Greek Zucchini Cakes

We're going Greek for our Wednesday night dinner this week - Greek salad, pita bread, hummus, and these Greek-style zucchini cakes.  The recipe is from the Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/greek-zucchini-cakes-recipe.html

INGREDIENTS

1 pound zucchini, grated (about 2 medium)

1 tsp Kosher salt, or 3/4 tsp table salt

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 green onions/scallions, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup chopped pine nuts

1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried

1 clove garlic, minced or finely chopped

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Combine grated zucchini and salt.  Set aside for 5 minutes (no more, or it will be mush).  Rinse in cold water and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel or press in a strainer or colander until dry.

Combine cheese, egg, onion, flour, pine nuts, dill, oregano, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl; fold in the zucchini.  Form into 14-24 small cakes (about 2 Tbsp of zucchini mixture each) and sauté in olive oil until browned, about 3 minutes on each side.  Serve immediately.  (I kept mine warm on a plate with paper towels in a warm oven while I cooked the rest of the cakes and waited until company was ready to eat them)

Nutritional information:  6 servings, per serving = 242.2 calories, 20.5 g fat, 47.7 mg cholesterol, 421.3 mg sodium, 11.4 g carbs, 2.7 g dietary fiber, 6.1 g protein

Red Lentil Hummus

My sister-outlaw tried this recipe when I posted about making a nut hummus.  She said it was quite tasty, so I made some for our Greek-themed dinner tonight.  The recipe is from Chow.com http://www.chow.com/recipes/14110-red-lentil-hummus

INGREDIENTS 

2 cups water

1 cup dried red lentils

2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped

3 Tbsp tahini

5 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice, preferably fresh squeezed

2 tsp Kosher salt, or 1 1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat water in a small saucepan over high heat until boiling.  Add lentils and reduce heat to low.  Simmer until almost all of the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Drain through a fine mesh strainer and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Place lentils, garlic, and tahini in food processor and pulse until lentils are broken up, about 10 pulses.  Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt,  and pepper.  Add to food processor and blend until evenly incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down sides and blend 40 seconds more, or until smooth.

Nutritional information: Makes about 8, 1/4 cup servings.  Per serving = 140.4 calories, 11.9 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol,  588.4 mg sodium, 7.1 g carbs, 2.5 g dietary fiber, 3.3 g protein

Banana Bread, Dairy-free and Soy-free

We had three brown bananas we needed to use up, so I started looking for a banana bread recipe with ingredients I can eat without setting off inflammation and pain.  I used the recipe for Dairy Free Banana Bread I found on the Southern Test Kitchen site http://southerntestkitchen.com/dairy-free-banana-bread/

I goofed and left out the baking soda, so they probably didn't rise as much as they normally would.  They were still very tasty, tho.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

3/4 cup sugar

3 ripe bananas, mashed or pulsed

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup almond milk

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to blend together coconut oil, sugar, and milk.  Add eggs and bananas, and mix again.

Stir wet ingredients into dry, and mix together until just blended.

Measure equal amounts into two non-stick loaf pans and/or into non-stick muffin pans.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.  Cool.

Nutritional information:  188.5 calories, 7.7 g fat, 21.3 mg cholesterol, 144.3 mg sodium, 28 g carbs, 1.1 g dietary fiber, 2.8 g protein

Macaroni and Cheese with no cow's milk

Jean is home from college for the summer.  She was diagnosed with mono a couple of weeks ago, and has been coping with a majorly swollen and sore throat, as well as fatigue, while finishing up classes and finals.  She ended up getting some extensions, so still will be doing some school work for the next week or so.  

The good news is that her throat is better now.  One of her favorite meals is macaroni and cheese with not-pigs in a blanket.  So I made that for her tonight.  And I made the Mac 'n' Cheese without using any cow dairy products, so I could eat it, too.

The not-pigs are Morningstar Farm sausage links wrapped in packaged crescent roll dough and baked.  

INGREDIENTS

1 12-oz. pkg cavatappi macaroni or other macaroni, cooked

2 cups goat milk cheddar cheese, grated

2 Tbsp soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

1/2 cup other goat cheeses, mozzarella, etc.

1 1/4 cup almond milk

2 Tbsp flour

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt Earth Balance buttery spread in saucepan.  Add flour and mix well.  Add garlic, salt, and pepper.  Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until thickens and almost to a boil.  Remove from heat and add grated cheeses.  Pour sauce into drained macaroni and mix well.  Put into 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake 25 minutes.

Lettuce Garden and Greek Salad

Tonight I had my first salad made with lettuce I grew myself!  Someone had posted a link to an article about using a couple of saw-horses, a metal grate, and a bag of potting or gardening soil to create a raised bed garden.  I'm not sure where it came from originally, but here's a link to an article about the idea http://www.examiner.com/article/clever-and-easy-salad-green-growing-eliminates-weeding

My Greek salad is just lettuce, cucumber, olives, and either real Greek feta (made with sheep's-milk) or crumbled goat's-milk cheese.  With a Greek salad dressing that is soy-free.

Baked Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions and Apples (needs work)

For various reasons I cancelled our normal Wednesday dinner this week.  Nancy is working late tonight, and we leave early tomorrow morning to go get Jean from college.  I felt like having pork chops for dinner, but not much like cooking - I'd spent most of the day volunteering at The Opportunity Shop.  So I tried a scaled-down version of a wonderfully simple recipe I found on Mel's Kitchen Cafe http://www.melskitchencafe.com/tender-pork-chops-with-caramelized-apples-and-onions/.  Put everything in the baking pan, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, stick it in the preheated oven, and leave it for three hours!

Mine came out with the onions and apples sort of a hot, dark mess.  The pork chop was good, tho!  Perhaps the aluminum foil was not airtight.  Or something else went wrong.

INGREDIENTS

2 pork chops

1 small onion, sliced

1 apple (recipe calls for Granny Smith; I used what I had - Gala)

2 Tbsp unpacked brown sugar

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease/oil small baking pan (big enough to hold pork chops in single layer, and easy to tightly cover with aluminum foil).  Place onion slices in single layer evenly over bottom of pan.  Place apple slices next.  Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over all.  Salt & pepper both sides of the chops and place the chops in the baking pan.  Tightly cover pan with aluminum foil.  Put in oven and bake for 3 hours.  Do not open the oven or peek under the foil.

Nutritional information:  Makes 2 servings, per serving = 280.8 calories, 12.4 g fat, 53.3 mg cholesterol, 118.7 mg sodium, 25.6 g carbs, 2.6 g dietary fiber, 19.6 g protein

Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowl with Tahini-Lemon Dressing

I wanted a relatively simple and healthy one-bowl dinner and decided to look for Buddha Bowl recipes.  The one I used/adapted is from Pamela Salzman's blog - http://pamelasalzman.com/roasted-veggie-buddha-bowl-lemon-tahini-dressing-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

1 medium rutabaga, peeled and diced

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces

1 cup fresh spinach

Olive oil (about 4 Tbsp)

Salt & pepper

Brown rice

Dressing:

3 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup tahini

3 Tbsp lukewarm water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Cook 1 cup brown rice according to pkg instructions.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix rutabaga and carrots with about 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Put on baking sheet in single layer.  Put in oven for about 5 minutes, turn/flip veggies and return to oven for another 5 minutes.  Turn/flip veggies.  Mix broccoli & cauliflower with 2-3 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Put on baking sheet in single layer - some on second baking sheet, and some with rutabaga and carrots.   Cook 7 minutes, turn/flip veggies, return to oven for 7 more minutes.   Take a handful of spinach and rub in bowl that you mixed other veggies with olive oil.  Add spinach to baking sheet.  Cook all for 6 minutes. Turn/flip veggies and cook final 6 minutes.

Whisk together dressing ingredients.  Mix together rice, roasted veggies, and dressing.  Serve in bowl.

Nutritional information:  Makes 10 servings, per serving = 231 calories, 13.9 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 24.1 g carbs, 5.7 g dietary fiber, 6 g protein

Turkey Kielbasa Rutabaga Chowder

This is an adaptation of one of Nancy's family recipes - Potato Kielbasa Chowder.  My adaptations involve substituting rutabagas for potatoes (and allowing a longer cooking time) and using almond milk instead of cow's milk.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 cups peeled, diced rutabagas

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 can chicken broth or 1 cup chicken boulion

1 16 oz. pkg frozen mixed vegetables

3/4 pound turkey kielbasa, sliced

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 cups almond milk

2 Tbsp Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread 

1 cup water

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Combine rutabaga, vegetables, onion, and chicken broth or boulion plus water (2 cups total) in large saucepan/soup pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rutabaga is tender, about 25-35 minutes.  Add kielbasa slices.  In a medium bowl, blend flour, pepper, and milk.  Stir into vegetables.  Bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  The soup should thicken slightly.  Remove from heat.  Add melted buttery spread.

Nutritional information:  Make 8, 3/4-cup servings, per serving = 180.8 calories, 8.5 g fat, 22.5 mg cholesterol, 586.9 mg sodium, 17.9 g carbs, 3.6 g dietary fiber, 9.4 g protein

Tacos

Mexican food can be a real challenge when avoiding nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes), legumes (beans - refried and black included), dairy (cheese, sour cream), soy (most cheese substitutes), and gluten (flour tortillas).  So today we had tacos, using the first of several spice combinations to replace taco seasoning without using any nightshades.  The most common substitutes include onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano.  This recipe http://cookingwithoutnightshade.blogspot.com/ does not use cumin or oregano - I'll try that next time.

I used corn tortillas, and topped them with the taco meat, Daiya soy-free, dairy-free shredded cheddar, avocado, black olives, romaine lettuce, and We Can't Say It's Sour Cream.  I do miss the tomatoes and salsa and refried beans.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Salt & pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

in a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Drain/remove grease from cooked meat.  Add remaining spices and cook 2-3 minutes to blend flavors.

Apricot Glazed Grilled Pork Chops

This recipe takes more time and attention than most of the apricot glazed pork chop recipes I found, but it sounded really good and didn't use soy sauce.  I modified it slightly from the recipe I found on the Noble Pig blog  http://noblepig.com/2009/07/apricot-glazed-grilled-pork-chops/

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:

  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  1/2 cup lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

  1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  Salt and pepper

Assorted bone-in pork chops, up to 3 1/2 pounds.

Glaze:

  1/2 cup white wine

  1/4 cup apricot jam or preserves

  1/2 tsp dried thyme

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the marinade at least 3 hours prior to cooking.  Salt and pepper chops.  Place pork chops with marinade (in bowl or plastic storage bag) 3 hours prior to cooking.  Turn after 1 1/2 hours.

Mix together glaze ingredients in small skillet or saucepan.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

Preheat gas grill to high.  Place marinated chops on grill and reduce heat to low/medium.  Grill for 25 minutes, basting with marinade, rotating, and turning frequently.

Using a different basting brush, brush chops with prepared glaze.  Turn and baste other side.  This can be done a couple of times, but after basting with glaze, don't leave the chops on the grill long or they'll burn.

Nutritional information: 8 servings, per serving = 488.7 calories, 42.6 g fat, 106.1 mg cholesterol, 99.4 mg sodium, 1.6 g carbs, 0 g dietary fiber, 23.4 g protein

Pork chop, green beans, and No Potato Salad.

No Potato Salad

This is another recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Elana's Pantry -  http://www.elanaspantry.com/no-potato-salad/. She uses parsley in her recipe - I left it out, and I also used soy-free Earth Balance Mindful Mayo (made with olive oil) instead of mayo.

INGREDIENTS

1 head cauliflower

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 3-4 Tbsp)

2 eggs, hard-boiled and diced

2 Tbsp no soy Earth Balance Mindful Mayo with Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Chop cauliflower into small florets (about 1/2 inch).  Steam florets until fork-tender (about 5 minutes).  Allow to cool in a large bowl.

When cool, add celery, onion, and egg.  Stir in mayo, mustard, and salt.  Mix well and serve.

Nutritional information:  Makes 6 servings, per serving = 87.6 calories, 4.6 g fat, 63.3 mg cholesterol, 211.2 mg sodium, 7.1 g carbs, 3.0 g dietary fiber, 4.2 g protein

Ruby Red Cabbage

I had a cup and a half of shredded red cabbage I wanted to use up.  I searched the internet for recipes, and what I made most closely resembles the Taste of Home recipe I found for Ruby Red Cabbage http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/ruby-red-cabbage

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp lower sugar craisins

1 Tbsp Earth Balance no-soy buttery spread

1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 tsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Melt buttery spread in skillet.  Add craisins and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add other ingredients.  Cook, covered, on low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Nutritional information: Makes 1 serving = 202.9 calories, 11.2 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 292.3 mg sodium, 29.4 g carbs, 7.8 g dietary fiber, 1.9 g protein