Tag Archives: recipes

Healthy November: Wheat Free Recipes

Don’t these look delish? 😉

I’m not gluten-intolerant but I know a LOT of people are.

Happy (Gluten-Free) Cooking! G

Autumn Hot Drinks

Don’t these look yummy?

What is your fav autumn “warm up” drink?

Mine is hot chocolate with all the fixins’. 😉

Hope you’re having a great week . Hugs, G

Root Veggies! Don’t Ya Just ♥ Them? ;-)

Autumn root vegetables

I SURE DO!!! 😉

And here are some of my fav ways to prepare and serve these oh,so yummy “gems” from the fall harvest! 

DSCN0899

Sam’s Famous Carrot Cake with My (NOT Too Sweet) Cream Cheese Icing

My favorite cake, no contest!

Russian Beet Borscht

Just add dark rye bread and you’re good to go! 😉

Bubbies SAUERKRAUT

German Sauerkraut Feast 

One of my fav slow cooker recipes from the Groovy Green Kitchen I.

I make this one a lot. Quick to prepare, hearty and delicious. 

And, it includes: onions, garlic and potatoes: all fav rooties! 🙂

Kasha and Beet Salad with Celery and Feta (page 92)

Kasha and Beet Salad with Celery and Feta

A delish and elegant salad; brimming with flavor!

Sweet Potato Lasagna

A twist on traditional lasagna, again from the slow cooker. Hearty and delish!

HAPPY COOKING and AUTUMN!

Harvest vegetable photo, courtesy of FLICKR

Do You ♥ MRS. Dash BUT Want Organic?

mrs dash cropped

I have been using Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend for many years, including adding this blend to numerous recipes in my:

Groovy Green Kitchen cookbooks,

Weeknight Veggie Slow Cooker (Volume 1) 

and  

Simply, Super, Supper Soups (Volume 2) 

It is a versatile, basic seasoning blend that worked well in a number or recipes.

Unfortunately, it is NOT organic and for me, that was definitely a negative, when it came to using Mrs. Dash.

I have been looking for a GOOD alternative that was ORGANIC for a long time and recently I finally found it! 🙂

Splendor Garden

is a herb and spice company based in Saskatchewan, Canada where I also grew up!

Stop by their site to check out all their certified organic herbs and spices and other fine culinary products. Also, where to buy in your area or online, see the store location and contact pages.  

I  just ♥ browsing their site!

So many culinary goodies to choose from and ones that I can REALLY feel good about using too. 😉

And, as far as a perfect ORGANIC substitute for Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend, I like:

Garlic Herb Seasoning BagGarlic Herb Seasoning

 Splendor Garden Garlic Herb Seasoning SF (salt free)

It is VERY similar to Mrs. Dash in flavor, color and texture and best of all, all organic ingredients!

Can you tell I’m pumped about finding out about this company? 😉 I really am!

I’ve also tried and enjoyed their: Vegetable Seasoning, All Purpose Seasoning SF and Lemon Pepper Seasoning, so far.

Lemon Pepper BagLemon Pepper Seasoning

Loved them all too, especially the Lemon Pepper Seasoning.

It has a nice “zing” to it and adds a fresh, slightly citrus note to all kinds of savory recipes. 

I recently tried the Lemon Pepper Seasoning in my Tangy Barley Buttermilk Soup recipe and it worked great!

BARLEY BUTTERMILK GGK 2

This easy, oh-so-satisfying soup recipe is featured in the:

GGK II cover (front )

The Groovy Green Kitchen: Simply, Super, Supper Soups,

my new soup cookbook and also in this previous recipe post.

I added some to the soup when it was cooking and also a sprinkle over each serving to add color, just before serving.

Yummy, tummy-satisfying good! 🙂

Happy (ORGANIC and HEALTHY) Cooking! 

Simply, Super, Summer Salads!

“Salad Season” is definitely here again! 😉

Thought this would be a good time to share this recipe post again from the Veggies…archives, featuring 4 of my all-time fav salads.

What is your favorite salad?

Happy Cooking and Weekend! G

VEGGIES, YARNS & TAILS

For me when it comes to food, nothing says SUMMER like a beautiful, fresh SALAD! 🙂

Here are some of my fav salads from the Veggie archives.

Hope you enjoy one or all of them soon.

spinach and mushroom salad

Spinach and Mushroom Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

(this post includes some handy tips for salad do’s and don’ts)

coconut rice salad

Coconut Cashew Rice Salad

(a winner in one of my recipe contests! so delish)

dilly-potato

Dilly Potato Salad

(if you like fresh dill, try this one for sure) 

Kasha and Beet Saladwith Celery and Feta (page 92)

Kasha and Beet Salad with Celery and Feta

(from a recent post, in case you missed it. I  this salad!)

What is your favorite summer salad/food/recipe?

If you can, do share a link.

Happy Summer, it’s almost here! 🙂

View original post

Raw Kale & Radish Pesto with Zucchini Noodles

Are you a fan of KALE?

Can’t say that I have been to date, 😉 in spite of liking almost every other kind of veggie there is!

But this post over at Girl Eats Greens grabbed my attention today, as I browsed the WP Reader.

Looks so yummy and healthy too. 🙂

Happy Eating and Week! G

Girl Eats Greens

One of my favorite things about spring turning into summer is all the deliciousness that continues to show up at my local farmer’s market. While I don’t buy all my groceries there, I do spend time every Sunday walking along with my pup and seeing what’s new to the market. What I’ve seen a lot lately? Fiddleheads. I have no idea what to do with them. But I’m dying to try them. I also stumbled upon a bunch of bright red radishes.

Raw Kale Radish Pesto with Zucchini Noodles Vegan Vegetarian Gluten Free Girl Eats Greens_0011

Growing up, I was never a fan of radishes, I thought they were too bitter. But as I’m getting older I think a lot of it had to do with the preparation of the radishes. As in, there wasn’t any. I was handed a whole radish to pop into dill dip. Radishes can have a pretty strong flavor – but if you break them down, thinly slice or…

View original post 511 more words

Chickpeas: What’s Not to ♥ ♥ ??

I’m a big fan of chickpeas.

I use them in all kinds of recipes: soups, stews, curries, hummus…

their nutty rich flavor and the unique texture they add to dishes too.

And they are sooooooo good for us! 😉

There are many health benefits derived from eating chickpeas, you can read more about that here and here. 

Slow Cooker Veggie Curry

And to add to this week’s snacks with crudites, crackers…

Fresh Rosemary Hummus

njfv appetizers

Both recipes are featured in:

The_Groovy_Green_Kit_Cover_for_Kindle

The Groovy Green Kitchen: Weeknight Veggie Slow Cooker

Do you like chickpeas?

What’s your favorite way of using them in recipes?

Groovy Green Kitchen UPDATES, Now Available :-)

GGK II cover (front )

The_Groovy_Green_Kit_Cover_for_Kindle

The Groovy Green Kitchen I: Weeknight Veggie Slow Cooker

The Groovy Green Kitchen II: Simply, Super, Supper Soups

I have updated the photos in both of my: Groovy Green Kitchen cookbooks (Kindle versions) and free updates are now available from Amazon.

Amazon.com has kindly informed me that they will be sending out notices to customers who purchased one or both of these eBooks previously, re: the update. But in case you don’t hear from them, you can also contact Amazon to get the free updates.

I was having issues with the photos in both of these eBooks, when zoomed in particular. They are now looking much better and I think have added to the overall presentation quite a bit.

I have less than an optimal set-up for kitchen photos at present, but with some photo editing that I did and some help from the talented: Lissa at Postcards from the Rain (thanks again Lissa!), they are now good to go.

I also suggested to Amazon that white borders on the zoomed version of photos (instead of the ugly brown they had previously) would look a lot better. They sent in my suggestion for consideration and woohoo, they have now made that change! 🙂

I am also looking for more reviewers for both of these cookbooks.

If you like to cook and would be interested in giving one or both of these eBooks a “test drive” send me an email at:

veggiecook  @myway  .com (spaces removed), type REVIEWER in subject line

and we can go from there.  

Have a wonderful week and Happy Cooking! 🙂

Book Review AND Recipes! :-) 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury

750Muffincover[1]

ChaiLatte750Muffin[1]

From the Vegan Muffins section:

Chai Latte Muffins

Scented with many of the spices of chai, these muffins are wonderful with hot black tea.

Makes 12 muffins

 12-cup muffin pan, greased

1 cup vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, hemp)   250 ml

2 tbsp loose black tea  30 mL

2 cups  all-purpose flour  500 mL

2 tsp  baking powder 10 mL

11⁄2 tsp  ground cinnamon  7 mL

11⁄2 tsp  ground cardamom  7 mL

1⁄2 tsp  ground ginger 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp  baking soda   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   salt 2 mL

1⁄4 tsp  ground cloves 1 mL

2⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar     150 mL

2⁄3 cup plain soy yogurt   150 mL

1⁄3 cup vegetable oil 75 mL

1 tsp vanilla extract    5 mL

  1. In a small saucepan, bring milk and tea to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, discarding tea leaves, and let cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, baking soda, salt and cloves.
  4. Whisk brown sugar, yogurt, oil and vanilla into milk mixture until well blended.
  5. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.
  6. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups.
  7. Bake for 19 to 23 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

 

 RaspOat750Muffin[1]

From the Breakfast Muffins section:

Raspberry Oat Muffins

These tempting, raspberry-filled muffins are a nice (and healthy) way to get started in the morning.

 Makes 15 muffins

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)

Two 12-cup muffin pans, 15 cups greased

2 cups  all-purpose flour  500 mL

1 cup large-flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats  250 ml

1 cup  packed light brown sugar   250 mL

2 tsp baking powder 10 mL

1⁄2 tsp   baking soda   2 mL

1⁄2 tsp   salt 2 mL

1⁄2 tsp  ground allspice   2 mL

1 egg  

1 cup milk 250 mL

1⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted 60 mL

1 tsp vanilla extract  5 mL

11⁄2 cups raspberries  375 mL

1⁄4 cup granulated sugar  60 mL

 

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk, butter and vanilla until well blended.
  3. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in raspberries.
  4. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 21 minutes or until tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool.

Courtesy of 750 Best Muffin Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury

© 2010 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

♥♥

As any of my regular readers already know, I’m a BIG fan of muffins! So, when I had the opportunity to test-drive this MASSIVE muffin collection, I was a happy camper! 😉

And 750 Best Muffin Recipes did not disappoint. This is a fantastic baking book and one that every muffin lover needs to have! 

So far, I have made the:

-Toasted Walnut Muffins (Satisfying and not too sweet, perfect for breakfast)

-Oatmeal and Prune Muffins ( I ♥ prunes and these are VERY satisfying, with a nice “toothsome” texture)

Brown Rice and Cheese Muffins (These were AMAZING served with the Cream of Cauliflower and Tarragon Soup from The Groovy Green Kitchen II: Simply, Super, Supper Soups)

And on the menu today:

-Coconut Crumb Muffins (These look so delish, LOADED with coconut in the muffins and topping them too)

I’m planning to try one or two new muffin recipes each week, to work my way through this book. That’s going to take a while but what a yummy journey it will be. 😉

What do I like about this cookbook, well…everything actually!

The recipes are creative, original, easy to make, LOTS of variety (and that includes everything from the top muffin classics, coffeehouse gourmet muffins, gluten free muffins and a good selection of vegan ones too!)

Another plus, from what I’ve noted so far, none of the recipes are heavy on sugar or a lot of other unhealthy ingredients…it really is the ultimate muffin-lovers collection and I’m so glad to have a copy to enjoy, again and again and again!

The only thing that I am tweaking a bit in each recipe is when adding: coconut, fruit, nuts, etc…to the mix. I always add these with the dry ingredients, (not as the last additions)  to dredge them with the flour etc. and to help to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins when mixed. A little baking tip that has worked well over the years. No problem making this slight change and for me, it’s just a long-time personal preference.

And I hope you enjoy the two luscious muffin recipes featured above,that were graciously provided by Robert Rose, the publishers of this cookbook. Stop by their site to see all their bestselling cookbook choices.

And definitely DO plan to order a copy of 750 Best Muffin Recipes soon!

750 Best Muffin Recipes (Amazon.ca) 

750 Best Muffin Recipes (Amazon.com)

Now I’m off to the kitchen to get those muffin cups ready! 😉

Happy Baking!  

 

On the Menu: Tangy Barley Buttermilk Soup

image019

It was a perfect “soup day” yesterday, here in BC. 🙂

There was a bit of chill in the air, intermittent drizzle….so I got busy and made a big pot of: Tangy Barley Buttermilk Soup along with some: Sausage, Cheese and Thyme Muffins. What a yummy and oh so satisfying dinner it was! 🙂

GGK II cover (front )

I’ve shared the complete soup recipe below, this one is from the Groovy Green Kitchen II: Simply, Super, Supper Soups.

The muffins are from volume I of: The Groovy Green Kitchen: Weeknight Veggie Slow Cooker. They were perfect with this luscious, cream soup. 😉

The_Groovy_Green_Kit_Cover_for_Kindle

I hope you’ll enjoy a bowl (or two) soon!

Happy Cooking and Week!

PS: Yes, the cover of the GGK I has been updated.I also did some work on the interior photos to improve the overall presentation. If you have a copy already, an update would be available from Amazon. If you need any further info. about this, just send me an email (see contact page).

***

Tangy Barley Buttermilk Soup

This soup was inspired by a recipe from the first edition of the ground-breaking book: Diet for a Small Planet. My updated version adds garlic and herbs but leaves out the butter.

I also recently “tweaked” the seaonings a bit, adding some from Splendor Garden (certified organic, gotta  that, and they added a wonderful flavor and color boost to the soup). Serves 6.

-¾ C. pearl or pot barley

-3 T. vegetable or olive oil

-1 large (preferably sweet) onion, diced

-2-4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

-2 teas. bouquet garni seasoning or GGK Herbal Blend Seasoning (GGK seasoning recipe is in the book)

-1-2 teas. dried chives (to taste)

-¼ – ½ teas. freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

-1-2 teas. Splendor Garden Organic All-Purpose Seasoning SF OR Splendor Garden Organic Lemon Pepper Seasoning

-5 C. vegetable soup stock

-2 C. regular or low-fat buttermilk

-Optional garnishes: finely chopped fresh parsley or chives and/or additional sprinkle of Splendor Garden seasoning blend

Thoroughly rinse and drain barley, set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat vegetable oil over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add herbs, black pepper, Splendor Garden seasoning and the barley and stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Cover and steam over MEDIUM-LOW heat for 5 minutes to release flavors and slightly toast barley. (Hint: be careful not to burn the barley, stir at least a couple of times)

Add vegetable soup stock, cover and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to LOW and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until barley is cooked but not mushy.

Add buttermilk to soup and simmer for 2-3 additional minutes, just to heat through.

Adjust seasonings if required. Garnish and serve.