Roasted Walnuts Recipe (Vegan)

We like roasted, salted nuts for snacking on, like almonds and macadamias, however, I was unable to find roasted walnuts in any local store.  So I decided to make my own, using the technique I use for my Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe.  These walnuts are incredibly tasty - the perfect balance of savory and sweet - and they are great for snacking on.

Roasted Walnuts Recipe

2 cups of shelled walnuts (one 8 oz bag)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Add all of the ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and stir with a spoon until all of the walnuts are coated evenly.  Pour the nuts onto an ungreased, non-stick cookie sheet.  Put the nuts in the oven for 1 hour total roasting time, turning them every 15 minutes.  Use a spatula to turn them and lay them back out in a single layer before putting them back in the oven.  At the 1 hour mark, the nuts will be done.  Let them cool, store them in an airtight container in the pantry, and enjoy!

Toaster Pastry Recipe

These homemade toaster pastries (we call them "Toaster Pops" at home) are made with minimal wholesome ingredients, so you don't feel bad when your child wants one.  I've found that jam works better than jelly for the filling (it's less runny when heated).  These toaster pastries are flaky and delicious and are a good complement to any breakfast or afternoon snack.

Toaster Pastry Recipe

1/2 recipe of Flaky Pie Crust (I use 1 cup of just unbleached flour for it, not both types of flour)
Your favorite jam
Sugar in the Raw

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Make the pie crust recipe.  Lay a piece of wax paper on your work surface, put a chunk of the dough in the middle, and lay another large piece of wax paper over the top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a flat, thin piece.  Use a knife to cut out a long rectangle the width of a store-bought toaster pastry, but twice as long.  Spoon out some jam into the middle of one side of the rectangle.  Be sure to keep the jam about 1/4 inches away from the edges.  Fold the other half of the pastry over the jam side and use a fork to press the 4 edges together.  The dough should be enough to make 4 toaster pastries.

Lay the toaster pastries in a single layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.   Use a knife to cut a couple of slits in the tops of each pastry, and sprinkle Sugar in the Raw on them.  Bake them in the oven for 15 minutes.  Eat them right away, or let them cool completely before laying them in a single layer in a large Ziplock freezer bag.  When you want to have one, take it out of the freezer, microwave it for 20 seconds on High, then put it in the toaster.  I use two knives (one on either side of the pastry) like tongs to remove it from the toaster when done since they are so flaky.

Baked Empanadas Recipe

 I love simple, hand-held meals like pasties and taquitos, so it made sense for me to come up with an empanada recipe for my family. The ground beef seasoned with my taco seasoning (linked below) is the perfect empanada filling, along with hard-boiled egg and black olives.  Also, these empanadas are baked, not fried. When baked, the dough is chewy and crispy, so it is almost as if they are fried. They go great with guacamole, or sour cream if you eat dairy.

Baked Empanadas Recipe

For the empanada dough:

1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water
Olive oil to brush over tops of empanadas before baking

Mix together dry ingredients with a fork. Add the oil and cut it in with the fork until the mixture resembles course meal. Add the water and mix thoroughly, just until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and cover with plastic wrap until ready to make empanadas.

For the empanada filling:

1 lb extra lean ground beef
Taco Seasoning Recipe
3 hard-boiled eggs
12 medium black olives (whole)

Cook the ground beef per the instructions in the Taco Seasoning Recipe.  While you are browning the ground beef, hard boil 3 eggs in a small pot, and when they are done, peel  them and cut them each in half.

To make the empanadas:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly dust your working surface with flour. Take a piece of the dough, roll it into a ball in your hand, lightly dust it with flour, and use a rolling pin to roll it to a thin 6 inch circle. Put 1/3 cup of meat filling, a hard-boiled egg half, and two whole black olives (arranged how you want them) onto one end of the circle, not too close to the edge.  Fold the dough over, press the two edges together to close the empanada, and fold the edge up and over and press again to make a lip. Press a fork along the lip edge to secure the seal. Put the empanada on the cookie sheet and use a knife to cut a few slits in the top of it. When all of the empanadas are on the cookie sheet, brush them lightly with olive oil before putting them in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 6 empanadas.

Oven-Roasted Pork Loin Recipe

Not very long ago I started roasting pork loin.  This is one of Sam's favorite main courses.  Searing the pork loin first before putting it in the oven, and topping it with brown sugar, gives the pork a nice crust that is so flavorful.  The pan broth is a great accompaniment to the pork.  Also, roasting the pork loin at a higher temperature, like I do whole chicken, really seals in the juices.  The result is fantastic.  This pork goes really well served with Maple Baked Squash and Apples (pictured above).

Oven Roasted Pork Loin Recipe

2+ lb boneless pork loin top loin roast
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the olive oil in a large pot over High heat.  Swirl the pot so the oil covers the pot evenly.  Salt and pepper the fat side of the pork loin and set it in the hot pot, seasoned-side down.  Let it sear for 4 minutes, then flip it to the other side for 4 more minutes.  When done searing, place the pork loin, fat side up, in a rectangular baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine the brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and spread it evenly over the top of the pork loin.  Put it in the oven uncovered for 25 minutes per pound (for example, a 2.4 lb pork loin would roast for 60 minutes).  When the time is up, move the pork loin onto a cutting board to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing, covered with a piece of aluminum foil.  While the pork loin is resting, pour the pan juices into a small pot and add a cup of water and 1/4 tsp salt.  Stir it and heat it to a boil.  Pour it in the bottom of your serving tray, then set the sliced pork over it.   A 2 pound pork loin serves 4 to 6 people as a main course. 

Egg-free Tuna Fish Cakes Recipe (Gluten-free)

Richard and I love my Fantastic Shrimp Cakes Recipe, however, Sam doesn't. She's 8 years old and much more prefers my Tuna Fish Cakes. So on the nights I make shrimp cakes, Sam gets tuna instead. These tuna cakes are super easy to make using a few basic ingredients from your pantry. Sam has been eating these cakes off-and-on for years and it's the only way I can get her to eat tuna. It's a great kid recipe, and served with a green vegetable, it's a complete meal. The picture above shows the tuna cakes served with my Best Brussels Sprouts recipe on the side.

Tuna Fish Cakes Recipe

2/3 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1 can tuna packed in water
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal or Rice Chex cereal (divided)
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

First, make the mashed potatoes. In a small pot over High heat, add the water, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and salt. When boiling, add the potato flakes and mix it until you have firm mashed potatoes.

Put the mashed potatoes in a medium-size mixing bowl. Open a can of tuna and drain the water. Add the tuna to the bowl. Use a coffee grinder to grind the cereal into fine crumbs. Add 2 tbsp of the rice crumbs to the bowl and put the rest of the rice crumbs on a small plate. Mix the potatoes, tuna, and rice crumbs until well-combined. Divide the tuna cakes mixture into 4 pieces. Take each piece and roll them into balls in the palm of your hand, then flatten them into 1/2" thick patties. Gently press each side of each patty onto the rice crumbs on the plate to coat each side. Lightly salt and pepper each patty. You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them for frying later.

In a medium skillet, add the cooking oil and heat the skillet to High heat. Wait for the oil to get hot enough to sizzle when you drop a small crumb in it. When a crumb sizzles, you can set the patties in. Let them fry for about 3 minutes per side until both sides are golden brown. When done, set them on a paper towel and blot off any excess oil. Makes 4 tuna cakes. Serves 1-2 people as a main course.

Taco Seasoning Recipe

I've been wanting to make my own taco seasoning for a very long time. I've recently gained confidence mixing spices, and decided to tackle taco seasoning once and for all. The blend I've come up with is amazing. It's not spicy, just a great blend of Mexican flavors, and is perfect for ground beef. Use the seasoned ground beef for tacos, quesadilas, taquitos, burritos, and more. Your family will love it!

Taco Seasoning Recipe

2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 tbsp water

Mix the spices together in a small bowl until well combined. Heat a skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to High heat and add your ground beef. When the ground beef is browned, drain off any fat, then sprinkle the entire bowl of seasoning evenly over the beef, add the water, and mix together. Enjoy!

Originally posted: 10/28/2011 11:11 AM. Reverted to draft 8/25/2013 9:47 PM PST.

Sunflower Butter Crispy Bars Recipe (Vegan)

Sam is sensitive to corn, so I can't make Rice Krispie Bars for her since the marshmallows are made from corn syrup. I've wondered how to get around this for a long time (years, actually) and recently I figured it out. I decided to try using agave sweetened Sunflower Seed Butter as the binder for the Rice Krispies. Sure enough, it worked! The bars set firm in the fridge, and when I cut them and take them out of the pan, they leave behind just a few crumbles. They are really good! And perfect for a child with a corn sensitivity or allergy.

Sunflower Butter Crispy Bars Recipe

1/3 cup Sunflower Seed Butter (MaraNatha brand - it's not sweetened)
1/4 cup light agave nectar
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

In a medium pot over Medium Low heat, add the sunflower seed butter and agave nectar and stir it constantly, mixing thoroughly, for about 2 minutes (don't let it burn or boil). Turn off the heat and add the Rice Krispies cereal, gently mixing it all together. Pour it into an 8x8 square baking pan and use a spatula to press the mixture evenly into the pan. Put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set before cutting and serving. Store bars in the refrigerator or freezer (they freeze well).

Roasted Baby Red Potatoes Recipe (Vegan)

We have potatoes (sweet, russet, yams, red, etc.) with our suppers once a week or so. We especially like roasted baby red potatoes. These potatoes are sweet and flavorful and are a great side dish for almost any meal.

Roasted Baby Red Potatoes Recipe

10 baby red potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, do not peel. Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the potatoes in half (cut the really big ones in quarters) and put them cut side up in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 1 hour total roasting time. At the 50 minute mark, uncover the potatoes for the last 10 minutes. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a side dish.

Crunchy Rice Bars Recipe (Vegan)

With Sam's food sensitivities, it is impossible for me to find a packaged cereal bar to purchase. The two main problems are oats and/or evaporated cane juice present in almost all of the bars I've seen. So I decided to make my own cereal bars for Sam. I wanted something crunchy like a granola bar, using crunchy rice cereal as the base. I also didn't want it too sweet. The recipe I came up with is exactly what I've been looking for all of these years. The best part is that Sam loves them!

Crunchy Rice Bars Recipe

1-1/2 cups of Enjoy Life Foods Perky's Crunchy Rice Cereal
2 tbsp honey or agave nectar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Generously spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat the honey, sugar, water, oil, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan over Medium Low heat until the sugar melts and it starts to boil.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the rice cereal, and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet and use a spatula to spread it out into a rectangular shape. Use the spatula to press the cereal together so there aren't any gaps. The end result should be a thin rectangle without any gaps between the cereal. Bake it for 30 minutes.

When it is done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and invert it onto a cutting board lined with wax paper. If the cereal bar doesn't come off in one piece, that's OK, just use your spatula to scrape off all of the cereal from the cookie sheet onto the wax paper, then repress the cereal into a rectangular shape before it cools off. While it is still warm, cut it into squares or small rectangles with a knife. As it cools it will become more and more crunchy, so you will not get perfect shapes (it will break apart like peanut brittle).

You can store the Crunchy Rice Bars in an airtight container, or you can freeze them (they freeze really well!). To freeze them, lay out the Crunchy Rice Bars in a single layer on a piece of wax paper that would fit in a large freezer bag (or tupperware container). If you have more than will fit on one sheet, put another piece of wax paper over it and start another layer. Cover the top layer with a piece of wax paper, then slide it in the freezer bag, seal it, and lay it in your freezer so that the pieces don't overlap. The Crunchy Rice Bars don't lose their crunch being frozen, and can be eaten right out of the freezer without thawing.

Holiday Beef Brisket Recipe

For the last couple of years I've been making a crock-pot beef brisket recipe I found online for Christmas supper. It uses Good Seasons dressing mix, Au Jus mix, and canned beef broth, and it is very, very good (we love it). The problem is with my onion, garlic and tomato sensitivities, I usually get a rash after eating it, and I can't eat any of the leftovers. This year I decided enough is enough -- I was going to come up with a beef brisket recipe I can eat any time of the year and enjoy without any ill-effects. I slow roasted the brisket in the oven this time, with a sugar, salt, and pepper crust, and it turned out fantastic. The meat is so tender it just falls apart, and it is super flavorful with a nice crust on top. I also can't say enough good things about the gravy. It is perfect! This is our new holiday supper main dish going forward, and I can't wait to eat the leftovers in tacos next week!

Holiday Beef Brisket Recipe

4-6 lb beef brisket
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar

2 cups water
2 heaping tbsp unbleached flour (or any thickener you like)

Preheat oven to 335 degrees. Spray a 9x12 rectangular baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the brisket in the pan fat-side up (you can trim any excess fat from the bottom of the brisket if you want). In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, and sugar until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the brisket and rub it in with your fingers to really coat the brisket. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast it in the oven for 4-5 hours. When the time is up, remove it from the baking pan onto a cutting board, using a spatula to support it during the transfer, and cover it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

While the brisket is resting, pour all of the pan juices into a medium sauce pan over High heat. Mix the flour together with the 2 cups of water, using a small whisk to mix in the flour completely so there are no lumps, and add it to the sauce pan, stirring frequently. Heat the gravy to a boil, add salt if needed, then reduce the heat to a simmer until the meat is done resting.

Slice the brisket against the grain and move it to your serving dish. Lay it out nicely like it was sliced (it will fall apart if not careful), using a spatula to help move it. Pour the gravy over the brisket. Serves 4-6 as a main course.

Baked Salmon with Apricot Glaze Recipe

We love baked salmon. I came up with this recipe because I wanted a slightly sweet glaze over the salmon, but wanted to stay away from soy sauce and teriyaki-type glazes. Apricot jam fits the bill perfectly and gives this moist salmon a really nice, not-too-sweet flavor, that compliments the fish perfectly. We love this salmon!

Baked Salmon with Apricot Glaze Recipe

1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb fresh Salmon fillet with skin on
1/4 cup Smuckers Simply Fruit Apricot Spreadable Fruit jam
1 tbsp water
Salt and pepper

Spray a 9x12 baking pan, or a cookie sheet, with non-stick cooking spray and lay the salmon fillet on it. In a small bowl, combine the apricot jam with the water and mix it thoroughly. Use a pastry brush to spread the apricot glaze evenly over the salmon. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more before baking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take the salmon out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature while the oven is heating up. When the oven is ready, remove the plastic wrap, salt and pepper the salmon to taste, and bake the salmon, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Serves 4-6 people.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe (Vegan)

I grew up eating my Mom's roasted pumpkin seeds every Fall after we carved our pumpkins. Her recipe was from our neighbor, Mrs. Hallam. It has Worcestershire sauce and butter in it, so I can't make these seeds for my family. I created this recipe so Sam could enjoy roasted pumpkin seeds every Fall, too. We just carved our pumpkins for Halloween yesterday, so we are all currently munching on roasted pumpkin seeds at the moment.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

3 cups of clean, dry, raw, fresh pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt

Carve your Halloween pumpkins and separate out the pulp from the seeds. Rinse off the seeds to get all of the pulp off of them and lay them out in a single layer on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet or two to dry out over night, or for a few days if need be. When the seeds are dry, you can roast them.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Measure out 3 cups of dry seeds. Add them to a mixing bowl along with the vegetable oil and the salt. Use a spoon to mix it all together.

Pour out the pumpkin seeds and lay them out in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet or sheets. Roast them for 1 hour total roasting time, taking them out every 15 minutes and using a spatula to turn all of the seeds and lay them out again in a single layer. At the 1 hour mark, your seeds will be darkened and crispy. Let them cool, store them in an air-tight container, and enjoy!

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For those of you who can do Worcestershire sauce and butter, here is Mrs. Hallam's original pumpkin seed recipe:

2 cups of clean, dry, raw, fresh pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

(for 3 cups of seeds, use 2 1/4 tbsp melted butter, 1 3/4 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce)

Follow the roasting instructions above, and enjoy!  These are truly decadent.

Egg-free Mini Meatballs Recipe

These eggless, mini, bite-sized, meatballs are a perfect addition to any pasta sauce or soup. They are so tasty, they can even be served alone, hot off the skillet, with toothpicks at a party. They are great for anyone with an egg sensitivity.

Egg-Free Mini Meatballs Recipe

3/4 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup Rice Chex cereal
1/2 cup Wheat Chex cereal
1 tsp dried crushed basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Use a coffee grinder or food processor to grind the cereal into a fine meal (recipe will make 1/3 cup total cereal meal). Put the cereal in a medium size mixing bowl. Add the basil, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix everything thoroughly. Now is a good time to remove your rings. Put the ground beef into the bowl and use your hands to mix it all together.

Take a small amount of meat in your hand and roll it into a 1/2" to 1", bite-sized, ball. Keep setting the meatballs aside until you have formed all of them. Heat a large skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to Medium-High heat and add all of the meatballs in a single layer. When the bottoms are browned, use a spatula to turn the meatballs and brown the other sides. Continue turning the meatballs until all sides are browned. Makes about 50 mini meatballs.

The Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Vegan)

Sam loves the idea of Brussels sprouts, and I finally came up with a way to cook them that she loves as well (we all do). When I first started cooking them, I cooked them the way I cook broccoli -- 1/4 inch of water in a cast iron skillet, add the broccoli, boil off the water turning the vegetables as they cook, then saute them with olive oil and salt and pepper. She loved peeling the outer leaves off the Brussels sprouts like string cheese. The outer leaves had a wonderful sauteed flavor with the olive oil and salt and pepper. She never liked the insides of the Brussels sprouts though, and truthfully, neither did I nor my husband. So I decided to do something about it. Sam doesn't get to peel the Brussels sprouts anymore with this recipe, but I do let her pick up the leaves and eat them with her fingers. The following recipe is our favorite way to eat Brussels sprouts now.

The Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe

6 Brussels sprouts
Water
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

To prepare the Brussels sprouts, wash and dry them. Take a Brussels sprout and cut off the stem up to the base of the leaves. Next peel each leaf off, cutting more off along the stem base as you go, until the leaves are too small and you can't pull them off anymore and are left with the core. Do this for each Brussels sprout; keep the leaves and discard the cores.


Put 1/4" of water in a medium skillet (I use a medium-sized cast iron pan). Add the Brussels sprout leaves and heat the water to boiling over High heat. Use metal tongs to turn the leaves every few minutes or so while the water is boiling off. It will take about 10-15 minutes for the water to boil off, leaving just the cooked Brussels sprout leaves. Turn the heat down to Medium Low and drizzle a little olive oil over the Brussels sprout leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Saute the Brussels sprout leaves for a few minutes until they start to brown. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a vegetable side dish.

Ground Beef and Mushroom Rotini Pasta Recipe

Recently, I wanted to make a "Hamburger Helper"-type dish for my family. We love mushrooms and beef together, so this recipe came about by putting our favorite things together into one dish. When served with a green vegetable on the side this is a delicious, complete meal.

Ground Beef and Mushroom Rotini Pasta Recipe

3/4 lb extra lean ground beef
1 package of whole mushrooms (8 oz.)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Shredded parmesan cheese (fresh)
2 cups brown rice rotini pasta (I use Mrs. Leepers Rice Vegetable Twist pasta)
1/4 cup of minced fresh chives (optional)

Wash, dry and slice the mushrooms. Wash, dry and mince a small handful of fresh chives.

Start a pot of water on High heat to boil for the rotini. When boiling, add the rotini and a dash of salt, and follow the package's cooking instructions.

Heat a large skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, to High heat. Add the mushrooms, drizzle a little olive oil over them, salt and pepper to taste, and cook them until the mushrooms are browned. When browned, move the mushrooms to a covered dish and set aside until the ground beef is done.

In the same skillet, on High heat, add the ground beef. Break the beef into medium pieces, salt and pepper to taste, and brown the ground beef. Drain off any fat. When the ground beef is browned and fully cooked, add the mushrooms back to the pan with the beef, mixing thoroughly. Turn the heat down to low. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the mushrooms and beef. Mix everything until well combined.

Plate up the ground beef and mushroom pasta and top it with shredded parmesan cheese and minced chives. Serve with a green vegetable on the side. Serves 2 adults (and one small child).

Individual Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

I love homemade chicken soup and I love pie crust, so I came up with a chicken pot pie recipe for my family. I created a simple chicken soup recipe that when thickened, makes a great filling for the pie. Years ago I found this Flaky Pie Crust recipe on Vegan Pantry's website and I use it exclusively for all of my pot pies and fruit pies. This recipe takes about 2 hours from beginning to end (1 hour prep, 1 hour baking), but believe me, it's worth it. We absolutely love chicken pot pie night at our house.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

1 large carrot or 2 medium carrots
1/4 head of a small green cabbage

2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper
3-1/2 cups water
3 bay leaves
2 tsp of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base(Kosher if you can find it)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup frozen peas (optional)
2 heaping tbsp unbleached flour whisked with 1/3 cup water for slurry

1/2 recipe of Flaky Pie Crust (I use 1 cup of just unbleached flour for it, not both types of flour)

4 Pyrex Original 10-oz. Custard Cups

To prepare the vegetables and the chicken breasts:

Wash and dry all of the vegetables. Peel and slice or dice the carrots. Slice the small chunk of cabbage into strips and chop it into small 1 inch pieces. Cut the chicken breasts in half so they fit in your pot easier.

To make the pot pie filling:

In a large pot over High heat, add the olive oil, cabbage and carrots. Pepper to taste. Saute the vegetables for about 10 minutes to get them slightly browned. Add the water, Better than Bouillon, and bay leaves. When boiling, add the chicken breasts. Get the soup back to a boil, turn the heat down to Low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer the chicken breasts for 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized cubes. Return the cubed chicken to the pot. (Add the frozen peas [optional].) In a small bowl combine the flour and water to make a slurry, using a small whisk to get all of the lumps out, and mix it in the soup. Raise the heat to Medium High and let the soup simmer for a few more minutes to thicken up, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat when done and remove the bay leaves.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the pie crust:

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Lightly flour your work-space. Roll each piece into a ball and then use a rolling pin to roll the crust into a circle large enough to overlap the tops of the custard cups and cover the pies.

To make the pot pies:

Spray the custard cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each with pot pie filling to within 1/2 inch from the top. Lay the pie crust round on top of the filling, flip over the edges, and press the dough to the sides of the custard cup to seal the crust. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie. Place the pies on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven for 1 hour. Makes 4 individual chicken pot pies with left-over filling.

With the left-over filling, you can eat it by itself as a soup another time, or just re-heat it and serve it with the pot pies on the side for those who want more filling while they're eating their pies. When I make pot pies, I make 3 pot pies, and serve the left-over filling on the side.

Mac and Goat Cheese Recipe (Vegetarian)

We eat macaroni and cheese very rarely due to Sam's food sensitivities. When we do, I use rice macaroni and goat cheese for the focal point of the recipe. We absolutely *love* this dish. This is how I make it.

Mac and Goat Cheese Recipe

1-1/2 cups dry macaroni (I use brown rice macaroni)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup Chavrie goat cheese (a silky soft, spreadable goat cheese)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (fresh)
Salt and pepper to taste

Start a medium pot of water on High heat to boil for the macaroni. When boiling, add the macaroni and a dash of salt, and follow the package's cooking instructions. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it back to the medium pot for cooking the macaroni and goat cheese.

In the medium pot that the cooked macaroni is in, over low heat, add the tbsp of olive oil, the Chevre goat cheeese, and the parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir with a spoon for 1 or 2 minutes over low heat until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the pasta. Serves 4 as a side dish.

Acorn Squash Boats with Brown Sugar (Vegan)

This is my version of the acorn squash boats my Mom used to make when I was growing up. She used margarine or butter with the brown sugar, and I always made sure I got the one with the most sugar. This was my favorite vegetable side dish as a kid. Since we don't use butter or margarine at my house, my version of the squash boats have olive oil and salt instead. We love this side dish, especially Sam. As Sam gets older, she's eating more of the squash with the brown sugar, which is nice.

Acorn Squash Boats with Brown Sugar Recipe

Acorn squash - however many you want to make
1 tbsp olive oil per squash half
Salt
1 heaping tbsp brown sugar per squash half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of a rectangular 9x12 pan. Cut the squash in half from the stem to the bottom. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle of the squash halves. Place them in the pan shell side up, and the flat parts on the bottom. Cover the pan with a large piece of aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

After removing the pan from the oven, be very careful taking the aluminum foil off as a bunch of hot steam will be released from the pan. Drain out the water and use a fork to help you turn the squash halves right side up (they will be very hot). Put 1 tbsp olive oil and a dash of salt in each half. Follow the olive oil and salt with 1 heaping tbsp of brown sugar in each half. Place the uncovered pan back in the oven for 5 more minutes. When done, use a spoon to gently mix the brown sugar and olive oil together in the squash half, and serve the squash with a spoon to eat it with. Serve one squash half per person. When you eat it, be sure to spread the sugar around to have some with each bite of squash.

Baked Sweet Potato/Yam Fries Recipe (Vegan)

I stopped buying packaged french fries years ago because of Sam's hydrogenated soybean oil sensitivity. We love roasted sweet potatoes and yams, so to do something different, I started making fries, baking them instead of frying them. The nice thing is you don't need ketchup with these fries. They are flavorful enough to eat by themselves, and are a great finger-food to eat with tacos, fried fish, or hamburgers. The picture above are yam fries (sweet potato fries are not orange).

Baked Sweet Potato/Yam Fries Recipe

1 large sweet potato or yam (or 2 small)
Non-stick cooking spray
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Peel the skin off of the sweet potato/yam. Cut it into steak fry-sized strips, not too wide or thick. Place the strips on the cookie sheet side-by-side, not overlapping, with space in between them like this (this is one large yam):


When all of the strips are layed out on the cookie sheet, spray them with cooking spray, and then salt and pepper them to taste. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Fries will be slightly carmelized when done. Serves 2 adults (and one small child) as a side dish.

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe (Vegan)

Roasted cauliflower, a/k/a "cauliflower popcorn," is not an original idea of mine. I first discovered it at RecipeZaar here. And Julesong based hers on a recipe she found in a book. I made a couple of revisions to her recipe (less salt, more oil) and my family loves this dish. We eat it once a week or so. It's very kid friendly in that you can pick it up and eat it like popcorn, and it gets carmelized in the oven so it becomes sweet and crunchy. Here is how I make it:

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

1 medium to large head of cauliflower
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry a head of cauliflower. Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces. I usually will take a large floret and quarter it, a smaller floret and halve it, or the little ones I leave whole. Put all of the cut cauliflower into a medium sized mixing bowl.


When it is all cut up, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt over it, and add a tablespoon of olive oil over each corner and one in the middle (5 total). Gently mix until all of the oil and salt is equally distributed over the cauliflower.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and pour the cauliflower onto the cookie sheet. Spread out the cauliflower over the entire sheet. Put it in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and use a spatula to turn all of the cauliflower pieces. Do this every 15 minutes for 1 hour total roasting time. The cauliflower will be browned and slightly crunchy when done. Serves 4 as a side dish.