A Loaded Egg Bake

Preheat your oven to 350° Chop all the vegetables:

a few red and orange mini peppers

4-6 assorted unpeeled potatoes

1/2 med. Vidalia onion
1/2 sm. purple onion

4 stalks celery

1 dozen lg. pasture raised eggs

4oz. curry sauce

4oz. sour cream

I cut up and cooked almost 2# of bacon the other day. I love to use real bacon crumbles on vegetables and in other foods like egg bakes. Since I have lots of beautiful eggs right now. . .this happened!

Saute the vegetables in a couple tablespoons of good quality olive oil until about half done. Put the chopped chard, on top - don't stir in. Add a little water if needed, cover and let the greens steam a few minutes until wilted.

Transfer all the vegetables to a 9"x13" glass pan.

Crack the eggs into your blender jar. Pulse together with the curry sauce, sour cream, garlic salt and pepper before pouring over the chopped vegetables.

Bake about 40 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle on the bacon crumbles and top with the cheese. Put back in the oven, turn off the heat and leave for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Great for breakfast, lunch or breakfast-for-dinner. .😃. .Lin

A Hearty Summer or Winter Stew

Never mind that it's been in the 80's with high humidity here in northern Minnesota. . .seems my body doesn't always go along with the concept of seasonal eating! I had some fresh green beans, small purple turnips and lots of mushrooms to turn into something. Here's what transpired:

In a 6 quart pot, sauté 16oz. sliced baby portabella mushrooms in 2 big spoonfuls of ghee or butter. When they're lightly browned stir in the following sliced-chopped ingredients:

10oz. beef-pork hot dog-sausages
13oz. fresh green beans
13oz. purple turnips
*garlic and onion
6 stalks of celery
2 big carrots
1/3c cooking sherry
2-4T beef Better Than Bouillon
1 14-15oz. petite diced tomatoes
~ I used this instead of the bone broth shown in the first photo
2/3c of a mild curry sauce

Stir this together, cover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Stir again, continue to simmer, covered, on low heat for 15 minutes.

Stir in the sliced mini peppers and some chopped roasted chicken. Add water or broth if needed and continue to simmer until the carrots, celery and turnips are done the way you like.

*I left out garlic and onion this time, but those would also add great flavor. . .Lin

Egg Bake with Chicken & Lots of Vegetables

This turned out SO well, in spite of forgetting to set my timer and going past my estimated baking time by about 20 minutes! 😯 No doubt about the vegetables being well cooked, that's for sure!

Preheat your oven to 350°

CHOP or SLICE:
1-2 lg. carrots
3-4 ribs of celery
a big handful of broccoli florets
6oz. roasted chicken
a generous amount of fresh greens
~ I used baby arugula and spinach
SHRED: 6-8oz. strong flavored cheese

Next, put the following in your blender jar:

8 lg. pasture raised eggs

1/3-1/2c liquid - I used coconut milk. Chicken broth would also be good.
3T Buckwheat flour - in spite of its name, this IS gluten-free!
1/2T baking powder
a big shake of smoked sea salt
- or- smokey paprika
1t± oregano leaf
1t black+cayenne pepper
1/2T good quality curry powder

Layer the vegetables in a buttered 9-13" pan. Add the chicken and greens. Pulse everything in the blender, just until smooth. Pour over the vegetables. Gently move everything around with a spatula to coat everything with the egg mixture without disturbing the layers. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over everything. Bake ? probably 35 minutes or until sides are browned and the center is firm.

I omitted onion from this recipe since I'll be sharing it with my Old-Man-Puppy Oliver 🐶 . . . Lin

Chicken-Mushroom-Vegetable Alfredo

6-8oz. pasta - Cook the pasta about half way, then drain and rinse in ice water until well chilled to turn this into resistant starch. While this is chilling, combine the following ingredients for the sauce.

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 jar of your favorite Alfredo sauce

1/2-1c chicken bone broth

1/2c Marsala cooking wine

Simmer the sauce over low heat, season with black and cayenne pepper, granulated garlic and garlic salt until it bubbles and thickens a bit. Sauté 8oz. mushrooms over low heat in 2-3T black truffle oil. Add a little more Marsala. When the mushrooms are nicely browned add the chopped vegetables:

4 big ribs of celery
4 seedless mini peppers

1/2 large onion

Simmer over low heat, covered until the celery is crisp-tender. Add 1 can drained-rinsed diced water chestnuts, the chilled-drained pasta and 11oz. roasted chicken. Mix together gently, pour into a glass baking dish and sprinkle the top with 4oz. crushed salad croutons. Bake 20-30 minutes.

Serve with a big mixed green salad, which is what I'll have next time. This time it was some of those red white and green lemon-butter vegetables. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Chicken-Mushroom-Zucchini Stew

Saute 10oz. sliced mushrooms in ghee until lightly browned.

Add cubed Yukon Gold potatoes and zucchini and a little chicken broth. Stir in 1-1/2c chopped peppers and onion, 1T mild Japanese curry powder, 1c marinara, 1c coconut-almond plant milk (recipe posted below) and 8oz. roasted chicken.

Stir everything together and gently simmer until the vegetables are done the way you like. . .Lin

Nutty Vegetable Ramen

Cook ramen according to package directions, rinse and drain.

2-3 blocks of millet-brown rice ramen

In a small wok, sauté together:

1-2T compound butter

2 shredded carrots

1/2c snipped garlic chives

2/3c frozen petite peas

When the vegetables are sizzling, stir in the following.

1-2T toasted sesame oil

2-3T mushroom soy sauce

1/2t yellow curry paste

3T± mixed nut butter

Once this is all combined, add the drained ramen noodles, toss and mix well, bring back to sizzling again before serving. . .Lin

Quick Vegetable Rice Pilaf

1/2c Carolina white rice 

~ or any 20 minute rice ~

some finely chopped onion

2T EVOO or butter

1c± water

Sauté these together until the rice is snapping and browning. Add a little water and 1-1½c sliced or chopped vegetables. I used 1 carrot and 3 big Brussels sprouts and 1/4 purple onion.

Stir and sauté adding more water as needed. Once all the water is in the pot, cover and bring to a simmer. Turn off the burner and let the cooking complete with the residual heat.

Serve with roasted chicken, fish or a grilled steak, or just by itself. If you want, add some roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts or spicy cashews. I had this last night and this morning as breakfast! . .Lin

Healthy Vegetables For Your Dog

After making the previous recipe, I had a lot of outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts. I thought about adding them to my vegetable scraps in a zip-type bag in the freezer, for future vegetable broth, but. . .When I was making the Brussels sprout salad earlier, Oliver cane to the kitchen, sat down and just stared at me, waiting for some scraps.

Every dog I've ever had has loved (dog-safe) vegetables, so keeping their diet healthy is an easy process. Today I cut the leaves very thin, added a little finely sliced raw sweet potato and simmer these in just a little chicken broth. These can be eaten raw as well, but when cooking, just cook them until the colors brighten. Check for the level of doneness you want with a fork.

With no added human food or vegetables, my Oliver, who weighs just under 35#, would get 1c of dry food in the morning and another 1c serving later in the day. 

For dinner tonight, he got the lightly cooked vegetables, cooked in broth and 1/2c of dry. Mix this together to create 'gravy.' I let this stand, off the heat, to bring the temperature down enough for him to eat it. I usually feel him only dry in the morning and then spend a little more time on his dinner, including vegetables and warm broth with the dry food.

Here he is, sitting and waiting until I say 'Okay!'

Our dogs and cats are family, they love us and we love them, so we need to pay attention to the quality of food we feed them to keep them strong and healthy for many years. . .Lin

Sausage-and-Bean Spaghetti Squash Casserole

This began several days ago, and then, just stalled.

Ugh. . .the sauce didn't taste at all as I had hoped.

I tried it again this morning and realized the beans absorbed all the good flavors, leaving it SO bland, that I almost trashed it.

Then I analyzed a bit, and realized it needed flavorful fat: -butter-, texture: -mushrooms-, acid: -tomato paste and lemon-, and for a pinch of sweetness: -coconut sugar-, smokiness: -cumin and paprika-. . .Voilà! . .Now here we are, at the end of the second try!!

NOTE: I did NOT use sour cream (shown) in the first photo. . .

Finely chop the vegetables shown, then sauté, in 2T EVOO with 4 oz. mild Italian sausage, removed from its casing:

2 big celery stalks

2/3 bell pepper

1 med. onion

3 big cloves garlic

Then stir in a can of rinsed, drained garbanzo beans that have also been finely chopped.

.~.           .~.           .~.           .~.           .~. 

Today, I sautéed these ingredients together, in the order given, with enough time to brown the mushrooms well before adding the acids.

3T butter

2T dark thick Balsamic vinegar

12oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

sprinkled with pepper, garlic salt and smokey ground cumin

1-2T tomato paste

1 lemon - zest + juice

I partially cooked the spaghetti squash by first washing and drying it well. Then in one area, I made several cuts (stabs if you will) to allow steam to escape, then wrapped the it in paper towels, and put it, with the cut side up, in the microwave. I don't remember now how long I cooked it, but I know I cooked it at 60% power, checking it every so often until it was starting to soften. When I squeezed it, it would 'give' a little.

At this point, let it cool a bit on the counter. Later, cut it in half, lengthwise. Scoop out and throw away the seeds and dark strings, leaving the lighter colored 'spaghetti.' With a sharp knife, cut through the spaghetti, down to the outer shell, so you don't have big long strings. Scoop this into a glass baking pan and cover with the sauce.

It's shown here, ready to be chilled, then baked tomorrow in a 350° preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Sprinkle some shredded, hard-flavorful cheese on top before baking if you'd like. . .Lin

Farro Porcini 'Risotto' with Beef and Vegetables

I only have a couple more days here at the lake before returning home. It's time to take a food inventory, using up what's here, rather than bringing it back with me, if possible. Hence this recipe. Sort of a beef, vegetable, grain casserole. . .with a fancy name. I normally wouldn't use a mix, but when it's something that I'm not familiar with, it gives me a point of reference for making it in the future from scratch. I trust the Alessi brand and this mix was simple, healthy and tastes great.

 

1 4-serving pkg. farro risotto mix

Make this according to package directions. While that simmers, prepare the fresh ingredients for this recipe:

6oz. beef steak - cut in small pieces

1t± salt-pepper seasoning

2-3T good quality EVOO

3 big garlic cloves - smashed and minced

1/3 or so lg. onion

1/3 bell pepper

1 big carrot

1/2 pkg. California blend vegetables, chopped

(since I had a fresh carrot, I only used the broccoli and cauliflower)

Slice or chop the vegetables while the beef is sautéing in the oil, in a 10" frying pan, with a little of the garlic and onion. Once the beef is browned and snapping add about 1/2c hot water. Stir to incorporate any browned bits on the bottom, then add the vegetables. Stir again then cook over medium heat, covered, until the vegetables are done the way you like. Combine this with the 'risotto' in a 2-3 quart casserole, heat at 350° if needed for 10-15 minutes before serving.

This was perfect with a simple salad of fresh greens. Today mine is chopped Romaine, green cabbage and cilantro. (drizzled with my favorite lemon-EVOO vinaigrette dressing). . .Lin

Spicy Beef Pho Type Soup

As I was heading to the lake this afternoon, I was craving Beef Pho. The tiny city where my condo is located has a great Asian take-out place.

Then, the plan changed, and I decided to stop at Super One for ingredients to make my own. I've rarely had authentic Pho, so I'm not remembering how this compares, but it sure worked for me!

6oz. rice noodles
TOASTED sesame oil
2 stalks celery
a few small carrots
4oz. mushrooms
6oz. marbled black Angus beef steak
4-5 green onions
2 big cloves garlic

2T Tsang spicy Szechaun sauce
3±T beef Better Than Bouillon
1/2-1t garlic salt
1 packed cup of rough chopped *cilantro

Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. While you're waiting for that to start, slice the meat and vegetables. 

Add the noodles to the pot, you won't exactly 'cook' them...just cover the pot and turn off the heat -do not drain- this will become your beef broth. Stir fry the celery and carrots in the sesame oil until snapping, lightly brown, and tenderize.

Add these to the pot of noodles and water. Drizzle another 2T of the oil into the hot pan and stir in the mushrooms, cooking them until they start to turn golden brown then add them to the pot.

Repeat this process with the beef, adding a little of the garlic. Stir this just until the edges brown, but the pieces are all medium rare. 

Add the green onion and rest of the garlic to the beef, sizzle a couple more minutes, then put that into the pot. Simmer everything another 5 minutes then stir in the *cilantro or flat leaf parsley.

 🍲 Serve this up in big bowls 🍲 . . .Lin

Red Bean and Farro Vegetable Soup

Slice or chop the vegetables into a 6 quart pot. Drizzle with EVOO and sauté until they are just starting to get tender.

1/2 bunch of celery

2-3 big carrots

1/2 green pepper

2/3 lg. yellow onion

1/2 med. green cabbage

4 big cloves garlic

3T single source EVOO

Add the following then simmer, covered, on low heat for an hour.

I used 2± quarts chicken bone broth, not the broth shown

1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes and juice

garlic salt, fresh ground black pepper

1-3T powdered chicken soup base

1/2c farro - ancient grain 

2/3c dried red beans that have been cooked

-or- 1-2 cans, drained and rinsed, red beans

After about an hour, check the farro and vegetables for doneness and check the flavors, making any adjustments you'd like in the seasoning. 

This is a great soup for these chilly winter days. . .Lin

Salmon Patties and Vegetables

2 - 4oz. wild caught Alaskan salmon patties

2c frozen green beans

1 med. onion

1 carrot

2-3T EVOO

garlic salt with parsley

Smoked Arizona Garlic and Chipotle seasoning

Cube the salmon patties and chop the vegetables into a big pan.

Add the oil and seasonings, then heat over medium heat; covered, stirring occasionally; until everything begins to brown. Uncover and let the browning continue until it begins to stick to the pan. Add a cup of water, stir then cover and turn the heat down. Continue to cook until the vegetables are done the way you like.

This made 3 big servings and would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. . .Lin

Coconut Curry Roasted Fruit and Vegetable Soup

1 med. butternut squash

1 lg. sweet potato

3 carrots 

EVOO, garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 stalks of celery

4 cloves of garlic

1 med. purple onion

EVOO, garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper

Today I prepped then roasted the orange vegetables for 40 minutes at 400° Once the squash was cool, I peeled that then added the roasted vegetables to the pot where the others were simmering.

1T curry powder

1t coconut sugar

1t pumpkin pie spice

3T Better Than Bouillon 

3 very ripe, seeded, unpeeled pears (not shown)

20oz ± cold, fresh water

Blend this with an immersion blender and when slightly cooled, add 1 can coconut milk or coconut cream.

Serve this garnished with chopped nuts or seeds and a drizzle of seasoned, thinned, sour cream.

You could easily omit the coconut milk if you'd rather, but I like the way it brings all the flavors together and adds depth to the soup. . .Lin

Beef, Beans and Greens

I've never been big on 'hot dogs,' but I saw these a while ago at Sam's Club and was surprised to read the label and find. . .they're almost healthy! Ever since, I've been craving them from time to time, so I was glad I had 3# and froze what I didn't use at first. 

Today I was going to combine them with homemade mac & cheese, but decided I didn't want the pasta carbs, so this happened instead.

4 stalks celery - sliced

3 BIG garlic cloves - sliced

2-3T single source EVOO

1 sm. onion - chopped

beet stems (and greens later)

kohlrabi stems (and greens later)

8-12oz. water

12oz. cut up beef hot dogs

12oz. cubed kohlrabi

1-2 drained-rinsed cans of garbanzos

3T black bean garlic sauce

1-2T coconut sugar

1t± garlic salt

a 2T corn starch + 3/4c water slurry as a thickener

Sauté the sliced celery and 1 clove of garlic in the olive oil until the celery turns a little translucent and the garlic browns. Add the water and stems only, of the beet and kohlrabi greens, and cook a little longer. Next, add the hot dogs and kohlrabi, turn up the heat and simmer covered, then stirring and uncovered for a bit.

When the kohlrabi turns translucent, add the garbanzos, the slice-chopped greens, sauce, and remaining ingredients. Simmer another 10-15 minutes until the greens are wilted.

This would be excellent with cornbread. . .Lin

Baby White Turnips and Greens

I found the gorgeous little white turnips at one of our great Farmers' Markets a couple days ago. I cooked almost one bunch of them with a beef roast, but still had lots left, and both bunches of their greens. The yellow leaves and stems went out for the bunnies and deer, the rest were washed well, then drained and dried a bit, with paper towels.

First slice-chop the scrubbed turnips into a big non-stick frying pan with 2T butter, black pepper and some garlic salt. Sauté these 5 minutes or so, covered. Add the bottom, sliced onion part, of a couple of big (purple!) green onions, stir and sauté a couple more minutes. Next, put in the chopped green onion tops along with the turnip greens.

Add 2/3c of chicken bone broth and a nice splash of wine vinegar, then cover the pan and let everything steam about 7 minutes, or longer, until the greens have wilted and are tender.

These and a pan-seared Orange Roughy fillet will be 'what's for dinner' tonight. . 😋 . .Lin

Pork Tenderloin and Vegetable Stew

8oz. seasoned pork tenderloin medallions

2-3T EVOO 

3 carrots

4 stalks of celery

1 or 2 med. onions

~ I only used one onion

2 mini yellow peppers

1 14.5oz. can stewed tomatoes

garlic salt and pepper

Cut the pork into bite size pieces, slice-chop all the vegetables. Sauté in the olive oil until the pork is done medium-rare and the vegetables are all crisp-tender, then add the can of tomatoes and juice. Chop those up a bit. Add a cup of water and simmer another 20 minutes. Check the flavors, adding seasonings as needed.

Serve as is, if you're keeping your carb intake low. If not, this would be great over thin spaghetti or rice. Makes 3-4 servings. . .Lin

A Greens and Beans Vegetable Salad

1c dry beans

Cook these according to package directions or use 1 can of beans, rinsed and drained.

1 long romaine 'head' of lettuce

4 big radishes

1/3c chopped onion

1 big carrot - sliced / steamed

2 stalks celery - chopped / steamed

Slice the romaine lengthwise twice, then cut crosswise into bite size pieces. Wash well and spin in a salad spinner. Rinse and dry the bowl of the spinner and use that as the refrigerator container for the lettuce and the rest of the prepared vegetables. Combine greens and beans in a salad bowl. Don't skip the beans! They're an excellent source of fiber and protein. Top with a drizzle of your favorite dressing (this is mine), a little feta cheese, and a good sprinkle of nutritional yeast, for a great blast of the B Vitamins you need every day. . .It's spring! . .Break out the salad ingredients! . .Lin

Garlic Chicken and Vegetables with Steamed Broccoli

8oz. roasted chicken meat

2-3T olive oil

8 big cloves garlic

a few little potatoes

1/2 long red bell pepper

4 green onions

Cut the chicken into bit size pieces and sauté in the oil a few minutes until it's sizzling and beginning to brown. Add the sliced garlic cloves, stir and sizzle for a few more minutes.

Add the chopped potatoes and chopped pepper. Continue to stir and sizzle a few minutes, then toss in the sliced green onions.

Mix together a little more oil with 1/3c salsa and 1/3c water. Stir this into the pan, then arrange the broccoli florets on top. Don't stir, let them steam, covered, for 5 minutes or so after the mixture comes to a low bubble again. This made three servings. . .Lin