eats: beef + cabbage + barley

I thought I'd share with you my newest, most favorite recipe that I've put together. I was inspired my friend/doula Talitha and an Instagram photo of her own beef and cabbage (who says Instagram food pics are redundant and useless?). It just looked so yummy and comforting I thought I'd just wing it and throw together my own version.

I have not seen any recipes for this combo although it is a common one and one that has certainly existed from the dawn of time. I just put together what I had. It was so good. So I thought I'd share it with you, due to the ease of assembly and deliciousness quotient.

Beef and Cabbage with Barley

You need:

(for the beef and cabbage)

2 lbs ground beef 

1 head of cabbage

4 cups beef broth

1 large onion

plenty of garlic

salt, pepper, garlic, Herbamare all to taste

(for the barley)

2 cups of beef broth + a little water

1 cup of barley (we used pearled)

How:

Dice onion and cook until translucent in oil. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Chop cabbage, add to pot. Pour in 4 cups of beef broth, add garlic and seasonings and cook on medium heat until cabbage is wilted. Season to taste as desired. 

Meanwhile, boil beef broth for barley and add the barley. Reduce heat and cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until barley is tender. Add a little water if necessary during cooking. It will still be a little chewy when finished but I think that adds to the dish. 

Serve beef and cabbage over barley in a bowl with plenty of broth. Enjoy!

PS: This could be modified to be gluten free if made with another grain!

Mom's easy summer salads

When we were at the farmhouse, my mom made these two simple and DELICIOUS salads. EVERYONE was raving about them and not one morsel went uneaten.

When I went to the grocery store last, I made sure to get all of the ingredients to make them. They're great to have on hand for supplementing a meal with veggies.

Here they are and the recipes to make them - both sent to me by my mama! I hope you'll try them and enjoy them as much as I do!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

NOTE: If you plan to make this and keep it for a few days, I would add the avocado at each serving so it doesn't get mushy and brown. And I didn't use hot sauce in the dressing, just salt and pepper with the red wine vinaigrette. 

Tomato Cucumber Salad

PS: Follow me on Instagram! :) @mrshammel

easy peasy green smoothie (and stuff)

Hello friends. Well, I'm running on fumes here... getting adjusted to the new work schedule in conjunction with my childrens' night time antics is most definitely leaving me wanting for sleep. Last night both Noah and Shiloh ended up in our bed, and when it's both of them, I have about a 2'x5' area to sleep in and no blankets. Good times. Add to that a late bed time -- I was a bit wired from the late afternoon coffee pre-work shift and stayed up to read the employee handbook for my new job, drink a glass of wine and try to wind down. Not wise in the end. I should have just taken a melatonin and hit the lights. Alas, I did not, and now I am very, very tired. 

I have to say - on a totally and completely random note - I now understand why women used to - or still - get their hair done and don't wash it for days and it stays remarkably intact and lovely. I did my hair on Friday and put it up with lots of hairspray, and haven't had to touch it since. Really. Might have to do this more often. It's been great for work.

So now on to the subject of this blog post. Thought you might like to know how I make my green smoothies. Green smoothies made with spinach are heavy on the micronutrients and easy on the average blender... for those of that don't have a Vitamix. They're good for me because I find that I have less cravings in general... my body looking for something but doesn't quite know what. Usually, it's looking for the minerals and schtuff that can be found in dark, leafy greens. Adding two big handfuls of spinach to any smoothie will not dramatically affect the taste and will drastically improve the nutritional value of said smoothie.

So, without further ado, an easy peasy green smoothie recipe.

Raspberry/Banana/Spinach Smoothie

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries

1 banana

1 - 1 1/2 cups almond milk

agave nectar or stevia to taste

Add the spinach first... blend until smooth!

 

That's all for now... I have so much to do... lots of stuff to post on Etsy, as well as inventory to track down. Trying to figure out how to get it all done is a bit overwhelming. I need to make some meals that my husband can cook on the nights I am at work. Anyone got any good resources for recipes? I don't have a lot of time to search the net for stuff like this so any links or tips would be appreciated... looking for some one-pot wonders or things I can do in the crock pot that my hubby can cook. 

On yet another note, check out this precious post by Tia on her blog, Two Birds on a Wire, about my vintage shop. She is so sweet! 

Alright, I'll stop the randomness now. Hope you all enjoy the smoothie if you try it! I'll talk atcha later. 

chicken and wild rice salad

I've got a few blog posts in the works, including one about our trip to North Carolina this weekend. But I had a really rough night last night with the kids basically in a full force/co-sleeping nightmare. So I am going to share something short, sweet, and simple with you guys today.... one of the most INCREDIBLE recipes I have tried in a LOOOOONG time... actually, I know I have said this many times before but this couple's recipe book and website are off the chain, if you're looking for everything from some raw vegan selections to gluten free, dairy free and egg free recipes (in fact all their recipes are like that). The cook book is The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. The recipe I'm about to share is adapted from one on their website. 

I promise you, you will be IN LOVE with this dish... it is so light, refreshing, filling and nutritious. I could literally eat the whole batch if I didn't stop myself.

You can view the original recipe here. My adaptation is below. Make this today and let me know what you think! It's off the chain!!

Chicken & Wild Rice Salad and Mandarins and Almonds

Salad:

5 cups cooked wild rice

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 cup chopped, toasted, sliced almonds

4 mandarins, peeled and segmented (or 1.5 cans packed in juice, drained)

4 green onions, sliced into rounds

1/4 to 1/2 cup currants or chopped raisins, craisins, etc

large handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Herbamare

freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients for the salad into a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss well. Serve over organic greens. This recipe will last up to 6 days in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Brooke

homemade asian goodness

I tweeted about this scrumptious dinner the other night and had lots of requests for the recipe from some of my Facebook friends, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it on my blog! 

The recipe actually is modified from the one in the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I add a lot of veggies to it and cook it completely differently than they do. So it's a modification of their recipe which I think seems to be more like something you'd get at a Thai restaurant! Add to it's deliciousness is the fact that it's totally gluten, dairy and egg free. 

The dressing is Creamy Ginger from the same cook book, but I added just a wee bit more agave nectar. It tastes almost exactly like the dressing you get at a Japanese steakhouse. In fact right now I am eating some chopped up collard greens drowned in it. I think a good motivator for me to eat more raw greens is a darn good dressing... I can't lie. 

So here you go - those two recipes... Let me know if you try them and like them, cause I adore them both! I've made the thai curry many times but this is my first time for the dressing. 

Thai Chicken Curry w/ Vegetables

(adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN)

1lb chicken breast
handful of mushrooms, sliced
1 small red pepper
basil leaves (handful or so)
sweet potato, peeled, diced, and boiled
carrots, sliced thin

Sauce:
1 can coconut milk
4 small shallots, peeled
1 stalk lemongrass, ends trimmed then chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TBSP chopped fresh ginger
2 TBSP Thai fish sauce (smells like feet, but critical)
1 TBSP wheat-free tamari
3 TBSP organic unsalted cashew butter
2 TBSP cane sugar or agave nectar
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp white pepper

Dice and saute chicken until cooked through in oil, salt and pepper, or braise in a little chicken broth until reduced. Add vegetables (EXCEPT for the BASIL) and saute a little but do not overcook.

Add all sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, about one minute.

Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables and add basil. Simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve with cooked quinoa or brown rice.

Creamy Ginger Salad Dressing
(adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN)

1/2 cup chopped celery
3 TBSP chopped ginger
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil
3 TBSP brown rice vinegar
3 TBSP tamari
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP maple syrup or agave nectar (I added more than this - maybe an add'l TBSP)
1 tsp organic ketchup
1/8 tsp celery seed

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Serve with a nice salad! :)

So there ya go friends. Asian heaven from your kitchen. Gluten free, dairy free, and egg free!

mama eats # 6: your grocery list for mama eats meals

Hey there my friends. I hope you've enjoyed this "Mama Eats" series and I hope you guys have tried some of these easy and quick recipes... I'd love to hear back from you if you have and what you thought about them!

quesadilla with avocado and cilantro

caprese grilled cheese

moroccan style chickpeas with couscous

For this week instead of trying to come up with another recipe, I thought I would put together a shopping list of all the ingredients you'll need to make these recipes so that you'll have what you need on hand for a couple of weeks to make any one of these meals! Obviously when you buy these items, you'll have more than enough for just one serving, so you will be able to repeat these recipes whenever you need or want!

I've also included the approximate cost of each item (from www.pricible.com) - and these are for non-organic items so you can budget accordingly. You can also right-click and download this list to print out and take with you!

Total anticipated cost: $79.25 - this is just for the ingredients to make each meal, however, by purchasing these ingredients, you'll have enough to make each meal at least twice! :) Most likely multiple times.

Tell me - have you tried any of these recipes? If you have, did you like them? Did you tweak them at all? I would love your feedback and comments on the series!

Also, are you a mama with a great recipe that takes 5-10 minutes to prepare - something you make for yourself when you've got a minute to eat? I'd love to hear about it! The only criteria I have for this series is that it's something more than just a sandwich... :) What are your mama eats? I'd love to consider you for a guest post! :)

Thanks everyone!

Brooke

mama eats # 5: moroccan style chickpeas with couscous

Welcome to installment # 5 of mama eats - this one took NINE minutes from start to being on the plate ready to grub. To see other mama eats installments click here!

I'm doing my best to come up with original recipes and this is one of them, happy to say!

Couscous is a teensy weensy pasta often eaten in Morocco, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia and varieties found here in the US usually cook in five minutes. I wanted to give you all a hot dish that could be cooked quickly, give you some leftovers and be filling as well!

So without further ado, today's Mama Eats - Moroccan Style Chickpeas with Couscous!

YOU NEED: 

a little over 9 minutes

2 small saucepans

couscous (3/4 cup)

1 cup of water or broth

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1 can of diced tomatoes

1/4 cup raisins

agave nectar (a tablespoon or so)

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/8 tsp cumin

(add more spices to taste)

salt to taste 

1/4 cup feta cheese 

(this recipe makes two - three servings!)

HOW:

• Boil 1 cup of water or broth. When water reaches a boil, remove from heat. Add 3/4 cup of couscous and cover. Allow to sit until you're ready to serve then fluff with a fork.
• Add ALL remaining ingredients (EXCEPT FETA CHEESE) into a saucepan - turn to medium high heat to get it bubbling and heated through well. 
• Once the chickpeas are heated through and the couscous is done, spoon the couscous onto a plate, top with chickpeas and garnish with a healthy amount of feta cheese. Enjoy!

just to show you, it took 9 minutes and 18 seconds to hit the table. :)

  Nutrition curious? (I calculated all nutrition facts myself by reading labels and doing the math!)

• This recipe has less than 500 calories, 7 grams of poly or monounsaturated fats, 10 grams of fiber , 19 grams of protein, 30% vitamin A, 11% calcium, 19% vitamin C and a whopping 13% iron! It does have a lot of calories, but the high fiber and protein content means you'll be satisfied for hours!
• Recipe can be modified to be vegan or gluten free - for vegan, eliminate the feta, for gluten free, try a grain like quinoa - it takes a little longer to cook, though!

YUM!! :o)

Love y'all - 

Brooke

mama eats (# 2): caprese grilled cheese with balsamic dipping sauce

Mamas, you have no excuses now but to enjoy freshly prepared meal for yourself. I know how it is. Getting 5-10 minutes to yourself to eat with toddlers on your heels is hard. But do it. And this recipe will help you do that quickly. No excuses! If I can do it, you can too.

YOU NEED:
7 minutes
skillet
two pieces of sliced sourdough bread (or whatever you have on hand - not too thick tho)
fresh mozzarella (see below for variations)
fresh basil
fresh tomato
salt, pepper
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
rosemary

HOW:

1. heat skillet on medium high with a good bit of olive oil in it (do not go above medium high because it will smoke! olive oil has a low smoke point)
2. get your bread ready - you can even put it in the pan if you prep quickly
3. slice fresh mozzarella enough for one layer on the first slice of bread, about 1/4 inch thick 
4. pull off basil leaves and put on top of mozzarella
5. slice tomatoes and place on top of basil leaves - salt and pepper generously
6. add second slice of bread
7. put in the pan and turn frequently. bread will crisp and brown in the oil - YUM - press down with spatula 
8. when you think the sandwich is almost done, grab a little dish and pour a little balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil (about half and half - just eyeball it), some salt and cracked pepper and rosemary and whisk to make a simple balsamic vinaigrette!
9. pull the sandwich out of the pan, slice and dip in the balsamic vinaigrette 
10. ENJOY!

Nutrition curious? (info obtained from caloriecount.about.com in the recipe analyzer based on the following: 2 slices sourdough bread, 1/2 roma tomato, 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, 1/4 cup basil leaves (which may be a little high), 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/8 cup olive oil, pinch salt)

• This recipe contains 28.6 grams of mono and polyunsaturated fats - good for the heart and so many other body parts!
• With almost 24 grams of protein, 46% of your RDA of calcium, 18% of iron, 32% of Vitamin C, and 25% of your Vitamin A, you can't go wrong.

Modifications: 

• use any other white cheese in place of mozzarella
• use dried basil instead of fresh
• use sundried tomatoes instead of fresh
• use gluten free bread in place of regular for a gluten free recipe

mama eats: quesadilla w/ avocado, salsa and cilantro

The last few days I've found myself doing really well in the feeding myself department... something I have been lazy about in recent months with all the craziness going on. Perhaps like many of you, I rarely sit down to eat, even dinner. I don't usually eat breakfast. I just graze and snack and eat of my kids' plates... and I find myself eating a lot more carbs and processed foods like crackers and things than I should. I have a lot of knowledge on how to eat well, and I just need to do it.

I have been keeping a good stock of stuff that's easy to throw together very quickly, and have found my creative side coming out in the kitchen again when cooking for myself. So, I thought I would share with you guys some of the meals I've come up with that literally take FIVE MINUTES to prepare, and are easy to eat on the go, with toddlers and babies at your heels. 

Maybe this will be a little series... We will see!! I have a few ideas at least to get us started.

YOU NEED:
five minutes
a microwave or skillet
tortillas of any kind (I prefer whole grain, but used flour for the photo)
cheese - preferably monterey jack
1 whole avocado
fresh salsa
cilantro

HOW:
1. make a quesadilla (cheese between two tortillas)... nuke it 30 seconds each side or in the skillet both sides with some oil until melted - takes about 2-3 minutes in a preheated skillet
2. meanwhile, peel, pit and slice your avocado and chop the cilantro
3. when the quesadilla is done, top with the avocado, spoon salsa over all of it and top with fresh cilantro.
4. eat it with a fork and knife... :)

That's it! Totally yummy, healthy and filling. I eat this for breakfast sometimes!

Nutrition curious?

• Avocados are one of natures most nutrient dense foods, full of healthy fats which every woman needs.
• Cheese is a good source of protein!
• Whole grain tortillas used in place of flour or corn tortillas provide added fiber, protein and a lower glycemic index, important for regulating blood sugar. 
• This can be easily made gluten free with use of a corn tortilla!
• This recipe provides about 550 calories, 20 grams of protein, 31 grams of poly and monounsaturated fats, 16 grams of fiber, along with the many minerals and nutrients found in avocados!
• I found that if I ate this around 9 AM I was not hungry again until after noon or 1:00, which is a rare thing for me! 

Let me know what you think!

Love, 

Brooke

friday flashback: get real! (mexican)

Lately I've been eating like I live south of the border (wouldn't mind their beaches) - tons of avocadoes, salsa, quesadillas, cilantro... all of my favorite things and what's more, you can eat them all together ... mmmmmmm... well, I decided that since I don't spend a lot of time really searching the web, and the web faves thing is not always "easy" for me to pull together, that I kinda like the flashback part better this week, and thought I would share a recipe with you guys from when I first started blogging back in '08-'09. Can't let a good recipe go to waste... you all must know about it!

I absolutely LOVE authentic mexican food (missing the taco truck that was by our old house)... so please enjoy these recipes so that you TOO can enjoy and love it!

ORIGINALLY POSTED July 26, 2009

One of the things I love about REAL mexican food is the freshness of each ingredient and the overall simplicity of each dish. Each individual ingredient compliments the other resulting in a meal that doesn't overwhelm your gut but totally refreshes and invigorates the senses. These folks had it right ... in a hot and unforgiving climate you crave citrus and spice, light but filling foods. This is not your Americanized Mexican, leaving you feeling heavy and bloated between the heavy starches, beans, creamy cheeses and salty sauces. 

Last night I had an hankering for margaritas and some real, fresh food. I was inspired by the unforgettable food at Bud And Alley's Taco Bar in Seaside, Florida to create a simple but satisfying meal that all of us (picky Dakota included) would enjoy! Here is MY recipe for authentic Mexican tacos with charred corn salsa!

Tacos!
4 large chicken breasts w/ rib meat
1 or 2 lbs steak cut into strips
lime juice
fresh cilantro
chili powder
cumin seed
garlic
salt (garlic salt is good)
black pepper
cayenne pepper
oil
corn tortillas
avocado

Cook chicken in the oven until cooked through and juices run clear. With a sharp knife slice and dice your chicken into very small almost shredded pieces. 
Heat oil in skillet (put 4 tbsp... you'll need to add more later to keep from sticking). Add your chicken to pan. Squeeze a good bit of lime juice onto chicken until very moist. Drizzle more oil... shake out a good bit of chili powder, pinch of cumin seed, 2 cloves garlic, a few shakes of cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer over medium heat. Taste and add each individual seasoning (including lime) to taste. You want this to be tangy and flavorful... not bland! Once you get it how you like it, add a few pinches (or to your liking) of fresh cilantro. Stir in, put a lid on and drop heat to low. 

Cook your steak in a skillet - I just throw on all my seasonings and cook the steak through, stirring to keep from sticking. When it's all done I chopped mine into smaller pieces. Cooking slower will yield a more tender meat. Would suggest marinating to tenderize before cooking, but I didn't really have time. 

Charred Corn Salsa
1 bag frozen corn
2 small tomatoes (Roma are good), de-seeded and diced small
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno - diced small - DO THIS LAST AND ON A DIFFERENT CUTTING BOARD
cilantro
1/2 red onion, dieced
salt and pepper to taste
oil

Grease a big cookie sheet (BIG) or pizza pan. Spread corn, tomatoes, peppers, onion, cilantro on your pan. Turn on the broiler on HIGH. Season with salt and pepper. Put into the oven under the broiler. You want the corn "tips" to be charred... the charring brings out the sweetness of the corn. If it doesn't get charred you risk a bland salsa. Watch it while under the broiler... it may go fast or slower depending on how close your rack is to the heat. 
When finished, dump your salsa into a serving dish. Should make up to two cups of salsa. 

Put your tacos together by putting the meat in the center of the tortilla, topping with corn salsa, chunks of avocado and a pinch of cilantro. Serve with an ice cold margarita! YUMMY!

twice baked and stuffed mexican potatoes (and Pearl Jam ear candy)

Welp, this was tonight's dinner experiment. I gotta say, blogging is a good motivator for me to actually cook dinner. Is that like, so sad, or what? No, really, I do love to cook. And I have a lot of stuff that I need to use up... like the bunch of cilantro in my "crisper" (I really don't want that to go bad), and the avocado in my fruit basket. Kind of a no brainer, pairing the two... but anyway, here's the way I used up the rest of my potatoes (which we don't use often), cilantro, avocado, and leftover red beans from the crockpot.

While I am typing this blog post, we're watching a GPB special on Pearl Jam... got chills all over, listening to Eddie Vedder sing 'Release Me', a song I used to listen to on repeat from the Ten album (one of the albums (among many) of my generation). I think I wore out that album. Listen and enjoy.

Twice Baked & Stuffed Mexican Potatoes
Ingredients:
8 medium russet potatoes
2/3 cups sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar or colby jack cheese, plus 3/4 cup for sprinkling on top
1/2 tsp garlic salt
black beans or red beans (I used leftover red beans I'd cooked in the crock pot last week)
We used leftover Mojo Roasted Pork from Publix (on sale this week), you can add chicken, steak, or keep it veggie!
avocado (diced, with lemon or lime juice and salt)
cilantro
sour cream
salsa

Step 1: Bake yer taters. Wash 'em, pop them in a 425 degree oven for 40 minutes. I had one explode in my oven tonight. Don't ask me how that happened!?
Step 2: Take them out of the oven and let them cool. I baked them before I had to leave to pick Dakota up from school. They probably cooled for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Step 3: Gut them. I used a melon baller, but a spoon will be fine. Don't go all the way to the skin, leave a layer of potato or your skins will fall apart. Put the potato guts into a bowl.

Step 4: Combine the sour cream, cheese and garlic salt with the potato innerds.

Step 5: Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top with the bean and meat of your choice (or not). Sprinkle cheese on top. Put the potatoes into a preheated oven at 400 degrees.

Step 6: Take them out of the oven... cheese should be melted well. I left them in there about 20 minutes.

Step 7: Serve with sour cream, salsa, avocado, and chopped cilantro. And just because it's so pretty, here's the pic again. Don't you love my paper plates? What can I say, the dishwasher was full.

I'll post more deep thoughts tomorrow. But today is all about food!

Much love and enjoy the Pearl Jam.

corn chowder with garlic parmesan "toast"

Last night I dreamed up a delicious dinner. Go ahead, just call me the soup lady. I like to make soups. So sue me. I was inspired by a Pinterest pic I saw, and I realized I could make something like that, with the stuff we've been given over the last couple of weeks (which I need to use up).

Soooo... the result was a delish corn chowder with a sort of make shift garlic and parmesan toast, or could also be called a sort of white pizza... Anyway, it was good! So have at it.

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
4 TBSP butter
1/4 cup flour
48 ounces of chicken broth
4 or 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 in or less)
2 cans of corn, drained
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream and bacon pieces for garnish (and to stir in later, makes it super yummy)

Garlic Parmesan Toast
1 Pillsbury Pizza Crust
Garlic butter (3 TBSP softened butter, 2 tsp garlic, mix it all up)
1//2 - 1 cup shredded parmesan
1/2 - 1 cup grated mozzarella

Directions:
Saute the onions in the 4 TBSP butter until translucent. Add salt and pepper. Add flour and make a roux (a flour/butter paste used for thickening soups and sauces). Add broth (6 cups), potatoes, corn, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are soft and can be mashed against the side of the pot, at LEAST 20 minutes. You might want to do this to thicken the soup a bit. Add the white wine and simmer for a little longer.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and bacon pieces.

For the garlic "toast", I didn't have any fancy bread, but after searching the fridge, I realized one of our friends had bought us a Pillsbury pizza crust (the kind in the can). I just rolled that out, and cooked it for 5 minutes. Then I took it out, made a garlic butter (3 TBSP butter (softened), 2 - 3 tsp minced garlic), and smeared that all over the crust. I sprinkled shredded parmesan cheese and mozzarella all over the pizza crust and put it back in the oven for 10 minutes. The result was a nice, crispy toast that was perfect for dipping, and had enough protein for my picky 3 year old to eat by itself, along with some grapes and carrots and call it dinner.

Oh yeah! And all this made enough to feed about 4-5 people a 2 cup serving each, with leftover bread as well, so send with your hubby (or kids) for lunch the next day, will ya!?

Enjoy!

Another recipe post is right behind this... so stay tuned.

something to eat, etc

Hey there everyone... Right now I am sitting with my husband trying to squeeze in a blog post while he prepares a scavenger hunt for our oldest son Dakota to eventually find his birthday present!!! Today is his eleventh birthday - just crazy to think that he is growing up so much, and so fast...  Shhhhh ... don't say anything, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc pooled resources to get him an XBOX 360 250GB with the Kinect console and four games!! He has been asking for this literally since before last Christmas. And with his Asperger's ... it's not good for him to play video games all the time, yet that is what he loves to do. So the Kinect is really good for him, because it keeps him moving, and kids with issues like his need that to kind of rewire their brains. I am hoping this is a beneficial thing for him. Moreover I am just so thrilled to be able to give it to him because I know how bad he has wanted it. That scripture about giving good gifts to your children has been rolling around in my mind for a few days now... between giving Noah cupcakes and Dakota this XBOX, I am getting a glimpse into the heart of God for me. It's kinda cool.

Dakota eating his birthday breakfast :)... eggs, lots of bacon and donuts (and OJ)

Anyway, a couple nights ago, I was inspired by this recipe to make something like it, but my own. I am overflowing with carrots, and trying to find interesting ways to use a carrot...well, I'm on that mission. Anyway, I came up with this moroccan style stew and I think you'll like it! Except for a little prep work it's easy - just throw everything in the pot and let it stew for 2-4 hours.

Brooke's Moroccan Style Stew
3 medium to large sweet potatoes, in 1.5 - 2 inch cubes
12 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
48 ounce can of beef broth (you can go veggie but beef adds a depth of flavor that I like)
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 cans garbanzo bean/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
15-20 pitted medjool dates, roughly chopped
1/2 jar of roasted red peppers
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Brown rice, couscous or millet, 4 cups cooked

note - I did NOT use the red beans... ended up cooking those for dinner another night, and used more diced tomatoes than that small can!

Directions:

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and carrots. Add to the soup pot along with beef broth (or whatever broth you choose). 

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add to the pot along with diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers and chopped pitted dates. 

Add all the spices, and give it a good stir. Crank the heat up to medium high, and get the pot rolling. Reduce to medium-low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and stew for 2-4 hours. Minimize stirring until the end of stewing, when the sweet potatoes and carrots will be soft, and when you stir them they will break up a little, thickening the stew. 

Prepare whatever rice or couscous you plan to serve this with. Ladle the stew over the rice in bowls and serve. 

sorry pic is a bit blurry... unsteady hand. I need a Speedlite flash so bad!

We had some friends over that night to watch the Republican debates. My friends enjoyed it and I handed out the recipe already!!

If you try it - let me know what you think!!

Love B

quick post: if you have {this}, then you can make {this}... ANOTHER soup recipe!

Okay, what is my problem? Can I just say that I am stretching every dang little bit of food we have these days as far as a I possibly can, and for some reason, the almighty soup is the solution to that problem. I am sure most of you know that once you reach beyond the planned meals into the recesses of your pantry you find yourself caught up in that blank stare moment... the moment when you MUST make a decision about dinner, yet all your good ideas have fallen to the floor for lack of this or that, and you're left staring at the backside of your cabinets, the bag of flour and rolled up bag of cereal that has merely a handful left in it, but that you could not bear to throw away because "someone just might eat that".

I have not had any meat of any kind to cook with this week, and I've been pulling from every which way I can to produce some kind of dinner for the family that is not only tasty but healthy. I've found that those walks down the freezer aisle to stock up on frozen vegetables and fruits have really saved me in the past few days. Do not underestimate the power of the frozen peas, people! Or the can of beans! Diversify your beans and rice selection and you will never be without a meal. Ha!

I plan to share with you some of what I do to properly stocking my pantry (fridge and freezer too) with versatile staples that with a little creativity you can work with to create a great meal. This helps to avoid impulse fast food buys or purchasing pre-made processed foods at the grocery store.

Okay, so here's the divine soup manifestation of the day... made for lunch with my dear friend - served with a green salad it was a seriously vegetable-y healthy meal :). Even if it is soup... AGAIN.

If you have...
...a can of beans or two (or two different kinds of beans, even better - for me it was garbanzos and black beans - make sure you drain and rinse them!!)
...one or two cartons of chicken or vegetable broth or bouillon (you want about 8 cups of broth)
...frozen peas, frozen corn, fresh carrots and tomato
...garlic, salt/pepper, rosemary and parsley to taste (don't skimp on the seasonings or it'll be boring - I had one Lipton Vegetable soup packet which really did the trick for me - though it did have MSG in it :( )

You can make this... not only is it vegetarian AND vegan (if you use vegetable broth), but it is gluten free as well if you don't use the soup packet! Made about 6 or so servings.

Just throw it all into the pot and simmer till the root vegetables are soft... and voila! I like vegetable soups topped with parmesan cheese, though this was great without it!

Hope that's just a little helpful. More later today! <3

Love y'all.

Brooke

easy peasy and super healthy kale and root vegetable stew

I think we're due for a recipe around here... something warming, healthy, and Mommy friendly.

Normally I plan meals loosely and have staples ready in the freezer/pantry to throw something together. Often though lately I am being forced to improvise with what I have. We're on food stamps right now, ( :( ) which is a huge benefit to us for now, but our budget is extremely limited, so I find myself stretching what we have even more as the month winds down. A lot of times I find I've purchased an ingredient for one purpose but end up using it for something completely different later. This was the case for last night's dinner.

I bought like ten pounds of carrots and three pounds of kale with the intention to juice them, and have yet to get to that part... and there were sweet potatoes in the fruit basket that had been begging to be cooked for a couple weeks... good thing about root vegetables, they keep for a good while... couple that with my stock pile of canned beans (thank you WIC)... I had something delish in mind.

I've made this "stew" before... it's really an elaboration on one of my favorite meals, beans and greens (usually butter beans or field peas and collards). It's hearty, extremely healthy and - to top it off - great for "picking from" to feed a self-feeding infant! I tend to choose meals so that I don't have to prepare something completely different for Noah. Top it off with the fact that every meal I cook should be at least gluten free and ideally both gluten free AND casein free for Dakota... well, I have a lot of factors to consider. This pretty much covers them all.

Kale and Root Vegetable Stew (original recipe by Brooke Hammel)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (1 1/2 inches minimum)
4 large whole carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
4 or 5 big handfuls of chopped kale (I recommend prewashed, prepackaged kale - kale has lots of pesticides and is hard to clean unless you want to buy organic, and that is even better!)
1/3 to half a 6-qt soup pot full of water (3 qts seems like a lot... so lean towards 2 qts or 8 - 9 cups)
two packets of Wiley's Greens Seasoning (available in the produce section, otherwise click on link and order)
1 can of black eyed peas, unseasoned and drained
1 can of Great Northern beans, unseasoned and drained
a little garlic

Directions: This recipe couldn't be easier and is ready to eat as soon as your root vegetables are soft. You don't want to overcook them because the sweet potatoes will break down and become mushy.

Chop the root vegetables into 1 - 1/2 in chunks. Fill your soup pot about 1/3 to 1/2 full of water. Add the Wiley's seasoning packets. Kick the heat up to high to get the water hot and ready for wilting the kale. Add the cans of beans and chopped kale. Bring to a boil and then a hearty simmer until your root vegetables are soft, but not too soft, and the kale is wilted, about 20 minutes.

I served mine with sprouted Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast (gluten free bread by Udi's for Dakota) and real butter.

The best part is this is totally baby friendly! I just fished out chunks of sweet potato, carrots, beans and kale and they were perfectly soft, and perfectly ready for my little baby boy to eat!

Yes that is a fairy wand he is holding... don't ask.

Everyone enjoyed it... well, almost everyone - Shiloh won't eat much of anything these days that looks "weird"... the hubs ate two bowls of it. And there's at least four servings remaining in the fridge. This should serve up to 8 people I reckon and give us leftovers for tonight.

Enjoy it! Bless y'all!

Love B