moo shu beef / pork

one of my facebook friends posted this recipe. it's not my favorite health-wise, but i keep the ingedients on hand for the nights i need a super-quick meal. we all love the taste as well as the opportunity to use chopsticks!

1 lb. ground pork, beef, or turkey
1 package sliced mushrooms, optional
1 bag asian slaw mix
1/2 bag broccoli slaw mix
2-3 Tbsp. Bragg's liquid aminos

saute meat and optional mushrooms. when browned, add slaw. cook 2 minutes and add hoisin sauce; stir to coat.

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
- again, ground meat
- non-organic, packaged veggies



original recipe:
1 lb. ground pork, beef, turkey, or tofu
1 package sliced mushrooms, optional
1 bag asian slaw mix
1/2 bag broccoli slaw mix
4 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
saute meat and optional mushrooms. when browned, add slaw. cook 2 minutes and add hoisin sauce; stir to coat. serve in tortilla or over rice with extra hoisin sauce for dipping/drizzling. [i serve it alone.] ta da! 7 minutes or 15 if you make rice.

collard greens and bacon

I came across this on a local Weston A. Price list, just when I was at the end of my rope trying to think of easy ways to get dark green leafy vegetables into my family's diet. It calls for Swiss chard, but I use collards; I think Swiss chard is plenty palatable without all the fuss! I love it, because it tastes like corned beef and cabbage, which I try to avoid. All the taste, without the nitrites! (I just read somewhere that nitrates/nitrites are not to be feared; I will keep my ear to the track on that one.... Though Mark's Daily Apple seems to cover it -- still fear them.)

Cooked 4 slices nitrate/nitrite free bacon.
Add a clove of crushed garlic for a minute.
In a separate pan, heat 1-2 Tbsp. butter [I used olive oil] and add in a bunch of chopped up swiss chard / collard greens (minus the thick stems).
When that starts to wilt, add the bacon mix, fat and all, in with the chard. Put a lid on it for a few minutes.

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
- none

thanksgiving stuffing make-over!

my family's thanksgiving stuffing is the best ever, except that, of course, it is mostly bread, half of it white-flour. i made this variation this year: exactly the same ingredients, except substituting (soaked and) prepared quinoa for the bread and making only a quarter of the original recipe. (it was always way too much!) not sure how it would fare inside the bird, but it was great on the side. below is what i made this year; i think next time i will keep the quinoa at 4 cups and only halve the other ingredients (so twice what they are listed here).

3/8 c. butter
1/4 c. onion, chopped
~1/4 c. celery, diced
4 c. prepared quinoa
1 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. pepper
3/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 lb. sausage, cooked

Melt butter in skillet; add onion and celery and cook until translucent. Mix remaining ingredients together in large bowl; add onions and celery and mix well.

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
none, except i wish i could find sausage i'm confident doesn't contain chemicals, etc. what i buy at wegman's doesn't have nitrites, but the wording on the label leads me to believe there could be msg.

thanksgiving sweet potato make-over!

this was as yummy as the original, but with less health-sacrificing junk in it!

Add to mashed sweet potatoes:
1 tsp. vanilla
butter

Topping
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. arrowroot flour/starch
1/4 c. (?) maple syrup
1 stick butter

Blend & mix topping to crumbly texture. Add topping to sweet potatoes; bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

my adaptations (as shown in recipe): i omitted brown sugar from the sweet potatoes. i also substituted arrowroot flour/starch for white flour in the topping. the measurement for maple syrup is approximate. the topping might have been a little too goopy or not cooked long enough, because it didn't end up browned and crispy, but it was time to eat! and it was a hit.

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
- maple syrup is more sugar than a person needs, but it's more natural than brown sugar. i was happy to be serving this somewhat healthier version for our special occasion.

chicken soup

i make this about once a week with left-over chicken (i cook up 3-4 lbs. of boneless thighs with one of the many recipes in The Garden of Eating and use it throughout the week, in salads, in soups, with quinoa).

32 oz. chicken stock
32 oz. other liquid, such as water and left-over chicken "drippings"
1/2 c. rice, soaked 24-48 hours and drained
1/2 c. barley, soaked 24-48 hours and drained
2-3 carrots, chopped
1-2 ribs celery, chopped
3 leaves kale, rinsed, separated from stems, and chopped
1/4 c. dried seaweed
4 chicken thighs, cooked and chopped

Combine all ingredients in large stock pot. Bring to a boil; simmer about 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper (or Tabasco) individually to taste.

(the soup pictured above is with red kale -- it ends up green, but everything else is pink and purple! it's a hit here.)

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
- someday i will be making my own stock i nstead of buying it

quinoa vegetable soup

a dear person in our lives made this for us after our son's birth. here is her/my adaptation. it is delicious!

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 c. quinoa
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
30 oz. (or so) chicken broth
3 1/2 c. water
3 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 head savoy cabbage, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
some left-over chicken, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Stir in the quinoa, carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, until lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Pour in the chicken broth, water, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, and chicken. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the quinoa and vegetables are tender, 15 minutes or longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a touch of hot sauce if desired. Garnish with parsley before serving.

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
NONE!

salmon cakes

this recipe was a suggestion of our naturopathic doctor, Dr. Laura Sleggs. i like to serve this with baked sweet potatoes (just slap some scrubbed ones in a baking dish) or sweet potato fries (slice and coat with olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and nutmeg) and something green.

2 cans salmon
1 rib celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dill
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 c. oats
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. olive oil

combine all ingredients except oil, pat into cakes; cook in olive oil. yum!

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
- oatmeal, but i try to soak it in the egg for a few hours.

quick turkey chili

I keep the pre-measured spices in jars, so all I have to do is chop up an onion and throw it all together. The kids like the mild version, and then we adults spice it up individually. It’s based on a recipe I found online years ago; here is my adaptation.

1 lb. ground turkey

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. whole cumin seed

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. cilantro

1/4 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cayenne pepper [omit for mild chili]

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 c. onion, chopped

28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes

15 oz. kidney beans [I use navy beans now that we're on GAPS, and we love it!]

Brown turkey & onions. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and cover. Simmer a few minutes to a few hours. Garnish with shredded parmesan; stir in Tabasco / Frank's as needed.

This is one of our favorites, so lately [update April 2011] I've been making a double batch, onions and turkey in the frying pan and the rest in a big pot. Then I dump the meat and onions in the pot and let it simmer for as long as I can. (All day is great; it's usually only for as long as it takes me to throw a salad together!)

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one):
- Ground meat is processed. I could grind my own meat to get our meal closer to its source.
- Canned beans. Beans are easy to soak and cook! [Update April 2011: I've been in the fairly easy habit of soaking and cooking my own beans. I keep a couple cans on hand in case of emergencies (unannounced guests, forgetting, etc.), but my weekly routine includes thawing turkey and prepping beans. Hurray!]
- Canned tomatoes. i'm okay with canned tomatoes; i understand muir has an especially safe/healthy can lining.

raw apple pie

tastes great, with no refined sugar or other processed ingredients. see original link for variations; i haven't tried them yet.

Crust
1/4 c. pecans
1/4 c. walnuts
5 medjool dates, pitted

Mix in food processor; spread evenly in pie plate. Double this for a thick crust [my preference, for taste and ease of spreading].

Filling
3 large apples, chopped in processor
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. juice from a lemon

Spread mix over crust.

Topping
3/4 c. pecans, chopped

Spread pecans over pie. Let sit in fridge for 30 minutes or serve right away.

compromising health for sanity (how i can do better with this one): NONE! lots of natural sugar, but i say it's fine unless it's a daily treat