Recipe Friday - Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Let me start by saying "Happy 1st Birthday Joseph!" I can't believe it's been a year since I gave birth to a little (well not so little) 9 pound 9 ounce cutie pie. It's been a great first year and I love my little guy so so much! Ok, more about that later... Time for a recipe!

Here's a twist on traditional pesto. I decided to make this one day because roasted red peppers were on sale. It turned out really well and it was actually faster than my usual pesto because I didn't need to grate all that romano cheese, AND lower it's in fat. This recipe is perfect to make on one of those busy days when you feel like your head is going to explode from all the running around (for me, that day is today!). In the time that it takes to boil a pot of pasta, you'll be done and your family will enjoy a healthy, homemade meal. It's faster than ordering a pizza!

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

300 mL jar of roasted red peppers, drained (or 3 whole roasted red peppers)
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup olive oil (I use extra virgin, but you can use regular if your kids don't like the strong taste)
1 small bunch of fresh basil, washed and stems removed

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend about 2 minutes. Serve over whole wheat pasta and sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

- Elisabeth

Recipe Friday - Veggie Lasagna

Ok, I need you all to trust me that this lasagna is REALLY good. You'll probably see the list of ingredients and think "What the heck? No way am I making that!" It honestly tastes better than it sounds. Dave LOVES it, and Rosie LOVES it. I'm actually going to make it for dinner tonight. Oh and sorry about the picture, I was in a rush.

Filling
1 bunch of fresh swiss chard
2 small bunches of fresh basil
4 cloves of garlic
1 med onion, chopped
1 300 ml jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1 pkg soft tofu, drained
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cheese Sauce
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper

Filling
In a blender mix, roasted red peppers, olive oil, both bunches of basil (leaves only, no stems), and 3 cloves of garlic, until smooth. Add tofu and Parmesan cheese and blend.

In a frying pan on medium heat, cook chopped onions until translucent. Add 1 clove of garlic (crushed through a garlic press) and cook for another minute. Wash and rip up the swiss chard into 1 inch pieces (no stems). Add to the onion and garlic and heat until the leaves are slightly wilted. Allow to cool slightly.

Add the swiss chard mixture to the roasted red pepper mixture. Blend for about 10-15 seconds.

Cheese Sauce
In a sauce pot, over low heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk. Add milk and whisk until smooth (no flour chunks). Add grated mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, and whisk until a thick and creamy cheese sauce forms (about 5-10 minutes).

Assembling the lasagna layers
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Use a deep casserole dish and spread 2 tablespoons of cheese sauce evenly on the bottom. Add one layer of cooked lasagna noodles. Spread 4 tablespoons of cheese sauce over the noodles. Add 1/2 a cup (or more if you want) of swiss chard mixture and spread evenly. Add another layer of lasagna noodles. Continue layering in this manner until all the filling has been used up. Pour the remaining sauce to the top of the layers. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the over for 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!!

Recipe Friday - Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

If you haven't noticed already, I love to make soups. This is one of the first soup recipes I made as a newlywed, and I was afraid Dave wouldn't like it because it's so healthy. Thankfully he loves it and anyone else who's tried it, loves it too. It's so simple to make that I've honestly made it with a baby under one arm. It doesn't matter how you cut the vegetables because the soup is pureed anyway.

Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

1 red bell pepper, chopped
3-4 large carrots, chopped (or you can throw in 2 cups of baby carrots to save time)
1 med onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tablespoon ginger
7 cups veg stock (or chicken stock if you aren't totally strict on being vegetarian - I use chicken stock)
1 cup RED lentils (MUST be red or it won't turn out very well)
splash of olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat olive oil, chopped red pepper, chopped carrots, chopped onion, chopped garlic, ginger, salt and pepper for 5 minutes on med heat.

Add stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Then cook for 25 minutes until carrots are tender.

Blend soup in a blender until smooth and ENJOY!

Recipe Friday - Omega Granola

Wow, this week has just flown by! I can't believe it's Friday already and time for another recipe. This is my Mom's recipe (with a few adaptions). I wondered why she hadn't made it in a really long time and she said "it's too addictive, I couldn't stop eating it!" Well, she was absolutely right, it IS ADDICTIVE! Every time I go into the kitchen I grab a handful. Although it is very healthy (packed with omega-3, fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin E), it is high in calories so beware if you're on a calorie reduced diet.

1/3 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup crushed cashews
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup raisins
2 cups oats (I use PC organic)
1 cup puffed wheat or rice crispies
1/3 cup organic coconut butter, melted
1/3 cup real maple syrup (or more if you like it sweeter)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Mix everything except the raisins and dried cranberries in a bowl. It should all stick together, if it doesn't, add a few more table spoons of maple syrup. Spread evenly on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes in a 250 F oven. Remove from oven and place in a bowl. Add the raisins and dried cranberries and mix. Store in a air tight container. ENJOY!!

Recipe Friday - Veggie Power Soup

My friend's husband, Scott, is a vegetarian and gave me this delicious soup recipe (I know, another vegetarian one - I eat meat I swear). It's an excellent recipe for anyone suffering with inflammation because it contains turmeric and ginger. This soup is also alkalizing to the body. Many times, inflammation sufferers eat too much acid forming foods. The best part is that the soup is full of veggies, but it's pureed so your kids won't complain.

Veggie Power Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 cup chopped parsley
3 cups plain soy milk

Place vegetables and seasonings into large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 40 minutes). Remove from heat. Puree in a blender until smooth. Stir in soy milk. Enjoy!!

Recipe Friday - Veg Chili

One thing you'll notice about a lot of my recipes is that they are often vegetarian. I used to be a vegetarian in high school so naturally I learned how to cook meatless dished.

My two-year-old LOVES this chili and I love making it for her. It's pretty much the only meal she'll eat that has so many vegetables (maybe because they're chopped so small she doesn't notice?) I make this recipe at least twice a month and freeze the leftovers in little "Rosie sized" portions for quick and easy lunches.

Veg Chili

1 tablespoon EVOO
1 large onion
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
4 stalks of celery
1 med zucchini
1 can diced tomatoes, do NOT drain)
1 can white kidney beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
2 cans brown beans in tomato sauce, do NOT drain
1 can peaches and cream corn, drained
1 package Club House Chili Seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoon Club House Montreal Chicken Spice
dash of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper or to taste

Finely chop onions, red and green peppers, celery and zucchini. In a large pot heat EVOO over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, red and green peppers, celery, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring often. Add the remainder of the ingredients and cook for 20-25 over medium heat. Don't forget to stir often to avoid the bottom from burning.

Serve with grated cheese and/or fat free sour cream on top if desired. ENJOY!

Me Ka Aloha (with love)

- Elisabeth

Recipe Friday - Pesto

If I could know just one of my Mother's recipe's, THIS would be it. It's a favorite in my house growing up, and everyone I've ever made it for asks me how to make it. My brother was a really picky eater growing up... I mean REALLY picky, like gag and nearly throwing up at the sight of a carrot, but his absolute favorite meal was this...

Pesto

2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup of freshly grated romano cheese. It MUST be freshly grated or else it won't turn out
1 bunch of fresh basil. I buy the pack from President's choice

In a blender combine, cheese, olive oil, canola oil, basil leaves (not stems), and garlic. Puree until smooth, adding extra oil if it seems too thick. About 2 minutes

Serve over whole wheat pasta.

THAT'S IT!!! IT'S THAT EASY!!!

Me Ka Aloha!

- Elisabeth

Recipe Friday Cauliflower Casserole

The first time I had a cauliflower casserole was when my sister-in-law made it for a Mother's Day dinner. It was really, really good so I asked for the recipe. When I saw the list of ingredients I was shocked! Can it really be full of all that FAT? Suddenly I was determined to make my own version -something with all the flavor, but half the fat. Here it is.

Cauliflower Casserole

1 head of cauliflower, washed and cut into bite size pieces
1 can of Campbells Healthy Request Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 tablespoon of melted butter
1/3 cup light cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons fat-free miracle whip
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower in steamer over boiling water; cover and steam for 5 minutes only.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium sized casserole dish mix butter, cheese, can of soup, miracle whip, mustard powder, curry powder, salt and pepper.
4. Add the cauliflower to the sauce mixture and toss until the cauliflower is well coated.
5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is golden and tender.
6. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!
-Elisabeth