Homemade Pico de Gallo

This snack is brilliant because the excellent properties in these particular vegetables will cure any ill, especially when served raw.

I tend to eat this snack twice a week, and I know it plays a big role in keeping me healthy.

To begin, cut up 6-7 Roma Tomatoes finely, then throw them into your serving bowl  I prefer these over other other tomatoes as they are firmer, and easier to cut.

Add 3-5 green onions.  I slice the onions down the center first, then I start to chop them into even smaller pieces.

Dice and add 1/4 of a medium red onion.

Similarly, dice and add 3 small cloves of garlic.

Gather a handful of cilantro, and coarsely chop. ( I remove the woodier stalks, but you may prefer to leave them on).

Squeeze in the juice of 1-2 limes. (I used 1.5 today).  I also add the flesh of the lime because I like the extra.

Mix well and serve with blue corn tortilla chips and/or pita chips.

As always adjust all ingredients to your taste.  This dip is so refreshing.  Enjoy!

Smokin’ Roasted Tomato Soup

THIS is amazing.  If I do say so myself 🙂

I have an abundance of luscious organic tomatoes of all kinds in the garden this year. And in my quest to preserve the bounty for winter, I came up with a mouth-watering recipe of roasted tomato soup that is to die for.  Such a brilliant distraction from all that canning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Begin by slicing tomatoes in half inch rounds into a large bowl.  Add chopped onions and garlic.  Chop coarsely without paying too much attention to size or shape as they will all be pureed in the blender later.  Keep in mind, however,  that the garlic & onions shouldn’t be chopped too small as they will burn in the oven.

Toss with extra virgin olive oil to coat well.  Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Transfer to a baking sheet or casserole dish.  Put in a 400° oven for 40 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and slightly browned.

When they are done, transfer into your soup pot.  Add Chicken broth to cover tomatoes.  (I used Swanson’s 100% Natural).  About 2 cups of broth is good for a medium sized pot of soup.  But when in doubt (or if you hate to measure, like me) just make sure the tomatoes are covered with the liquid.

Chop up and add:  fresh basil, parsley, thyme, (fresh is best, but I’m sure you can get by with dried).

(you’ll see that I also have a bay leaf here, but I took it out cause it’s added too early : )~

Put the whole mixture into the blender and start with the pulse (or slow) setting and slowly work your way up to a medium blend.  Blend at least one minute.

Return mixture to your soup pot and now add the bay leaf.  It’s not a good idea to have shards of bay leaf in your soup, which is why we didn’t run it through the blender.  Leave bay leaf in whole for the flavor.  And you can remove it when the soup is done if you like.

Bring soup to boil, then quickly turn down to simmer.  Add more salt & pepper to taste and continue cooking an additional 10-15 minutes.

Add 1 half to 1 whole cup of heavy cream or milk about 5-7 minutes before your soup is finished.  Stir in well.  I used milk and that was creamy enough.  I’m not a fan of the heavy (fatty) creams, but I know a lot of people prefer them in soups.

Garnish with any of your fresh herbs, and serve.

I’m so glad that I am freezing this for those cold winter months.  I am doubly glad that not one tomato will go to waste this year.  I’m tripley glad that I am preserving so many home-grown organic vegetables this year and saving a mitt full of $$$ on winter produce!!

Roasted Summer Squash & Roasted Bell Pepper Soup

Had bounty from the garden.  Not sure this is the last of it.  Been pulling in this much every week:

Been giving to the food bank all summer, giving to the neighbors, preserving in every imaginable way for the winter, and now…..tackling roasted squash & bell pepper soups to freeze!

I tried a few slight variations:

 

 

 

 

 

I used different fresh herbs (you can also use dried herbs) for different flavors.  Try them and let me know which one you prefer.

Begin by roasting your base vegetable mixture.  I used: Yellow Summer Squash, Green Bell Peppers, Onions, Garlic, and Greek Pepperoni Peppers (These are optional.  I threw them in for color. They are not hot.  If you add hot peppers, go easy on them). I also threw in a few buttercup squash.  I coarsely chopped without great attention to detail or shape  since we are going to puree them later.  Don’t chop garlic too small (if you chop them at all).  Small pieces will burn in the oven.

Toss the above mixture together with enough olive oil to coat, sea salt & fresh ground pepper and arrange on baking sheet or casserole dish.  I used quite a bit of vegetables because I am freezing my soups for the winter.  This was the first batch.  I did two batches this size.  But one baking sheet makes enough for a med sized pot of soup. 

I set the oven to 40o° and let them roast for 40 minutes.  The underside will likely brown first and a dark pan is better to achieve that brown roasting color ( it is not necessary to turn the vegetables.  If they are brown on one side, that is enough).  Alternately you can let them cook 30 minutes and put on low broil for the last 5-10 minutes.

They’ll look something like this when ready:

Transfer the cooked vegetables into your soup pot and cover with chicken broth (I used Swanson’s 100% Natural).  If you are making a medium sized pot, 2 cups should do it. Just make sure that your vegetable mixture is covered with liquid.

Add to your pot, any one of the recipe variations below:

A) for Roasted Summer Squash & Roasted Bell Pepper Soup W/Mint:

Add Mint & Thyme.  Fresh is best, chopped up fine  (This one is my favorite!  Simple, elegant, & delicious)

B) for Roasted Summer Squash & Roasted Bell Pepper Soup W/Oregano:

Add oregano, thyme, mint, & fresh parsley (opt.) Fresh, chopped fine

Now throw your mixture into the blender to puree.  Start with the pulse (or slow) setting, and gradually work up to medium speed on your blender.  Blend at least two minutes on medium speed.

Pour mixture back into saucepan. Bring to boil, then quickly turn down to simmer.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Cook an additional ten minutes, and serve.

Okay, you may want to lose the wine glass!

Hubby says the mint soup is perfect when paired with a main course of lamb.

Try adding some of your own variations.  Let me know what you come up with!  Eyeball amounts like I do, according to your taste or produce availability.  Remember to use up what you have in your fridge or garden before it goes bad.  That’s what I did!

Shrimp Feta Fry!

This is my creamy feta and lemon flavored sauce to go over a shrimp stir fry.  The sauce by itself is fantastic on salmon as well!

Begin by cooking the amount of brown rice you and your family usually eat for a meal or two (this will also make a great leftover meal) according to package directions. 

I used Basmati rice at a ratio of one cup rice to two cups of water.  It is just my husband and I so that is enough for two meals.

When rice is covered and on a low simmer, begin making the sauce:

Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a small sauce pan on low heat. 

Once the butter is melted, add 2-3 Tbsp of flour, stirring constantly.

The more flour you add, the thicker your sauce will be.  You can always add more milk or flour later to adjust thickness levels to your liking.

Bring butter and flour to gentle boil for one minute on low heat.   Mixture should be bubbly.

 Slowly stir or whisk in enough milk to fill saucepan half way. 

Stir  in aprox. 1/2 cup well crumpled feta cheese and 1/8 to 1/4 cup of lemon juice to sauce mixture, to your taste.  Add salt & pepper to taste. Stir continuously all the while.

Turn stove to medium heat and continue stirring until mixture starts to thicken (2- 5 minutes).  Turn heat down if mixture starts to stick and burn to bottom. 

If after 5 minutes, you would like sauce to be thinner, add more milk.  If you would like sauce to be thicker, mix  1 Tbsp flour to a little bit of cold milk, whisk well and add to saucepan mixture.

Once you are happy with the consistency of your sauce you can stop stirring and take it off heat, or leave on very low heat.

*Whenever your rice is done take it off burner and let it sit, covered, until the rest of the meal is ready.*

Add olive oil to your biggest fry pan.  Chop up and throw in your favorite stir fry vegetable medley. 

For me, it is usually whatever I need to use up in the fridge!  Here I have zucchini and yellow squash, onions, broccoli, green beans, bell pepper, and garlic.  Make sure you make enough for your family.

Allow the vegetables to cook on medium heat until they are done to your liking.

Meanwhile, add more olive oil to a smaller fry pan, and add thawed shrimp seasoned with lemon pepper.  Cook 3-5 minutes on medium heat, then set aside.  Make as much shrimp as you’d like for this meal.

If you turned the heat off on your sauce, now is the time to put it back on the burner and slowly heat it back up.

When vegetables are done, stir in the cooked shrimp.

On individual plates, pile the vegetable shrimp combination over the brown rice. 

Drip some warm sauce over vegetables and shrimp. 

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Kat’s Mmmm! Potato Soup

Usually I show my work in pictures (in steps) for you to observe.   This time, I had no idea that the soup was going to turn out so yummy.  It’s been a while since my last post, so I’d gotten out of the habit of taking pictures as I cooked.  Once I tasted how delicious it was, however, I did snap a shot of the finished product for you!

The turkey bacon makes this a more healthful choice, and gives it a yummy, almost smokey flavor.  The flavor burst in the fresh cherry tomatoes (added only at the end with minimal cook time), brings this soup to a whole new level!

I wasn’t recording measurements either (I never do….see “Why I cook the way I do”, in the header above).  So these measurements are approximate.  What I really wanted to do was say things like …”add water to cover potatoes”, and “add milk to fill saucepan.”  But that wouldn’t do….you wouldn’t have been terribly happy with me then.  So I did the best I could with measurements here and I think the consistency will turn out pretty close.  Of course, as always, feel free to make your own adjustment in ingredients and measurements.   Though the flavor with these particular ingredients is smokin’!

So, carrying on:

2 cups chopped potatoes (small bite size, leave skins on)

1/2 Lg onion (I used red onion here) chopped into small bite sizes

Salt & pepper to taste

Cover with 3 cups of water.

Simmer on low boil for twenty minutes.

After twenty minutes,

Whisk 3 Tbsp cornstarch into 3 cups cold milk (I used apx. 1.5 cups skim milk & 1.5 cups 2% milk).  *You may add more cornstarch for thicker mixture or more milk for thinner mixture*

Pour over potato mixture and add:

6-7 pieces turkey bacon chopped into small bite sizes

2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

3/4 of a head of chopped garlic (small pieces, but not diced).

Simmer on low boil for another 20-30 minutes, then add:

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

10-20 fresh cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)

Cook an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Cool a few minutes (the soup is hot!), and serve.  Garnish with one spring of parsley per bowl.

Bone Appy!

 

Best Tasting Salad in the Universe

The medley of ingredients in this salad, make it an eye popper, but the dressing is what sends it into space!   SOOO delicious!

I used ripped up lettuce of several different varies. Use whatever kind of lettuce you like.

* I first wash each piece of lettuce then I lay them down on heavy paper towel, when I’ve got the amount of lettuce I want washed, then I lay  double pieces of  paper towel over top and roll up the lettuce leaves.  (with paper towel below and on top of them).  This is a great way to store lettuce in your fridge and it stays fresh for days without wilting.

I also added  fresh spinach, parsley and cilantro.  I hardly ever make a salad without adding cilantro anymore.  I love it. 

Then I broke up walnut pieces and threw them in. 

(cooking in the RV on the road here, can you tell)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next came the sugarless shredded cocoanut (available at any health food store & very inexpensive.  I paid 94 cents for the bag you see here.  (it’s also incredible in fruit salads!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then added an avocado and a tomato.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, hey Dawg, then comes the killer dressing    🙂

As follows:

Fresh grated ginger, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, & honey.

Experiment with amounts, I just kinda guesstimate, maybe  less lemon juice than olive oil, honey to taste, and not too much ginger   (you’ll figure it out as you go….no matter how I do it and even it I throw it all together without much thought, this combination always comes out great, and I never do it the same every time, so don’t fret about it too much).

Here’s what it looks like before I shook it all up (which you’ll need to do to mix it of course).  You may choose to mix it up in a blender as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought it looked pretty cool.   Best dressing I have ever had, and the best part is that there is no sugar and plenty of MUFAs (MonoUnsaturated Fatty Acids).

Drizzle it over your salad!

This is seriously the best tasting salad in the universe, and probably one of the healthiest.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Yogurt Sundae

A very healthy start to your day!

The oatmeal remains uncooked in this delicious morning meal to maintain every last drop of nutrition. (When cooking oatmeal many of the nutrients get boiled off).

Step One:

Take your favorite brand of oatmeal and place in your breakfast bowl (you may substitute oatmeal for granola).

Step Two:

Take your favorite brand of Probiotic Yogurt with all of the active bacteria culture, and with very little, or no, sugar added.  (I like Olympic brand organic probiotic yogurt).

Steps Three and Four:

Mix the yogurt with the oatmeal until moist and the oatmeal is no longer dry.

Then put dollops of yogurt all over the top to add extra yumminess, creaminess and smoothness to the recipe.  Don’t be shy, put on as much as you like!  it’s soooo good for you!

Step Five:

Slice your favorite fruit on top, and enjoy this healthy sundae supreme!

Pork or Beef Roast with Garlic

Mmmmmm savory Pork Roast featured here!

This recipe is equally good with beef or pork.

May be cooked in the oven @ 375º for about 3 hours, or slow cooked in crock pot for 8-10 hrs.

* * *

Begin with your favorite Pork or Beef Roast cut.

Chop up garlic pieces into various sizes:

With small, sharp knife make a tiny slit anywhere in the roast and insert one piece of garlic.

push garlic all the way into the cut.

Continue doing this to cover the entire outer area of the roast (where you are able).

Save any garlic pieces you may have leftover to add to vegetables later, or throw them on top of roast.

Rub moderate amount of pepper over roast.

Rub 1/2 pkg of dry onion soup mix over roast.

Place in roasting pan or crock pot with 1/8th of an inch of water at bottom of pan/pot.

*If you are using a slow cooker, add vegetables (see below) at this point as well, and cook for 8-10 hours.*

In the oven at 375 degrees cover and cook for 2 hours. (you will add vegetables in the third hour).

It is wisest to overcook, rather than under-cook, pork as raw pork can make you sick. Beef can be cooked in less time.

Wash and chop potatoes, leaving skins on. (or use tiny red or white potatoes without chopping and leaving the skins on).

Chop up carrots into elongated chunky pieces, cutting off ends, but leaving skins on.

Always leave skins on potatoes & carrots for optimal nutritional quality.

Peel and chop onions into quarters.

After roast has cooked for 2 hours, then add your vegetables, arranging them around the roast, adding more water to bottom of pan as necessary to maintain 1/8th of an inch in the bottom.

Feel free to experiment with other vegetables as well  if you desire (i.e., parsnips, bell peppers etc).

(*note, there is tin foil in this picture for other purposes.  Do NOT add any tin foil).

No need to add salt or pepper as there is plenty in the pepper and soup mix you rubbed on the roast.

Bake for an additional hour.  Lift the lid for final 20 minutes to slightly brown your vegetables.

Once done, take out meat and vegs and make gravy with the drippings (water in the bottom).

Arrange meat and vegetables on a platter and serve with gravy and biscuits  on the side.

Mmmmmmm an aroma to die for.  Home cooking at its best!

Creamy Shepherd’s Pie

Simply Delicious!

Boil & mash 4-5 potatoes in the usual way. When finished save 1/2 cup of potato water & set aside.

Meanwhile:

Fry 1.5 lbs hamburger or ground turkey or mixed.

Add to meat mixture while cooking:

chopped onions, celery, garlic (you may also want to add sliced mushrooms & or chopped bell peppers, but those are optional).

Season with pepper, basil & oregano (salt if desired, but I don’t think it’s necessary).

Meanwhile grate cheese of your choice for topping. (low fat if you can find it).  I used old cheddar here.

When meat mixture is done add 1/2 to 1 can mushroom soup to meat stirring into a creamy sauce with 1/4 c.  of your 1/2 c. potato water. (Add more  potato water if needed).

Open can of creamed corn. Set aside.

In a 9x 13 baking pan layer your Shepherd’s Pie as follows:

1)Meat Mixture

2) Creamed corn

3) Mashed Potatoes

4) Cheese with Paprika sprinkled on top

Cover with tin foil and cook 350 degree oven for 20-30 mins.

Take foil off last 5 mins of cooking and broil (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!)

The creamed corn really adds to the overall creamy feel of this delicious meal!!

A Woman’s Guide To Weight Loss

Through trial and error, these are some of the things that I have found helped me to not only lose weight, but to gain better overall health.

1) NEVER EAT AFTER 6 p.m If you get hungry have one fruit (or a handful of berries) or a glass of water…several glasses if you like.  You just don’t do enough in the evening to work off all of those dinner calories. When I first began putting this into practice and a hunger pain occurred, I would allow myself 1-2 tiny rice crackers until it wasn’t an issue anymore.

2) WATER YOURSELF. 70% of the time hunger pains are thirst in disguise because we simply do not consume enough water and are usually dehydrated.  We are supposed to have 8 cups a day, right now, I am shooting for 4.  Muscle aches and pains, migraines, and perceived hunger pains can all be signs of dehydration. EXPECT headaches when you first increase your water intake.  This is a good sign.  It means toxins are leaving your body.

3) 3 SQUARE MEALS A DAY. If we eat a hearty breakfast, lunch, & dinner we will be less likely to nibble in between. Or you may choose 6 tiny, but healthy meals a day.  In any case do not eat anything past 6 pm.

4) DON’T DRINK LIQUIDS WITH YOUR MEALS. If you drink, juice, water, coffee, tea etc. with your meals, you dilute the saliva that needs to remain full strength to properly digest (break down) your foods. Wait 20 mins after a meal to drink your liquids.

5) ADD 1 TSP. GROUND FLAX TO YOUR DRINKS TWICE A DAY You may put it on top of your food if you prefer.  The flax will keep you regular and avoid constipation. This is vital to cleaning out your system daily.

6) TRY TO INCLUDE A “MUFA” WITH EVERY MEAL. What is a MUFA? It stands for monounsaturated fatty acid, which is found in nuts, seeds, avocadoes, olives and flax and olive oils.  These foods actually help to beak down the other foods you have eaten during your meal.

7) KEEP’ “SASSY”WATER IN YOUR FRIDGE. Ingredients include:

2 liters of water (about 8-1/2 cups)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint, or peppermint  leaves

Strain and drink often for a delicious and nutritious twist on the water you drink.

8 ) EXERCISE. You will never lose the weight you want, become toned, or gain good overall health without exercising.  Find a routine that works for you, and change it up a bit to keep it from becoming too mundane.  Personally, I don’t do well at the gym, but I have learned to love to walk. I try to change up my walking route.  I mostly enjoy hikes on country roads, but it is also interesting to stroll through the neighborhoods, enjoying the various housing landscapes.  I try to walk 30 mins to an hour every single day in every kind of weather.  If you can find hilly terrain, all the better for a more intense workout.  Find the exercise regime that works for you and do it at least 30 minutes a day briskly, intensely.

9) GET 7-8 HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT. If you think you are doing okay on less sleep, I urge to try getting 7-8 hours of sleep on a regular basis, and just marvel at how much more optimally you perform!  Toddlers have it right. Nap during the day if you have to. North America is a way under slept continent.  Getting more sleep allows you the mental and physical energy you are going to need every day to stay focused and on track with your better health solutions.

10) GET PLENTY OF FRESH AIR . Yes, the increased oxygen flow into your system makes all of your organs work better, expanding your lungs etc, causing better overall health.  Sleep with a window open whenever possible, and shut off that unhealthy air conditioner as often as you can!

11) ENVISION A BETTER, HEALTHIER YOU. Keep the picture in the forefront of your mind.  If you can dream it, you can achieve it. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18

12) BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF. How many years did it take you to put that weight on?  Do you really think it will all come off in a couple of weeks or months?  This is especially true for us middle aged women! When you fall off the wagon, get right back up again!  Think of it as 2 steps forward and 1 step back.  It’s a process and if you persevere, you will get there eventually.

13) KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Get educated. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6   Find out what foods are good for you and which ones  aren’t.  The internet is full of articles relating to this.  Let me give you a hint: Stay away from processed foods (anything in a box or a can) Eat only fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, meat etc.  Organic foods are best if you can find/afford them. The more you know (are armed with knowledge), the easier it becomes to make the right choices.

AND FINALLY (but not least) take some time to FAST & PRAY. Ask God to help you.  Ask him to change your thinking, give you the insight to change your habits, give you the frame of mind to find and stick to a routine, anything that you ask for in faith, He will do for you.  Believe it.  It is within your grasp.