Eggplant Casserole

A while ago a friend of mine , Edith , had us for dinner at her place. She made this awesome eggplant casserole. I somehow forgot to ask her for the recipe and decided to reproduce it. It didn't turn out like hers exactly but it's still very tasty!
The most difficult thing about this blog is having to give exact measurements. I usually add spices and seasoning by feeling. But from experience I know that some people can't cook if they don't have the exact amount of what they need. So whenever I want to post a recipe I have to cook in order to be able to give exact measurements. I don't complain all the extra work is worth it because I enjoy to share with you guys some of my recipes.

P.S. It's very important to soak the eggplants in water especially if you have some kidney issues. They have some sort of juice which plays the role of an irritant for the kidneys. Eggplant is a nightshade plant therefore quite acidic. To avoid the acidic effect it's necessary to soak it in cold water.

2 eggplants
4 cups tomato sauce
6 garlic cloves chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano chopped
3 sage leaves chopped
10 sprigs of rosemary  about an inch long, chopped
2 Tbsp.olive oil , extra virgin
2 Tsp. sea salt
2 cups Parmesan, shredded

Slice eggplants lengthwise and soak in cold water for an hour. In a separate bowl combine tomato sauce with fresh herbs, garlic,  salt and mix well. Put on bottom of a casserole olive oil and slices of eggplant to cover bottom, cover with tomato mixture and add another layer of eggplant, cover again with tomato sauce and so on until you finish with tomato sauce. Bake on 400F for approx. an hour or until water evaporates. Remove and add the shredded Parmesan. Bake for another 5-10 min.

Hot Dish Pie (Shepherds Pie/The Different Moussaka)

I am sure there will be controversy concerning this recipe. One will say this is some weird version of the Bulgarian/Greek Moussaka other will say , no, it's a shepherds pie. I'll call it Hot Dish Pie. As a matter of fact the name came from our friends Chuck and Joni. They are from Minnesota and people would call it there a Hot Dish :)))  I like that name, so we'll call it Hot Dish as well!!!
I know the name of the blog is healthy and tasty and some of you might disagree with me that this particular meal isn't really healthy. I would tell you that again what my naturepathic  doctor says: "Processed food, refined sugar, hydrogenated oils, high carbs diet , this is what makes us sick and causes obesity" and of course sedentary lifestyle.
This particular dish is made out of fresh ingredients. For example I get the eggs from a local guy who lives really close to our house. So every time I buy eggs from him I know they are fresh. How do I know that? Easily, if I am not there buy 2pm at the very late he's out of eggs.
The cheese I used is Gouda, completely vegetarian , gluten free. Same with the other dairies.  I am a big fan of the Kalona Supernatural  dairy products. The milk is not homogenized , pasteurized at a law temperature and it's all natural and they use organic milk. The same with their cottage cheese and sour cream. The Parmesan cheese I use for decoration is real as well. And the ground beef is good too, as long as the cow was grass fed and wasn't treated with hormones and antibiotics.  I gotta tell you that once upon I went through my phases where I was vegetarian than I switched to vegan and I can tell you, that during that time I had to fight constantly with colds and infections. As much as we don't want to admit it but proteins are essential for developing and strengthening our immune system. Anyway it may sound to you like a lecture but it's not, just sharing my opinion. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients

The pie:

1 lb ground beef
2 medium sized potatoes peeled and chopped in small pieces
1 onion chopped finely
5 baby carrots sliced
5-6 oz fresh mushrooms washed and sliced
2 cups cut frozen green beans
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
2-3 Tbsp. Spike
water
Cumin, black pepper, sweet paprika powder, cumin, thyme, sea salt.
I don't have particular measurement for these spices just put some based on your personal preference.

The crust:


3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
9 oz Gouda, shredded
some shredded Parmesan  and chopped parsley and paprika powder for arranging  


Preheat oven to 400 F. Melt the coconut oil in a skillet add ground beef, onions and spices excluding Spike. Brown meat with onions and spices and combine with the rest  of the ingredients in casserole. Add water enough to cover. Put in the oven and let it cook until water almost evaporated but there is still a little left. In bowl combine eggs and sour cream. Mix well, add 1/2 of  Gouda and spread on top of pie. Spread the rest of the cheese and bake for another 10-15 min or until crust is golden. Remove and arrange with some fresh shredded Parmesan, chopped parsley, paprika powder. Yields 4- 6 servings.Makes good leftover.


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Tikka Masala with Chicken

The first time I had this dish was approx. 2-3 years ago when my husband and I went to visit family in Louisiana. It was fun time because all of us were allowed to help under my brother-in-law's supervision. I loved the fact that John used only fresh ingredients. I love John's cooking, he is not afraid of spices and that's what it makes a meal taste good. Over time I modified the recipe and made it healthier but the flavor didn't really change. On the picture it might look like Curry Chicken but it's different flavor profile. The Masala sauce is based on onions. What they have in common though is the curry.
It's spicy so be careful with kids. Although I have to mention that my 14 months old son loved it. But knowing how much he liked the Curry Chicken this time I made enough for all of us. Still just because Junior liked it doesn't mean that your little one necessarily will.

Ingredients:

2 lbs Chicken breast cut in chunks
3 white onions
4 green onions
1 Red bell pepper
1 Yellow bell pepper
1 Green bell pepper
3 Celery stalks
2 Lemon grass sticks
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups coconut milk (the one in can)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. Tamari
5 Tbsp Curry
2-3 Tbsp. Ginger ground
2 Tbsp. Cumin ground
2 Tbsp. Black pepper
2-3 Tbsp. Chili powder
1 Tbsp. Cayenne pepper
3 Tbsp. Sour  Cream
The juice of a lime
Salt to taste
Coconut oil to brown the chicken.


Mix oyster sauce, tamari, lime juice and 1 Tbsp. curry. Marinate chicken in this mixture for up to an hour. In the mean time chop onions, green onions, bell peppers, celery stalks, lemon grass. Puree them in a food processor or blender until smooth texture. Pour in a pot with 1 tbsp. Coconut oil, tomato sauce and coconut milk. Bring to boil , reduce heat and let it simmer for an hour. In a skillet melt 3 Tbsp. coconut oil and brown the chicken in it. Remove from heat set aside until the sauce simmered for at least 30 min. Then add chicken to sauce , add spices and sour cream and let it simmer for another 30 min. Serve with Basmati rice or Quinoa and Amaranth.

Savory Gluten Free Bread

As you know I need to be on gluten free diet (although I eat gluten every so on) which means I can't eat my so beloved bread all the time. I tried Udi's gluten free rice bread but I couldn't eat it, I had to throw it in the trash. I tried to make my own gluten free bread but ended with a brick. I was doing something wrong.
Fortunately our pastor's wife, Mona, lent me her book about gluten free baking where I learned more about the art of gluten free baking. Yes, it is an art because if you skip some of the ingredients or does not contain enough moisture you'll get a bread which can cause concussion if it falls on your head. Most important , never skip xanthan gum and the starch because they are binding ingredients. In my recipe I use arrowroot which is a starch. You can use corn starch too, whichever you prefer. Concerning the flour, I like the garbanzo and fava bean flour mix. But just garbanzo flour is fine too. 

I don't have bread machine but I use the mixer. Remember that your dough shouldn't be like the one for regular bread. It's should be more like a batter. 

I got to tell you that there are very few things I don't like about America. The chocolate and the regular bread which sooo sweet. So keep in mind that my bread is NOT sweet. Though still tastes really good. You can use it pretty much for anything. I personally love it with some butter while it's still fresh and warm. And my son Christopher , loves it too.

Before I forget, if you or your kid have nut allergy , skip the almond meal. It is not essential for the bread. Just adds more protein and flavor.

That's how the dough/batter should look like

Ingredients
1 cup garbanzo and fava bean flour
1 cup quinoa floure
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup arrowroot
1/4 golden flax seed meal
3 Tbsp. almond meal
1 1/2 Tbsp. Xanthan  gum
3 Tbsp. dry active yeast (or 1 1/2  cake fresh active yeast)
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. sea salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water

In a sauce pan mix yeast with sugar and a little water and let it rise at a warm place. In bowl combine all flours with arrowroot, flax seed meal, xanthan gum and salt. In a different bowl mix eggs and water, add yeast, stir well. Add the liquid to the flour and with a mixer stir really well. The consistency is different than the one for regular bread since it's gluten free. It should be moist , a little bit thicker than the one for cake . Let it rise for 40 min. Pour in a bread loaf and bake for 30 min on 350F and then for another 10-15 min on 400F. To check if the bread is done, use tooth pick. stick it in the middle of the loaf and pull it out. If it's dry the bread is done. If not, let it bake for a little longer in the oven. Let it cool off. To preserve , keep it in the refrigerator since it contains eggs.

Salmon With Herbal Crust and Zesty Sauce

I love fish and sea food in general. I can eat it all the time. My husband on other hand eats only white , breaded fish which does not have any smell or flavor. He also calls all shell fish  "bugs". Thank God our son inherited my taste. And while he is still too young for shrimp, claims or oysters, he can have some fish once in a while. He in particular likes salmon. When I buy fish I always select the wild caught. The farm raised is usually fed with grains and treated with antibiotics. It does not sound that bad but the problem is that the grains the fish is fed with , usually contains pesticides, nitrates and most likely is GMO. I know that wild caught is more expensive, but you can find a good deal on all kind of fish if you check several different stores. For example the day before yesterday the Safeway store in Conifer had good deal on frozen wild caught Alaskan Sockeye salmon. The best price you can get though is at Har Mart in Aurora. I love this store but unfortunately I can't go there as often as I would like to since it's over 30 miles away from where I live.

Anyway,  I do the same with fruits and vegetables. Every week the different stores have sale on organic fruits and vegetables and that's how I manage to have organic food in my fridge. Granted , it's time-consuming and I as a stay-at-home mom have lots of time to make my own research and to visit different stores. Though I have one rule... I always buy organic carrots and potatoes, no matter the price.

I hope you guys like this recipe. It's one of my favorite. You can use frozen or fresh fish. If you don't have fresh herbs, use dried, it still will have lots of flavor. On the picture the fish looks like its too well done, but I like it that way. If you prefer it medium or rare just reduce cooking time. I like to serve it with steamed broccoli.The recipe yields 2 servings.


Ingredients


Fish


1 big piece of Salmon fillet which you can cut in half or two pieces
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs - sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley
2 green onions chopped
4 garlic cloves
2-3 Tbsp. coconut butter
The juice of a lime
1 Tsp. sea salt or to taste

Sauce 

1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 medium onion chopped finely
1 Tbsp. Spike
1 Tsp. lemon peel
1 -2 Tsp. black pepper
1 Tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. coconut butter
the juice of 1/2 lime
add sea salt if necessary

Preheat the oven on 400F . Melt coconut butter, add herbs, garlic, onions, garlic, lime juice and salt. Mix well. Put fish in a greased pan and cover the top with the herbal mixture. Bake for 20-30 min or until done.

In a sauce pan put coconut butter and onions.Saute until golden. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to boil , reduce heat and let it simmer for 20 min.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for another 5-10min. If sauce didn't reach the desired thickness you can add some arrowroot  or corn starch. I prefer arrowroot.
Put the fish on a plate and cover with some sauce.

Chicken And Stuff

You would probably think that the name of this recipe is strange but I never had a name for this particular one. So I asked my husband how would he call this one he said :" Oh, Chicken and stuff, I don't know" . So I thought , ok,  it's gonna be Chicken and stuff .
This is a meal I like to prepare whenever I have to make something quick for dinner. If you don't feel like chicken , you can use turkey breast.
I hope you enjoy this recipe.


Ingredients 

2 Chicken  Breasts cut in chunks like for stir fry
4 Green onions  cleaned and chopped
1 Green Bell pepper chopped

1 Red Bell pepper chopped
1 Yellow Bell pepper chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 medium potatoes peeled  cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1/2 cup Parsley
4 Garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. Oregano
1 Tbsp. Thyme
1 Tsp. Lemon Peel
Sea salt to taste


In pot put a little olive oil and a 1/2 cup water. Add chicken , cover and let it cook. Meanwhile, in a different pot add some coconut oil and fry the potatoes. You may need to do that in portions. Set aside.
Go back to the chicken and check if the water evaporated , if so , add peppers, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Let it cook for 20 min while you stir occasionally. The peppers should be soft but still crispy. Remove from heat and add oregano, thyme, lemon peel and salt. Mix well and combine with potatoes in a bowl.

Fruity Quinoa Pudding

My family does not eat desserts in general but once in while is ok. I came to this recipe on my own in search of way to make my son to eat cereal. I tried giving him oat, rice cereal but he just refused, I guess he didn't like the texture.
I personally have to be on gluten free, dairy free diet. And I am most of the time, but I have days when I indulge myself with nice bread and cheese . That's why I have all kind of gluten free flours and grains.
Being so bend on having my son eat cereal one day  I thought I can try to give him a gluten free cereal . He didn't like the texture of the grain itself but he likes apple sauce, go figure. That's how I decided to experiment with quinoa flour and apple sauce and could trick my son to eat healthy grains letting him think it's just apple sauce. I know, I know, I am snicky  but hey every mom wants the best for her baby.

Anyway, this pudding is dairy free because how I mentioned before I have to be on dairy free diet and my son isn't switched completely to dairy yet. However if you prefer a creamier texture feel free to use whole milk. For this recipe I used strawberries and blackberries since we like them most but use the kind you prefer. If the pudding is not sweet enough you can add some maple syrup or honey while the pudding is still warm.

By the way my husband liked this dessert a lot and he usually does not eat fruits. And he's the guy who thinks that if it's healthy it isn't tasty :) But over the years , actually since we've got married,
 he realized that's not necessarily true.

Ingredients
1 Cup Quinoa   flour

Use some fresh peppermint leaves to decorate.

4 cups water
4 cups apple sauce
1 cup strawberries
1 cup black berries


Stir in with a whisk quinoa flour in cold water. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium and let it thicken while stirring constantly to prevent forming of clumps. The mixture should have the consistency of white gravy , probably slightly thicker. Let it cool down and add apple sauce and berries. Mix well and disburse in small bowls. Refrigerate before serving. Yields 4-5 servings.

Curry Chicken

I love Curry! When I cook with Curry I always think that it can't be too much Curry! 

This is what I prepared for dinner last night. I just didn't make enough but who would think that my 14 months old son will love it . I had other stuff for him but when he saw us eating this meal he wanted too. I reluctantly gave him a piece since it's spicy and oh my, he loved it and wanted more. Apparently the theory that your child will like the foods mom ate during pregnancy and nursing , is true! However I strongly recommend to taste it first before you offer it to your child! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me. This recipe yields 2 servings.

Lets start. What you first need to do is marinate the chicken. 

Here is the list for all the ingredients you need to marinate the chicken.

2 Chicken breasts cut in chunks like for Stir Fry 

1/2 cup white wine

1 Tbsp. Curry

1 Tsp. Lemon Peel

1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tbsp. Tamari 

The juice of a lime

Other ingredients 

1 onion chopped finely 

1 apple shredded

2 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp. coconut butter

2 Tbsp. Curry 

1 Tbsp. Celery Salt

Marinate the chicken for an hour in the refrigerator.  In a skillet melt the coconut butter. Take the chicken out and fry it for 2-3 min on each side. But don't put the marinade , save it for later. Remove chicken and in the same skillet with the same oil stir in the onion and apple. Saute until golden. Add curry and saute for another minute. Add water, coconut milk, marinade, chicken and celery salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 30-40 min until sauce thickens. Serve with any kind of rice. 

 

Avocado soup (vegan)

I've been asked by other moms what you can do with avocado other then Guacamole. So I decided to experiment and the Avocado soup was born. The recipe allows to skip some of the ingredients in case your child still isn't introduced to some of them. The soup is not only for kids but for adults as well. My husband does not eat avocado but he loved the soup.  The soup is suitable for vegans.

One of the ingredients I really love is the coconut milk but if you don't like it you can substitute it with 1/2 cup of heavy cream. DO NOT use the garnish for your child since it's spicy. We don't want to upset these little tummies.

And before I forget, you can always cut the recipe (actually any recipe I post)  in half if you are cooking for not more than 2 people.

Ingredients

4 avocados -ripe, peeled and cut in chunks
1 onion chopped finely
4 garlic clove chopped finely
1 quart water
2-3 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup cilantro chopped finely
1-2 Tbsp. Spike
1/2 Tsp. Dill weed
Black pepper to taste
The juice of a lime

Jalapeno and Tomato Garnish
3 Jalapeno peppers
1 Tomato

Saute the onions and the garlic in the olive oil until tender and golden. Add avocados and water and bring to boil . Reduce heat and let it simmer for 20 min. Remove from heat, then puree with a blender until very smooth. Add coconut milk and let it simmer for few more minutes. Add cilantro, lime juice, spike, dill weed, pepper. Stir well and serve with the garnish on top.

For the garnish , remove all the seeds from peppers and tomato. Cut in very small pieces and mix together in a bowl. Use 1-2 Tbsp. on top of soup.

Garlic Potatoes and Broccoli

My son loves meat but he can't have it only every other day. I use this side dish for a main. I just skip the garlic part because his little tummy is still sensitive and the flavor is too intensive for him. It is very simple but simple is always good. I prefer to steam the vegetables because they don't loose their vitamins and minerals and taste fantastic.

Ingredients
1 giant potato
1 small crown broccoli
3-4 garlic cloves chopped
1 stick butter
chives

Peel and cut the potatoes in chunks and steam in a double boiler for 30 min or until done. Remove and with same water steam the broccoli for 5 min. They should be soft but crispy and still have the nice green color. When done remove and arrange next to the potatoes. In skillet melt the butter add the garlic and chives. Saute for a minute and pour the butter on the vegetables.  Serve warm. Great side dish for meats.Yields 2 servings.

The Different Meatloaf

Many people don't like meatloaf and I don't blame them since one of the main ingredients is ketchup!!! I decided to experiment a little and came with this recipe. It works with ground turkey, ground chicken, ground beef. I'll make it today with ground beef because my hubby doesn't like it so much when I use birds :))) and my son prefers beef too. We gotta keep the boys happy!

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
a handful fine chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 big carrot
1 cup fresh fine chopped mushrooms ( I like the shitake but you can use any kind you like)
1 onion
1 egg
1 Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. Organic Tamari ( I prefer the gluten free)
2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Oregano
1 Tbsp. Thyme
1/2 Tsp. Ground Rosemary
Sea Salt

Mix all ingredients together, spray the loaf pan with Pam and put the meatloaf in the pan. Bake at 400F until done. You can serve it with a side of Garlic Potatoes and broccoli.

Zucchini Crepes With Ground Beef

I've got this recipe from one of my Facebook friends who made this delicious meal for her little daughter but I can assure you it's good for adults as well. I customized it based on our personal preferences and needs.

Ingredients for the crepes 

2 zucchinis

2 eggs (free range since they are rich in Omega 3)

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup stone ground whole wheat 

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tsp. sea salt 

1 Tsp. oregano

some fresh parsley and dill

Filling 

a handful ground beef (I prefer the 80/20 but you can use any kind)

1 small shredded carrot 

3/4 cup beef broth 

some quinoa flower ( to thicken the mixture. You can also use corn starch or regular flower)

Preparation 

Wash , peel and shred the zucchinis. Squeeze all the water and set zucchini aside. In bowl mix the eggs with the milk and the salt well. Start adding slowly the flower. Stir well and add the rest of the ingredients. If it's too thick add more milk but not too much. The consistency should be like the one of a batter. Preheat a medium size skillet, add tiny little bit olive oil and pour a full dipper in the skillet spreading the batter evenly. Let it fry for couple of minutes and then with a spatula flip it over and fry on the other side. When done put it aside on a plate. Keep doing that until you are out of batter.

In a another skillet brown the ground beef , drain the grease and set aside.  Put a table spoon of olive oil in the skillet and saute the shredded carrot for 5 min. Add the beef and beef broth and let it simmer for 2-3 min. Gradually add the quinoa flower while stirring with a whisk so clumps don't build up.  Stir with a whisk until the mixture has the consistency of a Sloppy Joe. Remove from stove and let it cool off. Take a crepe, spread some of the ground beef filling and roll it up. You can serve it either warm or cold. The recipe yields approximately  5-6 crepes