Sundried Tomato Hummus

I love hummus - it's so cheap and easy and delicious. And there are so many variations in the flavor - literally endless combinations of ingredients. Anyway, I read about adding sundried tomatoes and couldn't wait to try it. They add such a great punch of flavor and color, it really was great.

makes 3-4 servings

1 can garbanzo beans (about 1 cup)
1 jar sundried tomatoes (about 1 cup)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil (I used the oil from the sun dried tomatoes for extra flavor!)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1 tsp paprika
salt to taste
parsley

Using a blender, blend beans, oil, lemon juice, garlic clove, and paprika in a bowl. Chop up the tomatoes and mix them in the mix, adding salt and fresh chopped parsley until you are satisfied with the taste.

Great with vegetables, bread or on sandwiches.

Morning Glory Muffins

adapted from Allrecipes

Now that I'm pregnant again, I've found that if I don't eat right when I start to feel hungry that I start to feel very sick. It's horrible. And not always convenient, because you can't always choose when you are able to eat. So I've had to be prepared, and make some small nutritious things to pack with me wherever I go just in case hunger strikes.

Bring on the healthy muffins!

I noticed these muffins because the recipe was interesting and had lots of fruit and veggies in them. To be honest, when I saw the range of ingredients I was a bit skeptical on how it would taste, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are sweet and soft, with a nice island flavor of coconut and pineapple.

Makes about 24 muffins

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated carrots
1 medium tart apple, peeled and grated
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained (225 g)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla and mix well. Then add carrots, apple, pineapple, coconut, rasins and nuts. Then fold in dry ingredients.

Fill greased or paper line muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 F (176 C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't undercook! Cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup

Fall is here! We had our very first cold snap of the season (complete with a mini snowstorm) and that prompted this delicious meal. The roasted peppers add a lot of flavor and this has tons of ingredients that I usually have around the house. Not only is this very healthy, but if you use soymilk instead of milk it can be completely vegan. Bring on the cold!

Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped
10 carrots, sliced thin
2 cups vegetable stock
2 red bell peppers
2 cups milk
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
pepper

Place onion and carrots into a pot with water or stock and simmer, covered, over medium heat until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork. (about 20 minutes)

Roast bell peppers by placing them over an open gas flame or directly under the broiler until the skin is completely blackened. Place in a bowl, cover, and let stand for about 15 minutes. Once the peppers cool, slip the charred skin off with your fingers, then cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.
Blend the carrot mixture along with the bell peppers in a blender in small batches. (Be very careful blending hot liquids!) Add some milk to aid the blending. Return soup to the pot and add in lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Heat until steamy and serve warm with fresh bread. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken

adapted slightly from Heat Oven to 350

It's so easy to get in a cooking rut. I looked at our menu last week and realized we had been eating meatballs and sandwiches for almost every meal and so I decided to try something new. This was a great meal; a healthy and delicious twist on the asian classic. I loved the tangy sauce and it was even better the next day! Feel free to experiment with different vegetables.

Serves 4-6

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

8 1/2 ounce pineapple chunks in their own juice

1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce (I used lingonberry jam)

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar

2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate (I used regular orange juice + 1/2 tsp orange concentrate)

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 medium zucchini, cut into thin slices

Heat the oven to 350 degrees (176 C). Pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, place them in a medium sized baking pan and set aside.

Drain juice from pinapple into a small saucepan and set pineapple asie. Put pan over medium heat and whisk in cranberry sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, orange juice concentrate soy sauce and ginger. Cook, stirring often until the cranberry sauce has melted and the sauce is warm. Put cornstarch in a cup or small bowl. Add water, whisking to dissolve. Whisk into juice mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for about 3 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add pineapple chunks and pour over chicken.

Bake, covered for 35 minutes. Add bell pepper and zucchini and baste the chicken with sauce. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Angel Food Cake

adapted slightly from allrecipes

In Ben's family, the traditional birthday cake is a light fluffy cake with whipped cream and strawberries. Where my first instinct is to choose the darkest, densest chocolate cake possible, I have become fully converted to this lovely, chocolate-free treat. It is so light, and you feel so good after eating it! Anyway, this recipe was excellent and it turned out beautifully.

serves 20

12 eggs (1 1/2 cup egg whites)
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar*

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C). Separate eggs; discard yolks. Place 1 1/2 cup egg whites in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (room temperature eggs whip better)

Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together and set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon batter into an ungreased 10 inche tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 F (176 C) for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan, cool completely before removing cake.

nutritional analysis: each serving (1/20 of the cake) is about 100 calories (before toppings)

*I can not for the life of me find cream of tartar here in Europe. I'm sure they have it somewhere, but it's under a different name or something and I'm sick of trying to describe it in broken German to the salesperson. Anyway, if you don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Lime Chicken Soup

Adapted from Sea Salt with Food

This soup was so light and fresh tasting. An amazing soup if you are on a diet but want something special and filling. This will be a soup I'm going to make again and again!

Serves 6

For the Broth

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

8 cups chicken broth

2 limes, juiced

salt

1/2 cup rice

For the Garnish

2-3 tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 small cucumber, diced

2 jalepeno chilies, minced

4 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp salt

2-3 limes, cut into wedges

Bring the chicken broth to a boil, add rice, chicken, salt and lime juice and reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, chop up your garnish ingredients and mix together in a bowl.

Once the broth is done, ladle it into serving bowls and spoon a generous 1/2 cup of garnish on top. Season with lime wedges and top with cilantro.

Summer Peach Salad

I look forward to the day when you walk into a grocery store and peaches are on sale. I end up buying so many that peaches are part of every meal in order to eat them all before they spoil. This is an easy, versatile salad and a delicious way to say goodbye to summer.

Salad

3-4 large peaches, sliced

3-4 tomatoes, chopped and seeded

salad greens

mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup nuts

Fruity Vinaigrette

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp mustard

2 tsp honey

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp poppy seeds

Chop up lettuce or other salad greens and put in a large bowl. Chop peaches and tomatoes, and add them to the bowl and toss. Grate mozzarella on top and garnish with nuts. Mix vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl and serve on the side.

Pineapple Black Bean Salsa

In an effort to eat a little healthier, I made this salsa to bring to a world cup party with some friends. It was great, spicy and sweet from the pineapple and combined with the salty chips it was wonderful.

1 cup pineapple, chopped into chunks

1 bell pepper, chopped roughly

1/2 red onion, finely minced

1-3 jalapeño, minced (Add according to your heat preference. Removing the seeds keeps it mild)

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup corn

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice if using canned pineapple)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp ground chili

1/8 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Chop and combine all ingredients in a large bowl. I find that making it a few hours in advance helps the flavors to mingle a little better. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use. Serve with tortilla chips.

Carrot Salad

From Kari and Emmi Koivisto

Ok, this recipe is so simple, but I thought it deserved a post.

I love carrots, but had never enjoyed them like this before:

Finely grated, with pineapple, raisins or great with salad dressing.

Grating the carrots really brings out their sweet, juicy flavor. It is a perfect side dish for those nights where you don't have time to put a lot of time into dinner, but still want something healthy and delicious.

serves 4

5-6 large carrots

pineapple (or raisins)

Peel the carrots and finely grate them into a bowl. Toss in the pineapple (or raisins. or both) and serve.

White Bean and Lentil Stew

Adapted from Dana Treat

This was a great stew. It's vegan and healthy and so tasty. Pour it on top of brown rice and be prepared to feel good about your diet.

Olive oil

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup dried lentils

1 15-oz (about 425 grams) garbanzo or white beans, rinsed and drained

3 carrots, peeled and chopped into matchsticks

1 Tbsp dried parsley

10 oz (about 275 grams) spinach

1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped

Lemon wedges

salt and pepper (to taste)

Heat a large pot, add oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft. Add tomato paste and spices and keep stirring until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in broth, water and lentils and increase the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for about 15 minutes (or once the lentils are almost tender).

Add garbanzo beans, carrots, cabbage and parsley. Cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender. Stir in spinach slowly and allow for it to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls of rice and garnish with parsley and lemon.

Sweet and Sour Green Beans and Onions

adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 Tbsp butter

2-3 large red onions

1 chili pepper (1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper)

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Steam beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Melt butter in a lager heavy skillet at hight heat. Peel the onion, chop in half and chop again lengthwise leaving you with larger pieces of onion. Saute until onions begin to soften (3-4 minutes). Add vinegar and sugar and stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add in beans; toss to coat and heat through, about 1 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Hearty Cabbage Soup

Adapted from Cate's World Kitchen

Cabbage soup is the ultimate diet food. It is filling and cheap and low in calories. The potatoes and beans add a little more heft, but still this is a great way to stick to those new year's resolutions. My estimate is about 200 calories per bowl.

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, medium

3 potatoes, diced

4 cups stock

salt

pepper

1 cup pinto beans

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced

3 carrots, julienned

1 tsp parsley

grated parmesan for a garnish (omit for vegan)

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are soft. Add the potatoes and 2 cups of stock along with a little salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Once potatoes are very tender, carefully puree with and immersion blender until very smooth. (You may want to let the soup cool a bit!) Add 2 cups of stock and stir in cabbage, beans, parsley and carrots and bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.

Serve hot and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Pomegranate and Feta Salad

adapted from Gimme Some Oven

This salad was just gorgeous! The cinnamon in the dressing combined with the bright colors made it perfect for the Christmas season.

6-7 cups spinach (or other green salad)

seeds from one pomegranate

1/2 cup pecans, candied

1/2 cup crumbled Feta

Dressing:

6 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp apple vinegar

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients. Mix together dressing ingredients and serve on the side.

Persimmon and Pear Salad

I had never really tried Persimmons before, but a lady in our ward gave us some so I had to find a recipe to use them in. Persimmons are great, I can't believe it took me 26 years to actually try one. We will definitely be eating them again soon.

Lettuce

1 cup pecans, candied (1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp butter)

1/2 cup swiss cheese, grated

2-3 ripe persimmons

2-3 ripe pears

Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp orange marmalade

1 tsp oil

sesame seeds

salt

pepper

Chop and wash lettuce. In a frying pan, heat butter and toast the pecans with sugar and salt until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Peel the pears and persimmons and chop them into chunks. Combine all salad ingredients. To make the dressing, mix all ingredients until well blended.

Carrot and Molasses Muffins

from Mom

This is a very wholesome muffin. I grew up eating them, so I am used to the flavor, but Ben said they have a decidedly "healthy" taste... I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not, but if you put a little butter and honey on them I think they are fabulous.

1 slightly beaten egg

1 cup bran cereal

2 medium carrots, grated

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup tomato juice

1/2 up molasses

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup rasins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 (204 C). Combine the egg, bran, carrots, yogurt, tomato juice, molasses and oil and let sit for 10 minutes until the bran cereal is soft. Mix well. Then add the flour and baking soda and spoon into a prepared muffin tin. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes.

Roasted Garlic Vegetables

adapted from please pass the pie

In my effort to someday fit comfortably in my pre-pregnancy jeans I have started cooking a virtually all vegetable diet. I tried this recipe for roasting them and was blown away by the flavor. In reality, any combination of vegetables would work well so feel free to alter the ingredients.

1/2 lb potatoes, chopped into large wedges

3-4 carrots, chopped into large bits

1 medium onion, sliced into rings

1 stalk broccoli, chopped

1 head cauliflower, chopped

5 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp pepper, divided

5 cloves garlic (listed above)

2 Tbsp vinegar

2 tsp dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400 (204 C). Whisk together 2 Tbsp oil with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Toss the vegetables in the oil mixture and spread out on a baking sheet. Take the 7 cloves of garlic, still wrapped in the papery skin and place them on top. Bake for 35 minutes.

In the meantime, assemble the rest of the oil, salt and pepper with vinegar and mustard. After the 35 minutes are up, put the vegetables in a bowl, remove the garlic, take off the skin and put the now soft pulpy center in the small bowl with the vinegar/mustard mix. Blend the mixture until it is smooth and pour the contents over the vegetables. Toss to coat evenly and serve warm.

Roasted Carrot Soup

Adapted from My Man's Belly

This is a great fall soup that is light on calories but heavy with flavor. Ben was skeptical while I was cooking (he said it looked like baby food...) but after trying it he agreed that it was quite good, a perfect soup for a cold blustery day.

1 lb carrots

4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

olive oil

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 Tbps fresh ginger, grated

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

salt and pepper to taste

Feta cheese, walnuts, cranberries or croutons to garnish

Milk (optional, to thin out soup)

Preheat oven to 400 (204 C)

Place carrots, apples and onion on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

Remove carrots, apples and onion from the oven and put into a large pot, including any oil from the baking sheet. Add garlic, ginger and salt, saute for several minutes then add chicken stock and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Transfer contents of the pot into a blender (or use immersion blender) and puree until smooth. Be VERY careful blending hot liquids. Add milk or chicken stock to thin out soup to a desired consistency (Ben said it looked like baby food before thinning it out).

Ladle into bowls and garnish with Feta, walnuts, croutons or dried cranberries.

PF Changs style Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from PF Changs

Ben and I first tried these lettuce wraps on a date, and we were hooked! Being students we couldn't afford to go out every time we had a hankering for them so we learned to make it ourselves through trial and error. The chicken has great flavor, the dipping sauce is hot and spicy and it is a great contrast to the cool, crisp lettuce leaves.

3-4 chicken breasts, diced into small pieces

1 cup water chestnuts, diced

green onion, diced

mushrooms, diced

2-3 chilies (optional, depending on how hot you like it)

oil

2-3 Tbsp soy sauce

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1 head iceburg lettuce

rice

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

4 Tbsp soy

4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

4 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp oil

Hot chinese mustard and chili paste to taste

Carefully peel off individual leaves of lettuce from the head, wash and place in the fridge to chill. Chop up and combine the chicken, water chestnuts, onion, mushrooms and chilies. Heat the oil on the wok and once hot, stir fry chicken mixture together.

In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for the dipping sauce and mix well.

Eat by spooning the chicken into lettuce cups with a little dipping sauce, wrap it up and enjoy!

Baked Tilapia Salad with Thai Peanut Sauce

adapted from Danica's Daily

This salad was so good. The dressing was a snap to put together and the next day Ben was asking if we had any leftover.

Serves 2-3

Salad Ingredients

2-3 tilapia filets (or other white fish)

Lettuce or other leafy greens

2-3 carrots, peeled and julienned

1 red pepper, diced

mushrooms (optional) chopped

tomatoes (optional) chopped

Thai Peanut Sauce (makes 1 cup)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp white sugar

4 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp chili sauce, or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Heat peanut sauce in a sauce pan on low and stir 5 minutes until peanut butter is smooth and creamy. Let cool.

If using frozen fish; defrost, rinse, and pat dry. Place in a baking dish and marinate in 1/2 cup of the sauce. Make sure all of the fish gets covered. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to several hours. Meanwhile, tear lettuce and prepare and combine vegetables for salad.

Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350, or until flaky and cooked through. You can also wrap filets in foil and grill for 4-5 minutes each side.

Serve salad with peanut sauce on the side. Place fish atop and serve. Great with rice.

Light Banana Nut Muffins

I haven't been in the mood to eat bananas lately and as a result I keep getting lovely black ones by the end of the week. I've been looking for some ways to use them, but it seems that so many banana bread recipes use a ton of sugar and white flour, which diminishes the healthy quality that I'm looking for. Anyway, these were easy and tasted quite good, especially with the nuts on top.

3 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

3-4 ripe bananas

1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened if possible)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup white flour

1 Tbsp flaxseed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a muffin tin or line with paper cups. In a medium bowl, mash together applesauce, vanilla and bananas, then fold in egg whites. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, oats, salt, sugar, flaxseed, baking soda, spices, and about 1/4 cup of nuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin and sprinkle remaining nuts on top of muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.