Baked Apple with Walnut Filling

I know, huh.  Apples, walnuts, and honey.  Need I say more?

Baked Apple with Walnut Filling

4 granny smith apples

lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon honey (plus some for topping)

3-4 drops vanilla creme stevia

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Core and peel apples and place on baking sheet.  Drizzle with lemon juice to avoid brown discoloration.  Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender.  

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook walnuts, stevia, and honey over medium heat until walnuts look caramelized.  Immediately remove from heat and place them on parchment paper or heat resistant plate until cooled.

Remove apples from oven and put them on individual serving plates.  Fill each apple with caramelized walnuts and then drizzle with honey if desired.  Serve warm.

*This is something I ordered every night at the spa, but it wasn't in the recipe book I purchased.  So I made up my own version.

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

Don't hate me because I spent the WHOLE ENTIRE weekend at a spa in St. George.  But I wouldn't blame you if you're a little jealous.  It was actually an epic event.  I've never even been to a spa let alone stayed at one for 3 days.  I came home feeling totally revitalized.  Good thing, because I had my "girlie checkup" Monday morning which (as most of you can attest to) kind of sucks.  But the good news is that I bought the recipe book from the spa that we stayed at.  So in reality, the stirrups were just a mere distraction.  Because I knew that my next stop would be the grocery store, where I would purchase everything I needed to make Carrot Apple Ginger Soup.  And so it went.

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup (never mind the reflection of an upside down human on the spoon - totally not me)

  14 oz raw chopped carrot (about 4 large)

8 oz raw chopped apple (1 large or 2 small)

4 oz raw chopped onion (1/2 medium)

4 oz raw chopped celery (about 2 stalks)

1 oz raw chopped ginger root

1 teaspoon raw chopped garlic

1 quart tomato juice (no salt, canned)

1/4 teaspoon salt (maybe a little less)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 quart water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 cup coconut milk (optional - but highly recommended)

Simmer all ingredients until the liquid is reduced by one-half.  Blend in a blender or food processor.  Serve warm.  Garnish with parsley if desired.

*The original recipe is from the Adventure Cuisine CookBook

Millet, Cucumber and Garbanzo Pilaf

This dish is based on a recipe from Vegetarian Times, but I changed a few ingredients and also the method of preparation, making it easier and healthier, I think!  I was a bit nervous about how it would turn out, but my husband really loved it! (The kids haven't been introduced enough to the new entree to dig in yet).

What I love about this recipe is that it features millet, a wonderful grain that is alkalizing to the body (yes, it is the same stuff used in bird-seed!).  I have a few recipes that contain millet, but not as many as I'd like, so I was excited when this one turned out to be a keeper!

Lemon-Cilantro Dressing

3 Tbs. Olive Oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 cup fresh, chopped cilantro, loosely packed

1/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley

Pilaf:

1 English cucumber, diced

1 medium red onion

1.5 c cooked, soaked garbanzo beans, or 1 15 oz. can

1 cup uncooked millet

3 cups water

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cardamom or allspice

1/2 tsp. Real Salt

Olive oil to drizzle (about 1 Tbs.)

Combine all dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in diced cucumbers, onion, and garbanzo beans and let marinate while making pilaf.

Rinse millet well and place in a pot with 3 cups water.  Heat to a boil and then let simmer until all the water is evaporated.  Then add cinnamon, cardamom, Real Salt, and drizzle in olive oil.  Fluff millet and mix in the spices well.

Add millet to mixing bowl with dressing and other veggies.  Mix well and adjust seasonings to taste. 

Rainy Day Banana Bread

On a day like this...

all I want to do is curl up with a good book while I snack on this

and sip a cup of this (it's chamomile, mmmmm...)

Not that I actually did any of that today.  I was busy playing princesses with her

Good thing princesses occasionally appreciate a slice of warm banana bread.  


Rainy Day Banana Bread (or at least that's what we'll call it today)


1/2 cup unsweetened milk alternative of choice (I use almond)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg replacement (optional)
2 cups whole grain spelt flour or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons finely shredded dried coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 dropper full vanilla creme stevia, or 1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 medium sized very very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cups nuts, dried fruit, or other add-ins (optional)


Preheat your oven to 350.  Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large mixing bowl combine the milk alternative and flaxseed and egg and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Returning to your mixing bowl, blend in the oil, vanilla stevia, and bananas until well mixed.  Stir in the dry ingredients being careful not to over-mix; a few lumps are okay.  Gently fold in the coconut and nuts and any other dried fruit you want.  Spread the batter into prepared pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is browned and resilient to the touch (I always stick a toothpick in to make sure it's done).  Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from pan and placing on wire rack.  


yields 10-12 servings


*I prefer to use 4 full sized bananas.  It's more flavorful and moist.  But using 3 bananas does allow the bread to rise more.  

Coconut Curry Euphoria

If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, this might very well be it.  It's SO good, you might actually want to make out with me after you try it.  Just sayin'.


Let me give you the history here.  My little sister is from India.  Even though she joined our family when she waas like 2 weeks old (and a whopping 4 pounds), she has somehow developed an intense love of curry.  And wouldn't you know it, she even married a guy who served an LDS mission in Sri lanka.  So yeah, they DIG curry.  


About a year ago, my brother in law was sweet enough to come over and brief me on the specifics of making Indian curry as opposed to Thai curry (I know, I always just thought curry was curry).  Consequently, this recipe was born.  It started out as a Thai curry dish but I've tweaked it a bit.  I like to call it, Thindian curry...


Coconut Curry

2 tablespoons olive oil, grapeseed oil, or coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
   2 tsp. Chinese five spice powder
   2 tsp. ground cumin
   1/2 tsp. turmeric
   1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
   1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
   1 cup vegetable broth
   1/2 can coconut milk
   juice of 1/2 lemon
   3 large baking potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
   1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
   1/2 lb. grape tomatoes
   3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped


In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add the ginger, five spice powder, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and salt.  Stir until fragrant (about 1 minute).  Whisk in broth, lemon juice, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer.  Stir in potatoes.  Cover and cook over low heat until they are tender (about 13-17 minutes).  Stir in the peanuts, tomatoes, and cilantro.  Continue to simmer or turn off the heat depending on how tender you like your potatoes.  Serve over brown basmati rice.


If you aren't vegetarian, this dish is great with cubed chicken.  Add it about 12 minutes after you put the potatoes in and then simmer for an extra 8-10 minutes, or just until the chicken is cooked through.


*  I chop everything that needs chopping before I start cooking.  It goes MUCH more smoothly.
*  If you don't have a rice cooker?  Get in your car, drive yourself immediately to the nearest Target or Walmart, and buy one. 


Special thanks to my Sister and her husband for showing me the ways of curry cooking.  May the spice be with you...

Heavenly English Toffee Coconut Pudding/Smoothie

I've been slightly addicted to young thai coconuts lately.  This super-easy recipe can be used two ways: as a pudding using less of the water from the coconut, or as a smoothie using more of the coconut water. I have had this smoothie almost every day for about a month.  It is sooo good!!

One of my most recent discoveries is the English Toffee stevia made by Sweetleaf.  I utilize it in this recipe.  If you are a toffee-flavor lover like I am, then you are in for a treat!

For pudding:

Meat from 1 young thai coconut
1/2 water found in the coconut
About 1/2 dropper of English Toffee stevia, depending on amount of meat in your coconut
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. vanilla (I use alcohol-free)
1/4 tsp. Real Salt

Blend and enjoy! (And drink the rest of the coconut water.  It is rich in electrolytes!)

For smoothie:

Same as above, but use 3/4 water found in the coconut.

**How to crack a young-thai coconut**

Using a large cleaver,

take a huge hack at the neck of the coconut.  Don't take the cleaver out of the coconut!! This will prevent you from getting cut! Then, keeping your right hand on the cleaver, and keeping it inserted in the coconut at all times, lift the coconut with your left hand, and pound it a couple of times on the counter.  The cleaver will slowly slice through the coconut.  About halfway through, the coconut water will start to splash, so have a bowl ready to drain the liquid into.  Then continue to pound on the counter until the knife cuts through the coconut. 

On the left is a coconut with the meat removed, and on the right is a coconut with its meat intact.  The water has been drained from both. One hint:  The water should be clear and the coconut meat should be white!  If it isn't, it is a BAD coconut and you should take it back to the store.

I prefer the "Best" brand of coconuts.  They consistently contain a large amount of meat and I rarely get a bad one.  Good Earth Natural Foods now carries the Best brand.  I believe Whole Foods carries another brand that I do not prefer.