Penne a la Vodka II

Last night I made this dish for dinner (will upload the picture tomorrow). I made some modifications to the recipe which I will note below:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1 pint heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in olive oil until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up a bit with fork. Stir in basil, salt and pepper and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in vodka and cook 15 minutes more.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. Stir cream into sauce and cook 10 minutes more. Toss with hot pasta.

Outcome: This was AWESOME!! I used Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes instead of the whole tomatoes, I used Vanilla Vodka (that's all I had), I added asparagus, red pepper flakes and I didn't have fresh basil so I used Cilantro. I added the pasta to the sauce during the last 10 minutes or so and it really is a fantastic dish. I'll be making this one more often :)

Some Raw Food Recipes I'd Like to Try

Zucchini Surprise

• 3 shredded zucchini
• 2 red apples cut in small pieces
• 1 avocado cut in small slices
• cumin to taste
• Braggs to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Still have yet to try this one.
------------------------------------------------------

Raw Spaghetti
Compliments of Rick Dina, D.C.

2 medium green zuccini, as thick (fat) and straight as possible.
“Spiralize” in “Saladacco (Spiral Slicer)”, or similar machine. Shredded zuccini can work also, but the authentic “pasta effect” is not as notable. Arrange on plate similar to pasta.

Pasta Sauce

• 10-12 “sundried” tomatoes, allow to soak for several minutes in warm water to soften.
• 1 large fresh tomato
• 1 large red pepper
• 1-2 stalks of celery
• 1 clove garlic(4-5 fresh basil leaves)

Blend all of the sauce ingredients in a blender or Food Processor. Add the soaked sundried tomatoes last, a few at a time.

Pour nicely over the zucchini “pasta”. Some fresh curly parsley sprinkled over the top adds a nice touch!

Result: this was good...but not something I'd want to eat a whole plate of.  It'd be a nice addition to something else.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crunchy Taco
by Leslie Oakes

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 lg. onion
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked and chopped
• 2-3 chopped jalapenos
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• romaine or leaf lettuce

Cut the avocado into chunks, and pour lemon juice over it. Chop onion in food processor, then add the rest of the ingredients and process untill smooth and creamy.
Spoon some of the mixture into a lettuce leaf and wrap around mixture. I promise, this tastes like a taco!
You can add more or less of the jalapenos if you wish, the dish is quite spicy, but VERY good!

Result: We've made this several times now...EXCELLENT! Even the kids like it!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vegetable Kebabs

4 mushrooms
1 zucchini
1/2 cauliflower
1 red bell pepper
2 carrots
1 onion
2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C Braggs
2 C water
1/2 t cayenne
1 t basil
1 t oregano

Clean and cut first six vegetables into chunks.
Blend remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables in bowl.
Marinate overnight in refrigerator. Put onto wooden skewers and dehydrate for 24 hours at 105 degrees.

This weeks menu:

Monday - Veggie Fajitas
Tuesday - Spaghetti and left over veggies
Wednesday - Grilled Salmon (homemade gourmet)
Thursday - Russ and Becky out to dinner with LCRA
Friday - Jarod's soccer party - need to take something healthy
Saturday - Veggie Pizzas

Asparagus Cashew Rice Pilaf

Yesterday was our 15 year wedding anniversary so I made the kids dinner and we went to the Oasis for dinner and had veggie fajitas! They LOVE asparagus so I thought this would be a perfect meal for them. It was a little bland...I think next time I'll had red peppers and maybe more garlic. I reduced the butter to 2 tablespoons, increased the broth to 3 cups and left out the cashews.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 2 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken
  
• 1/4 cup minced onion
  
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  
• 1 1/4 cups uncooked jasmine rice
  
• 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
  
• 1/2 cup cashew halves
  

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Increase heat to medium, and stir in spaghetti, cooking until coated with the melted butter and lightly browned.
2. Stir onion and garlic into the saucepan, and cook about 2 minutes, until tender. Stir in jasmine rice, and cook about 5 minutes. Pour in vegetable broth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
3. Place asparagus in a separate medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender but firm.
4. Mix asparagus and cashew halves into the rice mixture, and serve warm.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

On Wednesday night I fixed Sweet Potato Enchiladas for dinner!!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 sweet potatoes
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  
• 4 green onions, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 12 (7 inch) flour tortillas
  
• 1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat, and boil the sweet potatoes until tender, about 30 minutes. Cool and peel the sweet potatoes. (I peeled them prior to boiling).
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl, and mash them with the cream cheese, green onions, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper until well mixed.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and grease a 13x9 inch baking dish.
4. Place about 1/3 cup of sweet potato filling down the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place filled tortillas seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas, and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. (Oppps! Just realized I forgot the cheese!)
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the enchiladas are bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown.

Result: These were YUMMY! Didn't even miss the meat, as usual :)

Zucchini Pie

Tuesday, May 19, I made Zucchini Pie for dinner.  I feel the need to share this story. lol  I NEVER look at deserts, only "Main Dishes" when searching for my recipes. Well, I started putting this Zucchini Pie together and slowly started to realize that this was a desert!! We ended up ordering a veggie pizza and a new pasta bowl from Dominos and having this for desert. I forgot to take a picture before we started eating it so here's what was left:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups zucchini - peeled, seeded and sliced
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon butter, diced
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions:

1. Boil zucchini until tender. Drain and let stand in cold water for about 5 minutes, then drain.
2. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg. Mix well. Put into the pie crust. Dot with butter. Put top crust on.
3. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes.
   

I will modify it by adding 6 cups zucchini and doing a streusel topping instead of a second pie crust. The streusel topping is 1/2 c. butter, 3/4 c. four, 3/4 c. rolled oats, 1/2 c. br. sugar and 1 tbls cinnamon. Mix until crumbly.

Result: THIS IS AWESOME! Tastes JUST like apple pie! Maybe even better!!  I will be making this one again soon!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

HOLY COW! This tasted JUST like super moist brownies!!! I didn't have any solid chocolate so I substituted 3 tablespoons of cocoa but it was SUPER yummy!!

Ingredients:
* 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups grated zucchini
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.

* In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the flour baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

* Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.

Mostaccioli with Spinach and Feta Cheese

This is what I made for dinner tonight - 5/18/09. AWESOME!

Ingredients:

* 8 ounces penne pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 cups chopped tomatoes
* 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 8 ounces tomato basil feta cheese
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large pot. Add tomatoes, spinach, and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and mixture is thoroughly heated. Add pasta and cheese; cook 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Result: This is one of the best recipes yet. I LOVED it!! I changed it up just a bit...used 6 cloves of garlic, used a can of Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes and one fresh tomato, and threw in an onion from our garden. Totally delish!!

A Note from Jay Kordich

I had emailed Jay Kordich regarding a juice that would help someone with high blood pressure. Here is his response:

Hi Becky, three things: 1. deep relaxation 15 minutes per day (there are some great tapes out there for this) 2. make sure to drink enough purified water everyday to keep the kidneys flushed as kidney troubles lead to high blood pressure. 3. here's a good hypertension drink: 12 carrots to 1 clove garlic (unpeeled is ok) to 1/2 cup dandelion greens, 1/2 cup spinach and 1/2 cup parsley. You can add an apple in if you need to lighten it up a big. You can take up to two quarts daily! Start with one quart and see how that goes. It should be enough.

Chana Saag Aloo

Dinner Monday, May 11, 2009

So I made the Chana Saag Aloo that I posted about last week. It was really good!! I cut the Cayenne Pepper in 1/2 and the kids still thought it was too spicy, but Russ and I thought it was a great, protein packed, meal. I've never cooked with Coconut Milk, Chickpeas, fresh spinach or Jasmine rice before so it was all new to us! If I can do it, anyone can do it :)

The Million Dollar Question - "Where Do You Get Your Protein??"

Every time I tell someone that I've recently become a vegetarian, their very first question is, "where are you getting your protein from?" I try to explain that protein occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, breads, tofu and beans but it just doesn't seem to satisfy the person asking the question. Why have we been taught that the ONLY source of protein is from meat? It just isn't so. Here's a portion of a FAQ I found that answers this question much better than I ever could:

Is it possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet?
Absolutely, it’s actually difficult to become protein deficient unless you quit eating all together. Just about all unrefined foods contain significant amounts of protein. Potatoes are 11% protein, oranges 8%, beans 26%, and tofu 34%. In fact, people have been known to grow at astounding rates (doubling their body size in only six months) on a diet of only 5% protein. These people are infants and they do it during the first 6 months of life, fueled by breast milk, which contains just 5% protein.

How much protein do I need, anyway?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (R.D.A.) for protein is 0.8 grams a day per kilogram of bodyweight. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms.) Athletes may require more protein, but the amount is small (1.0 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight), an amount easily obtainable from a vegetarian diet.

Excess protein consumption can cause a variety of problems including bone mineral loss, kidney damage, and dehydration. Your body can only use so much protein, the excess is either broken down through oxidization, placing an enormous strain on the kidneys, or it is stored as body fat. Neither option is particularly desirable.

What’s the difference between complete and incomplete proteins?

Animal protein contains all nine of the essential amino acids, so it has been referred to as a "complete" protein. The nine essential amino acids can also be found in plant proteins, however no single plant source contains all nine of them. Therefore, plant protein has been referred to as "incomplete." It was once widely believed that vegetarians had to carefully combine plant protein sources in each meal in order to obtain all nine essential amino acids. However, scientific studies have shown that the human body can store essential amino acids and combine them as necessary. So, while combining beans and rice, or peanut butter and bread produces a complete protein, it’s not necessary to consciously do this at every meal. If you eat a varied diet and adequate calories, combining proteins is not an issue.

Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS 

•    1 bunch spinach, rinsed
  
• *  10 large strawberries, sliced
• *  1/2 cup white sugar
• *  1 teaspoon salt
• *  1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• *  1 cup vegetable oil
• *  1 tablespoon poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS

• 1.  In a large bowl, mix the spinach and strawberries.
  

• 2.  In a blender, place the sugar, salt, vinegar, and oil, and blend until smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds. Pour over  the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.

This has become my new favorite, healthy lunch! I've made it about 4 times this week! I make the dressing in a glass jar, shake to mix, and leave it in the fridge for next time. Yummy!!

Russell's Blood Pressure reading - 5/07/09

Russ's office has a blood pressure checker thing in their break room. He was so excited about his reading yesterday he took this picture and sent it to me! WHOOHOO!! Just a hair away from the "normal" range! YAY!!! Couple more weeks and he'll be able to stop taking blood pressure medicine.  I'm so proud of him for taking charge of his health and changing his dietary habits :)

A dish I'd like to try

Chana Saag Aloo

A creamy savoury Indian dish using potatoes, spinach and chickpeas.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1″ cubes
2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 19oz can)
1 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (398mL) coconut milk, or homemade
1 large bunch of fresh spinach, washed, dried, and chopped into thin strips
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional, but adds nice body to the flavour)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium. Add the chopped potatoes, onions, garlic, and all the spices, and saute until the onions are translucent.

Add the cooked chickpeas, nutritional yeast (if desired), and can of coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Stir in the chopped spinach and tomatoes and cook until the spinach has wilted. Serve over a fragrant basmati or jasmin rice.

Makes enough for 4-6 people.

Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Dinner on Thursday, May 7, 2009.

Tonight I made Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup.  I followed a recipe I found at AllRecipes.com.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Curried-Butternut-Squash-and-Pear-Soup/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
  
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  
• 2 firm ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch dice
  
• 1/2 cup half and half

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  
• Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven until very soft, about 45 minutes. Scoop the pulp from the peel, and reserve.
  
• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt. Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and bring to a boil. Stir in the pears and the reserved squash, and simmer until the pears are very soft, about 30 minutes.
  
• Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender. Puree in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the half and half, and reheat.
  

Result: This was much better than I thought it would be. My husband LOVED it and the girls tolerated it (Jarod wouldn't even try it, lol). Baking the squash took 1 hour instead of 45 minutes. I didn't think I had any ginger root so I put in a tablespoon or so of black & red pepper and BOY! Was it HOT! I also omitted the half & half and used "no chicken, chicken broth". Russ eventually found the ginger root in the fridge and we thew some in but we will definitely be making this one again!! Oh, and I didn't have any unsalted butter so I just used regular ole butter. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!

This morning I decided to bake banana bread. I've never made banana bread much less ANY bread. It was then that I realized that I don't even own a bread pan! So I decided on muffins :)  As usual I looked at a TON of recipes and came up with my own version.  Here it is!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of apple sauce (instead of butter or margarine)
  
• 1 cup of sugar (we use Sugar in the Raw)
• 2 eggs
• 3-4 bananas
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• a dash of cinnamon
• a pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. spray muffin pans with cooking spray
3. Cream apple sauce and sugar together
4. Beat in eggs then bananas (I loaned my beater to my SIL in San Antonio at Easter time and forgot to get it back...so I did this by hand).
5. Add vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
6. Add in flour and baking soda and stir in just until it's mixed in.
7. Stir in chocolate chips
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

These turned out VERY yummy and healthy (for the most part). It yielded 18 muffins.

How it all started....

Russ and I always knew we didn't eat enough fruits and vegetables but never really gave it a second thought. Russ has had high blood pressure and was told it's in his genes and that changing his diet wouldn't help him much. Well, I'm here to tell you that that's a bunch of hog wash. He was averaging 150/100 or so WITH MEDICATION!! In just 4 short weeks of changing our diets, his blood pressure is hovering around 135/80!! He's still on the medication...we want to give it another month or so before weaning him off the medication. But isn't that great!?!

So we have a NetFlix account and have it set up so we can watch a certain selection of movies instantly. Russ was browsing through the documentaries one night and came across the movie that changed our lives - The Beautiful Truth. If you get the chance, watch this movie. Here's more info on it: http://www.thebeautifultruthmovie.com/

After watching this amazing movie, we went on a journey over the next few weeks that lead to a total lifestyle change for not only Russ and me but the kids as well. We've cut out all meats from our diets, cut WAY back on ANYTHING that is processed, switched to Soy and almond milk, cut out all sodas, read labels and stay away from MSG and High Fructose Corn Syrup. We've been using our juicer twice a day and are working on increasing that to 4-6 times a day.

Not only has Russ's blood pressure come down, but my rotator cuff injury has started to make HUGE improvements! I can stretch my arm out in front of me and touch the top of my head! I haven't been able to do either of those things since October. Our teenagers face is starting to clear up and my psoriasis is much less severe than it's been in years. I'm totally sold and haven't missed meat one bit!

Meatless Tacos!

Dinner on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

Tonight we had meatless tacos for dinner (I guess they were more like fajitas or burritos, but I called them tacos) . I looked at several different recipes then came up with my own concoction. Here it is!

Ingredients:
1 red pepper sliced
1 green pepper sliced
1 onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced (we LOVE garlic and use it in everything)
1 tomato diced
1/2 avocado sliced
2 cups of cooked rice
1 can of black beans
10 flour tortillas
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 cup of water
Shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Cook rice per instructions
   
2. Slice and dice all veggies
3. Heat olive oil in pan and add garlic and onions.
4. Saute for a few minutes, then add red and green peppers (I added about 1/4 cup of water to help steam the veggies).
5. Once the veggies are done to your liking, add the taco seasoning and water (seasoning packet will tell you how much water).
6. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and let simmer.
   
7. Heat beans (I did mine in the microwave).
8. Heat tortillas (I did mine in the microwave).
9. Serve!

This was another quick, healthy meal. Took about 15 minutes of prep time and another 10-15 minutes of cook time. Once everything is done and on the table, spoon a couple tablespoons of rice on your tortilla, then a spoonful of beans followed by the peppers and onions mixture and top with avocado slices, tomatoes and cheese. Even the kids loved it!

Veggie Pizzas

Dinner on Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Ingredients:

1 zucchini cut thin then in quarters
1 yellow squash cut thin then in quarters
1/2 onion diced
a handful of mushrooms sliced
1/2 red peper diced
1/2 green peper diced
any other veggies you want or have on hand (I used a parsnip only cuz it needed to be used)
2 tomatoes sliced thin
1 cup of spaghetti sauce
1 Tbls Pesto (I've never used this before and I liked it!)
1 Tbls minced garlic (I usually use fresh garlic but I was short on time)
a pinch of Thyme, oregano and basil
1 loaf of french bread
Mozzarella cheese

It sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't. It took me 15 minutes of prep work and 10 minutes in the oven and dinner was ready!!

1. Preheat oven on broil.
2. Slice all veggies and tossed them in the pan with the garlic and pesto.
3. I grilled the veggies (I guess that's what it's called...I put them in a pan over MED heat with NO oil or butter and just kept tossing them) and added to it as I got them cut.
3. Cooked them until all veggies were "el dente" (I didn't want mushy veggies)
4. added my seasonings (thyme, basil and oregano).
5. Sliced french bread and placed them on a cookie sheet. Added about a teaspoon of sauce to each (I didn't want it runny so I used just enough to cover).
6. Add a slice or two of fresh tomatoes.
7. Spoon cooked veggies on top and place in oven for 5 minutes or so.
8. I took them out of the oven and added the mozzarella cheese and let them broil another minute or two to melt the cheese.

Viola! Healthy, quick, easy and cheap! The bread was crunchy and the veggies were tasty. I'll definitely be making this one again!