September 17, 2009

I can't start my day without my morning fruit smoothie.  I've never been a milk drinker because of the lactose, and I'm not a fan of soy milk.  That leaves a bunch of great nut milks to choose my smoothie base from, and my favorite is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla.  I add a splash of juice to it, plus frozen berries, vitamin powder, coconut oil and flax seeds.  Whiz it all up in my pink Kitchenaid blender, and away I go to work with all kinds of nutrients zipping around in my bloodstream.

So, I go through a lot of almond milk, and it's not terribly expensive but if I make it at home, I can choose  the ingredients that go into it and save a little money too.  How difficult is it?  Not difficult at all, in fact, it's pretty darn easy:

1. Buy raw almonds from the bulk section of your local store.
2. Soak a cup of them in water for 8 hours, or less if you don't have that long. I think the milk is creamier with longer soaking.
3. Rinse and drain the soaked almonds.
4. Blend them with 4 cups of water.
5. Drain the pulp out.  I use a couple of coffee filters in a strainer over a tall bowl.
6. Add flavorings and sweetener as desired:  vanilla extract, cinnamon, maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, or anything else.
7. Chill and enjoy within 3 or 4 days.

Voila!  That's all there is to it!  You could use macadamia nuts or cashews instead of almonds.  I don't know if you could use pecans or walnuts successfully, but it's an intriguing idea.  I like to add the flavorings after I strain the pulp out so that I can use the pulp in a savory way if I choose.  Adding lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and dill to it makes an awesome spread for crackers.

Remember this milk is dairy-free, but it's not just for vegans.  It's great for anyone who is allergic to milk or lactose-intolerant, or who just wants a healthy tasty beverage.

If you'd like to see photos of the process or learn more, go check out Gina's awesome blog at Choosing Raw.  That's where I learned to do it, and I'm glad I did!

~BigSis

September 13, 2009

Banana Snickerdoodles

What to do with overripe bananas?  That's the age-old question, isn't it?  And it seems like I ask it every time I buy a few, since bananas go from green to overripe in about 2 days here in our Texas summer.  I can't stand to eat them after they get the first freckles, and I'm not a big fan of banana bread.

So, where does that leave me? Looking for new recipes, and I think I found a good one!  Lisa is Cooking recently posted on Noble Pig's Banana Snickerdoodle recipe that was adapted from Going Berserk.  Get all that?  No worries; all you need to know is that these cookies are fabulous!  Just follow the links to the recipes.

I only changed one little thing.  The recipe called for baking the doodles at 400 degrees for 9 minutes.  I did that for the first batch but they were a touch too toasty for me.  I  lowered the temp down to 375 and the cooking time to 8 minutes for the rest of the batches, and they were perfect.  This recipe made a whopping delicious 4 dozen Banana Snickerdoodles.

Stack o' Snickerdoodles

~BigSis

September 11, 2009

Yesterday, LilSis talked about healthy breakfast choices.  I think we all agree that breakfast is SO important!   The next most important meal of the day in my opinion is lunch, since it sets the tone and gives us energy (or not) for the second half of our day.

What would you pack into your briefcase or your child's lunch box if you wanted a meat-free, dairy-free (vegan) lunch that was healthful and tasty, but you didn't have access to a microwave?  Here are some great easy ideas that fit the bill and don't taste like cardboard or styrofoam!  They also have a good amount of fiber and should keep you full and energy-filled til dinnertime.

• Almond Butter and Banana Sandwich with a sprinkle of Cinnamon

• Almond Butter and Jelly Sandwich

• Apple slices with Almond Butter

• Chickpea Salad (with lemon, olive oil, and herbs)

• Hummus with Veggies (asparagus and grape tomatoes are especially good)

• Pasta Salad (any leftover variety you have)

• Refried Beans (lard-free) in a Whole Grain Tortilla with Salsa

• Tofu Pup Hot Dogs on a Wheat Bun with Mustard

• Tomato, Avocado and Lettuce Sandwich on Wheat Bread

• Veggie Wraps (whole-grain tortilla with your favorite veggies; add your dressing at the last minute)

~BigSis

September 10, 2009

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, all the kiddos are back in school and moms across the country are breathing a big sigh of relief. Am I right? 🙂

Our son started back on August 27th, so he's been back for a couple of weeks now but we're still trying to get used to the morning routine again. It's not like we ever got to sleep in much during the Summer because he always wanted to be at the beach surfing before 7:00. He's definitely not as excited about getting up for school as he was when he was waking up to go surfing, so our mornings are a little challenging right now.

I'm a HUGE breakfast person and have pretty much drilled into my kids' heads that it IS the most important meal of the day and NO MATTER WHAT, they don't leave the house without eating breakfast. (I've been known to go running out the door after them with a banana in hand if they ever manage to escape without eating breakfast.)

During the week, I keep our breakfasts pretty fast and easy. I'll make either a fruit salad, a wheat English muffin with peanut butter and banana, a egg bagel sandwich, a bowl of oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, or maybe a bowl of cheerios.

We're so lucky to live within walking distance to the high school so during the week, we always have breakfast at home. But, sometimes on the weekend, we drive through somewhere quick and easy for breakfast, while out and about. It's definitely hard to make good choices at most fast food places, but I've been on the lookout for some better choices and have found a couple that I really like.

My favorite so far is the Starbucks Egg White, Spinach, and Feta Wrap. It was full of flavor, thanks to the spinach, the feta, and the tomatoes and was actually so filling that I didn't finish the other half. It's a little high in sodium for me to treat myself to one very often, but in a pinch, this is a great choice.

PER SERVING (1 wrap): 280 calories, 9g fat, 1,140mg sodium, 35g carbs, 8g fiber, 4g sugars, 19g protein

And another great option from Starbucks is their Perfect Oatmeal. You have a choice of three add-ins: a package of brown sugar for 50 calories, mixed nuts for 100 calories, or dried fruit for 100 calories. I choose the mixed nuts but just used half the package. This was really good and very easy if you're in a hurry.

PER SERVING (1 container, nothing added): 140 calories, 2.5g fat, 105mg sodium, 25g carbs, 4g fiber, 0g sugars, 5g protein

Dunkin Donuts is supposed to have a good Egg White Veggie Flatbread, but since we don't have Dunkin Donuts around here, I won't be trying one of these until we go back to Chicago. (They love their Dunkin Donuts in Chicago!)

Dunkin Donuts Egg White Veggie Flatbread

PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 290 calories, 9g fat, 680mg sodium, 39g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g sugars, 11g protein

This might not be quick and easy to grab before school or work, but I just heard about the IHOP Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Omelette from the IHOP For Me Menu. HayHay is always wanting me to take him to IHOP for the Grand Slam, so I'm happy to hear that they have a healthy choice for me.

This is made with a fat-free egg substitute and is stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, onions, and swiss cheese. I'd have to take the onions off but this sounds really good! We'll try this some weekend when we have a little more time.

IHOP Spinach, Mushroom, and Tomato Omelette

PER SERVING (1 order): 330 calories, 7g fat, 660mg sodium, 37g carbs, fiber n.a., sugars n.a., 30g protein

I hope you can make time to start your day off right and have a healthy breakfast; whether at home or on the go! At least now, if you're in a hurry, it's easier than it used to be to find something that's at least halfway healthy.

~LilSis

September 9, 2009

The New Basics Cookbook has been on my shelf for a long time, but I don't think I've ever made anything from it, until I heard last week that one of its' authors, Sheila Lukins, had passed away after battling cancer for only 3 months.  I decided it was time to put the cookbook into use by baking something from it in Sheila's memory.

I've been on a lemon blueberry kick lately, hence the two batches of Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, so I gravitated toward Sheila's Lemon Blueberry Bread.  It's described as a classic tea bread, but I would describe it as more of a cake or coffeecake.  I would also say that it's delicious!  It's so good that after I ate two slices, it became clear to me that it had to go in the freezer if I didn't want the whole thing to end up in my mouth and then on my butt.

This bread is chock-full of blueberries and has a nice subtle lemon flavor in the background.  The topping tastes like cinnamon toast to me; don't leave it off!  It makes the bread really special, I think.  I only made once change, since I don't buy milk and didn't have any almond milk in the house.  Instead of 1/2 cup milk, I used 1/4 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup water, and it seemed to work fine.

Thanks for the recipes, Sheila.  This one's for you.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Lemon Blueberry Bread
(The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins)

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 9×5 loaf pan (I used pan spray with flour included).

Stir topping ingredients together in small bowl until smooth and set aside.

In medium size bowl, combine sugar, milk, butter and egg until smooth.

In another bowl, toss flour with baking powder and salt. Stir this into wet ingredients; then gently fold in blueberries and lemon zest.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with topping. Bake 50 minutes, until topping is deep golden and has formed a thick crust. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to wire rack for cooling.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

~BigSis

September 7, 2009

I'm a little late posting this brisket recipe, so you obviously won't be making it for Labor Day, but around our house, any get-together is reason enough to make this foolproof Texas Brisket. It's perfect for feeding a big crowd.

This is one of those recipes that I love, where there are no precise measurements or exact ingredients.  Our really great friends, F & K, who were neighbors of ours in Texas, loved my brisket so much that they begged me to write down my recipe for them before they moved back to Maryland. That was over ten years ago and I still make it the exact same way as I did back then.

Brisket is kind of like chili; everyone has their own way of doing it and there can be quite a debate about the best way to cook it: dry rub or marinade, grill or oven, baste or don't baste, etc..

Daddy always raved about my brisket so I would make this almost every time we had a family get-together. It's really quite simple. Here's my version of Texas Brisket.

Texas Brisket

4 oz bottle Liquid Smoke
2 pkgs. Meat Marinade
Adkins Seasoning
12 – 14 lb. beef brisket
Barbecue sauce

First, trim off almost all fat, leaving only a small layer on bottom. Mix the Meat Marinade (I used to use McCormick's Meat Marinade but can't find it any more. Just use any brand that you mix with oil, water, and a little vinegar.) Put the brisket in a roaster, cover with the marinade mixture and leave in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, remove the brisket from the marinade, place in a clean roaster fat side down. Sprinkle the top and bottom generously with Liquid Smoke. Sometimes, I even use the entire bottle. Then, sprinkle with Adkins Seasoning.

Cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes per pound. Don't baste! You don't even need to open the oven. When there is one hour remaining to cook, turn down the oven to 275 degrees and cover the brisket with your favorite barbecue sauce, whether homemade or store bought. Sometimes we make homemade sauce and sometime we just buy KC Masterpiece; it just depends on how much time I have.

Watch carefully to make sure the sauce does not burn. If you have a hot oven, you can even turn it down to 250 degrees at this stage. After about an hour, check to make sure the brisket is nice and tender. Remove from oven, let rest for about 20-30 minutes, then slice on the diagonal against the grain.

Sometimes, we just serve it in nice big tender slices and sometimes I chop it up and add more sauce to serve as chopped beef on rolls. It turns out perfect every time!  🙂  Give this recipe a try; I promise you'll like it!

~LilSis

September 7, 2009

Labor Day Fireworks flickr photo by IceNineJon

Happy Labor Day! I suppose summer is officially over now. As a final salute to the season, I have a recipe for you. I haven't been in the kitchen this weekend, so please forgive me for not including photos!  But trust me, this recipe is family-tested and approved!  And you already know what potato salad looks like anyway, right?

Here's our world-famous SisFamily Potato Salad recipe, which originally came from SisMama's dad. Ok, it might not actually be world-famous, but our family loves it! What makes it special? No to celery, green pepper, sweet relish and Miracle Whip! Yes to celery salt, a touch of mustard, boiled eggs and dill pickles. That's how we roll!

SisFamily Potato Salad

3 to 4 pounds new potatoes, as close to the same size as possible
6 eggs, boiled and chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 to 6 dill pickles, finely chopped or use dill relish
2 tablespoons yellow or spicy brown mustard
Good mayonnaise to bind it all together: usually 1 cup or more
Celery salt to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes (unpeeled) until just tender.  Allow to cool just enough to handle and then peel.  They peel easier when they're still warm.  Cut potatoes into medium-size chunks; not too small.  They break up a bit when mixed, and you don't want to be left with mashed potato salad.  Salt and pepper the pieces while still warm, since they absorb flavors best while warm.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the egg, onion, and pickles together.  Add the mustard, mayonnaise and a few dash of celery salt.  Mix all together, then add in the potatoes and toss together gently. Taste and adjust for seasonings.  You may need to add more mayonnaise to hold the mixture together.  The potatoes will drink up some of the moisture as they sit for a while, so we usually make the salad pretty juicy to start with.  It's best to make the salad a day ahead or at least a couple of hours in advance so all of the flavors can blend.

For a lower-fat variation, you could use low-fat mayo, but we aren't big fans of that product.  And here's a tip that I learned from a co-worker.  To mellow your chopped raw onions a bit, let them marinate for an hour or so in plain water or in lemon juice, then drain them and pat them dry.  The liquid takes out some of the bitter strong flavor.  It really works!  You could also substitute chopped chives or scallions for a milder flavor.

Potato salad is a main course in my veggie household, but it's just a side dish in LilSis' household of carnivorous guys.  Fortunately for them, she has an awesome brisket recipe and she's going to post it for all of you with similar big appetites in your family.  Take it away, LilSis!

~BigSis

September 5, 2009

I just now thought of this??  Really?  Where have I been?  This is the easiest healthy hummus recipe ever, and dare I say…the most delicious?

As usual I haven't been to the WallyMart or Tarzhay for groceries, so my pantry is bare except for 2 lonely cans of chickpeas.  I already used 2 other cans this week in a tasty chickpea salad with olive oil, lemon, mustard, lemon pepper and feta.  What else could I do with these 2 cans but make HUMMUS!!  You knew I'd say it, didn't you?  The Hummus Queen lives!

So here's my revelation.  Use store-bought pesto in your healthy hummus recipe!  I had a nice bunch of basil that I was going to make pesto from, but someone…

Gaby Baby the Basil Cat Burglar

…discovered it on the counter and has been secretly munching on it as a midnight snack over the last week, so needless to say, the surviving basil leaves were in sorry shape and they had to go to Herb Heaven (aka garbage disposal).

But store-bought pesto carries no shame!  And cheap pesto from Sam's Club is just fine in this.

I use my basic hummus formula:  2 cans drained rinsed chickpeas + 1/4 cup olive oil + juice of 1 to 2 lemons + 2 tblsp tahini + seasonings.  Usually, I add fresh garlic and maybe chives or whatever herbs I have laying around.  Sun-dried tomatoes are awesome in hummus too, by the way.

But tonight, I skipped peeling and crushing garlic, and just added 3 tablespoons of that Sam's pesto as an experiment.  And voila!  It's so ding dang good I can't stand it!  It has a nice pale green color, and the unmistakable flavor combination of garlic and basil, but it's slightly subtle and not overpowering.

I'm dying to to replicate the artichoke hummus from Ziziki's Greek restaurant, but until I do, THIS is my new favorite…Healthy Pesto Hummus!

~BigSis

September 3, 2009

Last Friday was our friend and coworker MoJo JoJo's last day with us.  She moved back to her hometown to start her official awesome job as a CPA with a Master's degree.  You rock, MoJo JoJo!  You worked hard for that and you deserve an incredible career!

So, for her last (sad) day with us on the job, I made Tyler Florence's Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars.  I've mentioned before that I need very little excuse to bake…full moon, Tuesday, whatever. When a friend leaves, you can bet I'm going to bake.  I've been wanting to try this recipe ever since I saw Tyler make it on his Tyler's Ultimate show on Food Network a long time ago.  These little dudes looked incredible, and have always stuck in my head.

My expectations were not too high.  These came out fabulous!  I loved them, and they disappeared pretty darn fast from the office.  So fast, in fact, that I didn't get a chance to photograph them and had to make another batch over the weekend.  Oh, darn!

You can go to the Food Network site for Tyler's recipe for these scrumptious Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, but let me give you my notes.  A few people mentioned in the reviews that they thought the lemon flavor was too tart, or their bars didn't set up well, or that the crust didn't stay together.  After making these twice, I've discovered the solutions to all of these little issues.  These are the changes I recommend:

• The recipe calls for 9 graham crackers.  I used 1-1/2 cups of crumbs and it was perfect.

• Use 1/4 tsp of cinnamon instead of 1/8 tsp in the crust.

• Use an extra 2 Tblsp of butter in the crust (6 Tblsp).

• Use 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice in the filling.  The recipe calls for the juice of 2 lemons, which we know can vary wildly.  The first time I made these, the juice of 2 small lemons yielded 1/4 cup.  That produced the perfect texture in the filling, and the blueberries didn't bleed into it at all.  The bars also cut beautifully.  The second time, I had medium size lemons so I used the juice of 3 halves, measuring about 1/3 cup.  Although I really liked the bit of extra lemon tang, the bars were a bit less firm, and the berries did bleed into the cheesecake somewhat.  The bars also cut a little less pretty.  All of the photos here are from the second batch, so you can see what I'm talking about.  So, 1/4 cup juice is the key!  And do use fresh juice for these!

• Even if you use less juice, still use the zest of 2 lemons.  It's a real flavor booster and complements the blueberries beautifully.

• Make sure your berries are completely dry after washing them.

• I had a hard time telling when the bars were done, so I just stuck to the 35 minute baking time and they were on the money.

This is a SUPER easy recipe and I just adore it!  It's going into my permanent file, and I'll be making it regularly.  It's creamy and rich and luscious, but also fruity and tangy.  It's a winner!  I'm entering it into this week's Tyler Florence Fridays, so check it out.  They post a roundup each Friday of all the Tyler recipes submitted for the week, and one recipe gets to be on Tyler's blog.  Fun, huh?

Next time, I'm going to sprinkle a few raspberries in with the blueberries.  Try this one!  You'll lurve it!  (We miss you, MoJo JoJo!)

~BigSis

August 27, 2009

Have you noticed that we've talked quite a bit about tomatoes lately? To us, great locally-grown tomatoes are a huge part of Summer. And while we're talking about it, we thought that this would be a perfect time to do a roundup of some of our  ‘previously posted' Summer recipes. In no particular order, here are some of our favorites!

Insalata ala Caprese

My absolute all-time favorite appetizer to serve with the ‘cream of the crop' summer tomatoes is Insalata ala Caprese.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

This Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette was simple to make and turned out beautifully. It's perfect to take to an “End of Summer” or Labor Day Party.

Sun Dried Tomato Cream Potato Salad

BigSis got a ton of emails when she posted the recipe for this awesome Sun Dried Tomato Cream Potato Salad. It's a new favorite!

Angel Hair Pasta Salad

We've been making different versions of this Angel Hair Pasta Salad for years! It's one of those recipes that you modify to suit your own taste. It's a great salad to take to a cookout and is even better when made a day ahead.

Healthy Hummus

And, we can't forget about this easy, healthy Hummus recipe that's great served with either raw veggies or pita chips.

Homemade Pita Chips

This recipe for Homemade Pita Chips is so easy and puts store bought pita chips to shame.

Simple Guacamole

This Simple Guacamole is also great with the pita chips!

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro, and Green Chile

Another really, really simple salad that turns out great is this Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro, and Green Chile.

Deviled Eggs

And, what's a Summer cookout without Deviled Eggs?

Fried Tomato Sandwich with Pesto and Goat Cheese

Even though BigSis just posted this Fried Tomato Sandwich with Pesto and Goat Cheese recipe this week, I couldn't leave it out of this Summer Recipe Roundup.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobello

Here's another favorite with tomato! This Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobello can also be done on the grill and is a great addition to any Summer cookout.

Summertime Fruit Salad

We started off almost every morning this Summer with a Summertime Fruit Salad like this one.

Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

These Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Paradise Pie

And last, but not least, this frozen Paradise Pie is a perfect dessert to serve or take to a Summer Barbecue.

~LilSis