Mom's Fruit and Nuts

1#         Raw Cashews
1#         Raw Almonds
1/4#      Raw Pumpkin Seeds
1/4#      Raw Sunflower Seeds
1#         Pistachio Nuts
2 C       Raisins
2 C       Dried Apricots

Mix and store in airtight container. Eat as snacks when hungry.

Guacamole

1 ripe    Avocado, peeled and pitted
2 T        Low-fat yogurt or homemade mayo
4          Plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 c     Fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 sm  Onion, finely chopped
4 t        Lime juice
1          Clove garlic, minced
1/2 sm  Jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Mash avocado with a fork in a large bowl until almost smooth. Mix in remaining ingredients and serve. (If not serving immediately, push the avocado pit into the guacamole, cover and chill. The pit helps keep the guacamole from discoloring.)  Makes 2 1/4 cups

1 Box Rice Chex
1 Box Puffed Rice
1 Box Cheerios
1 Cup Cashews
1 Cup Almond Slivers

2 T Beef Bullion Granules
1 1/2 C Warm Water
1/2 C Non-Hydrogenated Butter flavored spread melted
2 T Garlic Powder
2 T Onion Powder

Mix cereals. Mix Seasoning. Drizzle season over cereals. Bake in 225 F oven for 1 hour stirring ever 15 minutes

Fresh Salsa  

6          Plum or Roma tomatoes, 
1/4 ea    Red, Yellow and 
             Green Pepper
1/3 c     Green onions, chopped
1/4        Jalapeno pepper, 
             seeded, finely chopped
1/2       Fresh Lime squeeze juice
1 pressed Garlic clove
1/2 c     Fresh cilantro, chopped
            sea salt and pepper to taste

Chop all ingredients. Nut chopper works well. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes 3 cups

Refried Beans

1# dried black or pinto beans
4 c water

Soak beans in 4 cups of water for at least 5 hours in 2 quart cast iron or other heavy pan. Bring beans to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook about 2 hours or until soft. There should be a little bit of water left.

1/4 c olive or grapeseed oil
1 Med chopped onion
4 garlic cloved minced
2 T cumin
1 t cayenne pepper
Sea salt and pepper to taste.

Fry onion and garlic in oil about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic and spices to beans and mash with a potato masher. Simmer another 15 minutes to have flavors blend. Can freeze in zip-lock baggies.

Bean Tips

• Use white towel to sort peppers from beans

• Soak beans for hours instead of boiling and then soaking for a better flavor

• Don't drain the water after soaking, it adds flavor.

• Beans cook more evenly in cast iron and don't use too large of pan. Beans steam better in smaller pot. Watch temp so they don't boil over.

• Add a small amount of olive or grape seed oil to beans if too dry.

Seven Ways to Make Soup Healthier

1.Switch from white rice to brown rice to add more vitamin B6. Try brown rice or corn pasta.
2. Pump up iron by substituting cooked or canned beans (especially soybeans!) for half the pasta.
3. Add more vitamin E by sautéing aromatic vegetables in soybean, olive or canola oil before adding the broth.
4. For more vitamin A, choose sweet potatoes instead of white. Sweeten tomato soup with pureed carrots.
5. Build immunity with the natural chemical lentinan by including shiitake mushrooms along with other varieties in a mushroom soup.
6. Garnish soups with chopped fresh parsley or slivered roasted red bell peppers for extra vitamin C.
7. For a touch of cold-fighting spice, add finely chopped fresh ginger to bean, squash, or pumpkin soup.

Enjoy thousands of healthy ideas on http://www.healthyideas.com

Finger Licking Chicken

1/3 c   Potato Flakes
1/3 c   Blue Corn Meal
2 t       Oregano
1t        Thyme
3/4 t    Onion Salt
3/4 t    Cinnamon
Dash   Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a 1-gallon freezer bag to shake chicken in. Prepare Honey or Rice Syrup with Water mixture to dip chicken it to help coating stick. Put chicken in bag and shake.

Bake 400 degrees 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked and skin is crispy.

Curried Tuna and Fruit Salad 

1/2 c     Plain low-fat yogurt or homemade
             mayonnaise
1 T        Curry powder
1/4 tsp  Honey
2 cans   (6 oz) Water packed white tuna, drained
1 can    (10 oz) Mandarin oranges, drained
1 c        Pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2 c     Seedless green grapes, halved
1/2 c     Seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 c     Sliced water chestnuts
4 c        Mixed lettuce greens

In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, curry powder and sugar; blend until smooth.

Add the tuna, all the fruit and the water chestnuts. Toss together gently until the fruits and tuna are well coated with the dressing. Chill at least 4 hours.

To serve, arrange lettuce on 4 salad plates and top with the tuna and fruit mixture. Makes 4 servings

Can substitute

• Chicken, Salmon or Turkey for Tuna

• Non-Gluten Pasta or Rice for Greens

• Can add celery, cashews or almonds

Thai Chicken Salad

2 c Salsa (homemade)
2/3 c chunky peanut butter 
       (almond and cashew
        butter also work well)
2 T honey
Dash Red Pepper Flakes
2 T Lemon Juice
1/2 t grated Fresh Ginger
    Cook in saucepan, stir until blended. Set aside as dressing for salad.

4 chicken breasts cut in strips
    Stir fry in olive or grape oil, 2 T lemon juice, 1 T ginger grated and 2 garlic cloves pressed

10 oz. cooked and drained
          rice noodles
Savoy Cabbage leaves

1/2 Red Pepper juliene
1/2 Yellow Pepper juliene
1 Cucumber juliene
Cilantro to taste
Crushed cashew, peanut or almond

Line salad bowl with torn cabbage leaves, red and yellow peppers, cucumber an cilantro. Top with Rice Noodles, then chicken and garnish with nuts. Drizzle dressing on top of bowl

Scalloped or AuGratin Potatoes

1/2 c    Water
2 lg      White onions, sliced
2          Bay leaves
1/2 tsp  Dried thyme
1/4 t      Garlic powder
2 T        Olive oil
2 1/4 lbs     Yukon Gold potatoes

Combine the water, onions, bay leaves, thyme and garlic powder in a large frying pan. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until onions are soft. Remove the bay leaves.

 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a blender. Liquefy, gradually adding enough cooking liquid to make a light sauce or medium-thin gravy. Blend in the oil. (You can make these into AuGratin Potatoes by adding 1 1/2 C Almond Cheddar Cheese and 1/2 t Dry Mustard)

Peel potatoes and slice thinly into a large bowl. Pour the onion sauce over the potatoes, and stir to mix. Pour into an oiled 2-quart casserole or 9-inch square-baking dish. Cover, and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 6

White Fish or Clam Chowder 

1 c        Diced onions
1 T        Olive oil
1          Garlic clove, minced
2 c        Crushed tomatoes
2 c        Water
1 c        Celery, sliced
4 sm     Potatoes, diced
2          Carrots, sliced
1 med   Zucchini, chopped
2          Bay leaves
2 T        Homemade soy sauce
1 t        Honey
1/4 t      Fennel seeds
1/4 t      Dried tarragon
Dash     Cayenne pepper
3/4 #     Monk fish, cod, halibut,
            other white fish or clams or
            seafood

In a 3-quart saucepan, Sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Add tomatoes, water, celery, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, bay leaves, tamari sauce, honey, fennel, tarragon and cayenne. Simmer 10 minutes. Add the fish and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until fish flakes. Use a spoon to break fish into bite-size pieces. Serves about 8

Thai Stir Fry or Marinade Sauce

1/4 c     Minced Parsley
1/4 c     Lime Juice
1/4 c     Lemon Juice
2 T        Homemade Soy Sauce
1t         Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 T     Grated Ginger
3          Cloves Minced Garlic

Mix in blender or Vita Mix. Use as sauté for chicken or beef stir-fry. Or wonderful marinade for zucchini, squash, potatoes then grill 30 minutes.

3 lb medium shrimp
1 T olive oil
2 eggs + 2 T water to egg
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup finely chopped spanish onion
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger *
2 cups bean sprouts
2 cups cooked long grained rice
1/3 cup light soy sauce (homemade or Braggs Aminos)**
6 single green onions, chopped
Bag of mixed vegetables (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse, peel and devein shrimp.  Make an omelet by adding the eggs to the water and salt and pepper to taste and whisking until fluffy. Pour egg mixture into hot skillet and spread evenly. Cook until puffy and set. Remove omelet with spatula, place in a plate and chop with a knife and fork. Set aside.

Turkey Stuffing

1 c        Wild Rice
1 c        Brown Rice
1 c        White Rice
1 c        Celery chopped
1 c        Onions chopped
1           Small Garlic Clove Crushed
2 T        Olive Oil
1T         Poultry Season
1 t         Thyme Dried
1 t         Sage Dried

Rinse rice then sauté all ingredients in olive oil n fry pan 15 minutes. Add 4 c water and simmer covered 10 minutes. Add more water if needed rice. Stuff Turkey with dressing you can also boil and cut up giblets into stuffing if desired.

Makes a great day after Turkey Hot dish by adding 1 10 oz can artichoke hearts,  2T chopped pimento, blanched almonds, mushrooms and 1 t lemon peel.

Broccoli Salad

3 c        Broccoli flowerets
1/2 c     Almond cheddar cheese or sheep cheddar cheese grated
1/2 c     Red onion, sliced or chopped
5 T        Turkey bacon

Dressing

3/4 c     Homemade Mayo or  low fat yogurt
1 1/2 T   Vinegar

Combine broccoli, cheese, onion and bacon. Mix the dressing and toss with the broccoli mixture. Chill and serve.

Spinach Dip

2 cloves    Garlic
4 Green Onions
1 (9oz) Fresh Spinach chopped
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2 t Chili Powder
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Basil (fresh or dried)
Pepper to taste
Hot Pepper Sauce to Taste
1/2 Red Pepper Diced
1 C Sour Cream
1/2 C Plain Yogurt

Mix all together and cool. Use on cut vegetables.

Carrie's Strawberry-Spinach Salad

2 bunches or bags of fresh spinach
8 oz. fresh mushrooms
1/2 med. red onion
1 1/2 c fresh strawberries

Dressing
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
1t Dijon mustard
1 1/2 T olive, flax or grapeseed oil
1T poppy seed

Wash, dry and break up spinach, slice mushrooms and onions. One hour before serving slice strawberries. Mix or shake dressing to blend Pour on salad. Top with a few fresh strawberries.