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Crunchy Lentil And Chickpea Veggie Toss

September 21, 2011 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

1/2 cup dried lentils
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped, including green tops
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, chopped small
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp good olive oil
sea or kosher salt to taste
dash black pepper
a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes

In a soup pot, put lentils and water over medium high heat, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer very slowly for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. (Don’t let the lentils boil; skim off any foam that forms on the top.)
Meanwhile prepare chickpeas and veggies and put into a large salad bowl; cover bowl and keep chilled.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and olive oil, with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
When lentils are cooked, cool slightly, then toss into chilled veggies.
Pour lime juice and olive oil dressing over the mixture, toss together lightly until combined; taste, adjust seasonings, toss again.
Chill salad for 15 to 25 minutes, then serve cold.
To make this lentil salad go a bit further, serve over a bed of crispy Romaine lettuce. You can also toss it with chopped lettuce if you wish.

Filed Under: Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes, Super Foods

Sunnny Marinated Mushrooms

August 31, 2011 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

3 Tbsp finely minced shallots
1 large sweet orange, zested and juiced
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp light olive oil
1 (8 oz) package small button mushrooms

Combine the shallots, orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, thyme, vinegar, salt, and olive oil in a large glass bowl and whisk together until frothy.
Add the mushrooms to the bowl and toss well.
Cover bowl with plastic food wrap and put in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours; be sure to stir several times during the marinading time.
Transport to picnic in covered container. Serve at room temperature using cute spears or toothpicks.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Curry Couscous Stuffed Whole Artichokes

August 13, 2011 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

4 large fresh artichokes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup instant couscous
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Clean artichokes by washing under cold running water.
Cut off stems at their base and remove any small leaves on the bottom.
To cook, fill a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water and a teaspoon of salt. Set artichokes in saucepan upright, cover saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil, and continue to boil for 40 to 45 minutes or until you can stick a fork in the base of the artichoke. Remove and turn the artichokes upside-down on a rack to drain completely.
After artichokes have drained and cooled, clean center out, removing any petals and the fuzzy insides and discard, leaving just the clean leaves. Set aside.
Make couscous stuffing by combining the chicken broth, curry powder, cumin, and garlic salt in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil; remove from heat.
Stir in the couscous and raisins. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Add the green onion, almonds, lemon zest and juice, and vegetable oil into the couscous and stir lightly.
To stuff artichoke, gently spread the artichoke petals apart, filling each crevice and the cleaned center with a portion of the couscous misture.
To serve, pull off petals and scoop out the couscous to individual plates. Cold yogurt is a nice topping.

Filed Under: Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Juice Simmered Pears

July 2, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
pears

What You Need:

6 C of water
1 C of sugar
6 firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in half
1 lemon rind strip
3 tbsp pear juice

How to Make It:

Place a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the water and sugar to the pan and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.
Place the pears into the water and return to a simmer.
Cook the pears for 25 minutes at a simmer or until the pears are tender.
Place the pears into a serving bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.
Over high heat bring the pear cooking liquid to a boil.
Cook the juice for 20 minutes or until the juice is reduced to 1 C and resembles syrup.
Strain the juice through a sieve, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Pour the chilled juice over the pears just before serving.

Makes 6 servings

This is a simple but elegant way to serve a fruit side dish. Everyone will love it and it gives you at least 1 serving of fruit in your daily diet. If you are serving to adults you may use pear flavored liqueur or brandy instead of the pear juice. Try making this recipe using other fruits such as apples, peaches or even plums.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 45 minutes
Cooling Time: approximately 30 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 30 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 237; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 68g; Protein 0g; Fiber 2g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg

Filed Under: Brunch Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Roasted Lemon Laced Brussels Sprouts

July 1, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
brusselsprouts

What You Need:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 (10 oz.) pkgs. Brussels sprouts, halved
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

How to Make It:

Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray the foil generously with cooking spray.
Set the oven temperature to 500 degrees and let the oven preheat.
Whisk the oil, garlic, salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl.
Add the Brussels sprouts and toss gently to coat.
Evenly spread the coated Brussels sprouts onto the prepared baking sheet.
Roast the Brussels sprouts for 15 minutes or until crisp tender, turning them occasionally.
Place the roasted vegetables into a serving bowl and toss with the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Makes 6 servings

Adding more vegetables to our diets can be a hard thing to swallow. It is vital to our health that we consume at least 3 servings of vegetables a day. It’s easy to do when remembering that the simpler the cooking the better the flavor. Roasting vegetables at high temperatures and shortened cooking time causes some of the natural sugars to caramelize giving roasted vegetables a little sweeter taste and makes them a little easier to swallow.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 15 minutes
Total Time: approximately 25 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 58; Fat 2g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 9g; Protein 3g; Fiber 6g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 169mg

Filed Under: Health Concious, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Ginger Glazed Melon

June 24, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
honeydew

What You Need:

3 tbsp water
1/3 C of sugar
2 tsp lime zest, grated
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated fine
1 honeydew melon, cut into bite size pieces

How to Make It:

Pour the water into a saucepan and place the pan over medium heat.
Stir in the sugar and bring the mixture to a brisk boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill for 5 minutes.
Stir the lime zest, lime juice and ginger into the chilled mixture.
Put the melon chunks into a large serving bowl.
Pour the ginger glaze over the melon and gently toss to coat.

Makes 8 servings

Melons are the icing on the cake when it comes to summer fruits. Honeydew melons are often overlooked for the more popular cantaloupe or watermelon even though they have an exceptional taste. When topped with this syrup they are even tastier. Too quickly peel and cut a melon, cut a thick slice from the bottom and top of the melon. Cut the melon in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Turn each half upside down and working from the top to the bottom, remove the rind. Once the rind is removed chop the melon in the desired size for your recipe.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Chilling Time: approximately 5 minutes
Total Time: approximately 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 75; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 20g; Protein 1g; Fiber 2g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 21mg

Filed Under: Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Squash and Apple Mash

June 23, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
mashedsquash

What You Need:

4 tbsp of light margarine, divided
3 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
3 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Set the oven temperature to 350 and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil.
Place 1 tbsp of the margarine onto each baking sheet and place in the oven until the butter melts.
Spread half of the squash and half of the apples evenly onto each baking sheet.
Turn the squash and apples in the melted margarine to coat them well.
Roast for 40 minutes or until fork tender.
Place the roasted squash and apples into a large serving bowl.
Toss in the remaining margarine and the salt and pepper.
Mash until smooth.

Makes 8 servings

This mash is a little healthier than regular mashed potatoes and just as tasty. Make them ahead of time if you wish. They keep well when covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen for up to 1 week. Just thaw them in the refrigerator and heat in the microwave until hot.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 40 minutes
Total Time: approximately 50 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 168; Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 30g; Protein 2g; Fiber 4g;
Cholesterol 16mg; Sodium 211mg

Filed Under: Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cherry Cranberry Fruit Delight

June 14, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

2 (.6 oz.) pkg.  sugar free cherry gelatin
2 C boiling water
1 (12 oz.) pkg. fresh cranberries
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 orange, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 (1 in.) piece of orange peel
1 (20 oz.) can crushed unsweetened pineapple with juice

How to Make It:

Stir the gelatin into the boiling water until it is dissolved.
Fold in the cranberries, apples, orange and orange peel.
Add the pineapple with its juice and stir to blend in well.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Once cool place the mixture into the blender in batches and blend until slightly chopped.
Once all the gelatin mixture has been chopped pour it into a 13X9 pan and cover.
Chill for at least 3 hours or until the gelatin if firm.

Makes 16 servings

Fruit is a necessary part of a healthy balanced diet. It can be hard to incorporate all the necessary daily requirements of fruit into a diet but this recipe can give you a good start. You can substitute frozen cranberries in place of the fresh ones. This fruity side dish can also be turned into a healthy dessert by adding a little fat free whipped topping to each bowl full.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Chilling Time: approximately 3 hours
Total Time: approximately 3 hours 15 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 47; Fat 1g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 11g; Protein 2g; Fiber 0g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 46mg

Filed Under: Desserts, Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Almond Laced Green Beans

June 13, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
greenbeans

What You Need:

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans stem ends removed
1/2 C almonds, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to Make It:

Place pan filled 2/3 full of water over medium high heat.
Add a pinch of salt and bring the water to a full boil.
Place the beans into the boiling water and cook for 15 minutes or until crisp tender.
Drain the beans, rinse with cold water and drain them well.
Toast the almonds for 3 minutes in a dry skillet shaking the skillet occasionally as they toast.
Remove the almonds to a bowl.
Pour the oil into the same skillet and heat over medium low heat.
Add the shallots and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring them often.
Add the beans to the skillet and sprinkle the almonds over the top.
Season the beans with the salt and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes or until hot all the way through.

Makes 6 servings

There’s nothing like a good pot of fresh green beans to brighten your meal. These are no exception. Green beans are a great source of vitamins and almonds are very healthy for us. Frozen green beans may be used if you prefer just let them thaw before cooking them and adjust your cooking time to about 5 minutes. Try these beans as a side dish to any of your favorite main course meats.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 25 minutes
Total Time: approximately 35 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 122; Fat 9g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 11g; Protein 4g; Fiber 3g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 104mg

Filed Under: Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Snappy Herbed Tomatoes

June 7, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
tomatoes

What You Need:

1 pint mini pear tomatoes cut in half
1/4 C of vegetable oil
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 C fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh basil, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

How to Make It:

Put the tomatoes into a salad bowl.
Whisk together the oil and vinegar in a separate bowl until mixed together well.
Add the parsley, basil, oregano, salt and sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the mixture over the tomatoes and toss to coat.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Makes 4 servings

There’s nothing like fresh ingredients when it comes to making a summer dish. This side dish is no exception. The herb dressing gives these tomatoes a little snap. Cherry tomatoes can also be used in place of or with the pear tomatoes or mix them together for a pretty summer dish.

Filed Under: Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes, Summer Cooking Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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