Oops

I recently discovered I made an oops on my Chicken Stir Fry recipe. If you have made this and thought it was a bit off, or confused, you should be. I fixed the mistakes. Hope you like it better this time.

Candied nuts

I've been getting a lot of requests for these. They are delicious. I probably eat 1/4 of every batch I make. I've made them with almonds and walnuts, and almonds are by far my favorite.

Candied nuts

1 lb nuts (roasted) - approximately 3 cups.
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
6 TB milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Roast nuts by putting them on a shallow try at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Add sugar, cinnamon, milk and salt to a medium sauce pan. Cook on high for about 10 minutes or until it reaches soft-ball stage- 236 degrees. (If you live at a high elevation like I do here in Utah, it is approximately 232 degrees.) Remove from heat and add vanilla, stir quickly and then add nuts. Stir them around until all the nuts are well coated. Then put them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Separate them with a fork, they will cook quickly.

Eat them quickly, or someone else will. They won't last long. They are THAT good!

Pumpkin Crumble

I was looking for a dessert to take to Thanksgiving dinner and came across this one from Our Best Bites . It was a hit and so yummy. Even those who don't like pumpkin pie really liked this. It is like a pumpkin pie but yet different. Some compare it to a "dump cake". But you will be surprised at how delightful this is.

Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 boxed yellow or white cake mix
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping

*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. That's because I like a high topping-to-pumpkin ratio. If you'd like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it's in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.

Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you're putting on. Here's why:

Here's a little something I learned after making the dump cake a gazillion times. Cake mixes all have different amounts in them! Different brands, different flavors, etc. Each one is slightly different in volume. I found one mix to have almost double the normal amount. Measuring the amount of cake mix you're sprinkling on top will help you get the perfect topping ratio in the last step.

Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You'll have 3 distinct layers now:

Here's the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you'll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.

That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden

You can eat it warm, at room temp, or chilled! My favorite is actually at room temp. Put a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top. It's also great with vanilla ice cream.

Chicken Stir Fry

I love this recipe because, not only is it tasty, but it is full of veggies!

Chicken Stir Fry

2 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
6 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder


1. Cut chicken into pieces of strips depending on your preference and put in a resealable plastic bag. Add constarch and toss to coat. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic powder, add to bag and shake well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Cut:
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1 small onion
1/2 cup chopped pepper
raw cashews (optional)- I happend to have some last time, and it was delicous.
or
1 bag frozen veggie stir fry without seasonings
or
whatever fresh veggies you have lying around that you want to throw in.

1. In skillet heat 2 TB oil, stir fry chicken until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Add remaining another 4 TB oil, and veggies. Cook until tender.

Add:
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp chicken boullion granules 0r
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 TB soy sauce mixed with 1 TB corn starch ( I love soy sauce, if you don't, just cut it back a bit.)

Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice. And enjoy it's good for you!

Homemade Granola Bars

These are so good! I've made them twice now, and I really enjoy them when I feel munchy. My husband takes one to work everyday for his afternoon snack too. I make mine with chopped almonds and raisins.

Homemade Granola Bars
from Super Healthy Kids

2 Cup Oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 Cup honey
Any dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc. (I use chopped almonds and raisins)

Mix all ingredients and press into greased pan, 11 X 13 if you like them thin and crunchy or a 9x13 if you want them thicker and softer.. Dough will be very dry and crumbly, but press until dough forms with pan.. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until edges are browned. (Watch carefully if they overcook they will be super crunchy.) Take out and let cool entirely. Cut into strips and store in snack size bags.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Non-Dairy Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
This tastes so good. You can't even tell that it is made with coconut milk. My husband came back for seconds and my 8 month old who can't have dairy loved it too!

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (Non Dairy)
adapted from Simple Healthy Tasty

1 can coconut milk (not light)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 Tablespoon nutmeg
1/4 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 cups rice milk
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
1 c sugar (can also substitute raw sugar or sucanat)

Put coconut milk in blender and blend until it has all been mixed together. Then add remaining ingredients. Put in the refrigerator until cooled. Add to your ice cream maker container and follow your makers instructions. Yum!

Roasted tomato sauce with garlic and olive oil

I've been trying to be creative with my tomatoes this year. I have never made tomato sauce before and saw a friend of mine post a recipe with roasted tomatoes. I had a bunch of tomatoes that I wanted to make sauce out of and thought I would try doing a tomato sauce using roasted tomatoes. I came up with this wonderful and easy recipe. It is so easy, you don't even have to measure anything.

Roma tomatoes sliced in half with the seeds removed but the core left intact.
Olive oil
garlic cloves, minced/chopped (I use minced that I buy in a huge jar at Costco)

Heat your oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place your halved tomatoes on it. Drizzle olive oil on top of them and place some garlic inside. Place in the oven and cook for about 2 hours.

After about 2 hours pull them out of the oven and let them cool. Then place all of them, (try not to let the oil spill out of the tomato) into a blender and puree. Freeze it, or use it in a recipe that calls for tomato sauce.

I used a 1/2 cup of it in a wonderful Italian recipe that I found for dinner tonight. I will post that one later. But you won't be disappointed!

Tomato and Basil Pasta with Chicken

This is great with fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden.

1 (8 oz) package spaghetti (or your choice noodles)
1 TB olive oil
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic chopped (or 1 tsp mined garlic)
2 1/2 c chopped tomatoes
2 c boneless chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 c parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot boil water and add noodles cooking for about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onion and garlic. Stir in all remaining ingredients except cheese. Simmer about 5 minutes until tomatoes are soft.
3. Take off heat and add cheese.
4. Serve over noodles.

Amazing Guacamole

I have to admit, that I have never really had Guacamole before. I've had a little bit on fajitas, but not enough to really know what guacamole tasted like. I whipped some up from scratch the other day when we had fajitas. It was so good. And the next day it was even better on tortilla chips. I LOVE this! It has been good to have as a snack. YUM!

3 avocados, mashed
2 TB lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 c diced onion
2-3 tsp dried cilantro (or 3 TB fresh)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp mined garlic

In a medium sized bowl, mash the first three ingredients. Then add the rest. Refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Purely Decadent-Review

I have found an ice cream that is just heaven to me. The brand is called Purely Decadent. They have many flavors, all dairy free, gluten free, organic and vegan. They also come with about 5 grams of fiber per half cup. That is a super bonus if you ask me.

So far I have tried two flavors, Purely Vanilla and Turtle Trails. I have truly enjoyed them both. I really liked the Purely Vanilla with Marie Callendars Razzleberry pie. The Turtle Trails which has swirls of carmel and chocolate covered prailine pecans is so addicting I could eat the entire pint in one sitting. (But I know that would probably make me sick, so I have resisted.) The carmel is SO good!

They have many more flavors all of which I am tempted to try. I am very curious about the Pomegranate Chip which is made with pomegranate and chocolate chips. It is very intriguing to me. Other flavors that look appealing are Cookie Avalanche, Blueberry Cheesecake, and Snickerdoodle.

Honey Baked Chicken

Honey Baked Chicken

This is so easy and oh so good. Even my kids like it. I love this because you don't really need to measure the ingredients and it still tastes good.

1 lb chicken (I use about 2 breasts)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 TB honey
4 TB melted butter/margarine

Mix the garlic powder, pepper, and salt together and rub on chicken. In a bowl mix the egg, honey, and butter together and brush onto chicken. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

Sweet Pork

Sweet Pork

1-2 lbs pork roast
1 c brown sugar
2 c salsa

Mix the salsa and brown sugar together. Put pork in a crock pot, add sugar/salsa and cook on low for about 8 hours. Pull the pork apart mix it around and let sit another 30 minutes or so to help the meat absorb some more of the juice. This makes a lot but it is really good.

Throw it on a tortilla with some burrito filling stuff. I like beans and rice. But I'm sure it is even better with some sour cream and cheese.

My kids favorite pizza

My kids love, love "Dipping Pizza" as they call it. They eat it so well and they ask for it all the time.

Pizza Crust

1 pkg yeast ( 2 1/4 tsp.)

1/4 c warm water

Let sit together in a bowl until yeast has dissolved. 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl:


2 1/2 c flour (I use half white and half whole wheat)
1 tsp salt
2 TB olive oil
2 TB honey
3/4 c cold water
yeast/water mixture

Mix together and knead until gluten is well developed and the bread looks smooth on the outside. This takes about 10 minutes.


Place in an oiled bowl until doubled in size.


Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll them into 2 long rectangular pieces. Place your cheese and toppings down the middle of the pizza. Then make slices on either side of the dough. Once you have done that, then you will bring a slice from each side and tie the dough together. (See the picture and you will understand.)






Place on a cookie sheet and cook at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cut into slices.

For those on a dairy-free diet like me, I don't put cheese on part of the pizza for me, and I still think it tastes okay.

Then while the pizza is cooking, start your pizza sauce for dipping. Unfortunately, I just "wing-it" with the spices, so I don't really have a recipe for it.
2 small cans of tomato sauce


Garlic powder
Onion powder
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
Pepper

I use twice as much garlic and oregano compared to everything else.


Serve the pizza with the sauce and with other finger foods like carrots and grapes. Yum!

Cream of Chicken Soup

I make my own non-dairy version of cream of chicken soup, but you can use regular milk to make your own. This is easy and quite tasty, I don't think I will ever be able to go back to the condensed versions I buy in the store.

3 TB margarine/butter
3 TB flour
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. milk or milk alternative
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
pepper to taste
chicken pieces (optional)

In a large frying pan on medium heat, mix margarine and butter until smooth. Then add broth and mix until smooth. When mixture has thickened, add milk and mix until smooth. Add bay leaf, salt and pepper and chicken. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the bay leaf flavor to penetrate the soup. When finished, remove the bay leaf. You can just eat or add to your other entrees as is.

Soy ice cream

I came across this recipe and served it at my husbands birthday dinner along with some other dairy ice creams. This was a HUGE hit. My guests were scraping at the bowl and it was enjoyed far more than the dairy versions. I'm not a big soy milk fan, but I LOVED this.

2 c. soy creamer
2 c. soy milk (I use the Silk brand. It is by FAR the best)
1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla- the real stuff.)
3/4 c sugar
*2 TB arrowroot (this is optional. I didn't use it, but it will make your ice cream thicker.)

Mix 1/4 c of soy m ilk with 2 TB of arrowroot and set aside.

Mis the soy creamer and soy milk together in a saucepan. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the milk. Drop the bean shell into the milk too. Bring to a slight boil, then lower temperature and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes.

Remove bean shell. Stir in the sugar, and bring to a boil again. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should immediatly cause the liquid to thicken (not a lot, but a noticeable amount, it will thicken as it cools.)

Chill the ice cream mixture .Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

*If you are using vanilla extract.

Mix 1/4 c soy milk with 2 TB arrowroot and set aside.

Mix soy creamer, soy milk, and sugar together ina saucepan. When the mixture has just started to boil, take off the heat and stir in the srrowroot slurry. This should immediately cause the liquid to thicken.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Chill ice cream mixture.Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Chicken Salad

I've never been a big fan of chicken salad. But I recently found a recipe that I really like. I made it for my sisters baby shower and it was a hit, and I'm still eating the leftovers.

2 c. cooked chopped chicken (I use canned chicken)
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. red grapes, cut in half
2 TB lemon juice
1 c diced celery
1/2 mayonnaise
1/4 c silvered almonds

Mix chicken celery and grapes together. Then add salt, and lemon juice. Then mix in mayo and almonds.

I really like serving these on croissants!

Minestrone Soup

Made this delicous Minestrone soup for dinner tonight. Yum!
Adapted from Savory Seasonings

2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
2 celery stalks, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. basil
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 small zucchini, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
5 cups water
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste (optional, just make it more saucy instead of liquidy)
1 can garbanzo beans or kidney beans
1 1/2 cups dry pasta (any shape)

Saute onion, garlic and salt in a large pot until soft. Add celery, carrots and spices, cook 5 minutes. Add zuchinni, pepper,water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and beans. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Then add pasta and cook until tender.

Better Than Ice Cream

 

About a week ago I got a new book, Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming. Because I am nursing and my son has a milk allergy I cannot have milk as it passes through the breastmilk. I have really missed my dairy, not so much the milk itself, but the things that have milk in it, such as cheese and ice cream. When I got this book, I was thrilled. It has a lot of great recipes in it. One of the first that I tried was Better Than Ice Cream. Now, I wouldn't really say that it is "better" than ice cream, because what really is? But it is better for you, and a pretty nice treat.

Better Than Ice Cream
from Go Dairy Free

1/2 c. nuts (I used almonds)
1 c. frozen bananas (I peel my bananas that are getting ripe, break them in chunks and then freeze them)
1 c. frozen peaches or berries
1/4- 1/2 c milk alternative (I used rice milk, and I'm sure regular milk would work too)
1/2 tsp vanilla


Put nuts in blender and pulse until coarse. Then add fruit and pulse until chunky. Add milk and vanilla and mix until smooth, at least 1 minute. (Mine came out a little grainy but if you had a "super blender", I'm sure you wouldn't notice the grainy texture from the nuts.)Poor into a glass and enjoy like a milkshake. Yummy!

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

A friend requested that I post this recipe, found here . I have been buying whole wheat buns at the store for years. And they are so expensive. I came across this recipe, and I LOVE it. They taste wonderful!

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns (makes about 1 1/2 dozen)

5-6 c. whole wheat flour
2 TB yeast
1/3 c. powdered milk
2 c. warm water
1/4 c. oil (I use canola, but I'm sure olive would work)
2 T honey
2 eggs
2 t salt
2 T vital wheat gluten/dough enhancer

Mix yeast, liquid and 3 cups flour together. Dump everything else in and knead 10 minutes or until gluten is well developed. The dough should just clean the sides of the bowl, but still be a little tacky to the touch. Let rise until doubled.

Form dough into peach size balls and then flatten them, but not too much. Let rise 20 minutes. Cook at 350 degrees about 18-20 minutes.

Bean Quesadillas

We had these for dinner tonight, and they were oh so good. I just had to share.

Bean Quesadillas

1-2 TB olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 (10 oz) bag of frozen corn
tortillas (I prefer whole wheat)
cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in pan and saute onion and garlic until soft. Add remaining ingredients (except cheese and tortillas) and cook until heated through.
2. Heat a skillet on medium and place a tortilla on top, add cheese and bean mixture ( use as much as you want) then place another tortilla on top. Flip when tortilla is light brown and cook on other side.
3. Serve warm with sour cream.

This is so delicous! You can even eat the bean mixture on tortilla chips as a salsa.

Welcome

Welcome to Simply Eating Healthy. I have wanted to start a blog for a while where I could put my recipes to share with everyone. For years now I have been trying to feed my family more healthy foods. It isn't until recently that I have been experimenting with new recipes and trying to feed my family more fruits, vegetables, whole wheats, and less proccessed foods. Because lets face it, processed foods are not good for you and we all should be eating more fruits, veggies and more whole wheats. I haven't gotten up the nerve yet to really create my own recipes, but I will be sure to give credit where it is due for those whose recipes I have enjoyed so much. I hope that you will enjoy my recipes and ideas for simply eating healthy.