• 24Feb

    Maple-Glazed Walnuts and Spiced Toasted Almonds

    I’ve included these two toasted nut recipes together (one makes a not-too-sweet snack, the other a savory snack) because you can cook them in the oven at the same time, same temp.

    They’re both adapted from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz. Walnuts are high in Omega 3 fats, they’re heart-healthy, and they may even slow memory loss … which means I should probably quadruple this recipe.

    Ingredients for Maple-Glazed Walnuts:

    1 cup raw walnuts
    4 tsp real maple syrup
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp salt

    Ingredients for Spiced Toasted Almonds:

    2 cups raw almonds
    1 tsp olive oil
    1/2 tsp paprika
    1/2 tsp sea salt

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.

    2. Toss the walnuts with the maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.

    3. Spread walnuts on one baking sheet.

    4. Toss the almonds with the oil, paprika and sea salt.

    5. Spread almonds on second baking sheet.

    6. Bake both pans for 7-10 minutes, until aromatic and slightly browned (don’t overcook).

    7. Let cool to room temperature, then use a metal spatula to loosen the maple-glazed nuts.

    8. After the almonds cool, they become crispy. Store in airtight containers.

    Besides making a great snack, both toasted nut recipes are delicious on salads or cereal.

    Filed under: Appetizers, Toasted Nuts
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  • 19Feb

    Cinnamon Granola

    Hubby went scouting the cereal aisles for granola, but was surprised to learn that most of them included unhealthy sugars high on the list of ingredients. So I pulled out an old granola recipe from back when we had munchkins underfoot (Make-A-Mix Cookery, 1978), tweaked it a bit with healthy sweetener and oil, and loaded up on the nuts. The result is a really tasty granola – a favorite quick breakfast.

    Ingredients:

    8 cups old-fashioned oats
    1 cup raw sunflower seeds
    4 cups of nuts (I use a combination of almonds, pecans and walnuts)
    1/2 cup water
    1/2 cup olive oil
    1 cup Fruit Sweet
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 Tbsp cinnamon
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

    2. In a large bowl, combine oats, seeds and nuts.

    3. In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, oil, Fruit Sweet, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir over medium high heat just until blended. DO NOT BOIL.

    4. Pour warm liquid over dry ingredients and stir until coated.

    5. Spread evenly in two 12×17″ cookie sheets.

    6. Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until golden brown (edges will brown first). Let cool on cookie sheets completely.

    7. Store in airtight container. Makes approx 13 cups of cereal.

    Filed under: Breakfast, Cinnamon Granola
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  • 13Feb

    Spinach Scramble

    Vegetables for breakfast? Certainly, when you stir them in with scrambled eggs and top the entire shebang with a bit of mozzarella cheese.

    And if you can get hubby to cook them … well, that’s even better.

    Ingredients:

    4 eggs
    2 tsp water
    1 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread
    Fresh spinach
    1-2 green onions
    1 medium-small tomato
    Sea salt, to taste
    Mozzarella cheese

    Directions:

    1. Beat eggs with a fork. Add water and beat again. Set aside.

    2. Slice green onion. Remove seeds from tomato; chop in small pieces. Finely grate a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

    3. Over medium-high heat, melt the buttery spread. Stir in 2 handfuls of fresh spinach and cook until tender, about 1 minute (spinach cooks down quite a bit so don’t be stingy).

    4. Pour eggs into hot pan with spinach. Slowly stir, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go.

    5. After eggs are done (be careful not to overcook), stir in tomatoes and green onion until heated through.

    6. Serve immediately with a smattering of finely-grated mozzarella cheese on top. Makes enough for 2 people.

    Filed under: Breakfast
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  • 05Feb

    Three-Bean Soup

    One of the things I love about winter is all the really great food that goes with gray skies and falling snow. This recipe is one of them – hearty and easy to throw together (I like to use homemade pinto beans in place of the canned variety … but canned works). I made today’s soup with ground elk, but you can use ground turkey or venison, or leftover chicken … or go vegetarian style. It’s all good.

    Ingredients:

    1 lb. ground turkey, venison or elk
    1 (15-oz) can light red kidney beans
    1 (15-oz) can black beans
    2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans
    1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
    1 (15-oz) can corn
    2 cups chicken broth
    1 Tbsp olive oil
    1/2 red bell pepper, diced
    1/2 green bell pepper, diced
    1 small white onion, diced
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    4 green onions, sliced
    8-9 green olives, sliced
    1 Tbsp chili powder
    1 tsp curry
    1/2 tsp paprika
    1 tsp garlic salt

    Optional garnishes:
    Avocado, sliced
    Cheddar cheese, grated
    Cilantro

    Directions:

    1. Rinse beans in cold water in a colander. Let them drain well.

    2. Combine beans, tomatoes, corn and broth in a large pot over medium-high heat.

    3. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Set green onions and olives aside.

    4. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute’ prepared vegetables until tender, 5-6 minutes. Add to soup pot.

    5. Brown the meat; drain, if necessary, and add to soup pot (I used ground elk in today’s soup).

    6. Reduce heat and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (can be simmered for a longer period of time, but you may need to add more liquid).

    7. Just before serving, stir in the sliced green onions and olives until heated through.

    8. Garnish each bowl of soup with avocado slices, cilantro and a small amount of grated cheese. Feeds 6-8 hungry people. Delicious with side of Pumpkin Cornbread.

    Filed under: Soups and Sauces, Three-Bean Soup
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  • 05Feb

    Pumpkin Cornbread

    Sitting in a waiting room, I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Cornbread in a magazine. Being the solid citizen that I am, I did not covertly tear the recipe out of the magazine (although I’ve been known to do that in the past).

    Hubby found an online version that called for brown sugar and half white/half wheat flour. I used whole wheat pastry flour, substituted a healthy sweetener for the sugar, and doubled the cinnamon … and it was delicious (think gingerbread with a bit of crunchiness from the cornmeal).

    Ingredients:

    1 cup cornmeal
    1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    2 tsp cinnamon
    1/4 tsp nutmeg
    2 eggs
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1 Tbsp molasses
    1 cup pumpkin puree
    1/2 cup Fruit Sweet (I’ve also used organic blue agave sweetener)

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray 10″ pie pan with olive oil spray.

    2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

    3. In a smaller bowl, combine all wet ingredients; whisk with a wire whisk until blended.

    4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

    5. Whisk until just blended. Do not over-stir.

    6. Pour batter into prepared pie pan.

    7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm. Hubby likes a bit of butter and honey on his; I think it’s plenty sweet without the honey.

    Filed under: Breads and Sandwiches, Pumpkin Cornbread
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