WHATS ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone,
I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together
at "Getting Back To Basics"
where we can sit around and talk about eating,
share some recipes,
photos, or quotes about food
and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food
or good wholesome home cooked meals,
a vegan or a "raw foodist, "
... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun.
Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me
so more will see it and take part.
See you on Tuesday
...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Chicken Taco Soup With a Toasted Chicken Club Sandwich

One of my daycare moms told me about this wonderful soup which will be a regular dish at our house. Not only a delicious "stick to you ribs" meal, it is high in fiber and low in fat. You can make this on top of the stove or throw it together in a large slow cooker. You can substitute the chicken with browned ground beef or make it vegan by adding cubed firm tofu or nothing at all. Instead of using browned ground chicken, I just mixed all the soup ingredients together and placed skinless chicken breast on top, cooked the soup for four hours then removed the chicken breast and shredded it and stirred it back into the soup.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1 pkg. Clubhouse Ranch Dressing mix
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix (or 2 tablespoons of your own Taco seasoning...*recipe below)
2 cups whole kernel corn
2 cups chicken broth or water
1 can black beans
1 can white beans (I used a can of Six Bean Medley)
1 can low fat refried beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
Your choice of meat...2 chicken breast...1 lb browned ground chicken or beef or chopped tofu

Toppings: (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Taco or corn chips
Sour cream

Mix all the soup ingredients together in large crock pot. You can do this ahead of time and refrigerate over night and put it on to cook in the morning. If using chicken breast wait until morning to add them to the pot. I cooked mine about four hours on high, shredded the chicken, stirred it back into the soup and cooked it on low for another hour. If you are going meatless or using precooked meat, a couple of hours on high should be long enough. If you want to have the soup cook while at work, set the slow cooker on low for eight hours. Spoon soup into a bowl and top with shredded cheese, crumbled taco or corn chips and a dollop of sour cream.

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 c. instant onion flakes
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Mix together and store in a sealed container in a dry place. Add 2 tablespoons to any recipe calling for Taco Seasoning. This recipe makes enough for 3 recipes and can easily be doubled.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE TUESDAY!

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends,
second to that is talking about eating.
And, for an unsurpassed double whammy,
there is talking about eating while you
are eating with friends."
-Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking'

Always "snap happy" I've taken it to a whole new level since entering the "bloggie universe" a year ago. Not only do I photograph family, friends, amazing vistas and nature, I find myself captivated by what makes it to my plate. Seldom do I eat anything I prepare without first taking a picture of it to compliment recipes I may decide to post, but I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has fallen into this habit.

Good food is meant to be shared and since I hate eating alone, I invite everyone to join me for a virtual coming together at "Getting Back To Basics" where we can sit around and talk about eating, share some recipes, photos, or quotes about food and maybe share a few laughs as well.

So whether you're a connoisseur of fine food or good wholesome home cooked meals, a vegan or a "raw foodist, "... come, join me at my table on Tuesdays for some fun. Grab my badge and place it on your side bar with a link back to me so more will see it and take part. I apologize in advance for any speed bumps we may encounter along the way as this is my first attempt using Mr. Linkey. Our first installment of, "What's On Your Plate Tuesday" will be on April, 27th.
See you on then...oh, and feel free to bring a bottle of wine to the table.

Bon Appétit!

Marisa

WHO PUT THE PUMPKIN IN THE PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

I'm sure there are many who would describe me as "scatter brained,
bird brained or pickle brained"
but now they can add
"bread brained" to the list,
as I been obsessed lately with the wholesome goodness
of home made bread.

***This recipe makes a large (2 pound) loaf. I took it out of the pan and placed the dough into a greased bowl to rise until double in size, punched it down, shaped my loaf and placed it into a greased loaf pan and let it rise again until double in volume.

It really rose well and made a very large, light loaf of bread that certainly would not have all fit into my bread machine so I'm not sure how it would have turned out had I left it in the machine to bake.

Pumpernickel Raisin Bread
1 1/4 cups water F-90°F (27"-32"C) (or a mix of 1 cup canned pumpkin with 1/4 cup water)
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
3/4 cup raisins
2 teaspoons Caraway seeds
Place the water, molasses, oil, salt, bread flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, cocoa powder, espresso powder, yeast, and vital wheat gluten, in the order listed in the bread pan fitted with the kneading paddle. Place the bread pan in the bread maker. Press Menu and select Whole Wheat.
Press Crust and select Light (or to taste). Press Loaf and select large loaf. Press Start to mix, knead, rise, and bake.
When Mix-in tone sounds, add raisins and caraway seeds. When pause tone sounds, dough and kneading paddle may be removed. Reshape dough and
replace pan. Press Start to continue. When cycle is completed, remove bread from machine and transfer to wire rack to cool.

OLE TO AVOCADOS

Lately, I find that I’m eating a lot of avocados…just can’t seem to get enough! Also known as the Alligator Pear, because of its shape and the leather-like appearance of its skin, the avocado is a good source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and copper. One cup of avocado has 23% of the Daily Value for folate, a nutrient important for heart health. As a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure, avocados contain more potassium than a medium banana.

There are dozens of varieties of avocadoes, which fall into three main categories-Mexican, Guatemalean, and West Indian-which differ in their size, appearance, quality and susceptibility to cold. The most popular type of avocado around here is the Hass variety, which has rugged, pebbly brown-black skin.

Although they are fruits, avocados have a high fat content of between 71 to 88% of their total calories - about 20 times the average for other fruits. A typical avocado contains 30 grams of fat, but 20 of these fat grams are health-promoting monounsaturated fats that may help to lower cholesterol.

Hubby and I …me eating the lion’s share… typically will consume five avocados per week. There is so much you can do with them.

SOME WAYS WE ENJOY AVOCADOS
Sliced and sprinkled with lemon juice and a little salt
Top half an avocado with cottage cheese (we eat it this way all the time)
Chopped and added as a garish for soup
Sliced on top of a salad
Mashed with our favourite White Corn and Black Bean Salsa and cottage cheese for a dip for crackers
Stuffed into a pita with mayo, sliced cucumber and sprouts
Mashed and spread on bread instead of butter
Topped with Lentil Salad and Sundried Tomatoes



LENTIL SALAD WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES
3 tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbls white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp thyme
1/3 c. sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
pepper to taste
1 can lentils (19 oz)drained and rinsed
1/2 c. feta cheese (optional- it's good with or without it)
2 green onions chopped
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c red peppers, chopped
1/2 tomato chopped
a few mushrooms chopped

In a glass bowl mix together the oil, vinegar, thyme, salt, pepper and dried tomatoes and let stand while you are cutting the vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally.
I like to eat this salad as a filling for 1/2 an avocado. We also had it the following day stuffed in a tortilla wrap along with sliced avocado...ymmmm.

EASY AVOCADO SPREAD
2 ripe avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

Stir together the avocados, ranch dressing mix, lemon juice, and light mayonnaise. Chill for 1 hour.

AVOCADO SALSA
1 small avocado
1½ tomato, large and ripe
1½ cups fat free sour cream
4 oz fat free shredded cheddar cheese
cup red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large lime (juice of)
tsp cumin, ground
tsp ground black pepper
tsp salt
Mix together and serve.

YUMMY SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH CHEESE-CORN BREAD

For Mother's Day I cooked a ham which was delicious along with potato salad and toss salad. So today I made a large pot of Split Pea Soup using the drippings I saved from cooking my ham...it's still not too warm for a nice bowl of hot soup and hot Cheese Corn Bread.

SPLIT PEA SOUP
Ham stock (I saved my juices and drippings from the ham I cooked a few days ago, added about 2 cups chopped left over ham, 6 or more cups of water and brought it to a boil, them reduced it to simmer)

or

You could buy a ham bone and simmer it in water for an hour, allow it to cool and then clean the meat off the bones, or buy a ham slice, cut it up, add water and simmer for 1/2 hour to make stock.

To your stock add:
2 c. yellow split peas (that have been rinsed)

Simmer for about 45 min., stirring occasionally. The peas thicken the soup as they cook and you don't want then sticking to the bottom of the pot. You may need to add some extra water.

Add:
1 large onion finely chopped (or more)
3 large carrots chopped
4-5 medium sized potatoes pealed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for another 45 min. If you find the soup getting too thick for your taste, just add more water. Serve it hot with homemade bread, biscuits or Cheese Corn Bread.

Note: When this soup cools, it gets really thick so you may need to add a little water when you reheat it. I personally like it thick.


CHEESE-CORN BREAD
2 c. white all-purpose flour***I reduced the flour by 2T. and added 2T. ground hemp seed, hence the little black specks you see in the picture...it's ground hemp seed, not fly shit!
1/4 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (7oz.) whole kernel corn, drained (I used a 12 oz. can and it turned out well..just cornier!)
1/4 c. salad oil
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a square 8x8 inch pan. Measure all ingredients in order listed into a bowl; stir just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy. Spread evenly in pan and bake 45 min. or until golden brown.

This was the first time I made this recipe and it will be one I will make again. It was easy to prepare, and good enough to have as a meal in itself.

THIN CRUST PIZZA

Last night I was in the mood for some homemade pizza…yummy…so I whipped up a batch of pizza dough using a recipe I’ve been sticking with for the past several years and…bon-appetite! This recipe is easy to prepare and doesn’t require any “rise” time. The original recipe is for a white crust, but as usual, I’m always making adjustments to make things a little healthier so I will post both versions. This recipe makes enough dough to make four 12 inch thin crust pizzas so I always make up four pizzas at a time, one to bake right away, one “low veggie” pizza I put in the fridge to bake the following day for my Daycare kids and two I wrap well and freeze to bake at a later date.

THIN CRUST PIZZA (original version)
1 heaping T. yeast
½ tsp. Sugar
¾ c. warm water (water that is too warm will kill the yeast…use the baby bottle test by pouring a few drops on your wrist)

Dissolve sugar in water then sprinkle yeast on top. Allow standing for 8 min.

In a large bowl combine:
5-¼ c. flour
1 tsp. Salt

Stir the yeast mixture and pour over the flour. Add extra 1-½ c. warm water. Mix well. Turn dough onto a floured surface and kneed for 2 min. Divide dough into three balls if you want three thicker crust pizza or into four balls if you want four thin crust pizzas. Press each ball into a greased 12-inch pizza pan and spread to the edges. Spread with sauce and your favorite toppings and cheese. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 500 degrees. Bake for 8-12 min. The dough will be firm and crispy..


HEMP THIN CRUST PIZZA (My healthier version)
1 heaping T. yeast
½ tsp. Sugar
¾ c. warm water (water that is too warm will kill the yeast…use the baby bottle test by pouring a few drops on your wrist)

Dissolve sugar in water then sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to stand for 8 min.

In a large bowl combine:
4 c. whole wheat flour
½ c. white flour
¾ c. ground hemp seed (or you could use ground flax seed)
1 tsp. Salt

Stir the yeast mixture and pour over the flour. Add an extra 1 ½ c. warm water. Mix well. Turn dough onto a floured surface and kneed for 2 min. Divide dough into three balls if you want three thicker crust pizza or into four balls if you want four thin crust pizzas. Press each ball into a greased 12 inch pizza pan and spread to the edges. Spread with sauce and your favorite toppings and cheese. Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 500 degrees. Bake for 8-12 min. The dough will be firm and crispy..

BANANA LEMON PIE

This is one of my favourite desserts. It's quick, easy to prepare and doesn't make you feel like shit after indulging. It can be found in Rose Vasile's cookbook "Uncooking With RawRose – Your Guide to Raw Foods" or on her web site.

BANANA LEMON PIE
Ingredients:
*3 cups pecans or walnuts (unsoaked)...I always use pecans
*1 1/2 cups raisins (unsoaked)
*NOTE: These amounts make a fairly thick crust for a large pie plate. I use 1/2 the amounts called for in the recipe and use an 8 inch pie plate.
4 medium bananas
juice and rind from 1 1/2 medium lemons
poppy seeds, berries, slices of colourful fruit, flowers or sprigs of
mint (optional)
Process nuts in food processor.
Add raisins to the nuts in food processor and process them until the mixture starts to clump together. Press the mixture into a 9"x9" pan.
Grate the lemon rind on top of the nut/raisin crust. Juice lemons into a bowl. Slice bananas into the lemon juice; stir gently to coat the bananas with juice. Spread banana slices/lemon juice on the crust.
Optional: Decorate with poppy seeds, berries, slices of colourful fruit, flowers or sprigs of mint.