Mom's Zucchini Bread

Originally posted on Saturday, November 12, 2011

Mom's Zucchini Bread

My mother never liked to cook and so I don't have many recipes from her.  Actually, this is one of only two recipes I have gotten from her.   It has sugar and honey in it so it isn't totally healthy but I thought I would include it since we got a bunch of zucchini today at the Food Bank.

Mom's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs (or egg replacere to equal 3 eggs)
1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup honey
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (or the whole wheat flour, already ground, that we got last week)
3 Tablespoons wheat gluten (only needed with the fresh ground whole wheat flour - it helps it to rise)
2 Cups zucchini --grated

Beat eggs (or reconstituted egg replacer).  Add brown sugar,  honey, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, whole wheat flour, gluten and zucchini.  Mix well.  Oil and flour 4 small loaf pans or spray with lecithin spray). 

Fill pans with equal amounts of dough.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. 

Variations: 
1. add one cup walnuts or pecans
2. Add 1 cup dates
3. Add 1 cup raisins
4. Add 1 cup shredded carrots

Chipotle Hummus? Oh Yeah!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Chipotle Hummus? Oh Yeah!

See my other blog for why you should be eating more chick peas: http://www.drellouiseshealthcorner.blogspot.com/

CHIPOTLE HUMMUS

I love hummus and have just made up a new recipe by adding chipotle to it. YUM! And, you know, jalapenos are actually good for you! Thank heavens because I eat a lot of them. :)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
5 level Tablespoons tahini paste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 can (15 oz) of chick peas (garbanzos) strained-reserve the juice
(if you want to you can cook up dried garbanzos in distilled water and then put in 2 cups of them instead of the can)
2 heaping Tablespoons of chipotle in adobe sauce
1 Tablespoon of the adobe sauce
Put a little of the garbanzo juice in the bottom of a VitaMix and then the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth, use extra juice if it is too dry. Enjoy!

Dr. Ellouise's Famous Home Fries

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Dr. Ellouise's Famous Home Fries

Each week, at the Food Bank, I get potatoes, onions, carrots and celery.  When I owned my school, one of the favorite breakfasts was my Home Fries and so I decided to use my Food Bank items to make Home Fries for my friends who were coming for lunch.  Here it is (remember you can adjust it according to what you have or what you got at the Food Bank):

I have an 12X21 stainless baking pan which I use.  I fill it to the top with potatoes (diced small) and then add the other ingredients on top.  The volume cooks down.  All of my veggies are wash with Fruit and Vegetable Rinse before I use them.  I don't peel the potatoes and carrots because so many vitamins are hiding just under the skin.  Left overs can be frozen and then added to potato soup or split pea soup.

Potatoes (not peeled, diced small)
Carrots (not peeled, diced small)
Celery (diced)
Butternut squash (peeled and diced small)
Zuchhini (diced small)
Bell peppers (whatever color you like or whatever color you got at the Food Bank)
Pepper to taste
Basil to taste
Non-MSG Seasoned Salt - I like Lawry's the best
Parsley

Diced the potatoes first and put into the pan.  Fill all the way to the top of the pan.  Dice and add the rest of the ingredients on top.  Don't worry about how high it gets, it will cook down after a short while.  Add seasonings on top of the ingredients.  Drizzle olive oil on top of everything (sometimes, it's too dry after baking for a while and so I add a bit more olive oil).

Bake in 450 oven, gently turning occasionally.  Try to turn it like hash browns, without making it all smashed, one spatula at a time.

Serve with catsup or salsa on the side.

Leftovers can be frozen and then added to soups. 

Cold Vegan Pizza? YUM!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Cold Vegan Pizza? YUM!

I've always liked cold pizza but I wasn't all that sure about having the vegan pizza that I made on Sunday as my lunches this week because it would be cold (I don't microwave because it kills the lifeforce of the food). 

However, yesterday and today I had cold pizza from Sunday and it actually was very good!  In fact, I think I liked it better cold than when it was hot.  In trying to analyze that, I'm thinking that it's becuase Vegan Cheese does not melt in the same way that dairy cheese melts.  So biting into a hot pizza slice with not very melted cheese is not incredibly wonderful.  However, when it's cold, and one is not expecting it to be melty, then it tastes just fine! 

I'm hoping to have time to try that carrot/apple soup recipe this week since I got so many carrots at the food bank last week. 

Pizza and the Spinach Salad

 Originally posted on Monday, November 7, 2011

The Pizza and the Spinach Salad

The pizza crust was the one I got at the Food Bank and it was "multi-grain" and very thick.  I like thin crust so that part wasn't my favorite.  The rest of it tasted great. 

However, those who are hooked on dairy cheese probably wouldn't have liked how the Vegan Cheese didn't melt.  But, it tasted just fine. 

I made a spinach salad to go with it, here's the recipe (all ingredients I got at the Food Bank on Saturday, except for the salad dressing from my friend and the raw sunflower seeds that I had in the freezer):

Baby spinach
Carrots - diced very small
Cauliflower - cut in small pieces
Celery - diced
Grape tomatoes
Raw sunflower seeds (last Spring I had the money to buy 10 pounds and I put it into the freezer)
Raisins
Girard's Raspberry dressing (my friend bought it with food stamps)

Put the spinach on individual salad plates.  Slice and dice carrots, cauliflower and celery and put on top.  Put grape tomatoes and sunflower seed on top.  Add raisins to the top.  Put the dressing on the side so each person can choose how much and what kind to use.

Enjoy!

The Song of the Day and a Pizza Recipe

Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Song of the Day! And a Pizza Recipe!

This song is to the tune of "Loch Lohman" and it's about the ingredients I received (and those donated by a friend) yesterday at the Food Bank.  My friend is out raking leaves while I'm inside making the pizza from our combined ingredients. 

Song: You bring the tomato paste

You bring the tomato paste and I'll bring the pizza crust
And, we'll make a pizza together.

Chorus:
Together we'll share our food bank bounty, and we will make a pizza together!

You bring the soy cheese and I'll bring the pineapples
And we'll make a pizza together.

(Chorus)

You bring the Gimme Lean and I'll bring the olives
And we'll make a pizza together.

(Chorus)

You bring the cherry juice and I'll bring the bell peppers
And we'll make a pizza together.

(Chorus)

Pizza Recipe: (fairly freely adapted from the 1960 Betty Crocker Cookbook)
2 Pizza crusts received from Food Bank
1 1lb can tomatoes, drained (reserving at least 1/2 cup liquid) and then diced
1 6oz can of tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs crushed oregano
1 Tbs basil
1/4 cup soy cheese, grated (actually, it doesn't grate very well, so I cut it into small squares)
Gimme Lean non-meat sausage (cooked)
Fresh pineapple (cut into small squares)
1 small can sliced olives
1 can artichoke hearts
1 Bell pepper (whatever color they are giving out at the Food Bank) sliced very thin


Place pizza crust on cookie sheet or pizza pan.
Heat a frying pan and, when hot, add a little olive oil.
Break Gimme Lean into little pieces and brown in a frying pan.  If necessary, add a bit more oil to make it not stick.
Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup juice. 
Dice tomatoes and place on crusts; sprinkle with with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover with the cheese and drizzle with olive oil (only 1 TBS per crust). 
Sprinkle with non-meat sausage, pineapple, olives, bell peppers.
Combine tomato paste, reserved tomato juice, garlic, and herbs. 
Spread over sausage, tomato, pineapple, olive mixture.
Drizzle with olive oil (only 1 TBS per crust).
Scatter more soy cheese on top.

Bake in very hot oven (450) for 20 minutes or until crust is done and veggies are soft.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Fried Green Tomatoes

Today at the Food Bank, we received green tomatoes.  Many people were saying, "what would you do with that?"  I knew exactly what to do with it----make Fried Green Tomatoes!  Here's my recipe:

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Green tomatoes - the ones that will never ripen because it's too late in the season --diced
Onions - diced very small
Potatoes - unpeeled and diced
Zucchini - unpeeled and diced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Basil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Be sure to wash the veggies with Fruit and Vegetable Rinse before dicing.  Remove the cores of the tomatoes and dice.  Dice the onions, potatoes and zucchini.  Heat a stainless frying pan and then add olive oil and the diced ingredients.  Add basil to taste. Fry all of it up until everything is soft.   Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with salsa, if desired.

Carrot and Apple Soup

 

Originally posted on Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Carrot and Apple Soup

Last week, at the Food Bank, I got a lot of carrots and apples.  Then, this week, I found this recipe & it looks like it would taste really good.  It's from "The American Institute for Cancer Research", http://www.aicr.org/

Carrot and Apple Soup

1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped very fine
1 lb carrots, cubed (leave the peels on for more nutrients tha hide just under the peel)
1 GrannySmith apple , cored and chopped (leave the peel on for more nutrients)
3 cups non-chicken broth (McKay's makes a great tasting one)
Soy milk, Almond milk or Rice Dream (not the flavored ones)
3 TBs minced mint for garnish

1. Heat oil in medium Dutch oven or large suacepan on medium-high until hot.  Saute onion and leek until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. MIx in carrots and apple.  Tightly cover pot, reduce heat, and cook gently  until vegetabls give up most of their juices, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add broth.  Cover an cook until carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Let soup sit, uncovered, about 20 minutes, to cool slightly.  Puree soup in a blender or food processor, if necessary in two bathces.  This makes it a smoother soup.  If soup is too thick, add the milk as desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Served garnished with mint.

I'm wondering if this would make a good crockpot recipe.....I'll have to do some experiementing and get back to you!

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15!

Originally posted 11-2-11

Following are two lists, the Dirty Dozen (the 12 fruits and veggies that have the most pesticides) and the Clean 15 (the 15 with the least pesticides). Taken from the Environmental Working Group.  Download the EWG's shopper's guide app for your smart phone at http://www.foodnews.org/

DIRTY DOZEN (whenever possible, shop for organic versions of these foods) If you are getting food at the food bank, be very sure to use a fruuit and vegetable rinse when using these foods.
Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines
Grapes
Sweet Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries
Lettuce
Kale and collard greens

CLEAN 15
Onions
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Avocado
Asparagus
Sweet peas
mango
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Kiwi fruit
Cabbage
Watermelon
Sweet Potatoes
Grapefruit
Mushrooms

Spinach Salad--YUM!

Originally publisehd on 10-31-11. Last week, when I came home from my Sylvan job, I found 4 bags of groceries on my porch!  What a blessing!  It had spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and celery in it (among other things).  I decided to make spinach salads for this week.  I put the spinach and other ingredients into plastic containers. 

Here's my recipe:

Spinach
Carrots - diced
Celery-diced
Tomatoes - diced and put into little container separately
Cucumbers - diced and put into little container separately
Raw sunflower seeds (in teeny containter)
Raisins  (in teeny container)
Raw almonds (in teensy container)
Dressing of your choice (my favorites are Annies Gingerly and Paul Newman's)

Put the spinach, carrots, celery (and any other fresh vegetables that you have-like cauliflower) into the plastic container.  Then put the teeny containers of sunflower seeds, raisins and almonds into the corners of the salald container.  Put the tomatoes into one little container and the cucumbers into another.

I put them all together on the weekend and then I can just grab the whole thing each morning so it's really quick.

Potatoes Are Plentiful at the Food Bank and They are NOT Fattening!

Originally posted 10-20-11

Potatoes Are Plentiful at the Food Bank and They are NOT Fattening!

Each week I get a bag of potatoes.  Many people have the mistaken idea that potatoes are fattening. They're really not......as long as you don't add the calories from sour cream, cheddar cheese, mounds of butter and etc.

The other misconception is that potatoes have no protein.  Since the late 40's, when the meat and dairy council began their advertising campaigns (disguised as "nutritional education"), Americans have been brainwashed to think that the only way to get protein is to eat a half-pounder with bacon and cheese.  However, scientific studies (not the ones sponsored by the meat and dairy council) show that we only need between 3% and 5% of our calories to be protein daily.  Now here's the kicker---potatoes have 13% protein! 

So, the trick is to eat them in ways that are healthy, without the additional fat from animal products!  My next post will be my Home Fries Recipe.

Cabbage, Potato, Carrot, Celery and Onion Soup

Originally posted 10-28-11

Cabbage, Potato, Carrot, Celery and Onion Soup

Last week, I got all the ingredients above and put them together for a soup.  I used some Chef Bonneau's vegetarian "pork" gravy for the soup.  I put it into the crock pot in the morning and it was ready when I came home from work at the Auburn Sylvan.  It was really good.  There was no real recipe but here are the ingredients:

Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Cabbage (cut into small wedges)
Chef Bonneau's "Pork" gravy

Put some water into a crockpot and add the Chef Bonneau's.  Use a whisk to blend. 
Dice the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions and put them into a crockpot in that order.
Put the cabbage wedges on top and drip a little bit of the gravy over them so they don't dry out.

Cook on high for at least 6 hours.

Enjoy!

The Chili Project!

Originally posted 10-24 after I made the chili.

The Chili Project!

The chili was wonderful!  It took a while to cook and drain the beans 3 times.  While they were cooking, I put together the other ingredients and put them into my crockpot. When the beans were finished, I added them and then put them into the crockpot.  Since they were now ready except for blending the flavors, I went for a walk.  Probably not the wisest thing I've ever done because, since the car accident in July, my hips don't work correctly and I was really sore after the walk.  But, it felt good to be outside and I appreciated the walk.  And, there was no rain so that was special too.  When I got home, I ate some chili.  YUM! Actually, it was so good that I didn't add bread or even a salad, I just ate the chili.  Lots of protein from the beans, and the tomatoes provided the licopene.

God Provides! Chili Recipe

Originally posted on Oct 23rd on other blog.  All week long, I've been craving chili but, I didn't have the ingredients.  One of the ingredients that makes it taste so good is bell peppers but I rarely get that at the Food Bank.  Yesterday, when I went to the food bank, they had onions, bell peppers and tomatoes!  Wow!  God really provides.....not just what we need but, also, what we want!  Here's my chili recipe:

1 large package Adzuki, small red or kidney beans (Adzuki beans have the highest protein ratio)
2 large cans of diced tomatoes or Fire Roasted tomatoes (dice them)
2 large bell peppers (diced)
1 large onion (diced very fine)
2 Tbs chili powder (add more or less according to your taste)

I soak the beans overnight to remove some of the bean sugars.  In the morning, dump the beans into a collander and then rinse.  Put back into the pot and put enough distilled water to cover them plus about 2" more. Bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and boil for one hour.  Repeat this process 2 more times (this removes most of the bean sugars so it lessens the "bean" effect).

Meanwhile, put the tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and chili powder into a large crockpot and turn on high (or, if you don't have a crockpot, just put them into another pot and bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium).  

When the beans have been cooked the three times, combine the beans with the tomato mixture.  If using the crockpot, cook on high for at least 5 hours.  If using the stovetop method, cook on low for at least an hour. 

Taste to be sure the flavors have blended before serving.  If not, just cook a little longer.

Yummy Sweet Potato Soup

This yummy soup is a great tummy warmer!  (adapted from The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook)
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 4 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth (McKay's has a non-chicken broth that is delicious)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained (15 oz can)
Instructions:
In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occassionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stire in sweet potato, garlic, paprika, turmeric, oregano,m ginger, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper and cayenne (if desired).  Stir and cook for about 1 minute to blend ingredients and start to soften the garlic.  Stir in the broth, tomatoes, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and copk, partially covered, for about 30 minutes. Seasson to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Servings: 8
Calories: 20
Protein: 9g
Carbohydrate: 32g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
total Sugars: 6 g
Total Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 263 mg

Tips on Being Healthy Even if You Aren't Wealthy

I make choices to NOT do some activities that are common to Americans today. 

I rarely:
1. Get a latte or other costly caffeine jolts
2. Eat out
3. Go to the movies (I get movies from the library)
4. Join a gym (walking is very healthy and doesn't cost anything)
5. Do much of anything that costs anything like going to baseball games or concerts

Admittedly, these choices limit my social interactions but, currently, I have so many part time jobs that I don't have much time to be social anyway.

What I do:
1. Join in on church activities which don't cost anything
2. Each week, I lead worship for Pierce County Christian Singles
3. Keep up with my friends via my cell phone either by texting or by calling
4. Keep up with my friends via email
5. Walk, walk, walk
6. Keep my brain active by learning new skills or information (for the last 8 years, this has been in the form of adding new jobs in which I had to learn new skills).
7. Although I try to be as regular as I can regarding taking care of my home, I am very flexible regarding my schedule so "changes" don't throw me off.
8. I get my books from the library and read about 2 or 3 a week

Food Bank Soup

I am moving the recipes over from my old blog to this one.  This recipe was originally put in during October.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Food Bank Soup

When going to the Food Bank, the fresh veggies are usually on their last legs.  So, the trick is to see what you have, figure out what to do with it and get it cooked up right away. 

I went to the food bank and this is what I got:
Wax beans, rice, white beans, carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions and canned corn.  I washed the wax beans, carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms. I cut the veggies into small pieces.  I used a large pot with water and vegetable boullion, brought it to a boil and then added the rice.  After a few minutes, I added the veggies and cooked until they were slightly cooked. 

I let the soup cool and then put the soup into individual containers and into the freezer.  I labeled it with the name and date.  It made enough for about 15 meals.  By freezing it, I was able to take one out at a time and, therefore, had varied meals.   

Cannellini Bean Soup from the Martha Stewart website

When I was at my son's for Christmas dinner, his girlfriend shared this recipe with me.  Since I got Cannellini beans and most of the other ingredients the week before at the Food Bank, I thought I would share it.  I haven't tried it yet but plan to have it for the guests at my annual New Year's Eve party. 

1-3-12: I tried this soup, along with two others, for my New Year's Eve party and we all liked it a lot.

A dietary staple in Italian cuisine, cannellini beans bring tremendous flavor to this soup. Make it a day ahead of time -- it will taste even better when you're ready to eat it. From the book "Lucinda's Rustic Italian Kitchen," by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Wiley).

Yield Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups dry cannellini beans
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 small (6-inch) long carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 4 celery stalks (the tender inner stalks with leaves), peeled and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the beans well and place in a large pot. Cover the beans with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn off the heat. Allow to soak for 1 hour.
2. Place the olive oil, onions, and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle, after about 30 seconds, add the carrots and celery and continue to cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Add 6 cups of the soaked beans, cover with 10 cups of cold water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender and creamy, at least 1 1/2 but up to 2 1/2 hours. Add water if necessary to achieve desired consistency; the soup should be thick. Add the salt halfway through the cooking. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, freshly black ground black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Minestrone.... Plus!

The ingredients for this recipe are all from the Food Bank, except for the McKay's non-chicken broth.  I added some items to the traditional Minestrone ingredients.

1 large onion, diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
4 potatoes, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 cups wax beans, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 cups vegetable broth (I used McKay's non-chicken broth)
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used the fire roasted ones that I got at the Food Bank)
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup whole grain elbo pasta
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (this is traditional but I didn't have any so I left it off)

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook and stir onion in hot oil 4 minutes or until transluscent.  Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds.   Add celery, carrots and potatoes.  Cook and stir 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.  Add zucchini and wax beans, oreghano, basil, salt and pepper.    Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the broth and the diced and crushed tomatoes.  Bring to boiling.
3. Reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Add the beans and pasta.  Cook for 10-15 minutes more , or until pasta is slightly soft.
4. Put into a crockpot on high (for about an hour) or on low (for abotu 2 hours).
5. Makes 6 servings

Non-Dairy Sour Cream

In my school, we used this sour cream on and in many recipes.  It's tofu, so it has lots of protein.  My school had about 100 children, you might want to cut it down a bit!

5 pounds Tofu (low-fat, asceptic packaging
10 Tablespoons vinegar
5 Tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Soy milk (no flavoring)

Blend ingredients in a food porcessor with enough soy milk to make it the consistency of sour cream.  Use on baked potatoes, on potato latkes or wherever you would use sour cream such as for dips. 

Ellouise: For any Russian dishes you might make, use brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar when making this sour cream.

Potato Latkes

Since we get so many potatoes and onions, and since it's hanukkah, I thougth it would be fun to share this recipe. Egg replacer simply does not work so  you have to use regular eggs.

24 red rose potatoes, shredded
4 shredded onions (Walla Walla sweets taste wonderful)
8 eggs
2 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (or whatever flour you have)
2 Tablespoons sea salt
2 tsp pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Grate potatoes and onion.  Beat eggs and add them to the potato mixture along with the salt, pepper and flour.  heat olive oil in skillet (very hot, like pancakes).  Drop better by teaspoons onto fry pan.  Fry until brown on one side, then turn over and brown on the other side. Drain before serving.  Keep warm on a plate or platter in the overn.  This is traditioanlly served with sour cream and applesauce.  A non-dairy sour cream is on another post. 

Many of the special dishes served during this festive season use cookign oil.  Why?  This is to remind us of the miracle of lights, the miracle of the temple oil that burned for eight nights instead of the one night (which was how much oil was in the temple).  Thus, traditionally we eat fried foods druing Hanukkah. 

For those concerned about cholesterol, you may use a combination of olvie oil and sesame oil when frying.  Fro health reasons, I recommend using pure, cold-processed olive oil for frying, which can be found in any health food market.

Ellouise: Each year in my school, we served these pancakes along with the information about hanukkah.  The children loved them!

Oatmeal Waffles

These waffles were a favorite in my school.

2 cups freshly rolled oats (or whatever you have)
2 cups distilled water
1/2 a banana
2 Tablespoons Soy powder or Tofu White Drink Mix
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Turn the waffle iron on high.   Put all the ingredients itno the blender.  Replace blender cover and blend on high until smooth.  Let stand for about 2 minutes.  Spray waffle iron with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.  Pur some of the mix onto the waffle iron.  Cook about 10 minutes.  This recipe serves about 8 people.  Easy toppings includeraspberries cooked with honey, applesauce with cinnamon, blueberries cooked with honey, strawberries cooked with honey or blackberries cooked with honey.

This recipew is heavy, it must be thoroughly baked in the waffle iron.  But, omigosh, is it good!

Hot Apple Spice Oatmeal with Figs

Nearly every week, we get figs and oatmeal.  This recipe uses both and provides a new twist on oatmeal.  I adapted it from the book "May All Be Fed, Diet For a New World" by John Robbins.

1 1/2 cups unfiltered apple juice
1 1/2 cups distilled water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups freshly rolled oats (or rolled oats)
1 cup chopped dried apples (or fresh, if that's what you have)
1 cup fig pieces
1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw walnuts (optional)
Ground cinnamon, to taste
Pure maple syrup, for serving
Rice Dream, Almond Milk, Hemp Milk, Soy Milk or whatever you have

Put apple juice, water and salt into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add the rolled oats, apples and figs.  Return to boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for about 5 minutes.  Pour into individual bowls and sprinkle with the walnuts and cinnamon.  Serve with maple syrup and rice beverage on the side.

John said in the book: This good cereal is made with rolled oats, an old fashioned favorite.  Try using other rolled grains like wheat or rye.  They take a little longer to cook, so increase the cookign time to 15-20 minutes. 

Ellouise: a flaker is an inexpensive utensil, then all the vitamins of "freshly flaked" are there.

Almost Raw Spring Rolls

My friend, Diane, blessed me with Spring Rolls for Christmas Eve and shared her recipe with me.  They were so good!

ALMOST RAW SPRING ROLLS
Rice paper (3 ladies)
Rice Vermicelli (Jiane Xi)

VEGETABLES:
Carrots - shredded
Orange bell peppers - sliced very thin
Avocado - sliced thin
Bean sprouts
Spinach
Fresh Basil leaves - remove all stems
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh Cilantro

SAUCE:
Garlic Ginger Sauce (found at Asian food stores)
Mint, basil and cilantro

PEANUT SAUCE:
The least expensive way is to just buy bottled Thai Peanut Sauce

Cook the noodles: just put them into a big pot, then drain after cooking.

Make the sauce: Add mint, basil and cilantro to the garlic ginger sauce and blend in blender.

Dice the veggies (or shred the carrots) :

Build the spring rolls:
Each person needs two plates.  First, wet some paper towels and put them onto one set of plates.  These are your "building" plates.  You will also need your "eating" plates (without paper towels).

Put some VERY hot water into a pan that is large enough to hold the rice paper without crowding it.  Leave in for only a few seconds, just enough to get is softened.  Put it onto the "building" plate with the paper towel.  Add veggies in the middle (like a burrito). 

First, put some of the noodles into the center in a little line.  Afer also putting a small amount of each veggie into the middle, fold the rice paper over lenghtwise.  After the first fold, fold the ends in. Pull fairly tight and then keep rolling until it's all rolled up. 

Take the first bite and then add the Sauce and the Peanut Sauce to it.  You can add more with each bite. 

Yum!  A mouth party!

Yummy Kale Chips

This recipe comes from my friend, Kathy, in whose book I wrote the chapter on children's nutrition (Surviving the American High Tech Diet):

Kale Chips

Blend
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast - like brewer's
1 1/2 cup raw cashews
1 lemon
1 red pepper
1-3 garlic cloves
1-2 jalepenos's - jarred or fresh

Blend to a mush and very well. 
Use the mush to coat kale leaves that have been broken into pieces the size of large potato chips. Remove hard cores. Dehydrate 8-10 hours or until dry.

Dr. Ellouise's Pintos

Wheen my friend, Magaly, tasted my pintos, she said I'm more Mexican than she is.  She was probably joking but I sure do like them!

Pintos
onions
garlic

Hot Salsa

Put beans into a large pot (I always make lots so I can freeze them for easy crock potting later).  Cover with distilled water plus about 3 inches.
Bring to a boil, and boil for about an hour.  Drain and rinse.
Do that two more times.
Then put enough water in to just barely cover the beans.  Add salt to taste and then add diced onion and garlic to taste.
Cook for another hour or until onions are soft.
Add salsa and cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve with rice, or make a tostada, or just put the beans over a spinach, carrot and celery salad for a great tostada without the tortilla. I usually top it with more salsa.

Ellouise's Pumpkin Raisin Bread Pudding

When I had my school, I ground my own wheat and made my own whole wheat bread.  I had a lot of  crusts left over and began to wonder what to do with them.  I developed this recipe to use them up.  Since we get so much bread at the Food Bank, and last week we got canned pumpkin, I think this would be a good recipe to share.

2 loaves fresh ground whole what bread (I used my cinnamon raisin bread for extra flavor)
2 cups Rice Dream or Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Tablespoons cinamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 can pjmpkin puree (from a 28 oz. can)
2 Cups raisins

Gently dice into 1" cubes.  Pur Rice Dream (or Almond milk), cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin into a bowl and whip until very smooth (can also be done in a blender or mixer). Put 1/2 of the break cubes into each of two 8 1/2 by 11" (or one 12X20 pan)stainless pans that have been sprayed with lecithin.  top with 1/2 of the raisins in each pan.  POur pumpkin mixture over top, fold very gently until mixed.  Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

Serve with some Rice Dream or Almond Milk over the top for a non-sugar but sweet breakfast.

Pumpkin Pie That's More!

When I owned my school, we had a lot of children who were lactose intolerant and/or allergic to dairy.  I found this recipe on the tofu box and made it every year for the holidays.  We also served it for breakfast, which the children thought it was so funny to have pie for breakfast.  But I knew they were getting lots of protein for breakfast!  Last time I went to the Food Bank, I got nearly all the ingredients necessary for this pie. 

3 packages Mori Nu Silken Lite Tofu in asceptic packaging
1 1/2 cups honey
4 cups canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons pie spice

Blend tofu in food processor until smooth.  add honey, pumpkin, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice.  Blend well.  Pour into individual little pie shells or 9" pie shells.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 1 hour for large pies, less time for smaller pies.  Fillign will be soft, but will firm up as it chills.  Chill and serve.  This can be used as a pudding without the crust.  It can also be baked in custard cups. 

Carrots Are Good For the Eyes!

I got so many carrots from the Food Bank last week and I think I'll have carrots for dinner.  Here's how I do it:

When I get home from the food bank, I soak the carrots in fruit and vegetable rinse and then scrub with a vegetable scrub brush. Then, I dice the carrots and put them into my Black & Decker Handy Steamer.  I steam them for about 30 minutes, add butter and salt and pepper and ENJOY!

Sometimes I put in some potatoes too but, since I had potato soup yesterday and it has alot of carbs (which raise my blood sugar), I will just do carrots tonight. 

Potato Stew in the Crockpot

Yesterday, at the Food Bank, I got a big bag of potatoes, some carrots, two bell peppers, a butternut squash and an onion.  I decided to make potato soup.  Here's the recipe:

The night before: take out the leftover Home Fries (recipe on other blog) so they can unfreeze.

10-12 potatoes (scrub and wash in fruit and vegetable rinse first) and then cut into small cubes
1 onion diced small

Steam the potatoes and half of the onion in the Handy Steamer for about 45 minutes.  The Handy Steamer will protect all the water soluble vitamins.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan.

Cut the butternut squash into manageable chunks and remove the outside skin, then dice it very small.  Dice the bell peppers and add 1/2 the diced onion the mixture.  Put a little olive oil into the hot frying pan and add the bell pepper, squash and onion mixture.  Fry until just soft.

 When the steamed potatoes are finished, put about 3 cups of Almond Milk (not sweetened or vanilla) into the blendeer and add the potatoes a little at a time.  Add more almond milk as needed.  When all the potato/onion mixutre has been processed, pour it into a large crockpot and add the Home Fries and the Squash, bell pepper and onion mixture.  Gently stir and turn the crockpot onto low.  Top with some Lawry's seasonsed salt (to taste).  Cook for 3 to 4 hours. 

Serve with crusty rolls or toasted sourdough bread.

Hot Lunch From Home!

Last night I was thinking about how I like to have a hot lunch during the winter since my days are so hectic (it comforts me).  So I looked in the freezer and saw a container of my Home Fries.  But, it was stone cold frozen and I knew it wouldn't be defrosted enough to heat up in the morning.  I decided to try an experiment.  I put it into a hot sink of water just long enough for it to release the Home Fries from the container and then put it into my crockpot on low overnight.  This morning, my  house smelled wonderful and I had hot Home Fries to put into my thermos for lunch.  I can hardly wait!