HOT SOFT PRETZELS

SALTED PRETZELS

Have you ever had "Aunt Annie's" Pretzels? They are soft and buttery. I have that recipe that I would like to share.

SWEET PRETZELS

EAT HOT FROM THE OVEN

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 TBSP Yeast
2 TBSP Brown sugar
dissolve yeast and sugar in water.

add
1 1/8 tsp salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups all purpose flour
knead until smooth, cover with towel and let
rise for 1/2 hr.


For after baking:
(4 TBSP melted butter)
Coarse sea salt or Cinnamon &Sugar)


Prepare baking soda water (2 TBSP baking soda and 2 cups water.)

After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough, roll into ropes
and shape into pretzels or knots. Dip into water soda mixture and place onto a greased baking sheet.

Bake 450 for 10 min. 

Whether you like salty pretzels or sweet you can sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon or coarse sea salt. We made both.

Brush with melted butter, coarse sea salt or brown sugar and cinnamon.

Eat fresh and hot. 

VEGETARIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This soup is so comforting and makes you feel so good inside. On a cold winter day or when you don't feel so well what is more nourishing than a hot bowl of healthy vegetarian chicken noodle soup.

1/2 package Gardein chicken strips cubed
4 chopped carrots
4 stalks chopped celery
1/2 diced onion
1 diced garlic clove
4 leaves of greens (collards, kale, swiss chard)
1 qt. box vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 TBSP Extra Virgin Oil Oil
1 vegetable bullion cube
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup barley
2 cups dried or homemade noodles

Gardein Chicken Strips Gardein

I begin with my fake chicken. I recently changed from using TVP (dried textured and reconstituted vegetable protein) to frozen "Gardein" brand chicken strips. I cut them into bite size pieces and if the package comes with any sauce just refrigerate it for another use.

Chop your carrots, celery and dice the onion and garlic.
I remove any hard stems from the kale or collard greens and roll the leaves and cut them into ribbons. 
called (Chiffonade)
http://localfoods.about.com/od/basics/ss/Chiffonade.htm
I buy kale, collards, or swiss chard every time I grocery shop. It can be used so many ways.

I purchase my olive oil at World Market. They have the best bang for your money. Using EVOO is a must. It gives the soup that mock taste of the meat version. World Market Olive Oil

Collard ribbon and Gardein Chicken strips

I prefer to have large cuts of carrots in my soup.

Vegetable bullion cubes

Nutritional Yeast Flakes (I find this in bulk at Sawalls)

                                                  Sawalls Health Foods Portage,MI             

This is dried onion, garlic and other spices that I add to alot of my food. It's kind of like the no salt seasoning.

Garlic

Barley and noodles . Adding barley and brown rice will give
your broth that extra fullness that will make this soup a meal.

Begin by saute' the veges in the EVOO for about 5 minutes on med-low heat. Add all the spice then add the veggie broth and water. Add all the ingredients except for the noodles. They go in last.

Simmer your soup on med- low for about 30 min. and then low for another 30 min. until the rice and barley are tender. Add the noodles last and turn off soup when the noodles are cooked. You may have to add more salt to taste.
As the soup cools the broth will thicken from the starch on the noodles, rice, barley. Add water if you prefer a thinner broth. Especially on day 2 when you have left overs.

WET BURRITOS

                                                          Wet Burritos

Wet Burritos are easy to make and can be made with so many different fillings. These are stuffed with my precooked pinto beans and brown rice.

Preheat your beans-
two cans of pinto,black or re fried beans
1 tsp cumin
1/4 diced onion
1 clove diced garlic
saute' the onion and garlic in some oil or butter.
add the beans and cumin, heat until hot. Set aside.

Rice
Make your rice ahead of time since it takes longer to cook.
2-Cups brown rice
4 Cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
Cook on high with a lid until it begins to boil. Turn down to med/low and simmer for about 30 min. or until your rice is tender. Do not let water evaporate out. 4 cups should be the perfect amount, but if needed add a little more. Turn off heat and keep covered until you use it.

Making the burritos

In a 9"x13" glass baking dish pour 1/4 jar of a large jar of salsa.Make sure bottom of the baking dish has sauce on it or your burritos will stick. I use my homemade salsa. You can use any salsa. If you prefer just a sauce..Mix one large can of crushed tomatoes with 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder.

Begin filling large or small white or whole wheat 
tor teas with half the bean and half the rice. Roll each one up and place into the baking dish. It should hold about 12. You can squish them together to make them fit or cut them in half if needed.

Pour the rest of your sauce over the burritos. Make sure the sauce gets down the sides of the dish so the burritos do not stick. Add more as needed. Cover with your favorite cheeses. I used
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
1 cup Crumbled pepper jack.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 min. at 350 degrees.

Serve with toppings
Shredded Romain lettuce
sour cream
Avocado smashed with some sea salt and lime juice.
Black olives
Diced tomato
Diced jalapeno

ENJOY!

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

EGGPLANT

Start with 3-4 large eggplant.
Wash, cut ends off and slice about 1/2 inch thick.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and pinch of salt and dip into
a bowl of seasoned bread crumbs. Place on sprayed sheet pan.
Bake at 400 for approx. 25 min. turning once at the half way point.
Remove when they are golden brown.

Breaded and ready to bake

SAUCE

Saute two diced garlic cloves with 1/4 chopped onion
in a large pan with a TBSP of olive oil. on med-low heat

When onion and garlic are tender add two large cans of whole tomatoes.
Break up tomatoes with your hands.

Add tsp of Italian seasoning, tsp oregano, 2 TBSP fresh chopped basil.
salt and pepper to taste,. Let it simmer on low until sauce reduces for about 30 minutes.

Simmering marinara sauce

MAKING THE CASSEROLE

Begin with spooning some sauce in the bottom of a glass casserole dish 9x13.
Layer your breaded, baked, eggplant on top the sauce.
Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
Keep layering the sauce,eggplant and cheese about 3 times. Ending with cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly at 350 degrees.

CHERRY CHEESECAKE

CRUST

Mix one yellow cake box mix with 1 egg and 1 TBSP oil.
Put this crumb mixture into a greased glass baking dish 8x8 or 9x13.
Bake for 50 minutes/300 degrees

FILLING

Mix 2- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature softened)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
2 TBSP Lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar

Feel free to substitute with Tofui Cream Cheese or Tofu



Blend until creamy with an electric mixer

Pour into baked crust, bake again at 300 degrees for about 1 hour.
Cool and top with 1 can cherry pie filling.

any topping can be used

KALE CHIPS

We were eating Wasabi Seaweed Snacks this week and the taste of seaweed is not our favorite but super healthy. A healthy snack to make yourself. This is so easy and very good for you. A good way to eat a lot of kale. Kale is a belly fat blast. Kale will help reduce belly fat.

Tear leaves into one inch pieces off washed kale stems. The stems are too thick to toast.
Rinse kale leaves, use a salad spinneror towel dry them really good.

                        Then place in bowl and toss with olive oil and sea salt.

Place on a baking sheet and spread them out. You do not want them on top of each other. However, they will be overlapping a bit since the leaves are curly.

                             Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Remove the crispy kale and put the softer leaves back into the oven for only a minute or two. They will cook fast. I prefer them a little softer than too crispy, You might not like that burnt taste.

Delish snack instead of an unhealthy one.

                                Even the kids will like them. Enjoy and eat right away, they do no save well.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA

PUREE THE ROASTED SQUASH WITH EGGS & SPICES

USE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

USE OVEN READY LASAGNA NOODLES

LAYER WITH COTTAGE CHEESE AND ROASTED SQUASH

TOP WITH MOZZARELLA

THE COMPLETED LASAGNA

MADE SOME MUSHROOM RISOTTO TO GO WITH IT.

SERVED WITH SAUTEED GREEN BEANS AND ALMONDS

Roasted Butternut Lasagna:

Slice and peel & de seed one large butternut squash enough to cover a large baking sheet.

drizzle olive oil,garlic powder salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. until tender.

Remove and cool

Roasted squash

2 eggs
two heaping TBSP sour cream
salt pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sage
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup cream or milk (consistency should be like a creamy soup) add water if needed to thin it a bit if it seems too thick.
layer:
Butternut mixture first then oven ready lasagna noodles (i use the whole box and break them to make them fit. one layer right to left, next layer top to bottom. so it holds the casserole together better.
and ricotta or cottage cheese (I used small curd low fat cottage cheese, the whole tub.) I would have used ricotta if I had some.
1 layer of shredded mozzarella cheese in middle
alternate layers
mozzarella over the top(fresh Parmesan would taste good too.)
bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes covered with lid or foil.
My lasagna was a little dry to make sure you have a lot of the butternut puree mixture and drizzle a couple of TBSP of water over it when you check it if it seems dry.

Process in food processor: 

In 8x8 or square casserole dish

test noodles with a knife to make sure they are done. Check it half way through the cooking time to make sure its not too dry.