2012 Garden Plan

I was raised in Wyoming by parents who cared deeply about every bite I put in my mouth.  My mom cooked three meals a day and worked tirelessly every summer in her garden to put fresh fruit and vegetables on our plate all year round.  My dad purchased free range cattle and pig so we'd always know the source of our meat. Of course, as a child, I had no idea how good I had it. 

It wasn't until I had my own children, particularly a child with severe food allergies (allergies so severe I became an obsessive label reader), that I realized how unhealthy the average American diet really is.  The typical American diet is riddled with chemicals, pesticides, and preservatives and, like my own parents, I began to care deeply about every bite I put into my children's mouths.  

Unfortunately, I don't have as much space living in a city to grow a garden like my mom's, but I'm determined to learn and make the most of what I have. I will grow as possible from my garden and supplement with purchases at the Farmer's Market.

Here is my 2012 Garden plan.

Stay tuned for a tutorial on DIY garden boxes.......

Asian Sauteed Kale

Getting my son to eat his greens requires an act of a God.

And when I say God, I mean Soy Sauce.


RJ:  Mom, can I be Asian?

Me: No

RJ:  Can I be half Asian?

Me:  No

RJ:  Not even a little bit Asian?

Me:  No

RJ:  Can we have Chinese for dinner then?

Me:  No.  I have no money.

RJ:  Fine, can we go out for Mexican then? Because that's your favorite.

Me:  No.  I still have no money.

RJ:  We can't go to ANY restaurants?

Me:  No.  No money = no restaurants.

RJ:  Fine.  What are you cooking then?  Can we have Soy Sauce? 

And then the clouds parted.

And unicorns jumped over the rainbow.

And Soy Sauce met kale.

And it was love at first sight.

And RJ ate his greens!!!!!!


Asian Sauteed Kale

2-3 side servings

 8 cups of kale, pulled off the stem and chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, diced or thin sliced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter, whatever brand is safe for you
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Salt/Pepper (to taste)



Instructions


* Start with a large pan.  This is important because you'll need to load the pan to get enough wilted greens.

* Heat your saute pan on medium with the olive oil, butter, and soy sauce.

* Add Garlic. WARNING:  Garlic burns quickly so be careful!

* Immediately add the kale and salt/pepper.

 
* Saute while stirring constantly and voila! you have kale that even an eight year old will eat!!!  I imagine this will work with aparagus, spinich, maybe even brussel sprouts.  YUM!!!!

  
ENJOY!!!  ♥♥♥

Easy Black Bean Burritos

Mango Salsa's best friend (well, vegan best friend anyway).  High in protein, complex carbs, fruit and veggies.  This meal takes about 10 minutes to prepare, which is why this recipe hits our table every Tuesday evening (my school, kid's school, homework, daughter's volleyball games, son's football games..!!!!).

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 cup salsa (fresh or jarred)
• 1/2 cup Tofutti soy cream cheese (optional, of course, but we like it!)

Directions

• In large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until heated thoroughly.
• Pour mixture into warm tortillas, roll up, and serve.
• Garnish with Mango Salsa (see my recipe), Avocado, and a side of rice

Mango Salsa

Salsas are a main staple in our house.  Not only do we love to smother or dip everything we eat in some sort of sauce, but it's an excellent way to sneak additional fruit and veggies into our diets.   Unfortunately, I have found very few jarred salsas that I would even consider serving on my table, and there really should be no reason for anyone to resort to a jarred salsa when making one is so easy. 

Ingredients

• 2 fresh mangos, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2/3 cup diced red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon organic sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-light olive oil (the darker OO's change the flavor)

Directions

• In a glass bowl, combine everything and stir.  Cover and chill 30 minutes.

QUICK TIP:  I always prefer frest fruit.  However, if mangos are out-of-season or I'm short on time, I use the jarred Del Monte Mango or Tropical Fruit mix found in the produce aisle.  They both taste amazing in this recipe!  Just be sure to drain them before mixing with the other ingredients. 

SERVING IDEAS:  Salmon fillets (grilled or baked), Shrimp Tacos, Grilled Chicken, Tuna Steaks.  I serve one of these proteins, a side of brown rice, and steamed asparagus.

Creamy Enchiladas

Although Chicken is our favorite, I have made these enchiladas using every kind of protein possible - black beans, shredded pork, chicken, even ground buffalo (my son is allergic to beef) and it turns out yummy every time.  Serve these enchiladas with lettuce, chopped tomato, avocado, guacamole, and some salsa.  YUMMY!

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie chickens from Costco make this a super fast recipe)
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 7 oz. can green chilis, chopped
• 1 8 oz. tub Tofutti brand soy cream cheese
• 2 10 oz cans enchilada sauce (we prefer green, but red works great too!)
• Flour tortillas

 Directions

1. Saute white onion in oil until translucent (but not brown)
2. Add chicken, green chilis, and cream cheese
3. Stir until cream cheese is melted
4. Oil baking dish (just a little to prevent sticking)
5. Roll mixture into tortillas and place seam-side down in 9X13 baking dish
6. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas
7. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes (or until heated through)

Pasta with Garden Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs

If you are looking for something to create with all those ripe garden tomatoes (in my case, over-ripe tomatoes), look no further!  One of our family favorites, this sauce is made with fresh tomatoes, chopped garlic, and herbs.  It truly is good enough to drink, but we pour it over whole wheat penne and a side of steamed broccoli.  Delish!

Pasta with Garden Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs

Ingredients

• 3-4 strips bacon or ground italian sausage
• 1 Tablespoon safe butter
• 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped or sliced
• 3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped (we use whatever variety we have on hand)
• 1/2 cup torn or chiffanaded basil (again, we use whatever combination of herbs are ready in the garden, such as basil, rosemary, chives, oregano)
• Salt and pepper to taste
•  Pasta of your choice

Directions

• Pan fry bacon or sausage on medium heat until cooked thoroughly.  Drain oil off, but leave bacon in the pan.
• Melt 1 tablespoon safe butter in the pan with the bacon.
• Add the garlic.  When garlic softens, add chopped tomatoes.
• Add basil.  Squash down tomatoes with a spoon or potato masher, lower heat.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste
• Cook the pasta
• Drop some more butter onto the pasta, mix to coat
• Top with Sauce

SUGGESTIONS: 

*Feta Cheese is so yummy on top (and easy to add for the dairy-loving family members)!

*For a vegan version, eliminate bacon and substitute with a can of canneloni beans or similar.

*Drizzle pasta with balsamic vinegar.

Dairy-free Sweetened Condensed Milk

Ingredients:

• 2 cups soy milk
• 1 ¾ cups brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch

Directions:

1. Measure the corn starch into a small glass or measuring cup.
2. Add 2-3 Tbsp. of the soy milk and whisk with a small whisk or fork until smooth.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining soy milk and brown sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch-soy milk mixture.
4. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until thick.

Vegan Carmel Apples

 Vegan Caramel Apple Recipe (Suite101.com)

Ingredients:

• 10 medium organic apples, red or green; preferably a more tart variety like Granny Smith
• 1 recipe vegan caramel sauce (follows)
• 10 wooden sticks (Popsicle sticks)
• Cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, or melted vegan chocolate (optional)
• Waxed paper or a cookie sheet, greased with a touch of vegan margarine

Directions:

1. Insert a wooden stick into the top of each apple
2. If caramel has cooled / hardened, heat over low-medium heat until just melted but still thick.
3. Working with one apple at a time, dip each apple into the caramel sauce, turning to coat.
4. Roll each apple in cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, or drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.
5. Place the apple onto the wax paper or cookie sheet to cool and set.

Vegan Caramel Sauce Recipe

To make a thinner, saucier caramel sauce, reduce the condensed milk to ¼ cup or omit altogether.
Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegan stick margarine
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup vegan sweetened condensed milk (purchased or homemade. For recipe, see below)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt margarine.
2. Stir in sugar and corn syrup.
3. Bring to the boil and stir in condensed milk, if using.
4. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until boiled and thickened.

Vegan Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups soy milk
• 1 ¾ cups brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch

Directions:

1. Measure the corn starch into a small glass or measuring cup.
2. Add 2-3 Tbsp. of the soy milk and whisk with a small whisk or fork until smooth.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining soy milk and brown sugar. Whisk in the cornstarch-soy milk mixture.
4. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly until thick.

Power Oatmeal

An allergy-friendly diet can often result in a low-calorie diet. Trying to keep weight on my son has been an ongoing challenge. Not only do babies and children need healthy fats in their diet for proper body and brain development, but I've discovered my teenage daughter needs healthy fats in her diet to sustain her through her rigorous sports programs and I need it to keep my energy level up to meet the challenges of it all. Therefore, I try to make the most of every bite that goes into our mouths. This oatmeal is a typical breakfast in our house.  Changing up the fruit (fresh and dried) keeps the breakfast interesting for the kids.

OATMEAL

Cook regular oatmeal or steel cut oats according to directions (call me crazy, but I'm suspicious of anything that says "quick cook" on the packaging.  I read somewhere that anything quick cook - rice, oatmeal, etc.. - has already been depleted of vital nutrients in order to make it more convenient for the consumer so I avoid it for my own peace of mind).

After the oatmeal has been cooked, add:

• 1 pat of *safe* butter
• 1 spoonful organic coconut oil
• Fruit (strawberries, rasberries peaches, blueberries, blackberries, mango, raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, etc...)
• Coconut Flakes
• Cinnamon
• Sweetener of choice
• *Safe* milk
• Pecans, Almonds, Granola (see recipe for coconut granola)

 *For added nutrition, I will sprinkle in some ground flax seed.  If you choose to do this, be sure to add ground flax after you cook the otameal in order to preserve the Omega-3 in the seed.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nobody will ever know these cookies are vegan!  Anyone who has tried them is shocked when I reveal they contain absolutely no dairy or eggs.  An added bonus?  Without dairy and eggs, these cookies are lower calorie as well (at least that's what I tell myself as I'm eating my 8th one in a row).  =)


Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup "safe" butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup *safe* milk (we use original Soy Silk)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
12 oz. *safe* chocolate chips.  See notes.

NOTE:  For dairy-free chocolate chips, we use Guittard (Walmart, Smiths, Albertsons) or SunSpire (health food stores).  Ghirardelli semi-sweet is dairy-free, but shares equiptment with dairy products in the processing plant.

1. Preheat over to 350 F
2. Cream butter and sugars till light and fluffy.  Slowly add milk, cream well, then add vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, then fold in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8-10 minutes
5. Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness and avoid cookies drying out

YUMMY!

Coconut Granola

I can't believe people pay $5 or $6 for those little bags of granola they sell at the grocery store! If you know how to turn the oven on, use a measuring cup and a mixing spoon, then you can make it yourself for just pennies.

This cranberry-coconut-sunflower seed combination is one of my favourites, but obviously granola is endlessly flexible, so feel free to use whatever you'd like. I think any kind of nut, seed, or dried fruit would taste yummy in granola. I think for my next batch I'm going to try a coconut-apricot-almond combo.


One word of advice: it really is important to stick around the kitchen while the granola is baking and stir it every few minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time the granola can go from toasted to burnt in just seconds! But it makes your house smell great, so it's worth the stirring.
 
Coconut Granola
 
1/4 c. oil
pinch of salt
1/4 c. apple juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 cups rolled oats (regular or quick, not instant or steel cut)
1 c. coconut flakes
1 c. sunflower seeds
zest of one orange
2/3 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except the cranberries, and mix thouroughly in a large mixing bowl. Spread over a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes for the first 15 minutes or so, and then watch carefully for the last 5. When it is a little lighter than you think it should be, it's done. (The mixture is extremely hot, so it will continute to darken even after you take it out of the oven.) Stir in the dried cranberries, and store in jars after the granola has cooled completely.

Enjoy!

Lessons I Learned The Hard Way, #1

As the temperatures are changing and weather is getting cooler, cold and flu season will be here before we know it.  I remember a time when I took my 2-year old son, RJ, to the doctor for a sinus infection.  It was a Friday afternoon and we were the last appointment of the day.  I picked up the prescription and raced home to give my son his first dose.  As I pulled the "creamy" liquid into the syringe, it suddenly dawned on me that I should check the ingredients for dairy.  Sure enough, the prescription contained a dairy base.  While our pediatrician was willing to write a different prescription, all of the manufacturer's offices were now closed for the weekend and we would have to wait until Monday to obtain necessary ingredient lists. 

By mid-weekend, our son's sinus infection began to rage out of control.  He had a fever of 106 and a CT Scan revealed the infection had spread to his eyes, bones in his face, and was within milimeters of his brain.  He was admitted immediately to the hospital where it took 2 hrs to start the i.v. that would pump antibiotics into his system for the next 8 days. 

There is a reason I am telling you this story.....

If your child is anaphylactic to dairy or egg, it is vital - A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH - that you call the manufacturers of Tamiflu, Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Zythromax, Biaxin (drug of choice for pneumonia) and get a "safe" list of medications that your child can take BEFORE YOUR CHILD IS SICK! 

Go now!  Don't wait!

Basic Cream O' ______ Soup

As a girl, I seem to remember that all things yummy began with a single can of cream o' mushroom or cream o' chicken soup.  I can still remember how much my little belly LOVED my mom's creamy enchiladas, green bean casserole, tuna casserole, homemade chicken pot pie, or chicken with noodles.  So, of course I wanted to feed my own children's little bellies these yummy dishes as well.  With a little bit of determination and a whole lot of Google Search Engine, I found this recipe for basic cream soups.

By the way, I would love to give credit to whomever created this recipe, but I wrote it down by hand many years ago and can't seem to find it.  So, whoever you are, thank you so very much for the base ingredient of so many great meals.

BASIC CREAM SOUP

• Melt 3 Tablespoons "safe" margerine in a sauce pan. 
• Blend in 3 Tablespoons Flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Cook and stir until bubbly.
• Using wire whisk, stir in one cup of "safe" milk, stock, or combination (I have used both soy and rice milk.  Both work great.  It just depends on your personl taste)
• Cook just until smooth and thick.
• Makes slightly over 1 cup and is the same as a 10 oz. can of undiluted condensed soup.

OPTIONS:

Cream of Chicken:  Use chicken broth or "safe" bouillon as half the liquid.  Add 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning and some diced chicken (I buy the rotisserie chickens from Costco).

Cream of Mushroom:  Saute 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms and 1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion in "safe" margerine before adding the flour.  (I have also used the canned mushrooms in a hurry and they work great).

Cream of Celery:  See mushroom recipe, but use 1/2 cup of celery instead of mushrooms.

You can vary the flavor by adding curry powder, garlic, onion, celery, salt, lemon juice, chili powder, parsley, chopped veggies, chives, etc...

QUICK TIP:   This soup freezes very well.  I whip up a huge batch every so often and freeze in glass jars.  Just thaw in a pan of warm water when needed for a recipe! Very convenient!

Lasagna

Ah, yes, Lasagna... perhaps the most anxiety-filled dish for vegans, dairy-allergy, and egg-allergy sufferers alike.  Well, prepare right now to have your socks knocked off!  Even my meat and dairy-loving parents from Wyoming asked me for this recipe after I made it during one their [Suprise! We're in town!] visits.

This dish can be made vegan, or not, depending on your food preference.  Serve it with a mixed green salad, side of steamed broccoli, and some garlic bread.  Yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds Firm Tofu
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
2 Tablespoons fresh minced basil (I add twice this amount because I'm a basil fanatic!)
Lasagna Noodles
1 jar Italian-style tomato sauce (your favorite spaghetti sauce)

OPTIONAL:  1 regular size roll of Jimmy Dean All-Natural sausage (no nitrates or preservatives!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. If making a meat version, fry the Jimmy Dean sausage until cooked.  Combine with the tomato sauce and simmer while putting together your other ingredients.
2. Press Tofu to remove excess water by wrapping in a clean towel and placing a heavy pan on top for 10 to 15 minutes.  After pressed, combine with oil, lemon juice, salt, oregano, and basil.  Smash with a potato masher.
3. Lightly oil casserole pan.  Cover bottom of dish with a little sauce to prevent noodles from sticking.  Layer the noodles, sauce, and tofu mixture.  Continue the layering process until ingredients are gone.  Make sure you end with the tomato sauce mixture on top.
4. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes uncovered.  Bake @ 350 degrees.

Frosting

I've already received several requests for the frosting that will accompany those beautiful cupcakes. 

Hold on to your hat folks!....In order to save time (as well as keep a stash in the pantry for last minute invites), I turn to Pillsbury and Duncan Hines ready-made frostings. 

I should note:  Pillsbury is my usual go-to-frosting because it's always dairy-free (even the Cream Cheese version!).  However, Duncan Hines goes back and forth.  They were dairy-free, then they weren't, and now they are going back to dairy-free again.  So, you have to really watch your labels because it could change each time you go to the store.