Recipes

This page will be frequently updated as I find more recipes that are delicious and healthy.

African Peanut Soup

Wonderful, almost fat-free and vegetarian

1 T. olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (1 & 1/2 cups)
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 c. chopped carrot
1/2 c. chopped celery
3 minced garlic cloves
2 T. minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 T. curry powder
1 (14 & 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 Bay leaf
4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 (12 oz. sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1 & 1/2 c. lima beans (I use frozen baby limas)
1/3 c. creamy or chuncky peanut butter
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 (5 oz.) bag baby spinach leaves, torn in bite sized pieces
1/2 t. salt or more to taste
bit ground pepper
2 and 1/2 T. honey or agave syrup

Heat oil in 4 qt. saucepan and add onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery. Saute till soft, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes and bay leaf and cook 3 minutes.
Add broth and sweet potatoes; bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or till potatoes are fork tender.
Add limas and peanut butter and cook 2 minutes. The stir in cilantro, spinach and honey. Simmer few more minutes. Add salt and pepper. Season to taste by adding more honey if you’d like. Serves 6 to 8.

ST’rs, usually I urge you not to use regular sugar, but on the holidays I cheat and use brown sugar in some recipes. A little bit on rare occasions is acceptable; it’s what we do everyday that is an issue. Don’t use NutraSweet or any aspartame product. Spenda contains chlorine bleach, so I cannot recommend that either. When regular white sugar is called for, I use granulated Fructose (same amounts as for sugar), available in the health food stores, or you can use granulated Xylitol.

Pomegranate Relish

One pomegranate
Juice and zest of one lime
2 cans mandarin oranges
12 oz. pkg. fresh cranberries
1/8 c. tequila
3 T. sugar
Juice and zest of one orange
One large T. honey (more if needed)

In saucepan combine orange and lime zest and juice, cranberries, sugar, honey and tequila. Boil 8 minutes covered. Pour into bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in drained mandarin orange slices and pomegranate seeds.
Serve with your holiday feast.

Cornbread Stuffing

One pan of cornbread to fit in approx. 9 X 9 inch pan
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c. chopped celery and leaves
1 T. or a bit less poultry seasoning
3/4 t. salt or to taste
dash pepper

While cornbread is baking, melt butter in pan and add other ingredients. When cornbread is done, crumble it into butter mixture. Stuff turkey and/or serve as a side dish with gravy. Remember not to stuff the turkey until right before you place it in the oven as premature stuffing can cause toxic build up in the meat.
Optional: can add
1/2 c. sweet corn or
1/2 c. pine nuts or
green chile to taste

Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

2 small to medium heads red cabbage, sliced
2 T. bacon drippings
1/2 stick butter
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1 t. salt

Combine all ingredients and simmer covered 5 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Before serving test for taste. I usually have to add more vinegar and salt to get the right balance of flavors.

Pumpkin Torte

(this is SO good) Serves 15
Bottom Crust:
1 box yellow cake mix (NOT lemon)
5 T. butter (melted)
1 egg

Filling:

One large can pumpkin (1 lb. 14 oz.)
1 & 1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. fresh minced ginger
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 eggs, separated
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar

Topping:

1 c. reserved dry cake mix
1 t. cinnamon
1/8 c. cold butter (2 T.)
(Whipped cream for garnish)

Spray 13 X 9 inch pan. Reserve 1 cup dry cake mix for topping. Combine remaining cake mix, melted butter and egg. Press evenly into bottom of pan. I spray my hands with Pam to do this. Prepare filling by combining all ingredients except the egg whites. Mix well. Beat egg whites to medium peaks and fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into pan on top of bottom crust. Mix all topping ingredients (except whipped cream) in a food processor and sprinkle evenly over top of pumpkin mixture. Bake uncovered at 325 for one hour. Cut into squares and top with whipped cream. Best if served right out of the oven. Enjoy!!

French Onion Burgers

I’ve tried for years to make juicy burgers and finally found this recipe – yummy! I use natural beef with no antibiotics and no hormones. Here in Santa Fe, we have Bison (Buffalo) meat which is all natural and leaner than beef, so that is what I use.

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell’s Condensed French Onion Soup
4 slices cheddar or other cheese
4 buns of your choice

Shape beef into 4 burgers (you may season first with salt, pepper, garlic, etc.)
Cook burgers quickly on both sides till a bit browned. Remove from pan and pour off any fat.
Add soup to pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer.
Place burgers into soup. Cover pan and simmer burgers till done. Place cheese on burgers and continue to simmer until cheese melts. Arrange burgers on buns. You can use soup for dipping.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

1 & ½ c. flour

2 T. baking powder

¼ t. nutmeg

½ t. salt

2 c. soft Ricotta cheese

¼ c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 & 1/3 c. milk

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

Jar of Lemon Curd (a jam found everywhere)

Combine flour, nutmeg, salt and baking powder. In separate bowl combine wet ingredients including Lemon zest and juice. Fold wet into dry. Melt some butter in a griddle and cook pancakes. I top them with a bit of soft butter and some lemon curd. You can also top them with a favorite fruit and/or fold some blueberries into the batter before cooking. Makes about 15 pancakes. SO yummy!! This isn’t diet food and obviously you want to go light on the Lemon Curd. The pancakes don’t contain much sugar.