This recipe is a simple and tasty and if you have an issue with gluten then use brown rice or quinoa elbow macaroni…just make sure it’s still a little firm after you’ve boiled it and before you bake it.  Then again, I’ll tell you all this in the video below.

You can download the recipe at the Kitchen Daily site where my “Don’t Tell Mama” videos live.

Tell me about your favorite family noodle casserole!

They are so delicious and nutrient-dense that you won’t find anything like them in any health-food store for the price.  So if you’ve been sitting on the fence about wanting to try them, now is your chance to get a really special deal and see if you don’t love them as much as we do!

Check out the deal below and don’t hesitate to write me with any questions about it.  Please visit my Beyond Organic website where you can order this Value Pack…just click on the shopping cart and order away.  At my BO website you can read in great detail about all the products so I won’t bore you with that here.  And, this deal will end on February, 29th.

Don’t worry…there are no gotcha’s in this offer…just an opportunity to buy amazing food for an amazing price!

Preferred Customer Value Pack & Free Membership!

Great Choice! With this special offer, your one-year Preferred Customer Membership is FREE! Your membership entitles you to the following benefits…

• A 20% discount on all Beyond Organic products
• Order as often as you would like, or setup a monthly auto ship
• Have products shipped directly to your door
• Reserve a spot in the Beyond Organic genealogy should you decide to build a business and upgrade to Mission Marketer

Your purchase of the Preferred Customer Value Pack today will include:

That’s a retail value of $107.35 for just $50 (+ shipping). Plus you will save 20% on all of your Beyond Organic foods and beverages for an entire year!

My sweet man, Alex had a ”manly” get together he was attending and needed me to make him a dish to take.  We know how much men love their carbohydrates…heck, who doesn’t?  Anyway, this dish needed to travel well and stay at room temperature for several hours without spoiling.  So my Quinoa Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette was born!

Again, just looking at what you have and having fun with it.  More than anything I want y’all to just spend more time in the kitchen and create because that’s when cooking will stop feeling like such drudgery.  Well for some it will always feel like drudgery, I suppose.  But, I do believe when people start to make the connection between preparing and eating real, nutrient-dense foods and how good it makes them feel then they will be inspired to get in the kitchen and cook!  There really is a means to my madness when I give you all these recipes. :-)

One tip on cooking grains whose end product is a salad tossed in a vinaigrette: undercook your grains just a bit and spread out to cool right after they have cooked so they won’t continue to cook.  So now when you put the vinaigrette on the “al dente’”grains they won’t get mushy right away because the acid in the vinaigrette will continue to “cook” the grains a bit.

Cooked Quinoa spread out on a baking sheet to cool

Now, I use the term “grain” loosely because Quinoa is actually a seed.  It is an ancient Incan “grain” that is very high in protein, like amaranth.  I find it quite easy to digest and this is one of the first grains I introduce into my diet when I’ve been cleansing from all grains.  Good stuff and easy as all get out to cook!

Here’s a video on “What Is Quinoa?” that I did last summer that will give you some good info on this nutrient-dense food!

The good news is that the men-folk loved this recipe so much they were eating it with corn chips since there were no utensils…oh those men…did I mention that men love carbohydrates?

What are you doing with Quinoa these days?

Quinoa Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa
1 3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups finely chopped fresh veggies like carrots, red bell pepper, sweet onion, etc.
1 can black beans rinsed and dried
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or par-cel, great combo of parsley and celery flavor (love this stuff…got it from Rocky Glade Farm)

To Prepare the Quinoa:

Wash the quinoa really well in a bowl and drain in a fine mesh strainer.  Place in sauce pan with water and salt and bring to a boil, be sure to “skim the scum” off of the top of the water and discard.  Stir well, put lid on and turn heat to simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes until all water is evaporated.  Immediately spread the quinoa out into a thin layer to cool on a large baking pan, stirring every 10 minutes or so until completely cooled down and seperated.

Meanwhile…make the Cumin Vinaigrette! (see below)  Once quinoa is cooled, place in a big bowl, add in beans and veggies, mix well while it’s dry, then add in all the Cumin Vinaigrette and mix well again until the dressing is evenly distributed.  Taste your food and see if you need to add more sea salt and pepper.  Serve right away or it keeps in the fridge for about four days.

Cumin Vinaigrette (also great as a salad dressing)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup mirin*
1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Procedure:

In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, mirin, sea salt, pepper and cumin together and then keep whisking while you slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing is well combined.  Another quick and easy way is to dump all the ingrediets into a pint jar, put lid on tight and shake, shake, shake…shake, shake, shake…shake your booty!  Until it’s well mixed, for about one minute.

*About Mirin:  It is a lovely, slightly & naturally sweet rice cooking wine.  I buy the “Eden” brand.  Do not buy Mirin with any added sugars or weird stuff.  Ingredients should read: water, rice, koji (this is what turns the rice into wine through the fermentation process), sea salt.  Good stuff!

Quick Tip Tuesday!

Breakfast can be a challenge at times to make sure you’re getting enough protein and fat to start your day right.  When I have leftover sausage in any form, links or patties I chop it up, fire up my cast iron skillet and add a good tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil.  Over medium-high heat I brown up the sausage a bit and when the pan is real hot I crack a few eggs in on top of the sausage & add a little sea salt and pepper and scramble them in the sausage and I’m good to go.  Well, you know me…I’ll serve it with some leftover “greens” or a tasty almond flour muffin.

I can ride for hours on a breakfast like this because it’s chock full of all kinds of nutrients!  So don’t throw leftovers away…just re-gift them!

What kind of leftovers, “must-go” are you serving for breakfast?

Grace from David Arms on Vimeo.

This is what Grace looks like!

It’s just so hard for most of us to wrap our minds around the reality of God’s Grace…His free, glorious gift.  Well, since I’m so visual, pictures really do the trick for me.  So, when my sweet friend, Maia sent me this video from David Arms website, one of my favorite artists, I thought, this is a perfect illustration and I just have to share it with y’all and pray that you will be blessed by it too!

And, when you start to really see and feel God’s Grace in your life you will live in a deeper state of gratitude and that is…well, just try it and see.

Take a moment and watch this brief video and feel God’s Grace wash over you and be reminded of how much He loves you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How do you “picture” Grace?

Supreme Orange Salad!

And, I’m not talking about a new singing group.  I’m referring to the technique for getting a lovely orange slice without all the pith (white stuff) attached.  It really is simple to do and it makes the oranges so delectable!

Arugula

I was inspired to make this little salad because my garden box had some good green going on.  About four months ago I went to an event that Community Food Advocates was sponsoring.  They were handing out some seeds and I promptly brought them home and stuck them in the dirt of my garden and then all this time later in our temperate winter I have arugula, parsley and the carrots are on their way if that’s at all possible.  This year I hope to give my gardening project a little more effort to see what other kinds of delicious produce I can grow.

Parsley

And, since organic naval oranges are on sale at my local health food store I bought plenty to throw into a dish here and there.  They are delicious!  And so I thought it would be fun to teach y’all how to supreme an orange if you don’t already know how.

So, to supreme an orange here’s what you do:

1. Wash and dry
2. Cut both ends of the orange off to the flesh to make it easier to cut away the skin
3. Then using a sharp knife cut away the skin (all white parts) all the way around the orange
4. Either hold the orange or lay it on the cutting board and slice on either side of the skin that holds the orange in segments and lift out the section of orange
5. Be sure to capture the juices in a bowl and save the core to squeeze out extra juice into the salad
6. That’s it…you’re a pro!

Cutting away the zest and pith

Slicing right next to the membrane to release orange sections

And, there you have it!

Here’s what I did for this yummy and festive looking salad:

• washed and dried about 8 cups of salad greens…leaving in big pieces or you can chop them down a bit.
• add in juice of one half of a small lemon
• add three tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt & a few grinds of pepper
• mix the greens together well until all the leaves are coated with the lemon vinaigrette
• supremed 2 small naval oranges
• added in reserved orange juice and orange sections and tossed salad again
• divide amongst 3-4 small plates and crush 3 toasted walnuts on each serving

This is a lovely salad to serve with a heavier meal.  What kind of seasonal salad are you putting together this winter?

Kitchen Spider!

Spider strainer, that is!

Here’s your Quick Tip Tuesday people:

I’m not big into kitchen gadgets that you only use every once in awhile that take up bits and pieces of space in your kitchen like the apple corer and egg slicer.  But, there are those tools that are really only good for one thing that I use all the time that I do swear by like a “Spider Strainer.”

My first “spider strainer” was a gift upon graduation from culinary school from one of my fellow students, Andrea.  Great gift and I wore that thing out.  I’m sure the original use for it is to lift tempura-whatever out of the oil but, I love using the “spider strainer” when I’m par-boiling greens or brussels sprouts or blanching any other veggies and even almonds when I need to remove the skin.  This way if I’m running several batches of something I don’t have to dump all that good water into a colander to retrieve my food item.  You know what I’m talking about?

You can find a good “stainless steel” spider at your local gourmet shop, Asian grocery store or online.  I wouldn’t pay more than $10-12 for your spider.

Good tools in the kitchen make cooking so much more fun, so invest in this little number and eat more greens while you’re at it!

What are you using your spider for?

If you can find carrots this time of year at your local farmer’s market then buy them!  You cannot believe the flavor, texture and sweetness they provide in these chilly months.  If you don’t know if you have a winter market then visit Local Harvest and plug in your zip code and it will be listed there.  So if no one is growing these orange beauties in your area just buy a two pound bag of organic carrots and you’ll be good to go.

Who doesn’t love roasted veggies…they’re so sweet and satisfying.  Couldn’t be simpler…wash, chop, toss in some olive oil or melted duck fat, salt and pepper, bake at 400°F for about 30-40 minutes and that is it.  So if you’ve never oven roasted root veggies get right in there and try this recipe…you’ll be hooked!

Orange from Jane's grove in Ocklawaha, Florida!

There is just something about carrots and oranges that make a perfect marriage.  At the end of roasting I drizzle a fresh orange juice reduction over the carrots so they are just perfumed with the essence of orange.  The recipe will be just fine without it but this makes it just a little special.  And don’t forget to zest the oranges before juicing them so you can use it in a muffin recipe or something.

Then there’s the fresh fennel that is so fine this time of year and great raw in a salad or cooked…just gets sweeter when you cook it.  Cut off most of the green stalks, wash well, cut in half from root to bloom end and then slice into 1/2 inch pieces to be roasted with the carrots.  When oven roasting veggies it’s important to cut all the veggies to about the same size so they’ll cook more evenly.

This recipe runs a little large since I was making it for a birthday dinner meaning to serve 12 so scale up or down as need be or just enjoy the leftovers!

What are you doing with carrots or fennel this winter?

Roasted Carrots and Fennel

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh carrots cut in half if large (try to make all carrot pieces about the same size) Weigh the carrots without their green tops.
2 large fennel bulbs cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 oranges, juiced (zest the oranges and reserve for another use…perhaps your smoothie)
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped…sprinkle over dish before serving

Procedure:

1. Place oven racks in upper third and bottom third of oven.  Preheat to 400°F.
2. Place washed and cut carrots and fennel in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until all the veggies are coated.  Spread the veggies evenly in two large roasting pans.  Create some space between the veggies so that they’ll roast and not steam.  Roast for 30-35 minutes, flipping them half way through cooking.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over high heat pour the fresh squeezed orange juice into the pan and boil until reduced by one third.  The juice should appear a little thicker and not so watery.  Taste and depending on the sweetness you desire add 1-2 tablespoons of honey.  Take it off the heat add one pinch of sea salt and the butter and whisk it well and pour it evenly over the veggies…no need to toss.
4. Sprinkle the finely chopped parsley over the carrots and fennel and serve.

America is the “snack nation” don’t you think?  Just walk down any aisle at the grocery store and see the abundance of cookies, crackers, chips, trail mixes, protein drinks, protein bars and so on.  I believe we snack so much because we are not getting enough nutrients, vitamins and minerals from our meals so a few hours later we’re hungry again.  Really, if you’re eating enough of all the right stuff at mealtime then you should easily be able to go without eating for 3-4 hours.  And, this coming from a girl who never misses a meal.

Now there are those who would argue that we need to eat six small meals a day and I subscribe to that theory too for the most part, but I’m a realist and I know that people, in general will not take the time to plan out, make and pack food for three of those six small meals while you are out and about and at work.  You know what I mean?

So I’ve come up with a snack/energy bar that has good fats, carbohydrates and protein and will nip that hunger in the bud.  This is a recipe that I came up with for the men we are serving down at the Nashville Rescue Mission.  I’m happy to report that this “bar” recipe is now being served as a part of their breakfast which also includes a veggie/egg casserole and a side of whole grains with real butter!  Very exciting times in the kitchen at the Mission and for all the guests…to say the least!

Dean & Seven at the Mission with a "measuring cup"

We all know that packaged snacks are expensive so by making your own you save money and know exactly what you’re putting into your body!  These bars are super easy to make.  Have fun with it and use other dried fruits if you like and a variety of nut butters and seeds.  Get wild and add in half a cup of plain (no sugar) grated coconut which you can find at a health food store.  This recipe is very forgiving.

Soaked and strained raisins

Pack one up in your child’s book bag for an afternoon snack with an apple or banana and throw one in your purse for when you’re out running errands and you start to get hungry.  The main goal is to keep our blood sugar level stable throughout the day and the only way to do that is with food, glorious food!”

So check out the photos and the recipe down below and get in that kitchen and start cooking!  And, get the kids to help…such a great recipe in which to involve them.

What kind of real food, nutrient-dense snacks are you eating on-the-go these days?

raisins & seeds chopped small in food processor

Your "dough" should look something like this...

Cut into 2 inch squares and you're good to go!

SEEDY NUT BARS

Yield: 16 2-inch square bars

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins, soaked and drained
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 ½ cups almond butter or peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon sea salt (or ½ teaspoon if nut butters have no added salt)
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Procedure:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F
2. Grease 8×8 inch pan well with coconut oil or butter.
3. Place the raisins in a small bowl and pour one cup of hot water to cover and let sit for 10 minutes, then drain well.
4. Place sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and drained raisins in food processor and run for 30 seconds with the “S” blade.
5. In a medium bowl add the nut butter, honey, eggs, sea salt and cinnamon.  Slowly blend together with a hand mixer.  Once well mixed, add in seeds and raisins and continue to use hand mixer until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
6. Spread the dough out evenly into baking pan and press down making sure there are no air pockets…use your hands if need be.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes until the edges start to brown.
   Upon removing from oven run a knife around the edges to prevent sticking.
   Cool completely, cut and serve. Can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Take A Vacation To Anywhere!

I love to read people’s “top” anything lists because it tells me something about them and I always like to see if I’m in synch with others especially if they’re talking about “real food” and “real living.”  At first I thought I would write to y’all just about food and then I thought “no, food is just part of the way to improve your health.”  “Balance Grasshopper.” Am I aging my self with that quote, or what?

So here’s my list with a few little notes attached to help if you’re struggling with a thing or two in trying to balance your life.  This list is not complete but it’s a great starting point.  And, just start making a change a month…this is how we make good changes in our lives last.

Please write me and let me know about some of the ways you improve your health!

10 Important Things To Improve Your Health:

1.  Eat Breakfast
- I know, I’m sorry to sound like a broken record but, this is critical for two reasons.  One, you need to fuel up with lots of good nutrients in the morning after you’ve been fasting all night to bring your blood sugar level up to normal level.  Secondly, by eating a good breakfast you’ll avoid that whole eating the bulk of your calories later in the day when you’re body tells you it’s starving and it’s ready to play catch up.  Just remember to include fats, carbs and protein and you’ll be good to go!

2.  Drink Water
-I know my list right off the bat is really boring and you’ve heard it a million times before but, it’s critical, drinking water, that is.  You are made of 60-70% water and so you need to drink it to carry nutrients to your cells, aid your elimination and keep those toxins moving on out.  I drink at least 64 oz. a day and that works for me.  So, pour the amount you need to drink for the day into a container and just make sure it’s gone by early evening because you don’t want to be up tinkling all night.

3.  Get Sleep
-Wow, have I had a time with this one…being my periomenopausal self and such.  And, it doesn’t help that my man’s breathing has gotten a bit louder as he’s aged…just trying to be nice.  Anyway, here’s what I have found that helps me to get a restful night’s sleep:
*A hot bath…a must to really relax you
*Theanine Serene (Source Naturals) amino acids to help calm your body and mind when you’re having a hard time falling asleep or just want help to sleep through the night
*L-Tyrosine (TwinLab) same as above
*Detoxifier (Newton Homeopathics) If I wake up in the middle of the night, I drop 7 drops under my tongue and most of the time I’m back off to “la-la land.” My nutritional balancing friend, Diane Del Chiaro told me about this product and it works for me.
*A very dark and chilly room
*Don’t look at any screens at least one hour before going to bed

4.  Move/Get Outside and BREATHE
*I really need to take my own advice on this one and do more of it.  I love getting outside and hiking, walking the dog, riding a bike whatever it may be just to breathe in the sun and fresh air.  Yes, I can breathe in the sun, I’m sure of it. :-) Of course, it goes without saying that you need to take a vacation every year whether you go somewhere or stay at home!

5.  Meditate/Pray
*There are a million things I could say here but it’s scientifically proven that this “activity/inactivity” improves our health tremendously and helps to create calm in our lives and who doesn’t need that in this crazed life we live?

6.  Eat Something Green Everyday
*that includes collards, kale, broccoli, dark green leaf lettuces, brussels sprouts, asparagus, avocados, etc.

7.  Go To Your Local Farmer’s Market Once A Week
*You’ll love all that fresh local food and you want to talk about giving back to your community?  Then buy food from local farmers!  Plus it provides a great opportunity to be in community with people in person instead of online. Visit this link if you don’t know where your local farmer’s market is: Local Harvest  And, I’ll camp onto this one to say that you’ll be inspired to eat all kinds of in-season veggies and such!

8.  Consume A Variety of Healthy Fats Every Day
*Like, unrefined coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, cold pressed nut and seed oils like sesame and sunflower, ghee (clarified butter), butter (preferably from grass-fed cows like Kerry Butter sold at most grocery stores), all varieties of nuts & seeds, avocados, salmon and so on.  Stay away from rancid oils like soy, corn and canola oils.

9.  Eat Wild Seafood At Least 2-3 Times A Week
*Salmon, Mackarel, Sardines, shellfish, etc.

10.  Forgive!  Need I say more?

One more for good measure:

Laugh and dance barefoot and not necessarily in that order.

Love to You All!