Summer Sides....Jicama

Now that it is getting warmer, my mouth craves anything with lime, cilantro and fruit. It is cool and refreshing...exactly what you need to live in the AZ summer. Tonight, I tried out a new creation with a veggie I have never even bought before; jicama. I am not sure why I haven't bought it except for the fact that I remember eating it once as a child and not liking it. Desiring something new on my dinner plate, I bought the weird looking veggie and brought it home for a little dressing up. Tonight's side was a perfect accompaniment to our corn enchiladas.


It is sort of a citrus jicama slaw. It was a good combo of sour and sweet. It was cool and crisp and even went well as a taco topping.


Jicama is loaded with potassium and fiber among other things. It is also super low cal at only 20 calories for a 1/2 cup. It is filling and soaks up whatever you put with it.


My creation tonight was simple with very basic ingredients:


One medium Jicama
lime juice
oranges
cilantro
red onion
sea salt


I julienned the jicama and put it in a bowl. I cut up two oranges into very small pieces, about 1/2 inch wedges. I roughly chopped about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro and juiced enough limes to make about 1/4 cup of juice. I used a little too much onion but would recommend about 2 T. of chopped red onion. I tossed the ingredients with a little sprinkle of sea salt and a little juice of half of a fresh orange. I chilled it for 30 minutes but it would be great even longer. Serve cold. 


Enjoy!

Healthify

I am on many different email lists for "health" sites. Some pretty good, some not so much. One email that I received last week made me a bit confused. It was from an "Eat Healthy" website with a cookie recipe. The title of the article was on "Healthifying" food. This recipe was called "Double Chocolate Cookies - Healthified". Sounded great. I took a look at the recipe and honestly wanted to call the website folks. It contained white flour, white sugar, etc. The only thing I could possibly see as better than any other ingredient was butter instead of shortening. What a waste of my time to even look at that email.

It is just another point and case that commercial America's idea of "healthy" is much different than what traditional "healthy" is. Once again, we can't trust a label. We need to be educated. We need to read labels, take extra steps. Now, if I were to healthify a cookie, it would have whole grains, non-refined sweeteners, cultured creams and pure chocolate. I am sure some mom out there made these cookies feeling like she was doing a great service to her kids. 

So, my healthy moms out there, I am offering you a service. I would love to help "healthify" your recipes if you have a favorite that is need of doctoring. Just send me an email with the recipe and I will see what I can do. I will give you options so you can go as healthy as you want.

I am going to start with my favorite salad recipe. I love the sweet vinaigrette salads. What is not to love -  you cover your greens with sugar. However, who wants to ruin good nutrition with sugar! I took my dressing recipe and made it sugar free. Don't even think for a minute that is like the "sugar free" claims you will see at the store. Commercially that just means you are putting in a synthetic sweetener in it's place. Not here. It means we are using natural sweeteners your body will appreciate. 

This is pretty much what the dressing contains other than a little salt a pepper. 

1/2 C. expeller pressed grape seed oil
2 T. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup real fruit jam of choice (used fig this time)
1/2 t. Celtic salt
1/4 t. pepper


Blend and chill. 


I love the St. Dalfour jams that come in all sorts of different flavors. Some of them are not organic but another good organic choice is Crofter's jam. They use White Grape Juice for the sweeteners. They make a perfect sweet taste for the dressing.


For the salad, I used baby spinach, baby romaine, apple slices, craisins, feta, baby thin sliced cucumbers and some candied almonds.


For the candied nuts, you can make these "healthified" as well. 


You can use 1 T. butter and 1 T. honey sauteed with nuts until made into toffee. Or another choice is you can whip egg whites and add a little honey. Toss over nuts for a light coat and dehydrate. Soak nuts overnight first and dehydrate for even better nutrition. 


Eat Healthy. Pure and simple.

Arizona Gardners

This spring break, if nothing else happens, I will be pulling out the last of my cabbage and other leftover veggies to get ready for the mouthwatering summer garden. I am a little behind but still plenty of time to yield my favorite crops. If you also are ready for planting, here are a few things you can plant in Arizona this time of year:


Cantaloupe
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Okra
Onions
Spring Peas
Peppers
Chili
Potato
Radish
Squash
Tomatoes
Tomatillos
Watermelons
Green Beans

Everyone should try a garden. Especially tomatoes. There is nothing like the garden tomatoes. It is simple. You don't need much room. Your body will thank you. If you need more gardening info, check out my new "gardening" label at the end for all my past gardening posts. I am relabeling everything so it will be easier to find past post's.

And, if you are like me, you may have some leftover cabbage in the garden. Here is a coleslaw recipe that I like just plain and simple. There is sugar so my sugar free mama's may have to wait. If you want to go for the jazzier version of slaw, try my peanut slaw here.

Simple Slaw

1/2 C. Mayo (To make a healthy, homemade mayo, try Kara's here.)

1/3 sugar or sucanat whirled in blender
1/4 C. buttermilk
1/4 C. milk
2 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
8 cups finely chopped cabbage
1/4 C. shredded carrot
2 T. minced onion

Chop cabbage finely or shred. Combine mayo, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl and beat until smooth.

Add cabbage, carrots and onion. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

**Top Secret recipes.com

Peanutty Slaw and Hot Tortillas

Peanut slaw and hot tortillas really have nothing in common but two things I just think you should know about. First, let's address the hot tortillas. If you are a local and haven't checked out the new Pro's Ranch Market in Mesa (Southern & Stapley), then you are in for a treat. I stopped by one day and was thinking I was just in for the regular ranch market type seen. What I saw was a feast for my eyes as well as a feast for my hungry Mexican Food belly. It was beautiful inside and full of everything you could need. There were stations everywhere; tortilla factory, fresh meats of every cut, I mean EVERY cut; including a whole cow head (the kids loved that), huge produce section, fresh juicing station, fresh cheeses, yogurts and even a restraunt. The bakery is simply scrumptious with coconut donuts that are just perfect. I could go on and on but the only negative I can say is that they don't carry organic food. However, unlike the regular American grocery chains, their bakery's , juices and salsa only contain REAL food. NO preservatives and fillers. It was

refreshing. Real Sugar, Real Cream, Real fruit. So, my friends, grab the kiddos and check it out. Don't forget to pick up some hot tortillas, especially the corn tortillas. They are the kind that actually fold without breaking like Rubio's. Enough said.

Now onto the next topic: Peanutty Slaw. I had half green cabbage left , a large carrot and a handful of peanuts that I had to use up. I can't stand to let things go to waste so I concocted this little gem up with last nights dinner of BBQ chicken and corn. It was delicious. I ate half the bowl. Cabbage is so good for you and will soon be growing in your gardens (right?) . Here you go!

Peanutty Slaw

2 C. shredded green cabbage

1 C. shredded carrots

1/4 C. chopped craisins

1/4 C. minced onion

1/2 C. chopped roasted peanuts

Dressing:

2 T. natural creamy peanut butter (If you are still using Jif, please email me your address so I can stop over and kick you)

2 T. cider vinegar

1 T. orange juice

1/2 C. mayo

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1 T. sugar, agave or sucanat (more if desired)

Whisk peanut butter, vinegar and Orange juice until creamy. Add mayo, pepper and sugar. Pour over salad and chill.

Carribean Sweet Potato Salad.

I don't have a picture of this delightful fresh dish because I ate it at a dinner party this weekend, so imagine how pretty it is. I loved it so much that I even went home with the left overs. I love sweet potatoes, as long as they are not whipped with marshmallows. This was a great twist on the nutritional powerhouse; the sweet potato. Thanks to our great hosts - Taya and Mike Greenwald for sharing this with me. Yum!

Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad

2 Large sweet potatoes, baked until done but still slightly firm

1 can corn, drained or fresh or frozen , about a pound.

1/4 cup diced red onions

Dressing:

1/4 cup lime juice

3 T dijon mustard

3 T brown sugar

1 T finely minced garlic

1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Peel cooked sweet potato into 3/4 inch cubes. Add the corn and onion. Mix together the first 6 dressing ingredients. Toss dressing into vegetable mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, add cucumbers and peanuts.

* I am going to try this roasting the sweet potatoes in olive oil first in cubes. We will see what this does to the texture. Either way, delicious!

Sunday Dinner.....

My sister in law made this great lasagna one night we visited her in California. I made it this past week and just had to share. It fed us for a couple nights. I also made a little salad dressing with my homemade raspberry jam that I have included. My kids gobbled it up. Just in case you didn't have any plans for your Sunday dinner! Enjoy!

Lasagna

Sauce:

1 lb mild Italian sausage (jimmy dean)
½ c. Finley chopped onion
¼ c. olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 ½ quarts diced tomato
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp lawreys seasoning salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar

Other ingredients needed to make lasagna:

1 ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese
¾ lbs noodles
1 lb cottage cheese

Directions:

Saute onion in olive oil. Add sausage and cook until brown. Drain oil. Add the spices and sugar and blend well. Add tomato paste and tomato sauce. Fill each can with water and add to meat. Add diced tomato’s (including the water).

Simmer 1 hour uncovered (there have been times when I haven’t had time to simmer for an hour and it still tasted great)

Cook noodles, drain and rinse in cold water.

In a 9x13 pan cover bottom with some sauce. Place noodles side by side, top with ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup sauce and spread around, ½ cup mozzarella, ½ cup cottage cheese, ½ cup sauce. Repeat steps and end with a layer of noodles and put the remaining sauce and Parmesan cheese and garnish with mozzarella.

You can cover and chill for 2 hours or over night.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Yum. This is a runny lasagna! Mmmmm!

Raspberry Dressing:

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup sugar

2 T white wine vinegar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 T raspberry jam

I used baby greens and spinach, pears, strawberries, candied pecans, cucumbers, shredded carrots, feta and green onions.

I'm Strong To The Finich.....

Cause I eat me spinach....... Popeye knew nutrition! Spinach is one of the very top super foods and we should all take a lesson from the famous sailor of yesteryear. Spinach is full of Vitamin A, C, E, K, magnesium, folic acid, iron, calcium and several vital antioxidants. It is best to eat it fresh. As with any vegetable, cooking it will diminish many of the nutritional properties of the food. I use spinach in place of lettuce on most anything. It is always on our sandwiches, always in our smoothies, tossed in with eggs, cheese crisps , beans and salads. It has a very mild flavor and can easily be hidden in dishes. You can buy a big box of organic spinach at Costco for under $4.00. I cringe when I have to pay the same price for a little package at the grocery store. We go through it so fast.

Since many of you have been stock piling the strawberries that were on sale, I thought I would give you my favorite salad recipe; Strawberry and Spinach with raspberry vinaigrette. I love this salad and all of my children will down it. It tastes like a dessert as it should be, it definitely has a bit of sugar tossed in with it. But, as they say, a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down. Whatever gets the veggies down these little ones! I am sure most of you have a recipe like this one at home. If not, try it out. The dressing makes plenty to save for later. It will last several weeks in the fridge.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 Bunch spinach

1 head lettuce, romaine, butter, etc.

1 pt. strawberries

1 cup sugared nuts

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

1 cup canola oil or grapeseed oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp minced onions

1 T poppy seeds

Tear up lettuce and spinach into bite size pieces. Slice strawberries. Toss in sugared nuts and add feta if desired. For dressing, mix vinegar, sugar, salt and onions in mixer. On very slow speed, drizzle oil in very slowly until all incorporated. If you do this very slowly, the dressing will not separate. When done, stir in poppy seeds. Do not blend. Toss some in salad just until lightly coated.

BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

I love salads and my kids seem to accept them quite well lately so I have been trying out some new recipes. This one is from a new cookbook I bought from my fellow blogger Molly. It is so easy and so yummy. Try it out this weekend to get your greens in.

BBQ CHICKEN CHOP SALAD

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or about 6-8 chicken tenders

1 cup barbecue sauce

Marinate chicken in sauce, then bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Chop into pieces and refrigerate.

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped

1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped

3 to 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 jicama, peeled and diced ( I omitted this)

1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 Cup frozen sweet corn, thawed

1/2 pound monterey jack cheese, grated

Combine chicken in large bowl with salad ingredients and toss. Serve with Ranch dressing and additional BBQ sauce and crispy corn chips.

I served this with cute little corn muffins. It was a perfect meal, especially as it starts to warm up!

Have a great weekend and I will be back next week with some great topics! Don't miss it!

Salad Delish

I love salads and am getting quite bored with my regular repertoire of recipes. So, my enlightened

homemakers, I am making a plea for your favorite salad recipes. Anyone out there who has one

to share, email me with your recipe in word format as an attachment. In return, I will email you back all of the recipes that I get. Hopefully, all who participates will come out with a whole batch of salad

recipes. I tried a great one out the other night with a dressing recipe copied from Cafe Rio ( A very tasty mexican restaurant). Here is the dressing, also great for a chip dip. I tossed it with chopped lettuce, sweet corn, pulled pork, avocados and other shredded veggies. My kids loved it. goodman-7@cox.net

Cafe Rio Dressing

1 Buttermilk Ranch Dressing packet (Mix per instructions)

2 Tomatillos (Not tomatoes)

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno ( or about 3 -4 slices from a jar)

Put all in a blender or food processor until mixed. Chill.