Sloppy Josés

These sandwiches are a twist off the traditional Sloppy Joe.  The addition of chile peppers, salsa, and beans gives them a kick and I "twisted" them even further and made them with lentils instead of beef.  (If you want to use beef instead of lentils just use 12 oz. lean ground beef.)  Super!  Austin originally found the recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book we checked out from the library.  I loved the way they turned out after the changes we made.  Definitely a keeper!

Sloppy Josés

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and sorted
4 cups water
1/2-1 can refried beans, fat free (use more or less depending on how thick you want your filling)
1 (4 1/2 oz.) can diced green chile peppers
1/2 cup salsa
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
6 hamburger buns
Toppings:  lettuce, sliced olives, pickles, guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream if desired

Rinse and sort dry lentils, removing any stones.  Place in a saucepan with 4 cups water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to med-low and place lid slightly ajar over pan.  Simmer for 20 min. or until soft.  Drain off any remaining liquid when done.  Set aside (or go on to the next step while the lentils are cooking.)

In a large skillet, saute diced onion.  Add 1/2 can (about 3/4 cup) refried beans, green chilies, salsa, water, and minced garlic to the skillet.  Stir in cooked lentils.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil.  Add more refried beans if desired.  Turn burner to low heat.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until mixture is thick and most of the liquid is gone.

Spoon mixture onto buns.  Top with desired toppings.  Serve.

Strawberry Cake

This is not my picture of this cake but this is what it looks like.  Mine was a giant strawberry shaped cake and somehow I never got a picture of the inside.  But this is the recipe I used so I'm going to get it down here in case I want to make it again.  It was really good and "strawberry-ish".  I think it would be great with my favorite Cool Whip Cream Frosting (but I think everything is good with that frosting!)  For the strawberries you can use fresh or frozen.  I baked my cake in a circle and a square pan.  To make the strawberry shape I cut the circle in half, placed the square on my surface at a diagonal, and put on half-circle on each side of the top of the diamond.  It looked like a heart.  I frosted it red, colored some coconut green and sprinkled it on the top for the leaves and made a stem with the green coconut.  To finish it off I used chocolate chips and put them pointy side down in the cake for the "seeds".  Of course you could also make this with two 8" or 9" rounds, a 9"x13", or cupcakes.

Strawberry Cake

1 (18.5 oz.) box white cake mix
1 (3 oz.) box strawberry jell-O
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup strawberries, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease pan(s) and dust with flour.  Combine cake mix, jell-O, and flour.  Beat in eggs, water, and oil.  Stir in strawberries.  Pour into cake pan(s) and bake for 30 minutes (for two 9" circles).  Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pans.  Cool completely before frosting.

Two 8" rounds-30-35 min.
Two 9" rounds-25-30 min.
One 9"x13" pan-30-35 min.
20-24 cupcakes-20-25 min.

Banana Ice Cream

You can eat as much as you want of this ice cream!  It's creamy, smooth, cold, and only uses one ingredient...bananas!  Of course you can add in your favorite toppings, too.  I like cinnamon and walnuts.  Tastes like banana bread.  Mmmm...Freeze your bananas at least 6 hours in advance and make sure you use bananas that are ripe.  I like them when they're getting a good amount of brown spots on the outside.  Nice and sweet but not mushy or brown on the inside!

Banana Ice Cream

Remove banana peels and slice bananas into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.  Place slices on cookie sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper.  Place in freezer until frozen or at least 6 hours.  (I like to make a big bunch and after they are frozen I transfer them to a big freezer bag and then I have them on hand to use for shakes or banana ice cream or just plain as a frozen treat that just hits the spot for me.)

Place frozen banana chunks into a food processor.  I don't think this recipe would work in a blender unless you have one of those really nice high speed ones that I REALLY want but don't have...like a Vitamix.  Turn on the food processor and blend the bananas up.  Stop it a couple times to scrape down the sides and stir the mixture around.  It will look like little crumbs but as soon as you start to stir it will turn smooth and creamy and look just like ice cream.  Add any add-ins that you would like:  cinnamon, walnuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc.  Dish it out with an ice cream scoop and enjoy!

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

This recipe uses a different variation of "cheese" made from cashews.  It is so delicious and really fills you up!  Once again my kids were loving the "cheese" and eating it by the spoonfuls.  The only thing I did differently was that I left out the miso paste because I didn't have any.  I baked mine in the oven with bread crumbs on top (see note at bottom of recipe) which was delicious.  I found this recipe in The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  Great cookbook and absolutely delicious recipe.

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

1 ¼ cups raw cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp. onion powder

1-2 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

3 ½ cups nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp, or oat)

3 Tbsp. thickener such as cornstarch or kudzu root

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup light (yellow or white) miso paste

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

12-16 oz. elbow macaroni noodles, cooked

Place cashews in large bowl of the food processor and finely grind. Don’t, however, allow cashews to turn to paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, thickener, and oil. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1- minutes, or until thickener dissolves.

With food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Next, blend in miso and lemon juice.

Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve. You also may bake it (see below). If you have extra cheese, make more noodles, pour over broccoli, or serve as fondue dip. Cashew cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refrigerated.

Yield: 8 servings

*The cashew cheese for this recipe will be creamy, perfect for macaroni and cheese or as a sauce for vegetables. To make a hard block of cheese, substitute thickener for 1 cup (about 2 oz) afar flakes. Transfer creamy mixture to container you want to use for a mold (rectangular, square, round). Once it sets (after a few hours in the refrigerator), unmold, and slice or grate. Serve on crackers.

*To make the baked version: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer macaroni mixture to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover dish, and sprinkle ½ cup herbed bread crumbs on top. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.

Black Bean Avocado Salad

You could make a meal out of this salad.  I love how fresh and light it is.  No heavy oils.  Make it at least an hour in advance so that the flavors can blend.

Black Bean Avocado Salad

2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 tomatoes, diced (I like vine ripened or Roma)
1 avocado, diced
chopped cilantro to taste (1/2-1 cup)
2 green onions, diced
garlic salt, to taste (or you can just use salt)
juice from one lime

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

These are so fresh and yummy on a hot summer day.  And with no added sugar you can let the kids eat all they want!  This could be a great way to use up a "less-than-perfect" watermelon.  You know...the ones that end up a little mushy inside.  Make sure you put the mint leaves in because...wow...they just make these!  I just discovered a mint plant growing in my backyard.  What a pleasant surprise!  I'm not sure where it came from but I'm happy to have it.  My kids couldn't believe their crazy mother was just eating the leaves off of some random plant but I assured them I knew what it was.  As soon as I sniffed those leaves it brought me back to my own childhood.  We had a couple great big peppermint patches growing by our water faucet and I would always grab a few leaves and chew on them while I was watering the garden or trees in our yard.  Good stuff!

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

Half of a watermelon, cubed
Juice from 2-3 limes
2-3 mint leaves

Fill your blender pitcher about half full with watermelon cubes, lime juice, and mint leaves.  Blend.  Add as much more watermelon as you can fit.  Pour into plastic Popsicle molds and freeze.  When you're ready to eat them, run a little cold water over the outside of the molds to help loosen them.  Enjoy!

Caramel Cake

I found this recipe on Our Best Bites and made it for Father's Day.  It was good...but I didn't care for the "cake mix" cake.  I even doctored it up like they did but it just seemed really greasy and not that great to me.  Just couldn't mask that cake mix flavor.  Next time I think I would make a homemade yellow cake recipe.  However...the frosting was wow!  I guess the frosting recipe came from Southern Living Comfort Food.  It was very thick and very sweet and about the consistency of fudge!  Whew!  One slice goes a long way on this cake!  They do suggest making it in a 9x13.  It would be very hard to frost a cake with sides with this frosting!

Caramel Cake

Cake:
1 Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1 8-oz. container of sour cream
1 c. oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. butter flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract

Frosting:
1 c. butter
2 c. firmly packed DARK brown sugar
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
About 1 c. toasted, chopped pecans

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the cake ingredients and beat on medium-high for 3 minutes. Pour the batter into a 9x13" pan and bake according to the times on the cake mix box. When the cake is finished baking, remove from heat and allow to cool. While cooling, prepare the caramel frosting.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Carefully stir in the whipping cream and vanilla (be careful of splatters because they'll be HOT!) and then bring this mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 1/2 hour. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and sift in the powdered sugar. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes or until creamy and fluffy. Spread the icing over the cake and sprinkle with toasted chopped pecans.

Spinach Mandarin Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

This salad is filled with yummy flavors.  You can use your favorite store-bought poppy seed dressing or make this simple dressing.  It's a great salad to feed a group but if you're not going to eat it in one meal then I would suggest leaving the dressing off and adding it to individual portions.  It will make the greens wilt and nobody wants to eat soggy salad the next day.  Or you could just make a half portion of the recipe.

Spinach Mandarin Salad
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 (8-10 oz.) bag baby spinach
1/3 purple onion, thinly sliced
1 large avocado, cubed
1 cup Swiss or Mozzarella cheese, shredded or cubed
1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large can (or two small) Mandarin oranges, drained (and I also like to slice them in half to make more pieces)
Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

In large salad bowl, combine lettuce, spinach, onion, bacon, cheese, and oranges.  Gently fold in avocado.  Just before serving, toss with salad dressing and serve immediately.

Poppy Seed Dressing
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 green onion, ends removed
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In blender, combine vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard, and pepper.  While blender is going, add green onion and then add the oil in a constant stream until it is mixed in.  Pour dressing into a bowl and stir in poppy seeds.

Strawberry Jell-O Salad

I like the salty pretzel crust mixed with the creamy and sweet layers.  I just use half of the recipe for my family and make it in a square pan.  This recipe makes a 9x13 size pan.  Sorry this isn't the best picture.  It was the last slice of the pan!

Strawberry Jell-O Salad
Crust:
2 c. pretzels, crushed
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
-Mix and press in 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cream:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
-Spread over cooled pretzel crust.  Chill.

Mix:
1 (6 oz.) pkg. strawberry Jell-O
2 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries (I like to get the sliced ones or else slice them myself but you can also leave them whole)
2 c. boiling water
-Partially set the Jell-O mixture.  Then pour over chilled cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until set.

Calzones

These are super filling and vegetarian.  Of course you could always add regular cheese and any of your favorite meat toppings as well but we like to keep them vegetarian.  I like to lightly saute my veggies before adding them.  You can use your favorite pizza crust recipe for the dough.  I usually just use a quick whole wheat breadstick recipe (see below).  Don't skimp on the sauce and the cheese sauce or the calzone could end up a little dry.  The Mozzerella "Cheese" Sauce just makes them!  This is a favorite dinner for our family and one I feel good serving.  Load up the veggies and you have a great healthy and homemade dinner!  I usually serve this with a salad.

Calzones

Pizza dough recipe (see below)
Pizza sauce, your favorite homemade or jarred sauce
Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce recipe

Toppings:  onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

Make pizza dough.  While it is rising prepare the filling.  For the filling saute the veggies for a couple minutes.  Make sure they're still tender-crisp.  You definitely don't want soggy veggies!  After the dough has risen, roll it out onto an oiled cookie sheet.  Spread your sauce legthwise on half of the dough.  Layer with veggies.  Top with Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce.  Flip over the empty half of the crust and press down around the edges to seal in filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Slice and serve!

Whole Wheat Breadstick Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. honey

2 tsp. salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast and honey.  Let sit for about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt to mixture.  Mix until smooth and elastic.  Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour.  Knead for 3-5 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl and let is rise for 10 minutes (can skip this step if in a hurry). 

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

This is super delicious cheese alternative that doesn't have any dairy or soy in it.  You cook it to the consistency you want.  It will thicken up to the consistency of a spread if you let it.  If it's going to sit while you assemble the rest of your dinner then make sure you stop cooking it when it's a little on the "thin" side and cover the pot.  It thickens as it cools.  I don't always roast the garlic for this.  Just use a little less because roasted garlic is more mild.  If you are going to be making many vegan sauces or "cheese" you should go ahead an get a supply of tahini (sesame seed paste) and nutritional yeast (NOT brewer's yeast).  These two items are used a lot.  This cheese sauce is great on pizza, calzones, tacos, or anything else you would enjoy melted cheese.  Great as a dip for veggies or on pitas as well.  To make smoked mozzarella just add 1/8 tsp. liquid hickory smoke.
*Sorry about the picture quality.  I took it as a last minute thought after I made calzones.  The lighting was bad so it looks yellow but it's really white.  You can check out the calzones picture to see it a little better.  I'll try to get a better picture in the future.

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

1 cup water
2 small cloves of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.

Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls are quick and easy with only 30 minutes needed for rising.  If you are careful not to add too much flour and leave the dough nice and sticky, then you will have perfect rolls every time.  These are perfectly soft and very ooey-gooey.  Also great because they only make one pan of rolls.

Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (or 1 pkg. instant yeast)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg

Filling:

1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Place milk and 4 Tbs. butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for a minute and a half.  Butter should be mostly melted.  Stir and set aside to cool.  (Can also heat on stove top for this step.  Heat just until milk is scalded.)

In mixer bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt.  When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot) add it to the flour mixture while mixer is going.  Whisk egg and add to mixture.  Beat for about 1 minute or until ingredients are well combined.

Switch to dough hook on mixer and add remaining flour until dough just starts to leave the sides of the bowl.  It will be very soft and a little sticky.  Continue to knead for 5 minutes.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Roll dough into a rectangle about 12x14 inches.  Spread melted butter over dough.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over butter.  Be sure to go all the way to the ends.  Roll up from the longer side and pinch edges closed.  Cut into about 12 rolls using dental floss.  Place in a greased baking pan.  Cover pan with a clean towel and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.  Spread with icing while still warm.

Makes about 12 rolls.

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2-1 tsp. almond extract

2-3 Tbsp. milk

Cream powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and 2 Tbsp. milk.  Mix until smooth and creamy.  If too thick, add more milk half a tablespoon at a time until desired thickness.  Spread on warm cinnamon rolls.