Zucchini Noodles

I can't take credit for coming up with this idea.  It's another one that I saw on mariahealth.blogspot.com.  I just really liked it and it's so easy.  If you are trying to replace grains with vegetables, like I am, then this is a recipe for you.

4 zucchini (green)
2 T. butter

Take a vegetable peeler and peel the dark green skin off of the zucchini.  Cut the ends off and discard.  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Grate the zucchini into the pan in long strips using your peeler, turning the zucchini as you go to make it even.    The strips will resemble linguine.  Peel until you get to the seeds and then discard and go to the next zucchini.  Saute the strips in the melted butter until the edges are translucent and the strips are soft.  Top with your favorite marinara sauce.  I find that 4 good sized zucchini feeds two adults.

Sunflower Seed Crackers

I love crackers!!  Anything crunchy, really.  It's something that I'm not eating these days until I found this recipe for homemade sunflower seed crackers on the mariahealth.blogspot.com website.  They are really yummy and really filling!  I made a double batch.

1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup water

Put the seeds and cheese in a food processor and pulse until its a fine meal.  Add the water and process until it's a sticky dough.  Put the dough on parchment paper and roll it out thin.  The thinner the better.  Score it into cracker squares with a pizza cutter.  Place it on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 28-30 minutes.  Let them cool and break apart along the scored lines.  Store in a container.  Yum!

I will say that my kitchen smelled a little funny when I made these because of the parmesan having such a strong smell.

Roasted Vegetables

Have you ever roasted vegetables?  If so, you know how easy it is to do and how yummy they always turn out.  You can get creative with the vegetables you choose.  I like mixing different root vegetables like:
-sweet potatoes
-red or yellow potatoes
-onions
-carrots
(Tip:  Sometimes, I cube up some lean ham and cook it with these root vegetables.  SO good!)

But, really, you can do anything-
-broccoli
-bell peppers
-zucchini
-squash
-shallots
-tomatoes
-asparagus
-brussel sprouts
-cauliflower
-Whatever!!

All you do is cut the veggies up into whatever sized chunks you want.  Lay them out in a single layer on a pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.  Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, sprinkle a little sea salt, lemon pepper, black pepper, parsley, or whatever spices you want to try.  I usually just do sea salt.  Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, take out of the oven and stir the vegetables.  Return the pan for another 20 minutes.  Done!  Serve with your favorite meat and a salad or fruit.  Healthy and filling!

Greek Farro Salad

Farro is a hefty grain and good alternative to rice.  It's a little chewier than quinoa with a mild, sort of nutty flavor.  I buy the steam bag of farro at Target.  It's already pre-cooked, you just steam it for 90 seconds in the microwave and after chilling it, add it to the ingredients listed below.  If you don't have a Target nearby, buy farro at any other specialty market or health foods store and cook one cup of it as directed on the package.

Add to the chilled, cooked farro:

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 dozen cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 handful of fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1 can of chicken breast (optional- I add this for extra protein)
2 T. light balsamic vinaigrette

This makes a great lunch!

Peanut Butter and Honey Yogurt

It's just like it sounds.....

1 cup Fage plain yogurt
1-2 T. natural peanut butter
1-2 t. honey  (or, you could substitute jelly)

Voila!  If you are a sucker for peanut butter like I am, you will LOVE this snack!  Sometimes, I also add a little flax/almond granola on top for crunch or some cut up strawberries.  Sliced bananas would probably be good too.  This is a snack with lots of good protein and healthy fats.  It will keep you full too.  Enjoy!!

Beef and Barley Stew

It has been SOOOOOOO cold here in Minnesota and that makes me want to eat hot soup!  This is one of my favorite cold weather recipes for the crock pot.

1 lb. lean beef stew meat
1 T. veg. oil
1 pkg. (32 oz.) reduced sodium beef broth
2 cups baby carrots
1/2 pkg (16 oz) frozen small whole onions (1 3/4 cups)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 c. water
3/4 c. pearl barley
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 c. chopped parsley

Brown the stew meat in hot oil over medium-high heat.  Transfer to the slow cooker.  Stir in all ingredients except parsley.  Cover and cook on low (9-10 hours) or high (4 1/2- 5 hours).  Spoon stew into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Date and Nut Bars

I got this recipe for homemade date and nut bars from a friend.  Give it a try!

1 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup dates (or figs)
1/2 T. warm water

Put the cashews in the food processor until small crumbs form. Put in a bowl.  Put the dates in the processor and pulse until chopped in to small pieces. Add the cashews to the dates and blend well.  Form into bars, put in air tight container.  Store in the refrigerator. (Add a little more water if needed to form the bars.)

I have a recipe that is very similar to this one that includes sunflower seeds (a few Tbs), 1 T. of cocoa powder, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder, and walnuts instead of cashews.  Experiment with it and see what you like best.