up any large chunks of the salmon.

Spoon into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Serve with creamed peas spooned on top of each serving.

Creamed Peas

Either precook 1 c. frozen peas or use a can of drained peas.

Make a medium white sauce:  with a whisk, mix 2 c. milk with 3 T. cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, and salt to taste.  Either cook in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with whisk until thickened or in the microwave for several minutes on high, stirring every couple of minutes.

Add drained, cooked peas and stir.  Serve over salmon loaf.

Menu suggestion:  This is good with baked acorn or butternut squash or yams, and a green salad.

Blender Cauliflower Pancakes

Having been on a strict candida diet for a time now, I've come to appreciate the gift of vegetables.  This recipe has become my stand-by substitute for bread!  They're delicious with just butter, or as little 'wraps' for fillings like chicken salad or cold meatloaf with mayonnaise (yum!).  I also like to butter them, sprinkle cinnamon and stevia (sugar or honey if you do that), and consider myself having a 'cinnamon roll' treat!


I've also substituted part of the cauliflower with a peeled, cubed turnip. Another way to get more good veggies in your diet with little appreciable change in flavor.


Blender Cauliflower Pancakes


First, dice raw cauliflower and place in your blender until 3/4 full or so.  This is usually equivalent to a medium head.



Then add 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt and 6 eggs.



Blend for minute to a smooth batter.  Spoon onto a greased, preheated griddle and bake for a few minutes until they start to look set.  Turn and continue baking.  I usually turn them two or three times to make sure they are fully baked.



These refrigerate well for two or three days.


Enjoy!

Carrot-Apple Cookies

This is one of our favorite HEALTHY cookies!  When my daughter was little, I always tried to have these on hand, knowing it was a snack that was good for her.  This recipe can always be adapted for gluten-free diets by substituting a mix of GF flours and adding 1 tsp. xanthan gum.  These are chewy with a taste reminiscent of carrot cake.  Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mix in order:

• 1/2 c. melted butter or coconut oil or other oil
• 3/4 c. molasses (can use part honey)
• 1 egg
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 apple, peeled and shredded
• 1 c. grated carrots

Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

I love my pressure cooker!

 Having gotten a pressure cooker a year ago for Christmas, I've been trying to get acquainted with this kind of cooking, adjusting recipes for high altitude, and trying to make this part of my thinking in the kitchen.

And so far, it's wonderful!  I did overcook a head of cauliflower to mush once (which was redeemable mashed with butter on it).  It does a stellar job with veggies.  Three minutes to do whole brussel sprouts, twelve to do artichokes to perfection, etc.  I don't have scorching problems anymore cooking whole grain cereals--you cook it in a metal bowl inside the cooker--in just ten minutes.

I'm still learning how to do meats.  I have to adjust times due to high altitude, but it's easy to overcook them and get the meat tough.  But I think I've been undercooking so I'll work more on that.

I love the meal-in-one simplicity!  A favorite here layers browned hamburger, tomato paste, pasta, veggies, and seasoning...and it done perfectly in ten minutes!  (Have I use the word 'perfect' before??) 

But my new favorite is soup broth!  I half fill the cooker with water, throw in browned beef bones, lamb bones, or chicken parts like backs, wings, etc., some celery, onion, bay leaf, and a couple of peppercorns.  Half an hour later I have this rich, delicious broth.  The pressure cooker drives out the good gelatin from the marrow and joints, which is fabulously healthy for you.

I might note that I no longer tremble in fear that the whole shebang is going to blow up all over me and the kitchen.  I now confidently whip things in and out of it, cavalierly ignore the hissing and sputtering, and laugh triumphantly when I lift the lid and see another success!

So if you have a beautiful pressure cooker that was a wedding gift still sitting in it's box...give it a go!  I think you'll love it.  Just think of all the other fun things you can do with all the time you'll save...

Stevia Coleslaw and variation

Sounds like a still life, huh?

This recipe can be modified easily, depending on your taste.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stir together until well mixed:

• 2 c. chopped cabbage (green or green/red combo)
• 1/2 finely cut bell pepper
• 1 grated carrot
• (optional:  some finely sliced green onion)

Stir together and add to veggies:

• 1/2 c. (or more according to taste) plain yogurt (whole is best; you can also use part mayonaise)
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• one packet of Stevia or 1/4 tsp. (or to taste)

Chill and serve.  Very refreshing!

Variation:  Omit green pepper and onion.  Instead, add 1 chopped red delicious apple, 1 can mandarin oranges or one seeded orange cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 can or equivalent fresh pineapple chunks.  Not sugar-free because of the fruit but delicious!

Breakfast Rice with Stevia

Here is a favorite breakfast recipe we do with stevia.  It's great to make ahead of time and microwave in a dish for a quick meal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blend well together in a mixing bowl:

• 4 c. cooked brown rice (1 1/2 c. raw cooked with 3 1/2 c. water)
• 4 or 5 large eggs
• 1 lg. can (13.5 oz) coconut milk rinsed with 1/2 c. water (or 2 c. milk)
• 1 tsp. good vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 packets (1 tsp.) powdered stevia

Pour into greased 9x13 glass cake pan.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the middle.

Great served warm with milk on top.  Enjoy!

(Note:  For sugar users, substitute 1/3-1/2 c. brow sugar, honey, or maple syrup for stevia.  You can also add grated apple, dried fruit, and/or nuts for a heartier dish.)

Stevia Blueberry Sauce

This sauce is a delicious replacement for syrup on pancakes and waffles, or to make plain yogurt a bit nicer.  The blueberries aren't one of the sweeter fruits so this works well to cut down on that old sugar!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a large glass bowl, combine 2 c. frozen blueberries, 1 c. water, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and one packet (1/2 tsp.) stevia.  Microwave on high for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix 1 1/2 T. cornstarch with 1/8 c. water to a smooth consistency.  Stir this mixture carefully into the cooked blueberries, then microwave for 2 more minutes.  Stir well to mix.

This thickens when cooled but can be microwaved a bit to thin again.

Store in a glass jar in refrigerator.


NOTE:  You can cook this in a saucepan, following the same procedure.  It splashes blue everywhere so make sure to cover it!

Crockpot Granola with Stevia

Now a heads-up about this recipe.  It's not as sweet as you're used to and adding too much stevia to something actually makes it taste chemical-ly.  But as I've said earlier, when you cut back on sugar, you find you don't need things to be as sweet and can enjoy the subtlety of other flavors and textures.  An added benefit of this recipe is the CROCKPOT!  Great to save on electricity and keeping your kitchen cooler in the summer.  This recipes makes enough for the large crockpots.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a large bowl, mix well:

• 7 c. oatmeal
• 1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 c. raw sesame seeds
• 1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 c. raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 c. flax seeds
• 1 c. nuts of your choice
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 3-4 packets stevia (1 1/2 - 2 tsp.)

With a whisk, blend 1/2 c. oil (we used melted coconut oil) with 2 tsp. vanilla.  Stir into dry mix and blend well.

Pour into crockpot, set on low, and slightly prop open the lid to let steam escape.  After half an hour, stir every 10 or 15 minutes--once it starts to brown it seems to go pretty fast.  Mine is usually done in an hour or so.

Cool.  Store in airtight container.

Quick-and-easy Oven Eggplant

I've never been a real lover of eggplant, but I've been experimenting with various recipes to find something really appealing (it's one of the vegetables I can freely eat on the candida diet).  I did this tonight and it was yummy!  A new favorite. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wash and dice one eggplant, unpeeled.  In a bowl, toss eggplant with 2 or 3 tablespoons good olive oil, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning, coating pieces well.

Spread in a casserole dish, sprayed with non-stick spray, and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until fork-tender and a bit carmelized on the bottom.  Stir to mix before serving.  Serves 3 or 4, depending on size of eggplant.

How to keep parsley and cilantro

I got the greatest tip from a friend on how to store fresh parsley and cilantro...and it works!

Just clip off the bottom half inch or so of the bunch and put it in a glass jar filled with water, just like you would do for fresh flowers.  Then voila! just keep it on your counter.  No refrigeration needed!  Change out the water every couple of days, and reclip the bottom of the stems a couple of times a week.  Just snip and wash whatever you need.

My friend says she has kept parsley for a month this way!  I tried it and have had both going for several days now, and it's working just as she said.  I have tried the jar thing before, covered with a plastic bag, in the fridge, but have been so annoyed at how much room it takes up.

An added benefit is the beautiful greenery sitting right there in my kitchen--especially nice in these colorless, wintery months.

And of course you've probably read how fantastic both parsley and cilantro are for your health...

PARSLEY serves as an internal cleanser, aids in digestion, rich in vitamins A, B1, B-complex, C, potassium, manganese, phosporus, calcium, and iron.  Good for a breath freshener.  Works well in juicing.

CILANTRO, also called coriander, helps to detoxify the body of mercury and other toxic metals and is rich in calcium, iron, carotenes and vitamin C.

So now maybe I'll use these health-giving herbs more with my indoor "garden" at my fingertips!

***************************

P.S.  This added a couple of days later:  I've found that cilantro doesn't do quite as well as the parsley and needs to be used sooner.