Caribbean Sweet Potato and Bean Stew

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), pealed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Cups frozen green beans
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) veg. broth
1 small onion, sliced
2 tsp Caribbean jerk seasoning*
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

*I used Cajun seasoning instead of Caribbean

Combine all ingredients  (except almonds) into slow-cooker. Cover; cook on Low 5 - 6  hours or until veggies are tender. Adjust seasonings. Serve with Almonds

YUM!

 from the Crock Pot recipe collection

Rice and Lentil Casserole

Want something quick and easy?....this is what we had for dinner tonight. I loved it and so did Olivia (Wes wasn't home). Give it a whirl...

I got this recipe is from Oh She Glows

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup lentils, uncooked
• 1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 2-3 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped finely
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1/3 red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 1/2-1 tsp Fleur de sel sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Rinse & drain lentils and rice. Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake covered for 1½ hours at 300F. It doesn’t get any easier!!!!

What did YOU have for dinner??

Vegetable and Red Lentil Soup

On cold days, rainy days like today, I love, love, love soups!!!! I made this last week for the first time last week and made it again today because it is so good!!! And, this time I doubled it (not double below). I hope you try it!

1 can (14 1/2 oz) vegetable broth
1 can (14 1/2oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash (or, 1 of each), diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 C thinly sliced carrots
1/2 C red lentils, rinsed and sorted*
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 TB chopped fresh basil or thyme
1/2 C croutons or shredded cheese (optional)

*can substitute red lentils for brown

I added mushrooms, just because I love mushrooms.

1. Combine everything (except basil, thyme, croutons, cheese) in a slow-cooker. Mix well. Cover, cook on Low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
2. Ladle in shallow bowls. Sprinkle on basil and croutons, if desired

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe is from: Crock Pot Recipe Collection

Roasted Red Potatoes

Hey all! There hasn't been any new recipes posted for a while...so I'm guessing none have us have made a good meal in a REALLY LONG TIME?  I know I sure haven't! haha!  Is there still an interest in doing this?

Anyway, I made these today and they were SO good!! It could be due to the fact that I haven't cooked in literally MONTHS!...if you don't believe me, ask my husband. OR, it could be that they are just THAT good!

The recipe is from  Just a Matter of Thyme  

Ingredients:
4 red potatoes (or 8 new potatoes)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
*Various seasonings (I use salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice potatoes into wedges and place in bowl. Toss in olive oil until coated and then add all remaining ingredients and toss until evenly coated. Bake in preheated oven 30-40 minutes or until desired degree of crispness, turning wedges over halfway through baking.

*On mine I used garlic salt, seasoning salt, chives, dried onions, pepper

Wild Rice and Mushroom Casserole

Here's another recipe! I know I've been posting a lot, but there are just so many delicious recipes that I'be been trying that I want to share...

2 Tb olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
1 large green pepper, finely diced
8 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
2 tb butter
 2 tb all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C milk
8 oz pepper jack, Cheddar or Swiss cheese, shredded
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 C wild rice, cooked according to package instructions

1. Coat slow-cooker with non-stick cooking spray
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook and stir 5 to 6 min. or until veggies soften. Add garlic, tomatoes, oregano and paprika. Continue to cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to large bowl to cool.
3. Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat; whisk in flour. Cook and stir until smooth and golden, about 4 to 5 min. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Whisk shredded cheese into boiling milk to produce rich, velvety sauce.
4. Combine cooked wild rice with vegetables in large bowl. Fold in cheese sauce to combine gently. Pour into prepared slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 4 - 6 hours, or on HIGH 2 - 3 hours.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Fat Free Granola

This recipe is from my Grandma Smith (my mom's mom). It is full of nutrients and really tasty!

8 C rolled oats

1 C unsweetened coconut

1 C Sunflower seeds

1 C coarsely chopped nuts

Whiz in blender:

2 very ripe bananas

1/2 tsp salt

1 tb vanilla

1 1/4 C pitted dates

1/2 C hot water

1 C raisins *

Blend both mixtures together. Spread evenly on 2 cookies sheets, bake 250 for 30 min, stir, bake another 30 min or until lightly brown. You can also cook all night at 150 degrees without stirring.

*add raisins after cooking

Artichoke & Tomato Paella

I just made this for the first time yesterday....it is SO GOOD!! :)

4 Cups vegetable broth
2 Cups converted white rice
5 oz frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 medium ripe tomato, sliced into wedges
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can (13 oz) artichoke hearts, quartered, rinsed, and well-drained
1/2 Cup frozen peas

Combine broth, rice, spinach, bell pepper, tomato, onion, carrot, garlic, parsley salt and pepper in 4 1/2-quart Crock Pot slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on LOW 4 HOURS or on HIGH 2 HOURS.

Before serving, add artichoke hearts and peas. Cover; cook on HIGH 15 minutes. Mix well before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Bean Salad

This is a great salad. I made it at a scrapbooking event and everyone was asking for the recipe! Enjoy!!

1 can of black beans
1 can of 6 bean mix
1 tomato
1 can of corn drained (or frozen works great too0
1/2 orange pepper (or yellow or red)
1/2 red onion
1 pkg of bbq corn chips
1 bottle of Catlaina Dressing

-open beans and rinse with water in a colander, let drain
-chop peppers, tomato, and onion into chunks no bigger than the beans
-put beans into a serving bowl, and add all the ingredients except the chips
-just before serving add the chips and the dressing
(you can mix all the ingredients except chips and dressing and store in the fridge for a week or more and just add the chips and dressing when needed)

Snobby Joes

Wes even liked this recipe! He did ask, "where's the meat?" But, he did say, "this is really good!" Wes LOVES his meat, so if he says it's really good, it must be true!
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This recipe is from Post Punk Kitchen.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
or one can of beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns or any type of bread

Directions
Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.

Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait. I like to serve these open faced, with a scoop of snobby joe on each slice of the bun.

Emmy's Chocolate Joy's

My friend, Emily, came up with this delicious recipe! I made these and even gave one to a 10-year-old boy and he loved them as well!
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This treat is 100% healthily for your body. It doesn't matter if you are vegetarian, vegan, eat raw or just eating a well balanced diet because you too can it this.

You need a food processor to make this or a really really good blender.

The Glue

3/4 cup coconut milk (comes in a can, usually found by the Asian food).
1/2 cup cocoa powder or carob powder (I use cocoa)
1/2 cup honey or Agave (I use both, 1/4 c honey and 1/4 c agave)
1 tsp pure vanilla
3 cups coconut
2 dates
1/4 cup raisins (if you don't want dates just use more raisins)

Nuts and Seed

You can use whatever nuts and seed that you want. Just make sure that the measurements stay about the same as mine. You may need to add more or even a little less depending on what nuts and seeds you choose to use. You do not want this runny.

1 cup Almonds
1/4 cup Pecans
1/4 cup Cashews
1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
1/4 cup Pumpkin seeds

Throw all of the ingredients in your food processor and let it rip. Make sure it is nice and blended.

Get your cookie sheet and cookie scoop out. Plop the batter on the cookies sheet and refrigerator for at least one hour. You can even freeze these.

Again, these are so yummy and good for you. Feel free to mix things up to your own preference's.

Agave is at any grocery store. You can get twice as much (literally) for $1 less at costco. Unlike honey, maple syrup and sugar Agave is gluten friendly. It does not mess with your blood sugars. When eating it they will stay the same. You can also use Agave in place of honey when eating a sandwdich, on waffles or in yogurt etc. (I am not diabetic.These are just some fun the facts).

Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are SO GODD! I made them today and I love them!! They are 100% good for you. I found them on this website. Enjoy!!!

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Ingredients:

Cookie dough:

• 1 3/4 cups ground raw cashews
• 3/4 cup ground raw oats
• 1/4 cup Agave Nectar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Raw chocolate chips:

• 2 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup carob powder
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 4 T agave nectar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Dough: Grind up raw cashews and raw oats in a food processor or blender. Place all cookie dough ingredients into a large bowl and mix by hand or with a spoon. OR simply place all ingredients in the processor and blend (why didn’t I do this!? lol). Mix until a dough forms and you can make a large ball. Refrigerate dough while you make the chocolate chips.

Chips: Mix all chocolate chip ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Roll the dough out onto parchment paper and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Optional: Half way through at 15 mins., flip the chocolate sheet over for even freezing.

When chocolate is frozen, cut into chips. This is the fun part! I used a pastry slicer and it was SO fun making the chips.

Mix chips into dough and have fun!

Place in fridge (if you have any left that is) to harden for about 30 mins. They get real hard! Make sure to refrigerate them on parchment paper or they will stick to the plate.

Notes: If you don’t have carob powder you can substitute it for cocoa powder just as easily. Alternatively, you may be able to sub the agave nectar for maple syrup or honey. If you try this and it turns out let me know!

Also note, I cut the recipe in half to make a smaller batch. Don’t be too worried about getting exact measurements here. They will still turn out, promise.

The best part is the total prep time (not including freezing and refrigerating) was 10 minutes! So quick and easy. These would be amazing to whip up before guests come over or for a quick birthday gift.

I adapted this recipe found here. I used much less coconut oil in both mixtures, substituted raw oats for groats, and I added vanilla and agave in the chocolate chips.

Banana Ice Cream

I found this recipe from Serious Eats. I tried it today and it is SO GOOD! 

Three-Ingredient Banana, Honey, and Peanut Butter Ice Cream

- serves 1 -
Adapted from The Kitchn.

Ingredients

1 large, slightly over-ripe banana
1 teaspoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey

Procedure

Peel banana. Slice it into about ten chunks. Freeze the chunks. Once frozen, put them in a food processor with peanut butter and honey. Puree until creamy, like soft serve ice cream, stopping the processor to scrape the sides when necessary.

OR

Forget to peel banana. Freeze it. Wrestle futilely with now-frozen banana peel. Give up and let it sit for 30 minutes to thaw. Peel banana like a two-year-old. Break it into three or four pieces. Add pieces to food processor with peanut butter and honey. Puree until creamy, like soft serve ice cream, stopping the processor to scrape the sides when necessary.