Real Food Favourites

Lemon-Garlic Roasted Broccoli (Paleo)

1 lb broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
2 Tbsp avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 a lemon

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Peel the stalks with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. In a mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Spread broccoli mixture out on a sheet pan with sides (stoneware, if you have it). Place in the oven and roast for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, stir / turn broccoli with a large spoon, and spread it out again. Roast for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve immediately, drizzled with fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

Based on Alton Brown's Oven Roasted Broccoli.

Recipes to Remember: Beverages

December 2011 to June 2013

• Vanilla Steamer (my recipe: 2 cups milk, 2 Tbsp sugar (1 coconut/1 regular), and 1/4 tsp vanilla)

• Probiotic Lemonade (Wellness Mama)

• Kombucha (green tea + lemon grass) - love it!

• Sophia's Smoothie

• Sarah's Best Homemade Hot Chocolate - with a little less sugar

Recipes to Remember: Sweets

December 2011 to June 2013

• Crustless Pumpkin Pie (Frugal Girl)

• Chocolate Ice Cream (Alton Brown)

• Jiffy Cinnamon Rolls (Company's Coming)

• Quick Fluffy Frosting – our "traditional" birthday cake frosting

• Cranberry Orange Muffins (Company's Coming)

• Epicure's Chocolate Syrup (we enjoy it on ice cream)

• Brownies (Company's Coming, 150 Squares p. 134)

• Rice Krispies Treats (microwave directions – always)

• Rhubarb Compote (Martha Stewart) - I love the ginger!

• Coconut Bars (grain-free)

• Orange Kefir Chia Pudding (Sophia and I love it, especially with cream kefir)

• Chocolate Coconut Cookies (grain-free)

• Chocolate Chip Blondies (for school)

• Cream kefir (made with 10, 18, or 35% cream, or combo) with frozen fruit on top - great snack at work

• Alton Brown's Spiced Pecans - exceptional!

• Super Moist Chocolate Spelt Cake - really good! we loved it

• Chocolate Glaze (6 oz dark chocolate and 1 cup heavy cream)

• Zebra-striped cake (for Sophia's birthday) - easy!

• Amaranth Chocolate Bars - Sophia enjoyed popping the amaranth for this recipe - grain-free, dairy-free, and yummy!

• Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie - made by Madeline - a rare treat around here (I ate half of one, and think they do live up to their name!)

• Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream - dairy free and awesome!

Recipes to Remember: Sides

December 2011 to June 2013

• Patatas Bravas (Tapas by Susanna Tee)

• Celeriac Remoulade (Alton Brown)

• Best Vegetable Salad (Company's Coming)

• Classic Stuffing (#1; Food Network)

• Golden Rutabaga Casserole (Canadian Living)

• Cranberry-Orange Sauce (Rachel Ray) - we use much less sugar

• Bacon-Ranch Potato Salad (#10; Food Network)

• Cilantro-lime butter (on steak)

• Mrs. O'Callaghan's Soda Bread – we've made this a few times and suggest using 5 cups of flour rather than 6

• Traditional Irish Soda Bread (Canadian Living)

• Really Good Pico De Gallo

• Alton Brown's Tzatziki sauce - the BEST tzatziki, hands down

• Jicama-Carrot Slaw (Food Network Mag - yes, we like it a lot!)

• Sliced avocados tossed with lime juice and S&P - best condiment/side dish ever - goes with everything!

• Swiss Chard

• Double Broccoli Quinoa (I'd prefer less garlic next time)

• Kelsie's Cucumber Salad

• Grandma Mantay's Cucumbers & Sour Cream (cucumbers, salt, vinegar, sour cream)

• Southwest Quinoa Salad (Quinoa 365)

• Avocado drizzled with EVOO, balsamic vinegar, S&P

• Alton Brown's Oven-Roasted Broccoli (without bread crumbs) - best broccoli ever!

• Sauce Mornay (The Joy of Cooking) - cheese sauce for cauliflower or broccoli

• Ensalada de Granada (arugula, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, pomegranate seeds, S&P; from the TV show, From Spain With Love)

• Faux-tatoes (steamed cauliflower, mashed and mixed with cream cheese, butter, S&P) - we all love this! (and we've used cream cheese we made from kefir)

• Greek Salad (The Complete Canadian Living Cookbook)

• Roasted Cabbage Wedges (Martha Stewart)

• Southwest Ranch Dressing/Dip - I searched for a homemade version of my favourite dip (Marzetti Southwest Ranch) and found this recipe; it's pretty close - I love it!

• Alton Brown's Dill Pickles (fermented)

• Ali's quinoa salad with figs, almonds, and cilantro (I don't have the recipe, but I need to get it!)

• Pomegranate Guacamole (Food Network Mag, 50 Easy Appetizers, #9)

• Alton Brown's Coleslaw

• Bacon-wrapped Cauliflower (Food Network Mag, Nov 2012)

• Oven Roasted Broccoli *and cauliflower* (and no bread crumbs)

• Roasted Cauliflower with Bacon and Garlic - and we added broccoli

• Colcannon - an Irish dish with potatoes, cabbage, and kale - delicious! (better picture on Pinterest) - leftovers are great with mini burgers (just the meat)

• Sweet Potato Wedges - love!

• Roasted Kabocha Squash - good but I prefer acorn squash

• Purple cauliflower faux-tatoes - fun!

• snack: sliced roasted turkey breast, gouda cheese, and green apple

• Roasted Cabbage - fantastic!

• Roasted Cauliflower with Orange Zest - and lemon juice on top

• Super simple guacamole - one avocado roughly mashed, juice from half a lime or lemon, S&P - yum!

• Hot Pink Garlic Jalepeno Kraut

• Roasted Butternut Squash - I used lemon instead of orange, and about half the maple syrup called for (also good with no maple syrup)

• Avocado Feta Dip

• Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes - lots of work but awesome - I used organic coconut sugar ipo. brown sugar

• Nigella's Macaroni Cheese - with whipping cream ipo condensed milk - and spiral rice noodles - yummy!

• Martha's Roasted Spiced Acorn Squash

• Alton Brown's Roasted Asparagus (Good Eats Vol. 3)

• Roasted Chile Avocado Cream Dip

• Roasted Butternut Squash (this method) - with butter, S&P, and a dusting of cinnamon

• Blackberry Lemon Salad - delicious! (used EVOO in place of flax oil)

• Mason jar salads - my first ones included grape tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, sugar snap peas, matchstick carrots, and lettuce - washed everything in water and vinegar

• Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing - yum

• Addicting Veggie Dip - yum!

• Lil' Dipper veggie dip - we make it with fresh herbs (when available) and add about 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

• Alton Brown's Veni Vedi Vinaigrette (GE Vol 1) - with kombucha ipo of 1/2 the red wine vinegar - fantastic! THE best, in my opinion

• Alton Brown's Roasted Asparagus - good with or without nutmeg

• Neil's mac and cheese - quinoa/rice noodles with ricotta, cheddar cheese, and eggs; baked

Recipes to Remember: Main Dishes

December 2011 to June 2013

• Neil's Bison Short Rib Stew

• Brine for turkey (Alton Brown)

• Pastitsio Pie (Canadian Living's Best: Pasta) (Neil uses ricotta cheese in place of cottage cheese

• "Prairie" Irish Stew (made with bison instead of lamb - The Big Book of Soups & Stews)

• No-Fuss Stroganoff same recipe as >(Company's Coming Select Series: Ground Beef) (Neil omits mushrooms; adds celery, carrots, and peas; and uses Cream of Celery in place of Cream of Chicken soup)

• Taco Seasoning Mix

• Grilled Pizza Dough (Alton Brown, Good Eats Vol. 3)

• Burgers with apple-smoked cheddar and Classic Red Barbecue Sauce (Weber's Charcoal Grilling)

• Skinny Buffalo Burger Quesadilla

• Neil's Chili

• Chicago Dogs (Food Network Mag) - our favourite way to dress hot dogs

• Texas burgers (#30, Food Network)

• Chinese Chicken Lettuce Cups (The Fresh 20)

• Herbed Beef kebabs (#5, Food Network) - bison, of course - we all loved this

• Mexican Torta Burgers (Food Network Mag)

• Thai Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers (Cooking Channel) - bison instead of chicken; we all loved these

• Coconut Curry Meatballs (Canadian Living Everyday Favourites)

• Korean Beef Noodles (with bison and brown rice noodles)

• Alton Brown's Meat Sauce

• Texas Smoky Links (Bruce Aidells' Complete Sausage Book) (Neil made patties as we had no casing)

• Bacon and Broccoli Rice Bowl (Food Network Mag)

• Dave's Memphis Wet Ribs (Weber's Charcoal Grilling)

• Beefy Mac and Cheese without bread crumbs (Food Network Mag, Oct 2012)

• Spaghetti sauce on spaghetti squash - I love it! Who needs pasta?

• Hot Links (Bruce Aidells' Complete Sausage Book)

• Classic Sausage - with bison instead of venison this time

• Mind-blowing Meatloaf (my name for it) - bison with rolled oats, frozen chopped spinach, chopped cooked bacon, and cheddar cheese in the meatloaf; topped with strips of bacon and Garlic-Herb Glaze (Mix & Match Meatloaf, Food Network Mag, Nov 2012) - best meatloaf ever

• Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes (#5; Food Network, Oct 2011)

• Pork stir-fry with Hot-and-Sour Sauce (Real Simple)

• Basque Pork Stew (Canadian Living's Best Soups & Stews)

• Arroz con Pollo (chicken with rice; Texas Cooking)

• Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Chicken

• Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Salad (eaten with lettuce; not sandwiched in bread)

• Roast Pork Loin

• Peanuty Turkey Salad Lettuce Wraps - pretty tasty, but I'd omit the mint next time

• Juicy Lucy cheese-filled burgers (Food Network Mag; 50 Burgers #8)

• Potato Beef Skillet Supper (Canadian Living's Best Quick Suppers) - love it! Great with scrambled eggs, too

• Homemade buckwheat pasta - Neil used the pasta maker he received from his sisters at Christmas

• Turkey slices rolled up with cream cheese, avocado, tomato, and cucumber inside; or cream cheese and pickled asparagus

• Tostadas with corn tortillas fried in coconut oil - we all like this

• Fajitas with chicken breast, peppers, onions, sliced avocado with lime juice, and salsa

• Sesame Ginger Pork Tenderloin (The Joy of Cooking) - Neil and I loved it but the girls weren't thrilled

• heart-shaped bison sliders for Valentine's day :)

• Salmon in a Bag - made with steelhead trout (a.k.a. salmon)

• Skillet-fried Top Sirloin (Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings) - made with bison striploin

• Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps - love these - with real butter of course!

• Skillet-Fried bison steaks (Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings)

• Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken - with whole eggs, no water, and buckwheat flour instead of bread crumbs (Neil dredged chicken strips in flour, then pecan mixture; not mixed together) - loved by all!

• Roll-ups made with butter lettuce, turkey, cream cheese, and one of: dill pickles, pickled asparagus, sliced avocado (with lime juice, S&P)

• Grilled Tandoori chicken (bone in/skin on) - homemade rub, but not sure of recipe source

• Tortilla Española (Food of the World: Spain) - delicious! always brings back fond memories of Spain

• Fajita Seasoning Mix

• Slow Cooker [Bison] Short Ribs in Cabernet Sauce - so flavourful!

• Reuben Meatloaf - with ground bison, bison pastrami, and our own pink kraut - fantastic!

• Neil's Ham & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

• Soft tacos: corn tortillas, grilled chicken breast, caramelized onions and peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa (no need for cheese or sour cream - for me)

• Neil's Pasta Sauce - this is my favourite! I enjoy it on spaghetti squash or gluten-free pasta

• Chicago Dog salad - my invention: everything but the bun, sliced or chopped and mixed together

• BBQ Pork Kebabs (Food Network Mag; 50 Kebabs #11)

• Oven Baked Drumsticks (or drumsticks with wing rub, grilled) - yum! so nice to have these in the fridge for a quick lunch or snacking

• Wings with Chicken Wing Dry Rub and sauces: Grecian Chicken Wings and Grilled Hot Wings - 10 out of 10! (Ribs, Chops, Steaks & Wings)

• Southern-Style Brisket (Food Network Mag; July/Aug 2012) - bison

Recipes to Remember: Soups

December 2011 to June 2013

• Hamburger Barley Soup (The Big Book of Soups & Stews)

• Cream of Cauliflower and Cheese Soup (The Big Book of Soups & Stews)

• Corn Chowder (The Joy of Cooking)

• Turkey Stock (The Healthy Home Economist) - simmered for 24 hours

• Potato-Leek Soup (The Big Book of Soups & Stews)

• Turkey (Noodle) Soup (with potatoes instead of noodles)

• Taco Cabbage Soup (family recipe)

• Bison Broth (Traditional Foods) - use a crock pot for very low simmering

• Beef (bison) Vegetable Quinoa Soup (Quinoa 365)

• Chicken and Corn Chowder (Big Book of Soups and Stews)

• Bison broth soup with broccoli, lentils, and sausage

• Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Leek Soup

• Corn and Red Bell Pepper Chowder with Kielbasa (Big Book of Soups and Stews)

• German Lentil Soup (with the lentils soacked overnight - step 1 of this recipe: Lentil Stew, and we used our own ham stock instead of chicken stock)

• Neil's Turkey Rice Soup

• Corn and Bacon Chowder (Canadian Living's Best Soups & Stews) - very close to the soup I loved as a kid, but without canned soup

• Mexican Chorizo and Sweet Potato Soup (Food Network Mag, November 2012)

• Taco [Bison] Soup (The Big Book of Soups & Stews)

Recipes to Remember: Breakfast

December 2011 to June 2013

• Brunch Bake (Michael Smith)

• Overnight Oatmeal

• Chocolate Chip Oven Pancakes

• Morning Glory Breakfast Bars

• Sophia's Perfect Popovers

• Alton Brown's Poached Eggs

• Soaked Oatmeal Porridge (with 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup coconut, and 2 tsp. cinnamon for me; plain/cinnamon for the girls)

• Bacon, Egg, and Cheese "Muffins"

• Mom's Grain-Free Pancakes

• Potato Pancakes (The Joy of Cooking; coconut flour instead of wheat flour)

• Eggs scrambled with leftover taco meat, cheddar cheese, and salsa - easy!

• Home-Flavoured Yogurts

• Leftover Roasted Broccoli sauteed with eggs and more parmesan

• Protein Shake (our version: 2 cups berries, 1 cup 6% plain yogurt, 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, 2 scoops plain whey protein powder, 2 Tbsp. unpasteurized honey, 1 tsp. vanilla) - I think it's quite delicious; the girls prefer it frozen into "ice cream"

• Eggs scrambled in butter with leftover bison sausage, onions, and peppers. Yum!

• Baked Oatmeal

• Oat-Quinoa Porridge - I make this once a week and eat it Monday to Saturday

• Turkey Breakfast Sausage - the girls didn't care for the seasoning, so we may use different seasoning or make them plain next time

• Coconut Flour Pancakes - yummy

• Banana Vanilla Bean Pancakes - I didn't use a vanilla bean

• Mini Quiches with a Hash Brown Crust

• Kim's Monster Muesli - I make a double batch of the dry mix so it lasts awhile

• Gluten-free Sandwich Bread - good, but too expensive - cashew butter alone was over $6 on sale

• Homemade "Holy Crap" or "Qi'a" cereal - my variation: 1/2 cup (+2T) hemp instead of 3/4 cup (+2T), 1 tsp cinnamon instead of 1/2 tsp, and no dried apples - excellent! I mix 3 Tbsp of cereal with 5 Tbsp almond milk and let sit for five minutes

• Scrambled Eggs over Asparagus - not that you need a recipe for this; but here's the idea - so delicious!

Home-Flavoured Yogurts

Lemon

500 ml plain yogurt (Greek or whatever you like)
1/2 cup cream kefir, or kefir cheese (optional)
zest of half a lemon
juice of half a lemon
about 2 Tbsp. liquid honey

Vanilla

500 ml plain yogurt (Greek or whatever you like)
1/2 cup cream kefir, or kefir cheese (optional)
about 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
about 2 Tbsp. liquid honey

Cinnamon

500 ml plain yogurt (Greek or whatever you like)
1/2 cup cream kefir, or kefir cheese (optional)
about 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
about 2 Tbsp. liquid honey

Maple Pecan

plain yogurt (with or without added kefir)
maple syrup - Canada No. 2 or 3, or Grade B/Dark
toasted pecans (with or without salt)

Drizzle syrup over plain yogurt and sprinkle pecans on top.

Neil's Italian-style Baked Chicken

7 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded to 1/2" thick
1 540 ml (19 oz) can diced tomatoes (spicy red pepper or other)
1 398 ml (14 oz) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp parsley
1/2 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp rosemary
1/2 Tbsp marjoram
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
ground pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese for topping 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Place chicken in the bottom of a baking dish.

Mix tomatoes, sauce, herbs, and garlic. Pour over chicken.

Cook in oven for 30 minutes.

Serve over pasta or spaghetti squash. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Neil's Veggie Dip

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cream kefir (10%) or plain yogurt
juice from half a lemon
up to 1 Tbsp seasoned salt (such as Hy's, Lawry's, or homemade Lawry's), to taste
1 tsp dill weed (or 1 Tbsp fresh)
1 tsp parsley (or 1 Tbsp fresh)
1 tsp chives (or 1 Tbsp fresh)

Combine ingredients.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating with fresh vegetables.

Make-ahead Chickpea & Veg Salad

1 540 ml (19 oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 341 ml (12 oz) can of corn, drained
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup sugar (or less)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup salad oil (or olive oil)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine chickpeas and vegetables in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients separately, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix vegetables and dressing together. Let stand in refrigerator overnight.

Serves 10-12.

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

Based on Best Vegetable Salad from Company's Coming: Salads by Jean Paré.

Madeline's Smoothie

frozen berries
almond milk
10% cream (or cream kefir)
splash of vanilla

Blend in the Magic Bullet.

Sophia's Pumpkin Pie Steamer

1 cup whole milk
2-3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp coconut sugar

Whisk all together in a small saucepan.  Heat mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often. Remove from heat before boiling.

Neil's Ham & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

5 russet potatoes
300 g of ham, chopped
1 broccoli crown, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup kefir cheese (or cream cheese)
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (or enough to cover the potatoes)

Heat oven to 425.

Bake the potatoes until cooked, about 45-60 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the ham, broccoli, and shallot in a little butter or oil, until softened. Stir and cook until heated through.

Cut off the top of the potatoes, scoop out the inside, and mash the cooked pototo with the kefir/cream cheese, milk, and butter. Stir in the ham and broccoli mixture.

Stuff the mixture back into potato skins and top with cheese.

Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and the inside is hot.

Neil's Pasta Sauce

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. italian sausage or ground bison
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 796 ml (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 398 ml (14 oz) cans stewed tomatoes (or italian/basil,garlic & oregano)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook until browned.

Add onions and celery, and stir occasionally until softened.

Add garlic and bell pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes.

Stir in herbs, salt, and pepper.

Add tomatoes.

Bring to a boil and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Serve with pasta.

Tip: If using fresh herbs, use 1 Tbsp. instead of 1 tsp.

Amaranth Chocolate Bars

This recipe was created by Elliot André Jarige who shared it in the forum in Nutrition for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Coursera.org. I hope he doesn't mind that I've posted it here for future reference.

***

• do a google search for tips/instructions on how to melt chocolate
• melt 250-300 grams baking chocolate (pure chocolate -- nothing added)
• add 200-400 ml of room-temperature, unsweetened almond milk (or organic, grass-fed unpasteurized cow's milk)
• add 3-4 tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil
• add 2 tablespoons of cinnamon
• add lots of Stevia-based sweetener to taste (SweetLeaf or Good&Sweet™ with Fiber are good brands, as they only contain rebaudioside-A and inulin)
• add 4-8 tablespoons of finely shredded dehydrated organic coconut
• add a dash or two of natural vanilla extract
• add 100-200 grams of toasted organic amaranth (pure amaranth - nothing added)
• spoon the mixture into ice cube trays for water bottles (google it - it´s a special ice cube tray for making bars of ice that are skinny enough to fit through the mouth of a water bottle) and pack the mixture into the tray using your fingers
• lick your fingers
• place trays in freezer overnight
• store chocolate bars in freezer until ready for use -- thaw bars in refrigerator or at room temperature for 15 - 60 minutes for soft, fudgy consistency

***

Note: Instead of ice cube trays, I pressed the mixture into a pan and then cut it into bars before placing it in the freezer. The pan needed to be out of the freezer for about five minutes before I could remove a bar.

Neil's Turkey Rice Soup

6 cups turkey bone broth (or chick broth)
2 cups water
1.75 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large carrot, coursely chopped or sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tsp. salt (1 tsp. if using store-bought broth)
pepper to taste

In a soup pot over medium-high heat, saute celery, carrot, onion, and garlic in 1 Tbsp. olive oil until onion is softened. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until rice is cooked.

Optional: serve with chile sauce.

Note: All 5 of us love this soup.