Time Saving Sunday - 2-in-1 Meals

I've introduced a new feature called Two for Tuesday over at my other blog, Growing Healthy Sprouts, to share recipes for two (or more) meals that are made from the same base ingredients. Saving time in the kitchen is always a help to homeschool moms as well, so I thought I'd also share the recipes here.

First in the lineup are lentils, which were made into Lentil Tacos and Lentil Loaf a few weeks ago.

Don't be scared off by the long list of ingredients in the taco recipe - they're mostly spices for the quick, easy seasoning mix and ingredients for the toppings.

Lentil Tacos

 












Ingredients:
3 cups dried lentils
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 package of natural taco shells (we like Garden of Eatin)
1 cup chopped lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
Other taco toppings (avocado, olives, etc.), optional
Salsa and/or vegan sour cream

Preparation:

1. Place lentils in a large pot, and add 6-8 cups of water (enough to cover the lentils by a few inches). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes (until tender). Drain lentils if needed, and set aside.

2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the spice mix (chili powder, sea salt, garlic powder, paprika and cumin) and saute the onion in a little water. When the onions are tender, add the cooked lentils, spice mix and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Using a potato masher, mash lentils well until few whole ones are left. Alternately, you could probably run them through a food processor or pulse them in the blender (just be careful - you want mashed, not pureed).

3. Scoop lentil mixture into the taco shells (make sure to reserve at least two cups for the other recipe), and top with lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and other toppings as desired.

Sprout Ratings:
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

On to the Lentil Loaf . . .

Lentil Loaf is one of Noah's favorite dishes, and I've tried several recipes over the years. He's loved them all, but they've been hit or miss for the rest of us. This post inspired me to come up with my own recipe, and I was thrilled when everyone declared it the best lentil loaf yet. Best of all, it went together very quickly since the lentils were already cooked and seasoned.

Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, seasoned lentils (left over from Lentil Taco recipe)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 cup oats, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot powder

2 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's or soy sauce, divided
1/2 cup ketchup1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

1. In a medium pan, saute the carrots and celery in a little water until tender. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine carrots/celery mixture, lentils, oats, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of the tamari and mix thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and form into a loaf shape.

3. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl (ketchup, garlic powder and remaining 1 tablespoon tamari) and spread over top of the lentil loaf.

4. Lightly cover the loaf with the aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Unwrap, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Homemade Candy Corn

Today, we tried out a candy corn recipe in preparation for an upcoming co-op. I was surprised to learn (from our Hands of a Child "Thanksgiving" project pack) that candy corn was actually a treat enjoyed by Native Americans.

In talking about the first Thanksgiving, they say:

"Another thing that may have been served is candy corn. Yes, candy corn! This sweet was a treat that was eaten by Native Americans. There are some differences in the recipes of modern-day candy corn and the candy corn that the Indians made, but the taste is very much the same."

I was hoping the "dough" would stay pliable enough that I could make it in advance and let the kids make their own candy corn in class. But, it hardens (to rock-like consistency) very quickly so they will have to be premade.

They turned out pretty well, and the kids love them. Of course, they've never had candy corn before so they have no frame of reference. And it's pretty much pure sugar, so what's not to like?

Here's their recipe:

Candy Corn (a modern version)

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup white corn syrup (I used agave nectar instead)
1/3 cup butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup powdered milk food coloring (optional) (after re-reading the directions, I think this is supposed to be two separate items: 1) 1/3 cup powdered milk and 2) food coloring (optional). I didn't use either.)

Combine sugar, butter and corn syrup in pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn head to low, and boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla. In separate dish, combine powdered sugar, sald and powdered milk. Add all at once to the mixture in the pan. add food coloring, if desired. Stir until cool enough to handle. Shape into triangular pieces.

Raspberry Agave Lemonade

Blogging about Cafe 118 today inspired me to take a stab at recreating one of my menu favorites - Raspberry Agave Lemonade. The kids were red-faced from playing outside for three hours, so of course I thought . . . lemonade! Here's what I came up with:

Raspberry Agave Lemonade
4 cups cold water
Juice from 2 lemons
1/4 to 1/2 cup agave (to taste)
1/2 cup raspberries (I used fresh, but frozen might work well too)

Combine all ingredients in blender, and blend well. Pour over ice, and serve. Makes 4 servings

I don't like posting without pictures, but this disappeared so quickly I didn't have a chance to get a shot of it. I'm sure it will be requested again soon though!

Green Lemonade

Green drinks seem to be all the rage these days, but to this point, I've stuck mainly with green smoothies. But when I saw someone mention this recipe yesterday, it sounded so good that I had to try it. It's from Natalia Rose's book Raw Food Detox Diet.

One blog I found the recipe on said you can add agave to sweeten it up. I'm sure the kids would have liked it a little sweeter, but I thought it was good "as is".

I'm not a caffeine drinker, but I think that if I were, this would be a good alternative.

Green Lemonade

Into the juicer:
1 head romaine
5-6 kale leaves (I used collards)
2 apples
1 lemon (mine was small so I threw in a second one)

Enjoy!

Another Winning Green Smoothie

Jim and the kids visited the farmer's market with my mom last weekend while I stayed home to do school planning for fall. My mom found some amazing collards for us to split, and just my share takes up most of my crisper drawer! I've never used collards much (but always meant to!), so I've spent my week figuring out how to use them all up. So far, I've used them as wraps (with a sweet potato-edamame filling) and in smoothies . . . which leads me to my third winning green smoothie recipe.

Blueberry-Peach Collard Green Smoothie
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup juice
1 banana
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
3/4 cup frozen peaches
1 large or 2 small collard leaves (stems removed)
1 tablespoon ground flax

Blend well, and enjoy!

Raw Vegan Treats

We're a big fan of Lara Bars around here, so when I came across a recipe for a raw, vegan lemon bar, I couldn't wait to try it. I finally got around to it this week, and they were such a hit I tried a chocolate variation as well.

As you can see if the photo, I rolled them into bite-sized balls instead of bars and covered them in coconut. I'm always looking for ways to get the kids to eat more nuts, and these tasty treats are definitely a winner! The first batch was gone in a matter of hours, and the triple batch I made last night is going fast.

The lemon recipe is in the link, but I'll post the chocolate one here.

Chocolate Balls
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup shredded dried coconut
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup dates (8-12 soft medjool)
2-3 tablespoons of agave nectar

In a food processor, combine almonds, cashews, coconut and cocoa powder until crushed into medium crumbs. Add dates, and process again. Add agave nectar until the mixture comes together and begins to make a ball against the sides. Enjoy!

Apple Pie Salad Dressing (Oil Free!)

I just love it when I try new recipes and they turn out great (like last night's Warm Chickpea Salad from the Fat Free Vegan blog). I love it even more when I manage to concoct something on my own that we all love - like this tasty, oil-free Apple Pie Dressing.

Served over an apple-walnut salad, it was delicious, but I think it would work well on any green salad with fruit and nuts. Enjoy!

Apple Pie Dressing
1 large apple
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons apple juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
A few dashes of cinnamon

Combine in blender or food processor until creamy.

More Green Smoothie Goodness

I've been getting a little bored with my go-to green smoothie, so I decided to concoct some new recipes. Right out of the gate, we have a winner! This was different, delicious and well-received by the little people, too.

1/2 cup juice
1/2 cup water
1 banana
1 cup frozen peaches (add a few ice cubes if you substitute fresh peaches)
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1-2 large kale leaves (stems removed)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Blend well - I let mine go for about a minute, and it got nice and creamy. Enjoy!

Tomato-White Bean Bruschetta and Vegan Caesar Salad

I knew the time would come when the tomatoes would overrun the fruit bowl and demand to be made into more than just a salad topping. Their timing could have been better though since this week was extra busy and we've eaten out a lot. So, with two tomatoes on their last leg and several more at the peak of ripeness, today was the day to get the job done. Here's what I did:

Tomato-White Bean Bruschetta

For the topping:
4 vine-ripened tomatoes
1 cup cooked white beans (I used navy beans)
3 tablespoons chopped basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon rice Parmesan (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the base:
1 whole wheat baguette
1/2 cup Earth Balance (softened)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Halve the tomatoes, remove the seeds and "juice" and dice into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with remaining topping ingredients, and let marinate while you prepare the base (and the salad). Cut the baguette into quarters, then slice each quarter in half (you'll end up with eight pieces). Mix the Earth Balance, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined, then brush over the baguette pieces. Bake on 425 for about 10 minutes or until toasty, cover each piece with topping and enjoy!

Vegan Caesar Salad
(modified from a Vegetarian Times recipe)

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons blanched almonds
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup water

For the salad:
1 large head of romaine, roughly chopped
Extra veggies of your choice
Croutons (optional)

Grind almonds in food processor. Add all remaining dressing ingredients until thoroughly blended. Toss with lettuce and any other veggies. Top with croutons, if desired.

The original recipe calls for oil, but I've never tried it that way. To me, it tastes great without. I've found the dressing keeps pretty well, so I often make a double batch and use it for a few days. My kids love it, so it goes pretty quickly. If I ever have extra, it also works well as a dip for raw veggies.

Green Smoothie - BananaBerry

We often start the morning with green smoothies; it's really the easiest way to get the day off to a good start with fruit and lots of greens. Normally I'm not much of a recipe gal when it comes to smoothies, but I often have people ask how we make these, so I thought I'd start keeping track of the ones we really like. This one is super-easy since it uses frozen blueberries, and the berries cover up the green color if that's an issue for you.

1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
3-4 handfuls of spinach

Blend until thoroughly combined, and be sure to add a few ice cubes if you use fresh blueberries instead of frozen. This makes enough for one, so I usually double it if I'm making them for myself and the kids.

The Avocado Bug

Yesterday's co-op with our homeschool group, Seminole Learning Community, was the third in a series of healthy eating classes for the Super Plant Eater's Club taught by wellness coach Gretchen Goel. The topic was Healthy Fats, and the kids learned about Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9 and Trans Fats, including what foods contain each type. After learning how fat affects the body, they dipped their fingers in skim, 1%, whole milk and heavy cream to feel the difference in the fat content of each. Then, they sampled some healthy fats in the form of an "avocado bug" with sliced avocado for a body and walnuts for legs.

The picture at top is one we recreated at home today with the addition of almond eyes and sesame seed spots. We have varying views on avocado in our house. Ava is a raving fan; she could barely stand for me to photograph the bug because she wanted to eat it so badly. I actually had to take a break from writing this to make her a second bug! Noah eats them because he knows they're good for him, but he's not particularly crazy about them. But, like most healthy eating habits, the results lie partially in the presentation and partially in the setup. His avocado is sure to be eaten when it's dressed as a funny bug (and when I'm holding the applesauce hostage!)