Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Verde Sauce

FB Source: Ethel Kerckaert

Ingredients:

Stuffed Peppers:

1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
2 cups water or vegetable broth
4 T olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
4 red, orange or yellow peppers
1 cup Spicy V-8 juice

Sauce:
1 can enchilada verde sauce
3 T sour cream
2-3 T cilantro

Directions:
Stuffed Peppers:

1. Place quinoa and water (or broth) in sauce pan and heat on medium high. Bring to a boil and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. While quinoa cooks, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, drizzle olive oil in skillet and add sweet potatoes. Stir to coat all pieces and saute for 10 minutes until sweet potato starts to soften. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until onions start to turn translucent. Add beans, corn and tomatoes and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add a small amount of vegetable broth to pan if anything is sticking. Add cooked quinoa to pan with vegetables and stir to combine all ingredients.
3. Pour Spicy V-8 in the bottom of a 9 X 13 glass baking dish.
4. Cut peppers in half and remove stems and seeds. Rinse well and pat dry. Divide stuffing between all 8 peppers and stuff pepper cavity. This makes quite a bit, so you may have some stuffing left over.
5. Place peppers in baking dish on top of V-8 juice and cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Sauce:

1. Place all sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until well mixed.
2. Plate peppers topped with some of the V-8 sauce in the bottom of baking dish and then drizzle with verde sauce.

Based on 8 servings:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/2 pepper, stuffed

Amount Per Serving

Calories  559 Calories from Fat  120

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  13.3g 20%

Saturated Fat  2.8g 14%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  2mg 1%

Sodium  555mg 23%

Total Carbohydrates  114.9g 38%

Dietary Fiber  34.3g 137%

Sugars  6.0g

Protein  20.1g

Vitamin A 20% • Vitamin C 352% Calcium 50% • Iron 177%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

• Very low in cholesterol
• Very high in dietary fiber
• Very high in iron
• Very high in manganese
• High in magnesium
• High in potassium
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C

Southwestern Chicken Salad in Avocado Bowls

FB Source: Low Carbing Among Friends

ORIGINAL Source: George Stella’s “Real Food Real Easy” Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2⁄3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chunky salsa
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 avocados

Directions:

1. Fold chicken, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, and lime juice together in a large bowl, shredding chicken with a fork until your desired consistency is reached.
2. Cover and refrigerate chicken salad for 30 minutes for the ingredients and flavors to mingle, or skip to the next step to serve immediately.
3. When you are ready to serve, slice the avocados in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Use each half as a serving bowl for 1 person, stuffing chicken salad into the empty pit cavity and then mounding heaping spoonfuls over top of the entire surface of the avocado half. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro.

George’s Tips | When shopping, look for a chunky salsa without any added sugar or corn syrup in the ingredients list. I've found that Pace’s Chunky Salsa does not add sugar and they should be readily available in any grocery store.

Variation | Give the salad more texture by adding 2 tablespoons of diced green bell pepper or a few teaspoons of diced jalapeño pepper, if you like spice. You can also serve topped with shredded Cheddar jack cheese and chopped bacon for even more great flavors!

Based on 4 servings:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 222 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  397 Calories from Fat  268

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  29.8g 46%

Saturated Fat  9.8g 49%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  71mg 24%

Sodium  143mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates  11.2g 4%

Dietary Fiber  6.9g 28%

Sugars  0.9g

Protein  23.6g

Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 18% Calcium 7% • Iron 7%

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Garlic Aioli

Source: Stacie Allred

Adapted from: Lifestyle 365

Ingredients:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
Brussels Sprouts
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Lemon and Garlic Aioli:
3/4 C Mayonnaise
2-4 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 - 3/4 tsp Minced Garlic
2 Tbsp Dried Parsley

Directions:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Quarter Brussels Sprouts lengthwise. See photo for closeup.
3. Toss Brussels Sprouts in bowl with 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil, enough to coat each little sprout.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Lay out in a single layer on a large, rimmed cookie sheet. (I like my half-sheet cookie sheets that I got at Costco years ago. You just need something that has a little 1" edge around it.)
6. Bake for 20 minutes, and then gently turn them over.
7. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, and then turn them over, again.
8. Repeat that last step until they have reached your desired level of doneness.

Lemon and Garlic Aioli:

• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Adjust the ingredients to your preference. We like a little more acidity to our aioli, so we increased the amount of lemon juice we added.
• Best if made just after you pop the Brussels Sprouts in the oven.

Stacie Allred's Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

6 cups hot water (120 degrees)

3/4 cup melted Crisco

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp instant yeast

1/4 -1/2 cups powdered milk

6 cups wheat flour, divided
6 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup soy lecithin

2 Tbsp salt
6 +/- cups white bread flour

Directions: 

1. In a *Bosch mixer, mix water, Crisco, sugar, yeast and powdered milk together.
2. Add at least 2 cups wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, and lecithin and mix until smooth before adding salt. 
3. Add remaining wheat flour and continue to add white bread flour until it pulls completely from sides of the bowl.
4. Knead on high for 7-8 minutes.  
5. Form into loaves. Place in well-greased loaf pans. Let rise* till it reaches top of loaf pans. 
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
7. Rub butter on top of hot bread.

Makes 5 large loaves.

*Stacie says: "This recipe calls for only one rising, which is after the loaves are formed. This is because of the special kneading action of the Bosch mixer. If you are not using a Bosch, and are using a Kitchenaid or other type mixer, you need to let the entire dough ball rise once in a greased bowl, covered, until doubled in size, before punching down and shaping into loaves for a second rising."

Source: Adapted from Chef Brad and Susan Bartlett

Barbi Cooper's Cinnamon Rolls

FB Source: Barbi Cooper

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Rolls:

3 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp salt
3 eggs beaten
10 1/2 cups flour
1 cube butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

Walnuts (or Pecans)

Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
Evaporated milk-enough to make syrupy

Directions:

Cinnamon Rolls:

1. In a *Bosch mixer, mix warm water, oil, sugar and yeast and rest for 15 minutes.
2. Add salt, eggs, and 10 1/2 cups flour, until it pulls away from the bowl.
3. Roll out onto floured surface to a 1/2" thick rectangle. 
4. Melt butter and brush it over the entire surface. 
5. Mix together sugar and brown sugar. To this I add about 1/4 cup cinnamon but you can add as much or little as you like.Sprinkle over buttered dough. 
6. Add walnuts or pecans, if desired.
7. Roll long ways. Pinch edge. Cut to desired thickness. Place on greased cookie sheet 1" apart.
8. Allow cinnamon rolls to rise until doubled, approx 30-45 minutes, depending on the warmth of the area.
9. Bake in 400F oven for 12 min. 

Icing:

• Combine Icing ingredients and drizzle over hot rolls.

* Stacie says: "Using a Bosch mixer eliminates the need for that initial rising of your dough. If you use a different mixer, or mix by hand, be sure to allow the dough to rise until doubled before rolling out the dough. Continue following the rest of the recipe as noted."

Dr. Oz's Berry Strong Spinach Smoothie

FB Source: Ethel Kerckaert

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen spinach
1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup orange juice

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend until smooth.

Great way to get the fruits and veggies

Research shows that you're more likely to eat the recommended 3-5 daily servings of vegetables if you are eating them throughout the day and not just at dinner. Get a jumpstart on your daily vegetable consumption with this delicious smoothie from Dr. Oz. It tastes like a regular berry smoothie but the hidden spinach gives you added fiber and leafy green nutrients!

Salad in a Jar

FB Source: Mix 94.5

ORIGINAL Source: Losing Weight with Linda Melton

Ingredients:
From BOTTOM to TOP
Dressing
Shredded carrots
Cherry tomatoes
Sunflower seeds
Hard boiled eggs
Baby spinach

Directions:

1. Arrange ingredients in a large mason jar
2. Store in fridge for up to a week
3. When ready to eat: shake jar, place on a plate, and eat!

You can make any arrangement you want… you can add red onion, cucumbers, radishes or peppers. Always remember to put the dressing at the bottom and the lettuce at the top—a MUST!!

Utterly brilliant, people. Not only does SALAD IN A JAR save space in your fridge, it also reduces food waste and gets non-salad eaters to mow down daily.

Frozen Bananas

FB Source: 

Ethel Kerckaert

Ingredients:
2 bananas
Plain or Vanilla Greek yogurt
crushed almonds
cinnamon

Directions:

1. Line a tray with parchment paper.
2. Mix the Greek yogurt and cinnamon together.
3. Peel the bananas.
4. Cut off an end off from each banana, then insert the popsicle sticks.
5. Coat the bananas in Greek yogurt and almonds.
6. Lay the bananas on the parchment paper and freeze for 45-55 minutes. The bananas will be creamy and firm, but not completely frozen.

Who needs ice cream when you can have frozen bananas?

Solar Drip Irrigation

FB Source: Ethel Kerckaert

Grow vegetables with 10 times less water with "Solar Drip Irrigation.” This is how we can eliminate completely the evaporation losses!
Make sure you use BPA free bottles!!

Creamy Super Chocolatey Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

FB Source: Trish Patterson Kobialka

Ingredients:
11 cups powdered milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
11 ounces powdered coffee creamer
2 lbs nestle' nesquick powdered chocolate milk mix
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix

Directions:

• Whisk together all ingredients and store in an air tight container. You will need a HUGE bowl. I used my 10-liter Thatsa Mega Bowl from Tupperware that I ordered through my favorite Tupperware Consultant. Using an electronic kitchen scale helps, too. 
• To mix: Use 1 part mix to 2 parts water. So, 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup mix, or 1 cup water, 1/2 cup mix. You get the picture. 

I doubled the called for cocoa in ours because my family is crazy for rich chocolate and I serve mine with extra marshmallows to sweeten it because I'm not as crazy for rich chocolate as the rest of my family. I used French Vanilla flavored coffee creamer, but you could use plain or hazelnut, or whatever you like. If I were making it for me and not my family, I'd use the called for amount of cocoa and double the powdered sugar.

Caramel Popcorn

FB Source: Julie Morgan

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 15 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 quarts popped corn

Directions:

1. In saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to boiling over medium heat. 
2. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, till mixture comes to soft ball stage (about 234 to 238 degrees). 
3. Take off the heat and stir in vanilla. 
4. Pour over popped corn and stir to coat. 
5. You can then form it into balls or just leave it. I pour mine out onto sheet pans.

This is a gooey caramel popcorn, not a crunchy one. I have never done one that you put in the oven. And I never use a candy thermometer so it may turn out less gooey if it were the right temp. 

Produce: Refrigerate or Room Temp?

FB Source: Julie Morgan

Common Kitchen Measurements

FB Source: Ethel Kerckaert

ORIGINAL SOURCE: One Good Thing by Jillee

Awesome Potato Soup

FB Source: Julie Morgan

Ingredients:

Soup:
1 lb potatoes diced, red potatoes are best
5 slices of bacon, uncooked and finely diced
1 small onion diced
2 celery stocks diced
4 cups milk
1 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes (dissolve these in 1 cup water, this is in addition to the 1 cup above)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/8 bunch freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup whipping cream

Garnish:
Shredded cheese
fried bacon bits
chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside
2. Cook bacon until crispy, drain fat and set aside
3. Cook the onion and celery until celery is tender 
4. In a large saucepan add milk, water, bullion, salt and pepper and cook on medium for about 8 minutes until mixture it hot. Do not let the mixture boil
5. In a small saucepan melt the butter, add the flour and mix well. Cook over low heat until the mixture bubbles, continue to stir for 2 to 3 minutes to make the mixture roux (thick)
6. While stirring the soup in the large saucepan add roux mixture slowly and continue stirring until soup is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes
7. Stir in parsley, potatoes and cream
8. Garnish with cheese, bacon bits, onions or all three. Serve hot!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Source: Stacie Allred

Ingredients:
1 quart chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1 large can MILD green enchilada sauce
1 pint half and half
1 can corn, drained
1/2 Costco rotisserie chicken, shredded (OR 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded)
1 1/2 cups instant rice

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, add the chicken broth and cream cheese and whisk until well blended and cream cheese is completely melted.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. 

Makes 12-15 cups or servings.

Modified from a recipe by Terina Eaves, a close friend.

Stacie says: "We double this recipe so that we have plenty of leftovers for the next few days. One 3lb rotisserie chicken from Costco or Sam's Club will do the trick. Be sure to use a LARGE stock pot, 8qt or larger, if you're going to double the recipe like we do. It FILLS our 8-qt stock pot to the brim."