roasted red pepper & cauliflower bisque

Ingredients:
1/2 c. minced cauliflower
1 organic red pepper
1/2 c. minced onion
Salt, pepper, thyme
Vegetable Broth (used frozen bean broth)
1/2 c. almond milk
Water
Olive oil

Prep:
Roast pepper and cauliflower. Saute onions in oil over medium heat. Slice peppers. Add peppers and cauliflower to saute. Add broth, almond milk, seasons.  Bring to boil. Emulsify. Add water to thin if needed.

bean, rice, and cheese enchilada's

Enchilada Ingredients:
LaTortilla Wraps
Beans (seasoned pinto beans, cooked per instructions)...mashed
Spanish Rice
leftover veggie loaf (added seasons)
Italian Blend Cheese

Fill, Wrap, Tuck. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet or dish. Pour sauce over top, sprinkle cheese. Baked at 350 for 25 minutes in the Convection/Broiler

Recipe for Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (I subbed with vegetable flavored broth)
4 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon (I used allspice)
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 Tablespoons plus 1/4 tsp. white flour
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

mozzarella cheese sticks

Ingredients: mozzarella string cheese, Seasoned Bread Crumbs: (Italian herbs and spices, salt, pepper, ground Udi's gluten free bread), flax eggs, oat flour, spaghetti sauce, baking sheet

Cut string cheese in half. Roll in oat flour, dip in flax eggs, shake in bread crumbs, repeat. Freeze for 10 minutes. Bake or fry. Serve with marinara.

greek salad...my way

Ingredients: 
1 head Green Leaf Lettuce (or Romaine Lettuce or Iceberg lettuce will work fine too), 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Green Bell Pepper, ½ a Red Onion, 1 cup Black Olives, 1 cup Grape Tomatoes, ½ an English Cucumber, 1 cup Feta Cheese cut into small cubes (more for serving).

to make the dressing: 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, The Juice and Zest of one Lemon (or lime),2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley, (dry is okay too but a 1/4 t.) ½ tablespoon dry Oregano, ¼ teaspoon minced Garlic, Salt to taste, Ground Black Pepper to taste

door to door organics: week 2 summary

Slowly, the local markets are becoming a thing of the past or simply a lighter load to carry.

It would take a minute for my shopping fetish to wane. I expected a little reluctance but this week proves I am reaching the end of the steps to full sobriety.

My second delivery from Door to Door Organics arrived last Friday. While I should have simply upgraded the box to Small (which is something I pondered in the first week) I made some substitutions and a few add-ons. This took me over the price of the Small.

Note: Upgraded to Small.

I did a fabulous job using the items in the first delivery. Between that time and the second delivery I made a conscious effort to plan meals around what is coming to the door so that nothing gets wasted.

I am open to trying new things, which is suggested on the site. I am also submitting to a suggestion list and items I would rather not bother ordering. The foods taste so wonderfully different I cannot brag enough! Everything is simply delicious.

If I do not cook the items and they are freezable, chop…chop, to the freezer the go! I am not a canned food person, but I enjoyed stewed tomatoes and paste. Going forward, there could a change in how I utilize these two favorites. So far, the first delivery presented three beautiful vine ripe tomatoes and I was stomped at how to use them as I witnessed them falling into despair. But never fear I turned them into STEWED TOMATOES! Yes!

The subscription is not permanent. If I find that I am overwhelmed with items I can always turn back to the Itty Bitty box. I tell you, if the boxes came with dry goods I would be in heaven. I would get rice, pasta, beans, etc. from the onsite store.

The verdict is still the same. I love this!

convection oven...reboot

Model CTO6301

I am in love with my Black & Decker Digital Advantage Countertop Convection Oven/Broiler (Model CTO6301). I purchased it about 7 years ago when I was renovating a property and was planning to live onsite during the work. When plans changed it was never removed from the box.

Five years ago, I un-boxed it and started using it but wasn't patient enough to become acclimated with the push button features. The first tries yielded uncooked food. I was over it! 

I cleaned it and placed it on top of the refrigerator. 

It essentially became a Chinese Wall to keep items from slipping off of the top of the fridge and becoming wedged between the fridge and the wall—a very tight space that would have sent any item to purgatory.

Recently, with no real motivation other than a few videos on YouTube (Bhavna's Kitchen), I decided to bring it out of prison.

To encourage my usage, I invested in a baking set designed especially for toaster ovens.

I re-read the book and decided to make a concerted effort to become re-acquainted and love it, else get rid of it. Much to my chagrin, I adore it. My new first efforts had much to do with heating my lunch. Second try was baking mini-pies. From there, I attempted to bake cookies. Although failing to match the efforts from the larger oven, I stayed the course. There is a baking cookie feature and I have options to shift the wire rack into different positions.

Today I baked a few potatoes on preset, but increased to time from 45 minutes to an hour. Unsure of the results, I went the gym with about 15 minutes left to its end. I returned home to a perfectly baked potato!

The model is not made any longer. There are upgrades and of course competition in the market. I will use this one however until it no longer functions. But for now, I am happy to say one less device is sitting on a shelf unused!

veggie loaf (mock meatloaf)

Ingredients

1 1/2 c Organic Textured (non-GMO) Soy Protein (T.S.P.)

1 1/2 c boiling water

Baked Vegetarian Loaf

3/4 c cooked whole grain brown rice

2 T ketchup

2 T spicy brown mustard

2 T soy or liquid aminos

1 celery stalk diced

¼ c minced carrot

¼ c diced onion

1 T minced garlic

1 c bread crumbs

2 T flax meal

1 flax egg

3 T Olive Oil (divided)

Seasoning: Old Bay, Onion Powder, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Chili Powder, Cumin, salt

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.

Preparation:

Sauté celery and onions in 1 T of olive oil until translucent. Add carrots and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Combine water with T.S.P. and the remaining ingredients plus 1 T of oil. Season the mix to your desired taste. Pack this into loaf pan (cover with foil) or roll in parchment then double roll in foil. 

*For this try, I used the latter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

*Place into the refrigerator to chill overnight to slice for storing. 

Green Beans in Stewed Tomatoes, Mac 'n Cheese,
and Veggie Loaf w/ Peppery Onion Gravy

a vegan? very highly likely not

Although vegans garner my utmost respect, I do not aspire to become a vegan. You may often read a comment where I say "if I could give up eggs and cheese...a vegan, I could become". Vegans are anti-cruelty. Respect! Vegans do not consume or use animal products (food, materials, or waste). Respect!

But vegans are not often the most healthy, despite the myth that they are. A bad diet is a bad diet. This is the reality. I expect to continuously evolve: cleaner eating. However, I will never under any circumstances reach a level where I think the health of the world is more important than my own. I am not born to sacrifice myself for the greater good. That was done for me thousands of years ago when the Son of God carried His own cross to His crucifixion.

He paid it all.

I am commonly reviewing the channels, blogs, and messages of some very disturbed and perhaps depressed emotional eaters who are validating their bad eating to morally judge those of us who do not unnecessarily burden ourselves with things we cannot change.

I realize that some people are born with stronger propensities to take charge, stand independently, lead and less follow. I also recognize that behavior can be adapted. Just as you make the sacrifice to use or consume animal products, you can also correct bad eating practices: eating out of boredom, eating too many starchy or processed foods.

I see something wrong, I try to fix it. I do not rely on others having the last word. Your opinion counts but it doesn't matter. Understand? No? Let me explain. That means that I will listen to you, but if by chance I am doing what you think was under your advisement, relax. I am simply doing what perhaps aligns with your perspective.

In short, a vegan I will not become if that ever means that I will lazily fall to eating everything that is adverse to my body under the guise of being an anti-cruel activist.

homemade onion rings and sauce

1 large organic onion

cold water bath

gluten free bread crumbs

3 flax eggs

1/2 c oat flour

oil for frying

cookie sheet lined with wax paper

large zip lock baggie

Sauce: 

2 T mayo

1 T sour cream

1 t minced garlic

dash (onion powder, parsley, cumin, smoked red pepper, cayenne pepper)

pinch of salt

Slice onion into 1/2 inch thick slices. Separate the rings and drop into a cold ice bath to remove skins. Place rings into baggie. Shake with oat flour to coat. This layer will help flax egg to stick. Next, dip each ring into flax egg, and last into bread crumbs. Shake off excess. Place rings onto lined cookie sheet. Place into freezer to set. I make these in batches and store into a large baggie. This way when I want rings I can just pull a few out and bake or fry.

Enjoy!

an island feast for resurrection day

I am always trying new things and this Easter, I am quite challenged by the food bursting from my fridge and freezer. I have set out to use my convection oven and stop storing it, using it to keep items from sliding off of the top of the fridge. I was tossed between West Africa and West Indies. I settled with the West Indies after accidentally turning some Spanish rice into a jollof rice, served on beans, and topped with Corn Salsa.

The menu: Jamaican Fried Rice, Fried Plantains, Jerk Spiced Tofu, and Bean Pies.

Although, I will be dining out for Sunday, I still will get to enjoy my feast throughout the week. 

Jamaican Mock Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Diced: green beans, onions, yellow pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, vegetarian meat sub

Spices: cayenne, paprika, salt, garlic pepper, parsley, cloves (and/or all spice), onion powder, thyme

Brown Rice: 2 cups cooked.

Olive Oil.

Preparation:

Rinse rice for 5 minutes removing starch. Cook rice to al dente. Do not allow water to evaporate. Strain with sift.

Saute diced strips with onions and mushrooms in oil. Add other vegetables. Then last add brown rice. Combine. Fry, but do not allow sticking.