Our Side of the Mountain

Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 22:53:00 +0000

For the Beans:

1 lb. Camellia dried red kidney beans, rinsed & soaked using long-soaking or quick-soaking method
4 c. water
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic
1 T. parsley flakes
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 bay leaves

For the Rice:

2 c. brown rice (I use Jasmine.)
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt

Toppings or add-ins:

Frank's Red Hot or desired hot sauce
Jarred roasted red peppers (optional)
Greens such as chopped Romaine or Spring Mix (optional)

Pour the soaked & drained beans into the Instant Pot with 4 cups of water. Place the vegetables and spices on top of the beans. Close the lid and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally before opening the lid. Discard the bay leaves, and mince the garlic cloves back into the beans with a garlic press (or smash with a fork on the side of the pot.) If you have two Instant Pots, cook the rice ingredients in the second pot for 30 minutes (high altitude timing) with natural pressure release. If not, cook the rice separately. Stir as much of the brown rice as desired into the bean mixture. In individual bowls, serve the beans and rice over a bed of greens and top with roasted red pepper and hot sauce as desired.

Note: I have tried making the recipe with other brands of red kidney beans purchased locally, but Camellia beans are more tender and delicious. Since my family loves this recipe so much, the extra cost of ordering Camellia beans online is worth it to us.

Plant-based Butternut Bisque (Instant Pot or Stovetop Instructions)

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 00:50:00 +0000

Ingredients:

7 cups butternut squash, cut in cubes
1 cup sweet potato, cut in cubes
1 large sweet onion diced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed
1/3 c. water for sauteing
1/4 c. roasted red pepper from a jar (may omit if not available)
2 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
2 tsp. salt (or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. each, onion and garlic powder
2 tsp. liquid smoke
5 cups vegetable broth (I use water and Seitenbacher vegetable seasoning.)
1 to 2 T. cashews (optional)
1/2 cup almond or soy milk

Note: It is easier to peel a butternut squash with a serrated peeler.

Saute the onion, garlic, and rosemary in the 1/3 cup of water in the Instant Pot or in a 5-6 qt. soup pot on the stove top until the onion is translucent and the water is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, spices, and broth to the pot. The ingredients should reach no higher than the 10-cup line on the IP liner. I put the cashews in a small stainless steel strainer on top of the soup, or tie them up in cheesecloth. In the IP, cook on Manual 10 minutes, then quick pressure release. On the stove top, simmer the soup for about 25 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Blend the cooked cashews with some of the broth in a separate container with an immersion blender (stick blender), then add the cashew cream back into the pot with the plant milk, blending with the immersion blender until completely smooth and creamy. Alternatively, blend the soup ingredients in batches in a regular or high speed blender.

Spinach Enchilada Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 20:44:00 +0000

Ingredients for enchilada sauce:

1 15 oz. can black beans - rinsed & drained
1 10 oz. pkg frozen spinach - defrost, drain, squeeze out excess moisture
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
3 cups salsa of preferred heat
2 tsp. ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan thoroughly. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat, cooking until heated through. Keep on low heat until ready to assemble casserole. It is okay for some of the liquid to evaporate.

Ingredients for cheesy sauce, adapted from Jill McKeever:

1/2 c. gluten free oats (not processed in the same facility with wheat)
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. roasted red pepper - drained if from a jar
1/4 c. diced onion (red onion is best)
1 T. lemon juice
4 drops liquid smoke
2 cups water

Notes: I make this in a Nutribullet, adding the water last up to the max fill line, reserving the rest of the water to add after blended.

Blend all ingredients, then pour into saucepan and heat whisking constantly until just starting to thicken. Remove from heat. The sauce will thicken more as it bakes.

Other ingredients:

12 corn tortillas
Optional toppings to choose from - lettuce, diced fresh tomatoes, black olives, cilantro, guacamole or diced avocado, lime wedges, hot sauce

Layer 6 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. (Pan in picture above is actually larger than 9x13). Spoon half of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Spread half of the cheesy sauce. Repeat. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Serve as is, or top as desired.

Black Bean Mango Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 16:36:00 +0000

I updated a favorite recipe to eliminate the oil, and it tastes great without!

2 15 oz. cans or 1 26.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 mangoes, diced or 1 jar mangoes or 1 10 oz. (or larger) pkg. frozen mangoes
1 can shoe peg corn, drained
1/4 c. up to 1 c. flat leaf parsley or cilantro chopped
1 c green onions (just the green part) thinly sliced
1 red pepper diced
½ c aquafaba (liquid from cooked beans, canned or homemade; better to use liquid reserved from a light-colored bean for this recipe)
¼ c balsamic vinegar

Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for hours to let the flavors mingle before serving.

Instant Pot Curried Vegetable Noodle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 23:29:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 carrots, very thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/3 cup water
15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups water
1 T. coconut aminos
2 T. vegetable bouillon
2 tsp. salt (+/-)
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1.5 cups small pasta, uncooked (I used Tinkyada brown rice shell pasta.)
1 T. peanut butter, almond butter, or sugar-free sun butter
2 large handfuls of baby spinach

Saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic cloves with 1/3 cup water in the Instant Pot until the water is evaporated and the onion is translucent. Add the beans, water, and seasonings and bring to a boil using the Saute feature adjusted to "More." (Bring the soup to a boil before adding the pasta to prevent overcooking.)

Read the stove top cooking instructions on the bag of pasta. To find the pressure cooking time, take the lowest cooking time listed, divide by 2, and round down to the whole number. For instance, my pasta instructions said to cook for 13-14 minutes, and I set my Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Add the pasta and close the lid.

When the cooking time is done, quick release the pressure. Open the lid and stir in the nut butter and the spinach. Serve when the spinach is wilted down and the nut butter has melted into the broth. Sprinkle nutritional yeast on the individual servings if desired. 6-8 servings.

Instant Pot Southwest Vegetable Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 04:35:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, finely diced
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can cannellini or Great Northern beans, undrained
15 oz. can corn, drained (I put in a bit less than a whole can.)
14.5 oz. diced fire-roasted tomatoes
4 oz. mild diced green chiles
3 cups of potato, diced in bite-sized pieces
1.5-2 cups of carrots, sliced
4 cups vegetable broth or water + bouillon
1.5 T ground cumin
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 bay leaf
pepper to taste
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. maple or date syrup or other sweetener (optional)

Add all of the ingredients to the pot except for the celery, lime juice, cilantro, and optional sweetener. Close the lid and set the pot to manual 15 minutes. When the Instant Pot is finished cooking, quick release the pressure. Add the celery, close the lid, and pressure cook for 5 more minutes. After quick-releasing the pressure again, stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and sweetener if desired to adjust acidity. Serve. If more heat is desired, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, or add hot sauce.

Instant Pot Creamy Zucchini Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Ingredients:

10 medium zucchini, cut in thick rounds
4 -6 large cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tsp. salt (or less)
1 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. ginger powder
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
4 cups vegetable broth OR water + 1 T. vegetable bouillon (see instructions)
Red Hot or black pepper to add to individual servings (optional)

Add 4 cups of broth or water and bouillon to Instant Pot liner and set it cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Add the zucchini rounds (I use a paring knife and slice the zucchini directly into the pot), garlic cloves, and dry spices. The zucchini should mound above the level of the water so that the soup will be thick and creamy. Close the lid and let it come to pressure. After the cooking time is done, quickly release the pressure, open the lid, and blend all of the contents with a stick blender until completely smooth. Alternatively, blend the soup in batches in a regular or high-speed blender. I like to add some dashes or Red Hot to my bowl of soup, while other family members prefer sprinkling with black pepper.

Stovetop instructions: Simmer the soup covered in a regular pot for 30-45 minutes before blending.

Fast & Frugal Stovetop Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 17:47:00 +0000

Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable broth OR water+bouillon
14.5 oz can green beans with liquid
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn (or canned)
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and oregano
1 tsp. salt (or less)

4-6 servings

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and simmer for at least 5 minutes before serving. I like to put the green beans in first and cut them in half quickly with kitchen shears. I have 15.25 oz cans of corn in my pantry, but I don't like to put in the whole can.

Serving Ideas:

Stir in some leftover rice or mashed potatoes (pictured).
Use as a gravy over mashed potatoes.

Recommendation:

I like Seitenbacher vegetable bouillon because it is gluten free and soy free (not an affiliate link).

Instant Pot Calico Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 19:08:00 +0000

Ingredients:

15-bean soup mix (1 lb. package, throw out seasoning packet)
large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, smashed
2-4 stalks celery, sliced
1-2 cups carrots, sliced
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
Vegetable broth, or water and vegetable bouillon (see instructions below for amount)
2 TBSP coconut aminos (or other liquid aminos or soy sauce)
1.5 tsp liquid smoke
2 bay leaves
1.5 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP dried rosemary
1.5 tsp thyme
1.5 tsp marjoram (or omit and increase thyme to 1 TBSP)
.5 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Pre-soak the beans according to the helpful hipcooking guide. It is possible to cook this recipe without soaking the beans, but since I live at an elevation over 5,000', I use the quick-soaking method to reduce the cooking time.

Place the diced onions and garlic in the bottom of the pot liner, then add the beans, spices, and liquid seasonings, reserving the diced tomatoes. Add enough vegetable broth until the liquid reaches the 10-cup line on the pot. Make sure the silicone gasket is in place, lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, press the bean/chili button (or manual) and adjust the time to 35 minutes. When the cooking time is finished, let the pressure go down on its own for 10-15 minutes before opening the valve and releasing the rest of the pressure. Check the beans for preferred tenderness. If the beans need to cook longer, then close up the cooker and set it for 5 minutes or more. Stir in the diced tomatoes and serve.

Serving Options:

Sometimes we like to serve the soup over some salad greens in the bottom of the bowl. The greens add some crunch and it eliminates the need for salad dressing on the side salad.
For lunch the next day, serve the soup over baked or mashed potatoes, or...
Saute greens and mix in some of the soup for a meal of beans 'n greens

Borscht 2 Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 19:02:00 +0000

My mother often makes Borscht, or Russian beet soup, as taught to her by my Russian grandmother. The recipe is very flexible based on available ingredients. For instance, my grandmother could not afford to use much meat. My mom does not have a set recipe and bases amounts on the size of the pot that she is using, but I have written down an approximation.

Ingredients:

1 lb. or more beef stew meat

8-12 cups homemade beef broth or water with 4 tsp. of beef bouillon

celery

garlic

1 medium to large onion, chopped

5 potatoes, cubed (in my recipe below, I use rutabaga instead; I also sometimes increase the other vegetables and omit potato or rutabaga)

at least 2 carrots shredded

1/2 green cabbage, shredded

4 med. or 3 lg. beets, peeled and shredded in food processor

2 T. lemon juice + more to taste

salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven or stock pot, cover the beef cubes, celery, and garlic with water and simmer on low for two hours. Discard celery and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 30 more minutes. Season with beef bouillon and salt & pepper as needed to enhance the broth. Add a dollop of sour cream to individual bowls.

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I adapted my mother's recipe, using my Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) to speed up the process. I pressure cook the beets and the beef while cooking the rest of the soup ingredients on the stove top. Total cooking time = 1 hour

4 medium beets, stems trimmed, reserving leaves
2 T. fresh lemon juice

Pre-cook beets in pressure cooker (1 c. water in bottom of pot, beets on rack or steamer basket, 25 mins. high pressure, quick release); reserve liquid, slip skins when cool, grate, and mix in lemon juice. Set aside.

1 T. oil

1 onion, chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, smashed

2 - 2.5 # beef for stew, 1 inch cubes

2 tsp. salt

stalk of celery

1 cup water or broth

reserved beet juice

Salt the beef cubes. Sautee onions and garlic in oil in electric pressure cooker (optional). Add beef cubes and water/broth to reserved liquid from cooking beets. Cook for 35 mins. on high in pressure cooker and natural release steam for 10-15 mins. Remove celery.

While the beets and beef are cooking in the pressure cooker, prep and cook the following on the stove top (add the vegetables to the boiling broth in the stock pot as soon as the meat reaches high pressure in the Instant Pot).

10 cups homemade stock or beef broth made with bouillon

2 large carrots, grated

2 rutabagas, peeled and cut in 1/4 in. thick rounds, then each round cut into 6-9 pieces.

1/2 green cabbage, shredded

beet greens, large stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)

1 T. more fresh lemon juice to taste
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

salt & pepper

In a large pot, bring stock to a boil and add rutabagas and carrots. Cover and turn heat down to medium. After 15 minutes, add shredded cabbage, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes. Add beet greens and cook for a few more minutes. Add grated cooked beets and heat only at a gentle simmer, adding lemon juice, dill, and salt & pepper to taste. When the meat is done in the pressure cooker, stir it into the soup pot. The soup can be served immediately in individual bowls with dollops of sour cream.

Dairy-free sour cream: http://www.paleocupboard.com/sour-cream.html

Vegetable Beef Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Mon, 16 Feb 2015 18:48:00 +0000

Ingredients:

medium onion, diced
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. minced garlic
12 cups beef broth, homemade and/or from bouillon
2 cups sliced carrots
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green beans
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 T. lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion, adding garlic when nearly done. Set aside to drain. In a stockpot bring the broth to a boil. Add carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and spices. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Stir in green beans, ground beef, and lemon juice at the end and heat through. Adjust seasonings if needed. Serves 6-8.

Variations:

use fresh or frozen green beans
replace garbanzo with diced potatoes or rutabaga sliced thin
add thinly sliced cabbage at the 15 minute mark when cooking vegetables

Greek Pottery Project

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 18:50:00 +0000

Logan and I first attempted to make a Greek-style pot by covering a glass vase with air-dry clay, which worked years ago for his older brothers, but this time the clay cracked as soon as it dried.

His brothers were younger when they made their Greek pots out of root beer bottles covered in clay.

We went back to the drawing board and decided to make a paper mache Greek-style pot, using instructions in the Story of the World Volume One Activity Book, and gleaning various ideas online. Mixing together one part Elmer's school glue and one part water, we found that smaller pieces of newspaper worked better than longer strips. Logan got a bit tired of paper mache after one layer on the balloon, and I mostly did the second layer. However, four to six layers would have been more adequate, because our pot dented in at the top a bit when I cut a hole and inserted a plastic cup, and it dented in at a spot when painted.

Logan painted the pot with terra cotta and black acrylic paint. We looked up pictures of Greek pottery online for design inspiration, but for the main pictures, he re-drew a picture of the Trojan horse.

The handles are made out of Model Magic and hot glued to the pot.

With such a detailed project, Logan did the work off and on over a period of many weeks. It helped that he is a very detail-oriented kid.

Apple Cranberry Turkey Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 18:04:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1 package ground turkey (I use Jennie-O 1.25 pound package.)
1/2 cup grated apple
1/4 heaping cup finely-chopped cranberries
1/4 scant cup finely-chopped onion
1/4 cup finely-chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ground sage
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary

Mix all ingredient together thoroughly. Form 8 or 9 patties and cook on the grill.

Paleo Zuppa Toscana

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 01:11:00 +0000

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
2 lbs. ground Italian sausage *
red pepper flakes to taste
16 cups chicken stock (homemade or from bouillon)
1 large head cauliflower broken into bite-sized florets and pieces
8 cups baby kale, or baby spinach, or chopped kale, stems removed
1 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

* I like to use Sprouts Italian sausage links, removing the skins, and breaking up the meat.

In a large stockpot, brown the sausage with the chopped onion and garlic. Set aside the meat and onions to drain. Bring the chicken stock to boil in the pot, then add the cauliflower and pepper flakes and simmer for 15 minutes* or until tender. Return the meat mixture to the pot along with the greens. Cook until the greens are tender: only a few minutes if using baby greens, around 5 minutes if using chopped kale. Stir in the coconut milk, add salt & pepper to taste, and serve.

*Reduce the amount of time the cauliflower is cooked if using chopped kale which takes longer to soften.

Butternut Bisque

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 00:12:00 +0000

Butternut and Ham Bisque
Yield: 12 servings

2 T. coconut oil, ghee, or butter
1 very large sweet onion chopped
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. minced garlic
10 cups peeled, diced butternut squash
2 c. peeled, diced sweet potato
10 c. chicken broth (homemade, or from bouillon)
salt to taste (depending on what broth you use)
black pepper to taste
1 c. coconut milk (or milk or heavy cream if you can have dairy)
3 cups cubed cooked ham

Melt coconut oil or other fat in a stock pot. Sauté the onion and rosemary over moderate heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the squash and sweet potato cubes, chicken stock, salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot. Simmer the soup for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat.

Use a stick blender to puree the vegetables and broth in the pot. If you do not own a stick blender, ~~buy one immediately~~ puree the vegetables with some broth in batches in a blender until all the vegetables are pureed and returned to the pot. Stir in the coconut milk and ham, heating for several minutes before serving.

My son Matthew, upon tasting this soup, once exclaimed, "This is better than ice cream!"

Kitchen Towel Hack

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 18:41:00 +0000

Fold the edges of the towel in to the center.

Hang the towel over the oven door handle. Gather the front portion and rubberband.

Twist the rubberband into a figure eight. Feed the back part of the towel through the back circle of the rubberband.

Startin with a corner, pull the front part of the towel through a napkin ring. Position the napkin ring over the front part of the rubberband. Tweak the towel so that it is hanging evenly with the napkin ring hiding the view of the back part of the rubberband.

Skillet Shepherd's Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 17:55:00 +0000

When making this recipe, I use every burner, but it is relatively quick to make. The mashed cauliflower topping comes from Melissa Joulwan but is doubled. Serves 6.

Meat & Vegetable Filling:

1 lb. ground lamb or beef (lamb is better)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 onion diced
stalk of celery diced
1 1/2 tsp. dried crushed rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 pkg. frozen peas & carrots, cooked following pkg. directions OR steam 2 cups of thinly sliced carrots until soft and 2 cups of frozen baby peas, cooked
2 cups frozen petite whole beans broken into smaller pieces (can cook peas and beans together in same pot)

Topping:

2 16 oz. pkg frozen cauliflower or 3 12 oz. bags, cooked until very soft in separate pot
1 c. coconut milk
2 1/2 TBSP coconut oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 TBSP dried chives

Cook filling vegetables according to package directions in one pot. At the same time, cook the cauliflower in a separate pot until very soft. While vegetables are cooking, brown ground lamb in a large skillet with onion and spices. When browned, place meat in a colander over a bowl to drain of fat. Drain filling vegetables and mix meat and vegetables (except cauliflower) in the skillet.

In small saucepan, heat the coconut milk, oil, garlic, chives, and salt & pepper until the oil is melted and the spices simmer for at least a minute. Drain cauliflower and blend with coconut milk sauce until smooth using a stick blender. Spread mashed cauliflower over the meat & vegetables in the skillet and garnish with more pepper and dried chives. Serve immediately.

Dilled Lemon Chicken and Roasted Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 21:56:00 +0000

Chicken:

2 1/2 lbs. or large package boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 T. olive oil
zest and juice of one lemon
minced garlic to taste - up to 6 cloves or 1 T.
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried dill
Optional garnish - sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9x13 or larger baking dish, combine the olive oil, zest, and spices. If desired cut the chicken thighs into two pieces where the meat is thinner. Stir or toss the chicken in the olive oil mixture until evenly coated. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, then add the lemon juice to the pan and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.

Vegetables:

3-4 red peppers cut into bite-sized pieces (Cut up as many peppers as can fit into roasting pan in a single layer)
1 bunch asparagus - snap off woody ends and snap spears into bite-sized pieces OR another vegetable of your choice such as julienned zucchini or yellow squash, cauliflower florets, or snap peas (8 mins.)
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Add the peppers to a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper, toss to coat, and spread in an even layer. Put the peppers and the chicken in the oven at the same time. Roast the peppers for 15 minutes, then remove quickly to stir. If using zucchini or yellow squash, add to the pan at the 15 minute mark & toss with the red peppers along with a bit more olive oil and salt & pepper if needed. Roast the peppers for 15 minutes more, or until blackened in spots. If using asparagus, toss with the peppers during the last 10 minutes so that the pieces will retain some crispness.

Serve the vegetables on a platter with the chicken arranged on top. Pour the juices over all and garnish the chicken with green onion if desired. (Or just serve it in the roasting pan!)

I derived the method of roasting the chicken from this Rachel Ray recipe. To use chicken breasts instead of thighs, I recommend following the original recipe as far as adding some chicken broth or white wine with the lemon juice at the end.

Serve with favorite starch such as mashed cauliflower or potatoes, quinoa, rice, or couscous

Eggroll Skillet

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Tue, 13 May 2014 05:01:00 +0000

A fellow homeschooling mom, Debra Pearson, graciously allowed me to post this crisp and flavorful recipe that she created which has become a regular in my family's meal rotation. The recipe calls for a ground pork and ground shrimp combination, but I most often just use 1 to 1 1/2 lb. ground pork or ground turkey alone.

Serves 6 (My ginormous wok makes the amount appear small in the photo.)

Ingredients

1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. shrimp, peeled & de-veined
1 small green cabbage, shredded finely
1 large carrot, julienned
1 stalk celery, finely chopped on the bias
1-inch of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
3 or 4 green onions, chopped
Coconut oil
Coconut aminos or Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Tamari
Toasted sesame oil
S&P

In a food processor, pulse the shrimp until they are of similar consistency to the ground pork. Combine the meats in a bowl until well mixed. Preheat a large skillet to med.-high and add 1 to 2 Tbsp oil. Fry the meat mixture until no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Remove the meat to drain, wipe out the skillet, and add another Tbsp oil. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the remaining veggies and stir fry them until glossy but not limp. Return the meat to the skillet and heat through. Season with about 2 Tbsp aminos or tamari, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, drizzle with toasted sesame oil, and serve.

My youngest, though not a picky eater, has developed an aversion to coconut aminos. The rest of us add the aminos to our individual servings, and he eats his with rice vinegar instead.

Pesto Turkey Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Fri, 09 May 2014 01:00:00 +0000

Disclaimer: I am not a food photographer. After making dinner for my family of six, I'm more interested in eating than lighting and staging. However, I recently started using Pinterest as a virtual recipe box, and a picture is necessary for a pin.

A recipe for basil-zucchini turkey patties served as my inspiration, but I thought that the addition of zucchini spread the pesto flavors too thin.

Ingredients

1 cup packed fresh basil

1/4 cup packed fresh parsley

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

olive oil to drizzle

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients except the turkey with enough olive oil (sometimes I use some water as well) to form a coarse paste.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the pesto into the turkey by hand and form the meat into small to medium-sized burgers. I layer the patties on a plate, separating the layers with waxed paper.

Grill the burgers, or fry them in a nonstick skillet, approximately 3 minutes per side.

Double the recipe if serving more than six.

Leon Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 20:36:00 +0000

Serves 6 as main dish salad

Ingredients:

3 heads romaine hearts, chopped, rinsed & dried

3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 pkg. cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 c. garbanzo beans

1 c. black olives, sliced

1-2 pkg. salami (I use kitchen shears to cut the layered meat in strips and then into squares.)

Optional: mozzarella cubes

fresh lemon juice, olive oil & black pepper to taste

Toss the salad ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil to taste with black pepper if desired.

I often make an individual serving of this salad for lunch, just eyeballing the amounts.

Dig My New Shades?

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:47:00 +0000

We Love Our Thirteen Year Old!

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Beautiful Scenery & a Squeaky Wheel

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:34:00 +0000

While my parents were here, we headed to Heritage Square, thinking that the kids would enjoy some of the amusement rides as an early celebration of Evan's birthday. When we arrived, we found the rides still and quiet. We told an employee that the website had listed weekday hours for the rides. He told us that we were mistaken, but I insisted to him that the website had mislead us.

We browsed in a gift shop for a bit and had old-fashioned portraits taken of the kids together. As we waited for the pictures to be ready, the amusement park employee found James, conceding that the website information was incorrect, and giving him two free all-day passes for unlimited rides to use when the rides were indeed open. Sometimes it pays to "complain".

My dad proposed that we drive to Mount Evans. The road to the top is not open until Memorial Day, but we enjoyed the scenery at Echo Lake. Since Logan had fallen asleep in the van, my mom volunteered to sit with him (also because the altitude was affecting her) while we roamed around a bit.

On the way home, we stopped in Idaho Springs to eat supper at Beau Jo's which makes gluten free pizzas!!! I ordered a gluten free Yukon, asking that they substitute black olives for the artichoke hearts. When the pizza arrived, they had indeed included black olives but had substituted mushrooms for the Canadian bacon!!! Mushrooms are not my favorite to put it mildly. My mom's pizza order was incorrect as well. Though I didn't want to point out a mistake again, I told the server. He resubmitted the GF order and was very apologetic that I had to wait, though it didn't bother me. Pizza is a rare treat for me. We received a discount on our bill due to the mistakes.

While the family waited for the pizza, James took the kids to see a train engine and this water wheel outside...

On the way home, my dad asked to see the view from Lookout Mountain. (James and I were married on Lookout Mountain at the Boettcher Mansion.)

Visitors to Our Side

noreply@blogger.com (Meliss) — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:05:00 +0000

During the first weekend in May, my parent came to visit. They didn't just come to play, but also to work, serving our family and the church.

My mom Margie is the administrator of our denomination's nursing home. She gave a three hour seminar at our church on caring for the elderly, specifically those suffering from Alzheimer's. The seminar was well-attended and, I might be biased, but she did a great job educating us about how to serve the elderly and their caretakers. Evan took this picture, and I noticed that my mom managed to escape the other pictures that were taken during their visit.

My dad Bruce preached on Sunday and also served our family by building a planter in front of our porch, greatly improving the curb appeal of our house. The kids, especially Evan, enjoyed helping him with all of the digging, loading, hauling, unloading and building. They enjoyed the working as much as the playing of the week!

My dad, ever the perfectionist, chipped part of the ledge off of the backs of the blocks on the corners in order to make them sit just right. He also glued down some of the layers to prevent shifting (or as he learned from building a planter at his church building back home: to prevent theft of blocks!)

After my parents went back home, my dad's sister, my Aunt Beth came over and helped us begin to plant flowers in the new planter. Aunt Beth plants wonderful flower gardens each year, and she gave us step-by-step instructions to get us started. (Gardening is not my forte.)

Aunt Beth helped us with the front rows of lobelia, pansies and violets (and two calla lilies at the back which are an experiment to see if they will thrive in the shade in Colorado).

Logan enjoyed playing in the dirt while we worked. The poor guy had a rough day that day, falling down and smacking his mouth on the pavement, giving himself a fat lip and loose front teeth. :-(

Matthew did a majority of the rest of the work, planting an assortment of begonias, impatiens, forget-me-nots, leadwort, columbine, dusty miller, and ferns. He demonstrated a knack for gardening. Aunt Beth also had him do some garden work at her house.

Thank you to my mom and dad and aunt for all your help and hard work!
More pictures of the visit to come...